DIY, November 2014

DIY

it’s

set music free

free / issue 35 / november 2014

diymag.com

album time...

superfood

foo fighters

run the jewels

hookworms

kiesza

+ loads more

exclusive

bastille

how to break america

the

british

are

coming...

VS. HAIM! LIZZO! ANGEL HAZE! THE NEW MIXTAPE REVEALED

1

2 diymag.com

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4

GOOD VS EVIL

WHAT’S ON THE DIY TEAM’S RADAR?

Victoria

Sinden

Deputy Editor

GOOD The DIY

bunker is no more

- we’re off to a new

home with - gasp -

windows.

EVIL Who wants

to help us move?

..............................

Emma Swann

Reviews Editor

GOOD The

Christmas Diet

Coke bottles this

year have reindeer

names on them.

Today, I am Vixen.

EVIL Learning

I’d been using

a camera with

a broken focus

and shutter for a

couple of months

isn’t the best...

..............................

Louise Mason

Art Director

GOOD Eating

great cake (in

America, backstage

with Bastille).

EVIL Failing to

get to Canada by

getting kicked off

their tour bus at the

last minute.

..............................

Jamie Milton

Online Editor

GOOD The

world’s best

videographer,

Dyle Duckley,

finally joining

Twitter (@

dyleduckley).

EVIL Peter

Crouch hasn’t

replied to any

of my direct

messages yet.

..............................

EL HUNT

Assistant Online

Editor

GOOD The large

amounts of new

album-related

hope instilled in

me by the leaked

Rihanna memo.

EVIL I’m still

waiting for

Dyle Duckley to

announce his

involvement in

the Twin Peaks

revival.

EDITOR’S LETTER

When we first put Bastille on the DIY cover back in March 2013, we had no idea about

what would happen next. Yeah, things would go well for them, but the last year and a

half has been something else. One of the most remarkable parts of Bastille’s success has

been the way they’ve taken their home form to the USA. They’re in good company too.

In the last couple of years all kinds of British acts have been making waves Stateside.

This month, we flew over to Boston to regroup with Dan, Kyle, Will and Woody to find

out how to break America. Feel free to copy them; send our cut to the usual address.

Stephen Ackroyd

GOOD Sleater-Kinney are back! There’s a new album in January.

EVIL BRITs Critics Choice, BBC Sound of 2015 - so many polls, so little clue who I’m

going to nominate.

LISTENING POST

What’s on the DIY

stereo this month?

Menace Beach

Ratworld

After their appearance at the DIY

London all-dayer, Menace Beach arrive

with a fuzzy frustrated feast in this

debut LP.

Parkay Quarts

Content Nausea

It’s not an album. It’s not an EP. They’ve

changed their name. They’re more

elusive than ever. But as expected,

Parquet Courts (Parkay Quarts)’ latest

is ace.

TWEET OF

THE MONTH

@petercrouch

New hero ! The fella

from future islands

going for it on

#laterjools

The Stoke striker has got

good taste for a big lad.

3

C

O

N

T

E

N

T

S

NEWS

6 RUN THE JEWELS

10KIESZA

12#STANDFORSOMETHING

16ARIEL PINK

18DIY PRESENTS TOUR

20THE XCERTS

22DIY READERS POLL

23DEERHOOF

10

NEU

24IBEYI

26DEMOB

HAPPY

28T O B I A S

JESSO JR.

30DEERS

Editor Stephen Ackroyd

Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden

Associate Editor Emma Swann

News Editor Sarah Jamieson

Art Director Louise Mason

Head Of Marketing & Events

Jack Clothier

Online Editor Jamie Milton

Assistant Online Editor

El Hunt

Contributors Alex Lynham,

Charlie Mock, Dan Carson,

Dominique Sisley, Hugh

Morris, Huw Oliver, Kyle

MacNeill, Stuart Knapman,

Tim Lee, Tobias Maguire, Tom

Connick, Tom Walters, Will

Moss

54

32

44 76

50

FEATURES

32 BASTILLE

44 SUPERFOOD

76

50 DEPTFORD GOTH

54 F RYARS

REVIEWS

58 GLASS ANIMALS

66 ALBUMS

62 HOOKWORMS

76LIVE

Photographers Carolina

Faruolo, Mike Massaro, Nathan

Barnes, Sarah Louise Bennett

For DIY editorial

info@diymag.com

For DIY sales

rupert@sonicdigital.co.uk

tel: +44 (0)20 76130555

For DIY online sales

lawrence@sonicdigital.co.uk

tel: +44 (0)20 76130555

DIY is published by Sonic

Media Group. All material

copyright (c). All rights reserved.

This publication may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any

form, in whole or in part, without

the express written permission of

DIY. 25p where sold.

Disclaimer: While every effort is

made to ensure the information

in this magazine is correct,

changes can occur which affect

the accuracy of copy, for which

Sonic Media Group holds no

responsibility. The opinions of the

contributors do not necessarily

bear a relation to those of DIY or

its staff and we disclaim liability

for those impressions. Distributed

nationally.

Cover photo by Mike Massaro

- Agganis Arena, Boston

4 diymag.com

the lost

brothers

st pancras

old church, london

wed 12 nov

broncho

/ purple

november

17 castle hotel, manchester

18 sebright arms, london

19 the prince albert, brighton

20 the exchange, bristol

21 the shacklewell arms, london

ballet school

lykke li

eventim apollo

hammersmith,

london

thu 13 nov

banks

november

17 birmingham institute

19 O 2 abc glasgow

23 O 2 academy brixton

25 manchester ritz

rag n bone man

motopony

dingwalls, london

fri 14 nov

joey bada$$

november

19 riverside, newcastle

20 institute, birmingham

21 academy 2, manchester

22 concorde 2, brighton

24 marble factory, bristol

25 O 2 shepherd’s bush empire

the national

the lexington,

london

wed 19 nov

walking on cars

dingwalls, london

thu 27 nov

breton

start the bus,

bristol

sat 22 nov

jack garratt

november

29 brudenell social club, leeds

30 the castle hotel, manchester

december

02 the prince albert, brighton

03 hare & hounds, birmingham

08 the louisiana, bristol

09 bodega, nottingham

say lou lou

the O2,

london

wed 26 nov

arkells

sebright arms,

london

tue 02 dec

‘68

heaven, london

tue 02 dec

samaris

heaven, london

thu 04 dec

ivy & gold

borderline, london

sun 07 dec

dancing years

hoxton square bar

& kitchen, london

mon 08 dec

james veck-gilodi

roundhouse studio,

london

tue 09 dec

first aid kit

oslo, london

mon 15 dec

the weeks

january 2015

19 deaf institute, manchester

20 norwich arts centre

21 bush hall, london

22 louisiana, bristol

23 joiners, southampton

january 2015

16 symphony hall, birmingham

20 city hall, newcastle

21 royal concert hall, nottingham

25 uea, norwich

27 eventim apollo, hammersmith

january 2015

18 the green door store, brighton

20 O2 academy, birmingham

22 the garage, london

buy tickets at livenation.co.uk

5

NEWS

“These times

seem more

insane every

day.”

Killer Mike

6 diymag.com

Cool

Runnings

From political commentary to cat

sounds, El-P and Killer Mike are

tackling it all. Words: Huw Oliver.

smoked dope, gotten into a race

car and hit the gas pedal while filing

through a crowd of furry animals,

children and nuns, all the while

“Ever

weeping?” Nope? Well, that’s how a

jabbering El-P (real name Jaime) describes ‘RTJ2’, the latest

album from Run The Jewels, his zappy, piss-taking hip hop

partnership with Killer Mike.

Mike, also on the line, is stoned. There’s no way around it.

Throughout, he punctuates his silence with intermittent

guffaws and the odd incoherent ramble, usually about “the

social control by the government.” It’s kind of like he’s trying

to perform an audio caricature of himself - and succeeding,

while high.

The double act are opposites on the phone, and also on

record. Indeed, their spunky, critically acclaimed debut

‘Run The Jewels’ was defined first and foremost by the

oppositional pairing of Mike’s bottomless Atlanta drawl with

El-P’s burly, quick fire flow; second, by what El-P describes as

their “punch-you-in-the-face hilarious shit.”

They continue the latter on ‘RTJ2’, confronting heavyweight

topics such as dope, punching people and “teabagging”,

which El-P expands on with the thoroughly wholesome line,

“I dipped my nutsack into a piranha tank,” he quotes. But

there’s another dimension to the lyrics this time: “The stuff

which is not so serious,” he jokes. “Like bad policing, the

destruction of our soul, religion… The silly stuff. Actually,

there’s a little bit more anger, and maybe even a little bit

more thought on the record.”

When he’s not giggling or garbling, Killer Mike rails against

the police brutality witnessed in Ferguson. “I mean, look at

the times, man.” He briefly mentions something about street

rebels, before launching into a semi-comprehensible tirade.

“Nothing seems sane,” he hollers. “These times seem more

insane every day. If you watch television, it’s like an assault on

your peace of mind. They give you a new reason to be afraid

about everything all the time. I think that has come out in

our music in some ways. I think our music is in line with the

times.”

7

NEWS

At this point, it’s worth adding bulk to Mike’s argument by

referring to his persuasive appearance on CNN, or his studied

comment piece for Billboard. “The police have the power of

life and death in their decisions,” he wrote. “They need to

know that Americans hold them to a higher standard than

these examples [the deaths of Mike Brown and Eric Garner],

of American men laying lifeless like deer. Slaughtered hogs in

the street.”

“This record does have a bit more of a ‘Fight The Power’ feel to

it,” says El-P, perhaps taking cues from his long-time pal Zack

de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine, who guests on the

album. “When you have just two regular dudes saying ‘fuck

you’ to the most powerful things that we know, it’s not like we

know we can do something about it, it’s just ‘Fuck you, OK.

You might be the most powerful thing in the world, but hey,

suck my dick, how about that?’ There’s something powerful

about that, you know. If you walk up to a king and say ‘Suck

my dick, King’, and he beheads you? You still said ‘Suck my

dick.’ And even in just saying that, you are reducing the power

of the person in front of you.”

A nuanced analogy, sure. But back to the funny stuff – Run The

Jewels hit the headlines earlier this year as Meow The Jewels,

a one-off remix album which El-P pledged to record if gifted

a trivial $45k. The clue was in the title: there would be cat

noises instead of raps. Inevitably, one particularly zealous fan

got in on the act, setting up a Kickstarter to raise the funds.

“I had the Meow The Jewels idea just as a joke, because I was

stoned,” says El-P. “And I was sitting there writing a bunch

of joke pre-orders and I thought, what’s the stupidest thing

I could possibly put on here? Meow The Jewels seemed

perfectly stupid.” But he had no idea it would take off like

it did. “I’m preparing,” he says. “I might actually have to

make a rap album made out of cat sounds.” But he should

count himself (un)lucky he doesn’t have any multimillionaire

enemies; for $10 million, Mike and El-P have also pledged to

retire from the music industry altogether.

In another fine attempt to put fans first, ‘RTJ2’ was released

on their official site last month, with no advance previews for

press. Speaking ahead of its release, El-P reveals ‘Angel Dust’

to be the album’s killer anthem, apparently scrutinising the

divergence between the existence of God and that of the

church, as well as “the control system that is instated and

that has been projected onto our world through that sort of

façade, through the manipulation of man under the guise of

holiness.” Mainly, though, Mike is keen to emphasise, they’re

just “rapping [their] asses off.”

It’s certainly what they do best, but will Run The Jewels

now continue indefinitely? “Absolutely,” says El-P. “But I’ve

got a few demands, you know.” He seizes the opportunity

for some sarcasm: “I need to only be shot from my left side.

That’s where my double chin looks the best. And I would also

like a separate dressing room; I’m never going to talk to Mike

again. This whole charade of us being friends is exhausting and

ridiculous. But if my criteria are met, then yeah, I’ll reconsider it.”

Run The Jewels’ new album ‘RTJ2’ is out now via Mass

Appeal. DIY

“I might

actually have

to make a rap

album made

out of cat

sounds.”

El-P

8 diymag.com

DEPTFORD

GOTH

FEBRUARY 2015

26 BIRMINGHAM

INSTITUTE TEMPLE

27 MANCHESTER

DEAF INSTITUTE

28 NOTTINGHAM BODEGA

MARCH 2015

02 BRISTOL THEKLA

03 GLASGOW

KING TUT’S

05 LONDON HEAVEN

07 BRIGHTON THE HAUNT

TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT AXS.COM | SEETICKETS.COM

SONGKICK.COM f/YEARSANDYEARS t@YEARSANDYEARS

A GOLDENVOICE PRESENTATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH CODA

19 | 11 | 2014

ICA LONDON

SOLD OUT

NEW SHOW ADDED

26 | 02 | 2015

HEAVEN

LONDON

The Arches, Villiers Street

deptfordgoth.com

songkick.com

AXS.com | heaven-live.co.uk

NEW ALBUM ‘SONGS’

OUT 3 NOVEMBER

A Goldenvoice presentation in association with Coda

Deptford Goth gratefully acknowledges support

from the PRS for music foundation

A LIVE NATION, METROPOLIS MUSIC, DF CONCERTS AND TAYLOR JOHNSON PRESENTATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE AGENCY GROUP

never miss an issue

PLUS GUESTS

get

DIY

delivered to your door

SUBSCRIBE

DIYMAG.com/magazine

JANUARY 2015

WED 14 BATH FORUM

THU 15 CARDIFF ST DAVIDS HALL

FRI 16 BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY HALL

SAT 17 CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE

MON 19 EDINBURGH USHER HALL

TUE 20 NEWCASTLE CITY HALL

WED 21 NOTTINGHAM ROYAL CONCERT HALL

FRI 23 MANCHESTER O2 APOLLO

SAT 24 BRIGHTON DOME

SUN 25 NORWICH UEA

TUE 27 LONDON EVENTIM APOLLO HAMMERSMITH

TICKETMASTER.CO.UK | LIVENATION.CO.UK | THISISFIRSTAIDKIT.COM

NEW ALBUM ‘STAY GOLD’

AVAILABLE NOW

9

NEWS

Kiesza is bit-by-bit coming

into focus.

no

hiding

10 diymag.com

As Kiesza gears up to

release her debut album,

she’s ready to put herself

on the line. Words: Sarah

Jamieson.

Kiesza is no stranger to excelling in

her field. After all, the singer – full

name Kiesa Rae Ellestad – went

from being a classically-trained

ballerina to joining the Royal

Canadian Navy, then from being

approached to become a sniper

to penning tracks for the likes of Rihanna, Kylie and

Icona Pop. Now, after her debut single ‘Hideaway’ went

stratospheric earlier this year, the multi-instrumentalist

is stepping out into the limelight on her own, her first

album in tow.

“It was like a door opening,” Kiesza begins, on the first

single that was to become the catalyst for her career.

“It kinda forced itself into the world: it was one of the

quickest songs I’ve ever written and then it just went!

Once it was complete, it created its own path. From the

first person that sang to it, people just wanted to share

it right away.”

Not only did ‘Hideaway’ blaze a trail across the internet,

it became a permanent fixture on radio, before topping

the UK charts with over 100,000 copies sold. “It really

opened up a door and allowed for a lot of the things

that I create to have a

pathway into the world.

It’s amazing that it gave

me an audience that are

really looking forward to

the music that I make and

that’s the best thing you

could ever hope for as a

musician.”

For those expecting her

debut to be thirteen tracks of the same, they’re going

to be in for a surprise. Not only does Kiesza dwell in 90s

club vibes, she’s unafraid to dip into groove-infused

R&B and soulful beats. “I’m a songwriter and to just

work within one category would just leave me without

anywhere to go,” she says of the album’s diversity, “and

it would give me nowhere to explore.

“After we [along with collaborator Rami Samir Afuni]

wrote ‘Hideaway’ together, we realised that we both

had a very strong vision of how we wanted the album to

unravel. We really wanted to pay homage to that 90s era

while coming from a modern place, while also just sort

of exploring sounds which we’re both passionate about,

that we both really love. That sort of urban production,

R&B, the Chicago House sound. It was just about mixing

and matching our passions into one project. We both

have very much of a similar taste in music.

“We weren’t giving ourselves any solid direction

though. It was all inspired by ‘Hideaway’; that gave us

an overall vision of what type of album we wanted to

create. We both really liked the idea of Michael Jackson

and Quincy Jones doing an album together, so we

wanted to do this album together and really make it not

just an album full of singles. To make an album that tells

a story. that has ups and has downs, has fast and has

slow. It’s a real body of work.”

As for the album’s bold title, ‘Sound of a Woman’, it’s

what Kiesza feels is really encapsulated on this record;

her finally finding the strength to be herself through

music. “I think I was able to write about my life because

this was the first time I felt like I heard myself as an

artist. I had been writing and always wrote with the idea

that I was a songwriter for other people, but there was

something about ‘Hideaway’ that I just couldn’t give

away. I couldn’t imagine anyone else singing it. When

I wrote that song, I started opening myself up as an

artist and I had the desire to let the world know who I

was, whereas I hadn’t really had that desire before in

the same

way. It just

“I HAD THE DESIRE TO LET

THE WORLD KNOW WHO I

WAS.” KIESZA

tapped into

something

in me and

opened

things up.

“The title’s

kinda about

somebody

finally finding the strength to speak their mind, and as

a title for the album, it encompasses all of the emotions

that I was revealing throughout the album. It’s me

finding myself as a tmusician, a writer and an artist and

I felt like the title was a really strong representation of

the whole body of work.”

Kiesza’s debut album ‘Sound Of A Woman’ will be

released on 1st December via Lokal Legend / Virgin

EMI. DIY

11

NEWS

STILL TO COME ON THE

#STANDFORSOMETHING

TOUR 2014

With the London bill

announced and three

gigs still on the horizon,

it’s all go on Dr. Martens’

#STANDFORSOMETHING Tour

in association with DIY.

DON BROCO

+ LONELY

THE BRAVE

TO PLAY the BLACK HEART,

Camden, london

The old saying goes that good

things come to those who wait and,

at least in this case, it’s true. We’re

proud to announce that the final

three acts joining the Dr. Martens

#STANDFORSOMETHING Tour in

association with DIY will be Don Broco,

Lonely The Brave and Sserpress.

Set to get up close and personal in

London’s teeny tiny venue The Black

Heart, Don Broco are already excited

about the prospect after spending the

majority of this year working on their

new album. “We’ve just been writing

non-stop,” the band’s Rob Damiani

reveals. “It was really nice to get to go

out with You Me At Six [back in March]

to break things up a little bit, because

when you are doing it day in, day out,

you sometimes forget what it’s actually

about. Doing that tour and then coming

back into it gave us a new lease of life.

It’s been awesome, we’re pretty much

finished now.

“We’ve got a lot of songs: more than

we’ve ever written for an album so we’re

gonna have to choose from them. It’s

the most prepared we’ve ever been

going into the studio. We normally just

kinda wing it. We might’ve played the

song a few times in practice and then go

record it, but this time we’ve definitely

thought about things a little more. We

should be going in during the next few

months and getting it recorded by the

end of the year.”

Not only will the London four-piece

be causing a storm, they’re going to

be joined by the brilliant Lonely The

Brave, who are currently in the swing of

their own headline tour and are already

itching for more. “This band started off

in tiny venues,” drummer Gavin Edgeley

explains, “and I’ve been watching bands

in them for years so they always hold

a special place for me. We’ve played

some big shows in the last few years

but we always like doing the proper

sweat box ones. And any time that we

get to hook up with the Don Broco boys

is something we look forward to! They

took us out on our first big tour so we

love those guys to bits.”

THE

DATES

22/11/14

LOS CAMPESINOS!

+ Johnny Foreigner

The Flapper, Birmingham

28/11/14

DON BROCO

+ Lonely The Brave

London, The Black Heart

05/12/14

TONIGHT ALIVE

+ Only Rivals

Cluny 2, Newcastle

WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR,

DON BROCO?

“You should take opportunities when

they come and live for the moment.

Being in a band for a few years

now, we’ve learnt to appreciate the

moments we do have and we’ve gotta

enjoy them while they’re around. Focus

on the positives, take chances and

always move forward.”


LONELY THE BRAVE

“We stand for being honest through

our music. Whether it be about how

we’re feeling personally, or just

generally in life. I’ve always found that

the best type of music is the brutally

honest type.”


SSERPRESS

“We’re not driven by current sound, if

we want to play heavy we play heavy, if

we want to play soft... We do the same.”

12 diymag.com

PREVIEW

LOS CAMPESINOS!

+ JOHNNY

FOREIGNER

BIRMINGHAM, THE FLAPPER

Los Campesinos! mark the halfway point on the Dr.

Martens #STANDFORSOMETHING Tour but have

no fear, it’s not slowing down just yet. Whilst the

likes of Funeral For A Friend, Eagulls and We Are

The Ocean have already trashed venues across the

country, now comes the turn of Birmingham: and it’s going to

be a memorable evening.

“I think, what with the show coming shortly after festival

season, it’ll be a really nice move from big outdoor audiences

to a sweaty, indoor club vibe,” offers the band’s frontman

and ringleader Gareth Campesinos. “They are different sort

of thrills, playing to massive crowds and to intimate, whitesof-your-eyes

style audiences, and if I had to pick, I’d go for

the latter. When you’re practically chest to chest with your

audience, you can form a real connection that’s so much

harder to replicate with a barrier between you.”

