DIY, May 2016

YAK

Sweet salvation

set music free

free / issue 51 / may 2016

diymag.com

WEEZER

Cry me a Rivers

WHITE LUNG

A slice of ‘Paradise’

Mishaps, mayhem & Putin...

The Kills are still

KILLIN’ IT

+

METRONOMY

Return with a new

album and a pedicure

biffy CLYRO

Back and bigger than ever

1

2 diymag.com

M A Y 2 0 1 6

It took ten hours

to convince Oli he

wasn’t a real cowboy.

Photo: Nick Sayers

GOOD

VS EVIL

WHAT’S ON THE DIY TEAM’S RADAR?

Emma Swann

Founding Editor

GOOD Weezer’s return

to the UK was everything

and then some. Best.

Band. Ever.

EVIL They probably

won’t be back for another

five years now, will they?

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

tom connick

Online Editor

GOOD The amount of big,

noisy bands doing amazing

things. Yak are a breath of

fresh air, and White Lung

and King Gizzard continue

to wow.

EVIL Not getting the

invite to Dreamland.

Bastards.

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

El hunt

Associate Editor

GOOD #indieamnesty

was a truly magical

experience.

EVIL Piss off, drizzle.

I’m ready to bask in the

sunshine sipping warm

cans of Scrumpy Jack

already.

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

Sarah Jamieson

Deputy Editor

GOOD GAME OF

THRONES IS BAAAACK.

I’m just a bit excited, can

you tell?

EVIL Knowing that every

Monday for the next godknows-how-long

I’ll be

spending most of my time

dodging bloody spoilers.

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

Louise Mason

Art Director

GOOD I got an invite

to Dreamland and it was

the greatest day, I love

everyone.

EVIL They don’t even let

you take tiny explosives

on aeroplanes, sorry

Gatwick.

EDITOR’S LETTER

May’s issue of DIY is loud. Not just blare-up-the-speakers-andpiss-off-the-neighbours

loud: noise is everywhere, but it arrives in

different strands. There’s Yak’s almighty debut (the best first work

for bloody ages). There’s the explosive energy of White Lung. And

there’s the heroic Then there’s The Kills, staying razor-sharp after

over a decade in the game. All that, plus the next generation. Plus,

in the next generation Cardiff’s Estrons, one of the most exciting

new bands in yonks. And that’s all backed by great new records

from fresh-faced loons like Twin Peaks and King Gizzard & The

Wizard Lizard. It’s an insane month. Come to think of it, now’s a

good time to piss off the neighbours.

Jamie Milton, Editor

GOOD Seriously - Yak’s album is absurdly amazing. Weird, too. It’s

our lead review in this month’s issue.

EVIL Less evil, more bittersweet. This is my last issue as editor. I’ll

be staying as Neu Editor as well as ‘going freelance’, aka finding

time to watch all the Euro 2016 games.

L I S T E N I N G

POST

What’s on the DIY stereo this month?

Biffy Clyro - ellipsis

They’re naked on the cover, and Biffy Clyro are

putting themselves in the frontline for their bold new

LP. They also front our snazzy new Festival Guide

(they’re not naked, this time).

Whitney - Light Upon the Lake

A dreamy dose of escapism from a group made up

of former Smith Westerns and Unknown Mortal

Orchestra members.

3

C

O

N

T

E

N

T

S

NEWS

6 METRONOMY

10 BIFFY CLYRO

12 CURTAIN CALL

14 WOLF ALICE

16 TOOTHLESS

21 DIY HALL OF FAME

22 POPSTAR POSTBAG

24 FESTIVALS

NEU

28 ESTRONS

30 JORJA SMITH

34 DAY WAVE

35 LUH

FEATURES

36 THE KILLS

44 YAK

48 FLUME

52 OSCAR

56 WHITE LUNG

60 WEEZER

REVIEWS

64 ALBUMS

76 LIVE

Founding Editor Emma Swann

Editor Jamie Milton

Deputy Editor Sarah Jamieson

Associate Editor El Hunt

Online Editor Tom Connick

Art Direction & Design Louise Mason

Marketing & Events Jack Clothier,

Rhi Lee

Contributors Alex Cabré, Alex

Lynham, Ali Shutler, Amelia Maher,

Anastasia Connor, Henry Boon,

Jessica Goodman, Joe Goggins, Katie

Hawthorne, Liam McNeilly, Mustafa

Mirreh, Niall Cunningham, Nina Keen,

Rachel Michaella Finn, Tim Cooper,

Tom Hancock, Tom Walters, William

Moss, Will Richards

Photographers Carolina Faruolo,

Caroline Quinn, Mike Massaro, Nick

Sayers, Poppy Marriott, Robin Pope,

Ryan Johnston, Sam Wood, Sarah

Louise Bennett

For DIY editorial

info@diymag.com

For DIY sales

rupert@sonicdigital.co.uk

lawrence@sonicdigital.co.uk

tel: +44 (0)20 3632 3456

For DIY stockist enquiries

stockists@diymag.com

DIY is published by Sonic Media Group.

All material copyright (c). All rights

reserved. This publication may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form,

in whole or in part, without the express

written permission of DIY. 25p where

sold.

Disclaimer: While every effort is made to

ensure the information in this magazine is

correct, changes can occur which affect the

accuracy of copy, for which Sonic Media

Group holds no responsibility. The opinions

of the contributors do not necessarily bear

a relation to those of DIY or its staff and

we disclaim liability for those impressions.

Distributed nationally.

4 diymag.com

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5

6 diymag.com

If you’re Metronomy and you

know it, clap your hands!

in the studio

Nights

In

D

on’t expect

Metronomy to tour

their new record.

It’s not just the slick

80s dress code of

their ‘Love Letters’

tour they’re ditching

on its follow-up; as main man Joe Mount

reveals, they’re shunning gigs altogether.

Last month he sat the band down - that’s

guitarist/keyboardist Oscar Cash, bassist

Gbenga Adelekan and drummer Anna Prior -

and explained his decision.

With his

new album,

Metronomy’s

Joe Mount

is getting

a “musical

pedicure”,

treating

himself to

“me time” and

ignoring

any rules.

DIY goes in

the studio.

Words: Jamie

Milton.

Putting this perspective to a record label -

Because Music - however, isn’t that simple.

“Not as easy as I thought it would be,” Joe

admits, post-sunning it up in California with

his girlfriend. “I thought, ‘This isn’t the worst

thing in the world, is it?’ Just not touring for

a little while. What if the label had a band

who suddenly lost their arms and couldn’t

physically tour?” To clarify, he still has all his

limbs intact. This isn’t him waving farewell to

the stage forever.

“Maybe I underestimated just how hard it

is for record labels in this day and age,” he

considers. “They need all the help they can

get, because people don’t really buy albums

anymore. It’s tricky. But they’ve actually

been really supportive. Although I partly

convinced them by extending the record

deal a little bit. I didn’t have to give them

another option on a record, but I wanted

to make it more comfortable for them. It

sweetens the deal, I suppose.”

Without having to worry about the ‘will this

translate on stage’ bollocks, Joe’s given

himself a lot of freedom. His new album is

fun, first and foremost. Like a kid in a candy

shop, he’s trying everything, seeing what

sticks. ‘Old Skool’ is a snarky quip at posh old

West London, backed by DJ scratches from

“teenage hero” Mix Master Mike. There’s a

song called ‘16 Beat’ which is all about his

favourite drum beat. Truly, the most does-

7

NEWS

GET YOUR

FACTS

STRAIGHT

TITLE TBC

WHERE Paris,

Stockport,

Noyant-la-

Gravoyère and

Ramsgate

SONGS ‘Old

Skool’, ‘16 Beat’,

‘Back Together’

DUE Summer

2016

OTHER

DEETS The

album contains

a big-name

collaboration,

but we can’t say

who (yet). “The

song needed

a female voice.

And I really liked

her voice,” says

Mount. That’s all

you’re getting

(booooo!).

what-it-says-on-the-tin of upbeat pop songs.

Anything goes on this follow-up to ‘Love

Letters’. Since the release of 2008’s ‘Nights

Out’, in fact, life’s run away from Joe. He’s

released two hugely successful records,

toured to the point of no return, and started

a family. “There’s this thing - you realise

that by having children, you’ve completely

screwed up any free time you have forever,”

he claims. “Now, when I have the opportunity

to do anything that’s on my own clock -

making music, meeting friends, whatever - I

completely seize that time and use it as ‘me

time’.

“It’s like getting a manicure,” he explains,

stifling a laugh. “I realise how precious it

is. The best way to use any of that time is

to enjoy it, especially with making music.

Every time I went in the studio, it was pure

enjoyment.”

He’s just been for a pedicure, as it happens.

Over in LA, his girlfriend opened him up

to the experience. “And it was great!” he

enthuses. “It really was. I did enjoy it. I can

understand the appeal. I guess this album is

an audio pedicure, then.”

Don’t go thinking this is the sound of

Metronomy sitting back and soaking up the

applause. “I don’t want it to sound like I’m

doing that,” he states. “I’m not just gonna go

on holiday! The main reason is just because

you’re expected to put so much of your time

into playing live. I’d like to put the same

amount of time into writing and recording.

It’s about being productive, really.”

He has a point. Bedroom producers and

young upstarts can churn out three records a

year, simply because playing shows doesn’t

come into the equation. It’s been two years

since Metronomy’s last album. Don’t be

surprised if Joe begins to churn out albums

like tour dates. “I want to use all that energy

on recording. And now we’ll see just how far

this idea gets me.” DIY

“I guess

this album

is an audio

pedicure.”

Joe Mount

8 diymag.com

thekills.tv

THE NEW ALBUM - MAY 6

whitelung.ca

9

NEWS

Rip it up and start again

Biffy Clyro are 2/3rds of the way

to being conjoined triplets.

Biffy Clyro have never been a band to rest on their laurels: with their

newly-announced seventh album ‘Ellipsis’, they’re throwing out the rulebook and starting over.

Over the past fifteen years, Biffy Clyro have

seamlessly transformed themselves from a trio

of rough-around-the-edges experimentalists

into fully fledged titans of rock. Six records - two

album trilogies – later, they dominate arenas and headline

festivals like nobody’s business. So, with their new full-length

‘Ellipsis’, they had to try

something new.

After the grandiose

sonics of their last trio of

albums, they wanted to

shake things up. Rip it up

and start again. “You’re

in such a bubble,” says

frontman Simon Neil,

of their lives in the band, “and especially for a band going on

to their seventh record, you’re normally just in the routine. I

don’t think we’ve ever just wanted to be a routine band - you

know, reliable old Biffy Clyro! We’d rather be completely

unreliable and have people think we’ve lost the plot. Either

love it or hate it, that’s what we want, that’s what we’ve always

kind of wanted.”

gorgeousness with real trash,” Simon confirms with a gleeful

grin. “If the drums sounded amazing, we wanted a really dirty,

smelly-sounding guitar. If the vocals were really angelic, we

wanted to distort the drums.” It’s an approach clear from lead

track ‘Wolves of Winter’, which packs distorted vocal effects,

raw guitars and manic drum parts alongside a rousing chorus.

“If we hadn’t made six

records previously with

the matter-of-fact sound

of our instruments, then

“It’s definitely a

reaction.” Simon Neil

we would never have

wanted to make this

record, so it’s definitely a

reaction.”

“Rich would just plug in

shit all the time,” he laughs. “You’d be sitting playing and hit

a brilliant sound, but you’d not

care how you got there, or if it’s

too loud or going out through an

exhaust in the car park! It was just

like, ‘it sounds good, so let’s do it.’

That was quite liberating.”

Whether or not they’ve lost the plot is yet to be determined,

but they’ve certainly gone all out. Recruiting “mad professor”

Rich Costey for production, ‘Ellipsis’ is about about pairing

beauty and grit, taking left turns and surrendering themselves

to giving anything a go. “With Rich, the modus operandi was

Biffy Clyro grace the cover of this

year’s Festival Guide, out now.

‘Ellipsis’ will be released on 8th

July via Warner Bros. Records /

14th Floor Recordings. DIY

10 diymag.com

FLUME

the new album

‘Skin’

27th MAY 2016

LET’S EAT GRANDMA

the debut album

‘I, Gemini’

17th JUNE 2016

BLAENAVON

the new single

‘I Will Be The World’

OUT NOW

MUTUAL BENEFIT

the new album

‘Skip A Sinking Stone’

20th MAY 2016

ALVVAYS

SONGHOY BLUES

NEON INDIAN

BECOMING REAL

‘Alvvays’

‘Music In Exile’

‘VEGA INTL. Night School’

‘Low Pearl’

OUT NOW

OUT NOW

OUT NOW

OUT NOW

CD LP Digital

CD LP Digital

CD LP Digital

Digital

more info at WWW.TRANSGRESSIVE.CO.UK

11

NEWS

cut ribbons

Cut Ribbons &

Tall Ships

s h i m m e r b r i g h t ly f o r C u r ta i n C a l l 2 0 1 6

Newcomers Sports Team kick things off down at Queen of Hoxton.

Curtain Call – DIY’s endeavour with Jägermeister –

has already played host to two artists and now it’s

time for a third to take up residence on Shoreditch’s

Curtain Road. Having previously showcased both

Birdskulls and Kagoule, who recorded and performed on the

iconic East London stretch last month, it’s now up to Welsh

quintet Cut Ribbons to add a more serene splash to the musical

mix as they take on the Queen of Hoxton.

First up, London-based newcomers Sports Team fill out the

tiny stage. There’s no holding the band back, as their frontman

promptly veers off stage, towards the unsuspecting crowd.

Their brand of drawled slackerpop is enticing, and has clearly

been a factor in their building rep, but without any music out

in the open, it’s a challenge for the crowd to get completely

behind them just yet.

Next up, Cut Ribbons’ performance shimmers from the get-go.

Tracks from their debut ‘We Want To Watch Something We

Loved Burn’ sound glorious, with stand-out moments coming

in the form of ‘Clouds’ and the synth-laden title track. Soaring

and harmonious, their set reaches some dizzying heights,

while latest number ‘Helen of Troy’ - recorded just a few

metres up the road - injects proceedings with an extra kick of

electricity.

Marking their arrival with a subdued introduction, the quartet

waste little time in drawing their big guns. It may have been

almost four years since the release of their debut album,

but ‘T=0’ hits as hard as ever, with its crashing waves and

delicately-sung vocals. It’s a balance the band still manage to

keep impeccably live to this day.

As expected, their set’s an emotionally-fuelled journey,

through racing instrumentals and gorgeously introverted

moments. Newer tracks like ‘Will To Life’ show off their bolder

side, proving they’ve many more strings to their bow, while

their debut album’s cuts still shimmer with brilliant life. With

a second LP finally complete – frontman Ric Phethean’s own

words – the next step for the Brighton band is undoubtedly

going to be exciting. DIY

sports

team

tall ships

12 diymag.com

It’s Not A Storm, It’s An

Avalanche

Music’s most enigmatic producers - The Avalanches -

are finally back. Now there’s nobody left to reform.

umours of a return from the Avalanches have been

spreading for years. Fake festival posters, phoney

rSoundcloud pages - nothing but lies, lies, lies. It became

quite painful, to be honest, to the point where the Aussie

producers probably felt obliged to come back for real.

The band have announced three shows this summer, including a slot at London’s

Field Day. They’ll also play Primavera Sound and their home country’s Splendour in

the Grass. No info has been revealed regarding new material, but this is enough to get

excited about for now, right?

It also leaves us with very few acts who could possibly form a comeback. There’s

nobody left. Honestly - even Jai Paul’s busy. Now all that remains is The Smiths (who

are never ever getting back together) and Hard-Fi. Bloody Hard-Fi. DIY

Spector:

Fleet Services,

M3, England

Service Station

of the Month

Bands love service stations more than music itself. Snacks, bogs, time to

think - it’s all there. These are miraculous places where festival headliners

mingle with lorry drivers. It’s due time we paid respect to the very best.

was going to go for the idyllic

Tebay near the Scottish border

“I but after seeing The Telegraph

describe it as “the best motorway

service station in the UK” I realised

that Tories are among us, even in those

hallowed moments when you’re just

trying to enjoy a sausage and bean melt

with your nearest and dearest. So with

Tebay disqualified the prize has to go to

the M3 Fleet Services. It’s got a KFC, BK,

Maccy D’s, Subway, WHSmith, Dunkin’

Donuts, Papa John’s AND Starbucks

drive-through. There’s also a Waitrose,

for whichever band member’s going

through a vegan phase after watching

Cowspiracy. It’s choice that counts

when you’ve been away from home for

weeks on end, or at least the illusion of

choice. However many snacks are put

in front of me I always end up walking

out with a bottle of Perrier and a Kinder

Surprise. These are my confessions.”

Keep At It

KEVIN

Tame Impala’s frontman, Kevin

Parker, is a very busy man indeed.

O

ne year on from the gigantic

‘Currents’, Tame Impala’s Kevin

Parker is working on new

material.

‘Initial ideas’ are in the works, we’re

told which could either result in

new material for his day-job band or

something else altogether. “I don’t

really know what it is until it’s finished,”

he said at the APRA Awards. “Like I

don’t know if it’s for Tame Impala or

if it’s something I’m going to write

for someone else, because I’ve been

wanting to do that a lot more.

“I think after a long tour and after an

album, your brain feels like it wants

to relax but at the same time making

music for me is something that comes

kind of naturally,” he adds. “Just like a

brain process. I’m trying not to work on

stuff but there are always things to do.”

Who knows, maybe he’ll return

Rihanna’s seal of approval with a

collaboration. Either that, or the world

gets treated to a speedy ‘Currents’

follow-up. DIY

Tame Impala will play Bilbao BBK Live,

Melt! and Open’er. Head to

diymag.com/festivals for details.

13

Theo-h no!

Wolf Alice storm London residency (with a little help from their friends)

“II am

truly gutted,” wrote

Theo Ellis, in a message

posted on Wolf Alice’s

various online presences

on 26th March. It was the band’s first

of four nights at the Forum in Kentish

Town - a venue as close as possible

to their spiritual home of Camden. “I

won’t be able to play the show tonight. I have developed a

really bad infection surrounding my elbow leaving me with

limited mobility and on a lot of very sickly medicines.” A

decision made “with heavy heart,” his words were followed

by a pretty gruesome photo of the offending arm.

His replacement for the London dates was John Victor of

good pals Gengahr. Who, as it turned out, still sways around

stage like a wannabe Jonny Greenwood with just four

strings (later, for the one US tour date he also missed, it was

indie’s silver fox, Keith Murray of We Are Scientists).

Plus, as way of making up to those first-nighters

who’d learned of Theo’s injury just

hours before doors, more great

mates, Slaves, stepped in as

additional support. That’s

on top of the collection of

great British comrades

Swim Deep, Spring King,

Bloody Knees, Abattoir

Blues and Fish across the

four nights.

Three’s A CROWD

We popped along to the third night of four.

There’s not much left to be written about Wolf Alice’s first

steps. Lord knows we’ve penned a fair bit of it. From their first

headline shows to their triumphant Brixton Academy moment,

we’ve pinned them as the band of a generation. Back on their

North London home turf, tonight they prove worth every

syllable.

The singalongs to the first verse of opener ‘Your Loves Whore’

ring to the rafters, every bit a rallying cry as it is a snot-nosed

ode to youth. From there on out, each second of Wolf Alice’s set

tonight screams for bigger stages.

‘Bros’, the blog favourite turned radio hit, replicates that

ceiling-shaking reception, the accompanying claps feeling like

they might raise the building from its roots. It’s remarkable

to witness - a band born for festival headliner status reigning

themselves in rather than gunning straight for the big time.

Anyone who tells you Wolf Alice couldn’t have sold out a venue

five times this size this weekend is only kidding themselves.

A towering ‘Giant Peach’ closes proceedings, Ellie inviting a

lucky audience member onstage to fill Theo’s vacant role

as her side-step partner. As the band leave the stage to

that customary shower of gold confetti, Ellie’s dance pal

falling to her knees as the cannons erupt, it’s all smiles.

(Tom Connick)

Wolf Alice will play Bilbao BBK Live. Head

to diymag.com/festivals for details.

14 diymag.com

What’s going on with…

JAGWAR

MA?

Hello Jagwar Ma! How are you?

Jono Ma: Good thanks! I’m in Paris. I’ve got to run

to a club down the road to DJ later. One of the

promoters said ‘You realise Daft Punk are coming

down tonight?’ They won’t have their helmets. I

won’t even know who they are. I’ll just know that

they’re there, lurking.

What’s going on with...

You’ve been working on your second album.

How’s it going?

It’s almost done! I’ve set up a little workstation

at an apartment in République, and I’ve just

been doing the final touches to the record

now. It should be done in the next week or two,

hopefully. Fingers crossed. At this stage it’s

looking like it’ll be out in August or September. I

think we’re going to drop a track pretty soon.

