Upset, February 2020

** Plus ** Frances Quinlan Cultdreams The Mysterines Vukovi Sløtface Poppy Yonaka Higher Power + loads more

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Twin Atlantic Against The Current

The best bands from Down Under featuring Dune Rats, The Faim and more!

FEBRUARY 2020 Issue 51

HELLO. When we started work on this issue, focusing on some of our favourite Australian bands making waves around the globe, the country had already been experiencing months of drought - but we had little idea of the tragedy about to strike. Now, as we send this magazine to the printers, our friends Down Under are dealing with devastating fires on an immense scale.

So, while we think it’s important to continue to celebrate the talent from such a vital, vibrant nation, we’d also like to draw attention to some ways we can all help. If you want to do something to show support for our Aussie chums, consider donating to one of the many worthy causes you’ll find mentioned online. It’s a small thing, but it makes a difference.

RIOT 4. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE 6. CULTDREAMS 8. FRANCES QUINLAN 10. SYLOSIS 11. YONAKA 12. AGAINST THE CURRENT ABOUT TO BREAK 14. THE MYSTERINES 16. BAMBARA FEATURES 18. DUNE RATS 24. HOCKEY DAD 26. THE FAIM 28. BAD//DREEMS 30. TWIN ATLANTIC 34. SLØTFACE 38. VUKOVI REVIEWS 42. POPPY 43. DUNE RATS 44. SLØTFACE TEENAGE KICKS 46. HIGHER POWER

S tephen

Editor / @stephenackroyd

Upset Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Scribblers Alexander Bradley, Dan Harrison, Dillon Eastoe, Jamie MacMillan, Jasleen Dhindsa, Linsey Teggert, Martyn Young, Paris Fawcett, Rob Mair, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin, Tyler Damara Kelly Snappers James Adams, Julia Khoroshilov, Katy Cummings, Phoebe Jane Barrett, Sarah Louise Bennett, Tom Healy P U B L I S H E D F RO M

W E LCO M E TOT H E B U N K E R.CO M U N I T 10, 23 G RA N G E RO A D, H A S T I N G S, T N34 2R L

All material copyright (c). All rights reserved.

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THIS MONTH IN ROCK

Frances Quinlan talks her debut solo album under her own name, ‘Likewise’. p.8

EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN ROCK

THEY’RE BACK! Picture this...

Photos: Pooneh Ghana, Kevin Estrada, Mark Beemer

Yep, it happened. Late last year, My Chemical Romance made their big comeback at a special, tiny (for them) LA show. With the costumes cast aside, they let the songs speak for themselves. Expect much more to come in 2020...

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Yonaka smash it live in Brixton to climax a massive year. p.11

Against The Current prove their point as they hit London. p.12

SETLIST I’m Not Okay (I Promise) Thank You for the Venom Give ‘Em Hell, Kid House of Wolves Summertime You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison Make Room!!!!

Our Lady of Sorrows Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) Sleep Mama I Don’t Love You DESTROYA Teenagers S/C/A/R/E/C/R/ O/W Famous Last Words The Kids From Yesterday ENCORE Vampire Money Helena Welcome to the Black Parade

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Code Orange have announced their new album ‘Underneath’, due on 13th March via Roadrunner Records. “[It’s] about facing the duality in ourselves as individuals and as a society in an overcrowded, overexposed, allconsuming digital nirvana,” Jami Morgan explains.

Bury Tomorrow have confirmed the plans for their new album.

Their sixth full-length, ‘Cannibal’ will arrive on 3rd April via Music For Nations / Sony. Following up on 2018’s ‘Black Flame’, it was again recorded with SikTh guitarist Dan Weller.

arture: “I am incredibly grateful and proud of everything we have achieved.

Prepare for more spooky fun, Creeper have revealed news of their second album. Titled ‘Sex, Death & The Infinite Void’, it’ll arrive on 22nd May via Roadrunner Records, and come alongside their first UK headline tour in over two years, kicking off on 12th April in Leeds.

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Ever had to pack for a tour?

You’re gonna be spending weeks in a small, intimate space with several other smelly people and - for hours a day, not a lot to do.

You’re gonna need to be prepared.

That’s why we’ve asked our fave musicians for tips. This month, Cultdreams let us inside their tour suitcase.

FIND OUT WHAT YOUR FAVE BANDS TAKE ON THE ROAD. THIS MONTH...

CULTDREAMS

iPad Pro + Macbook.

I work a lot on the road because I freelance as an illustrator, so these two items are pretty much my livelihood.

Depending on what tour I’m on I sometimes find it a real struggle to do commissions on the road, but these two things make it possible to do, especially the iPad because I can sketch and illustrate in the van really easily. It’s always a godsend if we ever have a van with plugs in it, but that rarely happens. - Lucinda CPAP Machine.

I have Sleep Apnea and when your travelling on tour and sleeping in pretty small places with loads of people, it can be pretty awful if you’re the one keeping everyone up and giving people a bad nights sleep. It used to give me really bad anxiety on tour, and I was constantly thinking that bands wouldn’t want to tour with us

again or they’d hate me because of my snoring/apnea. I’ve had this machine for nearly three years, and it’s improved my sleeping, especially on tour, significantly since I got it. - Conor Football scarf. habit of picking up cool football scarves from interesting places we’ve been too, but I also like to support my team Leeds United while I’m on tour, I normal tie a scarf around a cymbal stand or somewhere on my kit. Plus it’s great for keeping warm when we tour during the cold winter months.

- Conor Padlock.

At first glance, this one seems weird, and I promise you it’s not so I can lock my possessions away from the people I’m on tour with. At home I work out a lot, it’s my way of keeping my brain from caving in on me, and on tour, there are so many things that can make your brain cave in daily. So if I get a chance to find a gym on a day off, I’ll grab a day pass, and I can go and train for a bit, and I need a padlock for the lockers in a gym. This is also my way of taking an hour for myself. - Lucinda

Cultdreams tour the UK from 21st February.

Brutus have announced a short UK tour; the Belgian three-piece will perform at Leeds’ Brudenell Social Club (22nd April), Bristol’s Fleece (23rd) and London’s Garage (24th) in support of their recent album, ‘Nest’.

arture: “I am incredibly grateful and proud of everything we have achieved.

Brian Fallon has confirmed details for his new solo album. ‘Local Honey’ is due out on 27th March via Lesser Known Records/ Thirty Tigers, preceded by new single, ‘You Have Stolen My Heart’.

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Words: Martyn Young. Photo: Julia Khoroshilov

Paramore’s Hayley Williams has revealed that she’s going to release solo material under the moniker Petals For Armor.

Announcing the news on her birthday, she explains that “with the help of some of my closest friends, I made something I’m going to call my own. It’s a really special project.”

RARE THING

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Frances Quinlan’s debut solo album under her own name, ‘Likewise’ isn’t a rejection of her band and everything she’s done before.

Instead, it’s an accompaniment to the career she’s carved out with her band Hop Along and a chance for her to spread her musical wings.

Indeed, the gestation of the album came from two songs left off Hop Along’s previous album 2018’s ‘Bark Your Head Off Dog’.

“There were two songs that we recorded during the ‘Bark Your Head Off, Dog’ sessions that we left off the album, ‘A Secret’ and ‘Went To LA’. They were two solo songs that were supposed to be on that record, but it made the record too long,” begins Frances.

Realising that those songs were too good to go to waste they provided Frances with the impetus to release them on her own and expressive herself out with the band. “I told everybody I wanted a shot at recording a solo record and everybody was super supportive,” she says. “It felt right, those two songs were already solo, but they were the kind of songs that stayed as they were from inception to the end.

That was different from Hop Along’s approach were we edit pretty heavily as we go along. I wanted a shot at doing something that stayed a little truer to the initial mood. Also, I didn’t want to just stick to the guitar.”

Working from a wider sonic palette was a key principle for the record as Frances stripped things back and brought in more refined arrangements featuring keyboards, string arrangements and harps. It didn’t feel like too much of a departure and was in many ways a return to her earliest

days making music.

“When I started Hop Along I was alone,” she says. “I always wanted to be able to evolve and have music involved with excitement and surprise. I’ve been in Hop Along for half my life and always want to have room for dynamism. The band is still going strong. They all make an appearance on the album.

They’re brilliant players.”

Frances and her collaborators including all of Hop Along in some form, primarily with guitarist Joe Reinhart as co-producer, began to craft a collection of songs with no set formula other than they had to be different. “I didn’t know exactly what the instrumentation needed to be I just knew that I needed to be able to experiment.

It completely changed the songs when we took the guitar out.

The guitar is just a vehicle. I was allowing the songs to have freedom.”

It took a few years working within the industry for Frances to get to the point where she could firmly express her own ideas work with people to bring them to fruition. Her experience with her bandmates in Hop Along for a decade helped her bring ‘Likewise’ to life. “I feel more confident in how I collaborate now. My ability to converse and feel understood is better. Joe understands what I’m looking for and what sounds I like.”

There’s definitely a desire to return to Hop Along sooner rather than later, and Frances feels the experience of working on her own music can be beneficial to the band. “I hope it informs the way I express myself in Hop Along in the future. I hope it’s an asset to the band. I’m still worried it might fail, but it has to be a good thing,” she says hopefully.

The lyrics and the songs themselves emphasise the importance of real human connections and actually talking and engaging with each other.

It’s about realising people

can change, and we have to be considerate of each other.

“They have a common thread of an attempt at discourse,” she explains. “There’s an ongoing desire to feel understood and the closer you are to people maybe that’s more of a challenge as people feel they know you in their way. It makes it hard to feel a sense of growth. Maybe if you’re feeling defined by who you are as a child or who you were in the past. The songs are optimistic as they’re ongoing attempts at discourse.”

Ultimately though Frances knows that people will forge their own relationships with her songs and she’s eager for people to take this collection to heart.

“People have come up to me and told me very vivid versions about what they think songs are about and their visions are way more clever than what I had initially intended,” she laughs. “I hope people get more out of it than what I put in.”

