** PLUS ** WHILE SHE SLEEPS // ONE OK ROCK // WICCA PHASE SPRINGS ETERNAL // MILK TEETH + LOADS MORE
March 2019 upsetmagazine.com
BACK! BACK!! BACK!!!
FRANK CARTER + T H E R AT T L E S N A K E S
UK / IRELAND HEADLINE TOUR 2019 plus guests
march 2019 15th CARDIFF / Great Hall 16th PORTSMOUTH / Pyramids 17th BRISTOL / O2 Academy 19th NOTTINGHAM / Rock City 20th HULL / The Welly 21st GLASGOW / SWG3 22nd ABERDEEN / Unit 51 24th MIDDLESBROUGH / Empire 25th MANCHESTER / Albert Hall 27th SHEFFIELD / Leadmill 28th BIRMINGHAM / O2 Academy 30th BELFAST / Limelight 2 31st DUBLIN / Green Room myticket.co.uk / deafhavana.com top 10 album ‘Rituals’ out now via So Recordings A Kilimanjaro & Friends presentation by arrangement with X-ray and Riverman
MARCH 2019 Issue 41
HELLO. Frank Carter is back. There aren’t many four word sentences more exciting than that. With a brand new track ‘Crowbar’ out now, and an album - ‘End Of Suffering’ - set to drop later this year, we’re delighted to have one of the most exciting live forces on planet rock on the cover of Upset this month. There’s a lot of buzz going around this month - not least with SWMRS dropping a storming new record. We’ll be getting into that ‘soon’, but you can check out a stonking 5-star review on p.38. Elsewhere, we have Becky Milk Teeth promising that second album won’t be too long now (hurrah!), plus the return of While She Sleeps. Something for everyone, eh?
S tephen
Editor / @stephenackroyd
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THIS MONTH_ RIOT 4. ONE OK ROCK 8. MARK MORTON 9. PETAL 10. KEVIN DEVINE 12. MILK TEETH ABOUT TO BREAK 16. WICCA PHASE SPRINGS ETERNAL 18. INDOOR PETS 20. YOURS TRULY FEATURES 22. FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES 30. WHILE SHE SLEEPS 34. WOAHNOWS REVIEWS 38. SWMRS 41. WEEZER LIVE 42. THE 1975 44. ENTER SHIKARI TEENAGE KICKS 46. BLOOD RED SHOES
Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Scribblers Dan Harrison, Dillon Eastoe, Jamie MacMillan, Jasleen Dhindsa, Rob Mair, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin Snappers Frances Beach, Sarah Louise Bennett 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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Riot_ ONE OK ROCK
EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN ROCK
One of Japan’s most popular bands, One OK Rock are back with their ninth album, ‘Eye of the Storm’. Recorded with the help of Mike Shinoda, it sees them shaking things up, as vocalist Taka Moriuchi explains.
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THIS MONTH IN ROCK
Mark Morton scribbles down everything we need to know about his new solo record. p.8
Kevin Devine chats Devinyl splits, Bad Books, and new solo material... p.10
I
f ever positivity was needed, it’s now. The world is seemingly on the verge of imploding, while a never-ending series of cataclysmic events nudge us closer and closer to pandemonium. Fortunately, there are people out there working on putting out good vibes - including Tokyo-based foursome One OK Rock and their formidable frontman Taka Moriuchi.
A naturally positive person, ‘Stand Out Fit In’ - the first single from their new album ‘Eye Of The Storm’ - sees him lead a barrelling anthem for the disenfranchised. He’s understandably excited about
unleashing the group’s ninth full-length, which saw them push themselves to try new things. “You know Bohemian Rhapsody, the movie? It’s huge, right?” he begins, explaining over the phone. “When I started making this album, I had a theme, and it was Queen and musical, and Disney. It’s not only rock’n’roll. Rock’n’roll is a lifestyle for me, not hard music, but universal - that’s why this album is super different. I was just making music, not only rock music.” Not for the first time, Taka breaks away, hurriedly speaking to his manager in Japanese for clarification: “When he creates music, he wants it to feel positive.
