DIY April 2025

+LUCY DACUS
SUNFLOWER BEAN
JENSEN MCRAE
AND MORE
ISSUE 149 • APRIL 2025
DIYMAG.COM
STEPPING
OUT
BEYOND STRANGER
THINGS AND VIRAL
FAME, DJO IS FORGING
HIS OWN ROUTE
FORWARDS

HASE « CHAS
TATUS « STAT
» OVERMONO
MMY« SAMM
NIA ARCHIVES
16 A
CHASE AND LONDON
STATUS
OVERMONO
ATUVICTORIA
/ SAMMY VIRJI / NIA ARCHIVES
DIMENSION / JYOTY B2B AHADADREAM / SHY FX
CHASE
4AM KRU / ARTHI / BAMBII / BROCKIE & MC
«
DET
CHA
CHEETAH B2B SAMURAI BREAKS
COCO BRYCE B2B DWARDE B2B SULLY B2B TIM REAPER
TATUS «
DJ FLIGHT
STAT
B2B MANTRA / HAMDI / IRAH
MOZEY / OPPIDAN / SHERELLE B2B CLIPZ
» OVERMONO
MMY« SAMM
» NIA ARCH «
16.08.25 ›› VICTORIA PARK LONDON
(A-Z)
MORE ARTISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED
ALLPOINTSEASTFESTIVAL.COM

E «
CONTENTS
US
APRIL2025
«
Y
NEWS
EDITOR’S
6 Caroline
10 Obongjayar
14 Festivals
NEU
16 d4vd
18 Alien Chicks
20 Recommended
23 Wishy
UG « L
» V
PARK
SE «
DIY
US «
FEATURES
24 Djo
32 Sunflower Bean
36 Jensen McRae
48 Black Country, New Road
42 Momma
44 Lucy Dacus
REVIEWS
48 Albums
58 EPs, etc
60 Live
FOUNDING EDITOR
Emma Swann
MANAGING EDITOR
Sarah Jamieson
DIGITAL EDITOR
Daisy Carter
DESIGN
Emma Swann
COVER PHOTO AND INSET
Corinne Cumming
CONTRIBUTORS
Alex Doyle, Bella Martin, Ben Tipple,
Brad Sked, Caitlin Chatterton,
Christopher Connor, Elvis Thirlwell,
Emily Savage, Emma Way, Gemma
Cockrell, Isabella Ambrosio, Joe
Goggins, Kayla Sandiford, Louis Griffin,
Max Pilley, Nick Levine, Otis Robinson,
Phil Taylor, Rishi Shah, Sean Kerwick,
Sophie Flint Vázquez, Tom Morgan
Y
IVES
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. 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 DIY 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.
LETTER
When Team DIY were first
lucky enough to hear the
new album from Djo a few
months ago, the first thing that
struck us was the scale of its
musicality. Much like the most
joyful of musical magpies, ‘The
Crux’ sees Joe Keery diving
headfirst into a sonic
wonderland - nodding
to everyone from The
Strokes to The Beatles
- all while clearly loving
every minute. That’s
one of the reasons we
realised he was the
perfect cover star for
our April 2025 issue. So,
if you’re more familiar
with the star because
of Stranger Things, or
last year’s hit ‘End of
Beginning’, prepare to be
welcomed into his new
technicolour world with
open arms.
Elsewhere in this month’s
issue, we’re introduced
to Lucy Dacus’ romantic
period, talk fighting for
friendship with Sunflower
Bean, and get acquainted
with music’s fastest rising
star d4vd ahead of the
release of his longanticipated
debut album.
Plus, we’ve got chats
with Black Country, New
Road, Jensen McRae,
caroline and loads
more - get reading
now!
Sarah Jamieson,
Managing Editor
LISTEN ALONG!
Scan the code to listen along to the April playlist.

NEWS
“Over time your musical relationship develops,
your process becomes more refined.”
- Casper Hughes

Three years on from the release of their ambitious self-titled
debut, London octet caroline return with heady single ‘Total
Euphoria’ and a new outlook on their musical identity.
Words: Elvis Thirlwell
is it? What is this band? Who are we? What is our
relationship? We were having to re-invent it.” Casper
Hughes and Jasper Llewellyn, with bellies full of pizza from
their regular South London haunt the Hill Station Cafe,
are fuller still with self-reflection. They form two thirds of
“What
a songwriting partnership - completed by Mike O’Malley
- that, since they began playing together in 2017, assembled the full-blown eightpiece
outfit now known as caroline. As they speak, new single ‘Total Euphoria’ has
been out for three days, and we find the duo reminiscing over how the song was
written, like old friends indulging over shared memories.
“I remember you and me being like, ‘there’s something really good in this’,” says
Casper, “and I think Mike was a little bit more confused by it in a sense. It was not
in our comfort zone as a band. It sounded really good, but what do we do with it?”
Their first release in over two years - and the follow-up proper to the band’s 2022
self-titled debut album - ‘Total Euphoria’ is a breathtaking return. A snippet of
a lo-fi outtake breathes for a second or two before clangorous chords twang in
and out of sync. Thumping drums roll in like dark clouds and a massed choral
vocal sings from the rooftops, split by horns, scratching fiddles, and a gut-ripping
sub-bass explosion two thirds in. It’s a track that’s as grounded and humble as it
is majestically disorientating; a stumble through a weird, dense, and sensational
paradise; an emotional and sensory overload grabbing for attention in all
directions at once while remaining in total cohesion. When they chose the track’s
title, they weren’t joking.
Sounding like an expression of profound conviction, the process it took the band
to reach ‘Total Euphoria’, as released, was far from straightforward. The question
of how to follow their self-titled debut may be a perennially challenging one, but
caroline didn’t let on that they were especially daunted by the prospect. All they
needed, it seemed, was time - and lots of it. Plus, multiple week-long residential
writing trips: “Twice to Essex, Once to Margate, once to Scotland, once to France,”
lists off Jasper, matter-of-factly.
During these trips, the band would spend more time discussing and debating
their overall vision than actually constructing fresh material, reaching Socratic
dialogue levels of “discussion and reflection” on what caroline as an entity should
represent. “It’s funny,” remembers Casper, “after going to Scotland for four days,
and going to France for ten days, we had very little music to show for it. When we
went and showed it to the rest of the band, they were all like, ‘what have you been
doing?’. It was very important to work yourself up to the point where you know
what you want to do. You have to be a cohesive unit. You can’t just drop into it.”
“It’s never worked like that,” adds Jasper. “There’s no one person bringing a whole
song for people to put parts to. We had to, as a three at least, work out where we
were in terms of our core interests. It has to be the three of us. That’s what works.”
“It is a massive undertaking. It’s a real slog - it probably is for everyone,” confess
Casper. “We make it hard for something sometimes, but we really want to make
it really good, and so we dedicated a lot of ourselves to [the band], which made it

NEWS
“There’s a mood that prevails, across all
the records and all the songs, which is a bit
euphoric and a bit downtrodden.”
- Jasper Llewellyn
quite knackering. Especially Jasper and Mike; I had a baby
last year, which is exhausting in a totally different way…”
hrough such self-admittedly “protracted” and
“gruelling” processes, the band were able to arrive
T at a piece of work as ambitious as ‘Total Euphoria’.
First sketched out nearly half a decade ago during writing
sessions for a debut album on which it had no place, the
tune was reworked a year later, and again and again after
that. By the time it was ready to take into the studio, each
section and moment in the song’s labyrinthine web had been
meticulously determined, frame by frame, like a story-board.
Days in the studio were planned hour by hour to maximise
studio time - and to help coordinate such a large group of
musicians - and as such, the final outcome is worlds apart
from the sprawling jams and organic blends that defined their
earlier material. While the track’s life began during the earlier
years of the band, ‘Total Euphoria’ now signals the mood for
what’s to come.
“On the first record, I think we were really interested in one
thing happening,” explains Jasper. “Just one thing being
repeated and changing and growing through repetition,
and basically, we weren’t that interested in that again. We’d
done a lot of long-form improvisation for the first record, like
hour-long versions of songs. I think we were interested in
making things that were shorter just because we had never
really done that before, and because we were interested in
moments, harder juxtapositions, harder contrasts, harsher
shifts. Not having things as one line that just unfolds, but
actually being aligned… and then a hard right handbrake turn
into something else.”
“Over time,” Casper adds, “your musical relationship
develops, your process becomes more refined, and you work
out how to write music in a way that there’s less friction. I
guess some bands are forever set in a certain aesthetic but,
for us, we got interested in new things, new ideas, and you
want to explore them. That’s where this song comes from.”
hile a product of this intense collective
contemplation, this shiny new version of caroline -
W all glistening melodies and bright production - also
represents a band constantly dipping into the freshest
sounds they could uncover. When throwing about the main
influences behind their new direction, the band agree that
they’re invariably all albums released since work ended
on album one. Ellen Arkpro is mentioned, as is Alex G’s
anthemic ‘God Save The Animals’, or the glitched-up
hyperpop experimentalism of Giant Claw’s ‘Mirror Guide’.
“On the first album tours, I was listening to this soundcloud
playlist of collaged, really mashed-up, break-core-y remixes
of pop songs, and the melodies,” says Jasper. “The noisyness,
and the euphoria of all that was very inspiring at the
time.”
“We were just allowing ourselves to have these hooks in
there,” he continues. “I think we were a bit self-centered for
the first record in terms of how sugary the melodies could be,
whereas those melodies we’re okay with right now, and they
came out quite organically.”
So then, with all these new interests, new influences, and
new ideas now becoming integral parts of the band and
their music, what is it, after everything else, that makes
caroline caroline? “I think it’s quite hard for us to see what
that is. I can tell that there’s a mood that prevails, across all
the records and all the songs, which is a bit euphoric and a
bit downtrodden?” offers Jasper. “That dual movement of it
being triumphant and euphoric but also collapsing - that’s
kinda in everything a bit.” D
NEWS
IN
BRIEF
Undying Love
Fresh from releasing her most
recent project ‘Perverts’ earlier
this year, Ethel Cain has shared
the first few details of her second
album proper. The Florida-born
multi-hyphenate will release
‘Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always
Love You’ this August, with a firm
release date yet to be confirmed.
Psychosocial
Black Honey are back with
‘Psycho’ - a sucker-punch of a new
single that visually takes cues from
sci-fi classics like A Clockwork
Orange and Frankenstein. What’s
more, alongside the release of its
predictably cinematic video, the
band have also scheduled three
special underplay shows later this
month.
Turn Back Time
Everyone’s favourite mythology
fans, Bastille have revealed that
they’ll be hitting the road this
autumn for a special, celebratory
tour of the UK. Kicking off in
November, the nine-date run of
shows also promises to feature
songs from Bastille’s whole
discography.
Let’s Get Physical
Dua Lipa has celebrated the fifth
anniversary of her brilliant second
album ‘Future Nostalgia’ by
teaming up with Troye Sivan for
a remix of ‘Physical’ - one of the
album’s most iconic tracks and, for
many people, a defining sound of
the 2020 pandemic. Check it out
over on diymag.com now.
Photos: El Hardwick

THU 6th NOV
LONDON
ISLINGTON
ASSEMBLY HALL
SAT 8th NOV
MANCHESTER
ACADEMY 3
20TH ANNIVERSARY ALBUM OUT 17TH OCTOBER 2025
NOVEMBER 2025
5/11 BRISTOL O2 ACADEMY
6/11 BIRMINGHAM O2 INSTITUTE
7/11 NEWCASTLE THE GROVE
8/11 HULL WELLY
WWW.THESUBWAYS.NET
13/11 MANCHESTER BAND ON THE WALL
14/11 GLASGOW KING TUTS
19/11 NORWICH WATERFRONT
20/11 PORTSMOUTH WEDGEWOOD ROOMS
21/11 LONDON ELECTRIC BALLROOM

in deep
DIY In Deep is our monthly,
online-centric chance to
dig into a longer profile on
some of the most exciting
artists in the world right
now.
Having become renowned
as one of music’s most
distinctive voices and
exciting collaborators,
Obongjayar continues to
push the boundaries on his
forthcoming second album
‘Paradise Now’, a record
that finds him at his most
content so far.
Words: Sean Kerwick
bongjayar is recalling one of his formative
musical experiences and, judging by
his genre-bending output thus far, this
particular subject of inspiration comes as
a bit of a surprise. “Before I went to school
in the morning, I’d put my headphones on
and listen to Westlife,” he recalls with a gleaming smile that
strikes frequently throughout our conversation.
“My mum sent me their CD from the UK when I was in
Nigeria. I felt like such a lover boy, man. I always imagined
being the main character in a rom-com. There was this girl I
used to really like so I’d have her in my mind. Then I’d start
imagining an alien dropping from the sky, destroying the
whole school and I’d go save her,” he laughs, shaking his
head. “I was a wild boy, man!”
The vivid imagination that conjured up this Independence
Day-meets-Notting Hill narrative to a ‘90s boyband
soundtrack remains hard at work. Obongjayar’s debut album
‘Some Nights I Dream Of Doors’ arrived in 2022 following a
commitment to experiment and strike upon something new.
This quest was not in vain - the work garnered huge critical
acclaim which pocketed him an Ivor Novello for best album.
“It felt amazing especially as it was my first record but I don’t
think I know how you enjoy a thing like that,” he reflects. “The
success for me is when you finish a project and you know
you’ve got a good thing.” Obongjayar – or OB as he goes
by – is simmering in that feeling now with new LP ‘Paradise
Now’ wrapped and ready to sling out into the world.
For those who don’t know Obongjayar by name, they’ll
certainly be acquainted with his unique vocal stamp. Gifted
with a tenor that’s incomparable - equal parts masculine and
feminine, somehow simultaneously gravelly and tender - the
melodies he mines are infectious, idiosyncratic and turn
in a way you least expect. It’s why Little Simz has tapped
him in for guest spots on multiple occasions – his vocal on
‘Point and Kill’ made for a highlight on her tour-de-force
‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’; he also lent a fierce vocal
to the lead single from her new LP ‘Flood’.
n 2023, OB released a video performing the deeply
confessional ‘I Wish It Was Me’ a mere two feet away from
Ithe song’s subject; his family who sit on a sofa listening
intently as he cradles a mic on the floor. This moving,
vulnerable performance caught the ear of bedroom beats
behemoth, Fred again.., who spun it into the top 5 hit ‘adore
u’, a feel-good anthem that soothed the airways last summer.
There’s an extraordinary performance from the Coliseum
in Los Angeles last year which finds the pair performing
the song in the middle of a 77,000 strong crowd. But which
performance rattled the nerves more?
“The one in front of my family easily. I don’t get nervous
playing shows. Years ago, I was playing a show with a
friend and I thought we needed like five days of rehearsal,”
he laughs. “My friend was like, ‘I haven’t got five days’. He
explained to me - you wrote the thing, you did the thing,
you’ve already got it right because you did it. Once you start
thinking about hitting the right bits, you’ve fucked it because
you’ve taken the fun out of it.”
During the aforementioned performance with Fred, which
finds him conducting the arena effortlessly into a mass
singalong, OB is adorned in a white tee with the phrase ‘Just
My Luck’ plastered across it in a splat of red. The expression
appears to be a mantra of sorts for him and is immortalised
on ‘Paradise Now’ in a sharp funky ode to the FOMO felt
from putting his craft before partying. “Just my luck / I’m
in the wrong place making a good time,” he sings, silkily
traversing the track’s bubbling beats.
“It took me back to college,” he reflects. “When you’re a kid,
the world revolves around that sort of thing - the need to be a
part of a clique. I lived so far away from where all my friends
were and they would be like, ‘Do you wanna come to this
thing?’ The buses and trains stopped at certain times and I
knew I wouldn’t be able to get home so I’d stay in and write
because I wanted to be a musician. It’s a lonely road getting
to the point where you know yourself.”
‘Paradise Now’ seems to represent the destination at the
end of this lonesome road. “It’s about enjoying being where
you are now, man. And not dreaming up a place where you
think you should be. I’ve learned to be content.” The album
often wrestles between two places, symptomatic of this
philosophy - sparser tracks like ‘Holy Mountain’ and ‘Prayer’
brush shoulders with the high-octane rushes of ‘Jellyfish’
and ‘Talk Olympics’. Sometimes two worlds collide within
the same track - ‘Life Ahead’ finds OB shape-shifting from
a forlorn falsetto to a monstrous snarl injecting a Jekyll and
Hyde quality to its study of family dynamics. “Go ahead,
wear that smile for your mother like there’s nothing wrong,”
the voice encourages.
As a result, ‘Paradise Now’ offers a varied sequencing,
ping-ponging between these twin channels before either
side of the coin wears too thin. The Yin and Yang is also
reflective of his upbringing split between Nigeria and the UK;
he made the permanent move to London as a teenager. “To
me London has always had more of a structure to it whereas
West Nigeria is more of a no man’s land,” he explains.
“There’s systems in the UK that are designed to help people
even though they’re currently being torn down. There’s a lot
of figuring out to do in Nigeria as a result - every day is like a
maze, the way you got somewhere yesterday is not the same
way you get there the next day. I think both places have done
great for me.”
‘Paradise Now’ is out 30th May via September
Recordings.
Read the full feature at diymag.com/in-deep/obongjayar
D
10 D

Success for me
is when you
finish a project and
you know you’ve got
a good thing.
Photo: George Muncey

NEWS
Have You Heard?
Some of the biggest and best tracks from the last month.
RICO NASTY
On The Low
A track written - in Rico’s own words - “for
the girls”, this latest slice of upcoming
record ‘LETHAL’ is admittedly a bit of a
different pace to her previously-released
‘TEETHSUCKER (YEA3X)’. Where that
single was a fiery war of words, cut
through with a brazen chanty chorus, her
new trap-pop track ‘On The Low’ is
altogether more sparkly, channelling the
addictive sugar rush of early PC Music with a hyperpop hook so
potent that it’d make A.G. Cook proud.
CHAPPELL ROAN
The Giver
Her first single since ‘Good Luck, Babe!’
catapulted her to global mainstream
stardom last year, ‘The Giver’ also marks
a first foray into country for Chappell
Roan. Following in the recent-ish
footsteps of Beyoncé (whose ‘COWBOY
CARTER’, redefined popular conceptions
of the genre, of course), the Midwest
Princess’ latest takes traditional country
elements (see: the fiddle-driven instrumentation and heart-onsleeve
lyricism) and incorporates them into an impossibly catchy
pop anthem, subverting the genre’s historically heteronormative
associations with her signature sapphic spin.
WET LEG
catch these fists
Not many songs manage to
namecheck Puss In
Boots and dark fruits
cider in the same
bridge but then
again, not many
bands are Wet
Leg. The
group’s latest
cut - and first to be lifted from
forthcoming second album
‘moisturizer’ - ‘catch these fists’ is a
dance-punk delight that sees the
band’s Rhian Teasdale take square
aim at pervy blokes trying to ruin
nights out in her now-signature
sprechgesang (“I don’t want your
love, I just wanna fight”). If we’re not
all sardonically yelling ‘Man
dooooown!’ by the end of festival
season, something has gone terribly
wrong.
SOFT PLAY FT.
KATE NASH
Slushy
Those with good
memories might
realise that this isn’t
the first time that Kate
Nash and Isaac Holman
have shared the mic; back
in 2023, the pair appeared
together for the latter’s Baby
Dave project, for a melancholic
rumination on loneliness and disconnection in
‘Telephobia’. Now, however - back with primary
partner-in-crime Laurie Vincent - SOFT PLAY’s collab
with the ‘Foundations’ star presents a different (but
still very pressing) issue. A riotous rampage of a
banger that’s dedicated to regretfully giving up a
slurp of a beloved slushy, the fact that you can almost
hear Kate giggle mid-performance (“You sucked all
the flavour out of my slushy / What a fucking joke of
an analogy”) makes the whole thing even more
deliciously good.
CMAT
Running / Planning
Arguably one of music’s
most productive stars right now (save for
her Irish brethren Fontaines DC, perhaps),
it may be barely two years since CMAT
gave us ‘Crazymad, For Me’ but she’s
already back with another whole album up
her sequinned sleeve. The first taste of the
now-forthcoming ‘Euro-Country’,
‘Running/Planning’ is another classically
witty offering that boasts both a chant-worthy strut and swooning
pay-off, all while delving into the omnipresent pressure on women
to be all things to all people. Get you a girl who can do both, eh.
C
Keep your devices up to date
C
Scan for ESSENTIAL NEW TRACKS
Photo: Iris Luz
12 D