How are the new songs sounding?

I don’t know. I’ve lost all objectivity now. But the

reaction from the few people I’ve played

them to has been really good, so we’re really

excited. It’s more of the same, but with more

bombastic beats! Bigger! Brighter! I don’t

know, it’s hard to put the record into words.

You can expect to be surprised.

What’s the process been like on this

record?

Most of the sketches for the record

happened while we were on tour. Between

gigs, whether it was on a plane or in

The Avalanches aren’t the only big-name Aussies coming back this year. a hotel room, I was always sketching

Sydney trio Jagwar Ma are following up 2013 debut ‘Howlin’’ with another down ideas on my computer. When

“bombastic” dose of dance-obsessed pop.

we stopped touring I had almost

two hundred beats and loops and

instrumental songs and stuff, loads

of ideas sketched down in various places. When

we’d written all the songs on ‘Howlin’’ we’d never

played a single live show as a band. I don’t know

how that’s affected it musically, but it definitely

changed our headspace.

Where have you been recording?

It’s a studio I built with a friend, maybe five years

ago? When Gab [vocalist Gabriel Winterfield]

and I started writing music together, that was

the first idea I had – to go to this studio in France

that I helped my friend build and make a record.

So once the touring for ‘Howlin’’ stopped and it

was time to make another record, we decided to

come and do it in the same place.

“Make new music?

Hat’s a good idea!”

With the new album almost finished, what are

you up to next?

We’re going to try and write a couple of

spontaneous, last minute tracks, which I think is

always an interesting thing to do. You write all

these songs, work on them for six months, and at

the end your palette has changed. On ‘Howlin’’

there are a few songs – like ‘Four’ and ‘Exercise’ –

that came out in the last week of mixing, literally

in the eleventh hour. So we’re going to try do

another little session like that and see what

happens, see if any new ideas stick, just before

Jagwar Ma will play Bilbao BBK Live. Head


we shut the gate on

the record.

15

So Long,

See You In

A Bit, Lads

Bombay Bicycle Club are heading their separate ways (for the time being, anyway). Still, you can expect

to see a lot more music from all the boys. First off the blocks, it’s bassist Ed Nash. With Toothless, he’s

bringing songs conceived on a tourbus, with zero expectations. Words: Will Richards.

16 diymag.com

Ed Nash is back where it all started.

He’s currently assembling a live

band for his new project Toothless

in the Tottenham rehearsal room

Bombay Bicycle Club used to frequent in

the run-up to the release of debut album ‘I

Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose’.

“I literally haven’t been here for ten years,

and there’s pictures of us as kids on the

wall, it’s so strange,” he remarks. “The area

has changed so much since we were here,

there are so many fancy new flats around

and it’s barely recognisable from the

space we used back in 2006.” Building the

four-piece band, which includes Bombay

drummer Suren de Saram (“I could never

start a band without Suren - it was one of

my conditions”), and heading back to their

old haunt presents a good opportunity

for Ed to look back on the past decade,

and the solo career he’s skirted around for

years. Now, he’s

finally making it

work.

“It’s something I’ve

always done, I’d

just never intended

on showing it to

anyone. It was only

when we knew

that the band were

going to take quite

a bit of time off that

I started to take it

more seriously,”

he explains. “It

was good to have

motivation to

finally get the

music out there.”

Ed describes the band’s current hiatus as

less of a conscious decision made at one

point, but something the band all knew

would come after finishing the tour for

2014’s ‘So Long, See You Tomorrow’.

“We knew it was going to happen, because

we’d been doing it for ten years. We

absolutely loved touring and recording

and everything about it - but it was

coming to the end of our fourth record,

our most successful record, and we hadn’t

really done anything else in that time. You

could feel people itching to try and do

other things.”

very much involved. Jack’s [Steadman,

vocals] doing some production on my

songs, Suren’s playing drums in the live

band, and I literally live in the same house

as Jamie [MacColl, guitarist], so everyone

listens to the work of each other, and

all have opinions on it.” With regards to

feelings Bombay fans might have about

the projects, Ed thinks it “might be good

for people, because there’s a far greater

output from us at the moment.”

The majority of his album has been

written. It’s co-produced by Jack, with five

of the tracks being mixed by Chris Coady,

who’s worked with the likes of TV On The

Radio and Beach House, in Los Angeles

this month.

Despite being in the works for years, the

first step towards making Toothless a

reality gave Ed a shock, having stepped

away from the

close support

network

“It’s just

Bombay

Bicycle Club

in a different

capacity”

he’d always

been granted

as part of a

band. “It’s

a lot more

difficult than

I thought

it would

be, doing it

by myself

without the

really strong

support

structure I’ve

always been

part of. I’m

not saying it was worse or better, just quite

hard. I need to be challenged.”

“With the band, it feels like a machine. I

was a part of it, but everyone else pushed

it along as well, and when you don’t have

that, it’s all down to you. I’m thriving with

that pressure and motivation.”

After Toothless makes its live debut in May,

he plans to finish recording the album

with Jack, tentatively suggesting a late-

2016 release date. For now, though, he’s

just overwhelmed with the support he’s

garnered in the first few days of Toothless

being public. He isn’t putting any

pressure on its future.

BOMBAY MIX

Here’s what else the band

are up to.

Jack Steadman

Jack’s always been

productive, with many a

remix of his popping up

on Soundcloud. As well as

co-producing the Toothless

album, he’s working on

a solo record. Remaining

tight-lipped, Ed says: “I can’t

speak too much for Jack

obviously, but he’s making

an album now that he’s

wanted to make for a long

time.”

Suren de Saram

Trying out as a drummerfor-hire,

it looks like we’ll be

seeing Suren popping up

here, there and everywhere

in the next few years,

beginning with a stint

behind the kit for Toothless.

Oh, and we’re all still waiting

for the solo jazz album he

tweeted about making.

Jamie MacColl

The guitarist seems to be

the one member of Bombay

Bicycle Club not venturing

into music-making in his

holidays. Instead, he’s

swatting up and going

back to university. He also

recently made a radio

documentary for BBC Radio

1 about modern protest

songs. Clever boy.

Speaking of all four of the band’s new

projects, Ed refers to them as “just Bombay

Bicycle Club in a different capacity,” with

all members involved in each others’ new

ventures to different extents. “The band

isn’t making music, or being a band, but

in terms of our personal relationships

and the work we do together, everyone’s

“Even if it’s a small little part of

my whole career, I’m really proud

of what I’ve done over the past

year. Even though it’s quite scary

going out on my own, it’s been

unbelievably rewarding.” DIY

17

NEWS

Popstar

Postbag

savages

We know what you’re like, dear readers. We know you’re just as nosey as we are when it comes to our favourite

popstars: that’s why we’re putting the power back into your hands. Every month, we’re going to ask you to pull

out your best questions and aim them at those unsuspecting artists. You don’t even need to pay for postage! This

month Jehnny and Ayşe from Savages are poised with the Qs.

What sort of music do you listen to

during the writing process? Claire,

via email

Jehnny Beth: It’s fair to say that our

taste in music is rather eclectic - we are

all very much into electronic music,

but also hardcore, metal, jazz, even

classical!

Ayşe Hassan: Whilst writing ‘Adore Life’,

my favourite sound was the pattering

of rain as I have some great memories

associated with that sound.

Where’s your favourite place in the

world to play shows? Jack, via email

JB: To be honest, we love playing

anywhere. Even places in Central

America where we had never been

to before have been extraordinary

experiences this month. We’ve been

very lucky so far to find an audience

everywhere we go around the world.

The interaction with the crowd is very

important to us, so the louder, the

wilder, the better!

What are your three essential items

to take with you on the road? Sasha,

Birmingham

JB: My three favourite items would

probably be: my computer, my

headphones and my notebook. The

notebook is essential to keep on writing

lyrics, cause you never know when

inspiration strikes…

AH: Notebook (for capturing inspiration

while on tour), trainers (for those

moments that I need to escape

the confines of the tour bus) and

headphones (for listening to the likes of

Jessy Lanza, Holly Herndon or whatever

else I need).

If you could relive one day from the

past few years, what would it be and

why? James, Exeter

JB: At this point, after being on the road

for a few months, it would probably be

a quiet day off at home with nothing

urgent to do but writing music, reading

a book, or sleeping. It might sound

boring to you, but to us it sounds like

heaven right now!

If you could only eat one thing for

the rest of your life, what would you

pick? Kristina, Worthing

AH: Grapes - reminds me of visiting

family in Cyprus.

Which artist, alive or dead would

you most like to collaborate with?

Blake, via email

JB: Oh god, there are so many! I love

Mike Patton so anytime he wants to do

something, I’m down!

AH: My ultimate dream would be to

spend time with Trent Reznor - he’s

been an inspiration since I was 15.

Do you have any silly fears? Elle,

London

JB: Yes for sure, we all do, don’t we? I’m

afraid of zombies for instance, for real!

I had a bad experience while watching

a film and smoking weed when I was

a teenager, so that imprinted into my

brain forever. Never do the zombie walk

in front of me, it freaks me out!

What do you think is your greatest

achievement to date? Harry, Aberdeen

JB: To have made music the centre of

my life and have people enjoying it. I

will cherish that forever.

AH: Volunteering with one of my

favourite charities, Samaritans. It’s one

of the things that has shaped me the

most, the power of really listening when

a person needs emotional support.

Savages will play Open’er. Head to


NEXT MONTH: Mystery Jets

Want to send a question to DIY’s Popstar Postbag? Tweet us

at @diymagazine with the hashtag #postbag, or drop us an

email at popstarpostbag@diymag.com. Easy!

18 diymag.com

HEROES

REBORN

LCD Soundsystem make live

return in style.

L

CD Soundsystem’s live return was

never going to be understated.

For all his reservations about

coming back, James Murphy isn’t

the type to sulk in the shadows. This

is a celebration - make no mistake.

They were officially back for good at

Coachella, and treated the occasion like

festival-headlining pros they are.

Before diving into ‘All My Friends’, they

delivered an emotional rendition of

David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’. Murphy had

previously worked with Bowie on a

remix of his ‘Love Is Lost’ track, back in

2013, and this was his first ‘statement’ of

sorts since the star’s death in January.

Talk about a tribute.

TUNING

IN

James Blake’s ‘Radio Silence’ is over.

RETURN OF

THE BEARDY

WEIRDIES

Everyone’s favourite cabin-dwellers

are back.

he soft-hearted, gentle indie

beasts of our times have been

Treclusive. Bon Iver’s probably still

hiding in his cabin, for all we know. And

only now have Fleet Foxes and Grizzly

Bear both announced their returns.

2016 looks set to be a big year for the

Foxes. Their five-year hiatus is over,

according to bassist Christian Wargo.

And frontman Robin Pecknold has

wasted no time in previewing new

music. They’ve all been busy - in fact,

we decided to track down what every

single member’s been up to for the past

half decade. Head to diymag.com for

the full guide.

Grizzly Bear, meanwhile, have been

giving glowing endorsements to

Democratic leadership candidate

Bernie Sanders. The band also recently

confirmed that they’re due to start

recording the follow-up to 2012’s

‘Shields’ very soon - next month, in fact!

ake anything James Blake says with a pinch of salt, but it looks like his new

album is finished.

TAs is tradition, he confirmed to listeners of his BBC Radio 1 Residency that third LP

‘Radio Silence’ is complete. “I said it a couple of months ago that I think it’s time to

start recording an album because–you know–there’ve been requests,” he joked.

“People have been asking if I’m going to record a record, so I did one. It turned out

great–quite long, but I’m really happy with it. It’s 18 tracks long. Yeah, one of the

tracks is 20 minutes long, as well.”

But don’t get too excited. He loves to troll, does our James. But given the unveiling

of new track ‘Timeless’ - an instant-winner if ever there was one - Blakey season is

about to start.

news

in Brief

GETTING TWIGGY

WITH IT

It looks like an FKA twigs and

Oneohtrix Point Never collaboration

is on the cards. twigs and the

experimental producer posted the

same cryptic Instagram photo at the

same time. They’re either working

together, or they’re actually the same

person and the secret’s out.

WHAT A STATE

Bono - self-proclaimed international

head of humanitarian activity - suggests

the West can fight the Islamic State with

laughter. “It’s like, you speak violence,

you speak their language. But you laugh

at them, when they’re goose-stepping

down the street, and it takes away their

power.” tFair enough, but his idea of

sending over some giggles to save the

day needs work.

DIRECTORIAL

WITNESS

St. Vincent has made her first film. And

it’s a horror flick. It’ll feature as part of

the ‘XX’ anthology, ‘Four Deadly Tales

by Four Killer Women’, which is split into

four parts. Each is written and directed

by a different woman.

DRO-NO!

Muse have been going on about those

sodding drones for ages. But irony is

a strange thing. At a recent O2 Arena

gig, one of the band’s blown-up drone

blimps suffered a technical fault and fell

into a section of the crowd. Fortunately

nobody was hurt. Be more careful next

time, lads.

SHIN THE FUTURE

James Mercer’s The Shins are readying

new material. They’ve been shameless

teases, in fact, their Instagram page

being a non-stop source of fleeting

song previews. Mercer himself has been

busy, working on Broken Bells album

‘After the Disco’, his second full-length

collaboration with Danger Mouse.

19

HAVE

you

HEARD?

Tegan and Sara - Boyfriend

Cranked-up to the nines synth-bursts, cascading

plunks, and a curled-lipped hint of Madonna creeping

around in their verse delivery, Tegan and Sara are

shooting for the bullseye. Role-flipping is clearly at

play in ‘Boyfriend’. This new single dishes up all of it its

conspiratorial subversion with cheerful nonchalance,

and a killer chorus to boot. Smirking, bubbly, great

fun, this might just be one of Tegan and Sara’s best

bangers to date. (El Hunt)

The Big Moon - Cupid

2016 is already looking like The

Big Moon’s year. Everything that

makes the quartet such an exciting

prospect is furthered on ‘Cupid’ - it

sees them louder, more confident

and more infectious than ever. The

song’s anchored by an irresistible,

immovable chorus, bursting with

melody and playfulness, crashing its

way through stories of failed romance

and awkwardness with none of the

inhibitions or second-thinking they cite.

(Will Richards)

GIRLI - Girls Get Angry Too

Riding the crimson wave and

torching her bra in the space of two

seconds, top marks go to GIRLI for

writing a song that calls out the

godawful practice of labelling

every female singer out there

a “songstress” (please, just

stop). And that’s just one

of the topics to come

under fire in GIRLI’s

bizarrely blooping

‘Girls Get Angry Too’. Amid screaming

little high-pitched synthworms, jarring

with juddering, squelching plods of

bass, everything from Katie Hopkins to

creepy pervs lurking in bars get burnt

by GIRLI’s rain of venom. (El Hunt)

Whitney - Golden Days

Whitney’s breakthrough single

‘No Woman’ was as sweet-hearted

and strangely uplifting as lonely,

downtrodden songs can get. ‘Golden

Days’ plays a similar card. On the

outside, it’s an upbeat, dreamy

ode to fleeting youth, but there’s

more swimming around under the

surface. “It’s a shame we can’t

get it together now,” runs the

nonchalant chorus, sung like

Julian Ehrlich’s just spilled

a teaspoon of milk. (Jamie

Milton)

Pumarosa - Cecile

Zimbabwe’s Cecil The

Lion died on the 1st of

July because that bastard

dentist shot him, but Pumarosa’s latest

single probably isn’t referencing him,

given the missing ‘e’. Instead, this song

dives headlong into all-consuming

infatuation, and it’s magnetic and

massive all at the same time. Though

‘Cecile’ might be more concise than the

unapologetically epic ‘Priestess’ (which

clocked in at a mighty 7 minutes), this is

no less ambitious. (El Hunt)

Mura Masa - What If I Go?

Brighton-via-Guernsey producer Mura

Masa takes his name from a razor-sharp

blade, and in his newest song ‘What

If I Go?’ he crafts his hardest cutting

banger yet. In the past Alex Crossan’s

diverse set of influences has been most

apparent through his

careful deployment

of pentatonics and

intricate, gentle

melody lines;

twinkling, and subtle.

Here, he steps things

up several notches.

(El Hunt)

20 diymag.com

the Facts

Released: 11th May 2005

Standout tracks: ‘Feel

Good Inc.’ ‘Kids With Guns’

‘November Has Come’

Something to tell

your mates: ‘DARE’ was

originally called ‘It’s

There’ instead, but Shaun

Ryder’s heavy Manchester

accent dictated otherwise.

According to Chris Evans,

anyway.

DIY HALL of FAME

GORILLAZ - DEMON DAYS

A band of fictional cartoon characters created one of the most influential

records of the mid-noughties. No, really. Words: Tom Walters

are now entering The Harmonic Realm,”

murmurs an otherworldly voice in the first

few seconds of ‘Demon Days’, the seminal

“You

2005 album from Damon Albarn’s cartoon

band. It’s a dark, burgeoning intro of brilliant nonsense - full

of sirens and an aura of comic villainry, and it’s a bonkers

collision; suitably apt for a band made up of “fictional virtual

reality members.” Seriously - has anyone taken a step back to

think about the fact that these characters have names like 2D

and bloody Noodle? Let alone the fact they have backstories

almost as diverse and dystopian as the album itself (Noodle’s

story of disappearing on a yellow dinghy and being replaced

by a cyborg for four years is just one ace example).

What follows for the next fifty minutes is the sound of a

band tearing up the rulebook of what it means to be, well,

a band. Gorillaz could have ended up nothing but a one-off

gimmick, forever tied to clubs playing ‘19-2000’ on repeat.

‘Demon Days’ took that expectation and flipped the bird at it,

producing something far lusher and more fully-formed than

its predecessor. Almost everything to do with this record was

unheard of before, and while it definitely misses the bullseye

slightly in places (here’s looking at you, ‘Fire Coming Out of

the Monkey’s Head’), it can’t be argued that ‘Demon Days’ is

undeniably one of the most

fascinating records of the

mid-00s.

The lead up was

unprecedented, and

completely mad. Pseudoalbum

titles pushed out

through mailing lists (‘Reject

False Icons’, anyone?),

interactive websites,

stunning animated films

and even an online talent

contest. When you consider

all of this was taking place

while dial-up internet

was still ‘a thing’, it puts it

into perspective just how

ahead of the time project

leader Damon Albarn, his

collaborator Jamie Hewlett

and their chosen producer

Danger Mouse were.

It’s reflective of the music

too - like the group’s

self-titled debut before it,

‘Demon Days’ manages

to be absolutely all over

the shop while sounding

resolutely coherent.

Which brings us on to

those collaborators. Who

couldn’t get excited at the

prospect of De La Soul,

Roots Manuva, MF DOOM

and The Pharcyde being on

the same bill? Even flippin’

Shaun Ryder and Ike Turner

make appearances along

the way - just the kind of

curveballs you’d expect from

Albarn’s team of visually

rendered lunatics. ‘Demon

Days’ somehow breathes

naturally without buckling

under the weight of its next

level collaborators. DIY

21

The Magic Gang

+ INHEAVEN + Gillbanks

Roundhouse Rising, The Roundhouse, London.

U

pstairs tonight at the Roundhouse, families are swooning to James Morrison’s harmless singer-songwriter

schtick. Down here, the next generation of music fans are losing their minds. It’s a ritual that isn’t just

reserved for The Magic Gang. A couple of hours prior, GILLBANKS are converting new fans by the second,

and INHEAVEN are suitably treated like royalty by the time their sky-reaching shoegaze thrashes into view. As

for tonight’s headliners, there isn’t a single unsigned band in the country stirring up this kind of fuss. New songs

debuted for the first time are instantly embraced, while bratty party anthem ‘No Fun’ is swiftly becoming their

calling card. No doubt about it, a takeover is inevitable at this point. (Jamie Milton)

Photo: Sam WooD Photos: emma swann

L

DIY

V

E

TRAAMS

Hare & Hounds, Birmingham.

T

RAAMS’ unique breakneck-paced brand of punk is entirely ferocious

in nature, and if anything proves even more formidable live. Building

their set around last year’s ‘Modern Dancing’ album release, the trio’s

performance is seamless. Straight-up angst has never sounded so sweet, as they

prove themselves masters among mayhem, bringing fury into a frolicking new

lease of life. (Jessica Goodman)

Tigercub

Mapped Out Tour, Norwich Arts Centre.

s the lights dim, not a split second

passes before the echoic hall of

ANorwich Arts Centre is pounded by

the gnarly riffs and beefy bass of Tigercub.