The one striking thing about all of Hop Along’s music and very much to the fore here is Frances’ stunning voice. It’s an instrument that defines all her work, and the considered and nuanced arrangements of her solo record are designed to bring out all the passion and fire in her voice. “The fact it’s more stripped made it possible for me to be a little more loose vocally,” she says. “Also, my voice was just changing from year to year in ways I’m not really aware of. The sparseness gave me more room to wander in.”

For now, the immediate plan for Frances is to take these songs out on the road which she acknowledges will be a strange experience without her Hop Along bandmates but buoyed by a successful solo record she’s in no doubt the future has lots of possibilities. “I just hope things stay exciting. I love being in such a dynamic group. I’m excited to work with them again.”P Frances

Quinlan’s album ‘Likewise’ out 31st January.

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Josh Middleton from Architects lets us in on some must-knows for his latest metal exploration; the first Sylosis album in five years, ‘Cycle of Suffering’.

Everything you need to know about...

Sylosis' The album was mostly written in 2016. What most people don’t

know is that the band went on a hiatus pretty much straight after the last tour we did. I was unhappy at the time and felt like I’d boxed myself in with the sound of Sylosis. After a few months of reassessing what I wanted to do musically, I slowly came back around to the idea of doing a new Sylosis record but with a fresh and more focused perspective.

For ‘Devil’s In Their Eyes’ I really wanted to ask Chris Hannah to guest appear on the track but I was too scared to ask him. I love

all kinds of music but especially fast stuff, be it thrash, death metal, punk or hardcore - I just love D-beats. So I’m a big Propagandhi fan, and I like the way Chris writes lyrics, so I actually had him in mind to sing that chorus, but I was worried he would say no, so I didn’t get round to asking him to do a guest spot.

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new album 'Cycle of Suffering' The album was pretty much tracked backwards. All of the

guitars were recorded first and then the vocals, and we didn’t record drums the end of 2018, and then the mixing process dragged on and on because I mixed it myself and kept going round in circles. It’s hard when you’re so attached to a project musically and trying to mix it as well. It’s beneficial to have someone with a fresh pair of ears mix it. I drove myself crazy and had to give myself a deadline; otherwise, I would just keep tweaking it. I owe a lot to Ermin who mastered the album for steering me in the right direction.

‘Abandon’, or at least the first half was originally a song that I had written years ago that was more like an ambient electronic thing. I intended to

do a solo record of dark, ambient electronica and not tell anyone it was me. I was concerned our metal fans would think it was

lame or ‘selling out’. I ended up just re-working it and turning it into more of a prog-rock thing.

I’m really proud of the last part of that song in particular though which was written separately. For me personally, it’s one of the most emotionally powerful pieces of music Sylosis has done.

The title-track contains riffs that have been around since before ‘Edge of the Earth’. It’s not

uncommon to have riffs floating around for years before you can fit them into a song. The approach to writing is just working on loads of songs at once. I’ve always described it as like spinning plates.

You might have a few riffs for one song, then move on to something else you’ve been working on to see if you have any new ideas for that and then move onto the next one etc. I’m really excited to play this one live! Definitely one of my favourites.

I had a bad flying experience on an internal flight in the US in early 2018. There was basically

some gnarly turbulence the whole flight but a particularly nasty bang happened as we were taking off. So since then, I’ve not been too great with flying. I learned that drawing takes my mind off the discomfort of flying. So the album cover was actually drawn over numerous flights in 2019. I’m not sure I can honestly give a deep meaning behind what the painting represents but it was pretty much mostly created in a state of anxiety, so I think that in itself ties it in with the album title. P

YONAKA Live Report

Words: Ali Shutler.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

Yonaka’s ‘Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow’ was the culmination of everything the band had learnt over the course of a hectic, hyperactive few years.

Empowering, exciting and never standing still, it made good on all the hype while proving the group should never be secondguessed. And tonight’s sold out show at London’s Electric Brixton is a coming of age for the Brighton mob.

Scrappy and ready for anything, Yonaka burst onto the stage like they’re entering the ring for a title fight. “Tonight is about you and us,” starts vocalist and instigator Theresa Jarvis. “Anything else going on in your life, leave it outside,” she demands after the rageaddled snarl of ‘Punchbag’. Armed with ‘Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow’, Yonaka have quickly become heavyweights and the fourteen song set flies by in a kaleidoscope of rage, understanding and strength. “You are so much stronger than you think. You can get through anything,” they promise before the bubbling strut of the album’s title track. “It’s us against the world,” comes the warning of the volcanic ‘Fired Up’ while ‘Own Worst Enemy’ starts with Theresa gushing that “We’re a proper family here. I would do anything for you.”

Rowdy and wholesome, tonight sees Yonaka at their best. The room couldn’t be more on their side, ‘Awake’ is a furious slice of stomping menace with the crowd following every jarring tumble and grinning leap while an acoustic ’Guilty (For Your Love’ prickles with quiet emotion as the room waits for the pin to drop.

“This one is for the dreamers,” comes the dedication of ‘Rockstar’. Once an anthem of ambition, now a soundtrack to dreams coming true, Yonaka have earnt every second of tonight’s glorious celebration as they close out a year that’s seen them become one of the most powerful bands around. P

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Knotfest is coming to the UK with an all-dayer at Milton Keynes’ National Bowl. Headlined by Slipknot, the event will take place on 22nd August, with the full lineup and on-site activities to be announced very soon indeed.

Nova Twins will release their debut album, ‘Who Are The Girls?’. Due out on 28th February 2020, the record will arrive via the London duo’s newly inked deal with Fever 333’s Jason Butler’s project, 333 Wreckords. Catch the band on tour throughout the UK next April, too.

arture: “I am incredibly grateful and proud of everything we have achieved.

Dream Nails will unleash their self-titled debut album on 3rd April via Alcopop! Records. The news arrives not long after the band confirmed a hometown show at London’s Oslo on 23rd April in celebration of the release, and in conjunction with new single ‘Text Me Back (Chirpse Degree Burns)’.

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AGAINST THE CURRENT Live Report

With their gaze firmly set on the horizon, Against The Current return to the UK for a more intimate, but no less powerful moment.

Words: Ali Shutler.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

“This has been a very developmental year for us. We feel like we’ve done a lot of brave things behind the scenes,” explained Chrissy Costanza backstage at Reading Festival and so it makes sense that they’re closing this year out with a series of smaller-than-normal shows.

A way to reconnect, reenergize and remind, tonight is the first of two shows at London’s Islington Assembly Hall and despite the turbulence going on elsewhere, onstage the band are as confident and powerful as ever.

With the brave new world of ‘Past Lives’ now settled into their set, Against The Current comfortably shift between colour and attitude. From the opening strut of ‘Voices’ that sees upbeat funk doing battle with self-doubt to the supercharged fire of ‘Running With The Wild Things’, a calling card to break the rules and live by your own expectations, Against The Current now firmly exist in a genre-less world of their own design.

A lot’s changed for the band since their early EPs but no part of their history feels out of place tonight. A mash-up of ‘Brighter’ and ‘Comeback Kid’ calls back to those early days, all bright colours and wide eyes, but it still makes sense next to the bristling abandon of ‘Sweet Surrender’ or the frank honesty of ‘Personal’, a song that deals

with loss, grief and betrayal over rumbling fireworks. Flirting with the darkness or chasing the light, Against The Current can do it all. And it’s all built around excitement.

Erupting over and over, the set flies by in a rainbow of emotion and escape while Chrissy, Dan and Will are always pushing for more. They can’t help it, it’s in their nature. The mood changes for the encore though. ‘Gravity’, the song that properly started their journey here, provides a moment of reflection as they remember when it was just the three of them against the world.

Now, they’re in it alongside every person screaming the words. The closing starshine of ‘Wasteland’ rages with the refusal to follow what’s come before, it’s a poignant reminder that Against The Current are masters of their own destiny. P

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THE BEST NEW BANDS. THE HOTTEST NEW MUSIC.

WANT A NEW BAND CRUSH? CHECK OUT THIS LOT! >>>

THE WANTS Sharing members with cult faves Bodega, New York postpunks The Wants are gearing up to their debut album. Keep an eye out for it this March.

THE

MYSTERINES

Words: Steven Loftin.

Photo: Phoebe Jane Barrett.

Life had a different plan for The Mysterines guitarist and singer Lia Metcalfe when she decided to start writing songs at the age of nine.

“To me, especially from the beginning, I was never really like, I want to be in a band, or want to tour and do all this,” she says. “I was never like that, and I’m still not really. I’m not in it for anything else other than the fact I enjoy writing songs and that’s all I do.”

But here she is, having just

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wrapped up a support tour with The Amazons, along with previous ones for Royal Blood and Miles Kane. Now The Mysterines even have their first headline tour booked in for February.

So it’s safe to say that the road has been an unexpected result of Lia deciding to pen some songs, and eventually finding a band.

It all began one night at an open mic when Lia had decided to focus on writing more defined songs at the age of “twelve or thirteen.”

(On her aged nine output she says, “They weren’t very good obviously.

I wouldn’t count them as songs.”)

Meeting The Mysterines current manager, who helped her hone in on working with other musicians led Lia to form the current

trio including bassist “George [Favager], who I met when I was like, thirteen, after school, in a park or something.” And Chrissy Moore completing the outfit on drums.

The natural progression from bedroom songwriter to touring band has been a whirlwind, one that undoubtedly takes its toll, but it’s no new story that upcoming groups have to work hard when first starting.

“I think a lot of people don’t realise like how much of a struggle it is,” she muses. “They think it’s like a glamorous thing for us; we actually tour around the UK in a car with all our gear, that for one is pretty annoying and dangerous.”

When they’re burning those

PENGSHUI Born from “a love of heavy music, heavy basslines and heavy energy”, PENGSHUi’s self-titled debut album is due in February via MVKA.

miles and hours on the road, the only thing keeping them going is the belief in what they’re doing, and The Mysterines are the type of band who hold that belief dear to their road-weary hearts.