Neighbourhood
WEEKENDER 25 SATURDAY 24 TH MAY 2025
SUNDAY 25 TH MAY 2025
THE WOMBATS • THE REYTONS
OCEAN COLOUR SCENE • THE SNUTS • AMY MACDONALD
THE K’S • LOTTERY WINNERS • DYLAN JOHN THOMAS
THE ROYSTON CLUB • THE BLUETONES • SEB LOWE
THE SLOW READERS CLUB • KINGFISHR
PICTURE PARLOUR • OVERPASS • PIXEY • FREDDIE HALKON • SIOBHAN WINIFRED
THE GUEST LIST • FLORENTENES • ARKAYLA • AARON ROWE • THE BEMONTS
THE LATHUMS • INHALER
DIZZEE RASCAL • SIGRID • CMAT • WUNDERHORSE
THE MARY WALLOPERS • STARSAILOR • CORELLA
NIEVE ELLA • JAMES MARRIOTT • ARTHUR HILL • THE CLAUSE
ALEX SPENCER • SUNDAY (1994) • SOFT LAUNCH • VILLANELLE • LUVCAT • CHLOE SLATER
KERR MERCER • TOM A SMITH • FLORENCE ROAD • CLIFFORDS • STILL BLANK
Neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
VICTORIA PARK • WARRINGTON • 24 TH - 25 TH MAY 2025
WA R R I N G TON
PICTURE PARLOUR
VICTORI A
P A R K
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD INN
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD INN
LIVERPOOL 18 miles
WIGAN 15 miles
MANCHESTER 19 miles
LEEDS 60 miles
CHESTER 22 miles
PRESTON 30 miles
THE CORNER SHOP
BANK
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MANCHESTER 19 miles
NBHDWEEKENDER.COM
#NBHDWKND25
PLUS MUCH MORE

Summer here we come! Here’s the latest on what’s worth getting excited for.
Good 4 Glasto!
The first names for this year’s Glastonbury have
been confirmed, with The 1975, Neil Young and
Olivia Rodrigo all announced as
headliners.
Other acts confirmed to play in
this first announcement include
recent BRIT winner Charli xcx,
as well as Loyle Carner, Biffy
Clyro, RAYE, Doechii, Wolf Alice,
English Teacher and former Little
Mix-er JADE (plus many, many more) so
it’s set to be a huge weekend. DIY’s February
cover star Self Esteem will also return to
Pilton, along with the likes of The Maccabees,
Deftones, Ezra Collective, Wet Leg and ’90s
legend Alanis Morrisette.
Glasto’s first announcement
proper comes after Rod Stewart
confirmed his plans to play the
Legends slot last December, while
Neil Young had
also previously
announced his plans
to headline (before
pulling out, and then
re-confirming, as
you do). Glastonbury
once again takes
over Worthy Farm
between 25th and
29th June and the
ticket resale is expected to
take place later this month.
Under The Big Top
As you probably know by now, we’re set to return to
Leeds’ Temple Newsam next month for another ace
edition of Live at Leeds in the Park. What’s even
more exciting, though, is that
we’ll once again be hosting
a stage at the event, with a
truly ace line-up.
While Scottish quartet
The Snuts will be
topping the bill after
Public Service
Broadcasting take
to the stage, other
acts playing the
DIY Big Top will
include trippy
party-starters
Fat Dog, Aussie
psych masters
Psychedelic
Porn Crumpets
and Class of
2025 inductees
- and all-round
good lads -
Getdown
Services, with
more to be
announced! If
that’s not bang
for your buck…
And don’t forget, that’s not all we’ll be doing on site
on the day; we’ll also be hosting a very special round
of musical bingo at the festival’s local pub, Two Legs,
before a good old fashioned round of Barrioke.
Wanna join in the action? Of course you do! Live at
Leeds in the Park takes place on Saturday 24th May -
head over to diymag.com now to
find out how to get your hands
on tickets.
Bright
Young
Things
London
grime-punk
duo Bob
Vylan
have been
confirmed
as one of
the headliners
for this year’s Brighten The Corners.
They’ll be joining Dry Cleaning - who
had previously been announced to top the
bill - at the Ipswich event,
when it takes place
across 13th and 14th
June.
The former
DIY cover stars
aren’t the only new
act announced to play
the festival. Now organisers have
revealed that the likes of HotWax - who just released
debut album ‘Hot Shock’ - and Ivor Novello Rising
Star-winning Master Peace will also be joining the
bill this summer, along with a list of brilliant new and
emerging artists including Disgusting Sisters, The
Pill, Westside Cowboy and Mandrake Handshake.
They’re set to play the multi-venue event
alongside previously-confirmed
names including Lime Garden,
DEADLETTER and Gruff Rhys,
who were announced last
month. Head over to
diymag.com now
to check out the
full list of new
additions.
The Streets, Lola Young, Jon Bastiste
and Ghetts will all join Little Simz at this
year’s Meltdown (12th - 22nd June), after it
was announced last month that Simz would
be curating the bill. This 30th edition of the
Southbank Centre event will also feature
performances from Sasha Keable, and Little
Dragon’s Yukimi.
The next wave of party-starting acts set to
play Charli xcx’s headline day at LIDO (14th
June) has been unveiled. Joining the fun are
cult alt-pop duo Magdalena Bay, DJ and
drag darling Jodie Harsh, ’00s tastemaker
Gesaffelstein and fellow French star Yseult,
who’ll perform alongside PC Music stalwart
AG Cook, indie sleaze revivalist The Dare,
Welsh producer Kelly Lee Owens and more.
Central London’s BST Hyde Park (12th July)
has announced its next 2025 headliner, and
it’s none other than iconic singer, songwriter,
musician, and producer Stevie Wonder. Set
to take to the event’s Great Oak Stage for
the third time this summer, Wonder will be
stopping off in the capital as part of his LOVE,
LIGHT & SONG 2025 UK tour.
Swiss event Paléo (22nd - 27th July) has
confirmed its full 2025 lineup and it’s shaping
up to be quite the week. Among those set to
play are two former DIY cover stars - rock
titans Queens Of The Stone Age and vital
punk voices Lambrini Girls - as well as
Moonchild Sanelly, Chalk, and Big Special.
Flow (8th - 10th August) has unveiled a new
wave of acts for its 2025 bill, with Little Simz
(who recently announced details of her highly
anticipated next album, ‘Lotus’), polymorphic
visionary FKA twigs, and BRIT nominee Lola
Young all set to appear at the Finnish event.
28 new names have been announced to
play Reading & Leeds (21st - 24th August),
including nu-metal icons Limp Bizkit, gothrock
auteur Heartworms, BRITs Rising Star
nominees Good Neighbours, and DIY Class
of 2025 inductee Matilda Mann. They’ll join
the likes of Chappell Roan, Bring Me The
Horizon and Hozier across the Bank Holiday
weekender.
Photos: Emma Swann, Ed Miles
14 D

THE NORTH EAST’S BIGGEST EVER MUSIC FESTIVAL
ROBBIE WILLIAMS
KAISER CHIEFS • PERRIE
ANDREW CUSHIN • LOTTERY WINNERS
NELL MESCAL • GUY SEBASTIAN
DECO • SONNY TENNET • CHARLIE FLOYD • HARRIET ROSE
WEDNESDAY 4TH JUNE 2025
PLUS MORE TBA
NEWCASTLE TOWN MOOR
WEDNESDAY 4TH - SUNDAY 8TH JUNE 2025
COMETOGETHERFESTIVAL.CO.UK

NEU
New artists, new music.

d4vd
Already a bona fide global sensation with over 100 million streams under his belt, for
David Anthony Burke’s debut album ‘Withered’, he’s delving even deeper to write his most
authentic and unashamedly d4vd chapter yet.
Words: Kayla Sandiford
Just a few years ago, David Anthony Burke - who
performs as d4vd - was writing and recording songs
on BandLab in his sister’s closet, crafting melodies in
solitude with little expectation of what was to come
next. Now, at only 20 years old, the genre-bending
visionary has become a global sensation. Having amassed over
100 million monthly streams, landed international headline spots,
opened for SZA during her sold-out ‘SOS’ North America tour
and performed at Valentino’s 2024 Milan Fashion Week show, his
ascent so far has been nothing short of meteoric.
Reflecting on this rapid rise over a transatlantic Zoom call,
he explains how he’s navigated the experience. “Processing
everything is a two-way street. There are days where I don’t
remember anything that’s happened, and there are days where
I’m thinking about it constantly, every single second of the day,”
he says. “It helps to have my family around me, a great team, and
my faith in God. I try to stay grounded and humble all the time to
keep my mind right with the different things that come with being
propelled to success at this speed.”
His path to musical success wasn’t traditional, and it grew out
of an unlikely source: Fortnite. Born in Queens, New York and
raised in Houston, Texas, it was gospel which soundtracked
his early years. At the time he was also being homeschooled,
an experience that proved to be isolating, but he soon found a
sense of community via playing Fortnite, and was able to expand
his musical repertoire
while watching fanmade
montages of
the game, introducing
him to a vast range of
artists - everyone from
Wallows to Deftones.
When he began making
his own edits, they
were demonetised for
copyright and his mother
suggested a workaround
that would change his
trajectory: why not make
his own music?
true self-starter,
he took his mother’s advice and d4vd was born. With a
A massively positive reception that would eventually lead
to his songs ‘Romantic Homicide’ and ‘Here With Me’ going
viral in 2022, he found an immediate fanbase within the Fortnite
community. Now, he explains that ultimately he was able to
envision his music going beyond the montages.
“The thing about the music [he made] for Fortnite is that they
were also great songs. I made the songs for videos in the gaming
community, and they were able to be used in that context. But
when I was making those songs I never thought, ‘OK, I’m a gamer,
I’m going to make a song specifically for this. I’m going to be super
corny with it, it’s just going to be for these people in a particular
audience and I’m going to box myself into this persona’. I knew
what I liked, what I didn’t like, my inspirations and my passions.
And music was weaving its way into my life very subtly and
sneakily.”
Due to being homeschooled, his music often referenced situations
that he was yet to experience himself. “When I started making
these songs, I realised that I was talking about very complex
things in love and relationships, feelings and emotions that I
wasn’t experiencing at the time. I was able to be a conduit for the
people in my life, talking to my friends about their relationships, or
relationship problems and how their breakups affected them.”
Eventually, he was able to channel his own experiences and
deeply felt emotions into the music, bringing him to his 2023
EPs ‘Petals to Thorns’ and ‘The Lost Petals’. While they both
examine infatuation and the fragility of love, forthcoming debut
LP ‘Withered’ is the aftermath - a closer look at his growth,
appreciating the beauty of life, embracing its positives and
negatives - from the mesmerising push-pull of the Kali Uchisfeaturing
‘Crashing’, to the jumpy wallflower observations of ‘What
Are You Waiting For’. The album is a collection in which David has
embraced being his truest self.
“I wanted this project to be super unequivocally me: authentic
to the d4vd sound, aesthetic, themes, everything had to be me.”
Ultimately, this process meant delving deeper within. “I went to
London for two weeks to make this project. When my friends and
I went, I said let’s just listen to my music. Not anything else, just
d4vd. I was thinking, ‘how do I chase my own sound and expand
on this?’ So I listened to myself for melodies, lyrical content, and
themes. But for the instrumentals and production, I was pulling
from Radiohead, Nirvana, a little bit of Billie Eilish, and Clairo. I
was trying to stay within a genre that was consistent while still
being unique in order to build upon the album.”
ithered’ utilises the growth cycle of a rose as a
metaphor which encapsulates David’s experiences
‘W of connection, love, confusion and loss. At its core is
an interlude titled ‘Invisible String Theory’, a poignant conversation
which he identifies as a central motif in contextualising the album’s
broader world. “I talk about that connection in a conversation
with another person and at the end, she says don’t leave me. The
irony of that situation
is that she ends up
leaving anyway. I’m
“I wanted this project
to be super unequivocally
me: authentic to the d4vd
sound, aesthetic, themes,
everything had to be me. ”
balancing this negativity
and positivity, using
situations in my life
to exude a different
vulnerability that I wasn’t
doing before. I’m slowly
pulling the curtains back
on who d4vd is.”
At this stage, the
album serves as both
introduction and
continuation. “I want to
be a voice for people
that express themselves through music,” he asserts. “I want my
listeners to find their song and explore what they associate with it.
For this project I reach inward. Every song feels like a different part
of my life, and I want to communicate all of the love that I didn’t in
the past few projects. It’s like the fans will be meeting me for the
first time with this album, but I’m excited for new people to come
in and meet me for the first time as well.”
Having previously scrapped his first attempts at making an album,
he knew that ‘Withered’ was the one when he was able to step
back from being his own critic. “Sometimes I listen to my music
and think, ‘OK, this doesn’t fit here’. But when I listened to the
album, I had a smile on my face. I never have a smile on my face
when I listen to something like that. I felt emotions I’d never felt, I
was a listener again and I wasn’t trying to dissect the music. It’s
like my baby. It’s the best and worst parts of my life in one.”
Despite all that he has achieved, David still views himself as “that
homeschooled kid in the Fortnite gaming community”. His rich
authenticity is what nurtures his creative flow, allowing him to tell
his story and build worlds. With each chapter he adds, the story
becomes more compelling. “I’m staying nostalgic about the whole
thing,” he notes, “I mean, the theme of ‘Withered’ is the ending
of the life cycle of a rose. When a rose grows from the dirt, it also
goes back to the dirt. This project is me going back to the dirt.”
D
Photo: Max Durante
D 17

NEU
Alien Chicks
Gearing up for the release of a second EP, Alien Chicks are the South
London punk trio braving the rail network to storm as many stages as
they can.
Words: Caitlin Chatterton
day I was humming in class
and a student goes, ‘oh, don’t
quit your day job, Sir!’” grins
Josef Lindsay, guitarist and
“One
lead vocalist of Alien Chicks.
“Someone else in the room goes ‘nah, shut up - Sir is
a great singer, innit Sir?’, and winked at me.”
Once the bell rings on his day as a chemistry teacher,
Josef and bassist Stefan Parker-Steele (a physics
teacher) can regularly be found racing from school to
the train station, picking up drummer Martha Daniels
en route to that night’s show. “[Josef and Stefan] got
sick of driving, so now they’ve implemented a ‘touring
by train’ policy,” explains Martha, sitting between
them in the garden of a South London pub. “I’ve been
having lessons and I was meant to do my test a month
ago, but my instructor said if I do my test I’ll fail!”
The punk trio have recently finished touring with
Norwegian outfit Pom Poko - creating a series of
chaotic railway adventures that resulted in Stefan
losing one of his work shoes. “I got them for
Christmas as well,” he says woefully, as Josef laughs.
“I was fuming.”
They’ll soon be back on the road (or tracks) to open
for the similarly raucous Lambrini Girls, before
hopping the Channel for a headline Germany tour
celebrating the release of impending second EP,
‘Forbidden Fruit’. “We’re just trying to figure out
how to get to places,” Martha says, returning again
to the logistics of public transport, this time with an
international outlook. “[Gledeberg] looks like a hamlet
- I was looking on the map and it’s about ten houses,
and we’re playing at a bee farm in a barn.”
The band have found firm fans in Germany; among
them, one man who’d trekked from his isolated house
atop a mountain to see their show, and another who
rocked up wearing merch from their very first single,
‘While My Landlord Sleeps’. “They said they nearly
flew to England to watch us,” Stefan remembers of
the latter. “When you meet people of that quality, it
doesn’t matter if there’s only nine or ten people. It
really makes it worth it.”
Having first cut their teeth at Brixton’s Windmill
- they refer to the venue like a beloved alma mater -
collecting fans via their live shows is practically in the
band’s DNA. Their commitment to the culture is clear
in the injuries they’ve played through: an impromptu
demonstration at school that went wrong and left
Josef with a boxer’s fracture to the hand; a sprained
ankle (also Josef), and the physical and emotional
trauma from Martha falling between the train and the
platform edge at a German train station (“They don’t
say ‘mind the gap’ in Europe!”).
The stage has also proven to be fertile ground for
songwriting. The frantic ‘Steve Buscemi’ - a crowd
favourite that folds rap into the crunching guitars
of the band’s punk instincts - was born from an
onstage jam at one of their earliest shows, when their
catalogue didn’t yet stretch to the runtime they’d been
handed. The track features on their first EP, last year’s
‘Indulging The Mobs’. As on their debut, their second
EP’s seemingly tongue-in-cheek titles (‘Dairylea’,
‘Mister Muscle’, ‘I’ve Become A Palm Tree’) bely more
sincere themes of generational lethargy and the limits
of free will, as jazzier melodies offer a new sonic
perspective.
“You should listen to ‘Say Fish’ on the EP - that’s
probably the best song we’ll ever release,” Josef says,
leaning closer to the phone laying on the table to
record our conversation. “Actually - not ever. But up to
this point, it’s the best song we’ve written. I feel like a
lot of the songs we’ve put
out have been, compared
to the rest of our set,
actually quite onedimensional.”
[We would
politely disagree, but OK
- Ed] “Not on purpose or
anything. Just because.
But I think ‘Say Fish’ has
lots of very different ideas
that all blend really nicely.”
Like ‘Indulging The Mobs’,
‘Forbidden Fruit’ was
recorded in just two days
- a financial necessity,
with the silver lining that
recording the tracks live
maintained much of the
energy they summon
onstage. “We’re figuring
it out as we go along,
but I think we know what
we like the sound of
now,” Stefan says of the
recording process this
time around. “I think we
know what bits we want
to improve on a bit, before
we go and do an entire
album. I don’t want us
to do it and then not be
happy with it at the end
of it.”
What they do seem
pretty happy with is the
current game plan: gig as much as humanly possible,
recording what they can, when they can; maybe
hire a van once Martha can drive it. Their non-stop
touring calendar provides endless anecdotes that
they fire back and forth across the table, occasionally
leaping to their feet to demonstrate a story more
enthusiastically. At the core of the band are three
mates having a laugh, and sticking to what feels most
authentically Alien Chicks takes chief importance.
“The songs are quite weird,” Martha summarises,
explaining how they’ve struggled to find session
musicians to pack out their sound the way they’d like.
“There are quite weird chords and everything, and it
can be a bit complicated.”
“Martha, ask yourself this,” Josef says dramatically,
swivelling round to face her. “If the chords weren’t
weird, would we be having this interview right now?”
She laughs. “We’d probably be having more!” D
“We’re figuring it out as
we go along, but I think we
know what we like the sound
of now. ”
- Stefan Parker-Steele
Photo: Foxtrotter
18 D

Bicker
THE SOPHOMORE ALBUM FROM
THE SOPHOMORE ALBUM FROM
Out Out Now Now
On On tour tour in in April April
Tickets Tickets on on sale sale now now
22/04 22/04 - Hug - Hug & Pint, & Pint, Glasgow Glasgow
23/04 23/04 - Yellow - Yellow Arch, Arch, Sheffield Sheffield
24/04 24/04 - Kazimer - Kazimer Stockroom, Stockroom, Liverpool Liverpool
25/04 25/04 - The - The Lodge, Lodge, Manchester Manchester
26/04 26/04 - Noizze - Noizze Fest, Fest, Cardiff Cardiff
27/04 27/04 - Rough - Rough Trade, Trade, Nottingham Nottingham
28/04 28/04 - The - The Jericho, Jericho, Oxford
Oxford
29/04 29/04 - The - The Flapper, Flapper, Birmingham Birmingham
30/04 30/04 - Voodoo - Voodoo Daddys, Daddys, Norwich Norwich
01/05 01/05 - The - The Exchange, Exchange, Bristol Bristol
02/05 02/05 - Moth - Moth Club, Club, London London
03/05 03/05 - Alphabet, - Alphabet, Brighton Brighton
Pre-order at at bsmrocks.com
New from Big Big Scary Monsters
The The Debut EP EP
Back on on red/orange vinyl vinyl
Exclusive to to record stores worldwide