The band’s newer material sounds more

scatty and upbeat versus better-known

numbers, but few deliver such a refined

barrage of anarchy as these, who, with a

debut record in the making, are no doubt

set for bigger things. (Alex Cabré)

Photo: Poppy Marriott

22 diymag.com

“Bedroom pop

newcomer blessed with

swooning melodies”

NME

“Unabashedly personal pop”

PITCHFORK

“Giant pop songs”

DIY

Includes the singles

SOMETIMES, GOOD THINGS

and BREAKING MY PHONE

LIMITED EDITION NEON

PINK VINYL, CD and

DOWNLOAD

Coming 13th May

MOTHERS

WHEN YOU WALK A LONG DISTANCE

YOU ARE TIRED

OUT NOW

ON CD, LP AND DOWNLOAD

“A remarkable first outing” 4/5 - Q

“An unconventional and inventive

debut” 4/5 - The Guardian

9/10 - Loud & Quiet

GLOBELAMP

THE ORANGE GLOW

10TH JUNE

ON CD, LP AND DOWNLOAD

Globelamp draws inspiration from the

supernatural, fairy tales, folk music and

punk to create her own psychedelic world

on The Orange Glow. Her sound and

compelling vocals have already earned her

comparisons to the likes of Stevie Nicks,

Grace Slick, Joanna Newsom and Donovan.

WWW.WICHITA-RECORDINGS.COM

23

NEWS

Uh-oh, those summer ni-ights (and days, and afternoons, depending

on where you’re watching your live music this festival season).

FESTIVALS

Sunnies and stripy deckchairs

at the ready, it’s time to head

down to Brighton once again

for three days jam-packed with

more new music than you can

shake a stick of rock at. Between 19th

and 21st May, the south coast city will

be home to literally hundreds of artists

across tens of venues - from the massive

shows (this year featuring Stormzy,

Oh Wonder and Songhoy Blues) to the

brand-spanking-new Muna, Lewis

Del Mar and Trudy & the Romance via

faves like Dilly Dally, Spring King and

Pumarosa there’s lots of ‘fun’ to be had.

If that wasn’t all - and it isn’t - we’ve gone

and got ourselves a pretty damn good

stage there, if we say so ourselves.

Eagulls, Black Honey, Milk Teeth,

GIRLI and Day Wave are among the

acts appearing at Horatio’s (the end

of the pier)

DIY at

the great

escape

THURSDAY

CULLEN OMORI

BLEACHED

BEACH BABY

DECLAN MCKENNA

TRUDY

FRIDAY

EAGULLS

BLACK HONEY

DRONES CLUB

GIRLI

LCMDF

SATURDAY

EAGULLS

BLACK HONEY

DRONES CLUB

GIRLI

LCMDF

SATURDAY,

CORN EXCHANGE

MYSTERY JETS

THE BIG MOON

VITAMIN

throughout

the festival’s

three nights,

plus we’ve

got one of

the first UK

appearances

from the

brainmeltingly

brilliant

Partybaby.

AND! As if all

that wasn’t

enough, we’re

teaming up to

host the Corn

Exchange

on Saturday

night, with

Mystery Jets,

The Big Moon

and Vitamin

open to all 16+

ticket holders,

too.

How excited are you to be

returning to the Great Escape?

It’s the start of what’s going to

be a packed summer for us and

it feels great to return to one of

our favourite British festivals. It’s

like the UK’s answer to South by

Southwest but with fish and chips

instead of pulled pork tacos.

What’s the best thing about

playing there?

We’ve always had insane shows in

Brighton, there must be something

about that sea air that tips MJ

fans over the edge. Our gigs there

have always been sweaty affairs so

there’s always the sea if you need

to cool off…

THE GREAT ESCAPE

A Few Seconds With…

MYSTERY JETS’ BLAINE HARRISON

What can TGE-goers expect from your

set?

We’re going to be bringing people deep

into the world of ‘Curve’ but there will be

moments from our previous records too.

Festivals are all about uniting the audience

and making everyone feel like they’re part

of one ultimate tribe. That’s what we were

put here to do.

Do you hope to catch any other artists’

sets while you’re down in Brighton?

This year the festival coincides with both

mine and Jack’s birthday so we’ll be

digging in for the whole weekend. We’ll

be watching Declan McKenna who we

recently took on tour, and I really like what

I’ve heard of Spring King too, those boys

can play.

24 diymag.com

Dot to Dot

27th - 29th May

Augustines join Mystery

Jets as co-headliners,

while new acts lower down

include Diet Cig, Dua

Lipa, Formation, Day

Wave, Babeheaven, EERA,

Dreller and Nimmo.

Camden Rocks

4th June

The Cribs have been

revealed as headliners,

joining Creeper, Young

Guns, Johnny Foreigner

and Carl Barât and the

Jackals at the North

London all-dayer.

Isle of Wight

9th - 12th June

The Who join

Stereophonics, Faithless

and Queen + Adam

Lambert as headliners,

with previously-confirmed

artists including The

Kills, The Cribs, Busted,

Everything Everything,

Twin Atlantic and Iggy

Pop.

Download

France

10th - 12th June

Just as at Donington

the same weekend, Iron

Maiden and Rammstein

are to headline Download’s

first trip across the Channel,

where they’ll be joined by

Biffy Clyro, Twin Atlantic,

Deftones and Arcane

Roots among others.

Meltdown

10th - 17th June

Marika Hackman, Richard

Hawley, NZCA Lines, Tiggs

Da Author and Jesca Hoop

join the Guy Garvey-curated

series of events, joining the

already-announced Laura

Marling, Robert Plant and

The Staves.

Roskilde

25th June - 2nd July

Biffy Clyro, James Blake,

Grimes, Hinds, Blood

Orange and Dream Wife

are among a 105-strong list

of artists added to the bill,

joining LCD Soundsystem,

New Order, Tame Impala,

PJ Harvey and others.

Garorock

30th June - 3rd July

The Kills, Savages, The

Hives, and Unknown

Mortal Orchestra have

joined the French event,

which had already

announced a heap of acts

including Muse, Jamie xx,

Disclosure, Yak, Slaves,

M83 and Jagwar Ma.

2000trees

7th - 9th July

Creeper, The Magic Gang,

Demob Happy, Milk Teeth

and Yuck join the line up

for the Gloucestershire

event, which already boasts

Refused and Twin Atlantic

as headliners, plus acts

including Moose Blood,

Muncie Girls and The

Bronx.

Bilbao BBK Live

7th - 9th July

Blood Red Shoes as well

as both Soulwax and

2manyDJs are now set to

play the Basque festival,

joining Grimes, Arcade

Fire, INHEAVEN, Tame

Impala, Wolf Alice and

loads more.

Melt!

15th - 17th July

Peaches, Zomby, SOPHIE,

SG Lewis, Shed and Laurel

Halo join the previouslyannounced

Jamie xx,

Two Door Cinema Club,

Chvrches, and Tame

Impala at the German

weekender.

Truck

15th - 17th July

Swim Deep, Black Honey,

Mystery Jets, Estrons,

Spring King, Traams,

SOAK, Pumarosa, Jurassic

5 and Hudson Scott are

among the acts joining

Manic Street Preachers,

Circa Waves, Rat Boy and

others at the Oxfordshire

event.

Splendour in

the Grass

22nd - 24th July

The Strokes, James Blake,

Flume, Years & Years,

Jagwar Ma, The Cure, The

Internet, Låpsley and this

month’s cover stars The

Kills are among the first

wave of acts confirmed for

the Australian event - which

is actually smack-bang in

the middle of winter down

under. Brrr.

Lollapalooza

28th - 31st July

The line up for Chicago’s

finest has (finally) been

revealed, with the longrumoured

Radiohead and

LCD Soundsystem topping

a pile that also features

Lana Del Rey, Haim, Wolf

Alice, Years & Years,

FIDLAR, Wavves, Låpsley,

Bastille and MØ.

Standon

Calling

29th - 31st July

The Hertfordshire weekend

has revealed its electronic

line up, with Gold Panda,

Theo Parrish, Luke Abbott

and Goldie all set to play,

while label Hospitality

Records celebrates its

20th Anniversary. They

join acts including Suede,

Everything Everything,

The Hives and Swim Deep.

Y Not

29th - 31st July

Creeper, Milk Teeth, Nai

Harvest, Eagulls and

Traams join the Derbyshire

event this July that’s already

set to feature acts including

Editors, The Hives, The

Cribs, Kelis, Everything

Everything, Rat Boy, and

Sundara Karma.

DUTCH

IMPACT

This year’s collection of

acts heading over from the

Netherlands includes hotlytipped

newcomer Amber

Arcades, plus Causes, Klyne,

PAUW, Pink Oculus, and Tim

Vantnol. For more deets, head

to dutch-impact.nl.

“I’m very excited

to play the Great

Escape Festival! I

feel like there’s more

and more awesome

Dutch bands out

there these days, I

hope we can show

that to the rest of

the European music

scene.”

Amber Arcades

25

FESTIVALS

NEWS

Way Out

West

11th - 13th August

Haim, The Kills,

Yung Lean, Dua Lipa

and The Tallest Man

On Earth have been

added to the bill for

the Swedish event,

which already boasts

Skepta, Stormzy,

Sia, Chvrches,

Daughter and

The Last Shadow

Puppets.

Green Man

18th - 21st August

Edward Sharpe &

The Magnetic Zeros,

Slow Club, Suuns

and Tindersticks

are among new

additions, joining

Belle & Sebastian,

James Blake,

Warpaint, Wild

Beasts and an asyet-unannounced

final headliner at the

Welsh weekend.

Lowlands

19th - 21st August

A further twenty-five

artists have been

added to the line

up, including The

Kills, Warpaint,

Pumarosa, Nao, The

Neighbourhood,

The Internet,

BØRNS and Edward

Sharpe & The

Magnetic Zeros.

They join headliners

Muse, Sigur Rós,

Disclosure, The Last

Shadow Puppets

and Biffy Clyro,

among others.

Rock en

Seine

26th - 28th August

It’s Paris in the

summertime for

Chvrches, Foals,

Bring Me The

Horizon, Iggy Pop,

Two Door Cinema

Club, The Last

Shadow Puppets,

Sigur Rós and Eagles

of Death Metal, all

in the event’s first

announcement of

the year.

Bestival

8th - 11th September

The Isle of Wight

bash has unveiled

its ‘Invaders of the

Future’ stage (that’s

‘new bands’ to you

and I), which will

feature Spring

King, VANT,

GIRLI, Creeper,

Black Honey, The

Japanese House,

Milk Teeth, Hinds,

The Wytches, PUP,

and Sunflower Bean

(plus others).

OnBlackheath

10th - 11th September

Connan Mockasin,

Thundercat and

Laura Groves are

among those joining

Primal Scream,

SOAK, Belle &

Sebastian and Hot

Chip at the South

London weekend.

THE GREAT BRITISH

(AND IRISH*)

LAKE-OFF

While the latest additions to this year’s Latitude on the

main stages include Slaves, Pumarosa, Teleman and

Minor Victories joining the already-confirmed headliners

The Maccabees, The National, and New Order, plus

Chvrches, Grimes, Courtney Barnett and MØ also among those

appearing this July, the full Lake Stage bill has been revealed, with Class of

2016 alumni The Big Moon and Oscar just two of the new and nearly-new

acts playing.

Babeheaven, Declan McKenna and Estrons are also on a bill which

features the likes of Liss, Jones, Pixx, Cameron AG and Isaac Gracie.

The full list of new additions is:

Slaves, Bear’s Den, Honne, Minor Victories, Teleman, Bill Ryder-

Jones, Let’s Eat Grandma, Emma Pollock, Pumarosa, Flamingods,

Babeheaven, Billie Marten, Blaenavon, Bleeding Heart Pigeons,

Cameron AG, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Declan McKenna, Estrons, Fickle

Friends, Isaac Gracie, Jones, Kiran Leonard, Liss, Love Nor Money,

Louis Berry, Loyle Carner, Martha Ffion, Meilyr Jones, Muckaniks,

Oktoba, Oscar, Pixx, Samaris, The Big Moon, and The Rhythm Method.

DIY is ‘media partner’ at the festival, so keep your browsers at

diymag.com/latitude for all the latest.

*OK, Liss are from Denmark, and

Samaris Iceland, but that’s not

gonna stop us punning.

GLASTONBURY A-GO-GO

YEAAAAH! After those oh-so-cryptic turns from Coldplay and

Muse, plus Adele’s on-stage shenanigans revealing she’d also

be topping the bill at Worthy Farm this June, we finally know

who else is hot-footing it to Somerset, wellies in tow.

And it’s smash-bang full of our faves. Wolf Alice, Grimes,

Bastille, Savages, Foals, Years & Years, and Chvrches are all

there, plus there’s both heavy rock (Bring Me The Horizon)

and grime (Stormzy, Skepta), returning kings (and queen)

LCD Soundsystem, Beck, James Blake, Two Door Cinema

Club, The 1975, Kurt Vile and Mac DeMarco. Even reading

back that list we’re in need of a lie-down in a damp tent.

...BUT

WHAT’S

THAT?

After Emily Eavis

revealed the poster was

designed by the band’s

frequent collaborator

Stanley Donwood, one

plucky Radiohead fan

decided to decode it. It

didn’t end there.

26 diymag.com

27

When crazy things happen to ESTRONS, they write a song about it. Few hits are about

ending up in a police cell, mind you. Words: Jamie Milton. Photo: Emma Swann.

NEU ESTRONS

“I was like, ‘I wanna be Rick Ross!

I wanna sit on a man’s face like

he’s an object!’” - Tali Källström

28 diymag.com

ESTRONS don’t write music about

pleasant strolls in the park. That much

is obvious from their relentless, in-yourface,

punk-infused charge. Still, it’s

unlikely many new bands have as many

stories as this Cardiff lot.

Tali Källström fronts the group alongside fellow

founding member and guitarist Rhodri Daniel.

Together, they’ve had their fair share of hairy

experiences. Latest track ‘Drop’ - a jolt to the system if

ever there was one - was penned when Tali ended up

in a police cell. “I did!” she insists. “I got arrested. And

I was bored. So I just started reciting these lyrics. No

wonder I ended up getting charged, they must have

thought I was mental. I was fine in the end,” she adds.

When nightmare strikes, out steps a song. “There’ve

been times when my life’s going alright and the songs

are rubbish!” Tali claims. Rhodri doesn’t get inspiration

from the traditional ideas pot, either. Breakthrough

single ‘Make a Man’ came about when he was

standing between two rooms in a Berlin nightclub,

different music blasting from both sides. “Have you

ever been in the shower when you can’t quite hear a

song, but you make up the song in your head? That’s

how I compose,” he says, citing phone voice memos

as his lifesaver. “I was in the middle of having tea with

my grandmother. I told her I had to go outside, in the

garden to record. Embarrassing. I hope Apple doesn’t

own the copyright to these memos,” he ponders.

“It’s great when you’re flicking through music in a

car and then a voice memo starts playing,” Tali quips,

sarcastically. “Pretty embarrassing. But I’ve recorded

on the bus before. And you have to! If you lose it, it’s

gone.”

Based on the songs out already, ESTRONS tend to

flick a switch and go for the jugular, whenever new

inspiration arrives. Turns out that’s not quite the case.

Voice memos kick off the process, but Tali writes when

she’s “half-drunk” and after “playing music for five,

six hours”.

‘Make a Man’ has the objective of “turning the

objectification of women on its head,” Tali states. A

video from last year finds her sitting on top of two

blokes - faces obscured by lampshades, of all things

- and biting their biceps. “I was like, ‘I wanna be Rick

Ross! I wanna sit on a man’s face like he’s an object’.

It’s not fair. I wanna have fun. And that’s the whole

point.”

Some bands arrive with decent songs but not a great

deal of substance beyond that. ESTRONS? Well, they

could tell bizarre anecdotes for years, and every

single lyric pierces through a fog of ambiguity. There’s

meaning behind every move. “A guy at our American

shows said ‘I feel like I’m being punched in the face

by music!’” remembers Tali. That guy was spot on.

ESTRONS are the most exciting band to emerge in

yonks. So long as they don’t get stuck in police cells,

their future is golden. DIY

ESTRONS will play Live at Leeds and Latitude. Head


29

Jorja

Smith

NEU

This ridiculously talented 18-year-old Walsall newcomer is seeing her name in (blue) lights. Words: Jamie Milton.

When Jorja Smith turned sixteen, she considered

a life away from music and in the force. Sixth

form beckoned, and she’d either stick to

what she did best, or choose a career on the

opposite end of the spectrum. “I thought I’d become a police

officer,” she remembers, two years on. Left “thinking music

was too difficult”, she kept writing until doors began to open.

Police crop up in ‘Blue Lights’, a Dizzee Rascal-nodding single

that’s sent Jorja’s name stratospheric. One draw is in how

she reinterprets Dizzee’s anthemic ‘Sirens’, but her delivery

is another thing altogether. Notes float over hard-hitting

subjects, twisting and turning when there doesn’t look to be

a route beyond the norm. She possesses a stop-you-in-yourtracks

vocal, the kind legendary stars deliver on a whim. No

pressure, then.

“‘Blue Lights’ didn’t have to be based around the police,”

she states. “[It’s about how] you shouldn’t have a guilty

conscience if you’ve got nothing to be guilty for. That’s what I

picked up, growing up. A lot of my friends are black boys. And

every time they saw police, they’d be on edge. I was thinking,

‘Just act normal. You’ve done nothing wrong.’ I expanded that

and made it into a big story.”

The Walsall newcomer - now based in London - always knew

she wanted to pen stories. Studying music at A Level, she

practiced singing in French, Italian and Latin, learning how

“the notes move” in different languages. “The songs would

be written in an English version. But it’s better to have a good

understanding, because you won’t be able to sing well, if you

don’t know what you’re singing. That’s why I write all my own

stuff. I find it difficult to sing something someone else has

written and I don’t have an idea what they’re on about!”

Her debut single’s Dizzee shout out was one thing. For the

follow-up, she travelled back to the 17th Century, re-jigging

a Henry Purcell composition, ‘A Prince of Glorious Race

Descended’. On both of her standout moments, she doesn’t

strictly borrow from the past - instead, she gives previous

hallmarks her own edge. Again, it boils down to that voice.

Two tracks aren’t a lot to work with, but like the very best

singers, she seems to capture several emotions at once. She’ll

draw a natural sadness out of one line, before flicking a switch

and turning a subject on its head. It’s something you can’t

teach.

Stormzy’s already a big fan, and Dizzee Rascal himself reached

out to Jorja on Instagram, declaring his love for ‘Blue Lights’.

In fact, it’s hard to think of a more recent outpouring of love

from all sides for a new act. Rarely is it this well deserved. DIY

30 diymag.com

RY X

DAWN

THE DEBUT ALBUM

OUT 6TH MAY

FEATURES THE SINGLES ‘ONLY’ & ‘DELIVERANCE’

UK TOUR ONSALE NOW RY-X.COM

31

“Did I lock the door?”

Xenia

Rubinos

An ANTI-signed, unrivalled talent.

Once Xenia Rubinos begins to sing,

nothing else matters. Not to shun the

importance of her music’s dagger-sharp

percussion or jazz-nodding, open

ended strut, but this is all about the

Brooklyn newcomer’s stronghold, which

captures a dozen emotions at once.

Debut album ‘Black Terry Cat’ lands 3rd

June via ANTI-.

Listen: ‘Lonely Lover’ is the perfect

preview of her debut.

Similar to: Lianne La Havas with

endless anecdotes.

Our Mother

Expert crafters of finely-tuned pop.

As the old fable goes, Our Mother first

met at a Halloween party. And there’s

something spooky about how easily

these four construct delicate, house

of cards-like pop. Debut EP ‘A.O.B’

contains lulling falsetto by way of Wild

Beasts’ Hayden Thorpe, and stop-start

electronic drums that’d send Thom

Yorke into a tizz.

Listen: ‘A.O.B’ is out now on Lucky

Number.

Similar to: Wild Beasts having an

(admittedly tame) wrestle with Adult

Jazz.

Girl Ray

A London trio mixing wit and tragedy

like the two go hand-in-hand.

North London trio Girl Ray wear

influences on their sleeve. They

claim to be inspired by Pavement

and Cate Le Bon in equal measure, so

into the melting pot those go. Witty

observations and an added playfulness

are thrown in, too. And this leaves us

with one of the most promising capitalbased

groups in yonks.

Listen: ‘I’ll Make This Fun’ doesn’t lie.

Similar to: The ‘Submarine’ soundtrack

played at a party.

neu

Recommended

Isaac Gracie

The Sound of 2017? Place your bets now.

From the off, 21-year-old Ealing lad Isaac

Gracie has been billed as a one-of-a-kind

talent, a label which ought to be earned over

half a decade, or a handful of albums. His skill

is undeniable, though. He ticks the earnest

singer-songwriter box with ease, but dusky,

crackling production gives songs a timeless

edge you can’t teach. Alongside buzzy New

Yorkers Lewis Del Mar, he’s the act to catch at

this year’s The Great Escape (19th-21st May).