Milk Teeth talk Slam Dunk and that much anticipated second album. p.12
He can make better music, and also the lyrics of the songs everything is positive.” After moving to the US four years ago, Taka made it his mission to become a positive force for Asian-Americans in particular, encouraging the sharing of cultures and promoting the benefits of a multicultural society. “It’s still harder to make a breakthrough in the United States for a Japanese person, and Asians,” he explains. “It’s hard because the United States is the United States, so we jump into a different culture, different country, different languages. We have to understand each other, and then after that shake hands,
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THE BEST NEW BANDS. THE HOTTEST NEW MUSIC.
WANT A NEW BAND CRUSH? CHECK OUT THIS LOT! >>>
FONTAINES D.C. London’s Fontaines D.C. are FFO Slaves, IDLES and Shame. Watch out for debut album ‘Dogrel’ from 12th April. They’re also touring in November.
WICCA PHASE SPRINGS ETERNAL SO HOT RIGHT NOW
Scranton, PA singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Adam McIlwee has just dropped his Run For Cover Records debut, ‘Suffer On’. Words: Steven Loftin 16 Upset
HORROR MY FRIEND Aussies Horror My Friend nod to fuzzy 90s pioneers Sonic Youth, and they’re coming over to the UK to show off their lo-fi tunes this spring.
S
ince leaving indie-rock upstarts Tigers Jaw back in 2013, Adam Mcilwee has spent most of his time on the internet. From trawling Tumblr for hours, to meticulously formatting tweets; its central purpose focused on developing a musical project - Wicca Phase Springs Eternal.
Emotionally charged and raw, as he found this project coming to life, he also saw something else being born - a movement. Alongside fellow like-minded creatives Cold Heart and Horsehead, he co-founded gothboiclique. Steadily growing in size - even counting Lil Peep amongst its ranks at one point - it’s now a collective of artists who draw from similar emotional angles, and find their roots deep in rap, trap, electronic, emo, alternative and anything else they fancy. Taking Wicca Phase to the next level, Adam’s previous releases, predominantly mixtapes, are what he considers “just collections of songs”, making ‘Suffer On’ is his first fully-fledged album. After signing to Run For Cover Records, the record and, his future, is all in the balance. “When I see Horsehead and Cold Heart releasing really good albums, and Døves doesn’t [even] have that many songs that are released, but his songwriting is so good! And I’m like, I have to do that… I’ve written songs that are better than those.” He pauses, chuckling. Adam’s competitive
nature is a catalyst for creativity. “That’s what’s in my mind. The bar has been set, and now I want to raise it a little bit more. It’s a healthy competition - I want to record music that I think is at their level, and I also want to record music that my friends or my peers will aspire to make… I’ve always felt like that. When I started writing songs, I just wanted to write songs that were better than my friends… not out of jealousy, or anything like that, although I do get jealous when my friends write really good songs, so there’s that element of it. It’s not as negative as it might sound!” As for why Adam and co’s new strain of musical influence has taken off to such great levels? He pauses. “I think there’s a cool factor to having rap beats. That element of it can appeal to people who aren’t necessarily into underground music. The guitar aspect of it is like an emo-worship thing that some people think is cool. I don’t think it’s that cool, [but] that’s pretty trendy now.” In reality, it’s the emotional aspect of the genre that’s genuinely the anchor point for this moment. The Soundcloud artists are all rooting around the same idea - of being true to the life you’re living, even if it’s a swirling darkness most would swiftly avert. The roots for ‘Suffer Now’ came at a time in his life when things were full on, to say the least; the title itself should give some indication as to Adam’s headspace through the
HOT MILK Manchester’s newest Emo power-pop band, Hot Milk have just finished touring with You Me At Six. Check out debut single ‘Awful Ever After’.