A monthly focus on these crucial cogs in the wonderful new music wheel.
NEU
NEU Recommended
Your pocket guide to the new names who’ve been catching our eyes (and ears) of late.
NEU
LABEL SPOTLIGHT
Witch Post
The transatlantic duo bringing magic to guitar music.
Witch Post is the serendipitous fusion between Scotland’s Dylan Fraser
and the USA’s Alaska Reid, a duo whose chemistry reignites the spirit
of the ‘90s alternative rock scene. Having thus far shared a handful of
heaving previews of their debut EP ‘The Wolf’, it’s clear that the pair
are at the forefront of a rousing revival. Effortlessly bridging eras, their
expansive sound finds harmony across the gritty and the ethereal,
conjuring a nostalgic reverence while introducing a fresh landscape.
Beyond a simple partnership, Fraser and Reid are a powerful creative force
poised to leave their mark on what it means to make cool rock music that
evokes old memories and creates new ones.
LISTEN: The titular single from their debut EP is an infectious, primal cry.
SIMILAR TO: Pressing play on an unlabelled mixtape and being transported to a world that feels both strangely
familiar and refreshingly unknown.
Westside Cowboy
Manchester upstarts expertly marrying delicate grace with genuine grit.
Self-described as Britainicana (that’s Americana born somewhere around Afflecks
Palace, to you and me) Westside Cowboy have, only one song in, immediately
cemented themselves as an exhilarating proposition. Joining the likes of Divorce
and jasmine.4.t at the centre of the UK’s current alt-folk purple patch - and yet
concurrently evoking the spirit of ‘90s luminaries like Teenage Fanclub or Pavement
- the four-piece trade as much in affecting, multi-layer harmonies as they do serious
slacker-rock shredding. If the opening wail of ‘I’ve Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really
Love (Until I Met You)’ is anything to go by, Westside Cowboy is a name set to make quite the impression.
LISTEN: It may currently be their only official release, but that single of theirs has us pressing play again and
again (and again…).
SIMILAR TO: Carefully dressing a wound only to rip the plaster straight off again.
Mei Semones
The Brooklyn guitar virtuoso whose
offerings are a breath of fresh air.
Blending jazzy and orchestral instrumentation with indie pop sensibilities, Mei
Semones’ distinctive sound is an alchemic amalgamation that’s flourishing far
beyond the state lines of her New York stomping ground. Though there’s an
undeniably endearing air to her artistry (see the pastel-toned single artworks,
created by her mum), it avoids tipping into twee by dint of her ambitious yet
accessible reimagination of prog-rock; impending debut LP ‘Amimaru’ is in feeling
a far cry from London’s Windmill band lineage, but is just as thrillingly unpredictable.
LISTEN: ‘Dumb Feeling’’s irresistible bossa nova groove is pure sonic sunshine.
SIMILAR TO: If early beabadoobee upped sticks to New Orleans.
House Of Protection
A ferocious new project from rock and hardcore royalty.
This Californian duo may only have a handful of songs out in the world,
but they’re already racking up achievements like nobody’s business.
Made up of former FEVER 333, The Chariot and Night Verses members
Stephen Harrison and Aric Improta, they’ve not just got a stellar CV,
but also a slew of fierce tracks to back it up. Having released debut EP
‘GALORE’ last year, they’re building on those foundations with a Jordan
Fish-produced offering this month, with a run of festival dates and a US
tour supporting Poppy still all to come.
LISTEN: Recent single ‘Afterlife’ is a glitchy gut-punch of a track.
SIMILAR TO: The chaotic but epic mid-point between Deftones and Bring
Me The Horizon.
Cliffords
Cork-based rockers making an indisputable case for the south of Ireland.
Few new bands have both the musical chops and the confidence to set a
precedent as boldly as Cliffords, but then again, daunted doesn’t appear
to be part of the young Cork quartet’s vocabulary. Though a debut
EP, ‘Strawberry Scented’, arrived this time last year, there’s the
distinct feeling that they’re about to kick off in earnest; sparked by
the captivating voice of Iona Lynch and bolstered by fiery guitar
work, their sound is the type that’s near-guaranteed to ignite
festival fields. Just look at last month’s ‘Bittersweet’ - their first
new music since that debut project, the single has stadium-sized
potential, delivered with such conviction that we’re ready to buy
into whatever the band peddle next.
LISTEN: The above track’s crashing intro has all the hallmarks of
a future classic.
SIMILAR TO: The catharsis that comes with screaming at the top of
your lungs.
Daisy Carter, Kayla Sandiford, Sarah Jamieson.
DIY149
#5
CHESS CLUB
45 RPM
How would you describe, in less than 10 words,
the ethos behind Chess Club?
Will Street: Driven by discovery and an enduring
passion for artist development.
Peter McGaughrin: Indie with ambition.
What are some of your highlights or most
memorable moments since founding Chess
Club? Do you have any artists or campaigns
that you’re particularly proud of?
Will: In September 2013 we had Swim Deep, Wolf
Alice and Sundara Karma all signed to the label
and on tour together, which I think has to be one of
the best triple threat lineups of all time!
MØ is also an incredibly important artist in the
label’s history. Working with her during the
explosion of ‘Lean On’ with Major Lazer was nuts!
Seeing a song catch fire like that, become a global
smash and do over one billion streams was totally
wild! Having an artist on the roster who was the
voice of the biggest song in the world at the time is
something not a lot of labels get to experience.
How would you describe the current
relationship between independent labels and
the wider music landscape? Do you think there
have been any significant changes since the
label’s inception?
Will: Yikes, SO MANY changes! For starters,
streaming and TikTok did not exist, so the fact
that those two mediums are now arguably the two
most important driving forces behind marketing
campaigns shows just how much the landscape
has evolved. The power dynamic of the media
landscape has also shifted, with social media
being king when it comes to audience growth.
Long gone are the days of getting your song on the
Hype Machine chart, having Zane Lowe give you a
spin on R1 and watching it fly! RIP.
Peter: In the early days it was about giving
unknown artists a voice as they didn’t have
one. Now everyone has a voice, but it can get
drowned out, so it’s about helping them cut
through - supporting their creative vision with
advice, resources, investment and strategy so
they can rise above and have a long career with
their art. Generally speaking, before and now, big
companies need success quickly or an artist can
be out of the door, whereas we try to build good
foundations for longterm success, which takes
more care and patience.
What’s one piece of label-running advice you’d
give your younger self?
Will: Follow your gut and work with artists who you
feel passionately about. As long as you have pride
in all the music that you put your name to, then it
doesn’t really matter how others feel about it. Just
like any label over the years, we’ve had our fair
share of projects that we couldn’t get going, but
if I can listen back to those records today and still
think ‘that’s a fucking great tune!’, then I’m happy.
Peter: Work with good, honest, hard-working
people with great instincts who care about what
they do; try to always do what you say you’re going
to do; and enjoy it as you go!
Photos: Parker Love Bowling, Joe Moss, Lucas O.M., Anthony Tran, Cal McIntyre
20 D

NEU
The Buzz Feed
All the buzziest new music happenings in one place.
Modern Day
Romantic
Future pop phenomenon Chloe Qisha has
announced that she’ll be hitting the road for
a run of shows around the UK and Europe
this Autumn, and has also shared that a
new EP, ‘Modern Romance’, will arrive on
1st May.
Despite only making her live debut last
year, Chloe has since played to soldout
crowds in London, Manchester,
Amsterdam, and Paris, and is now
gearing up for a full run of headline
dates across the continent. This October,
she’ll be playing King Tuts, Glasgow
(5th October), Gorilla, Manchester (7th),
Exchange, Bristol (8th), Village Underground,
London (9th), Point Éphémère, Paris (11th),
Botanique, Witloof Bar, Brussels (12th), Bitterzoet,
Amsterdam (14th) and Badehaus, Berlin (15th).
Plus, having kick-started the year with the release of two
huge singles, the prolific, hotly-tipped newcomer will soon follow
up her self-titled debut EP with what she’s called “the project of [her] dreams”. Sharing more about ‘Modern
Romance’, Chloe has said: “I am so proud of this body of work and so excited to play it to people when we
tour in October. She’s the sister act to my first EP, the more rambunctious, and daring younger sibling who’s
ready to make her mark. She’s about love in the modern age, in all of her passionate and messy forms. We’ve
only just scraped the surface, and I can’t wait for the world to see what we have in store.”
said in a press release.
The Shack Are
Back
Welsh punk quartet Panic Shack have returned
with their first new material in over two years, in
the form of ‘Gok Wan’, a searing examination of
the toxic culture surrounding body image and
fad diets.
The band’s new offering marks their first
official release since their 2022 single ‘Meal
Deal’ and ‘Baby Shack’ EP, and is taken
from their forthcoming debut album (ooher!).
The gut-punch of a single also sees
them re-appropriating infamous phrases from
the era (such as the frankly awful “Nothing
tastes as good as skinny feels”) in an energised,
empowering anthem. “Growing up in the ’00s we
were bombarded with constant images of super
skinny models and ‘IT girls’ as well as TV shows all about
‘looking good’ and ‘being thin’. We wanted to write a song
that embodied the ludicrous nature of what we were consuming
as literal children and how it affected us then and to this day,” the band
The track - which comes accompanied by a raw new video, directed by Ren Faulkner and choreographed by
Lauren Fretwell - also lands ahead of the band’s upcoming headline tour, which kicks off in May. Head over to
diymag.com now to watch the ‘Gok Wan’ video, and check out their full list of live shows.
Everybody Needs Good
Neighbours
Glasgow quintet Humour have returned with their first new music in nearly two
years. The band, who released their two previous EPs - ‘Pure Misery’ and ‘A
Small Crowd Gathered To Watch Me’ in 2022 and 2023 respectively - have now
offered up their latest single ‘Neighbours’.
“‘Neighbours’ is about a guy who lives alone but is convinced that a group
of mischievous creatures share his flat, deliberately doing things to make him
suffer,” the band’s Andreas Christodoulidis has said, “like turning off the heating
in winter, or turning it up when he’s too hot and making noise in the kitchen when he
tries to sleep. As he gradually descends into paranoia and psychological instability, he
decides to try and get rid of them by turning the oven on and letting gas fill the flat overnight.”
Alongside the new track - out now via So Young - the band have shared an appropriately claustrophobic
video, as directed by Pedro Takahashi. Head over to diymag.com now to check it out.
THE NEU
PLAYLIST
Fancy discovering your new favourite artist?
Dive into the cream of the new music crop
below.
Midnight Rodeo - Dixon
Leading the charge as Midnight
Rodeo gear up to release a
debut album is ‘Dixon’ - a
hypnotic, groove-heavy single
that encapsulates their
signature blend of jangly guitars,
swirling synths, and the ethereal
vocals of frontwoman Maddy Chamberlain. The
Nottingham five-piece have steadily built a
reputation for intoxicating psych-pop, and ‘Dixon’
is a testament to their ability to merge cinematic
storytelling with irresistible rhythms; here, our
protagonist - a washed-up drifter haunted by past
choices - drifts through the track’s rich sonic
landscape. Gemma Cockrell
Keo - I Lied, Amber
Having whipped up widespread
excitement online and IRL,
Keo’s first studio release has
finally arrived. A certified sucker
punch, both instrumentally and
emotionally, it takes a fresh look
at original grunge sounds. ‘I
Lied, Amber’ tells the tale of mistrust developing
within a relationship - a complex emotional mess
which vocalist Finn Keogh poignantly illustrates
through his impassioned upper range. They may
be young and very new, but this debut single is a
statement of the soaring highs the band are
primed to reach. Peter Martin
The Orchestra (For
Now) - The Strip
As the release of their debut EP
‘Plan 75’ fast approaches, The
Orchestra (For Now) have
shared their most tempestuous
offering yet. ‘The Strip’ sprawls
through paranoid surges of
frantic piano, dense guitar riffs
and shrill, quavering strings. The lyricism is
unsparing as it paints something of a neo-noir film
saga, all held together by a feverish core. Any
shred of calm only lasts for a moment before the
instrumentation coils into itself, preparing for a
guttural release. An exemplary demonstration of
The Orchestra (For Now)’s growing complexity.
Kayla Sandiford
Lauren Duffus -
N.U.M.T.E.
Since beginning her musical
journey in 2020, London-based t
Lauren Duffus has quickly
established herself within the
city’s vibrant electronic scene
and she’s now returned with her
first track since 2022. This
dystopian club number exists in a hypnagogic
state, somewhere between a dream and gloaming
wakefulness. Her echoed repetition of “I need you
more than ever” drifts over twinkling synths and
fidgety breakbeats to create an ethereal
atmosphere defined
by its surreal use of
space. On
‘N.U.M.T.E.’, Duffus
blurs the boundaries
of her reality with
dreamy, liminal
soundscapes,
showcasing an
inimitable flair. Kayla
Sandiford
UPDATE YOUR EARS!
Scan the code to listen to the Neu Playlist.
Photos: Lillie Eiger, Marilena Vlachopoulou, Ren Faulks
22 D

NEU
Wishy
A year on from the release of their debut ‘Triple Seven’, US quintet Wishy
are showing off a different side to their sonic coin, with new EP ‘Planet
Popstar’.
Words: Isabella Ambrosio
There’s a warm heat, much like the
summer sun, that spreads through
the mind as Wishy’s ‘Planet Popstar’
EP coasts through speakers. Through
layered vocals, acoustic guitars and
laid-back melodies, the quintet construct insouciant
shoegaze that moulds together the sound of last
year’s debut full-length, the rock-leaning ‘Triple
Seven’, and vocalist Nina Pitchkites’ intimate
songwriting meticulously. Essentially B-sides from the
album, the EP offers a chance for them to showcase a
wider sound: “We had a bunch of songs left over that
we really liked that didn’t fit on the album,” explains
guitarist Kevin Krauter. “So while we’re in the process
of writing for the new album, let’s finish these up and
put out a little EP.”
This exploration is easily contextualised when
reflecting on the sonic paths that Nina and Kevin
found themselves on. Immersed in a world of music,
with Kevin learning the guitar from his older brother
– American post-grunge outfit Creed particularly
sticking out in his memory – and Nina finding
alternative music through her older sister, the pair’s
paths were destined to cross. They grew up in the
same town in Indiana – it wasn’t a difficult connection
to make.
While Nina and Kevin’s little sisters were in the same
grade at school, “it wasn’t until college that Nina and
I started hanging out with a larger group of friends
that were playing music,” says Kevin. House gigs
and mutual friends made the duo’s tracks converge
as they both experimented sonically within different
groups, finding each other in the crowds of one
another’s sets. “Nina started her project Push Pop
and some of our mutual friends that I had played with
were playing in her project,” adds Kevin.
Familiar with one another, they were soon united by
the idea of listening to a track and thinking, ‘This is
cool, but it should go like this.’ And so, they found
themselves face-to-face with a new idea back in 2019
at Kevin’s suggestion: a twee-pop band. “I remember
getting a text with the simple statement – ‘I want to
start a twee-pop band,’” reflects Nina.
For Kevin, it had to happen - “the way Nina writes
songs [being] similar” to the exact sound he’d
originally been chasing. The duo soon began piecing
together elements of their previous work into what
would become two new
projects – first Mana, and
now Wishy.
“Nina was leading the
way on the vibe. She was
writing softer, poppier,
gentler stuff that still kind
of had an upbeat poppy
feel,” Kevin describes.
“So, the two projects
initially felt very different. Eventually, we were like,
‘Well, we want to make something out of both of
these’, but making two bands happen at once is kind
of difficult.”
Folding “the two into one,” Mana members drummer
Conner Host and guitarist Dimitri Moss joined the
pair, before completing the lineup with bassist Mitch
Collins. Together, they’ve found the balance between
the world of Kevin’s power pop-rock and Nina’s
breezy indie.
With the album rocking as the guitarist so intended,
the band has “other songs that are more delicate
and intimate and not in your face,” he acknowledges.
And so, ‘Planet Popstar’ explores “a different side
sonically”, while still being Wishy. It’s still the two
minds whose paths crossed all those years ago
searching for the same thing – a place to create, and a
place to explore, without limits. D
“[These songs] are more
delicate and intimate and
not in your face.
- Kevin Krauter ”
Photo: Conor Shepard
D 23

THE
LONG
AND
WINDING
ROAD

WHEN YOU SPEND YOUR DAYS ACTING
AND YOUR NIGHTS PERFORMING, IT’S
NOT HARD TO GET LOST IN THE LIMINAL
SPACE. THROW IN A SIGNIFICANT
BREAKUP, AN UNTETHERED LIFESTYLE
AND UNPRECEDENTED ONLINE
ATTENTION, AND THE FOG GETS EVEN
THICKER. ON HIS THIRD OUTING AS DJO,
THOUGH, JOE KEERY IS RETRACING HIS
STEPS AND MOVING FORWARDS.
WORDS: DAISY CARTER
PHOTOS: CORINNE CUMMING
PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT: KAROLINA MALYAN

Joe Keery knows a thing or two about existing between
the lines. To some, he’s best known as Steve ‘The Hair’
Harrington, the cult fan-favourite character of OG Netflix
juggernaut Stranger Things. To others, he’s the ‘End of
Beginning’ guy - a sleeper hit that so perfectly captures
the fond melancholia of returning to a once-significant
place, it became 2024’s sixth most streamed song
globally, racking up 1.5 billion plays (and counting). He
grew up in Massachusetts, but moved to LA and is now
based in New York; he spent his formative college years
in Chicago, but his family are still back in Boston; his
acting career has led to temporary stints in Atlanta, Italy,
and Canada, while being a musician has taken him on tour across
the USA, Australia, and New Zealand.
“I’ve lived out of a suitcase for three, four years,” he affirms,
shrugging from across the mahogany table between us. “I don’t
really have a home, honestly.” A self-confessed nomad, well-used
to bouncing between hotel rooms; we shouldn’t be surprised,
really, when he nonchalantly begins today’s shoot with a spot of
ironing in our Shepherd’s Bush suite. It’s after an hour spent darting
between lifts, locales, and traffic lights, joking conspiratorially about
jaywalking before doing exactly that (the result of which, dear reader,
is this issue’s cover), that we eventually settle down to chat. “Right,”
Joe exhales, “now for the good bit.”
It’s an unexpected statement, perhaps - particularly for a man who’s
entirely au fait with the gaze of a camera lens - but it’s also one which
speaks of an artist who is far from just going through the motions;
though he’s unfailingly friendly at every turn, when Joe speaks
about music, he’s effusive. Is it, we hazard, just nice to talk about
something that’s not related to Hawkins, Indiana? “Yeah, certainly,”
he says with a small smile. “And something that I created - it’s fun to
talk about something like that. I’ve been working on it for two years,
and it’s finally coming out.”
He’s not the only one anticipating the arrival of the “something” in
question, either. His third album under the moniker Djo (the ‘d’ is
silent), ‘The Crux’ is - aptly - the culmination of years spent juggling
musical pursuits with a burgeoning acting career and exponentially
increasing public attention. Having amicably stepped away from
his former band - Chicago psych-rock outfit Post Animal - in 2019,
Joe released his debut solo album, ‘Twenty Twenty’, that same
year. Fitting recording around bouts of filming, he followed it up
with 2022’s ‘DECIDE’ - a synth-led strut of a record which, like its
predecessor, was characterised by digitised instrumentation and
bedroom production. But it wasn’t until the mysterious powers of
TikTok sent ‘End of Beginning’ stratospheric that Djo became a
landmark name on the musical map.
“I had some fans who were listening to the music before
who were so great,” he says, assessing when he realised
something had shifted. “But there’s a threshold with the
internet - at a certain point you can’t really tell how many
people are actually involved in this thing. So the real
moment [of consciousness] was playing live and seeing
50,000 people from across the world sing this song.
That was really the moment where I went ‘oh,
okay’,” he pauses and furrows his brow, acting
bemused, “‘a lot of people know this song,
huh? It’s not just something you did for
yourself anymore’.”
And, with the hugely-anticipated
grand finale of Stranger Things
due to air in the autumn,
2025 is shaping up to
be a pivotal year.
Essentially,
Joe has never had
quite this many eyes on his
next move.
Ostensibly a break-up record,
‘The Crux’ was born of a period
when, both professionally and
personally, the ground was shifting
seismically beneath him. “‘Crux literally
means cross, so it [represents] that crossing
point, you know?” he says, considering how the album’s
loose concept - an eponymous hotel in which stays are
temporary and people are transient - helped clarify or
contextualise its tracks. “It definitely wasn’t something that
I was thinking from the outset, [but] it felt like… a good way
to root the story of my own personal life. A big theme of the
album is [the idea that] I am one of many. The POV is from me,
but represented within are all these different characters who are
also passing through.”
And when you’ve got either foot in two different worlds - and the
gravity of each is getting ever stronger - how do you keep your
balance? For Joe, the answer lies in going back to his roots. By
leaning into notions of nostalgia, reflection, and community - both
thematically and sonically - he transforms what could have been a
straightforward heartbreak album into an expansive examination of
identity and growth.
“A BIG THEME OF THE
ALBUM IS [THE IDEA
THAT] I AM ONE OF
MANY.”
“That’s something that was unplanned, but also something that I’m
most proud of about this record,” he says, “that it does, more than
anything I’ve worked on musically, feel like a journey. It feels like it
starts one way and really ends another - it ends with a little bit more
hope, and a little bit more peace.” He’s not wrong: a capital-A album
in the traditional, structural sense, ‘The Crux’ encodes a notable
tonal shift from side A to B, wherein the Strokes-esque sulk of
opener ‘Lonesome Is A State Of Mind’ or the bite of earworm singles
‘Basic Being Basic’ and ‘Delete Ya’ give way to the uncynical openheartedness
of ‘Golden Line’ or ‘Back On You’.
The turning point, then, is ‘Egg’ - a contemplative, existential track
which lands almost like a poem, an internal monologue that explores
“letting fear dominate your decision making, and trying to avoid that.”
(“I seem cavalier / But it’s all an act / I’m cold ‘cause I’m weak / And
deep down inside / There’s nothing unique”). “I feel like whenever you
exit a serious relationship, you always kinda want to go back to your
touchstones: who am I without this person? What is it that really makes
me, me?” Joe asks. Invariably, the answers to both these questions
can always be found at home - not necessarily in a particular place,
26 D