Listen: Debut track ‘Lost Words’ is a gorgeous

love song found down the back of a sofa.

Similar to: George Ezra having never listened

to anything other than Jeff Buckley.

32 diymag.com

Julia Jacklin - so buzzy she

can walk on water

Neu’s round-up of the best

and buzziest new music

happenings.

SOUTH

BY

SOUTH

BEST

The dust has settled on another whirlwind SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. DIY

hosted a Hype Hotel stage with Partybaby, Diet Cig and Hinds. Thousands

witnessed grime’s ascent stampede through the States. And a million new

discoveries blew minds across the city.

On hand to witness the madness - our faves at Transgressive Records. A&R Mike

Harounoff, who also runs the paradYse imprint (Spring King, Blaenavon, Toothless),

has handpicked his favourite finds from the fest.

Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin was undeniably the most exciting act we

saw in Austin. Backed by an immaculate band, and with one of the strongest voices in

the game right now, her songs consider life in one of the most human yet otherworldly ways

we’ve come across in recent memory. They also work in every setting - from house party

to church, weird hotel restaurant to outdoor party. Each performance we saw was a total

showstopper.”

“19-year-old wunderkind Jimi Tents is currently NYC’s hottest hip-hop property and his

performance at our opening night house party made it perfectly clear why. In fact, our

admiration for Tents begins about ten minutes before his set starts - not content with the

three-quarters full room, he went outside and rounded up fans with promises we believe he

most certainly kept. With the venue full, he launched into one of the most energetic, fearless

shows of the week - a true ‘believe the hype’ moment, with single ‘Landslide’ essential

listening.”

Aussies Rule

Neu’s lead act from last

month, Pumarosa, have

announced a debut headline

show for 7th May at London

ICA. It follows the release of

‘Cecile’, a gigantic new single

to follow the equally epic

‘Priestess’ from last year. You

can hear both on

diymag.com.

LISS-TEN HERE, KIDS

Too-stylish-for-their-owngood

Danish newcomers

Liss are releasing debut EP

‘First’ via XL on 13th May. The

following week, they play

Brighton’s The Great Escape

(19th-21st May). And if you

think their move-strutting,

innovative pop is enough

of a draw, wait until you see

them live.

GREAT SCOTT!

The Foals-approved Hudson

Scott is fast becoming a goto

source of instant-fix pop.

His ‘Clay’ EP follows a sold

out debut headline show in

London - listen on

diymag.com.

“New Yorker Odetta Hartman is a truly original artist. The singer and multi-instrumentalist

- banjo, violin, some kind of show tambourine and whatever else she can get her hands

on - performed a captivating set from her label Northern Spy’s showcase. She’s able to

consistently deliver the unexpected and make it compelling every time - and while the

influences of country, folk and R&B are placed effortlessly on her sleeve, there’s

something else at play that’s rightfully unexplainable, and genuinely magical.

33

“Round two!” enthuses Jackson Phillips

ahead of his imminent return to the UK.

The Oakland, CA-based brains behind Day

NEU Wave is itching to bring his bittersweet,

sun-soaked indie pop across the pond once

again. Just in time for summer as well – not

that he sees it like that. “It’s interesting,”

he says, “because so many people [say]

‘This song is getting us ready for summer’ or ‘It’s making us miss

summer’, but I don’t think about that at all.” As he quite rightly

recognises, though, “there’s a laid back vibe to it.”

But just where does that vibe stem from? As Jackson admits,

nothing he was listening to growing up was “too similar” to what

he’s creating now. “I was really into Brian Eno,” he reminisces,

“and I loved more modern stuff too, like Interpol and The Strokes

and The Shins. And I loved Pink Floyd – I was obsessed.” It seems

fair to suppose that his surroundings have been most influential.

His irresistibly mellow sound is, after all, inherently Californian,

even if he’s not necessarily conscious of that. “For me,” he laughs,

“more than a California thing, that just seems like something I

tend to lean towards. In all the music that I’ve made, it always

tends to be a little laid back.” Correction: very laid back.

In some ways, Jackson just might be more Californian than most,

having experienced life in both the north and south of the Golden

State. He’s keen to point out one key disparity that exists between

the two. “When I had the idea for Day Wave, I was living in LA, and

I didn’t like [how] it was just very easy to become influenced by

other bands out there,” he explains, “and I wanted to be in a place

where I wasn’t influenced by other people so I was like, ‘I’m going

to move back up to the Bay Area [near San Francisco]’ because

there’s not really much of an entertainment industry, scene or

anything there – I can keep to myself and I can make the stuff I

want to.”

Hanging around the

beach, it’s a hard life

THIS IS

A LOWE

Day Wave’s breezy

pop is winning over

new fans every day,

but Jackson Phillips

isn’t champion of

everything.

“I played

Zane

Lowe

at table

tennis at

SXSW.

He won.

It was cool, it was

close – he only

beat me by two.”

Unlucky mate.

There’s always next

time.

“It worked out really well,”

he says, “‘cause I was able to

just focus better and I think

when there’s a bigger music

scene, it can make you a little

more anxious about it.” If

there’s any anxiety to be found

where Jackson is concerned

now, it’s only going to be

contained within his quite

often melancholic lyrics which,

crucially, are never fictional.

“Before, I was writing more

impersonal stuff,” he recounts.

“[But] I didn’t really connect

with it; it didn’t really hit the

spot.”

“It’s still crazy to me that

people are listening to the

music in all these different

places,” he admits. Indeed,

word has spread fast and wide

since he started the project

in late 2014 – his first ever

headline show was all the

way out in New York because

that’s where “most of the

engagement was happening”.

It’s just indicative of the

strength of the spell he’s

casting, though, and heaven

knows we could all do with a

bit of Day Wave magic in our

lives. DIY

DAY WAVE

California soaks through Jackson Phillips’ music like a big wave. But you wouldn’t

guess it, judging by his background.

Words: Tom Hancock.

Day Wave will play The Great Escape. Head


34 diymag.com

luh

This is the beginning of a new Lyf for Ellery James

Roberts. But there’s a lot to do before his fancysounding

“conceptual lifestyle brand” takes over.

Words: Rachel Michaella Finn.

NEU

You might not have heard of LUH’s

Ellery James Roberts by name, but

chances are you’ll remember his voice.

His distinctive raw cut-throat vocals

used to be part of WU LYF, the

Manchester press-shy indie band who,

despite media buzz and offers from major labels, repeatedly

declined to be interviewed and self-released their only album,

‘Go Tell Fire To The Mountain’, in 2011. They disbanded shortly

after.

Fast forward a few years and new project LUH (an acronym

for ‘Lost Under Heaven’), with Dutch audio-visual artist Ebony

Hoorn, takes all the ambition of his previous band, but after

a few years of soul-searching returns with new-found artistic

confidence. Their sound is more cinematic, more diverse; it

takes more risks. And Ellery is optimistic about the new lease

of life it’s given him.

“For a long time after WU LYF, I didn’t really wanna make

music,” he admits. “But after stomping my feet for a while I

realised it was a real blessing to be able to do this… I started

taking myself more seriously as an artist or as somebody

creating something rather than just letting life happen to me”.

LUH combines elements of film, creative writing and

photography alongside their sound. Meeting the morning

after a triumphant show at London’s Electrowerkz – the first

time the duo have played in the capital and only their fourth

live gig overall – Roberts

describes LUH as more like a

“conceptual lifestyle brand”

than a band. Oo-er.

Of their multimedia

approach, Ebony, who

lends her skills as an

instrumentalist and artist

to the project but also

contributes her smoky solo

vocals on ‘Future Blues’,

explains: “I think it’s so

important that there are

works where people can

actually step into a world

that is just different from

reality... People can get lost

in it”.

Debut LP ‘Spiritual Songs For

Lovers To Sing’ was recorded

over two weeks in a cottage

on Osea Island – a rural

location in the middle of a

river in Essex. But despite

the isolation and calm, it’s

an album with arena-baiting

ambiton. WU LYF’s indie

hallmarks hang around

on songs such as ‘Unites’,

but elsewhere LUH jump

from anthemic goth pop

(‘Beneath The Concrete’) to

pounding indie electronics

(‘$ORO’).

Up next, they’re touring

across Europe and in the

future hope to bring their

eclectic sound to more

cities, bigger stages and add

more musicians to their live

setup.

“You’ll be sick of us,” Ellery

warns.

His previous work

might have been about

maintaining an elusive

persona but this time, Ellery

James Roberts is putting his

cards on the table.

LUH’s debut album

‘Spiritual Songs For Lovers

To Sing’ is out 6th May via

Mute. DIY

35

36 diymag.com

37

There’s almost no other band out there with

the same razor-sharp instinct of The Kills.

You can play pinball-speed dot to dot with

their inescapable influence. Stints in The

Dead Weather with Jack White are one

thing - they’ve also whizzed through brief,

bizarre appearances in Hello! thanks to

a certain supermodel marriage. By word

association alone, The Kills are everywhere.

The next few months see them visiting

more or less everywhere on tour, too, and in just a few more

days, they dart off Stateside to test-drive their new album

on stage for the first time. Sufficiently nicotined, and sipping

on strong black coffee (these things are necessary pre-noon,

according to The Kills) the band have just been asked about

the starting point for their fifth record, the too-close-forcomfort

track ‘Siberian Nights’. Apparently, they’re not in the

mood to play ball.

“It’s about Vladimir Putin,” deadpans Jamie Hince, exchanging

a sideways smirk with a visibly amused Alison Mosshart. “With

a homoerotic vibe. I wanted to imagine him as a tyrant that’s

got a bit of time off. He’s with this man, and he just wants the

warmth of a masculine body. They’re cuddling and he says

‘Look, we can get back to being tyrants tomorrow. I’ve got

needs, but no-one understands. I love all these people – I

even love Pussy Riot – but why don’t they love me?’” he grins.

Alison tries, and quickly fails, to stifle a laugh.

“It’s a sweet, sensitive, homoerotic fantasy,” Jamie adds,

embellishing further still. “Not my fantasy! [Putin’s] fantasy.

I don’t know who his mate is that he wants to cuddle,” he

concedes. “Probably Tony Blair.”

It’s a typical interaction between the two. Jamie will happily

muse endlessly on any subject, meandering vaguely between

topics. Alison, meanwhile, interjects with the odd wry

comment, delivering concise summaries with killer comic

timing. It’s an innate chemistry that has formed the basis

for The Kills since they first paired up around the turn of the

Millennium, and sixteen years on, that duality is slap-bang

at the sizzling centre of their fifth record, ‘Ash & Ice’. Blazing

fire meeting frosty water, black fizzing against steely white.

They’re the very definition of chalk and cheese, these two, and

yet together, they’re one magnet-bound whole.

“It’s kind of gross actually!” laughs Jamie, recalling the

inspiration for their new album’s title. “I chucked my cigarette

in a glass of ice. It’s also quite life enhancing, isn’t it?” he asks

rhetorically, miming holding the two objects with gusto. “A

spliff and a drink!”

‘Ash & Ice’ is a bit like The Kills in spirit, then. Like so many

magical artistic duos they’re vocally fascinated by – the

stained-glass loving, suited-and-booted eccentrics Gilbert

and George, the shock-tactic sibling art duo Jake and Dinos

Chapman, the list goes on and on – it’s a project that depends

entirely on the dynamic of two opposing people, pushing for

the precise same thing. “Yes,” snorts Jamie. “We’re sort of like

muddy water.”

“It’s a relationship. It’s a type of relationship,” agrees Alison.

“You usually gravitate towards people who have things that

you don’t; that are the things that you’re not. You find the

whole spectrum, that way, this feeling of completeness. With

art, that’s a big thing,” she nods. “It’s really big to have that.”

Like all brilliant creative accidents, The Kills first met by fluke.

Alison was over on the other side of the Atlantic on one of her

usual spontaneous whims, crashing with a mate, when she

heard Jamie mucking around on his guitar through the ceiling.

She set out on a mission to find the owner of the strange sonic

squalls, and soon afterwards, on another of her drop-of-thehat

impulses, she packed up the contents of her “shithole”

flat in the States to form a then-nameless band with Jamie in

London. Following their first ever gig together at London’s 12

Bar, Alison got the show’s date (14th February 2002) etched

in tattoo ink on her left hand – a fairly fearless statement of

commitment if ever there was one. The Kills instantly knew

that what they had together was one in a billion.

“We both signed this imaginary pact of commitment, with

faith that we would do the same thing,” remembers Jamie.

“We would join forces for this creative thing, with double the

punch.”

ON THE ROAD

While most bands struggle to master the basics of

sleeping on tour, the road is The Kills’ lifeblood.

Alison and Jamie talk us through their love of

roughing it across vast expanses of land in a sweaty

bus.

Alison: I love it. For me, it’s my biggest state of normal.

That’s where I understand where I’m ‘sposed to be every

day, and what I’ve got to do every day. It’s actually totally

sane to me. Sleep a certain amount of time. Fantastic.

Wake up, find coffee. Awesome. Sound-check at a certain

time. Cool. Eat at a certain time. It’s actually way more

sort of...real life.

Jamie: I always take a steamer with me. Very important.

Even if you feel creased, your clothes aren’t. Quite often

I’ll go out, and people will be like, ‘wow, you look really

smart, you’re wearing a suit.’ It’ll be because I haven’t

been to bed!

“No-one sends you a memo,” scoffs Alison, reflecting on the

exact moment she decided to uproot her entire life, and give

everything to The Kills. “You can just feel it,” she expands.

“I always trust myself in that respect, to the point where

people might think I’m insane! I’m just like – ‘nope, this is what

we’re doing, this is what is right. You’re going to believe me

eventually! Just hang on’.” She beams at Jamie. “I read Led

Zeppelin talking about it in an old interview,” he continues.

“They said that when they played together, they just looked

at each other and they just knew that it was one in a fucking

billion chance. The chemistry was just like that. After reading

that, I applied it to my thing, with her [Alison] and I thought,

ooh,” he laughs, “it’s the same.”

Accidents frequently strike The Kills, it turns out. Prior to their

second album way back in 2005 it was a broken, unusable

Moog synthesiser that took them to the resulting cyclical

fuzz of ‘No Wow’. With their last record ‘Blood Pressures,’

a shattered elbow on Jamie’s part led the way to a more

taut, synthetic aesthetic. This time around, an apparently

calamitous Jamie came a cropper yet again, and broke his

38 diymag.com

39

“PUTIN’S WITH

THIS MAN, AND

HE JUST WANTS THE

WARMTH OF

A MASCULINE

BODY.” - JAMIE HINCE

40 diymag.com

finger in a fairly major way. He had to relearn an entirely new

method of playing, as you do. “It’s true,” Jamie observes.

“Please,” he groans theatrically, “this can’t be the theme!”

“I think that generally helps when you’re creating

something,” Jamie goes on. “Stopping in your tracks and

thinking ‘how am I going to do this?’. I think you can hear that

in art and music, when it’s a triumph over adversity. Triumph

over ability – ideas over ability – makes for great sounding

records,” he nods.

Both Alison and Jamie subscribe to the idea that, while things

can be helpfully nudged in the right direction, it’s impossible

to force innovation. While Alison was occupied elsewhere

working on the latest Dead Weather album with Jack White,

Jamie booked himself a train ticket to the other side of the

world. Boarding the Trans-Siberian Express, bound for the

Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, his goal was a simple one.

He “wanted more out of lyrics.” 6,000 lonely miles in a titchy

cabin, overlooking vast expanses of isolated rural Russia

is pretty ripe stomping ground for anxious, buttoned-up

songwriting – you’d think, anyway. Instead, he returned from

his impromptu field trip with a scribble-filled notebook of

early ideas that were anything but icy and paranoid. Alison,

meanwhile, rocked up at recordings with hundreds of vague

blueprints - “ [she] creates in explosions,” remarks Jamie.

“You’ve got to drink an ocean to piss out a cupful,” he adds,

paraphrasing the French realism champ Gustave Flaubert.

“I think you have to be open to receive them,” Alison picks up,

referring to the creative mishaps that continually shape The

Kills. “You have to be aware of when ideas strike. Sometimes

it’s hard to describe. Maybe it’s an accident...” she ponders.

“Or maybe it’s being in the right frame of mind.”

Born from isolation, ‘Ash & Ice’ quickly became an album

about yearning for connection instead, whatever the cost.

Trying to skewer the branches of a ‘Bitter Fruit’ but salivating

after it all the same, trying to break a habit but caving into

vice, there’s an inherent tension coursing through every

shuddering piston-riff. Quiet, vulnerable pockets typically

get the The Kills treatment, too; Alison growling of fucked up

love and destroyed relationships through clouds of regret

and cigarette smoke.

NEIGHBOURS, EVERYBODY

NEEDS GOOD NEIGHBOURS.

When Alison first uprooted everything to relocate

across an entire ocean, she found herself a little

culture-shocked by our island’s peculiar customs.

Now, sixteen years later, the tables have turned.

Giving life in the States a go, Jamie is permanently

confused by Americans. Luckily, he’s got some friendly

neighbours to help him through this difficult time.

Jamie: I’m spending more time in America. It’s a trial. I

still hang out with British people there though! Miles

Kane, Alex Turner, Mike from Royal Blood – they’re my

neighbours.

Spiky guitars find a new home on ‘Ash & Ice,’ too. Though

there’s that ever-characteristic spininess still colouring the

likes of lead single ‘Doing It To Death’ and closer ‘Black Tar,’

the duo’s usual drum machine tenacity has morphed into

something more meaty, and textured. Often, Jamie’s Hofner

guitar takes over the artery-pulse instead, chugging and

rattling like an unstoppable freight train. “Maybe that’s cos

I lost a finger!” hoots Jamie. He might laugh it off now, but

thanks to that hand injury of his, he thought it might be

curtains on The Kills as they knew it – for a time, at least. “My

hand did have a lot to do with it,” he adds. “I felt like I wasn’t

going to play guitar again, didn’t I?” he asks, looking across to

Alison. Six surgeries, and a tendon transplant later, though,

he’s still shredding.

You only have to look as far as Jamie’s Putin-related

tomfoolery earlier today to hazard a strong guess that he’s

not really a subscriber to overthinking. But still, there’s a

determination to ‘Ash & Ice’ that can only spring out of

impossible obstacles. This is an album dominated by allconsuming

hunger, and limitless infatuation – a blinkered

pursuit of the one thing that makes you tick. Shaken off its

tracks by a lust-locomotive in ‘Days of Why and How,’ and

loyal to the bitter end on ‘Heart of a Dog,’ The Kills’ latest

record hungers for connection to chaos. It’s a conscious

mission that took the duo out of their comfortable recording

bubble in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and saw them setting up

studio the other side of America in alien LA.

“I liked recording in Michigan because it was like locking

ourselves away and building this secret machine,” Jamie

says. “But you do tend to find, while no distractions help you

work harder, it’s also not really getting any outside stimuli

for creativity. Songs tend to be more introspective, maybe,

relying on imagination. There were a lot of stories on our last

album [‘Blood Pressures’].” he concludes. “We really wanted

to mix it up, invite some opportunity. We wanted a bit more

chaos. We wanted to absorb that into the record.”

The Kills got their wish for mayhem, and then some. “I recall

a hotbed of criminal activity,” deadpans Alison. “We were

up in the mountains,” remembers Jamie, “and you’d get

the coyotes coming up, and a minute later, these... what are

those other things?” he asks Alison. “Racoons,” he exclaims.

“Racoons, in the hot-tub!” His bandmate looks vaguely

bewildered, and throughly unconvinced. “I never saw them

in the hot tub...” Alison mutters.

“Well, that little fountain thing,” Jamie justifies. “Whatever

that was!”

“There was that crane, too,” Alison smiles. “We had wildlife,

but we also had gang members. All sorts of things, running

through the yard. Constant entertainment.”

After a two-and-a-half-month stint at their new studio in

LA, The Kills found themselves with thirty-odd contending

songs, and chewing at the bit to finish ‘Ash & Ice’. After

dangling microphones out windows to sample whirring

police helicopters, and recording ramshackle vocal takes

while crouched on the bathroom tiles, Alison and Jamie

headed towards yet another of the polar opposites that

shape this album. It took them to the decidedly legendary

Electric Lady Studios in New York’s Greenwich Village. Once

the stomping ground of Jimi Hendrix, it wound up being

the place where The Kills put a full stop on ‘Ash & Ice’.

41

42 diymag.com

“WE’RE SORT OF

LIKE MUDDY

WATER.” -

Alison finds it hilarious that .

JAMIE HINCE Jamie’s just offered her a haircut. .

“It was the perfect antithesis to recording in a

house,” Alison explains.

“They did tell us: Jimi Hendrix lived there, in

the house we rented in in LA,” realises Jamie,

suddenly. “Then obviously we went to Electric

Lady, which was his studio. That’s only just

dawned on me,” he adds.

and in early interviews, The Kills often spoke of

doing an Andy Warhol, and locking themselves away

in a tinfoil coated, self-contained music factory.

