DIY, July 2014 by DIY Magazine

DIY +

ALT-J HONEYBLOOD HOW TO DRESS WELL SLOW CLUB

free / issue 3i / JULY 2014 diymag.com

LATITUDE FESTIVAL 2014

RÖYKSOPP + ROBYN “I DON’T THINK ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE” + WOMAN’S HOUR, TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB, FIRST AID KIT, MOGWAI AND MORE

diymag.com

GOOD

EVIL

WHAT’S ON THE DIY TEAM’S RADAR? Victoria Sinden

Deputy Editor

GOOD Sheep! Sheep! Sheep! EVIL Grimes premiering a new track whilst everyone was at Glastonbury. Evil, but hilarious. Sarah Jamieson

News Editor

GOOD Gerard Way is back and

Robyn and Röyksopp try their hand at plane-spotting...

EDITOR’S LETTER

How many festivals can you go to where you get amazing artists AND multi-coloured sheep. Where can you see the best new talent by a lake, or be bewitched by a band in a forest? Just the one. Latitude. This month DIY’s gone all in on Latitude 2014. Hooking up with the festival, we’re previewing this year’s event in full before decamping for four days in the Suffolk sun (fingers crossed!) from 17th - 20th July. You’ll be able to keep up with everything that happens on the all new diymag.com. Even the sheep. Stephen Ackroyd

‘Action Cat’ is everything we could’ve hoped for. The blonde hair however, came as a bit of a surprise… EVIL How the heck is it July already, where is the time going?! Next thing we know it’ll be winter again (but then Christmas, yay!). Louise Mason

Art Director

GOOD Photoshoots in Norway, and in a chip shop.

EVIL All the shouting at screens

showing people kicking a ball. So heartbroken it’s almost over. Jamie Milton

Online Editor

GOOD World Cup

GOOD World Cup! World Cup!

Who cares if England are out. I’ve got more than 100 swaps on my sticker album and I’m in love with Louis van Gaal.

“

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

I BLOODY LOVE SHEEP.

EVIL If someone goes round biting loads of people, how long is it before you wonder if they’re also able to turn into a bat? I’m onto you, Luis Suarez.

LISTENING POST What’s on the DIY stereo this month?

commentators’ pronunciation of James (HA-MES) Rodriguez. EVIL Not being able to listen anything except the brilliant new Jamie (HA-MIE) xx track. Emma Swann

Reviews Editor GOOD Finally seeing Sky Ferreira live at Field Day, hooray! EVIL Being covered in bites immediately after Field Day, boo. [I told you to steer clear of Luis Suarez - Ed]

GERARD WAY - ACTION CAT

The first taster of the ex-My Chemical Romance frontman’s solo debut, it’s the air punching slice of power pop you’d always hoped for. HONEYBLOOD - HONEYBLOOD

Remember we said JUNGLE was the debut album of the year on this page last month? Game on, boys.

“

CONTENTS

NEWS

6 # S TA N D F O R S O M E T H I N G 11 JENNY LEWIS 1 2 A LT - J

1 6 F E S T I VA L S

NEU

22 ALL WE ARE 2 4 A LV VAY S 26 PUBLIC ACCESS TV 28 MAPEI

LaTITUDE 32 RĂ&#x2013;YKSOPP & ROBYN 40 TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB 4 5 B O M B AY B I C Y C L E C L U B 48 10 NEW BANDS TO S E E AT L AT I T UDE

fEaTURES

56 HOW TO DRESS WELL Music From the Heart 60 SLOW CLUB Everything is New 64 HONEYBLOOD Nectar Points

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REvIEWS

68 ALBUMS 76 LIVE

Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Reviews Editor Emma Swann News Editor Sarah Jamieson Art Director Louise Mason Head Of Marketing & Events Jack Clothier Online Editor Jamie Milton Assistant Online Editor El Hunt Contributors Alex Lynham, Andrew Backhouse, Danny Wright, Greg Inglis, Huw Oliver, Jack Enright, James Balmont, Matthew Davies, Nathan Roberts, Tom Connick, Tom Walters, Tom White Photographers Carolina Faruolo, Dani Canto, Leah Henson, Matt Richardson, Mike Massaro, Sarah Louise Bennett For DIY editorial info@thisisfakediy.co.uk For DIY sales rupert@sonicdigital.co.uk tel: +44 (0)20 76130555 For DIY online sales lawrence@sonicdigital.co.uk tel: +44 (0)20 76130555 DIY is published by Sonic Media Group. All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of DIY. 25p where sold. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which Sonic Media Group holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of DIY or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally. Cover photo by Mike Massaro