“IT’S COOL TO HAVE
A BUNCH OF PEOPLE
THAT I KNOW AND
LOVE ON THESE
SONGS THAT ARE
BASICALLY ABOUT
LOVING THEM.”
b u t
with particular
people. “That’s probably
why I’ve got such [an]
attachment to my family, and to my
friends from the past,” he says simply.
“You’re always trying to root yourself a little
bit.”
room board, watching everyone in the room screaming those vocals”.
(“Get back to your heart / Only if you give it back again”).
His younger twin sisters, meanwhile, lend their voices to “a bunch
of tracks”, contributing to the gang vocals that envelop Joe’s lead
on everything from rousing glam-rock romp ‘Link’ to soaring ballad
‘Golden Line’, supporting him over the album’s course in a tangible
sonic sense as much as an abstract emotional one. In private
conversation, his love for them is palpable. In practice, it’s now a
matter of public record: “‘Back On You’ is a direct message; it’s
me being so blunt about the way I feel about my sisters, and the
influence they’ve had on me,” he says earnestly, referencing the
album’s joyous, heart-on-sleeve penultimate track. “They’ve always
been there for me - [siblings] know you like nobody else, and they’ve
seen you in every phase of your life. There’s no greater thing I could
sing about in my life right now than them.”
He smiles: “It’s cool to have a bunch of people that I know and love
on these songs that are basically about loving them, memorialised
forever, for me. So that when I put [the album] on when I’m old, it will
take me back. Selfishly, it’s kind of all for me.”
It’s in this way that, curiously, ‘The Crux’ manages to be a breakup
record that somehow isn’t really about the person in question
at all. Instead, it’s an album that’s preoccupied with love in all its
forms - romantic, yes, but also platonic, familial, and of the self. The
conclusion implied by ‘Crux’’s heartening nine-strong chorus, then,
is that often, the great loves of our lives aren’t our partners at all.
“It’s an important lesson to learn,” Joe nods. “I think everybody’s
been in a relationship romantically where you’re so passionately
in love, that perhaps other relationships in your life fall by the
wayside. And in order to have balance in your life - in order to
have real stability - it can’t be about just one person, for anyone.
And I guess it’s just taken me a little bit longer to get to that
realisation.”
Standing in striking contrast to the
relative insularity of ‘Twenty Twenty’
and ‘DECIDE’, his third album finds Joe
both reaching out and reaching back,
throwing open Electric Lady Studios’
iconic doors to old friends and family
while also taking musical cues from his
formative years.
“I had mostly just made music at
home on my computer, so
I was really inspired
by properly
Less simple, though, is reaching out for these liferings
when the current is pulling you ever-further from
familiar shores. “I think it’s just about effort,” he says,
considering the difficulty of maintaining friendships into
adulthood, when even the closest of bonds can be frayed
by frantic schedules or diverging circumstances. “Kind of
through heartbreak,” he offers, seeming slightly reluctant to
use the word, “you realise that you can self-isolate so easily, or
you can be lazy, or you can take it easy too much. But if you put
that effort in, I think you’ll get something back.”
It’s a philosophy that’s realised in earnest across ‘The Crux’.
Joe’s Stranger Things co-star Charlie Heaton, for example,
figures as somewhat of a recurring character on the album (a
guest at the hotel, say), his name a byword for uncomplicated,
unwavering friendship. “Team up with Charlie / Take these kids
for a ride,” he smiles, quoting from ‘Delete Ya’ (a lyric which he
assures us isn’t a reference to the show, despite enthusiastic fan
speculation). He’s even credited on the record (as ‘groundskeeper’),
providing a voicenote-style interlude for technicolour Beatles
pastiche ‘Charlie’s Garden’ - a track which pays loving homage to the
tranquility of its real-life titular retreat. “That song was written at his
house on his piano,” Joe smiles, reminiscing. “We were neighbours
in Atlanta when we were shooting, and I’d just go over, and he’d
always be doing chores in his yard. It’s memorialising this time last
summer - I can close my eyes and picture it.
“It’s for me, really… and for him too! And for the whole crew down in
Atlanta. He’s just a really close friend of mine, and I feel like this past
year we’ve got even closer. I think I got caught up before, sonically,
with sometimes trying to make things sound cool, and now I’m just
interested - at least for this album - in using [songs] like a scrapbook,
so that when I look back, there’s some real emotion attached to these
things. And there really is.”
And Heaton’s isn’t the only familiar name to crop up, either: Joe
explains that “all the guys from Post Animal were in town” when they
laid down stirring closer ‘Crux’, so he “got to stand at the control
D 29

“I WANTED TO
recording analogue instruments in a studio,” he explains. “I had
new access to this great new resource, so I wanted to emulate the
records that were inspiring to me when I was growing up, to kinda
pay homage to those albums by fully utilising the studio.” It’s a fine
balance between making something referential and straying too far
into the realm of mimicry, though - how did he go about walking that
particular tightrope?
“You’re always dancing around that, I think,” he says, “that worry
that you’re ringing the bell too hard. But you’ve kinda just got to
follow your instinct. And I’ve sort of begun to care less and less
about whether people hear the influences. Everybody’s inspired by
everybody, and you’ve just got to trust that you’re the cheesecloth all
these things are going through, and it becomes this sort of soup…
Both the inquisitive child and the adult muso within him, you sense,
were in their absolute element during recording. “What would 14
year-old me like?” he enthuses. “AC/DC, T.Rex, the classic glammyrock
is what I loved. ‘Gap Tooth Smile’ is a song I feel like I almost
wrote for myself as a young guy - I think I would’ve been proud of
that one.
“Me and my friend Ted were talking recently,” he continues, “about
how there are only a certain number of bands in your life where you
hear their music and just think ‘I’ve gotta be part of that’. Like: ‘I
wanna be in this band, but I also just wanna be part of the audience’.
But it only happens a few times; you don’t get a lot of them.” For Joe,
there are a few members of this most exclusive of clubs - namely The
Strokes and Tame Impala. “‘When ‘Lonerism’ came out, I was right
in the crosshairs,” he recalls. “The concept of that record just really
spoke to me as a young man; I really related to his experience and
just saw myself in him.”
One name, though, crops up more than any other. “Throughout his
career, there are things Paul McCartney has done where [it feels like]
it’s made for me,” he nods. “When you can see yourself in different
forms of art… I know that’s what I’m looking for, that’s what hooks me
into different bands.” He pauses, searching for the perfect example.
“‘The Long And Winding Road’ by The Beatles. Even just talking
about it right now churns something deep within me. That is a love
song, but it’s a very specific thing about love that he’s singing about,
and it applies so deeply to the way I feel about multiple people in my
life. That is a beautiful sentiment: [the idea that] through everything
that will happen in our lives, I’ll always come back to you.”
If ‘End of Beginning’ is anything to go by, then, to many people,
Djo himself is the architect of similar such “churning”. Take
even a cursory glance through his Instagram profile or YouTube
comments, and you’ll find myriad instances of people marvelling
at how aptly a song epitomises a specific feeling or time in their
lives. “It’s hard to feel sometimes that what you’re doing is
helping anyone…” he admits. “In the acting world, sometimes I think
‘is what I’m doing really good for the world? Is it making a difference?
Is it actually just not good?’” Or, we counter, art functions something
like group therapy; it shows people they’re not the only ones. “It is like
group therapy!” he agrees. “And isn’t that sort of the point of being an
artist? To publicly expel [your demons] so people can feel like they’re
represented, so they can see themselves in something.”
If Netflix notoriety and global streaming success brought Joe Keery
recognition for two very specific snapshots of his work, then ‘The
Crux’ is a fully-realised, three-dimensional portrait of the artist; an
artist who, despite everything, is content to just take things one
step at a time. “Pop culture and the internet wants to boil things
down to a single-note [concept], for anyone,” he says. “And so I
have signed over to the fact that a bunch of people will probably
just know me as ‘that guy from Stranger Things’ forever. And
that’s kind of OK; that’s sort of what I’ve done to myself.
“And also, who cares? At the end of the day, that’s just
one part of my life. And I’m really focussed on trying to
enjoy the fact that I’m able to do it. You can think about
happiness as this big thing that you need to have in
your life, or you can think about it as this small goal
that you try to achieve every day. Simple things:
having a really nice meal with a friend, going to
the park, listening to music, making music,
being a part of a team, working on a
film. Trying to do more of those on a
small scale will globally add up to
happiness, I guess.”
‘The Crux’ is out
now via AWAL.
D
THE SUITE LIFE
Joe gives us an insight into the inspirations and BTS happenings of ‘The
Crux’’s characterful album cover.
EMULATE THE
RECORDS THAT
WERE INSPIRING
TO ME WHEN I WAS
GROWING UP.”
ON
ITS MANY
POINTS OF
INTRIGUE
“I worked on this job in Italy
with this amazing director called
Saverio Costanzo, and he showed
me a lot of Italian films I hadn’t seen; in
these films, they pose a lot of questions,
but don’t necessarily answer them all, and
in American culture we really want to tie things
up in a neat little bow and explain everything. So
I wanted to kind of throw the ball up in the air, and
then let other people catch it.”
ON ITS CINEMATIC STIMULI
“We shot it in LA - one of the inspirations was [1954 Alfred
Hitchcock film] Rear Window, just kind of Old Hollywood.
There’s this great still image where he’s looking out from his
bedroom window, and you can see into the building across, all
the different rooms.”
ON DOING ALL HIS OWN STUNTS
“We were on this crane with a platform, and I had to wear this
harness that was attached to something inside. So it was basically
like getting a wedgie for 35 minutes, and just hanging from this
window. You know: ‘make it look like you’re struggling!’ The reason
there are no shoes in the picture is because the shoes I was wearing
were slides, and they just sort of fell off.”
30 D

BACK FROM
After third record ‘Headful of Sugar’, New York trio SUNFLOWER BEAN found themselves
drifting. But thanks to time apart and changed perspectives, they’ve returned with ‘Mortal
Primetime’, an album brimming with newfound defiance.
Words: Max Pilley
Photos: Emma Swann
Are the things you value most in life not
the ones you had to fight the hardest
for? Sunflower Bean certainly think so.
The New York trio believe, with some
justification, that their fourth album
‘Mortal Primetime’ is their best work yet,
and given that it was conceived at a time when the
future of the band had been thrown into serious
doubt, that’s quite the feat.
2022 saw the release of third album ‘Headful Of
Sugar’, a fizzy, sticky headrush of an record on which
they started to wrestle with the transformations and
responsibilities of adulthood: while they may have
been in a band together for nearly a decade at the
time, they were still only in their mid-20s. Then,
less than a year later - amid a slew of personal life
challenges - the bonds that held Sunflower Bean
together appeared to be loosening.
Singer and bassist Julia Cumming had split up with
her long-term partner, while guitarist Nick Kivlen
had grown disillusioned with New York and was
arranging a move to the West Coast. It hadn’t been
that long since drummer Olive Faber had come out
as transgender, and she’d also begun work on a new
musical project, Stars Revenge.
“There was never a big blowout or breakup,” Nick
reflects today, on a transatlantic Zoom call. “It was
never like, ‘Alright, it’s over’, but I definitely wouldn’t
have been surprised if we never made another album
again, you know?”
Confusion and uncertainty reigned, and they soon
made a collective, yet strained decision to take a
step back. “The sessions and the writing were just
not going well, and we couldn’t really be productive
together,” he continues. “I think we were trying to
force it and eventually we just had to be like, ‘Maybe
we need to take a break and focus on other things’.
And that just wasn’t the case for the ten years that
we had been a band.”
Nevertheless, the band continued to play live
intermittently throughout 2023, and in that setting
at least, it was obvious that the Sunflower Bean
electrical current was as strong as ever; a particularly
“It’s one of those crazy, faint
ironies of life that I really do
think that this is our best
record.”
- Nick Kivlen
raucous, self-curated SXSW showcase served as a
timely reminder that they had too much to lose.
From then on, Julia and Nick continued to write
separately, each delighted to find that the enforced
change in perspective had cleared space for their
creativity to re-emerge. Tentatively, they re-convened
in Nick’s new Los Angeles base, convinced that if
they could combine the energy of the live shows
with rejuvenated new material, then the future of
Sunflower Bean had a chance.
he result of such dogged perseverance is
‘Mortal Primetime’, an album brimming with
Tdefiance, bolstered by the knowledge that they
had been able to recover the band’s fortunes, if not
quite from the brink, then at least from a prolonged
foray into the wilderness. They sound free, any
perceived shackles of the past tossed aside. The
chunky, scuzzy rock power chords of lead single
‘Champagne Taste’ dazzle and strut, while the tender
melancholy of ‘Waiting For The Rain’, provides paean
to ‘60s psych pop, and closer ‘Sunshine’ offers some
thick Kevin Shields-like sludge.
“It’s one of those crazy, faint ironies of life that I really
do think that this is our best record,” Nick says. “The
fact is that it almost didn’t happen, but then we were
able to use the skills we had created over the years
to make something I’m more proud of than any other
album that we’ve ever done.”
It was a return to first principles, and a rejection of
the idea that their focus should be wasted on modern
record industry trappings – there are no songs
surgically tooled for virality here. “It was just like,
alright, we are here and even that in itself is just a
triumph, so the album just felt like play,” he says. “We
had already won just by getting the chance to make
it, so we made whatever we wanted to make.”
‘Mortal Primetime’ is an oddly evocative title,
sounding vulnerable and powerful at the same
time. Through their struggles, Sunflower Bean have
imbued their music with the experience that part of
getting older is reckoning with susceptibility to life’s
twists and turns.
“We’ve always been
obsessed with time,
and Sunflower Bean
has almost been an
experiment in writing
as you grow,” shares
Julia. “So many of our
fans have literally heard
us grow up. We were
confident enough to
produce this ourselves,
and I think there’s
something about that
32 D

THE BRINK

process of believing in yourself that makes this
moment our prime. This is the best we’ve ever been.
It’s the strongest, the most capable and the most
grounded, because we all know why we’re here.
We’re here for the love of this musical world that we
have built together.”
This same confidence has allowed them to be candid
in their subject matter, too. Not just grappling with
the dissolution of a long-term relationship, Julia -
who has previously written about her experience of
being groomed - is even more direct on album cut
‘There’s A Part I Can’t Get Back’: “There’s a bag I
can’t unpack / It’s always with me / If I die before
I wake / I pray the Lord lets me get even first,” she
sings.
It’s a mark of the band’s experience that they feel
able to handle the song’s gravity, and a clear sign of
their renewed closeness that the song could provide
an opportunity to process. As such, Julia believes
that the album ultimately coheres around the theme
of love, in all its forms. “We were able to show love
towards each other and that thread is woven through
all of these songs,” she says. “There is love for your
past [on the album], there is love for your friends,
there is trying to learn how to love, there’s the
imperfectness of love.”
And what about the love for yourself? “Ah, that’s the
real journey,” she answers. “We’ll see if we ever get
there.”
A
s their own producers now, the trio appreciated
that capturing the essence of their stage
show was crucial to the success of the album,
so every song was tracked live in the studio with
minimal overdubs. Roger Manning of ‘90s indie
heroes Jellyfish makes several guest piano and
Mellotron contributions too, an acquaintance of the
band through their time supporting Beck, with whom
Roger now plays.
Sunflower Bean are nothing if not alternative rock
aficionados and their joy at the collaboration is clear.
“My dream is that we will make
records together forever.”
- Julia Cumming
Speaking about working with him on ‘Look What
You’ve Done To Me’, Julia recalls: “I was like, ‘We
really need this piano part to feel like seasickness, it
needs to be played literally as if you’re nauseous and
the whole thing is about to fall apart’. We had that
trust, he could understand what I was saying without
thinking I’m a crazy person.”
Even today, the band throw out artists and influences
on the album with abandon – The Who’s rock operas
rub shoulders with indie sleaze revivalist The Dare
in conversation with Nick, while Julia describes the
record as Alice In Chains-meets-Belle & Sebastian,
“which is, if I can say so myself, a bizarre thing to
do,” she quips.
The budding indie pop charm of breakthrough
singles ‘Easier Said’ and ‘I Was A Fool’ remains
tightly woven into their DNA, but Sunflower Bean,
through hardship and loyalty, have now blossomed
into their well-earned maturity. Having flirted with the
possibility of it all disappearing, they won’t be giving
it up lightly, either.
“I think the band is absolutely on solid ground and
who knows what that will bring,” nods Julia. “My
hopes and dreams are that we are a New York
institution that will always be fighting for real and
non-homogenised alternative indie music. My dream
is that we will make records together forever.”
‘Mortal Primetime’ is out 25th April via Lucky
Number. D

FINDERSKEEPERS
Bringing her emotionally literate songwriting to new territory, Jensen McRae is reframing heartbreak on her upcoming
second album, ‘I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!’.
Words: Emily Savage
he year’s been
off to a
complicated
start,” admits
Jensen McRae,
as she calls in
from her Los Angeles
home. Between the devastating effects of
recent wildfires and chronic uncertainty of
ongoing political turmoil, the Dead Oceans
signee’s second album arrives at a
challenging time. Although far from being
the climate she’d hoped to unveil the
project in, the release comes as a
much-needed escape for the singersongwriter.
“I think having art and work is
a wonderful distraction,” she says, before
walking to her kitchen to make a glass of
lemon water.
With an almost three-year break since
her debut album, ‘Are You Happy Now?’,
the new record finds Jensen in a new
space both personally and artistically.
“Anyone who’s experienced their 20s
knows the difference between 24 and 27.
I’ve changed so much,” she reflects. While
her debut explored themes of mental
health and identity with candour, the
upcoming album ventures into previously
unchartered territory, unpacking
the aftermath of two back-to-back
relationships.
“I definitely crack jokes about it, like, now
I’m writing my heartbreak album, but
I’m doing it in a unique and special way
because everyone has done this,” she
laughs. Titled ‘I Don’t Know How But They
Found Me!’ (a recognisable line to anyone
who’s a fan of the Back To The Future
films), it finds her bringing her perspective
to what can risk being clichéd subject
matter. Expanding on her hesitancy to
delve into heartbreak narratives, Jensen
explains: “I think the job of songwriting
is either to write about something that
no one else has written about in a way
that feels familiar and comforting, or to
write about something that everyone has
written about in a way that feels fresh.”
From the nostalgic glow of opener
‘The Rearranger’ to the sharp-witted
indictments of ‘Savannah’, and lingering
confessions on ‘Novelty’, the album sees
Jensen reclaim the experiences that she
once avoided. “Through songwriting
and music I’m able to really control who
I am and the story of what happened to
me,” she reflects. It finds the artist on a
journey of self-discovery as she shifts the
focus from the relationships and people
that once consumed her back to her own
thoughts and emotions. “This album is
about how I can get to the point that I
am fascinated with myself again, in the
same way that I was fascinated with these
people,” she recalls.
I
t’s a process that began while writing
recent single ‘Praying For Your
Downfall’. Navigating post-break up
pettiness with a newfound maturity, the
song acted as a turning point for Jensen.
“It was really helpful in terms of me
acknowledging that some emotions that I
feel are just like the inner child screaming.
And when a child is screaming, you
don’t give them a microphone, you
like, put them in another room to calm
themselves down.” Allowing moments of
validation for her younger self, the project
retrospectively explores the full spectrum
of her emotional experience.
Finding catharsis through rich, guitarladen
instrumentation and endearingly
candid lyricism, each track documents
the process of healing from heartache
with effortless clarity. “I think the biggest
conclusion that I have come to is that
once you separate from someone, their
life just doesn’t have anything to do with
you anymore.” With time for reflection
(and self-admittedly, a lot of therapy), it’s
a realisation that acts as the premise for
the album’s lead single. “‘Massachusetts’
is really about like, I’m going to carry you
with me forever, but ultimately we don’t
have anything to do with each other,” she
recounts.
Having first posted a clip of the song’s
chorus to TikTok back in November
2023, her message quickly began to
resonate with audiences across the globe.
Racking up millions of views - alongside
co-signs from Justin Bieber, Stormzy,
and producer Dan Nigro - the experience
is one Jensen’s still coming to terms
with. “I wrote this really personal song
about my ex-boyfriend, and posted it to
the internet… I can’t believe that that led
me to Bieber!” she grins. Reflecting on
the unpredictable-yet-pivotal role social
media has played for her music, that oneminute
demo help to kickstart a new era;
going on to be her first release under Dead
Oceans (Phoebe Bridgers, Mitski, MRCY),
‘Massachusetts’ became a catalyst for the
music we hear today.
While the pressure to chase virality again
would be understandable after her last
year, Jensen’s focus remains elsewhere.
“Every time I’m the only Black woman
in a room, especially in the folk music
space, I know I just have to keep pushing,”
she says. Opening up about some of
the issues and stereotypes that she has
faced as a Black woman working in that
genre space, she expands on how many
other artists face similar barriers. “There
are so many great young women of
colour who are making really cool music
that’s not R&B music and they haven’t
got discovered,” she notes, pointing to
how many are now looking to side-step
traditional routes to share their work.
Striving to be the representation that is
still lacking in the industry, the multiinstrumentalist
continues to use her
platform to amplify voices of those who
are yet to be heard. “The world hasn’t
caught up yet,” she emphasises. But with
the likes of Jensen, alongside a growing
powerhouse of Black female artists also
claiming space within the folk scene and
beyond, the change is looking to be a
hopeful one.
‘I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!’
is out 25th April via Dead Oceans. D
36 D