Having spent summer playing a handful of festivals -

“we had our first ever visit to Brazil, playing a massive

outdoor gig in Sao Paulo” - the band are still having

fun playing around with their newest songs, from

latest record ‘No Blues’.

“We’ve always been very lucky to have a massively supportive

fanbase, and they always seem to take to new material with a

similar fervour as we have to play it. We’ve five albums in our

arsenal now, so it’s tough to juggle what songs to play live,

but judging by reactions from the audience, we manage it

okay. It’s a year since we recorded the album now, and we’re

all still fond of the songs, no embarrassing regrets, which is a

nice assessment to be able to make!”

It’s been an incredible few months but sadly, all good things

must eventually come to an end. The final show of the

#STANDFORSOMETHING Tour will take place in the tiny confines

of The Cluny 2 this December and it’s set to go off with

quite a bang. That’s right Newcastle, it’s time to leave your

coats at home and venture out to witness Tonight Alive.

“We just got back from the UK and America after doing

possibly the two best tours we’ve ever done,” the band’s

Jenna McDougall says, towards the end of their relentlessly

busy touring schedule. “All Time Low in the UK treated us so

amazingly, and we couldn’t have asked for anything more.

Things are definitely catching on there so it’s always such a

great time when we travel over.

“After that tour we hit the states with Tacking Back Sunday and The

Used which was definitely a tick off the bucket list. Obviously they’re

two bands that we grew up listening to so to be a part of that tour was

a huge honour for us and we had such a great time.”

Even after two massive sets at this year’s Reading & Leeds Festival,

the band can’t quite get their heads around the success they’ve been

treated to on our shores. “The UK has embraced Tonight Alive in a way

I didn’t think possible. It’s mind blowing seeing the growth every time

we come back. We are very lucky!”

Needless to say, they’re already eager to return; with this year’s Dr.

Martens’ #STANDFORSOMETHING show, they’re going to be playing

one of their smallest gigs in a long time and they can’t wait. “Small

shows are our favourite. There’s something so special that happens

when people cram into a room together for the same thing, sharing

sweat and voices. Obviously it’s amazing to play big shows but

sometimes it’s really good to go back to where it all started and feel

that passion again.”

PREVIEW

TONIGHT ALIVE

+ ONLY RIVALS

the cluny 2, newcastle

13

NEWS

FUNERAL FOR A

FRIEND ALBUM DUE

IN JANUARY

Funeral For A Friend have announced

details of their new album, ‘Chapter and

Verse’, due through Distiller Records on

19th January.

“I guess you can say there’s loose

themes and threads working their way

through the record,” vocalist Matthew

Davies-Kreye explains, referencing

both the album’s title and that of lead

track, ‘You’ve Got A Bad Case of The

Religions’.

“I guess that’s what happens when you

write material all together in the same

time frame and mindset. We chose that

particular track pretty much because of

its energy and intensity,” he continues,

“yet it still has the hallmarks of a Funeral

song.”

Recorded in two weeks with Lewis

Johns, ‘Chapter and Verse’ came

together quickly. “It was an absolute

joy to make this record under those

constraints. You had to go with your

gut instinct pretty much all the time

which led to some pretty inspiring

performances.”

“I think the only thing we wanted [when

starting the album] was to have a record

that didn’t feel like it had a billion things

going off all at once. We wanted it to

be two guitars, drums, bass and vocals.

Quite pure really. All we care about

is making a record that makes us feel

connected and gives us a reason for

making music.”

REPORT

FUNERAL FOR A .

FRIEND + GOD DAMN.

EDINBURGH, CABARET VOLTAIRE

here’s an autumn chill in

the air as the Dr. Martens

T #STANDFORSOMETHING Tour

in association with DIY, arrives in

Edinburgh for the first date of the

2014 leg, but that’s not stopping

anyone.

First up, bestowed with the duty of

kicking off proceedings at Cabaret

Voltaire are Forty Four Hours. Having

driven all the way from their native

Manchester, they may be far from

home but a warm welcome still awaits

the trio. In fact, tonight is one of their

first twelve shows - the band are just

nine months old - but their brand of

guitar-driven pop proves promising in

the live environment already.

Next on the bill, God Damn are quick

to show that they’re not messing

around. Having already spent most of

2014 doing the rounds on the festival

circuit, earning a record deal with One

Little Indian in the process, they’ve

developed quite a reputation. Tonight,

despite being hindered by a rogue

microphone stand, they’re brash and

noisy in all the best ways. Packed with

a heaviness that’s both insatiable and a

little bit unhinged, the two-piece know

no limits.

By the time Funeral For A Friend hit

the stage, there’s sweat dripping from

the walls. With the crowd crammed

forward into the tiny venue, a roar goes

up as the five-piece’s first chords roar

out of the PA. The next hour or so sees

them rip through tracks from their last

fourteen years, each with the same

power and energy that they possessed

when they were first aired. Songs like

‘Roses For The Dead’ and ‘She Drove

Me To Daytime Television’ cause chaos

in the crowd, while their newer efforts

sound great in this small space.

It’s not long until the confines of

Cabaret Voltaire start to burst at the

seams: it takes just a few songs for the

barrier to buckle, and - after a crowdwide

chant for fan favourite ‘Juneau’

is answered - it finally collapses with

just one line to go. Halting the show for

a few minutes, it’s a welcome breath

before the quintet plummet headfirst

into ‘Hours’ cut ‘Streetcar’ and begin

the home straight. Final track ‘History’

provides the most spine-tingling

moment of the night though; after

a night of chaos and noise, things

close with the crowd raising their

fingers in salute for its last chorus,

and as the band drop out for the last

few moments, they leave just a sea of

voices and ringing ears.

14 diymag.com

diymag.com

REPORT

EAGULLS + MAZES

CARDIFF, CLWB IFOR BACH

fter a triumphant start to the Dr. Martens

#STANDFORSOMETHING Tour in association with DIY in

A Edinburgh, this week it’s Wales’ turn to get in on the action.

Landing in Cardiff, this evening’s show sees hometown boys Samoans

take to the stage for the first round. Showcasing their impressive breadth

of skills for controlling noise, they’re a massive sounding band; one who

teeter on the edge of fragility and explosiveness with every few notes.

Next up Mazes are effortlessly great, their set a melding pot of krautrock,

scuzzy indie and post-punk which buries its way into the audience’s brains.

Their offerings feel blissful in their jaggedness, not least thanks to set

closer ‘Skulking’ with its satisfying bassline and disruptive vocals. Their set

flies by and before the crowd knows it, it’s time for our headliners.

The screen that covers the back of the stage flickers with the static of an

on-standby television invaded by poltergeists. It moves quickly to images

of marches, riots, black-and-white shots of carnage in the streets. Eagulls

emerge against the stark imagery on the projection clips.

Their set follows as a mix of psychedelic melodies and post-punk

tendencies which twist and turn with frontman George Mitchell’s body, as

he - still shadowy against the ever-moving backdrop - sways to the music

like he’s possessed. His vocals are smooth over the repetitive thud of the

bass and it’s hard not to be mesmerised.

Hitting the halfway mark, their set jolts back to reality with the projection

behind the band quickly transitioning to their recently controversial

video for ‘Hollow Visions’. Riotous tides ripple through the crowd and all

of a sudden mosh pits emerge, with bodies pushing and shoving. The

responsibility of drawing the night to a close is left up to their infamous

nerve-pressing ‘Possessed’ and, just like David Letterman after their live

performance, Cardiff is left in sweat-drenched amazement. DIY

15

NEWS

“i just want

people to

love

Raincoats, Jell-O and dinosaur

Care Bears. Not many artists

would dare broach such

troubling topics, but for Ariel

Pink this is just everyday

chitchat. The offbeat rock and

roller from Beverly Hills is back, and this time

he’s got a new name, a new record and a

new sense of self-worth – all very impressive

considering the difficulties he has had to face

in the last couple of years. “My ex-bandmate,

the person who took out the lawsuit

[on me], I should send him a postcard really,”

he says merrily, “Because everything that’s

happened since then has been great.”

In case you weren’t aware, it’s former

drummer Aaron Sperske who is the exband-mate

in question. Coinciding with the

release of 2011’s ‘Mature Themes’, a lawsuit

was filed due to disagreements over royalties

and songwriting credit. It’s a subject that

Ariel is still quietly exasperated by. “To have

someone claim that they owned you or that

they owned a quarter of you, and to actually,

like, have a court system entertain the claim,

was ludicrous to me because I just didn’t

understand how that could happen.” He

exhales slightly. “It was a waste of a year.” As

a consequence, he realised that some things

had to change. His latest album, ‘pom pom’

sees his official recording name change from

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti to just Ariel

Pink. “I made it very difficult when I started

the project in the 90s, making it out to be

a band... it was always a solo project... it

has always been a solo project.”

Despite the difficulties with his last album,

Ariel is extremely hopeful now. There is so

much excitement that his voice is practically

sizzling – “‘Mature Themes’ I can’t even

listen to because of the memories, [but ‘pom

pom’ is] a total, happy celebration and it’s a

great time,” he beams, “the approach I took

on this record was vastly different from the

approach I took on ‘Mature Themes’ – or

any other records for that matter.” With

the 69-minute runtime and extra-abstract

wordplay, that news comes as no surprise.

me”

Ariel Pink just can’t seem to stay away from

controversy. Words: Dominique Sisley.

“I wanted to make it feel like an event, you

know? Make it hard on everybody to endure.

A little nod and a wink to the double record

that’s gone the way of the dinosaurs.”

And ‘pom pom’ is without doubt a

celebration. Seventeen tracks of eccentric

lo-fi, triumphant rifts and bizarre lyrics

(“it’s all bullshit”) make it one of Ariel’s

most ambitious records yet, with some

tracks shamelessly straying into a more

commercial, radio-friendly territory. Is this

a conscious choice? “The goal is to make

the thing bigger than yourself, to blow up

and hopefully speak a universal language

that people can relate to.” Surprisingly,

when discussing the topic further, he

doesn’t flinch at the words ‘accessibility’ and

‘conventionality’ – quite the opposite, in

fact. “I’m far more conventional now, just by

virtue of the fact that I’ve been somewhat

absorbed into the mainstream,” he explains.

“I’m surprised anybody likes it. I’m surprised

I’m not dragged into the street and beaten

by today’s youth… The world is a lot weirder

and I’m less weird as a consequence. The

world has accepted the weirdness.”

It was a slow and steady acceptance,

however - Ariel has been making music for

26 years and was only discovered and

signed to Animal Collective’s Paw Tracks in

2003. It’s been a long slog, and his growing

16 diymag.com

success now has certainly been earned. “I was a very, very

disturbed child. I came from a broken family,” he remembers.

“[This success is because of] circumstance and conviction and

belief on my part... But I’m not bitter about it. I was planning

on doing it forever, I just didn’t expect the world to come

around.” When talking about where he thinks the music world

is headed next, Ariel places a heavy emphasis on the “kids”

before breaking into a calm rendition of Whitney Houston’s

‘The Greatest Love Of All’ – “I believe that children are our

future, teach them well and let them lead the way.”

“I WANNA BE ABLE TO

SAY ANYTHING I WANT

WITHOUT BEING HELD

ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT.”

What a tit.

Ariel is light-hearted and

chatty, it’s only when the

subject turns to recent

controversies that his tone

drops. The problem is, he’s

almost becoming as known

for his divisive political

statements as he is for his

music. “I can’t help but

be political! I’m politically

incorrect. There’s still an

angry five-year-old in me

to beat his chest and make

a fool of himself,” he says,

sounding a little dejected.

“It’s embarrassing and it’s

humiliating to actually be

on trial, it seems, for who I

am... I wanna be able to say

anything I want without

being held accountable for

it. I honestly just want to

run my mouth, and not have

to apologise for what I say,

because I’m not trying to

say anything that is trying

to make any sense or any

point. I

can’t help

it because

I’ve

invested

so much of

my sense

of self and

identity

into what

I’ve done for so long, that I don’t have

another personality...”

This flash of sadness is actually quite

disarming, but he perks up again

quickly. It’s clear that he’s starting to

learn from his mistakes, and this new

wave of positive thinking is what he’s

set on focusing on. “People like me

are called mentally retarded or they’re

called genius. I don’t know which one

I am,” he states, proudly. “I just want

people to love me. I’m only happy if

other people like me.”

Ariel Pink’s new album ‘pom pom’

will be released on 17th November

via 4AD. DIY

17

NEWS

DIY Presents

Tour 2014 rolls

into Reading

Flyte and Shy Nature take to the road for the DIY Presents

Tour 2014 in association with PledgeMusic. Words & Photos:

Sarah Louise Bennett.

It may be a drizzly October night

but it’s also the second date of the

DIY Presents Tour 2014 - there’s

no time to let the weather put

a dampener on proceedings.

Brighton’s fresh-faced High Tyde

have the task of setting the tone for

the evening, carefree track ‘Karibou’

providing a particularly sunny indie pop

distraction as Reading folk trickle in.

Next up, in their short but oh so

certainly sweet set, Shy Nature prove

to be deceptively named, dropping

a number of humungous, potentially

arena sized choruses amongst sparkling

guitars. Not that there aren’t more

delicate moments too, vocalist Will

Blackaby’s delightful croon providing

another highlight, even if his inbetween

song banter may need a little

work. When performing a track from

their soon to be released ’Birthday Club’

EP, Blackaby corners himself saying,

“It isn’t out yet…you can buy our old

EP which is even better than our new

EP.” Tonight they prove that they’ve set

their own bar mighty high.

There is a genuine squeal of excitement

from the crowd as Flyte squeeze on

to the modest stage and with good

reason. Not only does their brand

of retro inspired pop demand to be

danced to (and dance the Oakford

does), but tonight the melodies that

hold it all together are allowed to

shine and sound utterly ethereal. It’s

probably impossible to not be having

the loveliest of times when this London

four piece is playing in your vicinity.

With bright eyes and the broadest of

grins Flyte look as charmed as their

audience. This remarkably being only

their first proper headline jaunt, it’s

clear that Reading has been treated

to something rather special tonight

indeed. DIY

The DIY Tour 2014 in association

with PledgeMusic culminates with

an all-day event at The Laundry,

London on 1st November, where

Flyte and Shy Nature will be

joined by Jaws, Telegram, Deers,

Spring King, Blessa, Menace

Beach, Blood Knees, Palace

and Wyldest. Tickets are on sale

now, visit

diymag.com/diypresents2014

for details.

18 diymag.com

Dig Me

NEWS

IN BRIEF

Out

One of the most important

bands of their generation,

after an almost decade-long

hiatus Sleater-Kinney are

back with a new album.

Yep, it’s true. Sleater-

Kinney are back.

Early October there

were rumblings of a new

album following a mysterious white

7” appearing in Sub Pop’s discography

box-set release for the band’s ‘Start

Together’, emblazoned with the date

‘1/20/15’. On that was the new track

‘Bury Our Friends’, which you can

watch a lyric video for on diymag.com

featuring director/artist/actress/author

Miranda July.

The aforementioned date marks the US

release of a new album - their first in ten

years, ‘No Cities to Love’, which will drop

in the UK on 19th January. The record is

produced by John Goodmanson, who

worked on ‘Call the Doctor’, ‘One Beat,

Dig Me Out’ and ‘All Hands on the Bad

One’. “We sound possessed on these

songs,” says Carrie Brownstein, “willing

it all - the entire weight of the band

and what it means to us - back into

existence.”

Speaking to NPR about the album,

Brownstein further added that she

“spent a lot of time writing choruses

for this record. Melody is was what I

was most picky about. I really drove

Corin crazy sometimes. We would have

choruses that we would work on for

hours, days, maybe on and off over a

matter of weeks. And we’d think we had

solved it, but then I would listen to it

later on and decide to discard it, that it

wasn’t good enough.”

The band are also set to play North

American and European tours early in

2015, including shows at the London

Roundhouse (23rd March), Manchester

Albert Hall (24th), Glasgow O2 ABC 2

(25th) and Dublin Vicar Street (26th).

Tickets are on sale now. DIY

HOW MENACING

Menace Beach have announced plans

to release their debut album early

next year. The pair’s first work is due to

come out on 18th January via Memphis

Industries. It features previouslyunveiled

tracks ‘Tennis Court’, ‘Fortune

Teller’ and ‘Lowtalkin’’, plus a newly

shared opening track ‘Come On Give

Up’. Listen to it on diymag.com.

GETTING TWIGGY

WITH IT

FKA twigs has announced details

of her biggest show to date. Tahliah

Barnett – who released her debut ‘LP1’

back in May - will perform at London’s

Roundhouse on 19th February, with

tickets on sale now. The show will

follow on from her new conceptual

video piece #throughtheglass. Watch it

on diymag.com now.

GOING DUTCH

Dutch Uncles have announced plans

to release their new album, ‘O Shudder’

on 23rd February via Memphis

Industries. The record was recorded

with Brendan Williams in Wales and

Salford and it features guest spots from

Liverpool band Stealing Sheep.

19

NEWS

turn

of

After four years, The Xcerts return with their most comfortable and accomplished

album yet. Photo: Emma Swann.

the

Tides

The Xcerts challenge YOU to not love their new album. Try if you dare.

20 diymag.com

Sometimes it just doesn’t

matter how prepared

you try to be; life has

a way of telling you it

has other plans. Having spent

almost three years solid on the

road in support of their second

album ‘Scatterbrain’ - a schedule

already longer than they had

anticipated originally - The Xcerts

finally got down to work on its

follow-up. With all of their new

experience and knowledge right

at their fingertips, the trio were

determined to make the best

record of their career thus far.

That, they undoubtedly managed.

It just wasn’t quite the album they

thought they were making…

“I set out to make these lyrics

more relatable than I’ve been in

the past,” Murray admits. “With

‘Scatterbrain’ it’s all masked

in distortion, all the vocals are

distorted and you can’t really

make out what I’m saying on that

album. This time, I just wanted

to write simple, relatable but

very personal lyrics and I’m just

really proud of the words that I’ve

written on this record. I think it’s

quite obvious what the record is

about, but it’s weird because it

wasn’t about the situation that I

found myself in.”

Despite the hardship that Murray

found himself facing towards the

NEWS

IN BRIEF

FOR THE GOOD OF...

HEALTH have announced plans to

return to the UK and Ireland for five

dates, supporting Interpol for their

February European tour. They’ll

play London Roundhouse on 6th

and 7th February before arriving

at Manchester’s Albert Hall on 8th

February, supporting the New Yorkers

who returned to form this year with

their fifth album ‘El Pintor’.

“I wanted to write simple, relatable

but very personal lyrics.” M u r r ay

Macleod

“I know some people thought

it was a break-up record,” offers

frontman Murray Macleod, in the

midst of a conversation about

the band’s third album ‘There Is

Only You’. “But it’s not. It just all

sounds like a break-up.” In actual

fact, their new full-length tells the

story of Murray struggling with

the decisions and mistakes of his

past, before finally realising that

he was ready to spend the rest of

his life with his other half. Unlike

the movies, that wasn’t where the

story was to end.

Halfway through their recording

time, the trio took a short break.

It was then that, in an ultimate

twist of fate, he returned home to

the news that his aforementioned

other half no longer wanted to be

with him. “It was such a turning

point in the recording for us,”

explains bassist Jordan Smith, “in

terms of what we all thought the

record was and what it turned

out to be.”

end of the record, he was adamant

that the closing song should still

channel his original intentions.

Having admittedly made a few

lyrical changes “to make it a bit

more current”, the essence of the

song remains the same, ending

on a much more cathartic note

than reality maybe allowed for. “By

the end of the album, I personally

thought it should be joyous and

I feel like that ending still is,” he

confirms, “but there is a bit of a

twist to it just for me personally.

That’s the nice thing about it now;

when we wrote that last track, and

by the end of the record, I was like,

‘Everyone’s gonna think this is

joyous’ because they know what

the concept of the whole record is.

Now, I feel like people can see it in

both lights, and I like that.”

The Xcerts new album ‘There

Is Only You’ will be released

on 3rd November via Raygun

Music. DIY

BIOPHILIAC

Bjork has revealed that her

forthcoming new album is due out in

2015. Up to now, we’ve heard precious

little detail about the release, which is

set to follow-up 2011’s’ ‘Biophilia’, but

in a recent interview, London-based

producer Arca has confirmed that he’s

working on the record.

LIVE & KICKING

Los Campesinos! have announced

plans for four live shows this

December. The dates, which follow

this month’s #STANDFORSOMETHING

show and are some of their only

headline dates this year, will take

place in Manchester, Leeds, Norwich

and London between 4th and 7th

December.

WON’T DO IT AGAIN

Norwegian DJ duo Röyksopp have

announced plans to release ‘The

Inevitable End’, their final album.

In what will be their last traditional

release on album format, the pair of

Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland

will release twelve-track record on 10th

November.

21

The DIY 2014

Readers Poll

is now

open!

It’s almost the end of the year, so we want to know what you (yes, you!) think has been good, bad

and a bit weird in 2014. Fill in the form opposite, email it to us at readerspoll@diymag.com and

have your say. The closing date for votes is Friday 14th November.