Unwilling to compromise, the band was born as a

place where Alison’s painting, Jamie’s photography,

and their collective musical output could all come

under the same umbrella. Far from being a nostalgic

goalpost, though, Velvet Underground just happen

to be an example of that being possible.

“He was throwing lightbulbs at you,” Alison says,

without stopping to clarify that she’s referring to

the ghost of Jimi, here. Obviously. “Lights were

literally falling from the ceiling. Really bizarre.”

Hendrix’s spirit, The Kills agree, found its way

onto ‘Ash & Ice’ too – in yet another of their

strangely coincidental turns.

“I would never in my life have considered using

a wah-wah pedal,” says Jamie. “Apart from the

fact we were at Electric Lady, and I just thought,

‘Come on, let’s do it!’ I haven’t heard a wah-wah

pedal on a record for such a long time, and I

still don’t think it’s ready.” The pair burst out

laughing. “I think it’s too early for that shit to

come back,” hoots Jamie. “But I thought, fuck it!

I’m going to do it!”

“Just an itch,” grins Alison.

Though they might be a truly transatlantic band

– frog-hopping between continents depending

on their mood – The Kills have always been open

about one of their main inspirations. Following

Alison’s brazen first show tattoo, when the time

came to settle on a band name, the pair chose

The Kills because it seemed timeless. Both are

huge fans of Velvet Underground, in particular,

ON IT LIKE A CAR BONNET

Alison, you look very cool in the ‘Doing It To Death’

video. Sensational balance. Be real with us, though

– you definitely fell off that car bonnet a few times,

didn’t you?

Alison: [Laughs dismissively] No.

“We don’t have to give anything up to do a band,”

states Alison. “We can keep doing all of that stuff,

and it can keep being part of one big huge picture.”

A debate between the pair – concerning Jamie’s

photography – follows. He’s convinced it isn’t a

serious pursuit; Alison thinks otherwise. “It’s your

perception! Your seriousness about yourself...” she

tells him. “It started just being about wanting to

capture things because it might not be like this

forever,” he says, brushing it off, “it might all be over.

We couldn’t believe we were staying at The Chelsea

Hotel!“ he exclaims, referring to the band’s drawnout

residency at New York’s most infamous hotel in

the run-up to ‘Blood Pressures’.

Now a closed-down shell, the Chelsea’s days of

Patti Smith casually greeting Salvador Dali in the

lobby, fringed by glimpses of Allen Ginsberg and

Leonard Cohen, are now decades down the chute

of history. “Edie Sedgwick set fire to her room,”

Jamie says, moving off on a tangent concerning

one of Andy Warhol’s superstars who used to reside

there. “We used to stay in her room, we requested it

deliberately.”

“WE “Sadly we missed HAD

that time,” quips Alison dryly. “We

came just after.”

WILDLIFE, The Kills wouldn’t have it any other way. Obsessed BUT

with reflecting the here and now, glancing in

the rear-view mirror and watching the road

WE peel away just isn’t ALSO

their style. Jamie Hince and

Alison Mosshart continually rev towards new

horizons. It’s the killer driving force behind

HAD the band. GANG

As much as icons of the past shape The

MEMBERS.

Kills’ artistic vision, they’ve got no time for

nostalgia. The drive to surge forward is audible

in every note they play. “It’s impossible to

ALL

avoid,” shrugs Alison,

SORTS

“but you try not to

focus on it.” Present moments over rosetinted

reflection, forever rallying against

OF THINGS,

the tide of retrospect; it’s the sole reason

The Kills continue to be one of music’s most

potent duos. To nick their own self-assured

RUNNING

words from comeback statement ‘Doing It

To Death’ they’re double sixing it, night after

night. Chance might’ve shaped ‘Ash & Ice’

THROUGH

but when it comes to The Kills, the dice is

loaded on a winning streak.

THE YARD.”

The Kills’ new album ‘Ash & Ice’ is out 3rd

June via Domino. DIY

- ALISON

MOSSHART

43

S A L V A T I

“I think I’ve still got

vomit all over my

boots…”

Oli Burslem

44 diymag.com

O N A R M Y

With countless road miles under their belts, Yak

have been Focused on gathering a throng since

day one. Debut album ‘Alas Salvation’ is their call

to arms. Words: Tom Connick. Photos: Nick Sayers.

Oli Burslem’s

excited. It’s not

the momentum

Yak are gathering

that’s set the

frontman’s

serotonin

a-popping

though, nor is it

the impossibly accomplished debut album

they’re gearing up to let loose on the world.

Nope – this time, that beaming smile’s a

result of the café below DIY HQ being home

to the chairs he used to sell in his old antique

shop. In fairness, they’re awfully comfy.

It’s probably a welcome chance to put

his feet up too, today marking Yak’s first

day off the road in longer than any of the

three-piece can remember. Australian dates

(with a quick pit-stop in New Zealand so

drummer Elliot Rawson could catch up with

his family for the first time in three years)

backed straight onto a whistle-stop run of

Austin, Texas for SXSW festival. From there,

they darted “up to Seattle, and then did the

West Coast, and then to Chicago, Toronto,

45

Philly, and then we got the flight from New

York, and then the next day we were up the

road at Hackney Empire with The Last Shadow

Puppets,” Elliot reels off, barely pausing for

breath. “It’s been pretty full-on, but it’s still all

good. It’s like a big holiday.”

Yak’s passion for road-time has been their

calling card from day one. “For any bands who

say it’s hard work, it’s fucking bullshit,” Oli told

us this time last year, succinctly. It’s an ethos

that sticks with them to this day. “We’re just

getting things booked in as much as possible,”

he says today. “It’s just cracking on, really –

just trying to push it as much as we can. Like

we said from the start. It’s getting a bit more

intense, but it’s still all good.”

“Nothing’s really sunk in because we’ve been

busy every hour, basically. Or drunk, so…”

he laughs; “It’s like a confusion of semiconsciousness

and exciting stuff.”

“I’m fucking

shit, I’ve

got no

entitlement,

you’ve

got no

entitlement

and we’re

both

FUCKED!”

Oli Burslem

Top of the list of ‘exciting stuff’: their debut

album, ‘Alas Salvation’. The rubber stamp on

Yak’s first eighteen months of evolution, it

nevertheless remains as fluid as they come.

Twisting into new shapes at every opportunity,

it’s a whirlpool of crunch, psych and pop

melody, all wrapped up in the three-piece’s

telepathic instinct.

“All those songs were tracked as a three-piece

band – they’re all live takes,” Oli reveals.

“There’s stuff – the hurdy-gurdy for instance

– that I just love that kinda…” He breaks off,

whipping out a clearly well-honed hurdygurdy

impression – ‘kchrrrr-eeeeeer’ – “but in

a live thing, even if you had a hurdy-gurdy, no

one’s gonna bloody hear it. It’s not like, ‘Wow,

it’s taken on a different thing now!’” he admits,

his voice smothered in mock-amazement. “You

can still express what you need to express with

three people. But just sometimes on a record,

it’s just nice sonically to have some different

stuff.”

“Some of the stuff we just tracked on the spot,

first take, there and then,” says Elliot. “So when

I listen to it, it sounds like a different band.

It doesn’t sound like I recorded it. I had to

re-learn some of the parts! We were just trying

to push ourselves to do four or five songs a

day, and some of them were just pieces of

songs. We were like, ‘Right, that’s it, we’re

doing it.’ And then, in hindsight, it’s like ‘…I

don’t remember what we did,’”

he laughs.

“You try and prepare as much as

you can for the haphazard stuff,”

says Oli. “I think this about music

so much – I don’t think you can

just sit down and write it out and

just play it. Especially rock’n’roll

music – there’s supposed to be

bits in there that are supposed

to be magic. I think music’s a

bit magic… I know that sounds

a bit cheesy, but you’d be a

mathematician or something if

you wanted something like that.”

“A lot of music now, people edit

themselves so much, or have

the means at home to do a lot,

and it ends up with something

quite unnatural about it, I think.

Something that doesn’t really

turn me on. Guitar music, a

three-piece, rock’n’roll – it’s

not that exciting. But if you put

something human in there, then

it becomes something you can

connect with.”

That spontaneity might be core

to their being but “there is a

plan,” Oli admits. “I mean… there

are gigs. I know we’ve got a gig on Thursday

in Amsterdam, but honestly, if you put a gun

to my head and said ‘Tell me when the next

gig is’, I wouldn’t be able to” - Elliot snorts with

laughter – “I know that sounds lame, but it’s

the truth!”

“We don’t deserve anything – don’t deserve,

whatever, ‘the fruits of our labour’,” Oli

continues. “We never felt that. Every time we

play a gig, there’s no feeling of entitlement.

Some of the gigs are a bit erratic, or

ONCE

UPON A

TIME IN

AMERICA

I

t’s not all glitz,

glamour and

the American

Dream touring

Stateside,

y’know. Right

the start of Yak’s

most recent U.S.

trip, calamity

hit.

“The keyboard

broke, the pedals

broke, so we had

some shit amps

and a battered

old drum kit, “ Oli

reveals. “It was

really back to

basics – bass, one

pedal, battered

drum kit, all the

cymbals were

cracked, a tiny

little amp and

two pedals, and

no synth. So we

just had to try

and think, but it’s

kinda good… and

we don’t deserve

anything else,” he

smirks.

“But we got to

Chicago, and that

was a great gig,”

Oli continues.

“we went there

on a Saturday

night, and it was

pretty busy and

everyone didn’t

know us at all, but

by the end of it

we had an encore

and everyone

was going mad.

So that was

good – we felt

like we earnt it

that night, and

it was like, ‘Well,

we can still make

an impression

stripped down

as much as

possible.’”

46 diymag.com

something, cause you’re playing and you’re going” – he mimes goading

the crowd in front of him – “’Fuck, come on, fuck! I’m fucking no-one, I’m

fucking shit, I’ve got no entitlement, you’ve got no entitlement and we’re

both FUCKED!’ Every gig, this is not just another gig. We might not even

have another album – this might be it! We haven’t got another deal, we

haven’t sold anything as we stand, so we might not have another chance to

do it again. But if we don’t, then I’m happy.”

“Like Oli says, we don’t know that we’re gonna go and do another tour, we

don’t know when we’re next gonna go over to America, so we look at this

like, ‘Shit, we’re in America – this might be the only time we get to be in

America, let’s fucking enjoy it,’” says Elliot of their non-stop nature, the trio

admitting that they’re already writing and recording for what might make

album two. “So we enjoy it. We probably enjoy it too much.”

“Y’know – we can approach this differently,” Oli admits with a grin. “We

don’t have to go out and get completely fucked every night. And get so

fucked you have two hours sleep and you’re vomiting over yourself. I think

I’ve still got vomit all over my boots…”

“That’s not a joke,” Elliot interjects.

“I mean, if we wanted to, we could probably be a bit more professional

about it,” says Oli. “But we’re having a good time!”

“And y’know - if it doesn’t work out, I can fix these chairs very well…”

Yak’s new album ‘Alas Salvation’ is out 13th May via Octopus Electrical

/ Kobalt Label Services. DIY

COMMON

PEOPLE

igging hard and releasing what

Gmay just be the best debut album

of the year are all well and good,

suppose, but in camp Yak it’s making

new mates that’s top of the list.

“There are so many amazing people out

there,” says Oli. “We’ve met so many

decent people. Like a Texan who had a

gun. I was like, ‘Shoot me!’ and spent the

whole time trying to get him to shoot me

with his gun. (Er, OK mate - Ed) There’s just

so many good people out there, and that’s

what it’s about, ain’t it? Other human

beings. Sometimes I like the idea of just

waking up, getting out of the house,

playing a gig and then getting on with

your life. It’s only one element of the day,

you know?”

“That’s the danger sometimes!”

laughs Elliot, “Plenty of time to

drink.”

47

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Returning after a

huge debut album,

laptop-hugging

producer Flume is letting

expectations drive him

forward.

Words: Will Richards.

Photos: Emma Swann.

5678

When Harley Streten

released his debut,

self-titled album

at the end of 2012,

it thrust him into

a world he didn’t quite anticipate.

Almost three years of constant touring

followed, promoting a record that

gathered unprecedented pace and

success, written without a single

expectation.

“I was writing whatever I wanted with

little consideration,” he explains. “I

just went with whatever came out,

and it wasn’t very thought out.”

Before beginning work on its muchanticipated

follow-up ‘Skin’, the Sydney

native took some time to adjust back to

a life off the road before coming back

with a new, more calculated approach.

“I took some time off to live like a

normal fucking human,” he remembers.

“I would take a few months back home

here and there between tours to

recuperate, and I feel much healthier as

a person now because of that.”

Things were always going to be

different for the second age of Flume,

with a ton of expectation falling on his

shoulders, a lot of which was placed

there by the man himself. “I had to put

a certain amount of pressure on myself

to create music of a certain level and a

certain standard. Since the first record

came out, there’s now a benchmark for

me to hit and to beat.”

The benchmark is indeed now set

high for the follow-up to ‘Flume’, but

it’s one that’s helped him grow and

change. “[This album] was much more

calculated - I really thought about who

I wanted to work with, how I wanted it

to sound, where I wanted to take the

sound, and how I wanted it to differ

from my first album. I placed quite a lot

of pressure on myself, and just wanted

to get it right, so decided to take as long

as I needed.”

‘Flume’ placed him into a particular

box as a writer, one that he was keen to

stretch and escape from with ‘Skin’. It’s

a feeling which hit him before the tour

for his debut finished. “[The success]

grew and grew, and it got to the point

where I didn’t want to carry on playing

shows unless I had new material. I had

a bunch of new songs, but I couldn’t

play them because I was saving it for

the record, and it was quite frustrating

giving people the same show every

night, when I had so much new stuff I

was sat on.”

The material written since his debut

album stretches to over two albums’

worth, he explains, and his frustrations

49

at not being able to release his most

recent work as and when he wants

has led him to re-evaluate how he

wants to release his music in the

future.

“From now on, I’ve decided, I’m not

going to do an album, wait a few

years and tour, then do another

album, then repeat. I’m going to do

an album like this one, and then just

keep putting stuff out there, without

the traditional breaks. I want to be

able to make something in the day,

and then play it that night. I like the

immediacy of that kind of thing.”

Despite currently sitting on enough

music for multiple full-lengths, he

cites a “specific DNA” that ties the

songs on ‘Skin’ together, and how

the selection process for the LP

helped him create a united, flowing

album.

“I am a bigger fan of some of the

songs that didn’t make it over some

that did, but those songs didn’t fit,

and there’s a definite feeling in all the

songs that made the album that tie

them together and make it flow as

one. Those other songs are still going

to come out, for sure, but as a body

of work it didn’t quite make sense

to give them a home on the album.

That’s exciting for me, because

there’s so many songs to play with on

different future releases.”

While ‘Skin’ has taken nearly four

years to arrive, it seems as though

the next Flume release could spring

from anywhere, at any point, and shows him bursting

to come out with all the music that’s not made it onto

the album.

Harley calls ‘Skin’ “an album of extremes”, and one

which he hopes will translate into a much more varied

live show - a live show that is scraping the top of a

whole host of festival bills this summer. “This album

is definitely a spectrum. [My debut] kept a relatively

similar pace throughout, whereas ‘Skin’ has a lot more

up and down - it’ll go from really intense and fast

to ambient stuff, and I’m looking to bring that into

the live show too. It’s much larger, which is exciting,

because I feel like now I can create a theatrical

experience and have a lot more dynamic range. For

the headline shows, I’m really going to try and take

people up as high as possible with the high-energy

stuff, and then take them completely down with

some kind of 10-minute ambient section. This

album gives me a lot of building blocks to put

on a really epic experience: I want it to feel like a

Cirque De Soleil show.”

Moving forward, it’s clear that Flume doesn’t see

‘Skin’ as an ending, but the start of a new era

and a new approach. The massive success that

was thrust onto him with his debut album has

given him a different outlook with ‘Skin’ and

the future - he’s not looking content to sit on

the success he’s garnered, but to push it to its

very extremes.

Harley calls 2016 “a very big year” for him, and

it doesn’t begin and end with ‘Skin’ - anything

could happen from here, and at any time.

Flume’s new album ‘Skin’ is out 27th May

via Transgressive. DIY

T H E S H O W S

S E T T O D E F I N E

FLUME’S YEAR.

Wild Life, Brighton, June

The second year

of Disclosure and

Rudimental’s festival is

set to be Flume’s biggest

UK show of the summer,

on a weekend where he

also heads to Manchester

for Parklife.

Sónar, Barcelona, July

Sitting alongside the likes

of Four Tet, James Blake and

ANOHNI on Sónar’s Friday

night, the show, and the

whole evening, could be a

defining moment in Flume’s

summer.

Lollapalooza, Chicago, July

He’s sitting up next to the very

top acts on the line-up for this

year’s Chicago fest, with his

performance set to join headline

sets from Radiohead and LCD

Soundsystem as a highlight of the

weekend.

5686847

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Flume will play Wild Life. Head to


50 diymag.com

Goldenvoice Presents

VANESSA CARLTON

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11.05.16

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BRIGHTON HAUNT

SOLD OUT

EAGULLS

19.05.16

ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL

FATHER JOHN MISTY

18.05.16

THE ROUNDHOUSE

19.05.16

THE ROUNDHOUSE

20.05.16

THE ROUNDHOUSE

SOLD OUT

SOLD OUT

SOLD OUT

YAK

+ INHEAVEN

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24.05.16

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08.06.16

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14.06.16

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27.06.16

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THE SPECIALS

15.11.16

THE TROXY

LONDON

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THE TROXY

LONDON

APR – NOV

goldenvoice.co.uk

51

Scream if you wanna

be Oscar!

Oscar’s Technicolour pop is just the start. In the future, he wants to travel the world, move to New York and collaborate

with the stars. First on the agenda - a day out with DIY in Dreamland, Margate. Look, you’ve got to start somewhere, ok?

Words: Jamie Milton. Photos: Mike Massaro.

52 diymag.com

Oscar Scheller hasn’t stopped smiling for six

hours. Since his first can of Coke, to be precise.

For an entire afternoon, the North London

pop obsessive has been soaking up the bliss of

Dreamland, Margate’s miracle of a theme park.

Perched on the sandiest spot of the English coast within an

hour of the capital, rollercoasters, candy floss and vinegarsoaked

chips join forces in a fairytale town.

“An adrenaline and sugar-induced dream” is how he describes

the experience, between

unlimited rides on the park’s

various delights. It’s a crazy,

colourful haze; a wake-up call

for anyone craving an exit out

of the big smoke. If there’s

ever a day out to match the

fun-first mentality of Oscar’s

music, this is it.

Debut album ‘Cut and Paste’

has been a long time coming.

One of the songs, ‘Fifteen’,

was penned ten years back,

when Oscar first picked up

a beginner’s guitar. Others

emerged closer to this big

day out in Margate, from his

first brush with fame as a

blog favourite to his current

status, penning songs with

the stars (he’s written for

Lily Allen, for starters) while

journeying around the planet

under his solo guise. Linking

them together is a patchwork

approach to pop. Anything

goes, from hip-hop inspired

old school beats to gleaming,

sunny-side-up choruses.

His signature baritone

voice could work in any

environment, except J-Pop.

Swing music would invite him

with open arms. Delivering

sad-dripping, The Nationalstyle

melodrama would work

for him, too. This time, he’s

plumped for indie pop, the

kind which balances a fine

emotional tightrope.

POT THE

Oscar’s pop obsession has to stem from somewhere.

Turns out, he’s been amongst the stars all his life.

BLUE

“I had a best friend growing up called Louie. His mum used

to run a studio in Acton called Stanley House, where a lot of

the pop stars used to cut their records. One of them being

Blue. I was always in there causing mischief. I ended up

playing pool with Blue. All of Blue. They let me take a shot. It

was magical. A great moment, one I’ll never forget.”

the spice girls

“My mum was running a magazine in the ‘90s called Junk

Mail, with her boyfriend. It was an eco-conscious ‘zine.

And she went and interviewed The Spice Girls, maybe even

a month before they were famous. She went into Virgin

Records and asked if they had any artists who’d want to talk

about being eco-friendly. And they were like, ‘We do have

this one group. We don’t really know what’s happening

with them.’ My mum stole their details and met up with

them in a cafe. I took the day off school. I wasn’t even that

ill. And I ended up in the back of a car. They woke me up in

a car park by singing to me. It was crazy. We all went back

to my grandma’s house, where we did a photoshoot for the

magazine. They were just getting drunk with my mum. A

month or two later, they were everywhere. The most famous

band in the world. I found one of the issues in my room

recently. Geri recycles her tights to make shower caps. Mel B

uses old ice cream tubs to put her make-up in on tour. Posh

did something to do with loo roll - I can’t remember now.”