THE NEW ALBUM DELUXE 2xLP / 2xLP / CD / DL OUT NOW WHATISTHISHEART.COM WEIRDWORLDRECORDCO.COM 5

NEWS dr. marTens and diY are back For round TWo.

he Dr. Martens #STANDFORSOMETHING Tour in association with DIY returns this autumn, set to lay waste to cities up and down the country. Last year saw Young Guns, Lower Than Atlantis, Spector, Gnarwolves and more taking over some of the UK’s best small, authentic venues for the sweaty, raucous, super-intimate gigs and 2014’s leg is similarly not to be missed. “This year we have been playing some pretty big stages which is always great,” enthuses Eagulls’ vocalist George Mitchell, “but it’s still the small intimate venues that we love the most as that’s where we first started out. Having the crowd intertwined with the band will always create movement, and when there’s movement there’s energy.” The Leeds fivesome will be headlining the Cardiff date of the tour, and they’re looking forward to bringing their self-titled debut album to the lucky few who’ll see them there. “It’s the crowds’ reactions to the music each night that keeps us going and staying alive,” George explains. Over in Newcastle meanwhile, Aussies Tonight Alive are making an appearance during a short visit to our shores. “There’s something so special that happens when people cram into a room together for the same thing,” agrees frontwoman Jenna McDougall. They’re currently “home for a couple of months, writing the new album,” following stints on the road with Taking Back Sunday and The Used. Live circuit veterans Funeral For A Friend will be rocking up for the northernmost date on the tour, in Edinburgh. “I love

diymag.com

the closeness, the feeling of being right there in the thick of it with everyone,” frontman Matthew Davies-Kreye discloses. “Seeing people singing and dancing right there with you, losing themselves in the moment… that’s what it’s really about.” Longtime DIY favourites Los Campesinos! will pack out the tiny confines of our Birmingham stop. “With the show coming shortly after festival season, it’ll be a really nice move from big outdoor audiences to a sweaty, indoor club vibe,” Gareth Campesinos! says of the date, which follows their sets at Truck and Festival No. 6, amongst others. “They are different sort of thrills,” he continues, “playing to massive crowds and to intimate, whites-of-your-eyes style audiences, and if I had to pick, I’d go for the latter. When you’re practically chest to chest with your audience, you can form a real connection that’s so much harder to replicate with a barrier between you.” The Liverpool leg will be headlined by We Are The Ocean, who have “spent a lot of time writing and crafting new sounds” of late. “I’m really looking forward to playing the show,” explains the band’s Liam Cromby. “Small intimate shows are some of my favourite to play just because it’s just you and the fans, no flashing lights or giant banners just the music.” But that’s not all: a sixth date will take place in London with a very special yet to be revealed headliner. There will also be a slew of support bands revealed over the coming months. Keep an eye on diymag.com and drmartens.com/standforsomethingtour for all the details. DIY

THE DATES 04.10.14

Funeral For a Friend CABARET VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH 11.10.14

eagulls CLWB IFOR BACH, CARDIFF 25.10.14

We are The ocean THE SHIPPING FORECAST, LIVERPOOL 22.11.14

los campesinos! THE FLAPPER BIRMINGHAM 06.12.14

TonighT alive CLUNY 2, NEWCASTLE

What do you stand for, MattheW davies-Kreye?

“The idea that music can break down walls that segregate us in everyday life and can make you feel a part of something larger than yourself, that’s something to stand for. A real sense of community and belonging.”

Funeral For a Friend

eagulls

What do you stand for, liaM croMby? “Burritos, cold beer and having freedom to create music.”

What do you stand for, GeorGe Mitchell? “I stand for creative freedom. Creativity for me is like a drug; when I don’t get to be creative I snap.”

We are The ocean 7

n e ws

europe bound Dr. Martens head across the channel.

What do you stand for, Gareth caMpesinos!?

los campesinos!

“LC! stand for emotive, visceral, drunken rock shows, created and shared in safe spaces with all misogyny and prejudices kept well away. No hierarchy and no assholes, just a load of pals.”

This autumn will also see Dr. Martens take the #STANDFORSOMETHING tour to Europe, with a series of five gigs in five countries. Pulled Apart By Horses will headline fresh from the release of their new studio album ‘Blood’, due a week before the tour kicks off in Paris on 8th September. They will be joined by emerging support bands from both the UK and local countries, with tickets available soon. DIY

the dates

SEPTEMBER 08 PARIS La Maroquinerie 09 HAMBURG Molotow Exil 10 COPENHAGEN Rust 11 STOCKHOLM Debaser Strand 13 AMSTERDAM Bitterzoet

What do you stand for, pulled apart by horses?