“Through
songwriting and
music I’m able
to really control
who I am and
the story of
what happened
to me.”
Photo: Bao Ngo

Over the past six years,
Black Country, New Road
have shifted in just about
every sense possible, whether
through choice or necessity.
Now, on third album ‘Forever
Howlong’, they’re settling into
a fresh new rhythm and it’s
suiting them well.
Words: Louis Griffin
38 D

To say Black Country, New Road have
had a tumultuous journey would be
underselling it. Emerging from the
remains of another band in 2018,
their ascent to become a furiously
applauded, Mercury-shortlisted group
has felt both dizzyingly quick and frustratingly
stymied. It took them inside a year to release a
debut single that induced the sort of serious,
hushed-tone reviews that signal a band destined
for great things. An album followed, but was
curtailed by lockdown and socially-distanced
gigs. 2021 saw their second album recorded and
an extensive tour announced, but on the eve of its
release, lead vocalist Isaac Wood announced he
was leaving. One step forwards, one step back.
This month they release third album, ‘Forever
Howlong’, a shimmering, winding record which
somehow manages to be simultaneously an
extension of their existing sound while also a
marked departure. The band’s three female
members – Georgia Ellery, Tyler Hyde and May
Kershaw – now share vocal duties, lending the
album an anthology feel, with ballads that feel at
turns expansive and intimate.
In 2023 they released the stop-gap ‘Live at Bush
Hall’, which featured only material written following
Isaac’s exit. A marker of the band’s progress at
the time it was recorded, the record feels as good
a place to start as any. Sat in a pub in central
London, half of the band’s number – Tyler, Luke
Mark and Charlie Wayne – think back to where
they were as a group at that time.
“There was a lot of joy at the beginning,” explains
Tyler, “when there was the least amount of
pressure to put something out. It was exciting
to hear people’s voices for the first time that we
hadn’t heard in such a light.” She speaks carefully,
brow furrowed as she recalls how the process of
reinvention felt. “It became very stressful when
[the gig] really happened. Musically, because we
had to get something finished that we knew we
would never be satisfied with. Still to this day, I’m
not satisfied with it – it’s not music that we would
ever make again. Which is a shame, I feel sorry for
the songs.”
Charlie grins from across the table. “I think of it
slightly more favourably, I think that actually as
a whole thing it remains quite a good document
of what the band was during that period of time.
Everything that we’ve done has varying degrees
of that, and I think definitely an album feels much
more complete – but it’s not an album, and that’s
sort of the point of it.”
I
t may have felt like an inflection point – Black
Country, New Road taking stock, figuring
out where to head next – but it was also a
raw expression of the band’s unity. Interestingly
though (and unlike their previous work-in-progress
recordings) none of the music written for ‘...Bush
Hall’ surfaces again on ‘Forever Howlong’.
“The first part was very natural,” Tyler smiles,
of the time spent sequestered away to work on
what would become ‘Forever Howlong’. “It was
just a breath of fresh air to make anything in an
unpressured environment. It was so vague in the
beginning, but it was so nice to be vague. That
was really precious; throughout the whole of this
band’s existence, there’s been time pressure. So
that was one of the best moments of being in the
band, carefree.”
For a band so often portrayed as being serious,
chin-stroking musos, it’s notable how audible it is
throughout ‘Forever Howlong’ that the band are
just having fun.
“This band has never
existed in a static
formation.”
- Tyler Hyde
“You can’t really plan to capture fun on record!”
laughs Luke. “But we were excited about adapting
these songs, adding things in the studio, getting
to flesh them out a bit more, so I’m glad that does
come across.”
At time of writing, the band have not continued
to perform anything written with Isaac live. As
such, it seems as if the band are acutely aware of
how they picture the future Black Country, New
D 39

Road discography. “We wanted to make songs,
not thinking about the record, but thinking about
playing live a hundred times,” says Tyler. “Just
having fun, and there being longevity with the
performance of the songs. Where the song can
carry us through, without us having to put on a
show. Where there’s an energy within the style
of the music that we’re playing that can carry us
through.”
B
y the time a band reaches a third album,
there can be a tendency to lean into
tropes; to give the audience what they
already expect of you. Here, though, there’s
none of the route-one tactics that the band
could employ at this point (clattering guitar
breakdowns, sandpaper-abrasive saxophone
solos). Instead, here they opt for gently grooving
chord progressions, and thoughtful, mature
instrumentation. “Maturing as a band is one of
those phrases that I hear as ‘making music that’s
boring’,” Charlie laughs. “Maybe this record is
not as angular, but it explores a huge amount of
ground in quite interesting musical ways – just
maybe it’s not as fraught, or as frenetic.”
Another concept that comes to the fore is that
of writing parts to serve the song, rather than
individual players. “There would have definitely
been a time where we would never have allowed
ourselves the space to do that, because it didn’t
feel like good musicianship, or it didn’t feel
progressive,” Charlie says. “I think maybe that’s
because some of the earlier BC,NR stuff is so
complicated, it was purposefully quite oblique.
We’re on our third album, and it feels as though
we’re able to musically have that breathing space,
or at least that feels just as progressive as going
really, really loud and then really, really quiet.”
Tyler interjects: “Can you hear what’s playing
now?” Faintly, in another room of the pub, the
twang of The Band is unmistakable. All three laugh
at the serendipity – they’ve cited the Americana
outfit as a major influence on the new album,
alongside the work of Joanna Newsom and Fiona
Apple. There’s a concept they reference with these
artists, a sense of ‘groove’ – moving neither too
fast nor too slow, and meeting the songs on their
own terms. “Playing songs that you can groove
on is not something that we’ve done all that often
really, it just occurred,” explains Charlie. Tyler
nods in agreement: “It helps us move away from
the feeling of angst, which was something that we
definitely leant into before.”
A lack of angst might feel like an odd thing to
say about songs which, lyrically, take in subjects
including unrequited love, depression and high
school malaise, but they’re worn lightly. Their
narratives are both intimate and quietly expansive;
the soaring melodrama of everyday trials. It’s here
perhaps that the contrast with Black Country, New
Road 1.0 is felt most keenly, but it’s also exciting
to see a trio of vocalists stepping into the spotlight
together with complete assurance.
When Tyler contemplates her own shift to the
forefront, she smiles: “I don’t know how to say
it without sounding arrogant, but it feels great –
because I’m not the only one. There’s no sense
that you’re leading anything, there’s no sense
that you’re in the spotlight, I just have a lot of fun
with it.” She pauses. “I really feel like I’m sharing
something with Georgia and May, and I really feel
like I’m sharing something with everyone else at
the same time.”
There’s a palpable sense of joy around the group,
Charlie and Luke watching their friends take a step
that’s both daunting and fulfilling – and of their
pride at it. “In the studio, I was amazed by how
quickly they were able to nail a performance, and
also how un-precious they all were.”
Tyler nods. “I love singing with the two girls, it feels
like we’re sisters … we are sisters! It feels like I’m
in [American vocal trio] The Roches, like I’m living
some kind of dream.”
isterhood is something they’ve mentioned
a lot, as if the record’s feminine perspective
Sis the main differentiator from their previous
work – the band were quoted as describing the
lyrics as ‘an encyclopaedia of womanhood’, but
Tyler feels that’s a lazy description. “In all honesty,
we talk about it like that to make it seem like it’s
got a concept,” she says, “but it doesn’t, it’s just
lots of different stories from me, May and Georgia
about our experiences. So that’s why it’s an
‘encyclopaedia of womanhood’, because it’s just
stories from three women, but that’s not what the
album is about… Who knows what the album is
about.”
Six years on from their debut single, it finally feels
as if Black Country, New Road can relax. How
does it feel to finally be in a more standard cycle of
tours and albums? “I want it to feel different,” says
Luke. “It’s kind of daunting in its own way, though,”
Charlie explains, “because there’s nothing external
to stop it. We’re actually doing it now, and it is what
it is.”
F
“Whatever we did would be
different, but it is a relief in
some ways that that change
has to come from something
external.”
rom where we are now, Isaac’s departure
seems more and more like a kind of blessing
in disguise: forced to adapt, their work
became all the more interesting for it. “Before
Isaac left, we’d talked about other people singing,”
Tyler explains, “so that wasn’t totally new, but it
helped force that change.” Charlie agrees. “I think
the record would have been extremely different
anyway; the differences between the first record
and the second record are pretty significant. It was
always going to be the case that whatever we did
would be different, but it is a relief in some ways
that that change has to come from something
external… in some ways!”
It is curious to wonder if their ex-bandmate has
heard the new album. “Don’t know,” replies Tyler,
firmly. “He hasn’t heard the record, none of us
have sent it to him,” adds Luke. “But he will hear it,
I’m sure – I don’t know what he’ll think of it.”
So, they find themselves venturing on, finally in
the realms of being, as Tyler puts it, somewhere
“a bit more solid”. Have they thought about what
comes after the release of ‘Forever Howlong’, and
its extensive tour? Will this trio continue to front
the band moving forwards? “No idea!” quips Tyler.
“And that’s really nice, I literally have no idea. This
band has never existed in a static formation, so
probably not, is my best guess – who knows. It
could be you!” Black Country, New Road have
always been in a state of flux, and as thrilling a
place to find them as their current incarnation is,
it’s anyone’s guess where they’ll end up next.
‘Forever Howlong’ is out now via Ninja Tune.
D
- Charlie Wayne
Photos: Eddie Whelan
40 D

“We’re like
family, so we’ve
learned what
we really need
from each
other.”
- Etta Friedman
On fourth album ‘Welcome To My
Blue Sky’, Momma’s Etta Friedman and
Allegra Weingarten channel parallel
experiences and their enduring
friendship into an evocative collection
of mushy dream-rock.
estiny? Coincidence? Pure luck?
Whatever the reason, the UK is
basking in glorious sunshine as
Momma’s Etta Friedman and
Allegra Weingarten join DIY’s call
from their respective homes in
Brooklyn, the title of fourth album
‘Welcome To My Blue Sky’ as resonant as it’s likely to
get.
“We were on tour with Weezer, somewhere between
Alabama and Texas, and we went to a gas station,”
recalls Allegra. “I guess BlueSky is the name of a
gas station chain, but there was a sign that said,
‘Welcome To My Blue Sky.’ Immediately, I texted Etta
about it… later that day, we ended up writing the title
track in our green room.”
Such eureka moments are littered throughout the
record. If 2022’s ‘Household Name’, was proof the
outfit have rockstar-in-waiting potential, its follow-up
demonstrates a dynamism to seize the still-rising
momentum behind the late-’90s alt-rock revival.
Momma’s sound carries a multi-generational appeal,
embellished by some warm, fuzzy production
(courtesy of bassist Aron Kobayashi Ritch) alongside
Allegra and Etta’s delicate dual vocals. That’s why
Death Cab For Cutie, Snail Mail and “major influence”
Alex G have all recently recruited the quartet –
completed by drummer Preston Fulks – as support.
They’ve racked up a staggering eight tours since the
release of ‘Household Name’ alone.
It’s unsurprising, then, that much of the record was
written on the road. “My dad told me it was corny,
writing a record about being on tour!” reveals Allegra
– and the metaphorical eye roll imbued in her words
is almost audible. “Being in a van and driving down
highways – especially in the States, where there’s so
much vast land around you all the time – it makes me
feel really creative. I’m [normally] stuck in Brooklyn,
staring at grey skies and tall buildings…”
elcome To My Blue Sky’, hits some
soaring rock highs, particularly on the
‘Wlarger-than-life ‘Rodeo’ or the grungey
‘Last Kiss’ – which teeters towards Deftones territory
in its bridge. Thematically, however, ‘Welcome To My
Blue Sky’ does represent somewhat of a parallel time
capsule for Etta and Allegra.
The pair have been friends since their teens; speaking
to DIY in 2022, Allegra noted how their shared
experiences had “become more solitary” with age.
This time around though, the duo found the polar
opposite to be happening – which not only gave them
a new record, but opened another dimension to their
friendship.
“On this record, we happened to be in the exact
same place in our lives, going through the exact same
things,” Allegra says. “It was really serendipitous…
we both had the exact same romantic experiences,
leaving long-term relationships and starting new
ones. It was like, ‘What the fuck is happening? I’m so
sad and happy’ – we were giving each other advice
Words: rishi shah
about it. We were each other’s main confidants during
that [period] – there was no judgment between the
two of us.”
“We’re like family, so we’ve learned what we really
need from each other,” continues Etta. “Getting off
tour, for example, I literally didn’t have anywhere to
go, because I lived with my ex. Allegra was really
helpful with that. It’s things like that, when you just
show up for family. [This album] definitely drew us a
lot closer. We have a natural sisterhood, so that’s just
how it goes.”
To inject some further wholesomeness into the
conversation, we task Allegra and Etta with naming
the best musical trait about the other. Allegra gets
straight to the point: “Your chord progressions are
way more interesting than mine! You lean into that
more doomy, emo aspect.”
Etta instantly returns the favour, with equal
enthusiasm. “Allegra is a shredder. She has a bit more
of a poppier affinity, so when we blend together, it
works in a really cool way. On top of that, I aspire
to not get as in my head when we’re playing live.
Allegra, you’re good at the separation of what you do
on guitar, and when you’re singing – how those can
coexist.”
W
hile ‘Ohio All The Time’ locks elements
of the album inside a time capsule, the
grandiose ‘My Old Street’ and heartfelt
cut ‘Bottle Blonde’ give it more of a reflective edge,
the latter’s minimalist breakbeat soundtracking a
simultaneous conversation with each other and their
younger selves, offering an arm around the shoulder
(“Bottle blonde, you’re a god / You’re gonna figure it
out”). “It was the last song for the record,” explains
Etta. “It provided the friendship aspect more than
the romance, the chase, or the other themes on the
record. It was time to talk about that part.”
Dynamics formed an important part of composition
too, particularly after the overt alt-rock that
characterised ‘Household Name’. “We were sick of
every single song being [formulaic] – loud chorus, Big
Muff [pedal], distorted guitars,” explains Allegra. Every
song was initially written on acoustic guitars, some of
which persist onto the final versions – including the
record’s opening act, ‘Sincerely’. “You want to push
yourself to rely on other tricks, and not the same old
things that you know you’re good at,” she declares.
On ‘Welcome To My Blue Sky’, Momma have done
exactly that – producing an accomplished, freeflowing
body of work. Their creative freedom is an
ever-present force across the album.
“Blue is a very melancholy colour, but a blue sky has
a happy connotation,” concludes Allegra. “To me,
‘Welcome To My Blue Sky’ is the freedom of making
your own choices, making mistakes, and how that
affects your life – for good or bad. There’s happiness
in knowing that at least they’re your choices, that
you’re making for yourself.”
‘Welcome To My Blue Sky’ is out now via Lucky
Number. D
Photo: Avery Norman
D 43

TRUE
ROMANCE
Fresh from dominating the music world as one third of
boygenius - and gaining legions of new fans in the process -
LUCY DACUS is back with her most intimate and vulnerable
solo record to date.
Words: Matthew Pywell
Take a glance at the sleeve for Lucy
Dacus’ fourth album ‘Forever Is
A Feeling’ and what do you see?
An indie star transformed into
Renaissance artwork, a muse
wrapped in silk, as if belonging to
a whole different era. It’s an image that conjures
visions of romance and intimacy, quite fitting for
the singer-songwriter’s most direct expressions
of love and connection to date.
Going back in time was the perfect way for Lucy
to pay homage to art’s interlinked history with all
things romantic. “I like how every era is informed
by the previous era, everything is a rebellion
against everything else. As a kid you think
classical music or Renaissance painting is for old
people. But, when you realise that it was cuttingedge,
controversial sometimes and inspired
violence and vitriol from the masses, it becomes
a lot more interesting,” she says.
The ways in which the human body has been
represented historically has varied greatly,
with each different period having different
expectations about what people – particularly
women – should look like. “I’m not a sample
size, so people have made all sorts of comments
about my body to me directly or online and I think
I fit an older standard of beauty, which is part of
the era I’m trying to evoke.” There’s an obvious
vulnerability in the way Lucy presents herself on
the cover, which translates throughout the album,
its depiction of fantasy morphing into tangible
connection.
“How lucky are we to have so much to lose?” she
muses on ‘Ankles’, a song which flirts with giving
into intimate dreams, her desires manifesting via
a bed of pulsating violins. There’s an openness
here that shows off a whole other dimension
to her songwriting. 2021’s ‘Home Video’ saw
Lucy looking back to examine past relationships
doomed to never go anywhere. By comparison,
‘Forever Is A Feeling’ couldn’t be any more
present: between Autumn 2022 and summer last
year, her time writing took in a breakup, move
across the US - and (as recently revealed in her
profile with The New Yorker) falling in love with
her boygenius bandmate Julien Baker.
For the first time she was writing about
relationships in real time. “No love I’ve ever
written about before has purely been a love
song,” she says. “Whereas on this record, it’s
about the present day, feeling in love and talking
about it.” Not only has life experience helped her
to write about love in a whole new way, but her
sense of place and identity has too. “I think a part
of why I’m able to write love songs like this now
is that I’m being more true to myself. It feels like
I’ve become the person that I always wanted to
be and not the person that other people want me
to be, which was gratifying enough for a long time
but not anymore.”
And with that greater confidence in her sense of
identity, more honest lyrics have been pouring
out. None more so than on ‘Best Guess’, on
which features the first gendered pronouns in
Lucy’s songwriting: “You may not be an angel,
but you are my girl.”
A
significant proportion of the time Lucy
took to write ‘Forever Is A Feeling’ was
spent with her boygenius bandmates.
Debuting in 2018 with their self-titled EP, the
summer following the release of 2023’s ‘The
Record’ found the trio inescapable, with huge
shows both sides of the Atlantic.
With all three identifying as queer, their live sets
proved heart-warming, community-building
places. “What a unique perspective to look out
into the crowd and see that happening,” Lucy
says of the experience. “I’ll forever be holding
the sight from the stage of watching people not
just sing at us but to each other. Seeing friends
connect over the themes and find words to
express their care for each other. I have benefited
from music my whole life in that way, and to make
music other people benefit from in that way feels
like a miracle.”
Both Julien and Phoebe feature on the record,
providing backing vocals to multiple songs,
including its title track and ‘Most Wanted Man’.
But in terms of Lucy’s own sense of queerness,
it took time to establish her sense of sexuality (“I
started talking about it later than understanding
it”), but more recently she’s been more than
happy to talk about it, leading to some funny
situations. “I’ve been offered interviews where it’s
like ‘oh we’d like to interview you as a queer icon’.
44 D

“IT FEELS LIKE I’VE
BECOME THE PERSON
THAT I ALWAYS
WANTED TO BE.”

FRIENDSHIP IS
FOREVER
As well as exploring romantic love on her new
album, Lucy finds time to appreciate platonic
love too: the track ‘Modigliani’ is about feeling
like something is missing when your friend
is far away. “To other people it fits into the
romantic theme, but for me it’s about a friend
and that’s still a very strong love. Feeling like
if you were around, if I could talk to you, I
would stop feeling lonely, I would stop feeling
misunderstood. Anything you would have to
say to me would put me at ease, which are
feelings you should feel when you’re in love
with someone, but ideally you have that feeling
for friends too.”