Best Song _________________________________________________________________________

Best Album ________________________________________________________________________

Band of the Year __________________________________________________________________

Breakthrough Band _______________________________________________________________

Best Cover Version _______________________________________________________________

Most WTF Lyric ____________________________________________________________________

Best Comeback ____________________________________________________________________

Best TV Appearance ________________________________________________________________

New Band Most Likely To Be Amazing In 2015 ___________________________________________

Best Video ________________________________________________________________________

Best Live Act ______________________________________________________________________

Best Festival (Or ‘Festival Like Event’) ________________________________________________

SEND YOUR NOMINATIONS TO:

email: readerspoll@diymag.com

post this page to: DIY, Unit 9, The Laundry, 2-18 Warburton Road, London, E8 3FN

tweet: a photo of this page to @diymag

or vote on: diymag.com/readerspoll2014

DIY

22 diymag.com

“It’s A Tough Game,

Making

Hipster Music...”

Deerhoof’s newest record is as

predictably unpredictable as you’d

hope. Interview: Louise Mason.

WHAT’S

COOKING?

MARIACHI

EL BRONX

As The Bronx hand the reigns

over to their alter-ego once

again, Mariachi El Bronx

run through the list of the

ingredients that went into

making ‘III’.

LOCATION

We decided to go to Charlottesville,

VA to a place called Haunted Hollow

which was literally a ranch in the middle

of nowhere, with all these wild metal

statues everywhere, where we lived and

recorded. Vince [Hidalgo] fell through

the ceiling one night, and almost

everyone peed in the woods. True rebel

styles...

Saying that Deerhoof like to

experiment is like dramatically

crying out that the sky is blue.

If there’s one thing the band

have perfected over their last eleven

albums, it’s their penchant for all

things outside of the musical box. Their

twelfth full-length is no different, but

as the band’s Greg Saunier points out,

there were a few changes of plan when

it came to ‘La Isla Bonita’.

“Our intention with this record,” he

begins to explain, “was to make the

most slick record we could. That was

our plan; overproduction, an homage

to Jimmy Jam producing Janet Jackson.

Slick, sheen, avant garde, decadent

music. I was like, ‘We’re quitting this DIY

nonsense, we’ve had enough’.”

Somewhere along the way, their ideas

changed. “We were making rough

demos to send to the producer to make

this slick record,” confirms Saunier, “but

by the end of ten days [in the studio]

we’d come up with this concept we

liked more – of using the demos, the

most rough, trashy thing we’ve ever

done. [It was] the complete opposite,

but it just ended up being the record.”

It’s that sense of unpredictability and

ease of wandering into the unknown

that’s kept each of their records feeling

unique. “Deerhoof records don’t really

progress from one to the next, we just

start over from scratch again. It feels

like every new record is our debut as

whatever band we’re pretending to

be at that moment. It’s not like they’re

not related, but each record is trying to

erase the one the came before it.

“When we set out to do something

on a record, the way it turns out is

something else completely. If I’m

honest it’s a little bit intentional, if I

think about examples in music history

- David Bowie or something - acts that

reinvent themselves, they’re great role

models for us. It’s a tool for longevity,

which is hard to do in a trendy music

world. Our strategy is, if it seems like a

music writer is about to figure out what

we do, we better contradict it as soon

as possible.”

Deerhoof’s new album ‘La Isla

Bonita’ will be released on 3rd

November via Upset The Rhythm.

DIY

JAM ROOM

There is nothing better then letting off

some steam after a long day of tracking.

The studio had a jam space, so Vince

and I started a band called GROOVY

TUESDAYS. We tried to get a gig at a

place called Guzzlers in downtown

Charlottesville and we mostly played

drum and bass versions of Limp Bizkit

jams, but the losers at Guzzlers never

returned our calls. So, we’re still looking

for the perfect venue to unleash our

material. We’ve decided we play only on

Tuesdays as well.

FEEDING TIME

Being so far away from anything that

has food, we were very happy that there

was an amazing kitchen at the ranch.

Turns out Keith [Douglas] is a pretty

good cook. The only bummer was that

once we knew this info he had to cook

for ten people every day. I think he

started to get angry because after a

while everything he made was in the

shape of cocks.

Mariachi El Bronx’s new album ‘(III)’

will be released on 4th November via

ATO / PIAS (Cooperative) Records.

DIY

23

NEU

NEU

Ibeyi

From ancient teachings to modern electronics, these French-Cuban twins

bring a modern pop hybrid. Words: Jamie Milton. Photo: Emma Swann.

24 diymag.com

Sink or Swim

Ibeyi are just as much about the visuals as

they are head-turning tracks. For ‘River’,

the twins can be seen submerging their

head in water, a little like Thom Yorke for

Radiohead’s ‘No Surprises’, only slightly

less disturbing… “People wanted to see

us. And this is perfect. You see only us.

And it’s powerful and it’s simple,” they

explain. “Everybody’s told us that the

hand behind us is quite freaky. It scares

them, the tattoo. It’s two dancers - they

were there to help us. They were helping

us! Without the hand we wouldn’t float.”

Lisa-Kainde and Naomi Diaz

make up Ibeyi, French-Cuban

twins producing music with

XL Recordings head honcho

Richard Russell at the helm.

Earlier this year Russell

helped out on Damon Albarn’s solo debut

‘Everyday Robots’, a project that’s been

a long time coming but was practically

forced into existence. Ibeyi, on the flipside,

come off like something eager to career

into view, the first step of an act that’s only

just beginning to evolve.

The pair’s basics build on the teachings

of the Yoruba culture, which in their own

words believes in “energy”, not necessarily

spirits, “love and life and death”, but not

strictly life after death. Musically, Yoruba

teaches the importance of dance and

percussion, the latter of which their late

father, Anga Diaz, became celebrated for.

It’s not something that strictly runs in the

family, mind you.

“Oh no, I’m bad at percussion!” proclaims

the afro-sporting Lisa-Kainde. “But I

appreciate it so much. When you’re a child

you must have to learn how to dance

with rhythm. It’s one of the most amazing

things.”

Traditional instruments weave their way

into Ibeyi’s music - amounting to a debut

album due out in early

2015 - but the focus is

more on the present day.

Electronics and a hip-hop

influence fall centre stage.

“I listen to hip-hop every

day,” says Naomi, while

her sister sticks to more

old school staples. “Nina

Simone is my goddess,”

she declares.

Before they went into

the studio with Richard,

they didn’t know their

MPC from an MP3 - now,

fancy gadgets are as big

a part of their live show

as the traditional chants

they often open with. It

forms a pop hybrid that

comes off as a new strand.

Everything’s kept very

simple - the piano-led

melodies, beats that crash into view - but

it’s this mix of old teachings and oh-so-2014

production that finds a winner. “We always

say that working with Richard makes us

listen to music differently. Now we listen to

every single detail, like a producer would,”

says Lisa-Kainde. “We knew that this was

the right thing to do, and we were not

afraid to do it.”

Sessions for the album would see them

working with the producer from 9am until

midday for consecutive weeks. Often

they’d be handed an alien-looking gadget

or a set of sounds to play with, before

being left to their own devices. “Basically

Richard used to say to us everyday, ‘Try this

sound and see what you think.’ We felt like

we were producing our own album, which

was not totally true. But he was guiding us

without saying ‘I can do it for you.’”

“We knew that

this was the right

thing to do, and

we were not afraid

to do it.”

Kainde Diaz

Lisa-

“Sometimes he’d say, ‘Hmm, we need to

make a bridge’,” Lisa-Kainde continues.

“And it changes the whole song. And this is

magical. When you find the little element

that makes the song and you listen to it for

the first time and you feel your whole body

go, ‘This is it!’”

Each of their songs so far feels like a eureka

moment in itself. Debut ‘Oya’ lurked in dark

corners, asking for refuge in the Goddess

of Death of the same name. ‘Mama Says’ is

even more touching, appearing to directly

address the death of the twins’ father.

“There is no life without him,” they sing,

but beyond the broken beats and sorry

cries there’s an underlying message of

hope - Ibeyi are continuing the family’s

musical legacy. “I feel like our father is

looking over us,” Lisa-Kainde claims at one

stage. And if there’s one defining quality to

Ibeyi’s music, it’s this steadfast, untarnished

belief in what they’re doing. DIY

25

NEU

Black

Honey

Demob

Happy

Hot on the tail of 2014’s blues rock breakthroughs,

Demob Happy are readying a 2015 dominance with

their new single.

It breaks down the hatches, storms through the door and makes itself at home in an

instant - Demob Happy’s music is both the product of heavyweight rock staples and a

resurgent assault on the senses in 2014, led by chart-toppers Royal Blood. These guys

stem from the same Brighton home, too, and it’s not foolish to declare that 2015 could be

Demob’s turn at thrashing their way towards the top.

First thing’s first: New single ‘Succubus’, an all-thrills take on blues that checks in to Josh

Homme’s darkest thoughts and Superfood’s sarky choruses. Hailing from Newcastle,

these Geordies relocated to Brighton a couple of years back, but it took another trip to

Wales in order to get their creative juices flowing. Hitching up to an isolated cottage, five

of them spent “next to nothing to rent the place and we begged, borrowed and stole all

the equipment,” remembers lead vocalist / bassist Matthew Marcantonio. Together with

producer Christoph Skirl, they recorded an EP’s worth of material, with ‘Succubus’ arriving at

the end of a sleepless, often boozy session. “We had spare time. It was in a really unfinished

form, and we had this really basic idea and a chorus melody. We worked that song up from

zero to what became a hero in like four hours, I think.”

A couple of triumphant moments later (“There was a momentous occasion where we found

five year old coconut rum in a little cupboard,” Matt remembers) Demob Happy drove the

long journey home with a forthright, dagger-sharp EP under their belts. Couple ‘Succubus’

with the downright disgusting ‘Suffer You’ and 2015’s anxiously peering round to see a

devilish new band heading its way.

Demob Happy’s new single ‘Succubus’/’I Wanna Be A Hippy’ will be released on 17th

November via Milk Parlour Records. DIY

This text-happy Brighton

bunch can taste the future.

About Black Honey: They’re

dosed up on ‘90s staples,

taking notes from Wolf Alice’s

recent heady ascent. They’ve

made it three out of three in

the ‘promising demo stakes’.

They’re remaining

anonymous, but anyone

remotely intrigued can

text them for a cheeky chat

(07578 533359). DIY’s own

Kyle MacNeill gave them a

buzz (see an excerpt of his

conversation below).

As for the music, their third

track ‘The Taste’ takes the

strung out, woozy quality

of ‘Teenager’ and ‘Sleep

Forever’ and aims for the

skies. Early-Howling Bells

comparisons ensue, but there

remains a distinct sense of

intrigue backing this partsleazy

take on impassioned

grunge.

Listen: ‘The Taste’.

For Fans Of: TV static,

seedy WhatsApp

conversations.

17:58 Kyle MacNeill: What’s

your first name?

17:59 Black Honey: Full

name - engelbert game

station the third.

17:59 Black Honey: Wanna

fuck?

18:00 Kyle MacNeill:

Engelberts aren’t my type

sorry about that.

18:15 Kyle MacNeill: Are

there more quality demos on

the way soon?

18:16 Black Honey: Yeh no

shit Sherlock! We have a bank

that we have had for a while

there’s a lot to look forward

too [sic].

26 diymag.com

NEU RECOMMENDED

Schultz and Forever

On Copenhagen newcomer Schultz and Forever’s early tracks, it sounds like he’s picking out snapshots from every hangover

he’s ever experienced. All coupled with the odd fragment of the night before. Queasy stomachs best avoid this - but for anyone

remotely invested in the weirdo pop of Ariel Pink and his oddball ancestors, here’s a Dane worth taking notice of. Recent single

‘Silvia’ is Jonathan Schultz’s woozy daydream anthem. After flirting with self-indulgence, it breaks into the kind of nostalgia-laced

chorus that’s been sapped straight out of a handheld radio set from the 60s.

LISTEN Debut EP ‘Broadcast Dynamics’ is out now.

FOR FANS OF Connan Mockasin, listening to Foxygen backwards.

Sylas

GL

ENO KNOWS: THIS CHORAL, ELECTRONIC LONDON DUO

COME READILY-APPROVED.

Sylas is a new London via Frankfurt production duo stepping

straight out of the shadows with their luscious debut

‘Hollow’. Released with the approval of Brian Eno (the

legendary producer met Sylas at a local singing group), their

first 12” dives straight into the dark, bubbling up quality

permanently etched into Darkside’s ‘Psychic’. Standout ‘Shore’

trickles by with all the intent of someone gradually awakening

on a lazy weekend morning. It’s a sweet, intimate song that

wraps tales about family, love and tragedy in the warmest tones.

Listen A debut 12” is out 24th November on Aesop.

For Fans Of An ether-effect James Blake.

SYDNEY-BASED SYNTH POP FOR THE MORE

ROMANTICALLY-INCLINED.

GL’s take on a bubbling-up sound - never short of chancing

musicians having their go at woozy synth pop - involves a slick,

perfectly executed take on ‘80s-indebted romance. Graeme

Pogson and Ella Thompson provide a sparkling synth wash,

which sits somewhere between Chairlift and Washed Out. A

chilled out aesthetic defines their debut EP - it harks back, and

Thompson’s vocals are similarly struck by the past. Halcyon

days are long gone, she’s admitting, but there’s an alternate

escape in giddy songwriting.

LISTEN GL’s debut EP is out now on Plastic World.

FOR FANS OF TOPS, 80S DISCOS.

27

NEU

Tobias Jesso Jr.: always prone to a bit of soul searching.

Tobias

Jesso Jr.

There’s no mystery to this Vancouver via Los Angeles

songwriter - in fact, his bread-baking, music-making

routine couldn’t be any more direct. words: jamie milton.

U

sually when a musician turns heads without showing

their face, there’s a reason. They’re taking their

time, executing step one of a grand plan, matching

mysterious music with an equally enigmatic aura. When

it comes to Tobias Jesso Jr., this now Los Angeles-based

newcomer is the very definition of direct. “I like to cut to the

point a lot. In life and in song,” says the Canadian in one of his

first ever interviews. He’s the opposite of an enigma.

Instead of hiding under a comfy reverb blanket or opting to

lay out musical clues as part of an online treasure hunt, Tobias

sings songs about real stories, real people. “I have songs that

are about what it would be like to be a performer at sixty. I

have songs about an artist struggling in situations that I might

not have been in,” he lists off. Whatever he’s writing, there’s

a nagging familiarity. A track like ‘True Love’ could’ve been

lifted straight from a series of lost recordings from the sixties,

slightly detuned vocals dancing with simple piano lines.

Debut ‘Just a Dream’ opens with the line “yesterday, I had a

baby - now she is one day old, and looks just like her old lady.”

And off he runs with this distinct tale of his, stories etching

into the conscience.

It sounds like a tired cliché stripped of fact, but Tobias Jesso Jr.

comes off like so many existing songwriters at once, without

provoking any direct comparison. John Lennon’s been cited

a few times, but it’s fairly wide of the mark. He isn’t trained

in piano - sheet music “doesn’t make any sense to me at all”

- and his first big break came after struggling as a “bassist in

a back-up band for a pop singer that no-one’s ever heard of.”

When Girls broke up, he had producer Chet ‘JR’ White’s email

on file, and fired over a quick message: “‘Sorry to hear about

the band. I’m a big fan of your production.’” Attached were a

couple of songs, including ‘Just a Dream’. “After that, just two

hours after, he wrote back and said: ‘Please call this number’.

He asked if I had any more songs, I only had the four. He asked

me to write more and from that point on I was playing piano

about twelve hours a day. He called me and was like, ‘Just

stop’ by the time I had forty-five,” he laughs.

Two years on and there’s an album on the way. “I think

I’ve spent a lot of time trying to get comfortable with the

fact I have to sing in public,” he admits, but his first shows

take place in tiny Airbnb rooms, booked out in London

28 diymag.com

and housing just thirty

guests per night. These are

intimate, homely affairs to

warm him up for the real

deal. “I need to find a good

sourdough starter,” he says,

deadly serious. “Then I’m

going to bake up some

bread and everyone’s going

to have some. The bread is

a good back-up. It’ll be like,

‘This guy doesn’t look like

he’s enjoying the song. Take

his bread away.’”

“You’re a wizard, Jack”

“No I’m not, I’m just Jack!”

LIVE

R E P O R T

“I LIKE

TO CUT TO

THE POINT

A LOT. IN

LIFE AND

IN SONG.”

TOBIAS

JESSO JR.

Tobias Jesso Jr. completely

defies the idea of hearton-sleeve

songwriters

being reclusive, or elusive

artists being tight-lipped.

He’s a completely different

prospect to an Elliott Smith

or a Keaton Henson. “When

I was in Vancouver I worked

for my friend, he owns

a moving company,” he

remembers. “This friend was

the first person who I got to

see the reaction of when I

showed him the song that

I was proud of at the time.

He just said, ‘This song is

complete garbage.’ He did

not like it one bit.

“It’s a strange thing to have

two separate lives going on.

One is in LA, with a team and

friends who know about my

music. And then Vancouver,

with the people I grew up

with and never really shined

for them at all. I was kind

of a rusty boot.” Given a

little shine, this previous

unknown is just a few steps

away from being universally

loved. Expect him to take the

direct route. DIY

JACK

GARRATT

London, The Basement

“I

was gonna walk off for the encore, but I just wanna keep looking at you guys,”

chokes crooner Jack Garratt, through a tangle of russety facial fluff. “I hope you had

a good time tonight,” he continues, to deafening applause, the loudest hollers from

the back of the room belonging to his mum and dad, sporting their son’s merch

proudly. “Then my work is done,” he grins, before taking one last plunge into his ocean-deep

pop-soul repertoire with the pulsating ‘Worry’, his deep, rasping utterances peeling away to

reveal that remarkable falsetto again - at once quivering and completely controlled.

It wasn’t the easiest of journeys to this point of rapture for Jack tonight, though. Stooping over

keys - he handles all the other instrumentation on his own, too - for browbeaten torch-song

opener ‘I Couldn’t Want You Anyway’, Jack cuts an imposing, if a little shaky figure. He’s slicked

with sweat and wailing, “don’t need reminding I’m your worst mistake” over a soaring wash of

garbled atmospherics and synths which sear and sting like love turned sour.

Plenty of beats flutter in and out of time tonight, but that’s part and parcel of being a one-manband;

especially one which has played only a handful rooms as bustling and tropically sticky

as the London Edition’s swanky basement. He’s plagued by technical issues, too: “I literally

don’t know what I can do because I don’t know what it is that’s broken,” he groans, strapping

on his guitar for ‘Water’. It’s safe to say no-one else is perturbed. Picked notes flutter like bees’

wings, flanged basslines wob-wob like sweltering jelly, and the audience writhe along with

Jack’s lyrical hooks - screwed-up and raked-out like scorched coals, burning with desire and

subsequent rejection. (Dan Carson)

Photo: Carolina Faruolo

29

NEU

deers

Stars of the DIY London all-dayer,

Madrid’s Deers are bringing broken

kazoos and unlimited enthusiasm to the

UK. No praying rituals, though.

Words: El Hunt.

There are few experiences

in life quite like watching

Deers on stage. A

hurricane of raucous

tinny melodies, and

yowled, somewhat improvised

vocals, wherever Deers land, things

invariably turn a little loco. It’s been

a busy summer for the Madridbased

band, and along the way

Deers tragically lost a kazoo to the

unpredictable ways of the road,

and doubled in size to become a

four-piece.

Founding member Carlotta Cosials

and new recruit Ade Martin are

enjoying a pit stop in Madrid, and

they’re delighted with how things

are going as a quartet. “It was

impossible before, to play as a two,”

laughs Carlotta, who formed the

band with Ana Perrote. “We had

this thing we created with parts of

drums, so when I was playing guitar

I was pushing with my feet at the

same time,” she says, giving a quick

demonstration. “It made no sense.

We want to be a band, and to be four

pilares.” “Columns,” translates Ade.

They’re not a particularly high

maintenance bunch, Deers. “We

don’t need no violins or gospel

choir in the production,” states

Carlotta, “and we don’t have these

kind of superstition things, we don’t

pray.” Apparently the band have a

ritual of slapping each other on the

arms before going on stage – the

reasoning behind this is unclear –

and other than that, Carlotta says

all that she demands is “her lucky

knickers. That’s it. Enough.” ”Then

she’s got the luck with her,” Ade

adds.

Whether they’re losing kazoos at

Bestival – “[Carlotta] swallowed

it! Not the whole thing but a little

bit,” explains Ade - or plotting

their dream video, which would

apparently feature an oven capable

of producing unlimited pasta, the

band always seem to be loving every

minute of being Deers. “We’re not,”

jokes Ade, “we’re crying inside.”

They’re excited about finally having

enough time to record their debut

album once they get off tour, with

sessions planned for April, and

Deers are also incredibly excited

about what they’ve dubbed the

“DIY party” – our all-dayer on 1st of

November.

“It’s the first time we are going to be

elegant!” announces Carlotta, with

an air of extravagance. “We’re going

to wear all in black, right? Shoes, not

sneakers. We are very excited about

that.” Deers are also planning to play

some new material for the first time,

they reveal. “We are going back with

three new songs,” says Carlotta.

“We’re very very proud, going back

with something new.”