He dubs the record a moment of “self-discovery”, while the

songs he’s written since ‘Cut and Paste’ are a lot more “grown

up”. But the kid in Oscar isn’t leaving anytime soon. Not least

today. Every five minutes, he pulls out a Polaroid camera and

stops to take a selfie (this isn’t pure vanity - he’s giving away

individualised photos to the first two hundred fans who buy

his album). The Mickey Mouse jumper he’s sporting would

be more suited to Disneyland, but you can’t have everything.

Margate will do for now.

Several years back, Oscar started dreaming big. His bedroombased

pop aesthetic hasn’t shifted since then, but the

ambition remains. His heart’s attached to LP2 already; he’s

plotting dream collaborations with King Krule, for instance.

“He’s got such a deep voice and I’ve got a deep voice. Two

deep voices, very different styles. I think he watched a very

early show I played in Brixton, but I don’t know if he meant

to be there. He was probably too high to leave.” And not long

from now, he plans to leave London for a big move Stateside.

“I’d like to get a different experience. New York is the place

where I’d do that,” he says, perhaps doubting his dreams for

a moment, because Margate’s probably cheaper. “It’s the

hustle. The energy and the excitement. I know that I really

love New York and I think I’d get on well there too.” The

response in the States is

more welcoming than over

Oscar, the secret member .

of The Spice Girls..

here, he insists - even though

he does get spotted by a

couple of Dreamland punters

in between rides. “There’s

a lot more opportunities. It

feels like it’s meant to be, in

a way.”

Some dreams take time to

flesh out, but others come

true in an instant. Last year,

Oscar needed a vocalist to

join him on ‘Only Friend’.

His first choice was Marika

Hackman, and within a few

days they were working

together. “I really didn’t

expect her to say yes. We’d

met and we had mutual

friends, but I didn’t really

know her very well. I was

thinking ‘She’s so famous,

she’s not gonna do it,’” he

beams. “She’s working on a

new record, so I would like to

think she’d invite me!”

Next up on the bucket list is

a trip to Japan (“I’m trying

to find ways of getting

there, slowly plotting what

to do”) and maybe even a

musical transformation. His

baritone is certainly capable

of working in a different

environment, it’s just the

case of taking that next

step. With the Big Apple on

the mind, you could easily

envisage him taking on a

53

Dev Hynes-style role, disappearing before re-emerging a

completely different musician. “I’d love to do things like R&B,

more electronic stuff. I guess it’s about finessing what you

have already. The guitar is great, but it’s almost a distraction.

I’ve come to that conclusion, since finishing the album. I want

to put the guitar down, so I can go Jarvis Cocker on everyone.”

There are countless directions he could take in the future, but

for now Oscar’s focused on establishing what makes him tick

in the present day. “I’ve heightened the things I like and it’s

become a caricature,” he jokes. “Like with Mickey Mouse. A

picture gets taken of you wearing a Mickey Mouse top, it gets

published and then suddenly that’s a thing. Which is fine! I do

love the Disney designs, in the same way I love Andy Warhol’s

silk-screen paintings. They stand for the same thing, to me.

This gross fascination of mass production in popular culture,”

he says, surrounded by a fairground stall giving away cuddly

Minions toys. “I’ve developed an identity of some kind, almost

by accident. It strangely came together in a natural way.”

again,” he says on the journey home, stacking together the

Polaroids he’s taken, a view of Margate disappearing into the

distance. A few hours later, he’s back in the studio working on

demos, and dusting off the sand from his knackered shoes. In

a quest to realise his dreams, Oscar never stops thinking about

his next move. Only a fool would bet against him sharing a

glitzy New York studio with the stars.

Oscar’s new album ‘Cut and Paste’ is out 13th May via

Wichita. DIY

His dream day is coming to a close. “It felt like being a kid

“Hello flossy my old friend”

“I’ve

developed

an identity,

almost by

accident.”

Oscar will play Latitude. Head to


54 diymag.com

MAY ~ LIVE ~ 2016

1st Hip Hop Karaoke / 2nd Camp Lo / 5th Revere / 7th Jehst / 9th Sound & Vision: Janis

11th Sounds Familiar Music Quiz / 13th The Travelling Band

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24th Antwon / 25th The Computers / 27th Marsicans / 31st Plants & Animals

~ LATE ~

7th

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Kings of the capital’s

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A proper old school

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Weekly Friday alt-pop

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Dates, times & tickets: www.hoxtonsquarebar.com

HOXTONSQUAREBAR | HOXTONHQ | HOXTONSQUAREBAR

55

Ask any sod for their

views on social media

and they’ll declare we

are, at once, both more

connected and lonelier

than ever before. And this is exactly

the issue that Canadian punks White

Lung tackle - with an exciting twist - in

their latest shock to the system, with

the piercing and furious lead single

‘Hungry’, taken from forthcoming

album ‘Paradise’.

Sharp-tongued frontwoman Mish

Barber-Way explains the song is

“about hunger for fame, delusional

self-obsession. Social media has turned

us all into narcissistic morons living

out our pathetic wants in tiny spurts of

dopamine called ‘likes’. It’s gross.”

The accompanying video develops this

obsession with narcissism, following

a self-obsessed stranger who tries

everything in her power to become

famous and ‘liked’. She models for a can

of condensed milk, obsessively buys her

own products and even pours the milk

all over herself, but eventually ends up

being sucked into her own reflection –

only to be replaced by someone else.

“Social media has given everyone this

platform to pretend they are a star to

their tiny niche of followers. No one is

lining up to be a teacher or a garbage

man. We all want that power.”

White Lung are back and as fierce as

ever, with a fourth studio album that

packs a punch and explores an all-thrills

storyline of infamous characters and

tales. From the way opening track

‘Dead Weight’ ploughs in with Kenneth

William’s spiralling cut-throat guitar riffs

that sit alongside Barber-Way’s sharp

delivery, to the driving power of

‘Below’, ‘Paradise’ is an album that

comes tightly-packed and tailor

made to grab attention.

Producer Lars Stalfors (The Mars

Volta, Alice Glass, Cold War Kids) has

a lot to answer for - guitarist Kenneth

claims fans will be able to hear a

difference in how his guitar sounds.

“We worked really hard to make sure

there were new sounds in every song

that set them apart from each other,

so we worked with a lot of pedals and

software to mangle some of the guitar

tracks into something that sounds

more like synths.” his guitar plays a

crucial part in the way the record came

together. It was one of the reasons the

band picked Annie Clark to interview

them when ‘Hungry’ was first released,

as Barber-Way explains: “Annie

introduced herself to us at Fuji Rock

Festival in Japan and then, we all went

out after playing a festival in Chicago. I

asked her to do the bio because I knew

she could talk guitars with Kenny. This

is truly Kenny’s record and I wanted

someone who played their guitar like

my

IRON

White Lung have upped

every aspect of their game

for ‘Paradise’. Geeking

out on pedals, finding

fascination in serial killers -

they’ve done everything in

their power to find that next

gear. Words: Amelia Maher.

56 diymag.com

“No one is lining

up to be a teacher

or a garbage man.

We all want that

power.”

Mish Barber-Way

LUNG57

it was not one to talk with Kenny

about his process. They both treat

their instruments in similarly inventive

ways.”

What is even more interesting is how

Lars was able to push Barber-Way

in a different direction, making

her “embrace the pop”. Clearly this

doesn’t mean ‘Paradise’ is a pop

record, but instead one which widens

White Lung’s horizons - still cutting

deep, but doing so while exploring

a wider musical terrain. It feels more

approachable, even if the characters

explored and the stories told are

anything but.

The songs themselves came mostly

from an intense period of writing last

year, during which Barber-Way delved

into studies about sex, murder, and

deadly characters such as the White

family of West Virginia, Karla Homolka,

Fred and Rosemary West. “I wrote

from the voices of other people. I

got schizophrenic. I made up these

fairy tales in my head, hyper-inflated

versions of my own experiences or

stuff I took from books.” There’s a lot

going on in Barber-Way’s head - she

has an insatiable appetite to push

what White Lung stand for. She’s

constantly looking for the stories that

“I made up

these fairy

tales in my

head,

hyper

inflated

versions

of my own

experiences.”

Mish Barber-Way

push boundaries. “I was also obsessed

with these compilations from Trailer

Park Records called ‘Twisted Tales From

The Vinyl Wastelands’. It’s all these old

country songs about everything from

strippers, to prison, to drugs to love.

Songs no one cared about at the time.

The storytelling is what I like. They are

so good. It’s just my taste. I love old

country so much.”

It is what makes Barber-Way such an

interesting character. She is upfront

and brutally honest, but also grounded

and ambitious in what she wants to

achieve with White Lung. When asked

whether they reflect much on their

careers or whether that is a counterproductive

exercise, her response is

simply: “Careers will fade. Family is

forever.” Even as the band develops

and - dare we say it - grow up, they

are firmly dedicated to authenticity in

everything they produce. This is what

continues to make them so compelling,

refusing to rest on their laurels.

White Lung’s new album ‘Paradise’

is out 6th May via Domino. DIY

58 diymag.com

Manic depression stopped

me from playing to the point

of getting rid of my guitar to

pay for somewhere to live.

Help Musicians UK got me back

on my feet. I dread to think

where I would be without them.

We helped Matt when a crisis

stopped him from performing.

Help us help musicians.

Donate at helpmusicians.org.uk

or call 020 7239 9100

Backing musicians throughout their careers.

Registered Charity No. 228089.

59

Cry Me A

Weezer are never ones to rest on their laurels. With the selftitled

‘White’ album unleashing its own storm, they’re already

Rivers

looking ahead to next steps. Words: Jessica Goodman.

60 diymag.com

Taking a bow in front of a

5,000-strong audience at

London’s Brixton Academy

last month, there’s no denying

Weezer have always been

meant for the masses. Twentyfour

years and ten albums in,

opinions on them may have remained divided

over the years (to say the least), but through their

ever-expanding evolution, the outfit continue to

incite devotion.

But despite the mass adoration that surrounds

them, the group view

themselves with a

distinctly modest

regard. “We were

pretty tight,” frontman

Rivers Cuomo offers

by way of description

of their recent shows,

speaking just a

couple of days after

their latest stint. He’s

actually walking by

the side of a river. You

couldn’t make it up.

“We’ve been playing

the new songs long

enough now that I’m not making any mistakes. I

remember all the words.

“I’m trying to write an algorithm for generating

setlists that are drawing from a large pool of

songs,” he diverges, “so that every night the

order is different, and every night there’s new

songs for us, songs we don’t usually play.”

Weighing up the pros and cons of switching

things up, and figuring out how much work it’d

be for the lighting tech and crew if they did, the

focus is very much on the future.

Armed with their new, self-titled ‘White’ album,

anyone would think it’s time they got used to

life at the top, but the band aren’t about to get

complacent. “I can see on Metacritic that we

have something like an average score of 74,” the

frontman - never shy of a browse online - proudly

declares, “which is pretty good compared to a lot

of records out there, and it’s definitely fantastic

for us.” Their tenth full-length release, the ‘White’

album is rooted in the sand and surf of the

Californian coastline. “We started out with the

“You can see throughout our

history that we often react to

one album by going 180

degrees on the next.”

Rivers Cuomo

goal of making a beach album,” he recalls, “with

these beautiful chord progressions and melodies,

but it’s an unusual take on the beach setting

because I’m a weird person.”

Their idiosyncrasies have always been a part of

what make Weezer so admired. Venturing into

the studio individually to “record all our parts and

really perfect them without input from the other

guys,” the album demonstrates the band at their

most vibrant. “If I’m in the room with them I have

a little too much influence,” Rivers admits. “As a

songwriter I have an idea of how I want the song

to go, and it’s hard not to influence them.”

You Do The Math(s)

eezer might be best known

for their colourful albums, but

Wmusic definitely isn’t the sum of

their capabilities. Rivers talks us through an

additional (and slightly surprising) passion

of his.

“I’m taking algebra,” he proclaims. “I

really enjoy it. It’s very relaxing. It’s such a

different type of mental activity compared

to what I do for Weezer. It’s not at all

creative. It’s just working out these logic

problems, and there’s one definite right

answer, and if you do the work you get it.

It’s really satisfying.”

Taking a difficult step back from the work he was

creating, the result is a record that’s as varied and

multi-layered as the four men who created it. “I’ve

learned over the years that if I micro-manage it, it

ends up not as rich and complex as it could be,”

he explains. Being able to see “a highly perfected

version” of what his bandmates had in mind, the

frontman had the distance he needed to bring

the collaborative process to full fruition. “I’m

always looking for ways to give other people an

opportunity to take a crack at it and put their

layer of creativity on it.”

That extra layer of creativity was brought to life

with the assistance of producer Jake Sinclair.

Having played as Rivers Cuomo in Weezer tribute

act Wannabeezer from a young age, it proved

the perfect creative alliance. “He was intimately

familiar with the kinds of ways I sing and the way

I play and the way I write, so he was a fantastic

partner for me,” Rivers praises. “He was always

able to hear when I got off track and articulate

that in a way that would inspire me to get back on

61

the right one.”

This album may still be shy of a month old, but Weezer are

already thinking about the next one. “You can see throughout

our history that we often react to one album by going 180

degrees on the next album,” Rivers states. Charting their

progression from the ebullience of the ‘Blue’ album through

the darkness of ‘Pinkerton’ and on to the brightness of ‘Green’

as an example, the band are on an endless quest for contrast.

So where are they headed from here? “What could stand out

more against ‘White’ than ‘Black’?” Rivers questions. The polar

opposite of their latest release, the follow-up promises to be

hinged on a certain darkness. “I think it’s going to maybe be

like Beach Boys gone bad,” he says, alluding to the material

he’s already at work on. “I’m thinking of swearing, which is

“I’m trying to write

an algorithm for

generating setlists.”

Rivers Cuomo

something I’ve never done in songs.” Tackling “more mature

topics”, the band’s next record certainly seems set to take a

darker tone. “Less summer day and more winter night,” Rivers

expands. “If it were a movie in the United States it would be

rated R instead of PG.”

Hinting towards a single “that’s not on an album” seeing

release “on July 4th”, and with plans to get back into the

studio from as early as October, Weezer aren’t a band to sit

still. Their affinity for change might have alienated as well as

it’s endeared, but that’s part and parcel of who the band are. “I

guess it’s an artist’s instinct for a work to stand on its own, and

to have as strong of an identity as possible,” Rivers explains.

“Everything will be alright in the end,” he declares with a

knowing chuckle. Wherever the group go from here, there’s

no doubt about that.

Weezer’s self-titled new album is out now via Crush Music

/ Atlantic. DIY

62 diymag.com

TICKETWEB.CO.UK/FESTIVALS

63

EVIE

eeeee

YAK

Alas Salvation (Octopus Electrical / Kobalt)

They test noise to extremes, they lose

Sleaze, sludge

and scuzz rule

the roost on

Yak’s debut

album. But to put their

magic down to three vital ingredients would be missing the

point. With Oli Burslem at the helm, the trio have a whirlwind

chemistry it takes others decades to master. And with ‘Alas

Salvation’, they’ve set a marker for every batshit newcomer

emerging in the next decade.

As a frontman, Burslem acts like he’s been researching the

move-by-move heroics of yesteryear’s giants: those Mick

Jagger looks aren’t a red herring. On stage, he careers from

churning organ to speaker stack like a prison inmate given his

first taste of freedom. The odds were against Yak being able

to replicate this wild form on record. But they’ve stolen the

lights, the audience and the fever of a venue, wedging it slap

bang in the middle of their debut.

It’s no surprise Jack White’s Third Man Records lent their

attention to last year’s ‘No’ single. Opener ‘National Anthem’

rapidly barks “victorious!”, everything stamped by the thick,

stomping fuzz White’s spent his years advancing. But Yak

64 diymag.com

WS

track of time and they make very little sense.

aren’t just about sheer, unrelenting noise designed to take

you out of your comfort zone, and they’re anything but

reverential. ‘Use Somebody’’s looping solos are a bloodthirsty

sibling of early Tame Impala, while ‘Take It’’s Wild West road

trip gives psych the razor-sharp edge it often lacks. ‘Alas

Salvation’’s title track has existed since last year, and it remains

a marker, Burslem chanting “I’ve come to save your bacon!”

like a mad scientist on the loose. And closer ‘Please Don’t

Wait For Me’ is a glammed-up answer to The Horrors’ ‘Primary

Colours’ days.

Across their first work, Yak showcase the inner depths of their

deranged character. They test noise to extremes, they lose

track of time and they make very little sense. It’s as captivating

as records come. But despite their heroics - from on-stage

antics to everything laid bare here - you’d doubt they’re aware

of just how good they are. ‘Alas Salvation’ is the debut of

the year so far, make no mistake. And it’s the kind of record

that can inspire the next generation to shun insecurities and

any notions of cool. Be a character, distort the norm and say

something weird - that’s the Yak ethos, and it’ll spread like

wildfire. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘National Anthem’, ‘Use

Somebody’, ‘Alas Salvation’.

65

An exercise in

provocation.

eee

ANOHNI HOPELESSNESS (Secretly Canadian / Rough Trade)

‘Hopelessness’, as its name hints, is really fucking bleak. That’s the message of this first work,

which links grim-as-fuck messages with an eerie, explosive beauty. If a country can be accused of

wrongdoing on a gross scale, Anohni will document it. The world is ending. We’ve all bought into a machine that’s slowly,

mutually destructive. Innocent people are dying for no good reason, every single day. Sooner or later, there’ll be nothing left.

Compared to the year’s other most political record (so far), PJ Harvey’s ‘The Hope Six Demolition Project’, ‘Hopelessness’ has a

clearer purpose. Instead of skimming over suffering, it tries to provide an answer: Escape, or get ready for the apocalypse. It’s

grim, but tackling politics in music is like approaching a trap door. If you make one wrong move, you end up on your arse. Anohni

isn’t subtle in how she deals with evil, but she does bring a set of skills. It doesn’t always work, by any stretch. But ‘Hopelessness’

is an exercise in provocation. It’s anti-apathy and determined to stir thought, even if that’s total disgust and dejection. (Jamie

Milton) LISTEN: ‘I Don’t Love You Anymore’.

ee

TOURIST

U (Monday Records)

Dedicated to an anonymous ‘U’ (the

text-speak makes it sound more friendly,

apparently) Tourist’s debut is, he says, the

story of a failed relationship.

Where he plunges headlong into intricate, anthemic

moments like the strangely angled ‘Foolish’ or the

claustrophobic ‘Wait’ – bursts of rich piano or possessed

Game Boys cutting through the curtain of flickering

rhythm – it tells a story, and conjures an image. We’ve all

had our arses kicked by love at one time or another, and

crunching into careering motion, certain moments of ‘U’

are transformative. But despite flashes of real invention,

for the most part, ‘U’ sounds stuck in a rut. Like an ex

chucking out a binbag stuffed full of her former love’s

favourite electronic tropes, it’s just a bit too formulaic to

tug at any heartstrings. (El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Wait’

PRODUCERS

ON TOUR

A guide to the names Will Phillips

has on his CV.

SAM SMITH Tourist has

a Grammy to his name,

thanks to the ‘Stay With Me’

collaboration, which he co-wrote with Smith and

Jimmy Napes. At one point, he had more Grammys

than albums.

EKKAH Birmingham tropical-pop newcomers

EKKAH went full disco with this year’s

‘Small Talk’ single - their best moment

to date.

JESSIE WARE Tourist linked up with

Napes once more for ‘Pieces’, a song

from Jessie’s 2014 LP ‘Tough Love’.

66 diymag.com

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ARCHITECTS All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us (Epitaph)

Architects are angry – that much has been clear for years. A decade on from their debut, the Brighton

metallers’ transition from bratty, love-scorned teenagers into their newfound, Bansky-eat-yourheart-out

post-capitalist guise is fully complete. Anti-establishment all the way, on recent records the

nuance of politics and society has been drowned out by a full-throated scream of “the government

is bad, okay” at every opportunity - on ‘All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us’, though, they’re taking

a different tact. Don’t be fooled – the government are still bad, okay – but it’s a more considered

approach that defines the group’s seventh strike. Sam Carter’s lyricism finally regains some of the

poetry those earlier works flourished under, less reliant on blanket statements and calls to arms, instead finding hope

within his hatred. If this is the sound of political discontent in 2016, it’s at least finally found a confident voice. (Tom Connick)

LISTEN: ‘A Match Made In Heaven’, ‘From The Wilderness’

eeee

EAGULLS Ullages (Partisan)

First impressions suggest Eagulls view life as endlessly grim.

The sleeve of their 2014 self-titled debut - a burnt out car in the

middle of a grey-skied estate - was a self-explanatory pointer for

their frustrated and distinctly British take on post-punk.