What the hell? I’m in my twenties, I’m a queer icon?
What are you talking about?”
The term icon may have lost much of its literal
meaning, but the point is that Lucy and her
bandmates have consistently shown up for the
LGBTQ+ community. When Nashville imposed antidrag
laws in 2023, the group promptly played their
show in the city in full drag attire, and they’ve since
taken further opportunities to speak out.
Admittedly, though, having gone from indie
musician to the mainstream spotlight, Lucy has
found that being exposed to a wider audience has
had plenty of drawbacks.
With the ability to criticise every photo, social
media post or action of those in the public eye -
often especially those using their platform to speak
out - now at everyone’s fingertips, Lucy’s rise from
indie musician to mainstream name has brought
with it increased scrutiny.. In January, she shared
a casting call for her song ‘Best Guess’ looking
for “hot mascs,” leading to the song achieving
moderate viral success. In February, the resulting
clip was shared, with its stars including MUNA’s
Naomi McPherson, Towa Bird and model Cara
Delevingne. The backlash was immediate, as
viewers criticised the lack of both racial and body
diversity among the cast. “People in the public
eye talk about this to each other a lot because
you’re still a person and the kid version of yourself
is somewhere within you and getting bullied,” she
notes. “Or [when you have] people telling you that
you’re ugly or the art is bad, or [that] you actually
have evil intentions. They don’t know you. It can be
difficult.”
Even when intentions are good, it can become
impossible to appease expectations you may
not even realise exist. “I gave away $10K to trans
people’s GoFundMes for surgeries and people
were like ‘that’s not enough money’,” she says,
nodding to a recent pledge to support a selection
of trans people's fundraisers for gender-affirming
care. “They have no idea what my finances are like,
but they’re right that it’s not enough. The point isn’t
that you’re going to solve these things, it’s that I do
regularly want to give away money and I feel good
about that.”
way or the other. It does exist and I would rather
have a day job and play open mics than make
music for those people.”
Lucy has always been someone who advocates
for what she believes in, but away from concerns
about industry welfare and increased attention,
she has been focusing on being more present for
those she loves. “There is impermanence and I
think remembering that can clarify your decisions
and how you spend your time. I need to be hanging
out with the people I love, I need to be prioritising
interacting with the Earth, I need to tell people that
I love them more.”
There’s an impermanence surrounding ‘Forever
Is A Feeling’, the sense that relationships can be
doomed to fail, that we can be scarred by our
experiences of trying and willing to connect with
each other. Everyone changes in spirit and mind
over time, are we destined to drift apart? The truth
is that you’ll never know until you try and what Lucy
tells us is that taking a leap of faith can be worth
it, even if it doesn’t end in everlasting romance,
we gain so much from the people we encounter. “I
think the point of this record is that your fantasies
can come true if you’re willing to be brave enough
to change your life.”
‘Forever Is A Feeling’ is out now via Interscope.
D
“I THINK THAT PEOPLE
HAVE PESSIMISM AROUND
POPULAR THINGS, BUT I
TRUST MY METHODS AND MY
INTENTIONS.”
Admittedly, though, it’s this part of being a
musician she enjoys the least. With an increasingly
public presence, she’s keen to point out during
our conversation how she still makes music for the
same reasons she did at the start of her career.
Having now moved from indie label Matador to
major label Universal, she has bigger budgets and
space to be more imaginative, but still expects a
certain sense of cynicism towards her decision. “I
think that people have pessimism around popular
things and I don’t know if I get to change that, but
I trust my methods and my intentions, I very much
feel like the same guy.”
n ‘Come Out’, Lucy sings of old men in
board rooms asking what ‘the kids’ are into.
OInspired by meetings she has been party to,
its opening verse speaks of those who work at the
top level of the music industry not exactly having
its best interests in mind. “I really like my label and
a lot of them are music nerds,” she nods, “but then
you meet people who are basically just finance
bros. People that just pay attention to stats, who
are heartless, who couldn’t care about music one
Photos: Shervin Lainez
D 47

REVIEWS
This issue: Bon Iver, Self Esteem, Black Country, New Road and more.
5
BON IVER
SABLE, fABLE
Jagjaguwar
Musically, at least, Bon Iver’s Justin
Vernon has spent the best part of
two decades separating himself
from the guy who holed up in a
mountain cabin for the creation
of the inarguably gorgeous ‘For
Emma, Forever Ago’. In comparison, 2016’s ‘22, A
Million’ presented the antithesis of the debut’s stripped
back heartbreak, favouring arrhythmic electronics over
the singer-songwriter affair that permeated both the
mountain record, and its double self-titled follow-up
depicting a similar wilderness on its cover. Almost six
years ago, he released his most recent Bon Iver outing,
one that struck a balance between the two but never
quite reached as far back as the snowy isolation.
This album’s lead single ‘S P E Y S I D E’ - complete
with jaunty formatting - quickly changed all that, its
apologetic regret retuning to Justin’s delicate guitar
picking and distinctive falsetto vocals. Its sparse
sound matched the bleak lyrics, a seeming outcome
of another round of self-enforced separation. It fronts
‘SABLE, fABLE’ alongside two other pared back
reflections, the trio offering a false impression that
Justin is back to his sombre musings. But, as ‘Short
Story’ bridges to the gospel grandeur of ‘Everything
Is Peaceful Love’, Bon Iver’s fifth studio album paints
a different story. The apology, regret and period of
reconnection is brief and pained, and what follows
soars. Less irregular than before, Justin’s redemption
is soulful, almost spiritual in its delivery, not least in the
Dijon and Flock of Dimes featuring ‘Day One’.
“I don’t know who I am without you,” Justin begs
over electronic pianos in his expression of unfaltering
love. It pairs with the remorse of ‘S P E Y S I D E’ and
the reconsideration of the Danielle Haim-featuring
highlight ‘If Only I Could Wait’. But it’s the rising choral
melody of ‘From’ that tells the tale best, with Justin
separated from his love pressing for their return. “I
can see where you’re coming from,” he offers as a
visceral olive branch. It’s a huge leap forward from
the introverted brooding of ‘For Emma...’, and a
showcase of a man not just 20 years older, but wiser.
The solemness lifts quickly, replaced by acceptance of
his wrongdoing and an egoless push for forgiveness.
Musically, as has come to be expected, he
accompanies both brilliantly. Ben Tipple
LISTEN: ‘If Only I Could Wait’
Soulful, almost spiritual
in its delivery.

5
SELF ESTEEM
A Complicated Woman
Polydor
On third record ‘A Complicated Woman’,
Rebecca Lucy Taylor - aka Self Esteem - scraps
much of the industrial alt-pop that coloured
acclaimed second album ‘Prioritise Pleasure’,
instead honing in on the soulful theatre at the
heart of her manifesto. The feel good pop’s still
around, of course - see her standout middle-finger to fuckboys
‘Cheers To Me’ - but most present here is her core; a portrait of
the modern woman both in motion and standing still. Backed by
a jubilant choir, Taylor’s rapturous explorations of womanhood
are torn through the mundanity of growing older, the depressive
nature of Groundhog Day-normality and the catharsis of splitting
even further as age makes concrete her contradictions. Across
this - her most concentrated and burning record - Taylor’s
hardened Sheffield-isms float through the tearjerker soul of a
thousand women; a knotted person resisting an urge to untangle
themselves because complexity brings connection.
And that’s largely what ‘A Complicated Woman’ comprises:
it’s the deep chat at an afters that reminds the group of the
universal human experience and all its listlessness - and the
fuckery of men in love in between (‘Mother’). This is not for the
purpose of melancholy, mind, but guttural motivation (‘Focus
is Power’). There’s alchemy in
her craft: ‘A
Complicated Woman’ pulls the
listener out of their core to breathe
lighter; every track conjures
some universal experience that’s
unavoidably about those listening as much as it is about
Taylor. “I know way too much to ever fall in love,” she sings on
cinematic, transcendental closer ‘The Deep Blue Okay’, “so
I’ll roll on unmerrily.” Yet, the uncompromising Self Esteem
movement is best summarised at the record’s start, via the
spoken word affirmation ‘I Do And I Don’t Care’, a reminder that
everything’s actually alright when you’re together: “We’re not
chasing happiness anymore, girls, we’re chasing nothing / The
great big still / The deep blue okay / And we’re okay today.” Otis
Robinson
LISTEN: ‘The Deep Blue Okay’
Her most
concentrated
and burning
record.
Photos: Graham Tolbert, El Hardwick

ALBUMS
¢
DJO
The Crux
AWAL
Though he might be best known for
his acting, that’s by no means the
only string Joe Keery has to his bow.
A former member of psych-rockers
Post Animal, the multi-hyphenate has
been releasing music under the
moniker Djo for years, notching up
two synthy, electronic-led albums
(2019’s ‘Twenty Twenty’ and 2022’s
‘DECIDE’) and one very viral song (viral hit ‘End Of
Beginning’). His third solo outing, however, is something
altogether more full-bodied - an ambitious, joyous, heartfelt
collection that finds him revelling in analogue instrumentation,
expansive arrangements, and unashamedly retro sonic
touchstones.
To listen to ‘The Crux’ is, one imagines, akin to taking a
guided tour through a young Joe’s record collection: the
formative influence of The Strokes and Tame Impala is
palpable (see opener ‘Lonesome Is A State Of Mind’’s vocal
tone and the understated funk of ‘Delete Ya’, respectively);
and, travelling further back, the glittery fingerprints of Marc
Bolan and the like are stamped all over the rollicking glamrock
of ‘Link’ and ‘Gap Tooth Smile’. ‘Charlie’s Garden’,
meanwhile, is pure ‘Sgt. Pepper’ - all metronomic keys,
dynamic shifts and even a buoyant brass solo - evoking ‘A
Day In The Life’ in such a celebratory, knowingly referential
way that you can’t help but leave your cynicism at the
(greenhouse) door and delight in its madness.
And, while the album’s sonics pay homage to years gone
by, any whispers of hackneyed ideas are quashed by
its refreshing thematic arc, wherein Joe reassesses his
priorities after a perspective-altering breakup to find solace
in unwavering friendships and familial bonds - a conclusion
best encapsulated by the choral swell of ‘Back On You’, which
could soften even the hardest of hearts.
With credits on ‘The Crux’ that run the gamut from vocals,
guitar, and bass to drums, percussion, piano, and Mellotron
(not to mention co-production), it’s undeniable that Joe is a
hugely accomplished musician; what’s even better, though
- for an artist with his cultural cachet - is just how much fun
he’s having doing it. Daisy Carter
LISTEN: ‘Charlie’s Garden’
Ambitious,
joyous, heartfelt.
5
BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD
Forever Howlong
Ninja Tune
’Forever Howlong’ is so distinct from Black Country, New Road’s past albums
that you’d be forgiven for thinking it was made by a different band altogether. If
2023’s ‘Live at Bush Hall’ was their tentative first step towards finding their
footing after vocalist Isaac Wood’s sudden departure in 2022, then ‘Forever
Howlong’ is their jubilant rebirth. Under the masterful guidance of producer
James Ford (Fontaines DC, Arctic Monkeys, Blur), and with Tyler Hyde, May
Kershaw, and Georgia Ellery stepping in to handle vocal duties, BCNR have shed
their post-punk roots entirely to embrace a kaleidoscopic blend of folk, baroque
pop, and alternative rock.
The band shaped ‘Forever Howlong’ in real time, performing its songs live night after night allowing them
to evolve organically until they reached their final form. And you can hear it: the magnificent orchestral
crescendo in ‘For the Cold Country’ crackles with spontaneity, like a feverish jam session caught on tape.
Meanwhile, on the title track, meandering lyrics about beans, vitamin B, and microbiome pH unravel like a
spur-of-the-moment stream-of consciousness over a surreal tangle of strings and recorders.
It’s also the band’s most uplifting project to date, with harpsichord, banjo, bass clarinet, timpani, and
recorders taking centre-stage. Despite their forlorn and occasionally grisly lyrics, the instrumentals of
‘Salem Sister’ and ‘The Big Spin’ are delightfully whimsical, while the exhilarating string and saxophone
arrangements in ‘Nancy Takes the Night’ make for a breathtaking introduction to arguably the album’s
standout track. Likewise, the jittery harpsichord that kicks off lead single and opening track ‘Besties’ is
undeniable proof that BCNR remain as adventurous and unpredictable as ever.
Through the redirection of their sound, lyrics, and indeed, vocalists, Forever Howlong redefines who
BCNR are. But if one thing remains constant, it’s their unwavering desire to reinvent what their music can
be. Sophie Flint Vázquez
LISTEN: ‘Nancy Takes The Night’
4
JULIEN BAKER & TORRES
Send A Prayer My Way
Matador
A jubilant rebirth.
A record that’s ostensibly been on the horizon since Julien Baker and TORRES
(aka Mackenzie Scott) first played together way back in 2016, ‘Send A Prayer My
Way’ is in many ways a meeting of minds, a deeply evocative project
emblematic of courage and queer community. It’s undeniable that country
music is currently enjoying a moment in the sun - just look at Beyoncé and
Chappell Roan’s recent output - but, much like their pop contemporaries, Julien
and Mackenzie here offer much more than mere trend bandwagoning. Setting
the tone for what follows - namely, a masterclass in devastating vulnerability -
opener ‘Dirt’ is a raw admission of toxic habits and self-sabotage; when, half
way through, Mackenzie’s lower register offers a response to Julien’s plaintive call, their melancholic
harmony is nigh on heart-breaking.
Drawing on longstanding tropes of the genre like addiction (‘Bottom Of The Bottle’; ‘Off The Wagon’) and
rural landscapes (‘No Desert Flower’), the pair recontextualise country in contemporary, queer terms.
At points, this means exploring the enduring scars of early romantic encounters (“And now I know that
your shame was not mine / And I am perfect in my Lord’s eyes” affirms Mackenzie on ‘Tuesday’). At
others, it entails coded references to the USA’s socio-political climate (“I can take more than a little rain
/ If the going’s tough I will not cower / And all the passing years won’t wash me away”, goes ‘No Desert
Flower’). But amongst the heartache, there’s also genuine heart: just take lead single ‘Sugar In The Tank’,
an understatedly euphoric ode to LGBTQ+ identity that takes its name from a Southern colloquialism for
homosexuality.
Separately, Julien Baker and TORRES are both immersive, insightful songwriters in their own right;
together, their partnership is a resounding testament to resilience and tentative hope. Daisy Carter
LISTEN: ‘Dirt’
50 D

ALBUMS
Perfectly
unsubtle and
all-out fun.
¢
LADY GAGA
MAYHEM
Interscope
Subtlety has long been a forgotten art for
Lady Gaga. Even in her sidesteps away from
pop since the release of last album proper,
2020’s ‘Chromatica’, the global powerhouse
has ramped up her stylistic fundamentals to
the very top; a saving grace in the case of
the universally panned Joker film sequel,
where she delivered an unashamed all-out
homage to jazz on its accompanying covers
album. It’s no surprise, then, that this self-proclaimed return to her
pop roots arrives with such loud confidence.
It’s easy to forget across the album’s fourteen commercial pop
bullets that Gaga somewhat single-handedly kickstarted a chart
revolution with 2008’s ‘The Fame’, a record that easily sets the
foundation for the immediacy of ‘MAYHEM’. She foregoes reinvention
for a tried and tested formula already her own, even the most
straightforward track here - ‘How Bad Do U Want Me’ - brimming
with her distinctive energy. Its insatiable catchy chorus provides yet
another example of Gaga’s skills for unfiltered earworms.
Its knowing take on fame is, too, a companion to the foreshadowing
of her debut. “You love to hate me” she offers on ‘Perfect Celebrity’,
in lyrics alone a sister to ‘The Fame’’s ‘Paparazzi’. It joins a series
of brilliantly camp, often theatrical numbers that pair Lady Gaga’s
unfaltering legacy with a consistent playful bite. On the surface a
tale of a misunderstood werewolf, ‘The Beast’ could just as easily be
interpreted as the push and pull of life in the limelight – the intricate
balance between Lady Gaga and Stefani Germanotta. Yet ultimately
‘MAYHEM’ blurs the line between the two, in its sheer pop-filled joy
offering the fresh conclusion that they are by all accounts the very
same; perfectly unsubtle and all-out fun. Ben Tipple
LISTEN: ‘Perfect Celebrity’
Photos: CJ Harvey, Eddie Whelan, Frank LeBon, Emma Swann
¢
SUNFLOWER BEAN
Mortal Primetime
Lucky Number
Sunflower Bean have never fitted
neatly into a box, and their fourth
album, ‘Mortal Primetime’ makes
that clearer than ever. Across its ten
tracks, the band abandon any fixed
notion of genre, weaving together
elements of alt-rock, folk, and
dreamy, blissful pop with
remarkable ease. The album opens
with grungy, distorted guitar chords reminiscent of Ramones
(‘Champagne Taste’), only for ‘I Knew Love’ to pivot entirely,
with lead vocalist Julia Cumming’s honeyed cries evoking
Joni Mitchell. Elsewhere, ‘Please Rewind’ begins with plucky
guitar lines that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Midwestern
emo track, before Nick Kivlen’s vocals transform it into a
folk-infused piece in the vein of Simon & Garfunkel.
Yet, instead of feeling disjointed, it’s in these sharp contrasts
that ‘Mortal Primetime’ finds its greatest strength. The
album emerges from a period of transition for the band,
marked by Nick’s move to California, Julia’s break-up, and
drummer Olive Faber immersing herself in a new project
(Stars Revenge). But instead of fracturing, Sunflower Bean
used these shifts as fuel, channelling their reinvention into
an album brimming with fresh conviction. This sense of
assuredness is evident throughout, from the searing guitar
solo before the final chorus in ‘Nothing Romantic’ to Julia’s
spectral vocals that carry ‘Look What You’ve Done To Me’.
Even in the album’s quieter moments, whether that be the
blissed-out, ‘60s-inflected ‘Waiting for the Rain’ or the
dreamy, introspective ‘There’s a Part You Can’t Get Back’,
the band exude a confidence that makes their genre-blurring
approach feel effortless.
‘Mortal Primetime’ doesn’t hold your hand or ease you
into its sonic shifts. Instead, Sunflower Bean embrace this
constant reinvention head-on with a record that only years
of experience and an unshakable bond could produce.
Sophie Flint Vázquez
LISTEN: ‘Nothing Romantic’
A record that only years
of experience and an
unshakable bond could
produce.
D 51

ALBUMS
¢
JENSEN MCRAE
I Don’t Know How But They Found
Me!
Dead Oceans
Ever since the release of her
stand-out ‘Who Hurt You?’
EP back in 2021, Jensen
McRae has been marked
out as a special songwriter.
Even in that early foray, the
Californian managed to
effortlessly distil an array of
powerful emotions into its six tracks in a way
that felt, in moments, truly heartbreaking. So it
feels more than apt that, for her Dead Oceans
debut, she’s once again channelling that sense
of crystalline intimacy. The follow-up to her more
traditional coming-of-age album ‘Are You Happy
Now?’, ‘I Don’t Know But They Found Me!’ finds
her reflecting on her two most recent
relationships and subsequent breakups, running
the gamut of feeling in the process. Take the
all-too-familiar naive optimism of ‘I Can Change
Him’, the warm, hedonistic country twang of ‘Let
Me Be Wrong’ (“Let me get lost, the hard way’s
the way I want / And I’ve been good too long”) or
the high-road taking ‘Praying For Your Downfall’;
these are a set of songs that examine all the
broken pieces of her love stories and point the
finger in everyone’s direction. It’s the stunning
‘Tuesday’, though, that provides the most
gut-wrenching moment; a raw, charged dive into
betrayal that’s impossible not to be moved by,
it’s a gorgeously deft example of Jensen’s
capabilities. Sarah Jamieson
LISTEN: ‘Tuesday’
4
LUCY DACUS
Forever Is A Feeling
Polydorl
4
SLEIGH BELLS
Bunky Becky Birthday Boy
Mom + Pop
There’s a joyfully nostalgic thread that
runs through this sixth album from Sleigh
Bells. It’s there in its title, which nods to
both vocalist Alexis Krauss’ late dog Riz
who would often be out on tour with the
band (‘Bunky Becky’), and her young son
Wilder (‘Birthday Boy’). It’s dead centre
of the blistering ‘Wanna Start A Band’,
with its euphorically huge riffs and percussive clicks doing an
excellent job at channelling the all-out aural assault that
characterised their breakthrough and 2010 debut, ‘Treats’.
Elsewhere, they pair their trademark hard-and-soft contrast
– a sound which, in hindsight, could be deemed protohyperpop
– with a litany of references that bring to mind Dua
Lipa’s concept of ‘Future Nostalgia’, or a reverse Back To The
Future Part II, in which Alexis and bandmate Derek Miller
present an imagined late-21st Century past via a vivid 2025
lens. ‘Badly’ channels mall rock with its ‘80s power pop riff;
‘Blasted Shadow’ pairs quintessential Sleigh Bells with hints
of ‘90s FM radio stalwarts; closer ‘Pulse Drips Quiet’ does
similar with drivetime rock. ‘Life Was Real’ pairs the slicker
sound presented on 2013’s ‘Bitter Rivals’ with pure emo
guitars deliciously, while even bigger standout ‘This Summer’
acts as a true centrepiece, its pop-punk riffs and metallic
middle eight combining with militantly carefree lyrics (“Kicking
and thrashing, send us home packing”) for a full Y2K MTV2
moment. A notable mention, too, should go to ‘Hi Someday’,
where ‘80s goth meets new wave on a fickle mood-switcher
of a track that somehow feels epic despite its relatively
diminutive sub-four minute length. An excellent example of
weaving in references while retaining a singular artistic
identity and still sounding completely fresh. Emma Swann
LISTEN: ‘This Summer’
Lucy Dacus has a lot to thank boygenius for on her fourth studio album, ‘Forever Is A
Feeling’. The collaborative project alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker - a
trio who have known each other since the middle of the last decade - has not only
propelled Lucy to a new-found level of international fame, but, as is evident
throughout her new record’s musings on love and relationships, has also seen her
find love with bandmate Julien. It’s no surprise that the pair have confirmed their
relationship in the run-up to the album’s release - a direct effort not only to end reams
of online speculation, but also to celebrate the intricacies of a partnership laid out so
bare.
It’s the happiest Lucy has sounded, pairing her increasingly-distinctive balance between minimalist
melodies and soft guitars with love-fuelled lyricism (take ‘Modigliani’’s “you make me homesick for places
I’ve never been before”; the title track’s “I remember thinking you were pretty when we met”; or Hozierfeaturing
‘Bullseye’’s “I always loved the way you play guitar”). In these moments, Lucy fully embraces the
joys of her relationship (or, at the very least, the delight of her feeling for another).
On the album’s most immediate track ‘Most Wanted Man’, she gushes over the small, intimate moments
at dinner, both at a restaurant or in the kitchen. “I just want to make you happy,” she notes before asking,
“will you let me spend a lifetime trying?”, both a direct acceptance of love and a fleeting caveat that good
things don’t come easily. Even at its most celebratory, ‘Forever Is A Feeling’ never shies away from Lucy’s
insecurities, the origin of which are hinted at in ‘Come Out’’s comment on a patriarchal society, or ‘For
Keeps’’ nod to religion. Here, she explores the hardships that queer relationships face and the intricate
balance between friendships and romance in her own way, exploring love through a tentative, poignantly
relatable lens. Ben Tipple
LISTEN: ‘Most Wanted Man’
Exploring
love through
a tentative,
poignantly
relatable lens.
RECOMMENDED
Missed the boat on some of the best albums from the last couple of months? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
5
HEARTWORMS
Glutton For Punishment
An extraordinary debut that proves
she’s a force to be reckoned with.
5
ANTONY SZMIEREK
Service Station At The End Of
The Universe
A fundamentally British yet
beautifully universal debut.
5
POPPY
Negative Spaces
A showcase of her ability to
meld reliable sound palettes with
audacious new tricks.
¢
JASMINE.4.T
You Are The Morning
A record brimming with folksy
warmth and vivid storytelling.
¢
DIVORCE
Drive To Goldenhammer
A dynamic, difficult-to-predict
listen.
¢
CLIPPING.
Dead Channel Sky
An epic masterpiece.
Photo: Shervin Lainez
52 D