“I think initially when you first start touring; you don’t understand the concept of believing in what you’re doing,” Lia says. “It’s only when you get to the point, for example, you’re on at like seven o’clock; You haven’t eaten all day, and you just drove all day, you just got to the venue, and the only thing that’s going to get you through a gig is believing in yourself.

“It’s all about belief and adrenaline, and like tricking yourself into thinking you’re at a stage you’re not. It’s a weird concept; it’s not as black and white as people think it is.”

There’s something trial-by-fire about the cut-throat nature of being in a rock band on it’s most base level; three friends in a car, driving around the UK, supporting the kinds of bands you aspire to be, clocking the miles up, pocketing a sandwich here and there to get by (“We actually steal our food a lot of time to eat.”)

It’s also this aspect that truly builds you into being the hardy kind of band who can deal with anything. While Lia may never have “actually taken a lot personally,” in regards to her songs since that’s how she was “brought up, just on pure survival,” and mostly the sage words of someone with whom she once worked.

“I worked with some man a while ago, I did some shoot with him, and I remember he said to me before the shoot; ‘If you hold something too tightly. You’ll end up crushing it’. I’ve always remembered it. It was years ago, he

DISQ Another band with a debut album ‘imminent’, Wisconsin’s Disq have earned their stripes supporting the likes of Girlpool and Shame.

“A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T REALISE LIKE HOW MUCH OF A STRUGGLE IT IS”

wasn’t even like a significant person or anything, but when he said that something clicked in me.”

Through her rich Mersey accent, the decided nature of Lia shines through.

When she was first starting, the path that lay ahead was unknown to her given the young age at which it all started rolling, but these days there’s a far more journeyed mind that speaks.

“I think for anyone to suggest that they’re a band before they’ve toured, I think is a pretty far fetched statement,” she says.

“Being a band you can practice and jam, whatever, that’s sound.

But being an actual band is touring and shit, it’s like next level. It changes who you are as a person; how you perceive the world and how you perceive the people you’re in the band with.”

In Lia, this growth also comes from where she now takes inspiration, and where The Mysterines could grow. She’s happy to admit that she “used to disregard new music, new bands and stuff - and just listened to Bob Dylan, but it’s so important to be in with what’s going on with new bands, you can take so much inspiration from a lot of a lot of stuff.”

“Even our new single, ‘Who’s Ur Girl’, I only wrote that like two months before it released. I took loads of inspiration from Billie Eilish, which is crazy because it’s like two different genres, but it was trying to translate that.”

As for where The Mysterines fit into the musical spectrum; Lia’s songwriting beginnings, to their

current road-dog status, it’s all about the energy.

None of it stems from the punk sensibilities you could quite easily assume come from studying those wild-eyed pioneers of the seventies and eighties.

And really, Lia’s not quite sure either.

“Maybe it’s just the honesty behind the writing and the words.

It makes you deliver it much more intensely, I suppose. People ask if I would consider us a punk band, and it’s mad because I’ve never actually fell into listening to punk, ever. I was brought up on a lot of stuff, and punk rock wasn’t one of those things.

“We often get referred to as a punk band, and I think it is just the energy of the tracks, and how intense it can be live and how aggressive the vocal come across.”

With the rigorous schedule, and pulling from the honest place inside where the raw emotions bubble and stew, the state of The Mysterines is one of road-worn scholars, who don’t really know what’s next, but surviving and just being themselves.

“There are times where I have been exhausted before, on stage, and I feel like I haven’t delivered the tracks to an intense level, energetically or whatever, but I think people still perceive the energy as if it’s there. Maybe it’s just a natural thing between us.

Three pieces often naturally have that thing anyway, because [of the] three dynamic. [It’s just so] you know, in your face.” P The

Mysterines tour the UK from 19th February.

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BAMBARA Words: Jamie MacMillan.

Out of the blackest night imaginable, something wicked this way comes.

‘Stray’, the latest album from Brooklyn’s post-punk meets noise-rock titans Bambara, is another stunning collection of seductively dark tales that could easily be ripped from the pages of the likes of Raymond Chandler himself.

Twin brothers Reid and Blaze

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“I JUST SIT DOWN AND WHAT HAPPENS, HAPPENS”

Bateh (frontman and drummer), and William Brookshire (bass) are no strangers to the dark side of life, as long-term fans of their gothic tastes will know. But having stayed below the radar for some time this time of the water, ‘Stray’ promises to be easily their most accessible release yet, and with a major UK tour scheduled for May, this is one dark little secret that is going to be uncovered for the whole world to see. Upset held tightly onto Reid’s hand as we walked through the shadow of his valley of darkness.

When the High Priest Of Post-Punk, known to his mum as Steve Lamacq, picked them as his Best Of SXSW 2019, ‘Shadow On

Everything’ was perhaps the first to prick ears up to the forbidding promise of Bambara. This time around, they once again retreated to a windowless basement in Brooklyn, reconvening with the unenviable task of living up to the sudden wave of hype. Reid, far from the brooding and intense Nick Cave-esque figure that he is on stage, brings us up to speed on what it’s like to work in this fashion.

“It was just a complete immersion, working nearly every hour available for seven months.

It’s gonna take a little while for it to come out of my system,” he explains before dropping in a

contender for understatement of the year as he describes the process as “very intense”.

Avoiding the easy pitfall of merely treading the same path again, this time the band played with their usual song structures and formulas. Not for the last time in our chat, Reid sounds as much like a novelist as he does a songwriter as he describes the process as “just allowing them to be the songs they were born to be.”

When it came to the lyrics, Reid found inspiration in an unlikely location. “I called off from work for a month, and told everyone not to call me or talk to me or anything.

So for that month, I would wake up and write until I was too tired, and then it was back to sleep. I bought a bunch of random photographs from a thrift store, just like random people’s pictures, from all of different years, just random shit.”

Plastering them all over his walls and mirrors, they acted to continually bring him back to his story-telling frame of mind.

“Whenever I ran out of steam, if I sat back to relax, I would be sucked into some other random piece of the story. Because I knew I wanted each song to be their own little story.”

With the photographs acting as anchors and tethers into the strange world that he was creating, it gave the stories within ‘Stray’ much of its texture and sense of realness.

A series of mini-stories that often intertwine in hidden ways, this is a record that demands repeat plays. It is obvious that Reid’s confidence at telling these vivid tales has increased exponentially with each release since Bambara’s early days.

“I always wanted to [tell stories], but I was scared of it for a while.

I didn’t know how to do it,” he admits, “I guess the first time I really messed with it was the record ‘Swarm’, which was more like a poetic abstract collection of stories. That had three characters, but I wanted to make something a little more literal. ‘Shadow

On Everything’ was one long narrative from beginning to end, with each song being kind of like a progressive part of the story. I really liked that, that was fun.”

For ‘Stray’, he has developed further. “I wanted each song to be a narrative from beginning to end, but to connect with each other also. More like a collection of short stories with characters and settings and themes overlapping.”

There is almost a Tarantinoesque messing with timelines, adding untold depth to already captivating songs. A throwaway line on the opening ‘Miracle’ about a character’s parentage, suddenly bursts into new life and meaning on ‘Ben & Lily’, as new layers are added. It’s a trick that is performed throughout ‘Stray’, almost acting as Easter eggs for the careful listener.

“I think on the last record, if you missed some details it almost diffused the song and I didn’t want that here. There’s plenty of little details that you’d never see unless you were really looking, but it doesn’t harm the songs this time.”

But there is one theme that is unmissable throughout the whole record, whether it is through the eyes of a murderer peering through windows on ‘Machete’ or the traffic repercussions that rebound through latest single ‘Sing Me To The Street’. Death with a capital D calls often in Reid’s stories. When asked whether it is a subject matter that he is often drawn to, he chuckles.

“Oh yeah, definitely. I mean, I don’t ever really try to decide really what I’m going to write about. I just sit down and what happens, happens. So in that way, they are obviously kind of themes that are just innate with me. I’m always exploring them whether I want to or not.”

A sense of isolation and a search for connection also carries through much of the album, regardless of whether the characters are in the big cities or not. “Looking for a connection, it’s almost amplified in the city.

It becomes very tangible I think,

people have lost it in a lot of ways” he considers, “You’re so defensive, all over each other, crammed in these small places. You end up always being on the offence, and at a certain point, it’s hard to even understand how to make connections.” These are huge timeless themes, but presented in an intoxicating and atmospheric way that wrap the listener up in a strange, yet familiar, world.

The bands’ familiarity with tones and pulsing noise rock adds to the unease. So perfectly does the atmosphere bleed into the finished songs, a strange and unsettling sense descends at times to make it feel as if it exists in permanent night-time.

Reid chuckles again as this point is raised. “That’s overall what we strive for, to give a song an environment or place, so it feels like it has an atmosphere. I mean, we would definitely prefer most of these songs to feel like they’re in the middle of the night.”

With their largest UK tour to date planned for May, talk turns to how they will channel this atmosphere into a live experience to match. For a band renowned for their live shows, this seems like one of the easiest challenges of them all. “We kind of view the live thing as a whole different experience. When we are recording, we don’t want to be limited in any way. Figuring out the live versions is cool.

Sometimes when I hear a band and I’m into their record, and then I go to see them, and it just sounds the same then it’s just like… well, I could have just stayed at home, y’know? If there’s not something visceral, or new, or something more engaging than the record, well it kind of already did its job y’know?” Admitting that the band have already started to “mess” with some of the album versions for the tour, it promises to be a fascinating experience and one that attempts to shine a bright light on the deepest blackness.

Hold on tight in the dark. P

Bambara’s album ‘Stray’ is out 14th February.

It might be on the other side of the planet, but Australia punches big when it comes to its influence on our scene.

Over the next few pages, we’ll run through some of their most exciting and interesting exports.

18 Upset

You’re either with Dune Rats, or you can fuck off. With an attitude like that, and a new album as infectiously awesome as their latest ‘Hurry Up and Wait’, we’ll stick around for the ride, if you don’t mind?