“THE BAR HAS BEEN SET, AND NOW I WANT TO RAISE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE” creation. “I was stressed out all the time when I started writing the album. I’d left my job to pursue music full time which turned up the stress to eleven in my day to day life, being like, ‘shit, this has to work!’” With an air of relief, he confesses. “There was [also] some personal stuff at home with different relationships that seemed to be at their worst when I was writing this album.” Does he feel that belonging to a world that’s renowned for creeping amongst the realism and darkness of life? “When you’re doing that every day for hours on end, I think that darkness and that negative emotional theme gets turned up, it gets magnified,” he pauses, before ending: “In this case, it worked. That’s how I’ve always written songs.” It’s this resounding openness to himself and his followers that sets Adam, and Wicca, above the rest. There may be a constant revolving carousel of quick-thinking hopefuls who’ve purchased some beats and a microphone, but to delve deep into the ‘emo’ of life, well, no one does it quite like Wicca Phase. P
Wicca Phase Springs Eternal’s new album ‘Suffer On’ is out now.
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Frank Carter has been through a lot, but as he returns with his Rattlesnakes for a new single ‘Crowbar’, and the promise of album ‘End of Suffering’ to follow, he’s more than up for the fight. Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.
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WHILE SHE SLEEPS
After the runaway success of ‘You Are We’, While She Sleeps are back with a record that sees them pushing the boundaries of metal. Words: Jamie MacMillan.
I
t would have been easy, understandable even, for While She Sleeps to try and repeat the same trick again. The story of ‘You Are We’, their crowd-funded third record, and reaching the UK top ten in April 2017 has passed into history as a true underdog tale - triumph over adversity, celebrations being snatched from the jaws of despair.
In the media whirlwind, the Sheffield band became something of a household name even outside the metalcore world, a feel-good online buzz surrounding them in a comfort blanket of support and goodwill. Hardly the moment then that you would expect them to dust off their old Daft Punk records and delve into a bit 90s trance, easily two of the least predictable influences you could imagine going into ‘SO WHAT?’, the impressive follow-up to its all-conquering predecessor. But with this band, it’s always a case of WHY NOT? As the band prepare for their highly anticipated Beijing gig, guitarist Mat Welsh reflects on a crazy few years. “It’s manic. But we learnt from the last album that it just stays manic, and you’ve just got to accept it.” These latest shows in China are laying the groundwork for a huge 2019, with shows at London’s Roundhouse coming in March as well as a prime slot at 2000trees. They also form the world’s first glimpse of the ‘SO WHAT?’ era, a
bold release that challenges and swerves any preconceived ideas from the wider world. “Towards the end of the ‘You Are We’ cycle, we were just so stoked to carry on and do more, get back in the studio. We were on such a high, we were like ‘Fuck it, let’s keep the train running’,” explains Mat. “We felt good, we wanted to write, and we felt creative.” Returning to the studio in February, the quintet continued with their tradition of keeping things loose and concept-free. “It’s just ‘do what you want’. We are confident that we don’t have to write inside a little box to please the metal world,” is how Mat describes it. “It’s always about finding something that makes you feel cool at the time, whether it’s a riff or a vocal, if we all feel it then that’s the seal of approval. It’s about how you want people to feel on their first listen.” As with all great music, a contradiction lies at the heart of the bands’ immediate, yet multilayered, sound. “We’re not an ‘oh, you have to listen to it a hundred times to get it band’,” is how Mat sees it, yet equally, “I do think we are a three-listen band, minimum. It takes that much to hear all the stuff we’ve put into it.” Amongst all the bonecrunching riffs and beats of thunder, one surprising element emerges from the riot: those
NOW
NOW 34 Upset
“I
am still so proud of the old records, but this feels like a different band,” considers Woahnow’s Tim Rowing-Parker.
Having all moved to Bristol, and with a new record in hand, 2019 finds noisy power-poppers Woahnows refocused and reenergised. Words: Rob Mair.