APR
Geordie Greep
Komedia, Bath
Friday 4 April Sold out
Yoshika Colwell
MOTH Club
Tuesday 8 April
RALLY at ICA
Laura Misch, Wu-Lu x Poison Anna,
GB & James Massiah
ICA
Wednesday 9 April
Man/Woman/Chainsaw
Scala
Thursday 10 April
Jessica Winter
The Divine
Tuesday 15 April Sold out
Black Country,
New Road
Village Underground, London
Tuesday 15 April Sold out
Geordie Greep
KOKO, London
Tuesday 15 April Sold out
Wednesday 16 April Sold out
Porches
Heaven
Wednesday 16 April
Jeremy Bradley
Earl (Woods Solo)
The Lexington
Tuesday 22 April
Sam Akpro
MOTH Club
Thursday 24 April
Squid
Roundhouse
Saturday 26 April
Fly The Nest
Rian Brazil + Tony Bontana
below Stone Nest
Tuesday 29 April
MAY
Federico Albanese
Kings Place
Wednesday 7 May
Rose City Band
The Garage
Sunday 11 May
Bria Salmena
The Lexington
Tuesday 13 May
Preoccupations
The Garage
Tuesday 13 May
Circuit des Yeux
ICA
Wednesday 14 May
The Golden Dregs
100 Club
Tuesday 20 May
Jenny Hval
Islington Assembly Hall
Wednesday 21 May
Vendredi sur Mer
XOYO
Thursday 22 May
Throwing Muses
Electric Ballroom
Tuesday 27 May
deary
MOTH Club
Tuesday 27 May
Fly The Nest
Special Guests TBA
below Stone Nest
Tuesday 27 May
Lael Neale
Omeara
Wednesday 28 May
MJ Lenderman &
The Wind
Marble Factory, Bristol
Thursday 29 May Sold out
JUN
caroline
Islington Assembly Hall
Tuesday 3 June
MJ Lenderman &
The Wind
Electric Ballroom, London
Wednesday 4 June Sold out
Spellling
Village Underground
Wednesday 11 June
Destroyer
The Fleece, Bristol
Wednesday 11 June
Islington Assembly Hall, London
Thursday 12 June
Basia Bulat
Omeara
Tuesday 17 June
Horsegirl
Scala, London
Friday 20 June Sold out
Band On The Wall, Manchester
Saturday 21 June
Thekla, Bristol
Thursday 26 June
Death In Vegas
Earth Theatre
Saturday 21 June
JUL
Japanese Breakfast
O2 Academy Brixton
Thursday 3 July
AUG
@
MOTH Club
Tuesday 14 August
MJ Lenderman &
The Wind
Roundhouse, London
Friday 15 August
RALLY Festival
Southwark Park
Saturday 23 August
SEP
DIIV
HERE @ Outernet
Wednesday 3 September
Dutch Interior
The George Tavern
Thursday 4 September
Subterranean
Festival
Southbank Centre
Saturday 20 September
Black Country,
New Road
Beacon Hall, Bristol
Monday 22 September
OCT
ionnalee |
iamamiwhoami
HERE @ Outernet
Monday 13 October
The Magnetic Fields
Perform 69 Love Songs
Union Chapel
Thursday 2 October Sold out
Friday 3 October Sold out
Tuesday 14 October Sold out
Wednesday 15 October
Black Country,
New Road
O2 Academy Brixton, London
Friday 31 October
NOV
Albertine Sarges
The Lexington
Tuesday 4 November
London & Beyond
birdonthewire.net

ALBUMS
4
VIAGRA BOYS
viagr aboys
Shrimptech Enterprises
For the majority of Viagra
Boys’ existing audience, the
main purpose of this fourth
album is likely as fuel to
further the outfit’s cult live
presence, the Swedes having
left a trail of angsty
moshpit-inducing fervour
across the globe for a decade now. Yet ‘viagr
aboys’ makes like a metaphorical onion left in the
fridge for a little too long; its provenance
questionable, it’s not something most would want
to touch with their bare hands but is - get to the
point! - nevertheless layered.
Opener ‘Man Made Of Meat’ causes a casual
jolt, its proto-punk sound clashing with a casual
(and unpredictably crude) reference to the
death of Matthew Perry, showing that no, this
is not a 1970s crate-digging exercise. ‘Dirty
Boyz’, meanwhile, veers towards an indie sleaze
sketch track (think an artist’s impression of
LCD Soundsystem, or a Primal Scream tribute
if the only source material is ’Screamadelica’).
As such, ‘viagr aboys’ begins to resemble a
spiritual sibling to the film producer Liam Lynch’s
infamous noughties cut ‘Fake Songs’, in place of
direct continuation of the band’s tried-and-tested
post-punk.
As with the aforementioned album - which
gave us brief dancefloor filler ‘United States of
Whatever’ - what the band have described as
incorporating “a little bit of everything” into their
songwriting has landed them on a sweet spot
between impression, parody, and deference:
‘6’ broods like The National, while ‘Story Policy’
fizzles like an IDLES number (if Sebastian
Murphy’s chest-beating intonation is at all
unintentional across his many repetitions of the
titular “policy”, its resemblance to Joe Talbot’s
is uncanny). Elsewhere, the hypnotic synth line
and cacophonous build of ‘You N33d Me’ again
brings to mind early LCD Soundsystem; and
looser, but still notable, the closing croon of ‘11’
suggests Elvis Costello. Naturally, one would not
expect a band whose breakthrough consisted of
a list of physical activities spouted over rumbling
post-punk to view ‘switching things up’ in an
academic way, but the – whisper it – whimsy
that runs through ‘viagr aboys’ is plenty to widen
audiences’ expectations of the group. Alex Doyle
LISTEN: ‘You N33d Me’
#
PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS
PIGS PIGS
Death Hilarious
Rocket Recordings
’Death Hilarious’ is a
battle-ready, hammer throw
of a fifth album from Pigs
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs
Pigs. Lifting off with G-force
rocket speed, opener
‘Blockade’ is a searing
tornado of sludgy space
rock, Matthew Baty’s Lemmy-esque growl
scorching its way across its cacophonous
cannonade. The fuzzy delirium continues on;
single ‘Stiches’ conjures a dream tag-team of
Black Sabbath and Hawkwind, while ‘Glib
Tongued’ features a leftfield collaboration with
Run The Jewels rapper El-P. It works well, the
rapper and producer enforcing a barbed lyrical
delivery atop the band’s sinister sludge. ‘The
Wyrm’ meanwhile has them channelling
labelmates Goat with its shamanic psych
eruption. The record closes with the eight-minute
doomy - and dangerously tinnitus-inducing -
‘Toecurler’, confirming the obvious: this isn’t easy
listening. But for those wishing to metaphorically
slay an army of deities in the shadowland of the
damned? It’ll be right up your street. Brad Sked
LISTEN ‘The Wyrm’
#
MOMMA
Welcome To My Blue Sky
Lucky Number
Momma’s fourth LP opens with a promise: “Anyone that calls / Should know I don’t look back
anymore,” sing the Brooklyn-based four-piece over the solemn procession of ‘Sincerely’; “No
return address, I love you to death / But I’m outside the door.” Yet, like all wistful romanticists
- contradictory, lovelorn, poetic and messy in their ways - looking back is exactly what they do.
But ‘Welcome to My Blue Sky’ is a record of duality; here, this yearning is part-and-parcel of
purging and moving on. It’s not a break-up record, mind - instead capturing a period of “parallel
chaos” for the band members while on tour in 2022 - though it comes close to feeling exactly
like one. Its energetic, spiralling rock captures the feverish freedom of romanticised chaos
under a similar context; the rollicking indie pop of ‘I Want You (Fever)’ and the rockier ‘Stay All Summer’ divulge the
complexities of being an unendingly devoted - and messy - ex. Later, attachment fast transforms into hopeless
lovesickness and desire for new iterations of the same thing: “I’ll see you in another life / I’m always close by / It’s
such a short drive,” they sing across Noughties rom-com heart-tugger ‘New Friend’. And as in all grievous
ruminations comes a period of anger, as seen on the hot-headed, head-spinning ‘Last Kiss’, or ‘Bottle Blonde’,
which succumbs to the hair-dye breakdown as an essential tool for healing and rediscovery. Despite all its
reflections on emotional tumult, ‘Welcome to My Blue Sky’’s nostalgia encapsulates a healthy closing of a chapter.
“It’s so hard to leave it,” they sing over undulating rock, closing the hazy and forlorn but peaceful record, one that
reaffirms their stake in the genre: “I miss it but I’ve moved on.” Otis Robinson
LISTEN: ‘Stay All Summer’
4
SCOWL
Are We All Angels
Dead Oceans
Much like a certain infamous condiment, we imagine that the new album from Californian
hardcore outfit Scowl is likely to stir up some fairly extreme opinions. While the Santa Cruz
quintet firmly put their stamp on the genre with their 2021 debut ‘How Flowers Grow’ - an
album that saw them hailed as one of hardcore’s great new hopes - it’s with their second
release (and first for new label home, Dead Oceans) that they’ve pushed decidedly out of
hardcore’s traditional constraints, instead adding scuzzy textures and pop melodies to their
already fierce melding pot. Like the much-touted Turnstile before them, ‘Are We All Angels’
is a record that sees the band choosing to pair pummelling guitars and ferocious riffs with a
sense of levity; this time, mostly down to the singing of vocalist Kat Moss, which, in
moments - as on opener ‘Special’ - feels closer to the early work of Sleigh Bells or Purity Ring than their current
counterparts. The result is an album that feels expansive and unshackled, while still boasting a gnarly punk heart.
Love it or hate it, one thing’s clear here: this band’s ambition are soaring skyward. Sarah Jamieson
LISTEN: ‘Cellophane’
Expansive and
unshackled,
while still
boasting a gnarly
punk heart.
Photo: Pooneh Ghana
54 D

14 17 MAY 2025
BRIGHTON - UK
SKUNK
PRESENTS
PRESENTS
ANANSIE
ENGLISH TEACHER
ANGRY BLACKMEN · AZAMIAH · BADGER
BIGHEAD TEA DRINKERS · BLACK FONDU
BLUE LAB BEATS · BRIA SALMENA · CATTY
CHLOE QISHA · CONGRATULATIONS
CORTO.ALTO · COURTING · CURRLS
DEBBY FRIDAY · DICE
DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE · DONNY BENÉT
EIVØR · ELLIE O'NEIL · FLAWLESS ISSUES
FOLK BITCH TRIO · FUZZ LIGHTYEAR · GANS
GETDOWN SERVICES · GODDESS · GOETIA
GOODBYE · GORDI · HEAVY LUNGS
HOLIDAY GHOSTS · JD CLIFFE
JORDAN ADETUNJI · KAICREWSADE
KNATS · L E M F R E C K · LAICOSITNA
LAURIE WRIGHT · LONNIE GUNN · LUVCAT
LYNKS · MAN/WOMAN/CHAINSAW
MARUJA · MÊN AN TOL · MISO EXTRA
MISS KANNINA · MITCH SANDERS · MOIO
MOUNT PALOMAR · MOUTH CULTURE
NADEEM DIN-GABISI · NAMESBLISS
NAP EYES · NIA SMITH · NXDIA · OREGLO
REAL FARMER · RUBII · SIM0NE · SLAG
TAY JORDAN · THE KLITTENS · THE K'S
THE MOLOTOVS · THE MOONLANDINGZ
THE NEW EVES · THE NONE · THE PILL
TOMMY WÁ · TOTAL TOMMY · UGLY
VAN ZON · WATER MACHINE · WELLY
WESTSIDE COWBOY · WITCH POST
Y · ZINADELPHIA
AND MANY MORE
SPOTLIGHT
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ALBUMS
4
TUNDE ADEBIMPE
Thee Black Boltz
Sub Pop
For the past two decades, Tunde
Adebimpe’s voice has been
synonymous with the shapeshifting
sound of TV on the Radio, a band
with a track record for being a
complex instrument of gritty
emotion, poetic unease and
seemingly limitless experimentation.
Now, Tunde’s solo debut ‘Thee Black Boltz’ calls forth a
new reckoning. The record is introduced by its title track,
a dialled-in spoken word piece which serves as a core
transmission with messages of settling love and hate,
consolidating happiness and sadness. The tech tempo
of single ‘Magnetic’ follows with a crackling pulse.
Immediately, Tunde’s visceral vocals are placed at the
forefront, asserting jarring reflections of a conflicted
condition. Some of the record’s strength lies within
electronically oscillating currents which vary in degrees
of intensity, as heard in the vast, atmospheric synth
grooves of ‘Magnetic’, ‘Ate The Moon’, ‘Blue’ and
‘Somebody New’. However, the true power is in the
tracks which showcase greater nuance and break up the
density of the sonic heft. ‘Drop’ is defined by a beatbox
rhythm, ‘The Most’ briefly incorporates dub-inspired
flicks while ‘ILY’ is the hopeful heart of the record,
stripped back to acoustic fingerpicking and more
ambient instrumentation. In these moments, Tunde’s
artistic flourish is accentuated the most. ‘Thee Black
Boltz’ is a dispatch from the eye of a storm rattling with
grief and political anxiety, yet the clouds part for sparks
of hope. It is as much a rebirth as it is a document of
survival, embracing the terrifying and exhilarating task of
navigating uncharted musical territory in such an insular
manner. As Adebimpe surrenders to the unknown, he
still remains guided by the same restless and creatively
unburdened spirit that has defined TV on the Radio.
However, it is evident that ‘Thee Black Boltz’ is Tunde
Adebimpe’s storm to weather, his vision unfiltered with a
clarity that makes the collection strikingly his own.
Kayla Sandiford
LISTEN: ‘ILY’
3
DIRTY PROJECTORS, DAVID
LONGSTRETH & S T A R G A Z E
Song Of The Earth
Transgressive
At first glance, the decision to credit
this release to both David
Longstreth and Dirty Projectors
seems redundant, being that he is
the only permanent member of that
band, which itself started out as a
vehicle for his own songwriting. Had
there been no mention of Dirty
Projectors, though, you wouldn’t have made it ten
minutes into ‘Song of the Earth’ without heading to
Google to check if this was actually the same David
Longstreth. This wild, sprawling 24-track suite is way out
of his traditional wheelhouse, an epic song cycle in
collaboration with orchestral collective s t a r g a z e that
suggests an all-or-nothing approach to stepping outside
of his comfort zone; here, he has taken a left turn at 100
miles per hour.
Over the course of more than sixty minutes, we get
jazzy orchestral improvisations (‘At Home’), baroque
pop (‘Opposable Thumb’), atmospheric laments (‘More
Mania’, ‘Spiderweb at Water’s Edge’), off-kilter, groovedriven
anthems (‘Uninhabitable Earth, Part One’) and
occasional moments of shimmering beauty that seem to
stand alone, particularly the Mount Eerie collaboration
‘Twin Aspens’. Emboldened by the sweep of the strings
and the portent of the brass that s t a r g a z e provide,
Longstreth is similarly ambitious when it comes to
thematic content, touching upon everything from climate
crisis to Gaia consciousness. It is a heady and often
confounding listen and, for many, will be too drastic a
departure from his normal territory, or too diffuse and
hectic a set of ideas. What ‘Song of the Earth’ can’t be
faulted for, though, is a lack of ambition. Joe Goggins
LISTEN: ‘Twin Aspens’
#
PRIMA QUEEN
The Prize
Submarine Cat
Having been best friends for the better part of a decade now, it’s little surprise that
Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden - aka Prima Queen - would go on to make a
debut album that’s so tangibly tender and intimate. From the opener sonic swirls of
‘Clickbait’, a dream-like quality settles over ‘The Prize’ that feels both evocative and
nostalgic, with it blooming into further life via the warm reflection of ‘Mexico’ and the
sparkling chorus of its title track. As with so much of their material so far, the pair’s
eye for lyrical detail is still on fine form, helping to give the album an almost diaristic
stamp (see ‘Ugly’’s opening line, “Saturday of Glastonbury, I watched you play
William’s Green”, or the woozy ‘Flying Ant Day’ for some of its more overt moments),
while their frank, relatable admissions often tug on the heartstrings (“How could I tell you that I love you /
When I know you won’t say it back?” goes ‘Spaceship’). Granted, there’s the odd moment where the
twee-ness does get a little too much - ‘Sunshine Song’ and its repetitive refrain is just too sugary sweet, even
with the whack of distortion added towards its close - but on the whole, ‘The Prize’ is a warm exploration of
life’s intimacies that places female friendship at the centre of this pair’s universe. Sarah Jamieson
LISTEN: ‘Mexico’
Where do you think ‘The Prize’ really began?
You’ve said that the album’s pieced together
with songs from across the years, but do you
feel as though there was a line in the sand when
you knew that work on the album had really
begun?
We’ve been planning ‘The Prize’ since we became
friends nearly 10 years ago now! Ever since we
started writing together we’d imagined what it would
be like to release an album and we wanted to wait
until we felt that we were ready (and that people
would have an appetite for it). It really started taking
shape after we released our EP in 2023 - we had
some songs that we knew had to be on the album
(for example, ‘Mexico’ which we’ve been playing live
for years) but we really considered how we wanted
the album to feel like a cohesive body of work.
As we started collecting songs we started to notice
the emotional themes of growth and empowerment
that reflected our own journeys of personal growth.
It felt like there were some gaps that we needed to
fill in the story arc which inspired songs like ‘Flying
Ant Day’ and ‘Sunshine Song’. We wrote them over
the summer of 2023 and you can definitely hear the
sunshine in them - so we feel excited that the album
is coming out in the spring, so that people can enjoy
them as they were intended.
Q&A
A debut album that’s been ten years(!) in the making, ‘The Prize’ sees Transatlantic duo Prima Queen once
again shares their unique portraits of every day life and love. To celebrate its release, the band tell us a little
more about how the album came to be...
Were there many really obvious, eureka-like
moments where you just knew what stories to
tell with the songs, or was it a more considered
approach as to what to include?
The title track definitely felt like a eureka moment.
The album had been finished for a year and we
decided to go into the studio with our producer
Steph [Marziano] to write another song for fun and
it felt like it just popped out of us and tied all of the
stories in the album together. Many of the other
songs were more like rites of passage - songs
that we felt like we had to write in the moment,
encompassing feelings that everyone goes through
(like heartbreak, outrage at it happening again and
the progression of those emotions).
You can hear younger versions of ourselves in some
of the earlier tracks and the songs intentionally
interact with each other. ‘More Credit’ is an
example of that where we acknowledge some of the
perspectives explored in earlier songs might feel
different in hindsight.
What do you hope people take away from the
album when they get to hear it?
We hope that people see themselves in the stories
and find comfort and joy in them! We hope it helps
find a levity in painful experiences and makes you
want to dance and/or cry.
Photo: Kiera Simpson
56 D