Words: Alexander Bradley. Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

Upset 19

20 Upset

“The general attitude was if you don’t like it then fuck off,” beams BC Michaels, discussing how Dune Rats felt as their chart-topping album, ‘The Kids Will Know It’s Bullshit’ was released back in 2017. The sentiment remains the same for its follow-up, ‘Hurry Up And Wait’. They don’t care what you think about it.

The Aussie trio have mastered that art of not giving a fuck and, despite scoring a domestic No. 1 in the album charts last time out, they didn’t feel any pressure in making the follow-up.

Instead, they took a typically laid back, mellowed out, approach to the making of ‘Hurry Up And Wait’ and in turn crafted an album that both builds on its predecessor and takes strides into new territory too.

After working with FIDLAR’s Zac Carper in the US on their second album, for their third, Dune Rats decided to switch it up and head back home to the sunshine-drenched Central Coast to the family farm of their good friend and Violent Soho guitarist James Tidswell. The band lived in the studio for a month, had BBQs, drank beers and occasionally hit golf balls at the ocean while carefully polishing this album to the point where it has become their masterpiece.

“We wanted to do it like that,” explains bassist Brett Jansch. “At our own pace, in our own time and not be worried about being on the clock or driving to a studio.

It was sick for us to do it that way, and it was comfy for us taking the time to do it. I can’t imagine doing it in LA or somewhere where you have to commute every day and then can only be there for a certain amount of time.”

Free from any restraints and with the opportunity to explore all the possibilities, Dunies turned ‘Hurry Up And Wait’ into more than just another punk record.

From the summery singa-long of ‘No Plans’, the grungy anarchy of ‘Crazy’, the inclusion of US rapper K.Flay on ‘Stupid Is As Stupid Does’, the blissedout ‘The Skids’ and the rampant and hilarious ‘If My Bong Could Talk’, they’ve stretched themselves in every direction.

While the album’s eleven tracks boast a range of approaches and techniques, they all sound incredibly well-finessed, as Brett raves.

“It’s cool to strive for a record that sounds loud and clean.

It’s tasty to listen to and not too lo-fi, like a garage band.

It’s rad to hear Dunies in this quality. It’s like getting a CD player when all you had was a record player in the 80s; it’s a lot better.”

And it’s not only the sound that’s evolved on this album, with singer Danny Beus keen to state how important it is for the band to not write the same song a million times.

BC adds: “It was conscious on this album not to just rest on gimmicks and drug references and make the songs speak for themselves and be good and not just have quick fucking shock value gimmicky shit when you’ve heard the joke before.

“We wanted to stretch ourselves in terms of songwriting and trying to make an album we could set our watches to and would like regardless of how it goes. If we are proud of the album, that’s the main thing. There would be nothing worse than trying to do an album you don’t like to try and appeal to people and it not working.”

It’s a subtle shift in the mindset of the band where they’ve gone from living day to day to now starting to consider the bigger picture and the longevity of Dune Rats.

“Being conscious of in 10 years, we will still be a band and how much do you want to constantly talk about smoking bongs. You can have a funny laugh about it, but there is other stuff to talk about as well. It was about trying to explore more ideas,” he concludes.

And it’s true, although Danny modestly states that they’ve never considered themselves seriously as “songwriters”, ‘Hurry Up And Wait’ covers different topics while digging a little deeper than ever before. The single ‘Crazy’ acts like the inverted version of older tracks like ‘Bullshit’ or ‘Scott Green’ as it highlights the dangers of excessive living thanks to genius lines like “Took a bunch of x’s now you can’t get zzz’s”.

“At the time, we had a lot of mates going through stuff and being in America at the time as well [where] everything you can get there is legal and pretty intense stuff, so it was writing about that,” the singer explains.

‘The Skids’ and ‘Rock Bottom’ also work to balance the idea that life isn’t all sunshine and bongs for

Dunies as Danny remembers their many jobs as bag boys, debt collecting and working in ladies shoes before they got into the position they are now.

“You know how Alanis Morissette is in ‘Ironic’?” Danny starts, explaining the idea behind ‘Rock Bottom’. “We thought it’d be funny to write a song about a day that’s just going fucking shit. But at the end of the day, we handle those days by still just having a laugh and mucking around; water off a duck’s back, so to speak.”

Despite the bad days, it’s injected with a breezy, surfer punk, sound to turn the situation sunny side up again. It furthers the case that’s there a lot more to Dune Rats than first meets the eye as they very subtly expand their horizons beyond just speaking to people already completely changed.

And, that’s not to say Dune Rats aren’t still down to party. Opening track ‘Bobby D’ is a testament to that (and a cautionary tale of what happens when you leave drunk voicemails) and a tribute to all the “crazy motherfuckers” they’ve met in the last few years.

“Bobby D is a mate of ours,” Danny explains. “We were writing for the last album, and we needed to get some weed. And we go round to his house, and he wasn’t answering the door. I looked over his fence, and he was just in his back yard, burning a load of random shit in a barrel.

“I went into his house, and we hit it off, and we saw him at a festival a couple of months later.

We were partying, and he left that voicemail on my phone. We thought it was a big year and a half of that album. We met heaps of sick people and got loads of love off the last album, and we kinda just wanted to write a song that encapsulates people like Bobby and our appreciation for people like that in our lives and shit.”

It is that love for touring and meeting new people that fuels Dune Rats as Brett admits their first album was just a means to

22 Upset

“ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE US”

keep them on the road, to which Danny adds: “We write songs just so we can go out and play tours and get drunk!”

In the last few years, they have taken their songs about smoking weed and drinking beers to almost every part of the world and found people just as willing to party.

“When we went and played in Hong Kong, that was really weird.

You go through like a fucking mechanics garage, up an elevator, through a commercial laundry and then a door and that’s where the show was. They kept it all on the down-low. But there were heaps of kids like us, and it was pretty sick to know anywhere in the world there are people like us.”

Even in remote reaches of Penang, Malaysia, or on both their tours of South Africa, the trio have found folk with the same world view as them. And once they found that, all three of them quickly decided they’ll never give up on a life on the road.

Whether people are listening are not, life in the van playing cards or dice, talking shit to one

another and drinking a few beers is the goal for Danny, BC and Brett.

“In the earlier years, no one had a house, and we’d all live on the road and try and go on tour as much [as possible]. It’s that happy place that would feel like a fishing trip. Drink beers in the car, have a laugh and play shows, so it’s still fucking super enjoyable,” says Brett.

“It’s gonna last whether people tune in is another thing,” Danny continues. “We love bands like Cosmic Psychos where they’re like 55-year-old farmers and still playing shows and festivals.

Whether as many people give a shit [remains to be seen], but they call it their fishing trip, and we see it like that. Old dudes probably go on fishing trips and jerk each other off in tents, but we just do it hotel rooms together!” he jokes.

“We’ll be doing it until we’re silly old cunts and no one wants to hear it, but we’ll still be doing it.”

For now, though, the crowds are only getting bigger. In the last year, Dunies have blown minds touring the UK, the US and

Canada as well as standout festival performances at 2000trees and Spilt Milk Festival with plans for their biggest ever Australian dates in the next month.

The work that ‘Hurry Up And Wait’ is doing to open up the band to a wider audience seems to be paying off as the singer explains.

“Back in the day, when you just had EPs, you’d play the token single off the EP, and they’d go off, and no one would give two fucks about the ones they hadn’t heard. This time, we’d expect them to go really hard for ‘6 Pack’, ‘Bullshit’ or ‘Scott Green’, but then you play ‘Crazy’, and they’re fucking going nuts. That’s a good indication that they’ve come to the show because that’s the song they know, or the first Dune Rats song they’ve heard, which is pretty cool.”

In ‘Hurry Up And Wait’, Dune Rats have set themselves up for a bright future with their best work yet: a timely reminder to have some fun and enjoy the simple things in life.

And, if you don’t like it, they don’t care - and you know where you can go. P Dune Rats’ album ‘Hurry Up

And Wait’ is out 31st January.

BC’S GUIDE TO THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE Dune Rats are surfing on top of the wave of Australian bands that are currently making a name for themselves around the world.

Having worked hard over the last nine years from the bottom (literally ankle-deep in fish guts when they all first met), they have turned their garage punk band into one of the leading groups in a punk resurgence.

Along the way, Dunies got a big helping hand from the Australian government and its benefits system. The trio quit their crappy jobs and went on unemployment, as BC explains.

“The government had an incentive if you were on Centrelink, which is like government benefits. If you wanted to get off Centrelink, then you went and got a certificate in business, started

your own business, and they would fund you for a year.

“So, we unemployed ourselves and created the Dune Rats business. The government funded us for the first year for us to be able to pay ourselves $500 a fortnight and also get a part job and earn money through the band. It was a funny loophole-y type thing.”

Dune Rats made the system work in their favour, and in the years they spent touring after that were made possible thanks, in part, to the Aussie government but mainly by the thriving music scene across.

“Australian music is doing so well because there’s a supportive ecosystem,” he continues. “We have a national radio station which supports artists and gets their music out to enough people so that they can support themselves.

It allows them to make music more, and tour more.

“I don’t know how fucking anyone can start a band in the UK, unless you come from money. We’ve had some mates move here, and it’s like they’re working just to be able to live, and then I don’t know how they get on the road and still pay rent in that hard time as a band.

“In Australia, there are so many venues and stepping stones and ways to grow and band and make good music.”

It’s that network of support for Dune Rats and bands like them from Australia that has maintained the flow of DIY bands breaking through from the country in the last few years.

“I cant see Australian music dying off - I know it’s big now in other places, but there has always been quality bands from Australia - and it seems now people are catching on. I don’t think it’s a fad.” P Upset 23

ON TOUR

When we heard top drawer Aussie talent Hockey Dad were off on tour in Canada with fellow wonders from Down Under DZ Deathrays and Horror My Friend, we figured ‘why not get them to take some photos and document the whole thing in a tour diary kind of scenario’. So we did. And they did. And here it is.

Travelling on a big bus with all three bands together was really different from what we have experienced before. Sometimes it’s the last place you want to be in the world, and at other times you really don’t want to go to the venue to soundcheck.