Just one listen to the fun, upbeat ‘Young and Cool’ will confirm the assertion. Marrying Woahnows’ trademark off-kilter indie with some of the most glorious power-pop you can imagine, it’s a softer, more polished album than its predecessor, ‘Understanding and Everything Else’. It’s also bright, confident and energetic – and well worth the three-and-ahalf year wait. Rewind to 2015, and the then broadly West Country based band (Tim was in Plymouth, drummer Adam Wherly was in Bristol and bassist Phil Randall residing in Cheltenham) were somewhat ubiquitous, playing relentlessly off the back of ‘Understanding…’. For the last two years or so, however, they’ve been much quieter, hitting the road in 2018 for a handful of shows but otherwise keeping a low profile. “I guess we have been laying low for a while,” laughs Tim. “We love doing the band, but it was a case of growing older as people. We wanted to be happy in our lives as well, so our priorities changed. “It’s hard enough to function as a band, so to be happy people is a good first step. Also, you recognise that the band needs to be fun. As soon as you do too much, it becomes less fun, and when it feels less fun, it’s kinda pointless.” Part of this move to improved happiness and wellbeing came from the relocation to Bristol. It’s hard for Tim to extrapolate whether it was move driven by personal or band reasons, but it’s clear that one feeds into the
other in a symbiotic relationship. It’s also clear that the results of the move show on ‘Young and Cool’, an album that does away with the lyrical obliqueness of previous efforts to make this a bold and self-assured return. Sure, it’s a record with some serious messages, ruminating on ideas of identity, but it is also eager for listeners to enjoy the experience of a fun and inclusive record. It’s a fine line, but one which Tim and co. have walked perfectly. While much of the content on ‘Understanding and Everything Else’ focused on issues of queer identity and heteronormative culture, it was hidden by wordplay and vagueness.‘Young and Cool’ reflects Tim’s newfound confidence, containing songs that have heart and soul to match the clever riffs and chops. “It was written a long time ago when I was working a lot of it out and allowing myself to be comfortable within myself,” says Tim of their previous effort. “It was at a point where I was unsure of myself and scared of the whole thing, so the theme is masked. “With this record, I was quite comfy with that element of myself, and taking the time out allowed me to work that all out. It’s not just about that; it’s about everything really.” That said, the album’s strongest moments come when Woahnows cast their caustic eyes over the heteronormative culture that continues to thrive in punk rock music. Songs like ‘No One Else’ – and in particular the droll and prescient lyrics “All the boys in the band are just boring me now / All singing that shit you don’t understand / ‘Awww c’mon yeah, let’s change the world’ / Just as soon as we’re done hitting on girls”, allow Woahnows the opportunity to be themselves while also hinting at the hard
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T
reading a thin line isn’t easy. It takes practice to find balance, not swaying too far to one side or the other before crashing to the floor.
SWMRS BERKELEY’S ON FIRE
e eeee
But practice - that’s one thing SWMRS have definitely done. 2016’s ‘Drive North’ was a barnstormer of an album that drove them to new heights. Signing with scenestealers Fueled By Ramen felt like confirmation of a band ready to live up to their promise.
Never really going away, the band honed their craft further on the road, moving up the bills and building a world around them as they went. Three years on, they’re ready to cash in all that hard-earned experience, and boy does it show. ‘Berkeley’s On Fire’ is SWMRS supercharged, and yet still perfectly poised to cross the great divide. ‘Lose Lose Lose’ breaks out the moves, while ‘Too Much Coffee’ shuffles to a killer melody. Fizzing with ambition and
DRENGE
STRANGE CREATURES e e e ee As openers go, ‘Bonfire of the City Boys’ certainly isn’t of the shy and retiring type. A spitting, furious assault of elastic energy and vitriolic anger, it sets the scene for Drenge’s third album perfectly. From the direct floor filler ‘This Dance’ to the bouncing shadow-stalking of ‘Never See The Signs’, the brothers Loveless are in fine form. Adding both a maturity and an ear for a good tune, ‘Strange Creatures’ is more evolution than revolution, but it’s a development that’s more than welcome. P Dan
Harrison
INDOOR PETS BE CONTENT eeeee
energy, it’s a record raucous enough to have a good time, but not so violently combative it pushes the world away. What really stands out, though, is the brightness. ‘Berkeley’s On Fire’ is a picture painted in strong, primary colours. Direct but never simplistic, even in its bittersweet moments, it’s a record with an underlining sense of hope. It’s never written in such explicit terms - at times, like on ‘Lonely Ghosts’ and its bemoaning of the modern condition, it even
feels to sit against the lyrical content - but it’s there. In a time where everything feels to be falling apart, there’s a quiet, unspoken confidence that perhaps things could get better in the end. Rallying against the world around it, but with hope in its heart, ‘Berkeley’s On Fire’ isn’t so much a spark that starts a fire as a personal pledge. Music that matters, but that’s not afraid to have fun along the way, it’s proof that SWMRS have found that perfect line to tread. P Stephen Ackroyd
It hasn’t been the easiest journey for Indoor Pets; however, instead of sitting around and feeling sorry for themselves, they’ve made light of these darker times, which resonates blindingly on ‘Be Content’. The record is chock full of Indoor Pets’ cartoony indie pop, the production formulated in a way that brings every part of their character to life. Kicking off with the soaring ‘Hi’, the band don’t hold back on their wackiness, from the zigzagging guitars of ‘Teriyaki’ to the loopy new track ‘Thick’. The concoction of older material next to newer numbers is so cohesive, demonstrating the band’s ability to bring a flawless consistency to everything they do. This is one immensely powerful debut. P Jasleen
Dhindsa
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Live_ ON STAGE. IN HERE.