What do you stand for, Jenna McdouGall? “We stand for empowerment. We believe that everyone is capable of achieving their own dreams, they just need to be able to believe that in themselves.”

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TonighT alive

“We stand for using rock music as a joyous, cathartic release. Uniting every beautiful soul in the room. And riffs. Lots of riffs.”

n e ws

DIY Presents:

Speedy Ortiz and Happyness UK Tour The two bands will team up for a string of dates this summer.

his August sees two exciting bands from separate sides of the Atlantic combine. Speedy Ortiz - fresh from releasing their ‘Real Hair’ EP, arrive for a string of dates in the UK. They’re bringing Happyness on board; bubbling up 90s nostalgists with a stirring college rock aesthetic. Dates for the DIY Presents tour (in association with 13 Artists, PCL, Classic Slum and One Inch Badge) take place in Newcastle, Edinburgh and Brighton. Speedy Ortiz were part of DIY’s Class of 2014. Happyness meanwhile recently shared their debut album ‘Weird Little Birthday’, out now via Weird Smiling. THE DATES ARE: AUGUST 12 Edinburgh, Electric Circus 13 Newcastle, The Cluny 14 Brighton, Prince Albert

SUPER TOUR

DIY and Superfood are teaming up for a London residency this July and August.

Tickets are on sale now. DIY

ight now it’s easy enough to fill up evenings by kicking back in the pub and watching the football, but what happens after 13th July, when it’s all come to an end for another four years? Well, DIY has the perfect solution for you. Birmingham gems Superfood will play three free entry DIY Presents shows this summer.

DIY PRESENTS Other shows to watch out for AUGUST 05 Alvvays + Gengahr Birthdays, London

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OCTOBER 03 The Horrors Pavilion Theatre, Worthing 24 JUNGLE The Ritz, Manchester

In support of their brand new single ‘Right On Satellite’, which is due for release on 28th July via Infectious Music, the dates come in the aftermath of the band’s triumphant support slots on the Wolf Alice spring UK tour, and take place across three different venues in London. The shows kick off at The Social on 22nd July, followed by the four-

piece checking in at The Old Blue Last on 31st July, then Camden’s The Black Heart on 6th August. To be in with a chance of coming along, simply head to the Tixey app – available through the App Store or Google Play – to apply for tickets, and a limited amount will be available on the door each evening. These free entry shows link up with a flurry of the band’s dates across the summer, including Truck, Secret Garden Party and Y Not Festival. DIY

And the dates are... JULY

22 The Social, London 31 Old Blue Last, London AUGUST 06 The Black Heart, London

Jenny Lewis returns with her n e w R ya n A d a m s - p r o d u c e d solo album. Words: Sarah Jamieson.

Been Losing Sleep

t’s been six years since the release of Jenny Lewis’ last solo record, but that’s no slight on her productivity. Since the release of ‘Acid Tongue’ back in 2008, the former Rilo Kiley frontwoman has appeared on tracks by the likes of Elvis Costello and Brandon Flowers, released an entire album with her boyfriend and musical partner as Jenny & Johnny, toured across the world with the reunited Postal Service and even managed to score the soundtrack to the Dakota Fanning film Very Good Girls. Heck, she’s even lent her vocal talents to American Dad since her last record hit shelves, but that’s not quite the whole story.

finished. I went in with very low expectations; it was really an opportunity to hang out with Ryan and record the song. By the end of the day, we both agreed that I would recut my whole record over there.” Jenny also admits that working with Ryan really opened her up. “He’s a hard man to resist in a way,” she ponders. “He’s got so much creative energy and he’s so charming. It was almost like I didn’t know what was happening, things happened so quickly and he’s got so much energy, that I just submitted. Obviously, I have so much respect for him as a songwriter, so going into a session with a producer who also really understands songs was great.”

“It was pretty r ando m .”

Alongside her ever-growing list of creative outlets, Jenny also experienced some of the more difficult moments of her life: as the band she had spent the last decade in was crumbling at her feet, she was also faced with the loss of her estranged father. Plagued with insomnia but possessing a wealth of unfinished songs, it was only when she found herself heading to the newly-built Pax Am Studios, that she came upon her saving grace. His name was Ryan Adams.