Deers play the DIY Presents in

association with PledgeMusic

all-dayer at The Laundry, London

on 1st November. Their new single

‘BARN’ will be released on 3rd

November via Lucky Number. DIY

30 diymag.com

Neu takes a look at the record labels responsible for breakthrough releases, big or small.

LITTLE

LABEL

CONSTELLATION

THIS MONTH IN

EPS

There’s enough last-minute releases to feast on this month,

whether it’s in the form of a head-turning taster or a debut to

rule them all. As talk turns to 2015, here’s a rundown of the

best EPs to look out for this month.

FOUNDED: 1997

KEY RELEASES: Ought, ‘More Than Any

Other Day (2014), Godspeed You! Black

Emperor, ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!’

(2013).

Constellation Records has overseen every technological

change and possible obstacle for a label to run into, since

its emergence. But instead of fading out or settling into

a rhythm, its past two years have arguably been its most

successful, with a Polaris Prize winner amongst its recent

discography. A new Ought EP (‘Once More With Feeling…’)

is round the corner, so they’re not done with 2014 just yet.

Answers from co-founder Don Wilke, who formed the label

with Ian Ilavsky.

You’ve been going since 1997 - if you were to start the

label from scratch tomorrow, what’s the first thing you’d

do?

Stockpile canned goods.

If you could pick out one moment from your history as a

highlight, what would it be?

Staring down and surviving oblivion in 2006. After liquidating

our nest egg to acquire [with Hotel2Tango and Grey Market

Mastering] the building in which we all currently work, our

longtime distributors went down, the record business was in

free fall, costs were rising and prices falling, and Canada had

transitioned to a petro-currency, slicing 1/3 from the value of

every record we sold outside of Canada (which is about 95%

of them). Not the best of times, but climbing out of the hole to

fight another day was pretty goddamn satisfying.

When you’re looking for new music, do you have any strict

criteria?

We have no musical criteria per se, other than we need to care

about, and be excited by, a record or a batch of songs. Just

as important though are the people making the music. If the

fit between an artist and the label isn’t there, it’s unlikely to

be a very fulfilling relationship for any of us and we will pass

irrespective of whether we like the music. DIY

BEA

Good Thinking

Stirring, strange Amsterdam artist BEA has spent the summer

warming up to her debut release ‘Good Thinking’. Out now,

it contains the ghostly pop of ‘Breadwinner’, plus the dogefriendly

(for evidence, just watch the video) ‘We’re Like the

Hard Born’. Nothing about this first work is remotely normal.

Oceaán

The Grip

Oliver Cean’s second EP cements the

Manchester producer as more than a safe bet

follow-up to the James Blake / Jai Paul pack.

‘The Grip’ - out 17th November on Chess Club - brings this

youngster’s production to the forefront. His voice remains a

source of strange wonder, but he’s come on leaps and bounds

already in making eerie electronics his own, distinct game.

DNKL

Wolfhour

Swedish electronic pop with the darkest core,

DNKL is a curious trio of gloomy-minded

musicians making music that treads familiar

ground without going too far into the unknown. Debut EP

‘Wolfhour’ is misty-eyed and more-than-promising. It’s out

17th November on US label Sugarcane Recordings, backed by

remixes from Keep Shelly in Athens and Seekae.

31

hoW to break

meric

2014 has been a big year for Brits abroad. From Sam Smith and Disclosure

to Royal Blood and Arctic Monkeys, UK acts have been making dents on

the other side of the pond. Few have made a bigger impact than Bastille,

who rolled their epic 2013 into an all out assault on the USA. We joined

them in Boston on their biggest North American tour yet to find out

how to make it to the top stateside.

Words: Stephen Ackroyd. Interview: Louise Mason.

Photos: Mike Massaro.

32 diymag.com

33

cover

merica started really badly. Our first ever show was at

Popscene in San Francisco, loads of UK bands do their first

shows there. The night before we’d played Benicàssim [in

Spain] and I’d lost my voice completely. For the last four

songs I had to hold the mic out to the crowd and hope they

knew the words, luckily they did. We got to San Francisco,

I had no voice - I couldn’t talk, couldn’t sing… our label

were there, first time we met the team - everyone

expecting everything. This quack doctor came along

with a Starbucks bag full of drugs. He gave me a

steroid injection in my bum, my left bum cheek. I

was like, ‘Dude it’s my throat!’ My whole leg went

into spasm, so not only couldn’t I sing, I couldn’t

walk. I just saw my manager’s face drop from

the side of the stage, it was like - welcome to

America guys…”

Dan Smith’s first experience sounds straight out of a perverse black comedy, but from an unsteady start

there’s no doubt - Bastille have broken America. They’re not the only ones, either. It’s been a great few

years for UK acts stateside. From Adele’s universal domination to Sam Smith’s Billboard-topping antics,

Arctic Monkeys converting their domestic form to the world stage and Disclosure becoming the poster

boys for electronic music there as well as here - the British aren’t just coming, they’ve set up shop.

Established home grown acts like Calvin Harris are the de facto touch points for EDM, idiosyncratic oddballs

Alt-J have found their fair share of love, Charli XCX is playing it fancy and ruling the airwaves while Royal Blood

smash them into tiny pieces, hanging out with rock’s ruling elders. And that’s without One Direction, Coldplay or

Radiohead - all able to legitimately make claims in one way or another as The Biggest Band In The World. It makes

it sound so easy. Spoiler alert: it really isn’t - but maybe it’s getting easier than it once was.

So the story had it: the biggest bands in the UK could roll up in America, used to huge tour buses, sold out enormo-domes

and endless magazines covers, only to find they’re right back where they started. Relative nobodies

forced to start from scratch, but this time in a country so massive it makes old Blighty look positively minuscule

in comparison. It’s no wonder the poor blighters would find themselves slinking back home to their creature

comforts with their tails firmly between their legs.

Some of our most revered acts have failed to make the same impact Stateside; not exactly unheard of, but not the

larger than life superstars they are back home. At the height of their powers, the US wasn’t that interested in the

fundamentally British Blur, sending them back home with battle wounds to lick clean. Later they’d make amends,

even inviting them to headline Coachella in 2013, but to a certain audience they’ll always be ‘the band with the

woo-hoo song’. For every Spice Girls, there’s a Girls Aloud, Busted or Take That - a chart dominating pop sensation

who remained chained firmly to the UK.

There’s one thing that can’t be denied, though. The world is getting smaller. Not physically smaller of course,

but technology has made communication instant. A band can release a song in one place, and find it’s blown up

worldwide. Especially if it’s the kind of immediate, anthemic super hit that sticks in the brain for months. Y’know,

like ‘Pompeii’.

34 diymag.com

35

We’ve never

s e t o u r

expectations

h i g h . W e

didn’t imagine

getting out of

t h e U K

or Europe.”

Dan Smith

“As we were doing stuff in the UK,

things were trickling through over

the internet,” Bastille’s Kyle Simmons

explains. “When we came here we

expected to be driving across America

in a tiny little van, but we seemed to

have skipped a level, which we really felt

weird about. In the UK we were used to

playing pubs to no one, when we came

to the States, we felt we’d established

the big first step via the net.”

“The album came out loads later in

America,” Dan recalls, “but obviously

if it’s online anyone can have it. When

we first started in the UK it went from a

‘borrowing a friend’s mum’s car to tour’

level, through to releasing songs on

Hype Machine. Because we’d built up

such a strong fan base ourselves in the

UK, we came to the USA as a band with

a Number One album.”

To suggest that every band - even

those who make an impact in America

- needs to have a ‘Pompeii’ would be

somewhat demanding. This is a monster

hit which peaked at Number Five in

the Billboard Hot 100, and even at the

time of writing, more than a year after

its first appearance sits just outside

the Top 40. It’s a triple platinum track,

with sales of almost four million and a

video with more than 100 million views

on YouTube. The logic holds whatever,

though. We live in an international

world. The internet doesn’t have

boundaries - and those it has are

easily circumnavigated with a bit of

technological jiggery pokery. If a song is

out there, it’s out there, and with word

of mouth through social networks, an

act can almost be huge everywhere just

as much as it can anywhere. Trying to

put the internet into territorial boxes

simply doesn’t work.

So a great song and the right buzz

online can open doors that previously

would remain locked. As a country,

we’ve always punched above our size.

From The Beatles and The Rolling

Stones through to today’s heroes,

for such a small country our musical

output, pound for pound, is a match

for that of any other. If great music is

the leveller, that’s where UK acts find

themselves holding all the keys.

It’s those open doors that have

led Bastille to their current North

American jaunt. A couple of days

ago the band played a two night

stand at New York’s Radio City to a

combined audience of around 12,000

people. Tomorrow they’ll head to

Canada for shows in Toronto and

Montreal before returning to play a

month’s worth of sizeable shows around

the US. Tonight is Boston’s Agganis

Arena. The Killers, Arctic Monkeys

and Queens of the Stone Age have all

graced the 7,200 capacity venue in

recent years. For comparison, London’s

Brixton Academy - seen by many as a

sign of ‘making it’ in the UK - is a touch

under 5,000.

Stateside, their album ‘Bad Blood’ has

shifted over a million units. While just

how huge the band became back home

was, to some, a surprise, their ability to

translate it to the global stage shows

it was no happy accident. ‘Pompeii’

opened up a path to success, but it took

hard graft to reach the promised land.

“Radio is king here,” Kyle insists. In a

country this large, getting people to

hear a band’s music is vital. A show can

be hundreds of miles away from home

for some. The airwaves make a huge

difference.

“It’s a totally different beast,” Dan

continues. “In the UK we were so lucky

to have the support of Radio 1 and XFM.

Here it’s so vast, it’s state by state. You

need to establish relationships with all

those people. Not that it’s not fun, but

it’s really hard work. Multiple stations,

multiple states.

“We were lucky. We had ‘Pompeii’, but

that had a life of its own before we got

here, so we were able to come in with a

36 diymag.com

song they liked, and build from there.”

Still, if there’s one moment that’s

always going to stand out on a band’s

check list, it’s Saturday Night Live. The

iconic US programme has one band

an episode. Because of that, to take

that slot still means something. A slot

on a major network show is a big deal

in anyone’s book, but SNL is iconic.

In pop culture terms, it’s something

that remains influential - talked about,

shared, watched online. When there’s

a new Arcade Fire, Kanye West or

Justin Timberlake album, you can be

sure they’ll show up there. And so did

Bastille, because that’s how they roll

now.

“I think Saturday Night Live is pivotal,”

Dan agrees. “It’s unique, you have to

commit a week to it, with rehearsals and

stuff. They invite you all, say goodbye

- they really make you feel like you’re

part of it. I think people really look

to it in a tastemaker way - they have

huge pop acts - we were sandwiched

between Lady Gaga and Kings Of Leon

or something. It was a huge deal for us.

It can be the thing that tips things. Sam

Smith had it really early.”

But the US commitment to music

on telly doesn’t end there. “There’s

loads more late night TV shows,” he

continues. “Music on TV is much more

prevalent. That’s brilliant, that’s why

you see loads of UK bands on TV here.

It’s terrible back home. There’s Jools,

and if they don’t choose to back you,

there’s not really much else.”

Some bands, mentioning

no names (*cough* Arctic

Monkeys *cough* - Ed), head

over to America, get a taste

for the LA life, and decide to stay - but

for all their arena sell-outs and chart

busting singles, at the heart of it Bastille

are still a British band.

“We all massively identify with London

and the UK,” Dan admits. “Whenever we

have time off we go home.”

“We just had two weeks off,” Kyle adds.

“They asked where we wanna record

- we can go to America or anywhere

- and we’re like, Elephant and Castle!

Straight away. That’s where our heads

are.”

“I’d love California but the idea of

driving forty minutes to get milk puts

me off,” jokes Will Farquarson.

Yet Bastille visually don’t always come

across as a British band. Smith’s love of

David Lynch is well documented, but

don’t read too much into that. “I never

really felt a South London aesthetic

would fit our music,” he explains. “I was

more thinking about the films I love.

We did two or three trips to America

before we toured that leant towards

developing our aesthetic. There’s

a degree of our music that’s really

personal, but also a lot of fantasy and

fiction that feeds throughout the videos

and art.”

If there’s one thing you could take from

Bastille’s first DIY cover in March of

last year, it’s that they’re humble sorts.

Back then, Dan Smith sounded like a

man who, if he had the choice, would

probably rather not be thrust into the

limelight at all. What followed was a

whirlwind of Number One albums,

sold out shows and general mayhem.

In American culture, that would be

celebrated - and rightly so - but Bastille

have remained down to earth. There’s

no lording their success, no falling out

of clubs at 3am or tabloid gossip. In

typical style, they’re always eager to

play it down.

“I never thought about it,” Kyle muses,

“until we were at a conference and this

artist kept referring to themselves in

the third person - like someone being

sycophantic about something they liked

- but it was themselves!”

“What we’ve come to understand is

that, for Americans, if you’ve achieved

something it’s not arrogant or

embarrassing to talk about it. I’m the

opposite,” Dan laughs. “We never talk

about success. Until recently a lot of our

friends were so patronising. ’How was

America? Did you play to empty rooms?’

And we were like, ‘Actually we sold four

million singles’, through gritted teeth.

“But it’s not how we are, to blow our

own trumpet. With Americans, it’s

just a pride in what you’ve achieved.

But people find it odd, that we’re not

tooting our own horn.”

“We’ve never had time to sit back

and reflect,” drummer Woody agrees.

“We’ve been in a bubble. Happy and

content.”

“The only thing with our career,” Dan

continues, “is we’ve never set our

expectations high. We didn’t imagine

getting out of the UK or Europe.

America’s very genre driven. Very

formatted. Radio here’s amazing: us

alongside Nirvana, Arctic Monkeys,

Lorde, to much heavier rock. We exist

quite well in the alternative sphere

here. If you have a song that crosses

over into the mainstream - the UK

press [#notallukpress - Ed] would be

like, ‘Urgh, it’s gone mainstream’ and

back away. Whereas here they dig their

claws in; ‘No, you’re ours, we don’t

care if they’re gonna play you on pop

stations, we don’t care if that song is

gonna blow up and be massive, you’re

ours, we got you from the beginning’,

and they hold on to you. Hopefully

we’ll have that for a while. It’s just a

really nice mentality, a way of thinking.

They’re more welcoming of success.

“If ‘Pompeii’ was a weird fluke, that’s

way beyond anything we expected.

If this is the biggest or best it ever is,

we’ve a had a fucking weird time. Weird

but fun. The last two years have blown

our expectations out of the water.”

space

jam

“We were passing through and we got

a message from this guy who works at

NASA, who designs parachutes for the

landing shuttles. He said, ‘I’m a huge

fan, would like you to come along and

I’ll show you round’. We were like, ‘Yes

please, that’s insane’. We spent the

day with these geniuses - it was like,

‘You’re cooler’. ‘No, you’re cooler!’

“But NASA can’t advertise, because

they’re a government agency, so they

were asking us to help boost their

visitors! Crazy.

“We were invited to the launch of

Orion 3, the first manned flight in

three years. It will go to Mars one day.”

37

cover

the

rise & rise

of Bastille

March 2013

• First DIY cover.

• ‘Pompeii’ reaches Number Two in the

UK Singles Chart, beaten only by Justin

Timberlake’s ‘Mirrors’.

• Release ‘Bad Blood’, which goes to Number

One in the UK.

• Play SXSW: “The week we played SXSW

literally the day after our album went

to Number One. It was just six of us, we

couldn’t get cabs, it was back to square one.

We were forced to get a lift with a drunk

stoned red neck with a smashed windscreen.

It was how most horror films start. His way of

saying goodbye was to do a burnout in a car

park - that was our welcome to America.”

Kyle Simmons

• Two sold out headline shows at Shepherd’s

Bush Empire.

May 2013

• Support Muse across the UK, including two

dates at the Emirates Stadium.

June 2013

• Play the John Peel stage at Glastonbury.

July 2013

• US headline shows: play both San

Francisco, and the 3-400 capacity

Troubadour in West Hollywood.

August 2013

• Perform at Reading & Leeds Festival,

including a secret set on the BBC

Introducing Stage.

September 2013

• Play another US headline tour, including

the 550 capacity Music Hall of Williamsburg

in New York.

• Perform ‘Pompeii’ on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

October 2013

• UK headline tour, including the nearly 5000

capacity O2 Academy Brixton.

December 2013

• Christmas shows in the US, including the

KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas alongside

Arcade Fire, Lorde and Phoenix.

• Release reissue of ‘Bad Blood’, ‘All This Bad

Blood’ with new original songs (Just in time

for Christmas! - Ed).

January 2014

• US shows, including a date at the 1500

capacity Webster Hall in New York.

• Saturday Night Live TV performance,

alongside guests Leonardo DiCaprio,

Jonah Hill and Michael Cera: “We were in

the dressing room next to Jonah Hill who

kept popping in in all his different outfits,

chatting to Leonardo

DiCaprio and we were

like, ‘What the hell is

going on? What is this?!

Why are we here?!’” Dan

Smith

February 2014

• Win Best Newcomer at

the BRIT Awards.

• UK headline tour,

including a date at the

7500 capacity Alexandra

Palace, supported by

Angel Haze.

March 2014

• ‘Pompeii’ peaks at

Number Five in the Billboard Hot 100.

April 2014

• Begin US tour, including a date at the 2300

capacity Warfield in San Francisco.

• Play Coachella, hang out with Haim and

decide to work on a song together.

May 2014

• Play more US tour dates, including the

3000 capacity House of Blues in Florida.

Visit NASA.

September 2014

• Second performance on Jimmy Kimmel -

this time on outdoor stage.

• Play a few US festivals, including

IHeartRadio Music Festival with One

Direction, Iggy Azalea, Lorde and Ariana

Grande.

October 2014

• Put finishing touches to new EP ‘VS’,

featuring Haim, Angel Haze and Lizzo.

• Begin current US tour, including two nights

at the 6000 capacity Radio City in New

York: “This tour is ridiculous. 6-7000 people

every night, and everyone knows the words.

Except Will, he struggles. I just see him

mumbling along. And the album’s already

there behind it - it’s not that people just

know the singles, they know the album, its

good to know it’s already been accepted.”

Dan Smith

• Nominated for two American Music

Awards, New Artist of

the Year alongside

Sam Smith and Iggy

Azalea, and Favourite

Alternative Rock

Artist alongside

Imagine Dragons

and Lorde.

38 diymag.com

““We came to

the USA as a

band with a

Number One

album.”

THINGS

THAT SOME

FANS SAID

As the arena quickly filled with fans,

DIY accosted a few to find out who

they were, where they’re from - and

what they think of Bastille.

Dan Smith

“Where the fuck did I leave my phone?! Could be anywhere.”

Julia & Kayla, Boston

Favourite Song? ‘Flaws’.

Anything you want to say to the

band? Tell them we love them and and

if they want to hang out they should call

us. We wanna hang out with them.

Euan, Salvador

What’s your favourite song? ‘Pompeii’.

Are you looking forward hearing any

new material? No. I like the old songs.

Aliya, Sammy & Caroline,

Boston

What are your favourite songs?

‘Flaws’, ‘Haunt’, ‘Weight of Living’.

Have you seen them before?

No.

Are you excited? Yes! We’re so

excited for the show and hearing

new stuff. We’re pumped!

39

cover

Transatlantic

Broadcast

K bands often have to look

overseas for their big break,

Uespecially if they’re achieving

this through television sets. Over

here, we’ve one flagship music show

in Later… With Jools Holland. Despite

being a staple and host to debuts from

Adele, Laura Marling and more recently

Kwabs, there are seven episodes

per series, two series a year. That’s a

quarter of a year reserved for budding

newcomers hoping to strike gold on

the screen.

Risks have to be taken elsewhere, then.

The US boasts Letterman, Kimmel,

Conan, Fallon, Seth Meyers, right up to

a daytime host like Ellen DeGeneres.

These shows host one music guest

per show every night and day of the

week - coupled with SNL, that makes for

countless more slots to fill.

Just this year, Eagulls forced themselves

into the consciousness on Letterman,

Temples found an unlikely fan in

Ellen and Glass Animals made their

worldwide debut on Seth Meyers. With

Sam Smith, he became the first artist

to arrive on SNL pre-debut album.

“There’s been quite a lot of UK artists on

there over the past year, but I’m the first

without an album out. The first in the

entire world” he remembers.

“I’m just so happy it went well,” he

says. “I feel like I did a good job and

I’m never really happy with television

performances. There’s a lot of pressure.

With SNL there’s 7 million viewers.

Sometimes you’re too worried about

tripping up on your face.”

The UK lacks a range of shows and

even a high-profile equivalent like

SNL. Gigs that can sway opinion on

a mass-scale include an appearance

on Jonathan Ross or Graham Norton.

For the latter, George Ezra’s interview

and performance led almost directly

to his first ever Number One album.

Telly makes a difference, but the U.S.

remains more capable of providing a

game-changer.

40 diymag.com

“

People find

it odd, that

we’re not

tooting our

own horn.”

Dan Smith

What Bastille

did next...

How do you follow up one of the biggest albums of the

last eighteen months? By roping in some huge names and

recording a brand new mixtape.