‘Ullages’ - an anagram of their name, and another stab at

adding industrial edge - is a revelation, in that sense. The fiery,

barking default of their debut is gone. In steps a renewed

George Mitchell, fronting the group with a strange poetry. He’d still prefer to detail

a bloodied city centre bust-up than an idyllic holiday in the Bahamas, but he’s

delivering dystopia in new terms.

With similar force to Savages’ ‘Adore Life’, Eagulls manage to marry the ugliness of

reality with dreams of something better.

The vicious edge of their debut has been swept aside by a grander scale.

Comparisons to The Smiths are valid, especially on the arms-aloft gestures of

‘Psalms’. They might lack the magical chemistry of a Morrissey and Marr, but that

doesn’t stop Eagulls from using similar to tools to devastating effect. ‘Skipping’

threatens to jump out of its current form and into the skies, while ‘Velvet’ could

easily become their calling card, an epic blend of barmy chants and eerie beauty.

Eagulls are a band in transition. Their debut documented pure, unrelenting struggle.

‘Ullages’ finds a way out. Mitchell remains a captivating frontman, but he’s an entirely

different blend to the one we knew before. If they can take the motifs of ‘Ullages’

and dive further into the unknown, they’ll have the makings of a special band. (Jamie

Milton) LISTEN: ‘Skipping’, ‘My Life in Rewind’, ‘Velvet’

DON’T SAY

EAGULLS

SOUND LIKE...

Look, Eagulls’ new record

shares traits with certain bands.

But you’ll get in trouble if you

mention the following (we said

nothing, okay?).

The Cure: “There’s a lot of

influences on this record that

people – because we don’t tell

anyone about them – they’re

still just like, ‘It’s The Cure!’ Every single

one, it’s The Cure! Fucking hell – there’s

more bands than The Cure!” - George

Mitchell

Joy Division: “First album

– Joy Division! This album: The

Cure! Oh, whatever.” - George

Mitchell

Marrying the ugliness

of reality with dreams

of something better.

67

eeee

LUH

Spiritual

Songs for

Lovers to

Sing (Mute)

The scope of

LUH’s debut

is staggering.

Inspired by

grand ideas

from the collapse of capitalism to the notion of

post-humanist singularity, the duo of former WU

LYF frontman Ellery James Roberts and visual artist

Ebony Hoorn, bring the nature of humanity into

question. The record’s heart, though, is touchingly

simple - two people standing up against the

world.

Moments where LUH lose their way are

compensated for by the flashes of brilliance

littered throughout. Whether it’s the jarring chaos

of ‘$ORO’ or the mournful strings of ‘Someday

Come’, this a debut that gives everything LUH have

to offer and the result is honest, touching and raw.

(Henry Boon) LISTEN: ‘I&I’

eee

GOLD PANDA

Good Luck and Do Your Best (City Slang)

The third studio album from Gold Panda sees both

imagery and sound bond together. Documenting time

away in Japan, ‘Good Luck and Do Your Best’ skims through the seasonal

colours and buildings to the Japanese people, retaining the integrity of a

trip through the country. Despite the jet-setting, what fascinates the most

is the level of work collectively produced at home in Chelmsford. ‘Good

Luck and Do Your Best’ is so far out there but at the same time feels right

at home. (Mustafa Mirreh) LISTEN: ‘Pink and Green’.

eeee

BIG THIEF

Masterpiece (Saddle Creek)

Brooklyn’s Big Thief aren’t a humble bunch, if

‘Masterpiece’’s title is anything to go by. But don’t be

fooled. Led by Adrianne Lenker, they claim that love,

life and everything in between - that’s the masterpiece, not their snazzy

musicianship. Although they’re also adept at the latter, so if they dubbed

the next record ‘Greates White Lung t Hits’, they might get away with it.

This debut is an emotional juggernaut - an avalanche, in fact. Just when

they look to have delivered their parting blow, in steps another moment

that captures life’s ups and downs with perfection. Expect this to be the

start of a huge career, even if this really is their ‘Masterpiece’. (Jamie Milton)

LISTEN: ‘Real Love’, ‘Paul’

eeee

HOLY FUCK congrats (Innovative Leisure)

Back in 2010, Holy Fuck were becoming sharper, smarter and more

adventurous with every record they made. The raucous guitar-driven

electronica they were making was subtly, intelligently geared at the kind

of crowd who wouldn’t normally give that sort of thing the time of day. And then, they did their

Houdini bit and vanished.

Six years down the line, with nothing in the way of an explanation as to what the devil they’ve been

up to, the Canadians frankly have no right whatsoever to return with such swagger, with such

self-assurance, as they have done with ‘Congrats’. On the one hand, fair play to them for

taking so long if such arrogant brilliance is the result, and on the other, please don’t make

it another six years - Holy Fuck, we need this band. (Joe Goggins) LISTEN: ‘Tom Tom’,

‘Shivering’

The Canadians frankly have no

right whatsoever to return with

Cate Le Bon Bon.

such swagger.

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WHITE LUNG

Paradise (Domino)

Needle-sharp and packed full of vigour,

White Lung’s return shoots straight

for the veins. It’s a rush of adrenaline

in a world swarmed by fuzzed-out

pretenders - a welcome antidote to the

haze modern punk increasingly finds

itself drowning in. Thundering out of

the gates with a glistening synthetic

twinkle, not unlike the start-up sound of

a next-gen games console, opener ‘Dead

Weight’ hitting like every Street Fighter

special move at once. From there on out,

it’s uppercut after uppercut.

The laser-guided precision of Kenneth

William’s guitar lines burn brightest,

every slick-as-fuck string sounding

carved straight from diamond. Paired

with Mish Way’s snarling vocal, it’s all

realms of science fiction wrapped up in

one punk-laced package, like bumping

into a werewolf on the International

Space Station and him pummelling you

round the head with a Telecaster.

That’s not to say there’s no nuance

amongst the madness. ‘Below’ borders

on balladry, whereas ’Vegas’ sounds

torn straight from the filth of the gutter.

White Lung push themselves to every

corner of the universe on ‘Paradise’,

presenting a beautiful vision of 22nd

Century punk in the process. (Tom

Connick) LISTEN: ‘Hungry’, ‘Kiss Me

When I Bleed’, ‘Vegas’

eee

ARTHUR

BEATRICE

Keeping

The Peace

(Open Assembly Recordings/Polydor

Records)

When Arthur Beatrice first struck

out, talk centred around a “new xx”,

though that always seemed like a lazy

comparison, since they never had much

in common apart from chilled beats

and a boy-girl vocal axis. Hardly rocket

science. Their second album, ‘Keeping

The Peace’, should banish those

comparisons once and for all.

Standout track ‘Worry’, which starts

out as a jazzy shuffle, is a spellbinding

break-up song with a twist, Ella

Girardot’s vocal transporting us from

initial self-pity (“suddenly there’s

nothing, no one to hold, nothing to

hold me up”) to a spine-tinglingly

defiant refrain, as she repeats over

and over again, beneath a swelling

orchestra: “Did you think you were in

charge?” (Tim Cooper) LISTEN: ‘Worry’

eee

MUTUAL

BENEFIT

Skip a

Sinking Stone

(Transgressive)

An album of two halves, ‘Skip A Sinking

Stone’ is purpose-built for flipping

the sides over on a record. Its first half,

taking place in the year that proceeds

Mutual Benefit’s debut LP, finds Jordan

Lee in what could be considered a

settled life – something manifested in

its breezy instrumentation and major

key meanderings. The second half

however sees Lee in New York, gifted

with having the time to work on the

new record full-time, but dogged by a

growing depression. The shift is subtle,

but still noticeable. This record is a

darker and more considered effort than

its predecessor. And though let down

somewhat by a fleeting first half, the

introspection of the latter manage to

make amends. (Dave Beech) LISTEN:

‘City Sirens’

eee

OLGA BELL

Tempo (One Little

Indian)

What is it about Olga

Bell’s fascination with

memories and time? Her solo debut,

‘Krai’, was a journey back to her Russian

past, blending sounds of regional

folklore and avant garde electronica.

The follow-up, ‘Tempo’, is another

time-travelling adventure that plays like

a sequel, continuing her rediscovery

of a real and imagined past. This time

the memories invoked are closer to

her new American home. Flickering

and darting across a vast sonic plane,

the album is a worthwhile expedition

and an interesting re-imagining of the

past propelled into the future. To dub

Olga Bell a complex artist in the vein

of Björk wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

(Anastasia Connor) LISTEN: ‘Power

User’

69

There’s no raining

on Oscar’s parade

of bittersweet joy.

eeee

OSCAR

Cut and Paste (Wichita)

Since Oscar cropped up as part

of DIY’s Class of 2016, he’s made

a name for himself. Expertly

coupling that velveteen baritone croon of his with an

endless trunk full of neon-hued Disney t-shirts, Oscar

is the country’s leading specialist when it comes to

beaming pop tunes served sunny side-up. And whether

he’s ‘breaking his phone’ or whispering sweet nothings

and ‘Beautiful Words’ in a special someone’s ear, there’s

no raining on Oscar Scheller’s parade of bittersweet

jangly joy.

Many of the recognisable lo-fi moments which stamped

his name across music’s sandy terrain in the first place

have been glued down onto the tracklist of ‘Cut and

Paste,’ too. The muffled, ah-ah filled ‘Daffodil Days’

still shines just as bright, as he sorrowfully begs “don’t

waste away,” amid deceptively chipper fields of cheery

yellow. ‘Only Friend,’ meanwhile sees Marika Hackman

hopping headlong into proceedings – planting seeds of

melancholy nostalgia under the roots of their saccharine

duet.

New single ‘Be Good’ shows Oscar at his strongest yet.

It swaggers along, thumbs in braces, quick-stabbing

off-beats trading blows with fidgeting, short-circuiting

bursts of Game Boy Color. “Whatever it is, you want to

say to me, say it to my face,” he challenges, on his most

boldly radio-bound song so far. Where Oscar pinpoints

his now-trademark push-pull - relentless melodic

optimism struggling against self-deprecating and

frustration – he’s unstoppable. (El Hunt)

LISTEN: ‘Be Good,’ ‘Daffodil Days,’ ‘Breaking My

Phone’

eee

LAURA MVULA

The Dreaming Room (RCA Victor (Sony))

Laura Mvula’s been open about the fact that

the years following ‘Sing to the Moon’ have

been trying ones; blighted by anxiety attacks,

painful divorces (both her own, and her parents’), and stage

fright. To borrow her own words, it hit her hard – like “a very big

bus”. The bookies’ favourite to win the Mercury Prize, Mvula’s

crease-free debut album success came as a jolting shock. She

suddenly found herself a pop star. A little like a dream, in fact, ‘The

Dreaming Room’ weaves and wanders into new territory. The rich

complexity and insatiable musical palette which made ‘Sing to the

Moon’ so compelling remains. Her voice’s often self-conscious veil

of anonymity, however, is gone. There’s less held back, here. (El

Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Bread’

eeee

LITTLE SCREAM

Cult Following (Merge)

Turning emotion into a reason to dance is what

Little Scream excels at, and ‘Cult Following’

proves no exception. It might’ve been four

years since Laurel Sprengelmeyer released her first album under

this alias, but time hasn’t passed idly by. Bigger, bolder, and wholly

encompassing in its creation, ‘Cult Following’ is a world of its

own making. Cinematic from its very foundation, Little Scream’s

second record is 45 minutes of sheer escapism. Fractured, these

songs may seem to lose their depth, but together, ‘Cult Following’

is a brand new horizon. (Jessica Goodman) LISTEN: ‘The Kissing’

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KING GIZZARD & THE

LIZARD WIZARD

Nonagon Infinity (Heavenly)

“My body’s overworked,” shrieks Stu Mackenzie just

seconds into ‘Nonagon Infinity’ opener ‘Robot Stop’. It’d

be easy to assume it’s a cry for help, this marking King

Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s ninth album in a career

barely five years old. No bunch are churning them out

quite like these Aussie nutjobs.

Quite possibly the heaviest they’ve ever trod, last year’s

dream-pop stopgap ‘Paper Mâché Dream Balloon’

feels like exactly that - a hazy, subconscious memory.

‘Nonagon Infinity’, by contrast, relishes the darkness.

Whenever the rhythmic repetition threatens deja

vu, they take a left turn, ‘Gamma Knife’ in particular

a probing, exploratory box of bells, whistles and

harmonicas solos.

At some point in the future, King Gizzard & The Lizard

Wizard might run out of

ideas, the wind in their

ripped and tattered

sails fading to a wheeze.

For the time being

though, they’re one

of the most thrilling

prospects we’ve got.

(Tom Connick) LISTEN:

‘Gamma Knife’, ‘Mr.

Beat’

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HOODED FANG

Venus on Edge (Daps Records)

From the first few militant stabs of ‘Venus

on Edge’ opener ‘Tunnel Vision’, it’s clear

the Hooded Fang of 2016 isn’t the zeitgeist-chasing surf-rock

wave riding Hooded Fang of 2012 breakthrough ‘Tosta Mista’ (or

its largely forgettable 2013 follow-up ‘Gravez’, for that matter).

Abrasive, relentless and at points industrial, the Canadians’ fourth

full-length bristles with post-punk immediacy, whether the

Parquet Courts-gone-Hallowe’en ‘Glass Shadows’, the Yak-a-like

standout ‘Miscast’ or the Gary Numan-esque ‘A Final Hello’. There

is still a pinch of their past remaining, just now those 50s-aping

guitars sound more Cramps than Surfaris. Still, ditching the fuzz

seems like the best move possible, because with ‘Venus on Edge’,

Hooded Fang have finally found the bite their name promised.

(Emma Swann) LISTEN: ‘Miscast’, ‘Glass Shadows’

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RY X

Dawn (infectious Music)

From alter-ego Howling to The Acid, Ry X has

been a man with fingers in many musical pies

to say the least, but the distinctive fragility

of his performance has remained central to all he’s put his hand

to. Rather than attempting to carve out a new niche or stripping

everything back to its roots, ‘Dawn’ draws on everything that Ry

has absorbed in recent years, and projects with fresh perspective.

Six years on from his album as Ry Cuming, ‘Dawn’ is the debut he

can truly treasure. (Liam McNeilly) LISTEN: ‘Shortline’

FAMOUS

GIZZARDS,

LIZARDS AND

WIZARDS

Important reference

points, if you’re listening

to King Gizzard and the

Lizard Wizard.

GIZZARD “There’s only

one Gizzard!” goes the

famous football chant.

And indeed there is. One

specialised stomach

muscle to rule them all.

Best not to delve too much

into famous gizzards - it’s

a bit gross.

LIZARD Charlie Brooker

once declared that David

Cameron is a lizard, which

sadly makes him the most

famous lizard of them

all. And also the most

lizard-like.

WIZARD Neville

Longbottom. Because he’s

the real hero, let’s face it.

Nobody’s churning

them out like these

Aussie nutjobs.

71

Twin Peaks

are masters

of their craft.

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KAYTRANADA

99.9% (Xl Recordings)

Bundle his previous Kaytranada releases

with those put out under the Kaytradamus

moniker, and buzzy producer Louis Kevin

Celestin is as prolific as they come. But at the

age of twenty-three, ’99.9%’ is his first major work released in the

spotlight, a debut album proper where he stamps his trademark on

skittering, inventive electronics.

Kay treats the big-deal occasion like one giant party, inviting guests

AlunaGeorge, Anderson .Paak and Little Dragon like he’s hosting

a blog-pop red carpet. It’s his way of showing that whatever the

entertainment, he’s always in charge. But it is a work that threatens

to find him in the shadows, leaving the spotlight to bigger names. On

the basis of this full-length’s finest moments, he’s better than that.

(Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Glowed Up ft. Anderson .Paak’, ‘Together

(ft. AlunaGeorge & GoldLink)’.

eee

LONELY THE BRAVE

Things Will Matter (Hassle Records)

With their debut, Lonely The Brave found

themselves as the fist-pumping, chest-thumping

saviours of alt-rock. And while ‘The Day’s War’

wasn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows, the band’s second album is,

in truth, an altogether darker affair. Moodier instrumentation and

more emotionally-wrought lyrics dominate ‘Things Will Matter’, but

the storytelling that made their debut so adored is still present. A

foreboding introduction of ‘Wait In The Car’ sets a sombre scene,

before Dave Jakes’ hushed vocals explode into life across ‘What If You

Fall In’. An album that deals in both heart-on-your-sleeve delicacy and

bold assertiveness, it’s an intimate look at the inner workings of the

Cambridge group and their demons. (Sarah Jamieson) LISTEN: ‘Dust &

Bones’

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CHRIS COHEN

As if Apart (Captured Tracks)

Chris Cohen is the soundtrack for an idyllic summer

holiday: the ideal accompaniment to lazy, hazy

days under a cloudless sky with nothing on your

mind beyond whether to have another mojito. His soft-focus psychedelic

pastorales evoke a simpler time than the frenzied world we live in, and

therein lies his escapist appeal. Cohen grew up in Los Angeles in the 70s

and 80s, the son of a music biz exec and a Broadway actress, and you can

tell his childhood was soundtracked by soft rock and psychedelia before

he became a self-confessed “Deadhead”. The obvious comparisons are

Kurt Vile and Mac DeMarco, though there’s also something of JJ Cale

about his determination to plough his lone laid-back furrow untroubled

by the influence of anything other than the sun in the sky. (Tim Cooper)

LISTEN: ‘In A Fable’

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TWIN PEAKS

Down in Heaven (Communion Records /

Caroline International)

For Chicago rabble-rousers Twin Peaks, life

has always been about non-stop celebration.

Born of the breaks between tour dates and

party nights, ‘Down In Heaven’ is a little slice of

paradise. Leaning away from the scuzzed-up

aggression that flooded their earlier records,

the group sound fresher and more refined.

The album ventures through the worries and

wonders of the day-to-day with a freewheeling

honesty.

Twisting and turning conventions to fit a mould

of their own making, Twin Peaks are masters

of their craft. Coupling a dexterity honed

over countless live shows with a wry sense

of humour, with ‘Down In Heaven’ the band

find their own slice of paradise, primed and

ready for anyone else who wants it too. (Jessica

Goodman) LISTEN: ‘Cold Lips’

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CAR SEAT HEADREST

Teens of Denial (Matador)

Car Seat Headrest: it’s one of those

nondescript things that could only become

even mildly interesting as a musician’s

pseudonym. The musician in question is Will

Toledo, whose staggering thirteenth LP – he’s

still in his twenties, FFS – his latest record

being a statement of intent. There’s so much going on here that it can be

borderline overwhelming. ‘Just What I Needed/Not Just What I Needed’

epitomises this, a curious Cars-channelling cut that initially nods towards

the new wave superstars’ 1978 classic and ultimately departs with a brief

rehash of it. It’s ‘Teens of Denial’ all over really: enigmatic, a little deceptive

in places, and thoroughly gripping throughout. (Tom Hancock) LISTEN:

‘1937 Skate Park’

eee

JESSY LANZA

Oh No (Hyperdub)

Jessy Lanza’s debut album ‘Pull My Hair Back’ would be

best described as electro R&B, her strong, soulful vocals

taking up a lot of the foreground, riding over sharp,

Grimes-esque synths. Instrumentation takes the lead role in its follow-up,

‘Oh No’, with the Canadian’s vocal style switching dramatically. The album

is much heavier than ‘Pull My Hair Back’ - where synth lines rode calm over

prominent vocal lines on her debut, here they swerve and crash through

significantly poppier numbers. ‘Oh No’ doesn’t quite signal a reinvention

for Lanza, but a move towards one end of her capabilities, one which

consistently brings excitement, energy and openings for new paths for her

to head down. (Will Richards) LISTEN: ‘vv violence’

Q&A

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MODERN BASEBALL

Holy Ghost (Run for Cover)

It’s been a whirlwind few years for Modern Baseball.

Born from Brendan Lukens and Jake Ewald’s acoustic first

steps, over the past half a decade the quartet have gone from strength-tostrength.

With their third record, they’re taking a bolder step.

While there are the quieter, more introspective moments – the raw opening

title track and mid-point highlight ‘Hiding’ stand out – their third album

sees the band sounding more refined and a great deal bigger. They still

manage to delve into the perfectly-formed vignettes and clear-cut imagery

that lace their early efforts, but striking instrumentation allows their lyrics to

hit that much harder, making ‘Holy Ghost’ a truly brilliant full-length. (Sarah

Jamieson) LISTEN: ‘Mass’

Twin Peaks geek out on their new record.

What does the title ‘Down In Heaven’

mean to you?

It’s like how people say “another day in

paradise”. It felt like a way of greeting.

Someone can say “hey, how you doing?”

And you can say “I’m down in heaven.”

How did your approach to this album

differ from your last?

We wanted to get a looser, wilder vibe to it.