Photos: Tom Healy.

A good show cures all that ails on tour. Edmonton did its part in keeping us all healthy.

Family Reunion Dinner. Everybody had a big night beforehand. Big tour party meals have a good vibe about them. Different stories from the night before or past tours come up, and it’s a good place to get the hair of the dog into you.

The good people from The Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery treated us to a few slabs of local product.

Although they did give us way too many cases to drink in our two remaining days. After we first denied a keg.

A beautiful view that I can assure nobody was awake to see. Canada has probably the best driving experience you could ask for. Cold climates and constant snow are not the usual deal we have touring at home. The weather and how to negotiate it is a whole travelling experience within itself.

Horror My Friend: “What does a snow angel actually look like?”.

Hockey Dad: “Like this!”

24 Upset

Last show with the whole crew in Toronto. Paying respects to the big bus that kept us warm, safe and entertained.

Billy and Simon from DZ Deathrays enjoying something really yellow, covered in gravy and surely washed down with a pint-sized small coke. You could count on one hand the number of vegetables these fellas ate on tour.

Finding the sweet spot in Toronto. Steve joined us for the first time to play bass on this tour. I’ve still never met a person who doesn’t like Steve.

At the end of most tours, we’ve done the whole crew gets together and puts in their day’s pay. The dice game decides who leaves the tour eating steak at the airport and who doesn’t.

Steve, our bus driver. A great Texan man who navigated the rugged terrain while we got shitfaced behind him.

Upset 25

THE FAIM Live Report

‘State of Mind’, The Faim’s debut album, is a gleeful collection of ambition, influence and intent.

A mixtape of emotion and never repeating the same move twice, it’s vibrant and eclectic. Born on the road and speaking towards the world at large, it’s an album made for mass participation. It demands loud voices. Tonight at London’s Electric Ballroom, the Aussie sensations get everything they want.

Words: Ali Shutler.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

Up first is the charged blitz of Hot Milk. A band rapidly outpacing their sparkling debut EP, the gang cut the shine with a restless desire for more. The likes of ‘Are You Feeling Alive?’ and ‘Awful Ever After’ go off but it’s the snarling march of new ‘un ‘Candy Coated Lie$’, anthemic pop punk meets menacing desire, that demands the spotlight. The group are already outgrowing nights like tonight as they rocket towards the horizon.

Josh Raven is excited. There’s a good chance he’s always excited but tonight you

26 Upset

can see his whole body crackling with anticipation from the back of the room.

After a guitar solo that would knock Slash’s silly hat off, Josh practically explodes onto the stage for the gnarled warning of ‘Tongue Tied’. The room moves as one as the stamping drive swells and the lyrics are shout-sung back like they’re catching fire in throats. It’s only the first song and this much movement would feel dangerous, if not for the rampant glee The Faim command.

Somehow the band keep that energy up for the whole set. It doesn’t matter if it’s ‘Amelie’s atmospheric cinema, the reflective stroll of ‘Humans’ or ‘Saints of the Sinners’ world-dominating sparkle, every track is designed to involve the audience. The songs deal with the Rubik’s cube confusion of existing in a world that thrives on separation but The Faim exist to bring people together. Their lyrics offer understanding, the music demands mass celebration and tonight is a unifying one that won’t be forgotten in a hurry, despite the pace The Faim move at. P

LINDEN FROM THE FAIM’S

PLAYLIST

STELLA DONNELLY

Tricks I love this song because of the clever juxtaposition between the lyrics and the music.

Musically, ‘Tricks’ is a playful, happy-sounding song while lyrics are a thorned discussion of some serious underlying themes.

SLOWLY SLOWLY

Low Melbourne’s Slowly Slowly have recently released this alt-rock banger. Has a hint of a 90s vibe to it. Really cool track.

SLY WITHERS

Lately Sly Withers have been on the rise for years, and their new EP ‘Gravis’ is absolutely killer.

‘Lately’ is a fast gritty banger that’s a must-listen for any alt-rock fan.

SPACEY JANE

Head Cold ‘Head Cold’ is a jangly indierock tune that’ll be stuck in your head for days after listening. Super keen for their debut album.

REDHOOK

Fake We toured with these guys at the start of the year, and they keep getting better release after release. If nu-metal is your thing, check it out.

Upset 27

BAD//DREEMS

Adelaide boys Bad//Dreems hitched a ride over to the UK with The Chats at the end of last year, for a tour that showcased both some of the best in Aussie rock, and the band’s ode to the end of the world, ‘Doomsday Ballet’.

Guitarist Alex Cameron tells us more.

How was the tour with The Chats? Was it a messy one?

It was a great tour. The Chats have a big following over here and are great blokes. Crocodylus, who were opening, were rad also. It was messy at times, yes.

How did that team-up happen, were you mates beforehand?

Yeah, we’ve played together at quite a few festivals and such in Australia.

Australian bands are having a bit of a moment over here, how does it feel from your end?

The UK seems to have a great enthusiasm for guitar music. The

28 Upset

“AUSTRALIA HAS A HEAP OF GREAT BANDS”

crowds we have played to before The Chats have been absolutely mental and really embraced the music. Which has been interesting to us as it has an idiosyncratic Australian flavour.

Australia has a heap of great bands that don’t necessarily get the exposure over here, so it’s good that it’s getting some attention.

There are some great guitar bands coming through over here too, like Fontaines, IDLES and Shame.

In what ways do you feel Australian music and bands are distinct from elsewhere?

I think given our isolation we are pretty free from any of the prevailing trends overseas and things can gestate for produce something original.

Which Aussie bands are particularly exciting at the moment?

Plenty. To name a few: 100, Pist Idiots, Mini Skirt, Ethanol Blend.

similar thing?

Photo: James Adams.

The bleak US and UK political landscapes have been feeding into music a lot lately, are you guys experiencing a

Yeah, it’s hard not to be affected by such fraught times. Historically they usually lead to some of the most inventive and powerful music. Australia has many of the same problems - the rise of nationalism, climate change denial, as well as our shameful treatment of Aboriginal people.

What themes do you explore on ‘Doomsday Ballet’?

The end days, the coming apocalypse, formal though disorder, psychosis, paranoia, regret, nostalgia, chaos, infinity.

Has its release afforded you more opportunities?

Yes, it has, it’s our first record released around the world so we will be doing a lot more touring in the UK and Europe. P

Check out these awesome Australian bands right now!

AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS All out garage rock with mullet power, last year’s self-titled album was a wake up call and a half. The kind of band that demands attention.

PRESS CLUB Making waves in all the right places, punksters Press Club continued their rise with last year’s ‘Wasted Energy’. A must listen.

CAMP COPE Not afraid to stand their ground, three piece Camp Cope are the sort of band to believe in. 2018’s ‘How to Socialise & Make Friends’ is essential.

TROPICAL FUCK STORM Not just a band name to celebrate, TFS are self described as “weird music for people who are sick of the same old shit”. Fair.

SKEGSS Surf rock in the best possible way, Skegss are the sort of band that Australia does better than anyone else. Just don’t tell the Americans, eh?

YOURS TRULY Infectious pop-punk upstarts, Yours Truly already sound like your new favourite band.

Immediate, direct and easy to love, they’re on a charge.

A SWAYZE AND THE GHOSTS Rough Trade signed garagepunk from Tasmania, influenced by the likes of Iggy & The Stooges, Television, Fugazi and The Ramones.

ALEX THE ASTRONAUT Singer-songwriter Alex Lynn likes “telling little stories”, but she’s already making a big impact on home turf. Expect it to spread wider before long.

DREGG Described “an anomalistic, thought provoking, hardcore” with a “tongue-in-cheek take on the current state of the world”, DREGG like an outfit.

MOBS Mobs’ new album ‘Cinema Paradiso’ is an ode to 80s and 90s film, with each song inspired by a classic movie. If that doesn’t grab you, nothing will.

THE CHATS With a the website url thechatslovebeer.com, and a self label of “shed rock”, it’s pretty easy to work out The Chats are loads of fun.

CABLE TIES Signed to Merge Records, Melbourne trio Cable Ties already made some noise at last year’s Great Escape festival. In 2020, they’ll be back for more.

Upset 29

P O W Sam McTrusty doesn’t quite know what he’s saying.

The Twin Atlantic frontman has been too busy building scaffolding around 30 Upset

himself and his band to dissect what he’s been doing for the last two and a half years.

Instead, it’s all driven by an instinct of finding new depths to

plunge. Over the last decade or so Twin Atlantic have been pretty much living the dream - which is also why Sam’s not too sure how he feels about the release of the band’s fifth album.

“I’m a strange mixture, in all honesty, part of me doesn’t care,” he laughs. “I’ve put two and a half years of my adult life into learning how to work a studio,

E R Words: Steven Loftin.

Photos: Katy Cummings.

and not just writing songs but producing and recording them. Just so much has gone into the making of it that this part of it feels like a bonus.”

‘Power’ is an album that’s a solid foundation of darkly euphoric sounds, the kind that resides deep in the duality that life is a rocky shore, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be filled with youthful lost evenings.

Which all, rather handily, became the temple for this new chapter of Twin Atlantic.

They’re known for being purveyors of soaring guitar music.

Songs that feel just as at home in a grassy field on a hot July evening, as they do in a sweat-dripping club with a hundred bodies compact against each other - now it’s a move into the experimental and toward dance floors.

Wanting to bring that authentic feeling to the surface, the template for POWER came from Felix Da Housecat’s ‘Ready 2 Wear’ which Sam “was listening to at fifteen or sixteen or something,” “That’s when Ross and I were first going out to bars or clubs with fake IDs, and it was always the song that was at the end of the night. Or you go back to someone’s house, and we’d always put that song on first. So it’s kind of an aesthetic dark euphoric memory for the two of us,” he recalls through his thick Glaswegian accent.

“For some reason that just kind of spoke to me artistically. Maybe it’s got something to do with the backdrop of fucking chaos we’re all living in front of just now you know? It’s a really serious time. And it’s foreboding and worrying, but we’re all still so young, we want to live life and be adventurous and some interesting thing that our generation’s having to juggle.”