Before releasing debut album ‘Bad Blood’ back in March 2013, Bastille

released two mixtapes. Titled ‘Other People’s Heartache’ parts I and

II, they’re a fantastical stream of cover versions and ideas, drifting in

and out of focus, that gave birth to ‘Of The Night’ - the mash up of

1992’s ‘Rhythm Is a Dancer’ by German group Snap! and 1993 hit ‘The Rhythm

of the Night’ by Italian Eurodance act Corona. Arguably some of the band’s

most interesting work, they show a depth and talent for production and ideas

beyond their peers. Never officially released by the band’s label, you’ll be able

to find them fairly easy using your friendly neighbourhood search engine.

Now, with the end of their debut album’s international hijinks finally in sight,

they’re returning to the theme, but with a difference. With Haim, Lizzo, MNEK

and Angel Haze amongst the cast list, ‘Vs. (Other People’s Heartache Pt. III)’

isn’t a mix of covers and samples, but all original work - collaborations that

send the four piece into new places like never before.

“It was meant to be a bit of fun,” Dan explains, “stuff that’s been coming

together over the last year. Genre hopping, making songs with people we’d

met, were friends with and had toured with. We want to keep releasing music

as a fun parallel to our actual albums, as suggestions to other genres we love.

We don’t give a fuck how we’re perceived. Our interest in music is broad, we

want to reflect that.”

With parts recorded wherever possible at various points on the band’s

constant worldwide trips, there was no Live Aid style

meeting of minds in a single studio. Instead, vocals and

ideas would be recorded in dressing rooms and at

festivals, whenever time allowed.

“Angel Haze,” Dan recounts. “We toured with her, and

recorded it backstage at Ally Pally, back in March. Haim,

we decided to do that track at Coachella. We’re good

mates, we see them all the time. After a few drinks me

and Danielle were like, let’s do it.

“When it comes to working with people. it’s about

making room for others. There’s no egos involved. It’s

never like, ‘Fuck you I want two verses’. When Haim

came in, they all sang, Danielle played guitar because

she’s wicked at it. Este did some bass stuff, we did some

programming, I wrote it but it all actually happened in

one evening. Three or four hours.”

“Lizzo is an explosion of energy,” he continues. “I

love her. She’s amazing, hilarious. Really easy to

work with. ‘bad_news’ was with MNEK. He has one

of the most incredible, craziest voices around at

the moment. I can’t imagine how weird it must

sound! It’s a mad cast list. Why would we get

41

cover

four rappers? It’s a not a Bastille album.

I don’t know what it is. Before we were

liberally sampling from films, but for

this one, it’s all original and no samples

- so less of the suing.”

And yes, there has been talk of legal

proceedings (“There were letters.

Rather pointed ones,” Kyle reveals).

That’s why you won’t find ‘Other

People’s Heartache’ parts I and II on

your usual streaming services and

download stores. In fact, they were so

problematic the band’s label wanted

nothing to do with them.

“Someone suggested it was a ploy

by the label not to market them,”

Dan recalls. “I was like, ‘Fuck off’. But

the label didn’t want anything to do

with them. They were worried about

what they would bring. So I had to

buy my own URL, host it myself. It was

something we did off our own backs.“

With an A list cast, one would be

forgiven for expecting the next Bastille

“ I c a n ’ t

imagine

h o w

w e i r d

i t m u s t

sound!

I t ’ s a

mad cast

list.”

D a n

Smith

album to be a who’s who of modernmusic.

Rather than a hint of where

the band are going though, this latest

release is simply letting off some steam.

“Our proper albums are very closed off,”

Dan explains, “just us and our producer.

A lot of people were asking who was on

our hit-list to work with, we were like no

one. We want to develop and change

our sound but we don’t to want bring

someone in to develop it for us, we’re

capable of doing that ourselves.”

Regardless, any band that’s

had the success Bastille have

had with their debut album

are going to have to answer

questions about the follow up. The

curse of the second full length may

be a cliche, but it still sits heavy on

the horizon. Most would either rush

out something quickly, or leave things

ruminating just a bit too long.

“The writing process never stopped

from the last album,” Dan explains,

revealing the band’s fairly unique

42 diymag.com

solution. “There’s already some songs

which are a couple of years old. Mark

[Crew, producer] came out to work

with us around UK and Europe. So we

can keep writing and recording. He’s

coming out again, as soon as this tour’s

done. We’ve got as much time as we

want.”

Though Will describes the album as

“very fledgling, very young,” with only

“one real week of recording in south

London,” he’s also confident that the

band have it nailed. “We were worried,

looking at the tour diary,” he explains.

“But I feel like we broke the back of the

album back in March.”

“It’s not frustrating being on tour,” Dan

admits. “We’re not the kind of band

who need days in a studio to write a

song. A lot of the songs come from bits

I’ve sung into my phone, hiding behind

bins and stuff.”

“In Salt Lake City, we tried a song in

soundcheck, and people heard it from

outside the venue. It went up online,

we got loads of messages - people

knew it - it wasn’t even finished. It’s

mad. It’s nice there’s an appetite for

new stuff.”

“The second verse was ‘doo dee dee

dum dum do do. Scoo dee dee di da da.

Scat’,” Woody recalls.

“It’s gonna feature Scatman John,” Will

jokes. “We’re gonna bring him back.

That’s the title track of the album.”

“We try not to put pressure on

ourselves,” Dan continues, before

anyone gets too hung up on

resurrecting dead musicians. “I don’t

think my songwriting will change.

I’m not going to write seven minute

rambling monk chants. I don’t think

we’re playing to our audience at all. We

love our fans so much, but we want to

evolve the sounds. We want to be more

experimental, and if we take people

with us, if they like it, great.

“I think our live show

reflects where we’re going.

There are minimal tunes,

big epic endings, electronic

stuff. There are bands that

play one instrument each

and have a bunch of songs

within that sound, that’s

not us at all. We have no

intention of repeating ‘Bad

Blood’.” DIY

‘BITE DOWN’

(VS. HAIM)

What’s it like: Swapping from an

intro that sounds like The Rapture at a

barn dance, ‘Bite Down’ quickly drops

down into a glitching, grinding jam

before soaring into a chorus that’s pure

ear worm. Vocal duties are shared, with

Haim’s distinctive melodies adding a

sunny LA tint that steers Bastille’s epic

British pop. Expect this to be A Big Deal.

Key lyric: “Bite down, bite down

into me. You better sink your teeth

before I disappear. Bite down, bite

down into me.”

‘BAD_NEWS’

(VS. MNEK)

What’s it like: ‘bad_news’

recently appeared on the band’s

‘Oblivion’ EP, but this version is a

completely new working. Sharing vocal

duties with the so-hot-right-now MNEK

adds whole new levels, the production

taken to the next level alongside a truly

remarkable vocal. You’d struggle to

imagine any of Bastille’s peers being

able to pull this one off so seamlessly.

Key lyric: “Bad news, it beats

you black and blue before you see it

coming.”

‘TORN APART, PT II ’

(VS. GRADES VS.

LIZZO)

What’s it like: The second

part of the first new material

Bastille vs.

everyone

With new original songs, ‘Vs. (Other People’s Heartache Pt. III)’ may

not be a new Bastille album, but it’s definitely an indicator of a band

who refuse to sit safely inside their genre defined box. Nine songs

long, here’s what to expect from just some of the tracks.

you’ll hear from the mixtape, as ‘Torn

Apart’ is a game of two halves. A

lovesick dancefloor anthem with Smith

and Lizzo playing the part of cheated

and cheater, the former clings on to the

relationship before the latter swoops in

on a last minute breakdown to deliver

hands down the verse of the year. From

here on in, any record anywhere not

featuring Lizzo should be seen as an

actual crime.

Key lyric: “It hurts like hell to be

torn apart, and it hurts like hell to be

thrown around.”

‘WEAPON’

(VS. ANGEL HAZE VS.

F*U*G*Z VS. BRAQUE)

What’s it like: Bastille and Angel

Haze have actually performed this

one live before, at the same time it

was recorded when the pair played

together at Alexandra Palace earlier

this year. Big beats and soaring

choruses, as a centrepiece for the

whole mixtape, this one rolls hard.

Key lyric: “Your voice is a weapon,

and we’ll do with it what we can.”

43

superfood

lemon

Wparty

44 diymag.com

Superfood capture the

wild, weird imagination

of every unorthodox

daydreamer. Debut ‘Don’t

Say That’ aims to make the

world a little stranger.

Words: Jamie Milton,

Photos: Mike Massaro.

anna believe, wanna get out

here,” runs the mantra of Superfood’s

debut ‘Don’t Say That’. It’s

a calling card for the itchy feet

city-dwellers, the kids who want

escape from mundanity. On

this first work, the Birmingham

four-piece extract oddities out

of every situation imaginable.

According to their script, flowers

can talk, raisins are mysterious

and lemons get bullied. “Forget

what you know! Forget what

you’re told!” shouts frontman

Dom Ganderton in the same

track, ‘You Can Believe’. This

lot inhabit a strange alternate

reality, and their first work

is a means of getting casual

daydreamers on board.

Arriving two years on from their

debut gig - at which point they

nose-dived into the public eye,

W45

superfood

RAISIN

THE

STANDARD

Dom Ganderton writes lyrics

about the strangest things.

Fruit, flowers, everything

under the sun. Some of

these phrases require some

explaining, so we put the

frontman to task about

‘Don’t Say That’’s standout

‘WTF’ moments.

“Some people have

way more press

shots than they

have songs”

Ryan Malcolm

“Little lemon why so red? The

flowers in the garden said, ‘You’ve

no family. You can’t even read.’”

It’s about a little lemon. That’s what

it’s about! I met Ryan at the train

station one day. We had to write a

song. It’s an actual story about a

lemon, in a garden, being bullied by

the flowers. And the flowers are like,

‘Join in, we’re not so bad.’ And they all

start singing to you in the morning.

That song is the most out there. I’m

surprised we put it on, in the end.

(Ryan: “At the time, we were a bit

high… “)

“Raisins are like mysteries, gang

of ten.”

It’s a gang of ten raisins…. I have no

idea why they’re mysterious. That is

documented as the first lyric of our

band ever. We didn’t know each other

enough to start talking about our

feelings together. Again, pretty high.

I saw a video where if you soaked a

raisin in a glass of milk and you put

it in the microwave, it turned back

into a grape. I’ve tried it like ten times

and it doesn’t work. Ten mysterious

raisins. That’s the lyric! We’ve cracked

it!

“You wanted to see what it felt like

to be lost in the drain”

That one’s more about something

to do with relationships and stuff.

It’s about trying to be in love when

you’re a bit fed up, I think. How it’s

not possible to love someone if you’re

not there yourself.

46 diymag.com

snowballed into the conscience - ‘Don’t

Say That’ marks the first step of Britain’s

strangest new band. Ganderton,

guitarist Ryan Malcolm, drummer Carl

Griffin and bassist Emily Baker might

not translate as much in everyday

mannerisms, but take them on tour or

hang out after-hours and out steps the

real Superfood - a bunch of brilliant

weirdos.

“When we were on the Wolf Alice tour,

these guys kept telling us we had

“stamina”... Oh god,” remembers Ryan.

“Going out and going to a bar up the

road, getting really drunk and waking

up in the van - you shouldn’t do it every

night,” claims Dom, before glancing

over to his bandmate. “Emily always

drags us out though.”

The songs on ‘Don’t Say That’ link arms

to form a sharp assault on the senses.

Razor-like guitars burst into the frame.

Hooks latch on in their masses like a

bunch of octopus tentacles, sucking

out the dull and injecting poisonous

fun. The whole thing sounds so refined.

Solos step in without a moment’s hesitation,

choruses arrive in spades. There

isn’t a single mis-step.

Apparently things were a little different

in demo form. Superfood started as a

bedroom project between Dom and

Ryan (“We’d talked about it for years

and we finally knocked our heads

together and did it,” remembers the

latter) where scrappy beats clash heads

with simple guitar hooks. A little alcohol

helped, too. When asked how the

early demos might sound to the naked

ear, Dom replies with one damning

word: “Magaluf!”

Emily beams thinking back to the

scrappy first takes. “There was loads

of “ooh ooh ooh” chants,” she says, as

if the band have the potential to pen

Ibiza EDM-bangers in their troves.

Dom’s wild ideas don’t stop there. “I’d

love to do a new song like that where

we invent a new language. Or just Pig

Latin for the whole song,” he ponders.

‘Don’t Say That’’s full of plenty of

curveballs. The 90s-nodding embrace

of early tracks remains, but opener

‘Lily For Your Pad To Rest On’ sounds

like Beck on Sesame Street, while ‘Pallasades’

pens a haunted house vibe.

Make no mistake - the strange world of

Superfood helps them stand out in a

busy crowd.

When they emerged with ultra-sharp,

clear as day songwriting, part of their

inception was a reaction against scenechasers

from Birmingham. “There was

just so many bands around at the time

that were just writing music that was

‘current’,” remarks Dom. “My Bloody

Valentine put out their last album and

it was just putting a fucking reverb

pedal on. We wanted to do the exact

opposite. To actually test ourselves and

write songs. Rather than going for a

look and a sound.”

Ryan echoes the sentiment. “Lots of

people get in bands for the sake of telling

people you’re in a band, rather than

actually getting into making and creating

music. Some people have way more

press shots than they have songs.”

47

superfood

“The energy

that we’ve got

writing these

last few years,

we want to

keep putting

stuff out.”

Dom

Ganderton

48 diymag.com

SUPERFOOD’S

GUIDE TO

WRITING A

‘MASSIVE

TUNE’

‘Don’t Say That’ is full

of #bangerz - here’s

how to write one.

DO open yourself up to

possibilities - “It was a case of

bringing an instrument to the

studio that we’d never used.

Ryan brought that melodica. It

was a jam, wasn’t it? [‘Lily For

Your Pad To Rest On’] is a cool

opener.”

DON’T place restrictions - “It’s

just where it feels natural, with

us. It doesn’t have to change

every twenty seconds.”

DO let things progress on their

own - “We’re wanting to let a

beat and a groove develop.

Standing back and letting it do

its thing.”

DON’T big

yourself up - “I

don’t think we’re

that far advanced

to try and think of a

catchy melody.”

This debut alights the hype train from

the first stop. Nothing’s intentionally

cool or box-ticking. In fact, Superfood

are most often tagged with

reimagining Britpop, a 90s staple that

chin-stroking snobs don’t tend to get

on with. “When we got together to

start this, it meant a bit more to us than

just being popular and cool for ten

minutes, I think. It’s about developing

as musicians, learning our craft

properly,” states Dom.

Prior to turning heads in their current

form, all four members hung out and

saw each other getting somewhere

in different bands. Ryan was making

songs with his brother and Swim Deep

drummer Zachary Robinson, while

Carl was on the brink of getting signed

with another group, Tantrums. “We

got quite far… Island Records paid

for us to do an EP, and then after we

recorded the EP we split.” A inter-band

relationship was the blame for that

bust-up. One plus from the experience

was Tantrums’ own house, which

became the friendship group’s go-to

drunken destination after a night

out. “Tantrum Towers!” bursts Dom,

remembering the place. “You’d go out

on a night out, go to the Rainbow, then

there’d be a party going on at Tantrum

Towers. I remember going there after

a New Year’s Eve party, being a bit

twisted, thinking the rooms were all

massive. I was in the corner of a room

shouting, ‘This place… This place is

massive!’ Getting up, running round

the rooms.”

Tantrum Towers ended up being a

source of regrettable booze-filled

experiences for every Superfood

member. Carl fell asleep on the stairs,

while Emily freaked out at a “weird

wooden room with gym equipment

and mattresses” this one time. Clearly

the source of ‘Don’t Say That’’s oddities

stems in part from batshit crazy nights

out at this old haunt.

Rock and roll antics might’ve died

down a touch since then, though

Dom’s quick to admit “we still fuck

ourselves over a lot, to be fair.” Most

of that stems from an unspoken rule

in everyday circles where if one

band bumps into another out of

coincidence, they’re obliged to

get wankered. “If you see another

band out and about, it’s like

‘Alright, let’s get really drunk

and regret it in the morning,’”

says Dom, part-sighing. They’re

best mates with Wolf Alice

and Gengahr, although things didn’t

immediately spark off with the latter. “I

poured a full drink over [bassist] Hugh

Schulte’s head that night, because he

was just being a pain in the arse,” Ryan

laughs, thinking back to the first night

of their tour together earlier this year.

“He loved it…”

It’s back to the road following

‘Don’t Say That’’s release, although

Superfood’s heads are still firmly

planted in the studio. They’re hoping

to bring a laptop back after gigs each

night on forthcoming tours, with the

intention of recording scrappy demos

when the iron’s still hot. “Whether we

stick to it or not, I don’t know,” admits

Dom, but talk keeps turning back to

future material, as if it’s first on the

agenda. “Hopefully it’s not long before

we put more songs out after this. We

never want a huge gap,” he says. “The

energy that we’ve got writing these

last few years, we want to keep putting

stuff out. You know when a band

doesn’t put anything out for a while?

We just want things to keep going.”

Momentum’s on their side, and it’s

been with them from the beginning.

Together, they call the past two

years “bittersweet”, where they’ve

developed under a spotlight, releasing

music from day one. “We haven’t had

those three or four years to learn each

other or write loads of songs,” says the

frontman. “What you hear on record

from us - that’s us developing, that’s

what we’ve got. It seems honest.

“You’re going to see different things

happening,” he sparks. “We always

have so many different ideas. It’s just

honing it all in so we’ve got a really

clear idea of where we wanna go.

Or maybe we should do the exact

opposite… ” he ponders, clearly

excited at the possibilities that lie

ahead. With ‘Don’t Say That’, Superfood

haven’t just made a great start - they’ve

produced one of the debuts of the year,

a record like no other to be coming out

in 2014. What happens next is anyone’s

guess, but given the breakneck speed

of both these first two years and their

own songs, they’re unlikely to waste

any time.

Superfood’s debut album ‘Don’t

Say That’ will be released on 3rd

November via Infectious Music. DIY

49

deptford

goth

From a primary school in South East London, to blustery seaside

50 diymag.com

town Margate: Deptford Goth talks life after ‘Life After Defo’.

Oh My

Goth

Words: El Hunt. Photos: Mike Massaro.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Daniel

Woolhouse was working as a teaching

assistant at a Deptford primary school

in South East London. Spending his

days having poster paint thrown in

his beard by miniature human beings,

and his nights hunched over a laptop

and four-track in his living room,

Deptford Goth quickly became Daniel

Woolhouse’s full time passion, and he

soon packed in his job at the school

accordingly. What followed was ‘Life After Defo’,

a beautifully precarious debut that spent much

of the time tentatively edging around its own

pockets of silence. Tensioned carefully between

sparse, open production, and diving headfirst

into a sea of bleeding textured sonics, it was also

one of the stand-out records of 2013.

“It was pretty surprising to be honest,” says

Daniel of the sudden success enjoyed by his

debut as Deptford Goth, and the first full-length

album he had ever made as a musician. “It gave

me a confidence boost, but then I still went

through stages of crisis and just wanting to not

do it. I kind of presumed that wouldn’t happen

[this time around], because I know it doesn’t

really matter. It’s one entity within everything

else that’s going on.”

Calling this second album ‘Songs’ is a bit like

calling canapés and a six-course banquet

followed by cheese and wine ‘dinner’, but then

again Daniel Woolhouse is forever underselling

himself. Stripping back the ideas behind ‘Life

After Defo’ to barer bones still, ‘Songs’ is a blank

canvas that does basically what it says on the tin,

describing the contents in the simplest terms

possible. ‘Songs’ is an album of songs, then? “I

‘spose most albums are,” laughs Daniel quietly.

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s

the beardiest of them all?”

“Those songs are the record,” he adds. “’Songs’

is sort of clean without necessarily having any

associations. It doesn’t lead you anywhere apart

from into the record.” As you’d expect, ‘Songs’ is

51

deptford

goth

an insular, inward-looking endeavour. While ‘Life After Defo’ had a kind of enjoyable

bracing coldness to it, like getting brain-freeze on a lonely, blustery walk through

the city, ‘Songs’ is warmer and more spacious.

Daniel Woolhouse isn’t one to give it the big chatter about anything. He doesn’t see

his music as bringing anything conceptual or clanging to the table, either. “It’s not

asking any grandiose questions from a conceptual angle or anything,” he says, “but

I guess if people are interested, that’s a nice thing, it’s a sign it hasn’t been a waste

of time.” The traditional lyrical mirroring that crops up in ‘Do Exist’ and ‘The Lovers’

– two singular, powerful forces of songwriting – Daniel simply calls “something I

automatically do without really thinking about it” – and he adds, laughing “also it

means you don’t have to write as many lyrics.”

As self-deprecating as Deptford Goth might be, ‘Songs’ isn’t an album defined by

self-doubt. Since his first EP, ‘Youth II’, Daniel Woolhouse’s voice has been tentatively

making its way further up the mix, partly thanks to the encouragement from friends

– “go on!” demonstrates Daniel, complete with a fist pump. On ‘Songs’ he is at his

most prominent yet. “They’re gradually creeping up,” laughs Daniel. “I think maybe

the reality of what I was doing…” he starts. “I’m maybe more accepting that [my

vocals] are a key part of this. Regardless of how I feel listening to my own voice, I

have to kind of just go with it. I felt like it was the right time to bring it up a tiny bit

more, rather than having it bleed in.”