LOVE IT THAT THEY’VE MADE IT AT LONDON’S + PALE WAVES, NO ROME
O2 ARENA Words: Ali Shutler. Photo: Frances Beach 42 Upset
P
rogressive, proactive and doing things their own way, tonight sees The 1975 return to London’s O2 with a very different show to the pristine and soulful stand they made here at the end of 2016.
But then ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships’ is a very different record to what’s come before. That first album grabbed attention, the second grabbed headlines, while this one has wrapped itself firmly around hearts, minds and imagination. Tonight it feels like anything is possible. As ‘Love Theme’ disintegrates into ‘The 1975’, the band take the stage and tear into the rugged screech of ‘Give Yourself A Try’. It’s chaotic, raw and triumphant before the dance-routine bop of ‘TooTimeTooTimeTooTime’ spins through colour and joy. The shimmering romp of ‘She’s American’ quickly follows, new shades and new shapes making themselves at home in the ever-shifting space. The world of The 1975 doesn’t begin and end with the band though. Dirty Hit labelmates No Rome open the show, a fizzing blend of pop velocity and rock star confidence that really comes into focus when he joins The 1975 later in the night for ‘Narcissist’. Next up, Pale Waves’ gargantuan and gothic pop songs are custom built for rooms of this size. Hand on heart and eyes wide open, they flicker with brilliance before turning inwards, sharing secrets and standing apart. At times The 1975 are on the brink of falling apart. There’s a god-like reverence to the visuals of a giant phone screen that opens up and allows Matty to walk inside, before he falls to his knees. Trapped in a box, ‘The Ballad Of Me And My Brain’ rages with a claustrophobic uncertainty. ‘How To Draw/Petrichor’ starts with serenity but quickly
crumbles into a cyclical, glitching breakdown while even autotune can’t hide the anger of ‘I Like America and America Likes Me’. Scared of dying, holding onto belief and fed up of being ignored, it promises it’s fine but it’s a terrible liar. Other times, The 1975 are the most perfect pop band in the world. It’s impossible to argue with songs like ‘Love Me’, Sincerity Is Scary’ or ‘Girls’. ‘Loving Someone’ sees a field of rainbows caught in phone screens, ‘Robbers’ finds tears onstage and off and the band are always first to embrace the absurdity of it all. Matty is the pointed end of The 1975’s vision. Catching roses, sharing meme t-shirts with the rest of the room and basking in the spotlight before bridging the distance between stage and audience, The 1975 are his favourite band and there’s not a single moment of tonight where you wouldn’t believe it. But still, that idea of destruction is never far away. ‘I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)’ wrestles with it, bathed in a white light while the apology before ‘URGH!’ tumbles with the unknown. “Forgive us for playing a slightly longer set than advertised, we don’t know when we’ll get to do this again.” It makes ‘Love It If We Made It’ so much more powerful. Reflecting the world outside going up in flames and eating itself alive, it’s buoyant, persistent and finds a light in the dark. Speaking about hope, even for a few minutes, feels victorious and the following greatest hits parade of ‘Chocolate’, ‘The Sound’ and ‘Sex’ underlines and amplifies the voice of the community that’s come together under one roof tonight. “Rock & Roll is Dead,” promises the video screens at The O2. “God Bless The 1975,” cos they’re refusing to kneel. P
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