Sam’s been living in his nostalgic past; in those darkened rooms where all notions of an outside world disappear. It’s where the search for the who’s, what’s, where’s and why’s naturally led. And slightly more notably, as the old saying almost goes, all roads lead to home.

Whereas previously they’d

Upset 31

jet off to the states, immerse themselves in that rock ‘n’ roll world of creating, living that West Coast dream, this time it was all anchored in their native of Glasgow.

“Any other time we’ve made a record we’ve kinda jumped into some sort of rock lifestyle,” He says. “Where we go and get a visa for America and are shipped off to Los Angeles. You feel like you’re in a movie, and you can get carried away with that whole approach and start believing your surreal surroundings.”

With this surreal living comes a removal from real life. While Twin Atlantic were, somewhat ironically, on the other side of the Atlantic, the world at home kept turning - a lesson Sam found more challenging to learn when bringing his work home with him.

“The sad thing is, and this is the sort of ongoing thing with all creative outlets, it’s like the sad clown where life is going on, and it doesn’t come into [creativity] at all,” he admits.

“The surreal, and escapism in songwriting... going to California, or when we made another album. We went to Rockfield and lived in a worldfamous studio for the month, and talked about how Queen and Coldplay recorded there - we lived in an alternate reality, but you can’t do both.

“You can’t engage with reallife at home and try and live in an artistic landscape at the same time. It doesn’t work that way for me, anyway. And so it’s sad because you end up getting quite detached from people you care about and are isolated because people are experiencing things in real life and you’re not.”

But with Sam always seeing the optimistic side of life, he knows that it’s all still a position of privilege.

“The other side of it is you have to tell yourself that there are a thousand bands in Scotland alone, never mind the rest of the

32 Upset

“WE’RE ALL STILL SO YOUNG, WE WANT TO LIVE LIFE AND BE ADVENTUROUS” SAM MCTRUSTY

UK or wherever that would kill for this opportunity,” he readily remembers.

“That can keep you keep focused, but it made it harder doing it at home. The studio used to be our rehearsal room for ten years, and I don’t know if you’ve been in a rehearsal room, but they’re kinda fucking shit holes!

So even mentally going in there and then go home sleeping in your own bed [was a struggle].”

‘Power’ is also an important milestone for a band realising that they have two choices; turn around, dissect it all and see what rises from those ashes, or keep going forward on the same path where nothing but falsity and a contrived nature lies.

“I’ve been guilty of that before,” he nods. “So I know what that feels like - not for whole records, but maybe moments

in songs or a photograph or something.

“You do start to learn, especially if you’ve got a kind of origin in a sort of DIY ethic that was instilled and where we can start it off from you do start to realise what being genuine feels like.”

The heart of this genuine nature stems from the relationship between Sam and Ross. They’ve “lived in each others’ back pocket since we were like twelve or thirteen years old,” and Sam’s ability to reach deep into the subconscious came from having a close confidant like Ross.

“He’s my right-hand man, and him with me when I was writing lyrics just allowed me to go to that sort of late-night ‘Had too much to drink’ place in my mind where you start opening up to someone.” He begins with a laugh. “So, again I realise this right now talking to you about it; I haven’t thought about it!”

“I’ve never really written with someone else in the room before. Me trying to get over the

awkwardness hurdle was trying to make Ross laugh. It kind of followed an instinct and it was almost like I wasn’t writing lyrics I was kind of channelling them, and that sounds fucking snooty, but it wasn’t like cerebral it was more instinctive. Basically on the edge of almost failing and ruining the song, that’s where I felt most comfortable.”

He continues: “In this new environment with your best friend, where all of a sudden you get serious and start talking about something like that which is intimate, it can be quite funny.

It can be quite awkward, and that could start a process where I’ve ended up being more honest and more open in a real part of my life?

“When I go back through our back catalogue, everything’s always about wanting to be free, or running away or dead angsty because I feel under pressure with something that I’m trying to ignore. [Anything I’ve said before this has been trying to] postrationalise, because at the time I wasn’t thinking about anything,

apart from trying to make Ross laugh or can I take this song to a place that would ruin it?”

During the last two and a half years, there’s also been a changeup in the Twin Atlantic ranks.

Lead guitarist Barry McKenna has moved from permanent member to just touring, and focusing on his creative outputs.

Truthfully, it was the Twin Atlantic de/re-construction that instigated this change. “The way that we began making music was very difficult for a lead guitar player to effect a change in that,” Sam recalls.

“It’s a very emotional thing to go through, and I’m sure there’s some knock-on effect; with the record, the band, [even] the dynamic between the four of us even on stage. I’m sure it’s just another kind of a learning experience for us as people.”

“Rather than just burying our heads in the sand, let’s deal with it and try and come up with something that works for us instead of making it all dramatic and falls to the footsteps of other rock bands before us the kind of Spinal Tap ten drummers running joke. Barry’s still a part of the band, and his history in the band is important to us. There’s no reason why we can’t all still tour together, and also play this new record together.”

Since the new road Twin are travelling is what led to Barry stepping down full-time, has that added any further pressure to an already bold movement for any guitar-based band?

“There’s always that annoying person in the back your mind that wants you to doubt yourself or something and then if you do if you’re making a monumental shift in the line-up or record label even,” Sam says.

“We went through a lot of management, booking agents behind the scenes we changed everything. Then changing your sound after that, as well? It made it a lot more volatile than if, you know, everything was rosy. We

all like putting more pressure on it; we love to live at the edge of failure, that is where the band began. We’ve always been some sort of an underdog.”

As Sam says, this is where Twin Atlantic have always thrived; it’s their natural habitat.

They want the challenge, yearn for it even. The looming chance of failure breeds the best out of them. Like school children leaving their homework till the last minute - the thrill of the chase is all that matters.

“There’s a particular sort of uncomfortable space where joy and fears are up against each other. There’s that sort of like negative space between the two,” he ponders.

With all the introspection, comes the sacred ability for some retrospection, especially surrounding the growth Sam’s been through himself.

“Me five-six years ago would’ve fucking killed to have done this.” He next gestures to the ghostly memory of industry figures and do-gooders.

“This person that’s telling you this, or suggesting that, is a fucking asshole but, like, go along with it for a sec and see how it go and then the next thing you know you’ve done something you don’t want to do.

“Maybe it’s an age thing. We’re all just in our thirties, and maybe a light bulb goes off in your head.

We’re like, ‘Wow, I’m in charge of my own life, and you’re not an asshole by having an opinion or saying I don’t want to do that’- I think that steered us a little bit more into taking control.”

Which is where the full-circle of ‘Power’ comes into play. He might not have realised it until the exploration process begins while promoting the album. Still, Sam and co. have secure the good ship Twin Atlantic on a course that feels right, and they’re the ones fully at the helm now - both musically and personally. P

Twin Atlantic’s album ‘Power’ is out 24th January.

Upset 33

34 Upset

Sløtface are back with a second album, and this time, they’re figuring out exactly where they belong.

Words: Linsey Teggert.

A L L Upset 35

“Why be good enough when you could be a success?” snarls Haley Shea on the very opening line of Sløtface’s second record, her vocals isolated before the track explodes with the livewire electricity that fans of the Norwegian pop-punk quartet have come to love and expect.

As an album opener, ‘S.U.C.C.E.S.S.’ is the perfect reintroduction to Sløtface; wrapped up in that fizzing energy is a strong social conscience, a fierce polemic against the idea that women or immigrants have to work harder to prove they’re good enough. It’s an issue that’s close to Haley’s heart, and sets the tone for the rest of ‘Sorry for the Late Reply’, which deftly combines the personal with the political.

“Going into this record, I decided to push myself to be more specific, and the best way to do that was to tell stories about things I’ve experienced,” Haley explains. “I approached the band with the idea of making a more personal record about growing up in Norway as an American citizen with American parents.”

Though by Haley’s own admission she ended up digressing from the concept she’d initially envisioned, the theme of figuring out where you belong in the world is the main artery that runs through ‘Sorry for the Late Reply’.

“My whole life people have asked me, ‘Do you feel more Norwegian or more American?’

When I come into the country through Norwegian passport control, I always have really high shoulders and feel very defensive, worrying that people are going to think I’m not Norwegian even though I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve had people say, if I was really Norwegian it would be on my passport, but I do consider myself Norwegian. I guess a lot of the other themes of the record, love and heartache and family, they all come back to that main

36 Upset

theme of what it means to belong somewhere.

“Growing up during the Bush presidency in the early 2000s, I was ashamed a lot of the time to be an American. In Norway, there are a lot of stereotypes like ‘Americans are fat’, ‘Americans are stupid’, and a lot of those feelings came back to me when Trump was elected president in 2016. There’s this weird dualism that’s been there my whole life – I don’t necessarily like Norwegians talking shit about America, but then I also don’t approve of their political system or president.”

As Haley works through her complex feelings of identity, the result is multi-faceted, opening the door to a much wider dialogue that explores self-acceptance and social guilt. Known for being outspoken when it comes to topics such as the environment and gender equality, ‘Sorry for the Late Reply’ sees Sløtface continue to use their platform to raise awareness, proving once again they’re a punk band with a hell of a lot of heart.

No strangers to activism, the band’s inspiring video for 2016’s ‘Sponge State’ saw them perform on top of Norway’s Førde Fjord alongside a peaceful protest against a mining company. Their second record features ‘Sink or Swim’, an affecting lament against the current state of the world with an unsettling accompanying video of ocean plastic pollution.

“We wanted to make a song that was about the climate crisis, but not in a preachy way. We’re all living in the world, we’re all using water every day, we’re all using plastic (most of us), so it was important to present it in a more nuanced way and not portray ourselves as climate heroes, because we absolutely aren’t. I wanted to write about the dread and anxiety but also the fact that I’m not necessarily doing everything I can to make things better. We’re still a band, we still fly everywhere, so I was trying to describe that feeling of knowing you should be doing more, but not

always knowing how to do more.”