There is less washy haze for Deptford Goth to retreat into. “The first record, [‘Life

After Defo’], I think is minimal,” explains Daniel. “There’s way too much sonically

going on in a lot of points [though], which, when you come to mix something, can

be a bit of a nightmare. I had in mind…” he pauses. “Actually, there doesn’t need

to be layer upon layer of things doing the same thing. I was concentrating more on

separate, distinct elements rather than a wave of stuff that would just wash over.”

This time around, Daniel felt freer to experiment, too. “I’ve been more open to going

with an idea and seeing it through rather than just discarding it,” he nods, “which I

think resulted in more straight-up songs.”

Much of ‘Songs’ is built from sonic experimentation, but comes from traditional,

almost folky foundations. Despite this, when Deptford Goth first entered the public

consciousness, he was hailed as a honoury member of South London’s rabble of

experimental R&B peddlers. Perhaps it was because he lived in Peckham. Maybe

it was down to James Blake and How To Dress Well setting a whole new tone for

electronic music. Either way, Daniel doesn’t really see himself as fitting within that

movement.

“I do get a lot of questions about R&B and stuff,” says Daniel, “and I don’t really know

- I listen to it on the radio. This hasn’t been made from that place. I think labels are

generated depending on the contemporary phrases that are being thrown around,

and they get stuck on things,” he goes on. “They can be really problematic.”

“I’m not militantly saying no genre - ‘Oh god, don’t label me’ - but I think it can be

detrimental to a lot of music,” adds Daniel, more assertively. “Any snobbishness

within music should be avoided. [It’s] some form of elitism; cite your references,

what do you know about that area of music. Not a lot, you know? I’ve always thought

I’m just making songs,” he says, returning to the thinking behind his album title.

Deptford Goth is obsessed with making songs. Sometimes it can border on taking

over everything else, and Daniel frequently refers back to having to remind himself

that it matters, but it’s not everything. At times, he says, he had to step back from

the record. ‘Loop’, he explains, is a song about precisely that. “I got sort of lost inside

the record and what I was doing,” he says. “I took a few weeks of not doing anything

and then looked at it again a bit more philosophically. I thought, it’s not everything;

I should be in control of it. Otherwise you get to the stage where you’ve got parts of

music that you’re working on going through your head constantly,” he adds. “You’re

slightly distracted all the time, thinking suddenly, ‘Oh shit I’ve got to go, I’ve just got

a great way to solve that problem, I need to do it now’. That urgency can become a

little bit controlling.”

Looking ahead, Deptford Goth has his first live show of this album cycle at London’s

ICA, and it’s fast approaching. He’s nervous, he admits readily. “It’s been a year

since I did a show, and certain doubts creep back in, unknowns.” This time round,

52 diymag.com

though, Daniel is filled with the kind of nerves that he can channel. “Now things are

in motion it’s an excited nervousness rather than ‘Oh shit, I don’t want to do it. I’m

working with a couple of musicians so it’ll be me and two other people on stage as a

permanent line-up. Getting other musicians in takes away some of the anxiety that

comes with doing this job,” he adds. “I’m trying to embrace the scenario a bit more

rather than trying to just get through it.”

Daniel Woolhouse doesn’t seem to have a single inkling when it comes to how

extraordinarily good his music is, but, like ‘Songs’, he seems to be less self-doubting;

more willing to believe that his way is the right one. While his debut was one that

revelled in loneliness, the follow-up celebrates love. Getting married and moving to

out of London to Margate does that, even to the most dedicated Deptford goth.

“

Any snobbishness

within music should

be avoided.

“

Daniel Woolhouse

“Sea air,” he smiles. “I go down to the penny machines, I like that repetition, that

process. When you’ve run out of money you have to leave.” He’s being slightly

tongue-in-cheek, but escaping the claustrophobia of the city mayhem has moved

Deptford Goth into a different mindset. “I think I had more room to reflect on things.

There’s a lot of sky, there’s a lot of sea,” he ponders. “I know it’s really cliche, but you

can sort of readjust things a little bit easier. You can just get on with your own thing,

and work to your own clock a little bit, rather than that crazy London world. You feel

less obligated to go and do stuff, you know, ‘I can’t come to your night, I’m going

down the arcade,’” he laughs. “It’s more peaceful.”

Deptford Goth’s new album ‘Songs’ will be released on 3rd November via 37

Adventures. DIY

53

fryars

jessie ware

54 diymag.com

Fryars’ ‘Power’ is an ultra-detailed,

complex beast of a record. Ben

Garrett’s put relentless work into

it. A few years ago, for example, he

created several Twitter accounts

based around characters central to the

album’s concept. Don’t think for one second

that this Londoner’s left a stone unturned.

The record consists of sixteen tracks,

including five transitional / interlude pieces.

Fryars is calling his second album a “body of

work”, which usually translates into meaning

it’s a ‘bit wanky’ - but ‘Power’ is anything but.

It’s an album that dives into intentionally

different worlds, scenes extracted from

lurking corners of Garrett’s fantastical mind.

But it’s taken years of contracts, lawyers and

wrangling to see the light of day.

I’ve

Got

The

Power

After years of wrangling, Fryars has finally been given

license to release ‘Power’, a record that makes all the

behind-the-scenes nonsense worth it.

Words: Jamie Milton, Photos: Mike Massaro.

On the eve of its eventual release - following

a tumultuous couple of years that Garrett

can only sum up as “bizarre and frustrating”

- there’s a balance of emotions between

excited and understandably anxious. “I

had to come back with something that’s

grandiose,” he admits, thinking back to his

brief spell as a hyped up teen for 2009 debut

‘Dark Young Hearts’. “I wanted it to come

out in one go. Turns out that’s not really how

major labels like to do things.

“It’s a super eclectic album too. Which again

is deliberate. I think that makes it harder for

people to buy into as a whole. Maybe each

track is reaching a different audience. I’ve

always ensured that until the album comes

out, people aren’t going to understand

it. And god willing people are going to

understand it once it’s out.”

It makes for curious timing that Fryars’

record is coming out now, just after a sniping

debate’s been set loose about the actual

value of an album. Here exists an intensely

thought-out, meticulously-constructed LP.

Had it come out when Garrett initially hoped,

it might’ve been absorbed differently. But

this is an age of fragmented discovery, of

playlists and loose association. Fryars is

fighting against that.

55

fryars

He asks the prominent questions to

himself. “What’s the point of an album?

Or is the album dead?” he lists off. “I

don’t really agree with that, but the idea

of an album as just a bunch of tracks is

an outdated concept - you may as well

put out those tracks separately. And the

whole point [with ‘Power’] was doing

something that was one body of work,

with the songs relating to each other.”

Which isn’t exactly what happened.

‘Love So Cold’, a drifting standout from

‘Power’, was shared online two years

ago, marked with the “new Fryars album

coming soon” hoo-hah.

“ Y o u n e e d t o

b e l i e v e a n y h y p e

o r b e l i e v e a t

l e a s t i n w h a t

y o u ’ r e m a k i n g . ”

F r y a r s

The level of detail that’s gone into this

record is frightening. ‘Power’’s striking

front cover sees Garrett portraying a

focal character, a man “who’s built his

big machine. It’s essentially a power

station. He lives in this tall building with

his pushy wife and that’s his balcony.”

The orange sky behind him is the

apocalypse, the “impending doom”.

He laughs a little at just how ridiculous

that might sound, but this is a musician

who’s been struck by cabin fever’ed

recording sessions for as far back as he

can remember.

As with the ‘Dark Young Hearts’ debut,

he worked with former Clor member

Luke Smith for the most part. He cites

Luke as one of his closest friends, but

he does admit that they’d often come

to loggerheads. “Often we’d have a

day where we’d just go back and forth

arguing about one tiny thing. We spent

fucking ages doing it. And one of the

best, most important parts is having

those arguments,” he claims. “[Luke]

was my ally in bringing it to life.”

Smith’s been at the frontline of seeing

Ben’s career experience a see-saw

effect. In 2009, he was barely eighteen,

touring a debut that landed him a big

record deal - which he then spent on

making this ambitious, ridiculously

professional follow-up. “I’ve realised

what a fragile condition it was,” Garrett

says, thinking back. He cites A&R

meetings (“they love their lunches”)

and magazine features as something

he got “so caught up” in. If he was to

dish out advice to anyone in his buzzy

situation today, he suggests the “blind

faith” route. “I thought it was going to

be great. I was going to blitz this thing...

Now, if I were to tell someone in the

same position every step of the way,

‘You’re in a fucking precarious position.

It could all go horribly wrong. You’re

potentially wasting your time.’ But the

fact is you need to have the opposite

attitude, and you need to believe in

what you’re making.”

It’s untainted self-belief that’s clearly

led Fryars to where he is today. He

forked out goodness knows how much

on bringing in professional musicians,

learning string parts himself. “I didn’t

want to sit at home and make it on

a computer” was rule number one.

Thereafter, he spent months with

Smith in a studio, under zero further

supervision. ‘Power’ was his own

playground, toppling over with heady

concepts and bright ideas. Some of

these fell by the wayside, but despite

everything, Garrett’s succeeded in

making a record that concedes nothing:

an uncompromising triumph worthy

of all the behind-the-scenes drama.

Besides, the majority of those getting

swept up in ‘Power’’s emotional punch

won’t need to know about the lawyer

meetings, the delays and the release

compromises. What they’re left with

his a sharp-witted, often hilariously

overblown work.

“It was nuts, looking back,” Garrett

reflects. “It’s fairly obvious the majority

of the world has not heard a Fryars

song. I spent a ton of money on what

could have been a fire in the dark. And

looking back, that’s crazy. I’m hoping

that when it does come out, there’s

a level of excitement. Ultimately, it’s

about people hearing it.” Very few

records take this much time and

sheer effort to emerge - then

again, very few records are

anything like ‘Power’.

Fryars’ debut album ‘Power’

will be released on 17th

November via Fiction. DIY

URL Bandman

Back in July of this year, Garrett was

brought in to help Lily Allen with

her Latitude 2014 headline set,

where she was drafted in to replace

Two Door Cinema Club. He brought

in two members of Theme Park to

help arrange a last-minute tribute

to Alex Trimble, whose illness

forced the band to pull out.

“I had to put together that Two

Door Cinema Club cover [of

‘Something Good Can Work’],” Ben

remembers. “In order to get that

going on, I had Marcus and Miles

[from Theme Park] joining her for

that on the main stage. Then all the

professional band turned up about

half an hour before the gig. Not

having learnt it, reluctant to do it.

“It was pretty crazy actually -

telling grown men, getting paid

really well to learn this song. They

were like, ‘It’s not professional’.

This kind of thing. Lily understands

the crowd. They did that song

and it just went off. It was a great

gig and she had everyone on side

after doing that. It was completely

vindicated. It sounded slick. But it

was a weird half an hour.”

56 diymag.com

57

glass

animals

T h e w o r l d i s c o m i n g r o u n d t o

O x f o r d b a n d G l a s s A n i m a l s ’

t r o p i c a l p o p . D I Y c h e c k s i n o n

t h e r o a d , j u s t a s t h e U K b e g i n s

t o t u r n i t s h e a d . W o r d s : J a m i e

M i l t o n , p h o t o : e m m a s w a n n

“Hang on, when did those palm trees get here?”

58 diymag.com

Palm Trees,

Naked Fans

And Sold

Out Shows:

Glass

Animals’

Peanut

Butter Tribe

lass Animals’ 2014 doesn’t follow the traditional

pattern. For the average hotly-tipped UK band,

typically it’s a case of building the hype, putting a

debut out, making the most of the attention before

repeating the process with a follow-up. When it

comes to this Oxford four-piece, this country’s

lagging behind slightly. Back in January, when their

reputation was built from whispers on these shores,

over in Australia they were playing sold out gigs to

hundreds. Just last month, the band’s worldwide

ascent hit North America, coupled with a slot on

Late Night with Seth Meyers and more sell-outs -

this time in the thousands. As they arrive back in

their native land, the moment’s finally come to take

on old Blighty.

Following a “pretty fucking crazy” US run, full of

“exotic happenings” according to frontman Dave

Bayley, DIY finds a band gaining momentum by the

second. Hints of their gradual conversion arrived

during their Latitude set earlier this year, where a

30-degree-plus tent swayed and grinded in unison

to the rainforest vibe of Glass Animals’ debut record

‘Zaba’, which came out this June. Dave thinks back

to that very show. “It totally caught us off guard,” he

remembers. This time it’s a succession of packedout

venues with over-subscribed crowds. Bigger

dates are already booked for 2015 - there’s no sign

of this run slowing down one jot.

En route to Brighton for an appearance at The

Haunt, they’ve likely had a collective ten hours

sleep between them in the past 24. The day before

was their only time off for weeks - Bayley spent

the hours “working”, “focusing on other projects”,

while the others share a sleepless but excitable

mood. The frontman claims drummer Joe Seaward

is experiencing “anti-jetlag” on the journey down

South. Instead of dozing off when they can,

Bayley has his laptop open focused on work, while

Seaward, Drew MacFarlane and Edmund Irwin-

Singer add songs to their pre-stage playlist. There’s

not a moment’s pause, and the next 48 hours only

adds further force to the whirlwind.

59

glass

animals

During shows at The Haunt and London’s

Oval Space, together they constantly discuss

tinkering and refining a process that’s already

clearly working wonders. “I think we’ll always

have somewhere to go,” says Bayley. “We’re all

very sceptical and picky people. We’re always

going to find things we need to change.” And

so it proves. Soundchecks are meticulous

affairs that span hours. It’s all worth it - Oval

Space in particular bursts into a sweaty swarm,

exactly the kind ‘Zaba’ intended. The stage

is decorated with real palm trees, bought

specially for the occasion. Back in the US,

the band recount “people climbing over the

speakers, dancing on stage.” When go-to

anthem and set closer ‘Pools’ steers, venues

threaten to morph into similar sights.

In between the gigs, there’s a pit-stop in

Central London for a BBC Radio 6Music session

with Nemone. After another sleepless night,

again they’re being asked if they’re exhausted,

but there’s a calm, excited enthusiasm shared

between them. Before performing acoustic

renditions of ‘Hazey’ and ‘Black Mambo’, Noel

Fielding peers round to say hello. “That’s

a good name - The Glass Animals,” he says

without introduction. “I’ll check you out, cool.”

he says, before wandering off in his fur coat. It’s

about the only time the band look at all shellshocked

or baffled at how surreal everything’s

getting, save for the nervous huddles and high

fives that arrive just before they hit the stage.

Madness it might be, but it’s all explainable.

For one, Glass Animals successfully managed

to steer past the potential perils of being a

hype act. They took their time, from putting

out curious debut tracks to working with Paul

Epworth, right up to an eventual early summer

release. “We made the record we wanted

to make. That was our philosophy when we

started the band,” says Dave. “We put some

music up quite a long time ago, up online. We

weren’t really ready to be a band. We were

in different cities, we couldn’t rehearse. We

didn’t have any time to be a band. We took

everything offline for about a year, put it back

on again when we knew more about the music

industry... Some bands release two tracks and

then they don’t have any more. They have to

write new shit. And the live show is rushed.”

‘Zaba’ began to set in from Latitude onwards.

Blame the exhaustive heat, or the slightly

cuckoo sleepless festival crowds. As the

summer neared its end, the hypnotic pull

of this debut started to have its way. Bayley

remembers a stoned monitor engineer at

Bestival that might’ve taken ‘Zaba’’s woozy

quality too far to heart. “We went on about

forty-five minutes late. Some people were

pissed in the crowd. It was like, ‘Turn on

something so we can hear’, and he didn’t know

how. He probably saw eight knobs for each

one. That’s a fuckload of knobs. He got fired on

the spot. I feel really bad for the guy.”

Hazey

Memories

Glass Animals choose

their three standout

moments from the

past few months of

relentless touring.

LATITUDE 2014

“It was so hot that day, I thought

everyone was gonna be

completely out from the heat.

But everyone wanted to dance.

We had to change our entire

perception, boost the energy

levels. Tempos a bit quicker,

drums a bit louder.”

GIGS FOR

MORMONS

“The American gigs have been

totally nuts. If I had to choose

one, just because it was a really

bizarre gig, it’d be in Salt Lake

City. It was in someone’s garage,

this show. We turned up; two

speakers; the stage as big as

two of me lying down. We were

spilling off. And they didn’t serve

alcohol there. It was a Mormon

place. But it went off. There were

people on the speakers, people

on stage. It was so weird. And

everyone was sober! There was

a bar - a massive bar - and it just

said “Water”. They run that place

for the love of it. It’s just some

dude’s garage. But they sold 250

tickets and there were people

that definitely couldn’t get in,

standing outside looking in

through windows.”

AUSTRALIA

“At the beginning of the year, it

was crazy watching it happen.

We did three shows in a week.

The first show kind of sold out

a few days before we got there.

The second one sold out the

day of the show. And the third

show, they bumped it to a bigger

venue. And it was massive. It was

weird seeing the spread over

the course of a week. The third

show was totally off, in Brisbane.

We had no idea it was coming.

We thought they’d be half the

number of people in Sydney but

it was like double. So that was

amazing.”

60 diymag.com

Strange characters keep cropping up

as life on the road continues. Drew

MacFarlane is the band’s resident “heart

throb,” as attested by Bayley. “I look

at him and get palpitations - he’s very

handsome.” Alongside good looks,

MacFarlane also has poor sight, and

when walking through San Francisco

last month he managed to walk straight

into someone sleeping on the street.

Instead of getting a torrent of abuse, the

band’s keyboardist received quite the

opposite. “This guy was like, ‘Hey sexy!

I love you, you wanna come back to

mine!’ And this guy wasn’t wearing any

pants. I think Drew might have touched

his penis and he tried to run away. Poor

Drew. He gets it a lot.”

When shows wind down and fans spill

out of venues - plenty swarm to the front

“We’re all

very sceptical

a n d p i c k y

people. We’re

always going

to find things

we need to

change.” D a v e

Bayley

when the music’s up, just to get a quick

encounter, plenty sporting the band’s

‘Gooey’-inspired “Peanut Butter Vibes”

tote bags - the band reconvene in the

van to discuss the days ahead. They talk

venue upgrades, plans for 2015, means of

improving. If their schedule is endless and

everlasting, it’s their own choice. It’s been

“ridiculous”, they collectively agree. But

‘Zaba’’s wheels are only just beginning

to turn. “As we play to more crowds, we

learn what type of thing works in different

situations. Like if you have an early show

on a Monday night, you know… It’s a

science, but at the same time that science

is totally imperfect and can fuck you

over sometimes,” Dave says, almost overthinking

the process. But that’s how they

got here - figuring out how things work

before leaping headfirst into a world tour

that doesn’t look set to end. DIY

61

hookworms

under

Hookworms hadn’t expected the praise nor the fans that came with

62 diymag.com

inister, biting and potent from

start to finish, ‘Pearl Mystic’ was

one formidable debut album.

With touchstones ranging

from krautrock, to Suicide

and Spacemen 3, Hookworms’

influences read like a who’s-who

in filthy, dirty, psychedelia; the kind

that moves into your garage without

asking, bringing an amp stack, a rusting

organ, and a blatant disregard for anything

undistorted in its fuzz-blitzing wake. The praise

for their debut record was almost universal; words like

perfect liberally thrown around. It’s an unpredictable final

destination for an album that Hookworms didn’t expect

anybody to listen to.

their debut, ‘Pearl Mystic’. ‘The Hum’ is a worthy

successor, explains

frontman MJ. Words: El Hunt.

Press -

ure

“We didn’t really think anyone would really want to hear it,”

admits MJ, the band’s frontman. “We were just making it for

the sake of making a record, and didn’t expect everything

that came after it.” The ethos of Hookworms remains much

the same now. Several of the band still have day jobs working

in education - they insist using mysterious initials so that kids

can’t Google them. Meanwhile MJ runs a recording studio in

Leeds - Suburban Home - and it has become something of

an epicentre for the city’s music scene. Leeds-based bands

Pulled Apart By Horses and Eagulls have both gone there to

work with MJ, and the studio doubles up as Hookworms HQ.

Anyone who has witnessed the spectacle of Hookworms

unleashed and live will know that they are a force of nature,

and an altogether different monster to when they’re

contained in a record. ‘Pearl Mystic’ and Hookworms’ onstage

onslaught are two distinct things, and going into album

number two, this was a bit of a stickler for MJ. “I feel like we

had a real problem after our first album,” he assesses, bluntly.

“We’d made a studio record where we recorded loads of extra

stuff on top. It was kind of naïve at the time because we didn’t

really think about how to translate into playing that live. This

time that really influenced how we approached making our

new record. We all wrote it together in the live room at my

studio, and we could play the whole thing from start to finish,

63

hookworms

right now, if we wanted to.”

The major challenge of making

‘The Hum’ was the insane pressure

Hookworms felt to equal its

predecessor. “Before we just made

records that we knew our friends might

listen to, or say they’ve listened to,”

MJ laughs. “I was really aware of how

many copies of ‘Pearl Mystic’ we’d

sold, and the weird, kind of overly

positive reviews it’d had. Then there’s

the theoretics; we didn’t want to make

‘Pearl Mystic Part 2’. ‘Pearl Mystic’, at

the time, felt like the best thing we

could do. ‘The Hum’ sounds different,

but it’s from the same world, I think.