We knew a good way to achieve that was

to make and produce a record ourselves.

We’re not professionals, so we had almost

no choice but to sound sort of warm and a

little sloppy.

73

“Kumbaya, My Lord!”..

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PUP

The Dream Is Over (SideOneDummy)

“I’m growing up and giving in,” sings PUP’s Stefan

Babcock in ‘Can’t Win’, a statement that, based

on the rest of the Canadians’ follow-up to their

2014 self-titled debut, he probably doesn’t mean.

Theirs is a tightly-wound coil of self-deprecation,

wasted opportunity and bubbling-under garage

punk. You’d harbour a guess their collective record

collections (and recreational activities, for that

matter) would match those of kindred spirits FIDLAR

and Wavves.

Like their Californian peers, PUP have taken

the Peter Pan mentality of ‘90s pop-punk (the

childishness of Blink-182, the fuck-up lyrics of

Green Day, plus a few guitar licks from ‘Blue’ album

Weezer for good measure). While ‘The Dream Is

Over’ doesn’t quite match the ebullient nature of

last year’s ‘Too’ or ‘V’, there’s still much to fall for:

the gang vocals in ‘My Life Is Over And I Couldn’t

Be Happier’ are a joy, as is the “ooh” chorus of ‘DVP’.

Closer ‘Pine Point’ is also surprisingly sentimental,

showing the dark side of PUP isn’t solely inwardlooking.

(Emma Swann) LISTEN: ‘DVP’

Q&A

Pup have a terrifying backstory to their new record.

Frontman Stefan Babcock explains the situation.

What’s the story behind the album title?

Stefan: We started this seven-week tour with Modern

Baseball in America, and on the first day I found out that I had a cyst on

my vocal cords and they were haemorrhaging – which kind of means

they’re just bleeding into themselves.

I went to see a doctor and she diagnosed them, and said to me,

straight on, ‘The dream is over.’ I just thought it was such a fuckin’

ridiculous thing to say to a patient. At first I was really confused, I was

kinda laughing like, ‘What do you mean? I don’t understand. She was

like, ‘this dream of being a ‘rock star’, or whatever it is you’re doing, it’s

over.’

I was like, ‘So you’re just telling me to go get a job at the bank or

whatever?’ She was like, ‘Yeah, that’s probably what’s best for you right

now.’ Which is just so insane, it’s crazy to tell somebody that! Especially

when it’s not really accurate.

Well, thank fuck you’re not working in a bank!

She was just wrong! What she should’ve said was, ‘You’re in a lot of

trouble. This is not a good situation – you’re gonna have to go through

a lot to get back to what you used to be able to do.’ That’s what the

doctor who I saw for a second opinion said, and three months later we

were playing shows together. I feel great now, but it was a scary seven

weeks on the road, there.

eee

NOTHING Tired of Tomorrow (Relapse Records)

pening with a swirling haze of sound, Nothing’s second record wastes no

Otime in placing melody right at its heart. Knowing ‘Tired of Tomorrow’s

backstory, it’d be easy to assume the record was going to be an aggressivelydriven

beast, but its fuzzed-up gorgeousness provides a much more satisfying

listen. The Philadelphians’ second full-length gives commanding volume a

more beautiful edge. (Sarah Jamieson) LISTEN: ‘Curse of the Sun’

74 diymag.com

eee

PANTHA DU PRINCE The Triad (Rough Trade)

‘The Triad’ is German techno auteur’s first solo studio album in six years,

following ‘Black Noise’, a record that Pantha - otherwise known as Hendrik

Weber - composed entirely in a small Berlin apartment. Those expecting bangers will find this

a slower-paced, subtler, more meticulously detailed work - by Pantha du Prince standards,

anyhow. Yet for every dark, dreary, wintery moment, there’s more than enough of luxurious,

melodic techno bliss to make up for it. (Tom Walters) LISTEN: ‘You What? Euphoria!’

eee

THE HOTELIER

Goodness (Tiny Engines)

The Hotelier’s second album ‘Home, Like

Noplace Is There’ has become one of the

most treasured emo records of the past decade since its

release two years back, and the band handed the tag of the

American scene’s most promising sons. ‘Goodness’ largely

takes the promise of ‘Home...’ and runs with it, with the grit

and passion that defined that album still firmly evident. But

holding ‘Goodness’ up as a direct counterpart is unfair; it’s a

sprawling record which reveals itself more slowly and with

greater subtlety, opposed to ‘Home...’’s immediate punch.

It presents itself as an almost impossible follow-up, but

‘Goodness’ more than holds its weight, and shows its beauty

in time. (Will Richards) LISTEN: ‘End Of Reel’

eeee

JULIANNA BARWICK

Will (Dead Oceans)

However avant-garde her music, Julianna

Barwick is one of those rare artists that

managed, in most underground days, to never lose sight of

a pop sensibility. Records formed of sparse instrumentation

and achingly emotive vocal loops still had clear hooks,

dynamic shifts and a narrative arc that made them uniquely

accessible, even if they were perhaps still not mainstreamcompatible.

Fast forward several years, ‘Will’ dives into more

straightforward terrain while remaining doggedly, indelibly

weird. It’s her best all-round effort to date, explorations

becoming confident fact. (Alex Lynham) LISTEN: ‘Someway’

eee

THE SO SO GLOS

Kamikaze (Votiv Music)

The So So Glos’ 2012 album ‘Blowout’

was a soundtrack to last nights. Anxious,

angry but determined to make every minute matter, the

Brooklyn-based band of brothers overcame with a fearsome

determination to have a good time. ‘Kamikaze’ is the

aftermath. While there’s no clear-cut directive or a singleminded

call to arms on this record, the band’s self-belief never

wavers. The So So Glos aren’t back with the answers, only the

realisation that the older you get, everything becomes more

confusing. Not that that’s ever going to slow them down. (Ali

Shutler) LISTEN: ‘Dancing Industry’

ee

RICHARD ASHCROFT

These People (Righteous Phonographic

Association)

Richard Ashcroft has a voice inextricably

linked to the 90s. There’s an image of a

pouty Rich shoulder-barging his way through Hoxton in

even the heads of those born after his band split. Yet oddly

on ‘These People’, it’s where he’s trying to change it up that

things sound dated. When he’s singing to synthetic beats,

or worse, attempting a half-rap (‘Ain’t The Future So Bright’)

it’s impossible to ignore the dad-dancing vibes. And it’s a

shame - who’d force an artist to keep the same sound forever?

But when given glimpses of how richly he can deliver a

song uncluttered, it’s impossible to un-hear. (Emma Swann)

LISTEN: ‘This Is How It Feels’, ‘Picture of You’

eee

MARISSA NADLER

Strangers (Bella Union)

Marissa Nadler’s gradual shift from playful

folk to the ethereal is like an evolution from

quaint sketches to watercolour. This latest album, ‘Strangers’,

feels like the natural next step in her process, with more

complex instrumentation coupled with echoey, “bigger”

production.

The album as a whole has such a limited palette, and doesn’t

hugely feel like it’s going anywhere. What starts off as gliding

in opener ‘Divers of the Dust’ has morphed into plodding

by ‘Janie In Love’. It doesn’t help that the lyrics aren’t very

captivating, either. Substance is lacking in places it’s needed

the most. (Nina Keen) LISTEN: ‘Divers of the Dust’

•••••COMING Up•••••

TEGAN

AND

SARA

Love You

to Death

THE

KILLS

Ash & Ice

SHURA

Nothing’s

Real

Already a deadly duo,

these two are going

stratospheric with

their new record, out

3rd June.

This month’s

cover stars are in

ridiculously good

form for their latest,

out 3rd June.

Alt-pop hero Shura is

finally bringing out

her first work on 8th

July.

75

Brixton Academy, London.

Photo: Emma Swann.

Grimes

Pummelled by sharp-cutting stabs of rainbow, light-spore

flecked cameo netting, and liberal spearings of

piercing green lasers, Brixton tonight resembles a

children’s birthday party fuelled by dangerously

hyperactive levels of sherbet dib-dab. London

has waited four years for Grimes to return. In that time,

Claire Boucher hasn’t shed her onstage shyness, but she’s

also smashed down every boundary and creative limitation

in sight. Once a bloopy cog operating in the shadows,

Grimes returns an auteur, at the wheel of full-blown gaudy

pop pandemonium.

In a single moment, ‘Art Angels’ bursts into life on stage,

and even Brixton’s enormous sound system creaks under

the strain of Grimes’ earth-shattering bass-pounds. Flanked

by support act HANA, and a couple of dancers tasked with

whipping the room up into a frenzy, Grimes is bounding across the

stage, rapping in Russian (of course), and unleashing hell-raising screams of

glee as she plays ‘Scream’ minus Aristophanes. Running amock through her

own vision, and delighting in every saturated second, ‘Go’ turns the cavernous

venue into a sweaty, closely-packed basement dive, and ‘Oblivion’ ducks and

dives with new unbridled mischief. It all prompts a dazzled Grimes to yell “be

careful not to crush your peers!”

Hiding behind her hands as the foot-stomping celebrations refuse to die

down, she may be nervy and awkward when it comes to public speaking,

but no matter. Who needs mundane stage patter at a show that leaves its

audience wide-eyed and speechless? And for that matter, who wants silly

small talk, when there’s very serious real talk - Grimes’ insanely ambitious

craft - instead?

She chooses to pass on the traditional encore, too, but then again,

sticking to convention has never been her style. “I am terribly shy

so once I’m gone it’s just too much,” she tells the roaring crowd,

before diving headlong into ‘Kill V. Maim’. Garish, confrontational,

powerful, brash, and let loose like a lopped kite in the wind,

Brixton seems to shake down to its foundations tonight. It’s not

used to hosting many artists quite like Grimes. (El Hunt)

76 diymag.com

Garish,

confrontational,

powerful, and brash.

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“We are a band

called Chvrches,

and we haven’t

played Glasgow

for a very long time…” Lauren

Mayberry stands triumphant atop a

tiny podium on a gigantic stage, in

front of a rapturous, packed-out arena.

Yep, Chvrches are filling arenas - and

this victory is so much more than a

matter of numbers. The synth champs

last gigged in their home city in 2014,

but a lot’s changed since then.

It’s a Saturday night, and it feels like a

birthday party. Earlier in the evening,

a confident, capable Shura tackled

the gargantuan space head on, and

Glasgow’s favourite sad boys The

Twilight Sad came out fighting with

typically melancholic vigour, throwing

down heavyweights like ‘I Became

A Prostitute’ and ‘Nil’ to a swollen,

roaring crowd.

Chvrches

SSE Hydro, Glasgow. Photo: Ryan Johnston.

Then the lights flicker, and Martin

Doherty and Iain Cook emerge, taking

their places on tech-heavy, Star-Trekesque

risers. Mayberry runs out to the

brim of the stage, soaking up every

inch of the view. Opening with ‘Never

Ending Circles’ and flying straight

into ‘We Sink’, Chvrches’ thunderous

choruses-upon-choruses have always

packed some seriously cathartic

weight, but tonight the trio truly hit

home… several thousand times over.

“Raise your hand if you’re related to

Martin!” Mayberry laughs, pausing

for a breathless shout-out and a quick

wave to the band’s extended family.

Deservedly confident and obviously

at ease, Chvrches transform this

space-ship sized spectacle into

an intimate “home-front” gig; a

word-perfect, emotional crowd

responds to every track as if it’s

a Greatest Hits compilation,

and an ecstatic run of

‘Recover’, ‘Clearest Blue’

and ‘Leave A Trace’ sees

the band fall in, hard.

By now even the highest

balconies are upstanding,

swaying arm in arm. ‘The

Mother We Share’ closes

out this long awaited

home-town victory lap; a

gargantuan production

that still feels like a

family affair. (Katie

Hawthorne)

A gargantuan

production

that still feels

like a family

affair.

78 diymag.com

Jehnny Beth spots a phone,

plans her next move.

savages

Roundhouse, London. Photos: Emma Swann

The final night of their European

tour, and ‘Adore Life’ has

transformed Savages into a band

operating on a new plain. As the

band first started to tease out strands of their

second album during last summer’s festival

season, a new warmth started to sear and

charr the edges of their notoriously brutal

live show. Now, that warmth has become a

glowing, strobing furnace; reaching every

last inch of the Roundhouse.

Ayşe Hassan’s monstrously diving bass lines

still plunk and shatter the air like a concreteblock-solid

assault, push-pulling with

Gemma Thompson’s squalling

noise-guitars, and drummer Fay

Milton’s underworld-borne pulse.

Jehnny Beth remains a fearsome

frontwoman, but she’s also

opened out to her audience like an

unfurling piece of black-jacketed

origami, smirking and joshing

with the entire, cavernous room.

‘I Am Here’ kicks off the show in

swooping, clattering fashion, and

true to title, Savages have never

been more present. Savages were

already blisteringly good with

their iron guards up and the fourth

wall unlooked through. Tonight,

making full unbroken eye contact,

they’re sensational.

Savages have already called London their

home once tonight; later, they demonstrate

just how true that statement is. Squatting

in front of a smoky, razor-edged beam of

light to address the front row during ‘Hit

Me’, Jehnny Beth slowly tosses shoes and

socks to one side, and proceeds to carefully

trample and stumble into the middle of the

1,700-strong crowd like she’s traversing a

downy living room carpet rather than an

ocean of heads. “Steady, steady… are you

ready?” she quivers theatrically, keeping

things on a knife-edge before, eventually,

throwing herself back towards the stage, in

order to survey the mayhem. “More of this

action!” she bellows, throwing her head

back and laughing as a hapless crowd surfer

tumbles over the front barrier.

Savages don’t just put on a stage show, they

envelope the whole place in their blinding,

retina-hitting spectacle, as the swooning,

soaring anthem for zest, ‘Adore’ takes over

in a sea of cover-art mimicking raised fists. It

seems impossible to imagine a show more

flawless than this, and yet there’s a sense

Savages have still got springs and springs

of coiled kinetic potential left in them yet to

rip-roar loose. (El Hunt)

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weezer

Brixton Academy, London. Photo: Emma Swann

eezer don’t visit the UK very often. Before

tonight, their last was July 2011, and the last time

W they came close to a tour was a trio of dates in

2005. To call tonight ‘eagerly-anticipated’ is one massive

understatement: there are screams long before a note rings

out. While the idea of greeting songs like long-lost friends

may be little more than a trope, by virtue of the band’s

relative absence from stages over here, tonight, it’s pretty

much spot-on.

It isn’t lost on the band themselves, either. Bassist Scott

Shriner gazes out atop drummer Patrick Wilson’s riser, visibly

taken aback at the audibly devoted throng in front. Even their

set feels like a thank you; there’s a nod to almost all previous

eras, from ‘My Name Is Jonas’, ‘Say It Ain’t So’, ‘Undone – The

Sweater Song’, ‘Buddy Holly’ from ‘Blue’, ‘El Scorcho’ and ‘The

Good Life’, ‘Hash Pipe’ and ‘Island In The Sun’’, ‘Beverly Hills’...

even 1996 B-side ‘You Gave Your Love To Me Softly’ gets a

look in, guitarist Brian Bell taking on lead vocals.

And by scattering about the five numbers on show from the

freshly-released ‘White’ album, they’re able to show how

easily they slip in as Weezer canon. ‘King of the World’ is an

insta-hit, opener ‘California Kids’ welcomes the band on stage

as well as anything, and ‘L.A. Girlz’, ‘Do You Wanna Get High?’

and ‘Thank God For Girls’ slip in seamlessly.

“See you at Reading and Leeds... and Glastonbury!” Rivers

yells from the stage, a promise to return there’s 5,000 people

in South London begging him to keep. (Emma Swann)

years&Years

Wembley Arena, London. Photos: Carolina Faruolo.

ith Emre Turkmen and Mikey Goldsworthy

appearing beneath laser beams before frontman

WOlly Alexander emerges on a rising platform from

beneath the stage, Years & Years’ show tonight has all the

pomp of an arena spectacle from the get-go. “This is already

the best night of my life… I’m wearing a crop top for god’s

sake!”, Olly announces after tearing through the early-set onetwo

of ‘Take Shelter’ and ‘Worship’.

There are aspects of the singer’s presence that now thrive in

all of their extravagant majesty, but his underlying humility

continues to be a massive draw, too - his vocal occasionally

interrupted by sheepish giggles as he clocks on to people or

banners in the crowd. Reams have been written about the

use of his platform to champion social justice causes and

there’s little more to say in that respect, but after an LGBT flag

emblazoned with the Years & Years logo and an illustration of

Mikey’s cat lands on the stage, it’s soon draped around Olly’s

shoulders as the climax of ‘Gold’ takes hold. It’s a poignant

moment to say the least, amid the night’s celebrations.

Tonight’s encore sees the band turn ‘The Boy Is Mine’ in to a

thumping electro-pop hit with support MØ, before drawing

the curtain on a defining night with ‘King’. For most, closing

their debut Wembley appearance in such a fashion would be

a career high, but for Years & Years, it’s just the next stepping

stone in an ascent that feels limitless. The outlook’s not bad

for a group that tonight confirm themselves as the pop band

the UK needs. (Liam McNeilly)

80 diymag.com

Frightened

Rabbit

Boston Arms, London. Photo: Robin Pope

AGlasgow show two nights ago aside, tonight

is Frightened Rabbit’s first gig for two years,

and first in London since they triumphed at

Brixton Academy. Easing themselves back in

with a not-so-secret gig under the name Footshooters,

it’s like the band never knew how much they were

missed.

For every insight into the upcoming ‘Painting Of A

Panic Attack’, there’s an older song to join it, with ‘The

Modern Leper’ and ‘Living In Colour’ greeted like old

companions. There are still drinking songs (‘I Wish I Was

Sober’), still crushing, bare-bones acoustic numbers,

and still those famed euphoric choruses. Their grit

hasn’t gone anywhere on the new songs, either.

PVRIS

The Forum, London. Photo: Carolina Faruolo.

pVRIS do things seamlessly. A swamped tour schedule

since their first London visit - they debuted at the Barfly

just over a year ago - has made them more than capable

of dominating larger stages. Dates with Bring Me The

Horizon and Fall Out Boy; festivals from Warped Tour to Reading &

Leeds and Slam Dunk - it’s no wonder this Forum show, still part of

the run for debut ‘White Noise’, is accomplished.

They’re now experienced enough to shift scenes from electronic

flourished selections to pure rock. Tonight each number from

‘White Noise’ gets a run through - for any outsiders it’d be tough

to pick out the singles, such is the fevered reaction to each track

from opener ‘Smoke’ onwards. It’s frontwoman Lynn Gunn who

spearheads the group on stage - guitarist Alex Babinski and bassist

Brian Macdonald remain largely hidden - but when she commands

such an immense presence, who’d blame them? Occasionally

ditching her guitar completely to take on full kinetic mode, she

exudes a confidence that doesn’t lose a row of this sold-out room.

The band’s anthems for the miserable feel as potent and

affecting here as they have in big concert halls. Tonight

shows Frightened Rabbit are starting to look content to

live in the world they’ve built. (Will Richards)

Muncie

Girls

Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham. Photo: Sam Wood

Fresh from the release of debut album ‘From

Caplan To Belsize’, Muncie Girls are only just

starting to showcase what they’re capable

of. Performing power punk at its most

empowering, the Exeter trio waste no time in making

their voices heard. Now performing in front of a packed

room, there’s no ignoring the force behind them.

Centring their set on older material, Muncie Girls bring

their music to life. Tackling issues of feminism, politics,

and self-worth with an arsenal of poppy hooks and

ceaseless energy, the outfit wear their values on their

sleeves, and the result is captivating. Frontwoman

Lande Hekt effortlessly charms the room, her slightly

understated performance allowing her words to be the

driving focus. And for as long as they’re

on stage - from the misogynydamning

calls of ‘Respect’

to the rallying get-upand-do

cries of ‘Learn

In School’ - those

words are the

only things that

matter. (Jessica

Goodman)

It’s PVRIS’ all-encompassing attitude that’s allowed them to rise

this far - tonight shows there’s no limit. (Niall Cunningham)

81

DIY

INDIE DREAMBOAT

Of the Month

Jack

Antonoff

Bleachers

Full name: Jack Michael Antonoff

Nickname: Ducky

Star Sign: Aries

Pets? A small terroir,

truly a rude dog

Favourite Film? Noises Off

Favourite Food? Razor clams

Drink of choice?

Cranberry juice and seltzer

Signature scent? I wish I had one!

Favourite hair product?

Don’t put things in my hair – it

grosses me out.

What song would you play to

woo someone? ‘Heart of Saturday

Night’ by Tom Waits

If you weren’t in a band, what

would you be doing?

Still skateboarding without fear

of breaking my writer and ruining

everything

Chat up line of choice?

Like a pick-up line? Help?

82 diymag.com

83

DIY, May 2016

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