This multi-layered approach to the record’s themes also applies to its sound. More sonically diverse than its 2017 predecessor ‘Try Not to Freak Out’, it was recorded in several sessions over the course of a year, allowing time to let things breathe and evolve. Produced

by Odd Martin Skålnes who has worked with the likes of Sigrid and Aurora, it sees Sløtface further embrace their pop sensibilities - ‘Stuff’ for example, has slinky, minimal R&B vibes, while ‘Laugh at Funerals’ is a beat-heavy banger.

‘Luminous’ and ‘New Year, New Me’ have a meandering singer/ songwriter feel, influenced by Haley’s love of Phoebe Bridgers.

“We didn’t think that much about genre, we decided not to worry about if something sounded like a Sløtface song or not, it was about what suited the song best.

For this record, we worked to strip things down as much as possible, we wanted every element to mean something and not add anything that wasn’t contributing to the song. It was important to have as fewer elements as possible but do those as well as we possibly could.”

As well as road-testing the new album during their recent UK and European tour with PUP, the band had another interesting yet incredibly receptive audience to sound out their new material.

“We took part in a scheme called The Cultural Rucksack in Norway, where the Norwegian government sends musicians all over the country as part of the mandatory curriculum, which includes inmates that are receiving high school education in prison. In prison, you don’t get much access to entertainment, so everyone watched intently, trying to soak up every moment of what was going on. As a performer, that’s incredibly rewarding. It’s also a good way to meet people who have a different life from you. However ‘hippy’ it may sound, music really is a universal language, you can talk to anyone about music.” P

Sløtface’s album ‘Sorry for the Late Reply’ is out 31st January.

“I DON’T LIKE NORWEGIANS TALKING SHIT ABOUT AMERICA, BUT I ALSO DON’T APPROVE OF THEIR POLITICAL SYSTEM OR PRESIDENT” HALEY SHEA

Upset 37

38 Upset

Words: Jasleen Dhindsa.

It’s been nearly three years since the release of Vukovi’s self-titled debut album, but the band are back with a new record ‘Fall Better’, that’s even more candid and confrontational than the first.

“I feel like it’s the end of a really horrible period for us....a lot of stuff has happened,” frontwoman Janine Shilstone admits. “[‘Fall Better’] has always been that end goal to keep us going and to keep us waking up in the morning. It’s closure,” she mentions.

Having formed nearly ten years ago, Vukvoi have gone through significant changes to get to the level they are at now. One of the most visible is that in this era of the band they return as a two-piece, which Janine says couldn’t have been more of an amicable decision, and that they remain great friends with the ex-members. Despite the line-up change, they never actually stopped writing music, even if it’s been three years since their last album. That’s a long time when you consider most bands these days churn out singles every couple of months for optimum streaming success, but Vukovi don’t play by the rules, and that’s why they’re so beloved.

“We never really stopped writing because we love it, it’s our favourite thing to do. A lot of the material for this album was written not that long after album one. ‘C.L.A.U.D.I.A’ sounds very much like it should be on the first album, but [trap-influenced ballad] ‘White Lies’ was one of the last ones we wrote. You can definitely hear the progression. It’s funny because the songwriting isn’t the hard bit, it’s just everything else around it.”

“We’ve honestly already started writing for album three, so for next year, we don’t want to stop again,”

Upset 39

“I JUST DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL HOW I FELT; HELPLESSLY ALONE” JANINE SHILSTONE

40 Upset

she adds.

On their new album, Vukovi delve deeper into the world of electronic music and kick things off with an unforgettable and unsettling robotic prelude.

“That’s my voice!” Janine says in disbelief. “I had to write the script for it, and honestly, it took so much longer than I thought.

I wanted to do this really mad intro, and I really love the idea of a concept album, but it has to be really fucking amazing to pull off. I feel like this is a half concept sort of thing, and we will work our way up to a [full] concept album.

It was very hard to do it, so the message you want to relay doesn’t sound lame, but I’m so glad we’ve done it.”

While ‘Fall Better’ features a heavy electronic influence with heaps of techno and trance, the heavy riffs and pop perfect anthemic choruses remain intact, influenced by the likes of Die Antwoord and Bring Me The Horizon.

“We have this taste that ranges between the heavy, super riffy music to absolute club bangers, I love trap music as well. I feel like we’ve never wanted to sound like a specific band, we just listen to so much music, and the parts that make us feel something, we want to put our own style and our own sound to. For me, the sound we make together is almost like this amalgamation of all this amazing music we listen to.”

She continues, “I really wanted [this record] to be set in the future, dystopian is a really good word for it actually. I’ve just really been into futuristic sounds, I’m obsessed with sci-fi movies like Alien. I loved West World, and Black Mirror is an unbelievably big influence. I’m obsessed with the concept, it just feels so believable.”

It’s not a surprise that Black Mirror is a big influence to Janine, as sociological and psychological concepts are so prominent in her lyrics, ever since Vukovi first started out. However, it

was only until this year that the relevancy of these themes came to light, specifically how prevalent to Janine’s life they were on a much deeper level than she realised. ‘Fall Better’ is the first time she directly addresses her diagnosis of a form of OCD called Thought Action Fusion, which can lead to those who have it to believe that their actions are guided by an external presence, which manifests for her as an omnipresent shadow.

“I did an interview recently, and it was one of the first times I ever spoke about it publicly. I always thought, who’s going to give a fuck about this, and who fucking cares? I sat on it for about five days,” she admits.

“With the first album, I didn’t know I had this, but I talk about it a lot. There are a lot of hints. It was mad. I just thought everyone thought like that,” she says in reference to the numerous mentions of shadows.

It was only until she experienced a traumatic event that her condition manifested to an almost uncontrollable and unbearable point.

“This thing took over me, and I honestly felt like I couldn’t even get through a day without this thing being there. I was convinced that what I went through was making it happen - and that’s when you think, ‘oh if I weren’t here then it wouldn’t be happening’. It was just a really horrible time... it was my boyfriend who forced me to get help, and I’m so glad I did because I wouldn’t be here, I know for a fact.”

“Back then, I would feel so unstable, but now I’m living and adapting to it, it feels a lot easier to talk about, I’m living with it now.

On ‘Fall Better’ it is more about me talking about living with it, like fuck it, I’ve had this since I was seven. My mum remembers me saying something was following me around, and she just didn’t think anything of it; that’s when it started. I’ve had this my whole

life, so it’s never really going to go away because it is an OCD. ‘Fall Better’ is me being angry with it and learning to live with it - like you’re now a part of me, we just need to live with each other.” “[The diagnosis] helped a hundred per cent, but if I’m not having a good day, it does come back really badly. It’s never going to go away, but now it’s just so controllable, it’s not interfering with my everyday life now.”

Vukovi have always been a beacon of light for those that feel like they don’t belong, and this message couldn’t hit harder on their new record. ‘Fall Better’ has not only provided Janine with a release for all of the turbulent emotions she was feeling as a result of her OCD, but it has also made others experiencing the same reach out and speak out, which is unfathomably important.

“I didn’t speak about it to anyone. I felt very lonely, and I wanted to get all my anger out in these lyrics. I wanted to rip it apart, and since I’ve spoken publicly about it, I’ve had so many people contact me, like an unbelievable amount, saying how much it’s helped them. It’s funny because I can’t believe folk are giving a fuck, if these people are saying it’s helping them. I’m quite happy.”

“I just don’t want people to feel how I felt; helplessly alone - when you’ve got all these people around you and friends and family, and people that love you, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make you feel less alone weirdly. I hope when folk listen to this they know they are listening to someone that clearly feels the same and has been through it. Even if they don’t want to talk to someone that day, they can listen to the album and maybe in some way they feel like they’re talking to me and listening to what I’m saying, like fuck, I feel that way as well, I’m not going to feel this way forever.” P Vukovi’s

album ‘Fall Better’ is out 24th January.

Upset 41

Rated_ THE OFFICIAL VERDICT ON EVERYTHING

A.J.J.

GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY eeee

POPPY

I DISAGREE e eee

W

But actually, ‘I Disagree’ feels like the purest distillation of what Poppy may actually represent. Relentless fun, it’s a record that’s quite frequently nothing short of ridiculous. ‘Concrete’ is equal parts sugar spun and razor-sharp, demanding to be quite literally “turned into a street”, while ‘Fill the Crown’ growls one moment, drifts on angelic melody the next. It’s title-track ‘I Disagree’ which stands out, though. Huge riffs, it’s a glorious contradiction that just happens to be utterly contagious.

Whatever the gut reaction - positive or negative - Poppy is anything but boring. In that alone, she’s something to be celebrated. In an attention economy where the extreme prevails, she’s quite probably the future. There’s no disagreeing with that. P

here do we start with Poppy? From the glossy sheen of YouTube character, through super stylised pop sensation, to - well - whatever her current guise is best described as, one thing’s for sure - she’s certain to Stephen Ackroyd divide opinions.

42 Upset

While some bands might be afraid to put their collective heads above the parapet in these toxic political times, AJJ are at their devilish best when tackling such societal ills. ‘Good Luck Everybody’ does this – and more – with unexpected sensitivity and acerbic humour. While the political discourse naturally dominates, and it’s in these moments that AJJ make their sharpest points, there are also moments of tenderness and pathos.