There was that fear that we didn’t want

to repeat ourselves; we didn’t want to

not be Hookworms. It was a strange

thing, because you start kind of second

guessing yourself all the time.”

The roman numerals in the tracklisting

for ‘The Hum’ pick up where ‘Pearl

Mystic’ left off – but apparently it’s

not a nod to the band doing the same

musically, at all. “I know we’re not an

inherently funny band,” starts MJ, “but

I thought it was funny. It was a joke that

spilled over into the actual record. You

have stupid songs, you know; if you had

a song that sounded like Sleater-Kinney,

you’d be like ‘that’s the Sleater-Kinney

song’. It was the same with the drone

tracks,” he laughs. “What I found funny

about it was that I knew track three was

going to be called ‘iv’, and I think I’m

the only person who finds that funny. I

think sometimes we might come across

as a little bit po-faced,” MJ laughs, “but

we’re not.”

While writing their second album

Hookworms discovered a new,

surprising facet to their sound. ‘The

Hum’ has a very specific pop sound

that’s less Mariah Carey and more ‘Soon’

by My Bloody Valentine, or Suicide at

their most melodic. It all started when

the band recorded a single for Too Pure

as a one-off. “We knew we had to write

a song that would fit onto a 7”, and we

didn’t just want to do a drone track for

four and a half minutes,” jokes MJ.

The resulting single, ‘Radio Tokyo’,

ended up on ‘The Hum’, and influenced

how Hookworms went about writing

the rest of the album, too. “It was by far

the poppiest thing that we’d done – at

the time,” agrees MJ. “People reacted to

that song really well, and it was the kind

of song where when we played live,

people got excited when we played

it, so…” he pauses, “we were thinking

about how your audience influences

your music and becomes the context.”

“It felt like a clean break,” MJ continues,

referring to ‘Radio Tokyo’. “It’s much

like the other stuff we’ve been doing

since, where we’re more confident in

our instrumentation, and the way that

we all play. We have a more coherent

way of operating. I think the new record

is slightly more minimal than the first

one, less down in the dumps than ‘Pearl

Mystic’. ‘Radio Tokyo’ was the first time

that we’d done that, and it’s definitely a

confidence thing, being able to play our

instruments and songwriting.”

“I feel

like we

had a

real

problem

af ter

our first

album.”

mj

Despite any initial worries the band may

have had about needing to produce

something that would move forward

from ‘Pearl Mystic’ without alienating

it, ‘Radio Tokyo’ was something of a

breakthrough, and it set the tone for

‘The Hum’ as a whole. “I think we’d

have made the same record whether

we’d made ‘Pearl Mystic’ or not,” MJ

concludes. “I’ve been asked if we made

a more poppy record because it was

coming out on a big label [Domino

imprint Weird World],” he adds, “[but]

we had total artistic control. In our

minds, nothing’s changed.”

Hookworms are heading out onto the

road in support of ‘The Hum’ soon, and

they’re touring the album before it’s

even out. “Two of us work in education,”

explains MJ, “so we’re using the holiday

in October to go on tour. We’re going

to try and do some one-off shows and a

few little tours, too,” he adds.

Looking back over the last whirlwind

year, there’s a one-off show in particular

that stands out. Hookworms were

booked to play ATP’s Jabberwocky,

but the festival was infamously slain

at short notice. The response from

London was to rally together in the face

of disaster and to book as many shows

as possible. Hookworms played at DIY’s

own Jabberwocky fallout show at The

100 Club, alongside Speedy Ortiz and

Cloud Nothings. Perhaps it was the low

ceilings and crammed audience, or

maybe it was the hasty spirit with which

the show was assembled – either way, it

clicked with Hookworms. “It didn’t feel

like a normal show,” enthuses MJ, “we

were grateful to get a show, and then it

turned out to be two bands that I really

like, which is great.” As for Jabberwocky

itself, Hookworms are happy to let it

go. “In the end it cost us nothing not to

play,” he reasons. “We didn’t end up any

worse financially.”

Looking forward, things are only set

to get more exciting. “We’ve been

talking about doing split 7” with Vision

Fortune, and Faux Discx, and we’ve

been talking a lot with Richard Formby,

who produced Wild Beasts, Ghostpoet

and Spacemen 3 - he’s a friend of

ours - and we’ve been talking about

doing a collaboration with him. He’s

got this great big modular synth that

he’s going to bring down to my studio,”

gushes MJ.

Modular synths aside, Hookworms

can’t wait for Christmas to arrive. Most

offices lay on a couple of supermarket

traybakes and some box wine, MJ

and co. have something spectacular

planned instead. They’re supporting

Slowdive – one of the best and most

iconic shoegaze bands in the history of,

well, ever. No biggy, then.

“It’s going to be our work night out,”

jokes MJ. “We’re going to try and take

our girlfriends and have our work night

out.” The Hookworms Christmas party?

“Yeah,” he sniggers.

Hookworms have a reputation for

being a very serious band, MJ is right.

In many respects, Hookworms are a

very serious band indeed. There’s an

intensity and sheer focus that pours

into everything that they make or do,

but by shaking free of the expectation

hanging off ‘Pearl Mystics’, Hookworms

seem to have come alive again, in

a different way. ‘The Hum’ is no

throwaway record, and it lingers in no

shadows. Lightning might not strike

twice, but Hookworms most certainly

do.

Hookworms’ new album ‘The Hum’

will be released on 10th November

via Weird World. DIY

64 diymag.com

65

2:54 / ARIEL PINK / AXES / CARIBOU / DAMIEN RICE / DEAN BLUNT / DEERHOOF / DELS /

/ GROUPER / HONEYBLOOD / HOOKWORMS / IAMAMIWHOAMI / KIESZA / LES SINS /

/ RYAN HEMSWORTH / SAVAGES & BO NINGEN / SOUTHSEA FEST / STARS / SUPERFOOD / THE

a wealth

of musical

treasure.

eeee

FOO

FIGHTERS

Sonic Highways

(Roswell Records/ Columbia Records)

W

alking into an album with a concept as complex and lofty as

that of Foo Fighters’ latest, ‘Sonic Highways’, was always going

to be tough. Yet somehow, some way - and maybe it’s just

because they’re Foo Fighters - they pull it off.

Not only is their eighth album to date going to be released as a regular, run-of-themill

album, it has its own eight-episode HBO television series as a companion. There

have been trailers, previews, tiny shows and residencies on late night US television,

and all in the name of preparing fans for the journey that the band went on to make it.

“This is a musical map of America,” says Dave Grohl boldy, in the trailer for the band’s

forthcoming series. There’s not a hint of insincerity in his voice as he says it: that’s

because it is, at least to some degree, the truth. Recorded in eight cities across

the US, all of which lay claim to a certain part of the band’s collective heart, ‘Sonic

66 diymag.com

DEPTFORD GOTH / DIRTY BEACHES / FRYARS / FOO FIGHTERS / GIRLPOOL / GNARWOLVES

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA / MARIACHI EL BRONX / PAUL SMITH & PETER BREWIS / ROYKSOPP

HORRORS / THE VOYEURS / THE XCERTS / THOM YORKE / TV ON THE RADIO / WOMAN’S HOUR

TRACKLIST

1 Something From Nothing

2 The Feast and The Famine

3 Congregation

4 What Did I Do?/God As My Witness

5 Outside

6 In The Clear

7 Subterranean

8 I Am A River

Highways’ is an album which attempts to reflect the musical

styles, influences and inspirations of each city and it does, in

some respects, succeed.

Granted, the task they set up for themselves was more difficult

than first considered: how does a band manage to make an

album that channels rock, funk, the blues, hardcore, country,

hip hop, go-go and punk all while still making a record that

sounds like their own? Foo Fighters knew the potential pitfalls

but they weren’t to stop them. There’s a nuance here, a guitar

tone there. Inviting Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick to play on

opener ‘Something From Nothing’ wasn’t just their fanboy

dreams coming true, it saw them bring the song a whole new

dimension and spirit, even for just one solo.

Each song on the record stands as its own vignette – its own

Foos-tinged ode to the city they were staying in at the time -

but together, the tracks very much make a whole. Go into this

album unknowing and unaware, ‘Sonic Highways’ is still a Foo

Fighters record, but dare to delve a little deeper and there’s

a wealth of musical treasure to unearth. Foo Fighters are

providing the map, it’s up to the audience to explore. Therein

lies its beauty. (Sarah Jamieson)

LISTEN: ‘Something From Nothing’

67

reviews

a ferociously

good pop

album.

eeee

DEERHOOF

La Isla Bonita (Polyvinyl)

When Deerhoof make a new album, they’re not continuing a sequence;

they’re having a conversation. Their twelfth album, ‘La Isla Bonita’ is no

exception, and was made during a week long sleepover in guitarist Ed

Rodriguez’s basement; during which the host claims they spent most

time “arguing over whether to try and sound like Joan Jett or Janet

Jackson.” Deerhoof have always had this knack for putting a trampled-on

fret board into their magi-mix melting pot of ideas and ending up with

something that clicks together like a hitch-free game of Tetris: ‘La Isla

Bonita’ is a ferociously good pop album. (El Hunt)

LISTEN: ‘Last Fad’

uncover

the cover

The cover image of ‘La Isla

Bonita’ is by Sara Cwynar

- a visual artist / designer

working in New York. It’s

from a series of chromogenic

prints made by scanning old

darkroom manuals, marked

with digitial noise.

“A friend of mine saw her

work in an exhibition and

took a photo and texted

through to us, as he

thought we’d would like it.

And we did!” Greg Saunier,

Deerhoof

eee

2:54

The Other I

(Bella Union)

If Dark and

Stormy wasn’t

the name of

a rum-based cocktail, then it could

be that of this second album from

London-based sisters, 2:54. For, with

‘The Other I’, Hannah and Colette

Thurlow have created one hell of

a gloomy atmosphere. Drums and

guitars crash against each other like the

North Sea at its most winterly – except

while that conjures up some pretty

uncompromising scenes, this followup

is a little, well, tame. Where the

energetic ‘Crest’ creates a bluster, much

of the rest of the record is – as moody

as it is – able to pass without much

more than a mild wind. (Emma Swann)

LISTEN: ‘Crest’

ee

STARS

No One Is Lost

(ATO Records)

Somewhere

along the

line, Canadian

indie mainstays Stars have got the

impression that all you need to write

a great pop song is... a synth. Not an

actual chorus, bridge or any vaguely

memorable part of a song’s structure

– but some sweeping electronic noises

as employed at their best by The

Killers’ ‘Hot Fuss’ and to an infinitely

lesser extent by frat-pop specialists

Foster the People. Sadly, this is not the

case. ‘No One Is Lost’, possibly because

the album is wholly unmemorable.

(Tobias Maguire) LISTEN: ‘No One Is

Lost’

eee

GROUPER

Ruins (Kranky)

Grouper’s

music always

lends itself to

introspection and

whatever moment’s peace people can

get a hold of. ‘Ruins’, however, appears

to be the first time Liz Harris’ output

has emerged from the same intimate

silence. Recorded in Portugal in 2011 in

a trip defined by daily peaceful walks,

out steps a record defined by emotional

breathing space. Faint piano lines

merge with the odd microwave beep (in

‘Labyrinth’). The idea of making a record

while cooking up macaroni cheese on

a few days off sounds idyllic, but the

strength of Grouper is how she makes

peace come off like a source of unease

at the same time. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN:

‘Clearing’

68 diymag.com

More confident

than ever.

eeee

DAMIEN RICE

My Favourite Faded Fantasy

(Atlantic Records)

Damien Rice is a bit of an enigma. Having

established himself as one of the world’s

finest singer-songwriters, selling millions of

records worldwide and winning awards to

boot - after only two albums, he disappeared

and to most, he was expected never to be

seen again. On ‘My Favourite Faded Fantasy’,

there are more layers than his previous

sparse efforts: the crashing crescendo of the

the title track, the luscious piano beginning

‘It Takes A Lot To Know A Man’. This record

still feels raw, it still feels intimate, but a

little more bold in its sentiments. It’s in

those moments of bravery and risk that Rice

still stands worthy of his heart-wrenching

troubadour title. (Sarah Jamieson)

LISTEN: ‘Colour Me In’

eeee

AXES

Glory (Big Scary Monsters)

Axes rise out of the mush of

instrumental guitar bands with ‘Glory’,

a debut that’s leaps and bounds

ahead of the self-titled mini-album

that made their name. They’ve always been a band with an

over-developed sense of fun, but here it’s writ larger than

ever. You might expect a nod to muscular riffs that echo

tour buddies Cleft, but you might not expect the bright,

major-key, piccolo-snare pseudo funk of ‘Real Talk’. Both

opener ‘The One’ and single ‘Junior’ carry the same sense

of playfulness. For those who dabble in instrumental rock,

‘Glory’ is about as accessible - and as good - as it gets. (Alex

Lynham) LISTEN: ‘Chun Fai Pang’

eee

SAVAGES / BO

NINGEN words to the

Blind (Stolen Recordings / Pop

Noire Records)

As far as collaborative matches go, Bo

Ningen and Savages go together like

rhubarb and custard. They’re different bands cut from the

same cloth. A Sonic Simultaneous Poem, ‘Words to the Blind’

is one 32 minute track based around the idea of different

languages colliding head on, over the top of violent, nonlinear

bass lines that sound like they’ve been composed by

hitting the instrument with a taxidermy badger. Deep, dark

sonic ear-mud with no emergency exit. (El Hunt)

69

reviews

LAST RECORD I

BOUGHT...

By Tom Heron,

The Xcerts:

The War on

drugs -

Lost in the

dream

“The last album I

bought was ‘Lost

In The Dream’ by

The War On Drugs. I

just love how it has

a steady pulse that

runs throughout

the album, like

a comforting

heartbeat overlaid

with catchy Don

Henley-esque

melodies.”

the xcerts are

masters of

their genre.

eeee

THE XCERTS

There Is Only You (Raygun Music)

Polished it may be, but ‘There Is Only You’’s sheen only

highlights the rawness of The Xcerts’ craft - the jagged

edges are whittled down to a fine point. The trio’s time on the road with Brand New

has given them a little more confidence in going all-out bombastic, but while their tour

mates are renowned for droning their melancholy in waves of fuzz, The Xcerts aren’t

afraid to keep things crisp. It’s not quite a flawless collection, but the band are masters

of their genre, deserving of both the radio play and wider success that, until now, have

stood just out of the trio’s reach. (Tom Connick) LISTEN: ‘Teenage Lust’

eee

KIESZA

Sound of a

Woman

(Virgin / EMI))

After a new

artist has had a

runaway hit with their first single, it can

be easy to guess what might be in store

on their debut album: luckily, Kiesza’s

not one to be written off so quickly.

While her debut album ‘Sound Of A

Woman’ starts big with her Number

One single ‘Hideaway’, her full-length

is anything but a collection of songs

following that same pattern. ‘Losin’ My

Mind’ shows her more soulful side, ‘So

Deep’ shimmers with old school R&B

touches. Kiesza’s got a whole lot of

tricks up her sleeve. (Sarah Jamieson)

LISTEN: ‘So Deep’

eeee

LES SINS

michael

(Company

Records)

The latest

project from

Toro y Moi’s Chaz Bundick sees him

take on the moniker Les Sins, and

this record has his prints all over it.

‘Michael’ is an album that’s less of a

side project and more of an extension

of sounds Bundick has already played

around with as Toro y Moi, taking all

the pristine warbles and wobbles

that made tracks like ‘Say That’ so

infectious. ‘Michael’ is Bundick going

flat-out funky, and pairs of feet on

dancefloors everywhere are about

to become horrendously hypnotised

and sweaty as a result. (Tom Walters)

LISTEN: ‘Call’

eee

DIRTY

BEACHES

stateless

(Zoo Music)

Dirty Beaches’

(aka Alex Zhang

Hungtai) sixth album is without words.

It’s about feeling adrift, without a

home, lost in limbo: atmospheric,

ambient soundscapes ridden with

longing. ‘Stateless’ clearly has lofty

goals. It’s not surprising to find that

Hungtai has been recently involved

in scoring films. But while intriguing

and often beautiful, it’s also a little

frustrating. There’s a sense that this is

only half a story, half a tale told. (Tim

Lee) LISTEN: ‘Displaced’

70 diymag.com

eeee

THE VOYEURS

Rhubarb Rhubarb (Heavenly

Recordings)

For their second album, The

Voyeurs have taken all that

time and energy from every time they ever had to say, write or type

the words ‘Charlie Boyer and’, and used it to expand on their sound.

2013’s ‘Clarietta’ was a brilliant exercise in discordant post-punk;

here, on follow-up ‘Rhubarb Rhubarb’, expanding that doesn’t mean

adding strings: if there’s a line to be drawn between T-Rex and

Bowie, The Beatles and The Kinks, then it’s possible to continue it

right through to this album. A delightfully fun record. (Emma Swann)

LISTEN: ‘The Smiling Loon’

eeee

THOM YORKE

Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes

(self-released)

If it wasn’t already clear, ‘Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes’ is less an album,

more an experiment. There’s a running counterpoint to Thom Yorke’s

increasingly experimental release methods. By intention or default,

they distract from the record itself: BitTorrent chief Matt Mason’s come

out and said that there wasn’t going to even be an album without this

novel release idea, that ‘Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes’ was constructed as

a response to the objective. This admission, in itself, betrays the record.

But if this is indeed a mere experiment, it’s one which sparks beautiful

results. Beyond the hoo-hah is a record that cements Yorke’s continued

progression as a songwriter, even if he’s relying on familiarity this

time round, ‘Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes’ is a mini-triumph that’s only

occasionally tarnished; it’s one hell of an afterthought. (Jamie Milton)

LISTEN: ‘The Mother Lode’

Q&A

The Voyeurs’ frontman Charlie

Boyer explains a little about

the band’s new release.

You’ve said your new album is more

of a ‘London record’ than your last -

how so?

Yes, well a London record or an English

one, because of its themes. There

are people with concerns, like love

or paying the rent. There are also

frightening things and exciting bits

and some tasteless or embarrassing

ideas. We wrote it in London so that’s

what it reminds me of. I guess there’s

nothing to stop it coming from Hull

though.

Did you start work on this one with a

different approach?

We had a little more time, and spent it

in Limehouse, the whole band worked

on the songs. We had about 15 of

them, and made dozens of versions

of each and argued for days until

we were all happy. This time we put

an emphasis on tone and structure.

Especially drums. I think it makes it

colder and stricter… Maybe that’s why

it’s English too.

What drew you to using more

‘domestic themes’?

I think I’ve just become more

interested in story songs. I used to

want to write escapist songs.. I think

the the music I’ve been listening to

and the books and TV are affecting

me… Some nice short stories and of

course Ray Davies.

Do you have a favourite song on the

album?

Yes, it’s called, ‘May Will You Stop’

followed by ‘Pete The Pugilist’. In fact

there are only two I’m not completely

happy with, that’s pretty good for me.

71

reviews

FINAL

SPRINT

Comebacks and re-united tours

meddle with the idea of “the end”,

but here’s a look at bands that join

Röyksopp in bowing out with a

brilliant record.

LCD Soundsystem This Is

Happening’

Not strictly considered his

best, James Murphy’s final

record does however encompass the

brilliant madness of his New Yorkstamped

trade. It packs some of his

best songs, too - ‘Drunk Girls’ and ‘All

I Want’.

The Smiths - ‘Strangeways,

Here We Come’

Morrissey and Johnny Marr

agree on two things - that

they’re never (ever) getting back

together and that ‘Strangeways, Here

We Come’ is their best record. Opinion’s

split on the latter, but there’s no doubt

this final record represents The Smiths’

rich, textured peak.

Nirvana - ‘In Utero’

Their last by default of

tragedy, Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’

remains a classic, a brutal

“what if” as to the potential Cobain and

co. still had in their locker for the future.

The White Stripes - ‘Icky

Thump’

A reunion isn’t on the cards,

but this final thrashing effort

takes the band back to their bare (rag

and) bones. It’s everything but the

sound of a band simmering out.

Girls - ‘Father, Son, Holy

Ghost’

Had Girls continued,

perhaps we’d have

been spared of Christopher Owens’

YMCA-style album covers. Still, this

was primarily his project, the first

manifestation of his religious cult

alt-pop.

the closing

of a chapter.

eeee

ROYKSOPP

The Inevitable End (Dog Triumph)

With ‘The Inevitable End’, Norwegian production

duo Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland are

giving in to finality. This is Röyksopp’s final

album, but it’s less the sound of the grim reaper

knocking, more the closing of a chapter. When

death creeps in from all sides, it manifests itself

into anger, not sadness. ‘The Inevitable End’ accepts its own strengths and faults

in one fatal blow, just like any last gasp should. If there was ever a final motif of

Röyksopp, it was their ability to make the risky and surreal sound simple. Long

may it continue, regardless of form. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Rong’

eeee

GIRLPOOL

Girlpool (Wichita)

Angry women who are not afraid to raise their voices

often end up being described as shrill and screechy. Make

no mistake though, Girlpool should be taken seriously.