ALBUMS
4
EMPLOYED TO SERVE
Fallen Star
Spinefarm
Employed To Serve
are as immensely
likeable as they are
pummelingly heavy.
The Woking
five-piece - fronted
by the husbandand-wife
duo of
vocalist Justine Jones and guitarist
Sammy Urwin - are dyed-in-the-denim
metalheads that innately understand the
giddy thrills of bludgeoning riffs and
titanic grooves. Their fifth full-length
‘Fallen Star’ is an absolute delight,
primarily because it’s so easy to grasp.
Contemporary tech metal sometimes
feels like it’s in an arms race to create a
more OTT and intense version of itself.
But here, while the band frequently
come up with some spectacularly heavy
goods (try not to smile during the
breakdown that ends ‘Now Thy Kingdom
Come’), these 11 tracks channel their
intensity into killer grooves (kinetic
opener ‘Treachery’ is a ruthless
highlight) and increased use of Urwin’s
clean vocals (see the soaring, Rolo
Tomassi-esque choruses of the album’s
title track). Employed To Serve are one
of the UK’s best and most beloved metal
bands right now and ‘Fallen Star’ does a
stellar job of expanding the parameters
of their joyously heavy world. Tom
Morgan
LISTEN: ‘Fallen Star’
¢
SAMIA
Bloodless
Grand Jury
A delayed shuffle
kicks in after the
first chorus of
‘Bovine Excision’,
the opening track of
Samia’s third album
‘Bloodless.’ A
simultaneous guitar
stab and drum hit highlights the drum’s
previous absence, and - akin to the first
verse of its opener - ‘Bloodless’ finds
comfort in absence, whether it’s
referencing cattle mutilation or Sid
Vicious’ framed fist print in ‘Hole in a
Frame’. Seemingly, Samia has never
been one to shy away from a complex
theme or a darkly- outlined metaphor:
her 2023 breakout and award-winning
record ‘Honey’ touched on themes of
nihilism and murder. Sharp, vivid
songwriting is central to Samia’s craft,
and with ‘Bloodless’, her superpower
lies in her curiosity for the unknown, and
an ability to turn herself inside out,
facing the raw, uncomfortable, and
deeply human parts of herself head on.
On ‘Lizard’, she compares the likes of
men and God and how both are
bolstered by uncritical acceptance,
noting “peace is a double-locked door,
I’m the whore with the extra key”. Then,
turning love into indifference like the flip
of a switch, ‘Sacred’ concisely
describes the emotional whiplash of a
breakup (“you never loved me like you
hate me now”). In terms of production,
the album mostly takes a no-frills
approach, often just vocal and acoustic
guitar lending itself to the album’s
overall message; if you give less of
yourself, you’ll appear bigger.
Consequently, Samia’s words have
never been so profound. Emma Way
LISTEN: ‘Hole in a Frame’
EPS, ETC*
*anything they refuse to call an album.
4
MOULD
Almost Feels Like Purpose
5dB
4
RACHEL CHINOURIRI
Little House
Parlophone / Atlas
From the raucous
shifting sands of
opener ‘FRANCES’ to
the aggressive
technicality of closing
number ‘CHUNKS’, this
second EP from
Bristol-based MOULD
presents an uneasy yet fully entertaining
soundscape across its six tracks. Between,
there’s some novel storytelling (a snail’s
eating habits, anyone?) and a scattering of
double-take moments: see ‘TEMPS’, which
starts with a downhill guitar run before
settling - as far as MOULD allow, at least -
into an incessantly witty diatribe; or
‘WHEEZE’, a two-minute riot with bonus
brass section. Above all, ‘Almost Feels Like
Purpose’ is a showcase of the band’s
growth: whether blasting noise or delicately
picking out an off-beat breakdown, MOULD
are aiming for the same goal - to have fun.
And with it, they’ve got their unsettling-butintriguing
aesthetic all sewn up. Phil Taylor
LISTEN: ‘FRANCES’
Since the release of her debut full-length LP ‘What A
Devastating Turn Of Events’ last spring, Rachel
Chinouriri has been forging her path towards indie pop
stardom with increasing success, with nominations for
Artist of the Year and Best New Artist at the BRIT
Awards, a main support slot on Sabrina Carpenter’s
Short N’ Sweet arena tour, and her own US headline tour.
And beyond her professional success, Rachel’s journey
has also been marked by personal growth,
on which she reflects on ‘Little House’. The four-track EP
introduces a shift in tone inspired by her experience of falling in
love and ultimately finding herself in a good place. Opener ‘Can
We Talk About Isaac?’ is a giddy proclamation of that love,
placing the listener at the centre of her fairytale romance with
sprightly, sunny instrumentation. ‘23:42’ carries this energy
with a bolder edge, progressing from a sense of being
sweetly smitten to a bold declaration of being all in. A
defining characteristic of Rachel’s music is her ability to
balance moods within a collection without one
overpowering the other. This prevails on ‘Little House’,
as final two tracks ‘Judas’ and ‘Indigo’ take on a
dusky timbre. With minimal, delicate arrangements
which emphasise the tenderness of her vocal
prowess, it feels like a vulnerable, open-ended
expression of late night thoughts about the
feelings that can’t quite be conceptualised
when finding a sense of connection. Though
it may appear concise, ‘Little House’ says
everything that it needs to and is
ultimately full of heart. The EP captures
the essence of Rachel’s growth and
openness, further solidifying her
place as one of indie pop’s most
exciting and authentic voices right
now. Kayla Sandiford
LISTEN: ‘Can We Talk About
Isaac?’
Ultimately
full of
heart.
#
PHOEBE GREEN
The Container
The Green Dream Machine
There’s something
refreshingly carefree about
‘The Container’. Less in the
sound itself - here, Phoebe
Green presents her diaristic
bedroom pop in the same
darkly glittering hues as
CHVRCHES’ early material,
with ‘80s-inspired synths that shimmer above
understated, melancholic yet quietly infectious
songs – but more in that it offers another short,
sharp burst of trying things on for size. Following
last year’s ‘Ask Me Now’, there’s no suggestion
that anything here is definitive, no presumed
mould for whatever comes after to adhere to.
The EP’s standouts, then, are ‘Precious Things’
and ‘What Are You Doing’: in the former, the
playfulness of an Olivia Rodrigo-like speaking
delivery meets hints of industrial sounds to
gleeful effect; the latter, meanwhile, is a subtle
earworm which hints at Phoebe’s home city’s
forebears, as new wave synth sounds take an
ominous turn alongside one-woman call-andresponse
vocals. Bella Martin
LISTEN: ‘Precious Things’
58 D

2nd May
BLONDSHELL - If You Asked For A Picture
CAR SEAT HEADREST - The Scholars
LÅPSLEY - I’M A HURRICANE I’M A WOMAN IN LOVE
MODEL/ACTRIZ - Pirouette
PUNCHBAG - I’m Not Your Punchbag
PUP - Who Will Look After The Dogs
9th May
ALIEN CHICKS - Forbidden Fruit
KALI UCHIS - Sincerely
LITTLE SIMZ - Lotus
MCLUSKY - the world is still here and so are we
A compelling new voice in
alternative rock.
4
WISHY
Planet Popstar
Winspear
Recorded during the same sessions as last summer’s debut
album ‘Triple Seven’, ‘Planet Popstar’ is a shimmering, nostalgiatinged
EP that expands on the band’s fusion of dream-pop,
shoegaze, indie rock, and pop-punk, leaning into a more polished
aesthetic while maintaining their established emotional depth.
Single ‘Fly’ sets the tone, with Nina Pitchkites’ airy vocals layered
over warm, reverb-drenched guitars. A meditation on presence,
gratitude, and self-discovery, it sets the themes that thread
through the entire project. The title track channels early-noughties
alternative radio energy, as Kevin Krauter’s vocals soar over a wash of heavy guitars and
dreamy backing harmonies. Inspired by the fictional world of Nintendo character Kirby, the
song captures a childlike wonder and escapism. Elsewhere, ‘Over and Over’ swirls with
melancholy and ‘Chaser’ blends shoegaze textures with crisp, radio-ready synths. The EP
closes with the dreamy, percussion-led ‘Portal’, before easing into ‘Slide’, a slow-burning
finale with sun-soaked chords, showcasing the band’s skill at merging dreamy
atmospherics with deeply personal songwriting. Released alongside a fresh vinyl pressing
of 2023’s ‘Paradise’ EP, ‘Planet Popstar’ serves as both a continuation and evolution of
Wishy’s sound. Nina and Kevin continue to complement and challenge each other as
vocalists, switching roles seamlessly throughout. For fans of nineties indie, early-noughties
emo, or contemporary dream pop, ‘Planet Popstar’ cements Wishy as a compelling new
voice in alternative rock. Gemma Cockrell
LISTEN ‘Fly’
4
GRANDMAS HOUSE
Anything For You
Duchess Box
Having expanded
to a four-piece
since the release of
2023 EP ‘Who I
Am’, with ‘Anything
For You’ Grandmas
House continue to
bolster the rising
reputation of both themselves and the
fertile Bristol scene, offering up a project
of five tight, intense tracks. Opener
‘Screw It Up’ comes in at just over two
minutes and is a thrilling dive into the
group’s sound with a relentless chaotic
energy. The darker ‘Slaughterhouse’
offers a contrast, taking its time in a
more subdued fashion, while ‘From The
Gods’ allows vocalists Yasmin Berndt
and Poppy Dodgson to cut loose,
finding a sweet spot between melody
and turmoil on a track which also shows
off the quartet’s humour. An exhilarating
EP that builds on the band’s already-laid
foundations. Christopher Connor
LISTEN: ‘From The Gods’
4
KILLS BIRDS
Crave
Lucky Number
The Los Angeles-based
band’s first new material
since 2012 second album
‘Married’, the five-track
‘Crave’ is as much a
welcome reminder of the
power of thrashing guitars
and guttural vocal roars to
provide catharsis, as it is a (re)introduction to the
band. Opener ‘Behind’ rattles with posthardcore
ferocity, its quiet/loud dynamic
pressing all the right buttons, while ‘Madison’
takes the duality further, reducing vocalist Nina
Ljeti’s vocal – which elsewhere echoes Karen
O’s emotion-wielding high notes at its breaks,
and Brody Dalle’s throaty roar at its most
guttural - to a whisper, skillfully foreboding the
song’s eventual crash. ‘Trace’ allows for a
switch around, the hook provided by the guitar
line, and while ‘Pyre’ is somewhat of a
take-it-or-leave-it also ran, closer ‘Hollow’ saves
the best for last: big, grungey guitars clamouring
for attention with another giant chorus,
delivering truly thrilling results. Emma Swann
LISTEN: ‘Hollow’
COMING UP!
Your handy list of records worth getting excited for.
PREOCCUPATIONS - Ill At Ease
16th May
DAMIANO DAVID - FUNNY little FEARS
EZRA FURMAN - Goodbye Small Head
MATT MALTESE - Hers
M(H)AOL - Something Soft
MISO EXTRA - Earcandy
MØ - Plæygirl
PETER DOHERTY - Felt Better Alive
RICO NASTY - LETHAL
SPILL TAB - ANGIE
30th May
DEMISE OF LOVE - Demise Of Love
GARBAGE - Let All That We Imagine Be The Light
JACOB ALON - In Limerence
MATT BERNINGER - Get Sunk
MILEY CYRUS - Something Beautiful
MRCY - Volume 2
SHURA - I Got Too Sad For My Friends
YEULE - Evangelic Girl Is A Gun
6th June
FINN WOLFHARD - Happy Birthday
MCKINLEY DIXON - Magic, Alive!
13th June
AJ TRACEY - Don’t Die Before You’re
Dead
11th July
ARTEMAS - yustyna
BARRY CAN’T SWIM - Loner
29th August
CMAT - Euro-Country
NOVA TWINS - Parasites & Butterflies
Photos: Lauren Harris, Athena Merry, Gep Repasky

LIVE
SET LIST
Service Station at the End of
the Universe
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the
Fallacy
The Great Pyramid of
Stockport
Working Classic
Rock and a Calm Place
Seasoning Intro
Big Light
Yoga Teacher
Twist Forever
Feel
Crashing Up
Angie’s Wedding
Rafters
Restless Leg Syndrome
Take Me There
The Words to Auld Lang Syne

A truly unique night.
ANTONY
SZMIEREK
KOKO, London
Photos: Emma Swann
It’s no secret that London’s KOKO has
become the jewel in the crown of many
a touring run, and looking around its
grand surroundings and ornate details, it’s
little surprise as to why. But while most
attendees only get to gawp at its levels
of grandeur when clambering up the venue’s
many staircases, for tonight’s performance by
Manchester’s Antony Szmierek, things are a little
different.
No stranger to straddling different musical
worlds - blending his relatable brand of poetry
and spoken word with infectious beats and
euphoric rhythms, all while walking a musical
tightrope between indie and rap - at his
biggest headline in the capital so far, he’s got
another boundary-blurring trick up his sleeve.
Instead of the traditional artist-audience set
up normally reserved for shows like this, his
performance tonight sees a range of attendees
invited up onto the stage itself, loitering behind
a slim area which he and his bandmates cram
themselves into, for what feels more akin to a
Boiler Room session than a regular night at the
Camden institution.
With the crowd firmly warmed up thanks to
the brilliant Getdown Services - whose giddy,
satirical offerings are impossible not to be
won over by - there’s an otherworldly feel that
settles across the room by the time Antony et
al arrive on stage to the introductory chimes of
his debut’s opening track ‘Service Station at
the End of the Universe’. The following one-two
of ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Fallacy’ and
‘The Great Pyramid of Stockport’ whip up a
gorgeous sense of euphoria, while ‘Poems
To Dance To’ cut ‘Working Classic’ soars
high up towards the venue’s upper levels, via
its relatable but reflective verses and warm,
twinkling beats.
As ever, Antony is the beating heart of the
show; despite a 360° audience, he still
manages to stay engaged on an altogether
intimate level, all while performing in front of
his largest crowd yet. Unsurprisingly, the set
leans heavily on new album cuts, and when
the infectious chorus of ‘Yoga Teacher’, or
the thrumming electronic intro of ‘Rafters’
kicks in, it’s truly blissful. Even his choice of
cover - a take on Robbie William’s ‘Feel’ - is a
pitch perfect move, riding on both the heady
emotion of the song and a hefty dose of
nostalgia all in one go, before the self-reflective
ruminations at the heart of both ‘Crashing Up’
and encore track ‘Restless Leg Syndrome’
provide a weighty but poignant gut-punch
towards the end of the set.
And yet still, even at one of the biggest shows
of his career thus far, he manages to make it
less about him and his bandmates and more
about those watching, as - in his signature
style - he encourages the room to engage in
a fake New Year’s countdown in introduction
to his final track. “We’ve had our time. This is
for you now,” he says, as the faux bells ring
in introduction to his breakout hit ‘The Words
to Auld Lang Syne’, for what’s a gorgeous
conclusion to a truly unique night. Sarah
Jamieson
D 61

TUNDE ADEBIMPE
VENUE: THE PARTHENON
I think that would be cool. You could clear all the
tourists out; I think the insurance would probably be
quite a bit, but if there’s no budget, no limits, we
would totally do it.
SUPPORTS: SCREAMIN’
JAY HAWKINGS, LIGHTNING
BOLT, LOVE (CIRCA 1967)
I feel weird having these
people warm up, but it’d
just be because I’d
want to see them:
I’d like Screamin’
Jay Hawkins
there; if
Lightning
Bolt could
make it,
that’d be
cool; the
band
Love
circa
1967
would be
great. You
know some
bands, you
stumble upon
them in a certain
era - let’s say the late
‘60s or early ‘70s - then
you hear them in the ‘80s and
think ‘I never would have listened to this band if this was my
introduction’. So that’s why I wanna put the brackets on Love right
there, because that’s what I know.
HEADLINER: NINA SIMONE
I would never in a million years dream of asking Nina
Simone to open, for anybody. And Nina Simone at the
Parthenon would be pretty rad; no phones, no nothing,
you get patted down at the door. We might actually
wipe your memory as you’re leaving - all you get is
that moment.
WHO ARE YOU GOING WITH?
It’s not very interesting, but my mom. She likes a good
party, so I’d head out with her. I’m trying to think of who
my mom might wanna bring along… actually, I think going
with my mom and Little Richard would be great. I feel like
they’d get along… too well.
WHAT ARE YOU EATING?
There would be mountains of delicious Nigerian food; Little Richard
would be there enjoying jollof rice and fighting with people about
whether Ghanaian jollof rice is better than Nigerian jollof rice…
I’m not neutral, but I like my life the way it is, so I’m not gonna
say [which I prefer]. I know who would win though.
PRE-GIG ACTIVITY
I think pre-gig, there would be meditation. Everyone could get in
the zone; everyone could talk about what they’re grateful for, and
what evil thing they would like to see destroyed. You take it to
zero before you go for it!
IS THERE AN AFTERPARTY?
Again, I’m going to go back to the ‘60s - King Sunny Adé
would be playing the afterparty. And if there was somehow a
roller skating rink that could hold this afterparty, I think it’d be
great. I was gonna say maybe roller rinks need a comeback…
I don’t know if they ever went away, but I would like to
see a big leap in roller rink concerts.
ANY ADDITIONAL EXTRAS?
There would be giant, David LaChapelle-style
photo shoots for everybody who came to the
show, so you could go to this magical booth for
two seconds and walk away with a memory of being
surrounded by your surreal fantasy.
Tunde Adebimpe’s debut solo album
‘Thee Black Boltz’ is out 18th April via
Sub Pop. D
Photos: GNTO / Y. Skoulas, Xaviera Simmons
62 D

ROSIE
LOWE
WED 9 APR
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
THE ORCHESTRA (FOR NOW)
THU 10 APR
ICA
YANN TIERSEN
SAT 19 APR
BARBICAN
EMILE MOSSERI
MON 28 APR
ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
WED 30 APR
THE OLD CHURCH STOKE
NEWINGTON
BAMBARA
TUE 29 APR
THE GARAGE
SODA BLONDE
WED 7 MAY
THE GARAGE
MAKESHIFT ART BAR
THU 8 MAY
THE GEORGE TAVERN
TOM HICKOX
FRI 9 MAY
KINGS PLACE
SOLD OUT
SOLD OUT
MARIA SOMERVILLE
SAT 10 MAY
ICA
THE NULL CLUB
TUE 13 MAY
CORSICA STUDIOS
GORDI
TUE 13 MAY
THE LOWER THIRD
KABEAUSHÉ
WED 14 MAY
CORSICA STUDIOS
THE
MOONLANDINGZ
THU 15 MAY
SCALA
QUIET LIGHT
THU 15 MAY
NEXT DOOR RECORDS TWO
EZRA FURMAN
‘A WORLD OF LOVE & CARE’
ALL-DAYER
SUN 18 MAY
HACKNEY EARTH
JASMINE.4.T
TUE 27 MAY
THE LEXINGTON
SOLD OUT
JACOB ALON
TUE 27 MAY
HACKNEY EARTH
GEORGIE & JOE
WED 28 MAY
CORSICA STUDIOS
MOIN
SAT 31 MAY
BARBICAN HALL
THE BOY LEAST LIKELY TO
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BUSH HALL
KEDR LIVANSKIY
THU 5 JUN
PECKHAM AUDIO
SHURA
TUE 10 JUN & WED 11 JUN
BUSH HALL
AIN’T
THU 12 JUN
THE WAITING ROOM
LUCY DACUS
THU 26 JUN
BRIXTON ACADEMY
SOLD OUT
YEULE
WED 2 JUL
O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
MATT BERNINGER
WED 27 AUG
TROXY
LILY SEABIRD
WED 27 AUG
THE GRACE
BLONDSHELL
THU 11 & FRI 12 SEP
ELECTRIC BRIXTON
CHLOE QISHA
THU 9 OCT
VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
LÅPSLEY
THU 30 OCT
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
BC CAMPLIGHT
WED 5 NOV
ROUNDHOUSE
PERFUME GENIUS
TUES 11 NOV
ROUNDHOUSE
PEBBLEDASH
WED 12 NOV
SJQ
SALOME WU
THU 20 NOV
THE OLD CHURCH STOKE
NEWINGTON
YE VAGABONDS
THU 11 JUN 2026
ROUNDHOUSE
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