There’s a lyrical lightness to these songs despite the weighty themes, and it means there’s much more to ‘Good Luck Everybody’ than political polemic. Throw in guest spots by Jeff Rosenstock and Laura Stevenson, and you could even say ‘Good Luck Everybody’ is something of a crowd-pleaser. P Rob Mair

ANTI-FLAG 20/20 VISION eee

The twelfth offering from Anti-Flag is as politically charged as ever. Curb stomping their way into the new year, ‘20/20 Vision’ is proof once again punks are taking no prisoners, especially with their bile-laced social discourse spotlighting. Beginning with ‘Hate Conquers All’, and the orange-haired, orange-faced president’s voice sparking up in its immaturely dulcet manner, the DNA of Anti-flag’s tunes is as visceral as ever. Nothing is off-limits when it comes to Anti-Flag putting the world to rights; from ‘Christian Nationalist’

to ‘Don’t Let The Bastards Get You Down’, the world is dark and seemingly getting darker. But while the lights dim, with the vitriolic flashbang politically charged bands like Anti-Flag are throwing into the wild, there’s still that glimmer of hope amongst the chaos. P Steven Loftin

DUNE RATS

HURRY UP AND WAIT e e ee There’s nothing refined about Dune Rats, but that’s sort of the point. Fuelled by a party power that refuses to quit, ‘Hurry Up and Wait’ has the sort of rambunctious energy that can lift any mood. ‘No Plans’, a cathartic release on the realities of being in a band on the road, still sounds like the most fun possible, while ‘Stupid Is As Stupid Does’, featuring the magnificent K Flay, has a chorus for the ages. While lyrically it may be happy to stare life straight in the eyes, it does it with the kind of acceptance that would rather party until the world ends than drive itself into an early grave. Here for a good time, not a long time, no matter what cards they’re dealt Dune Rats will be having more fun than the rest of us. That’s something even the biggest cynic has to respect. P Stephen Ackroyd

FRANCES QUINLAN LIKEWISE e e ee

Better known for her role in indie-rock band Hop Along, Frances Quinlan has one of those voices which is distinctly noticeable from the first breath. On her debut solo album ‘Likewise’ Frances explores a softer side to her

usual realms of instrumentation, which allows her vocal cords to flourish. By re-working her sound palette to rely more on a plethora of synths, strings and keys; Frances has created a body of work that allows the mastery of her lyricism and vocals to soar to heights that didn’t seem able to be surpassable from her previous work. Residing in quiet jubilation at times, Frances’ voice is all at once defiant, urgent, and wildly chaotic – often tapping into the quirky intricacies of musicians like Fiona Apple and Regina Spektor. It is a rumination on all aspects of life, and feels as though this is something that Frances has had up her sleeve for a long time, just waiting for the right moment to put it out into the universe. P Tyler Damara Kelly

HIGHER POWER 27 MILES UNDERWATER eeee

Leeds’ Higher Power are a band all about changes in dynamics and moods, capable of flipping a switch effortlessly from brutal aggression to dreamy escapism. Their second album ‘27 Miles Underwater’ highlights this magpie nature to exhilarating effect.

Opening track ‘Seamless’ is almost psychedelic in the wide eyed wonder of its huge chorus while second single ‘Low Season’ finds them on reliably crunching and powerful rock

ground. ‘Drag The Line’ climax’s the album in suitably thrilling fashion.

There are no boundaries for Higher Power and throughout the album they showcase that their own brand of hardcore has many branches and they’re not afraid to shake things up.

It’s the sound of a confident band who know that they’re making a significant step up and are ready to shout about it. P Martyn Young

LORDI

KILLECTION ee Having gone down in Eurovision lore as the first, and only, costumed metal act to win, Lordi are all about taking the perception surrounding them and running riot with it.

‘Killection’, is a - wait for it fictional compilation album compiled of songs that Lordi would have recorded were they around in different eras of metal. Without a doubt it’s fun, and does exactly what it says on the tin. Lordi have never been about breaking musical boundaries, that would be too easy.

Instead, they focus on creating sheer shock and awe, letting the value rest in the cabaret. When your lead single is ludicrously catchy, and called ‘Shake The Baby Silent’, what else can you do? P

Steven Loftin

Upset 43

Rated_

SLØTFACE

SORRY FOR THE LATE REPLY eeee A mere two years on from their debut ‘Try Not to Freak Out’, Sløtface - who hail from Stavanger, Norway - are delving into the more personal and political sides to themselves on ‘Sorry For The Late Reply’. From start to finish, the album is a thunderous tale that rivals a pendulum in the rate it swings between shimmering indie-rock and riotous euphoric punk. Sløtface are all rumbling bass lines, static-infused guitars and saccharine vocals. There is a distinct departure from the sentimentality of their first release, but in no way have Sløtface separated themselves from the sound that carved this path for themselves.

Instead, there is a strengthening and building on what has come before.

2020 is going to be one hell of a year for Sløtface. P Paris Fawcett

TRAIL OF DEAD

X: THE GODLESS VOID AND OTHER STORIES eee Having been purveyors of intense, brooding sounds for twentyfive years, trail of dead are back with an album that’s as darkly

44 Upset

determined and swirling as ever.

With the four-piece’s tenth outing holding all that they’ve ever created close to their chest, ‘X’ is all you’d expect, and just that little bit more. The fire and brimstone that made them a name who balances finely between prog and punk has been well earned, and they’ve not forgotten it. Amongst the sonic scape that trims itself out of the punk-at-heart sneer lies a band a quarter of a century into their time together, and fighting fit ready to indulge all the grand escapades that may come into their head. No moment feels over-played, nor unnecessary; it’s all fair game, and on the voyage trail of dead are determined to take us on, it all feels welcome. P Steven Loftin

TWIN ATLANTIC POWER eeee

After the somewhat polarising ‘GLA’ came out in 2016, Twin Atlantic have spent their time building their own studio in the heart of Glasgow to take full control of their next record.

Trimmed to a three-piece, the result is an album of direct songs that are rooted in programmed synths and drums with guitars adding muscle to Sam Mctrusty’s characteristic brogue. Lead single Novocaine finds

the band in an urgent, experimental mood, hi hats crashing at double speed and guitars mimicking keys as the vocals take the floor. The studio is the instrument here, a stark difference to the rehearsed indie rock captured on their first few records. Much of the album rides on propulsive processed drums and obnoxiously cranked synths and they’re knowingly deployed by a group who’ve nodded to Depeche Mode when describing their vision.

The band who evoked Biffy on the angular ‘Free’ are well and truly left in 2011, replaced by slick suits and concise melodies. The record is streamlined at ten songs and a few instrumental interludes and nothing extraneous is included.

‘Barcelona’ is the high point, capturing the euphoria of some of their best tracks while embracing their new ambition. This is Twin Atlantic rebooted for 2019 and it rips. P Dillon Eastoe

VUKOVI FALL BETTER eeee

Vukovi have gone through a lot to get to where they are now. ‘Fall Better’, their second fulllength album, is an exciting but nervewracking trip into the future, with pulsating electronic beats flowing through its veins. This delving into electronic territory is a natural progression, as amongst the chunky riffs and crazy brash hooks there are a whole plethora of synthetic sounds at play. From the heavyweight rock of ‘CLAUDIA’ (which was shortly written after album one) to the trap skewed ‘White Lies’, ‘Fall Better’ is where rock and electronic meet unified, where Vukovi prove they excel in blending genres and challenging the status quo. Vukovi have always been a band that look out for the underdog, and that couldn’t be truer on this record.

‘Fall Better’ is the light at the end of the darkest tunnel. P Jasleen

Dhindsa

24 January Featuring Seamless and Low Season

CD / LP / DIGITAL

Limited edition marble and splatter vinyl and merch bundles available to pre-order at shop.roadrunnerrecords.co.uk

higherpowerleeds.com roadrunnerrecords.co.uk

On tour with Beartooth + The Amity Affliction: 24 Feb - Bristol, Academy 1 25 Feb - Glasgow, SWG3 (Galvanisers) 26 Feb - Nottingham, Rock City 28 Feb - Manchester, Academy 29 Feb - London, The Roundhouse

171219_Upset_HP.indd 1

17/12/2019 14:34

“an expertly narrative songwriter and a peerless singer in the indie-rock world” - NPR

OUT JANUARY 31 ON SADDLE CREEK

EVERYONE HAS THOSE FORMATIVE BANDS AND TRACKS THAT FIRST GOT THEM INTO MUSIC AND HELPED SHAPE THEIR VERY BEING. THIS MONTH, HIGHER POWER TAKES US THROUGH SOME THE SONGS THAT MEANT THE MOST TO THEM DURING THEIR TEENAGE YEARS. WITH... HIGHER POWER RANCID Maxwell Murder

Jimmy Wizard: I remember when you went into places that sold CDs, and you could listen on the big headphones, I asked if I could listen to Rancid because I had seen the ‘Ruby Soho’ video on TV and thought they looked cool. I literally listened to the first 20 seconds of this song and was like, ok I will take this CD. That was the first time I heard music that fast, and I knew I needed this album.

SLIPKNOT Disasterpiece

Jimmy Wizard: I got kicked out of school in year 6 and listened to this album the whole ride home just angry at everything, especially this song with the sick blast beats.

THE CLASH Death Or Glory

Louis Hardy: My mum introduced me to a lot of punk music when I was younger. I remember the first time I heard The Clash, and I was like, fucking hell this is sick. We would just sit and get super stoned and listen to old records and talk about life, this song sums up that for me.

RADIOHEAD Reckoner

Louis Hardy: I have huge difficulty crying, but for some reason, this song really helped me let it out from young. The guitar part is so melancholic. If you need an emotional purge slap this tune on and let the tears roll.

ENTER SHIKARI Sorry You’re Not A Winner

Ethan Wilkinson: So I personally had never heard music like this before and this song popped off!

People would play it on phones at

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school, and we’d all do the clap, haha.

JAY Z X LINKIN PARK Points of Authority/99 Problems

Ethan Wilkinson: This blew my tiny mind. Had no interest in rap at all at that age and then this came out of nowhere. I could not get enough of it and kinda still can’t.

PAPA ROACH Blood Brothers

Max Harper: The first time hearing this song was on Tony Hawks 2, which obviously is a lot of kids soundtracks growing up.

But it was also the first proper CD my dad got for me when I was 10 which I cherished/still have to this day. The song is also badass still.

ALKALINE TRIO Stupid Kid

Max Harper: The video for this song is insane and was always on KERRANG/Scuzz/P Rock/MTV etc. They were dark and miserable but had hooks and harmonies that made me sing along every time as a kid, and they’ve stuck with me to this day as my favourite band. P

Higher Power’s album ‘27 Miles Underwater’ is out 24th January.