A whirling tirade of pissed off and bratty lo-fi rock, and

spitting out lines like “I don’t wanna get fucked by a fucked society” over

fuzzing barre chords, ‘Girlpool’ takes cues from the snarling bite of L7, Bikini

Kill and Bratmobile, and the result is this relentless and immediately likeable

debut. (El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Slutmouth’

eee

IAMAMIWHOAMI

Blue (To whom it may concern)

The Swedish project’s third full-length, ‘BLUE’ is best

viewed as a complete package – the visual narrative

continues from the last release ‘kin’, and it moves away

from the surreal leanings towards a clean and slightly

detached form of glacial electronica. iamamiwhoami is increasingly stepping

into lighter, more uplifting territory, at the expense of the fearsome impact that

earlier releases packed in the shedload. (El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Chasing Kites’

ee

ARIEL PINK

Pom Pom (4ad)

Essentially the sort of soundtrack that’d be found on a new

Adult Swim TV show, ‘pom pom’ is a record of eschewed

Saturday morning cartoon emulations and unintelligible

nonsense. No matter what angle it’s approached from, it’s

hard to think of any situation where a good time can be had from listening to it

apart from a drug-fuelled gathering consisting of nymphomaniac Tumblr addicts.

A record that needs its fat well and truly trimmed. (Tom Walters) LISTEN: ‘One

Summer Night’

72 diymag.com

eeee

FRYARS

power

(Fiction)

Scattered with

interludes and

culture shock

instrumentals like the first half of the

grandiose ‘China Voyage’, ‘Power’

succeeds in exposing a side to Fryars’

work that’s been kept under wraps

despite the behind-the-scenes record

label drama. ‘In My Arms’ and ‘Love So

Cold’ - dramatic, sweeping numbers

that flip the pop formula - have instead

been out in the public domain for years.

It takes a few listens to stop seeing

‘Power’ as a collection of occasionally

recognisable tracks, jumbled together.

Once a formation falls into place, out

steps a special record. (Jamie Milton)

LISTEN: ‘Prettiest Ones Fly Highest’

eeee

PAUL

SMITH &

PETER

BREWIS

Frozen By

Sight (Memphis Industries)

Both Paul Smith and Peter Brewis have

been celebrated songwriters for some

time now, so the fact that ‘Frozen By

Sight’ is good isn’t really a revelation

to anyone. What is, though, is that it

would be quite so exquisite as this.

To allow songs to float freeform is no

rarity – to know precisely when to reign

them back in is. Like a film soundtrack

in waiting, it’s clinical – but still teeming

with emotion. (Emma Swann) LISTEN:

‘Barcelona (At Eye Level)’

eee

DELS

Petals Have

Fallen (Big

Dada)

“Man I should

have been a

blizzard ‘cause I’m that cold,” claims

London MC DELS on his second album

‘Petals Have Fallen’. Despite being a

headrush of industrial, electronic blasts,

the follow up to debut ‘GOB’ packs

a warm heart. It’s most evident in a

seven-minute long, closing title-track,

which mixes lush orchestration with the

distant, London-accented slurs of Tirzah.

As well as being DELS’ best work, it also

showcases a host of bright sparks, from

Micachu and Kwes on ‘RGB’ to Rosie

Lowe’s graceful addition to ‘Burning

Beaches’, offering a glimpse of a brave

new side of UK music. (Jamie Milton)

LISTEN: ‘Burning Beaches (Feat. Rosie

Lowe)’

Nap time for sleepy Ryan.

eeee

SUPERFOOD

Don’t Say That ( Infectious Music)

If you were born long enough to have

your 90s survival kit, you’re going to need

your spotters badge for Superfood’s

long awaited debut album. There’s the

broken, baggy beats of Black Grape, the

storytelling of a tour bus full of Britpop

kitchen sink veterans - the Brummie crew’s

magpie like tendancies are in full force.

But most importantly of all, if you can

single out those influences and sneer,

Superfood probably aren’t for you. This

isn’t a retread of old ground, but a shot

of elixir - a gloriously trashy triumph.

Standout track ‘You Can Believe’ says it

all. Grumpy guts can shut the door as they

leave, Superfood’s gang is the coolest in

town. (Stephen Ackroyd) LISTEN: ‘You Can

Believe’

A TRASHY

TRIUMPH.

73

reviews

eeee

DEPTFORD

GOTH

eee

MARIACHI EL

BRONX

III (ATO Records)

The Bronx are not just a

punk band with a sideline

in Mariachi music, but a

genuine act in their own

right, and the results are

spectacular. Joby Ford`s

guitar work is as authentic

as it gets, providing a

perfect backdrop to Matt

Caughthran’s surprisingly

clean vocals, a far cry from

his trademark rasp. What’s

changed is the execution:

on ‘III’ Mariachi El Bronx

are fully in their element,

appearing at ease with the

traditions and intricacies

of Mariachi music. If you’ve

enjoyed ‘I’ and ‘II’, or you

want to hear something a

bit different then Mariachi El

Bronx III is well worth a listen.

(Stuart Knapman) LISTEN:

‘Wildfires’

eeee

TV ON THE

RADIO

Seeds (Harvest Records/

Virgin EMI)

‘Seeds’ is explosive,

stampeding and incapable

of throwing caution to the

wind. Remarkable, given

this is TV on the Radio’s first

album since the passing

of bassist Gerard Smith at

36. Instead of allowing his

death to dictate subject

matter, they’ve attempted

to create their most

triumphant record to date.

This is a patchwork record:

the band extract the best

moments of ‘Dear Science’

and ‘Return To Cookie

Mountain’. Repeated

formulas don’t make for

quite the same highs, but

there’s a sense of a band

regaining their momentum.

(Jamie Milton) LISTEN:

‘Love Stained’

Songs (37 Adventures)

Since leaving behind

the streets of South East

London for sunny, sandy

Margate, Daniel Woolhouse

seems to have a happier,

more confident disposition.

Without wanting to

stretch his new-found

Margatification too far,

‘Songs’ sounds like a

warmer, sunnier record,

too. Finally comfortable

with minimalism,

Daniel Woolhouse is

surely the only one left

underestimating his sound.

He might’ve given ‘Songs’

an overly modest title, but

moments like the strippedback

vulnerability of ‘Dust’

and the lyrical mirroring of

‘The Lovers’ show Deptford

Goth at his minimal best.

‘Songs’ might be missing

the fragmented, clouded

anxiety of his debut

record ‘Life After Defo’,

but it’s intriguing to hear

him basking in the light.

(El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘The

Lovers’

‘songs’

basks in

the light.

74 diymag.com

eeee

RYAN HEMSWORTH

Alone For The First Time (Last Gang)

‘Alone For The First Time’, the second solo studio album from

Canadian producer and DJ Ryan Hemsworth, arrives only a

year after his first. But, despite a seemingly speedy turnaround,

he who surmounted SoundCloud has pulled out all the stops.

For those who have known and loved Ryan since the start, this is everything you

could wish for and more: an album of sheer artistry encompassing all the trappings

and tinkerings that have since become archetypal of his work. For those who are

unaware, this is the perfect place to begin. (Charlie Mock) LISTEN: ‘Surrounded’

eeee

DEAN BLUNT

Black Metal (Rough trade)

Dean Blunt is a deceiver by trade. Part of the elusive Hype

Williams, his solo work exists to surprise, mixing harsh

concrete blows with gorgeous field recordings. Following last

year’s scattered patchwork ‘The Redeemer’, he’s offered the

biggest shock so far by settling down into something of a groove. ‘Black Metal’ is

a beautiful record that captures a scatty conscience. Sweeping guitars mix with

monotone vocals. Its second half is abrasive to the extreme, but by this point the

hypnotic album’s already worked its charm. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Heavy’

eeee

HOOKWORMS

The Hum (Weird World)

Hookworms have gone a little bit pop for their second album. That’s not

to say they’re set to collaborate with Taylor Swift on her next album –

there are many kinds of pop music, after all - but there’s a definite pop

persuasion to ‘The Hum’, anyway, in the same darkened, menacing sense

way as Suicide or Spacemen 3. ‘Beginners’ and ‘Radio Tokyo’ lead the

way in the clout department, and increasingly, Hookworms

sound like a band comfortable with being immediate as well

as complex. It’s not every day drone tracks sit next to extended

periods of organ-mashing solos, but then again, this is no

throwaway album. (El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Don’t Go Now’

this is no

throwaway

album.

COMING

UP

Here’s what’s gonna be

worth squealing like a

guinea pig over in the

coming weeks.

CHARLI XCX

sucker

(26th january)

Yes, ‘Sucker’ was supposed

to be out last month. Yes,

we’ve already heard it all

- the review is in the bag,

the score locked in stone.

With her bratty, snotty punk

pop in full voice, Planet

Pop should prepare for an

almighty wake up call when

it finally drops early next

year - Charli XCX doesn’t

do quiet.

MENACE BEACH

Ratworld

(19th january)

Menace Beach may be

based out of Leeds, but

their off kilter blasts lend

just as much to dischordant,

feedback frenzied guitar

fuzz pop the world over.

With an eye for a less than

obvious hook and a band of

fearsome talent to back it

up, expect great things. You

won’t be disappointed.

PEACE

tbc

(Early 2015)

Remember when Peace

proclaimed a then unheard

of Superfood as the great

new hopes of B-Town? Now

their comrades in arms

have dropped a debut

album, and the ball is back

in Harrison and co’s court

for that difficult second full

length. Delayed from a 2014

release, the band have been

polishing away for an early

2015 unveiling.

75

reviews

live

The

Horrors

Troxy, London, photo: carolina faruolo

76 diymag.com

The idea of change and transition is a

marked fixture of The Horrors’ story so

far. They went from goth hellraisers to

krautrock-chuggers in the space of one

album, before filtering their expansive

approach into something more allencompassing

on ‘Skying’. There’s a

big difference between their first three

LPs and this year’s ‘Luminous’, but it’s not as startlingly,

obnoxiously obvious until the whole thing fleshes itself

out live. From the mind-blowing crash of opener ‘Chasing

Shadows’ onwards, their UK tour send-off at Troxy eventually

reveals a new, blossoming side of this mop-haired five-piece.

Bit-by-bit, they’re gradually morphing into an all-out dance

act.

We’re not talking one of Guetta spacebars and non-tactful

drops. This is a set devoted to ascent, and true to form, it’s a

performance that only gets better and more enrapturing as

it progresses.

The band cite Detroit techno as a foremost influence on

‘Luminous’, but that’s only in the sense

that they’re employing repetition and

movement in similar ways. Tom Cowan has

his way with every synth in existence, sure,

but The Horrors are still an undisputed

rock force. On the one hand they’re today’s

finest representation of MBV-esque

noise-employers. On the other, they fuse

electronics and soaring guitar lines like

the two worlds were always destined to

meet. Not one speck of nostalgia arrives

during tonight’s show. This is future music,

destined for higher climes.

destined for

higher climes.

It’s a truth that’s cemented in their near

ten-minute climax of ‘Moving Further

Away’, a song that sees Joshua Hayward

edge towards near-godlike level. His

customised pedals start the storm, but

throughout this closer he motions between finite solos

and a screeching, never-ending sense of furore. The same

theory’s applied in ‘I See You’, a song that threatens to

never end, simply because with each raised note and

decibel level, it keeps getting better. Nobody in attendance

wants it to finish.

Within this great, hypnotic ascent, this set isn’t short of

the odd blip. ‘Endless Blue’ and ‘Change Your Mind’ are fine

on their own, but when following an opening section that

includes ‘Luminous’ highlight ‘In And Out of Sight’ and the

peerless ‘Sea Within A Sea’, The Horrors prove they’ve still a

little way to go before becoming the full package. As they

continue to expand, however, this already fully-formed

routine will become something unforgettable. They’re one

or two game-changing songs away from becoming one

of this decade’s seminal bands. And as they progress, with

Faris Badwan’s slim frame commanding for the whole ninety

minutes, it’s clear they can practically smell how close they are

to the big prize. (Jamie Milton)

77

reviews

a highly

enjoyable day.

SOUTHSEA FEST 2014

various venues, portsmouth Photos: Carolina Faruolo

T

here’s nothing like rounding up some of this year’s best

new acts right at the end of the summer, especially

when the setting is as accessible and enjoyable as

Portsmouth’s Southsea Fest. Over the course of twelve hours,

punters waver between one kooky pub and the next, gorging

themselves on acts as established as Pulled Apart by Horses

and Dinosaur Pile-Up as well as treating themselves to the

hottest tips like Happyness and Honeyblood. All in all, it’s a

well-organised, highly enjoyable day, but the brilliance of

Southsea is just how well locals and labels alike collaborate to

showcase the bands they love so much.

One of this year’s strongest line-ups comes from one such

collaboration, between FatCat Records and Southsea’s Pie &

Vinyl Record Cafe. Taking over the Wine Vaults, they provide

invigorating performances from Manchester’s Mazes and the

aforementioned Honeyblood who, after gaining a replacement

drummer last minute, seem more than comfortable tearing

through their recently-released debut album in the crammed

and extremely tiny venue. Likewise for Mazes, whose newly

refound indie pop mentality have heads nodding all the way

from the front to the top of the stairs.

Over at the DIY-curated Wedgewood Rooms, Happyness

take to the stage to deliver their take on 90s revivalism. What

makes this three-piece stand out from the crowd on record is

their eclectic lyricism and knack for hooks, and that translates

aptly for the busy venue. Never ones to truly raise the roof,

their jangly guitars are a welcome change of pace from the

rest of the day - that is, until Pulled Apart by Horses take over

to headline. Considering they’ve just come off the back of a

European tour, the guys are as raring to go as ever, and their

pedal-to-the-metal attitude is a blast to watch unfold as ‘I

Wanna Be Your Dog’ sparks massive moshpit action. There’s a

reason they’re playing festival main stages now, and this allthrills

performance proved impossible to miss. (Tom Walters)

78 diymag.com

Dan Snaith unveils his inner Johnny Borrell with the all-white look.

Now, where’s that cowboy hat?

CARIBOU

koko, London Photo: Carolina Faruolo

close to an all

encompassing

triumph.

D

an Snaith is balancing

the strange complex

of making his most

intimate record to date in

‘Our Love’, before taking the

triumph to bigger venues

than he’s ever played before.

O2 Academy Brixton awaits

in 2015, and even tonight’s

London location of Koko could

prove a tricky environment

given the themes that define

this latest LP.

‘Our Love’’s title-track is a dirty,

thick and mushy contrast to

the bulk of the record’s more

smoothed-out splendour.

But tonight’s show sees this

song forming the base on

which to build on. Numbers

like the frenetic ‘Mars’ and the

house-nodding ‘Your Love Will

Set You Free’ acclimatise to

become fuller forces with extra

intent. Venues needn’t matter

when everything is this forceful

and fully-charged. From the

get-go, fans on the balconies

look the most enraptured.

It’s a double-edged sword

that the set begins so well.

‘Our Love’ into ‘Silver’ is

enough to rank Caribou’s

latest LP alongside 2010’s

‘Swim’. And yet when ‘Can’t

Do Without You’ eventually

arrives, it’s minutely close to

being the all-encompassing

triumph it ought to be. Snaith’s

given himself no easy task in

topping this record and this

kind of occasion. But given

his masterful live translation,

harsh thuds and sheer force

will see him through to a

higher calling. (Jamie Milton)

WOMAN’S HOUR

A

Village Underground London photo: carolina faruolo

fter something of a lacklustre set from support act Farao, Woman’s Hour

launch with ‘Unbroken Sequence’, the opening track from their debut

album. Burgess’ voice sounds as soft and intimate as on record, yet in a

live setting is somehow lent extra power despite its gentle nature. Her vocals are

the focal point of every track - pitch perfect and never faltering, while the backing

instrumentation also fills the venue with sound far more than the minimalism of the

album would suggest. Their cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’ (it’s

also The Boss’ birthday) nestles in amongst the album tracks perfectly, lending a new

depth of emotion to such an iconic track. Unlike Springsteen, however, Woman’s

Hour - with just one album to their name - are limited to a set length of a far more

regular fifty minutes. If anything, though, this simply leaves the audience hungry

for the band’s next work. And judging by tonight’s performance, when that new

material does appear, it’s almost certainly going to be worth the wait. (Will Moss)

79

reviews

GNARWOLVES

The Black Heart, London Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett

there’s magic

in the sticky,

sweaty air.

Last month Gnarwolves played the main

stage at Reading & Leeds. That in itself

is a dream-come-true milestone for any

rock band, yet this Brighton trio made it

on to that mind-bogglingly ginormous

stage while yet to release a full length album.

They may have released a nice little trio of EPs and

undertaken an almost constant touring schedule

over the past two and a bit years, which has

certainly gone a long way in keeping their fans’

appetites’ satisfied, but the sight of a packed out

and impossibly sweaty Black Heart on the selftitled

album’s release day stands as proof just how

hungry the masses have been for that first proper

record.

Seconds into their chosen opener, ‘Melody Has Big

Plans’, and the party is well and truly underway;

the first of countless stage divers has leapt into the

crowd as every word is yelled back. The band crack

out a good mix of their discography with newer

tracks including single ‘Smoking Kills’ and ‘Hate Me

(Don’t Stand Still)’ met with the same ferocity as fan

favourites such as ‘Community, Stability, Identity’

and ‘Tongue Surfer’.

The torrent of crowd surfers only stops when

a skateboard takes their place, making its way

around the room to the front, before the pit opens

up for the crowd to pull a few impromptu tricks,

kickflips and all!. It may sound gimmicky but

there is genuine magic in the sticky, sweaty air.

Things rightly show no sign of slowing down for

Gnarwolves or the increasingly exciting shape of UK

punk to come. (Sarah Louise Bennett)

80 diymag.com

HONEYBLOOD

Sebright Arms, London Photo: Nathan Barnes

honeyblood

will keep on

going strong.

Honeyblood have barely started and they’re already on drummer

number three. Which in itself is not completely without precedent:

a brief flick through the annuls of history, indeed a brief watch

of Spinal Tap, and you’d learn something about the temporary

nature of those destined to sit on a stool through their musical career.

Although there’s no direct reference to McVicar’s departure here, there

is a moment where Stina Tweeddale announces she’d like to “introduce

someone very special” before pointing at Myers. Still. Everything moves on.

The concern is that the promise they’ve shown to date would be derailed

by what has occurred, but thankfully, this show doesn’t suggest that. It

suggests that these songs have enough to keep Honeyblood going strong.

The jangly ‘Fall Forever’ is pleasant, vaguely reminiscent of The Sundays. ‘(I’d

Rather Be) Anywhere But Here’ offers a twisted take on wistful reminiscing.

As they themselves sing on ‘Choker’, “What doesn’t kill you / makes you

stronger”. Honeyblood may have lost a member, but they’ve not shed any

momentum. (Tim Lee)

MANCHESTER

ORCHESTRA

O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett

anchester Orchestra are no

longer the shy, emotionally

Mtroubled indie emo outfit they

used to be. The band’s new album

‘Cope’, a balls-out, no-holds-barred

distortion opera that barely pauses for

breath, is testimony to this, but it’s in

their live shows that the transformation

into headbanging rock magnates is

most abundantly clear.

At Shepherd’s Bush tonight they start

with long-time opener favourite,

‘Pride’, which shakes the venue with

its dirty, pained grunge riffs. Lead

singer Andy Hull, who once seemed

such a gentle soul singing about sad

stuff happening to nice people, holds

a determined and gritty composure.

The band smash through ‘Shake It Out’,

‘Pensacola’ and ‘Pale Black Eye’, clearly

taking pleasure in how brutal their live

show can be.

An encore of the painfully stirring

‘Where Have You Been’ and a strippedback

‘The Only One’ further confirm

their comfortable stride and suggest

this band may well be playing arenas

next time they return to the UK. But

while they’re in slightly smaller venues,

let’s savour one of the most endearing

moments of the evening: when starting

the encore with ‘Deer’, Hull sings

“Dear everybody who has paid to see

my band...” For all Hull’s new-found

steeliness, he can’t not afford a childish

grin. (Hugh Morris)

81

INDIE DREAMBOAT

Of the Month

DARA KIELY

girl band

NICKNAME We make up a lot of

nicknames in the van, for a brief

period I was called Donatello

Swords but am now affectionately

referred to as ‘Mother Fucking

Loner’.

STAR SIGN Taurus.

PETS My only pet was fish called

Quack. It ended on bad terms. He

was a wanker.

FAVOURITE FILM I saw Pink

Flamingos the other day and

haven’t been the same since,

don’t know if that’s a good thing.

FAVOURITE FOOD Chicken

fillet roll.

DRINK OF CHOICE Gin and tonic.

FAVOURITE SCENT Physio sport.

FAVOURITE HAIR PRODUCT I’ve

been using Red Dax since I was 10,

real babe magnet.

SONG YOU’D PLAY TO WOO

SOMEONE The Cranberries,

‘Linger’.

CHAT- UP LINE OF CHOICE ‘Do

you like the Sugababes?’ And just

go from there.

DIY

82 diymag.com

next month in

DIY

class

of 2015

Meet next year’s

hottest new bands

DIYMAG.com

83

I FORGET WHERE WE WERE BEN HOWARD

THE NEW ALBUM - OUT NOW

84 diymag.com

DIY, November 2014

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

Delete template?

Save as template ?