Having sat on the songs she had written for the past three years, it’s also no surprise that things clicking into place with Ryan lifted a weight from her shoulders. “It was such a relief!” she laughs, “to find someone to help me. You know, I felt so alone in the process. Having come from a band situation where you really rely on one another, musically and spiritually, you have that support. Being a solo artist, at the end of the day, it’s your call. I felt so grateful to have someone, first of all, so interested in my songs and by the end of the day, I couldn’t even believe that I had found what I was looking for.”

Jenny Lewis

“It was pretty random actually,” she says, of how the pair came to work together. “I heard that he had opened a studio, Pax Am, an all-analogue studio in Hollywood and I was looking for a very low-key place to record a new song that I had just

Jenny Lewis’ new album ‘The Voyager’ will be released on 28th July via Warner Bros. Records. DIY

news alt-j

“ W E

W E R E N ’ T B E I N G E X P E R I M E N TA L F O R T H E S A K E O F B E I N G E X P E R I M E N TA L . ” J O E

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N E W M A N

alt-J have made their name by being adventurous, and trying the unexpected. That couldn’t be more true with their Miley Cyrus sampling new album. Words: Sarah Jamieson.

ith their debut album, alt-J were catapulted from obscure, faceless promo photos to the height of public consciousness. With an album that was ambitious, wonderfully weird but still gloriously pop, the four-piece ticked all the boxes, got all the votes and ended up winning the Mercury Prize. Then, just a handful of days before they were due to return to the studio, one of them decided it was time to call it a day. “He left two days before we were supposed to start in the studio,” the band’s Gus Unger-Hamilton explains, of the departure of bassist Gwil Sainsbury; but there’s no trace of a grudge in his voice. “That makes it sound like he really fucked us, which he didn’t. It was actually good that he left then because if he had left halfway through making the album, or halfway through touring, it would’ve been so messy. I think he saw his opportunity to leave and he was like, ‘I have to go now or go in two years’. Then, it was like, ‘Right, we’ve dealt with that so we better just do it and start work.’”

IN THE STUDIO: A LT - J

alt-J: hard at twerk

From that point onwards the band were spurred into action, but not unaffected. Whilst the split may well have been amicable, it caused the band to approach things with a certain air of caution. “I think that encouraged us to start work sooner and with more positive vibes circulating the rehearsal space,” continues frontman Joe Newman. “I think we all knew we had suffered quite a trauma, and that the band was fragile. We knew we all had to be on our best behaviour to try and get the best out of

each other. We were kind of - without telling each other - stepping on eggshells. We didn’t want to upset anyone and we wanted to get good vibes going.” Teaming back up with the producer behind ‘An Awesome Wave’, Charlie Andrew, the trio’s sophomore effort started life more as fragments and ideas than fully formed songs. They were unafraid of sewing together their own musical collage. “All of the tracks kinda derived from different times during the last three or four years,” offers Newman. “Some of the songs have been around even before the release of the first album, and others have been alive for a couple months. There’s a really broad mix of time periods going on, which is good because naturally they’re gonna sound different to each other. The recordings happened quite quickly but the ideas behind the songs had come about over the last few years.” “It’s cool,” continues Unger-Hamilton, “because on this album, we’re seeing the fruition of a lot of ideas that have been around for a long time. It’s exciting to see ‘The Gospel Of John Hurt’ finally being a finished track, and ‘Bloodflood Pt. II’ was something we had batted about for a really long time. ‘Every Other Freckle’ was around before the first album too.” Their approach to piecing together the puzzles of the last few years also gave them the freedom to explore their own smaller ambitions. “There were tiny little goals that were just ideas that I wanted to hear in recording,” says the frontman. “A goal you could say was, we’ve got a song called ‘Warm Foothills’, that uses five different people to sing the other verse. They each sing a word and you splice the words together so it’s a collage of different voices. That was something where I was like, ‘I’d like to hear that so how can we make that possible?’ We kinda worked at it for a while and it ended up working.” It’s evident that experimentation wasn’t a dirty word when it came to the record either – take the subtle swooning nature of lead single ‘Hunger of the Pine’, sliced clean with its startling Miley Cyrus sample - but the trio knew their own boundaries. “We tried out lots of things,” offers Gus, before Joe finishes his sentence. “We weren’t being experimental for the sake of being experimental. We were just like, ‘I would like to hear this; can it happen, what do we need to do?’ It’s not an unreasonable amount of experimentation. Just the right amount.” alt-J’s new album ‘This Is All Yours’ will be released on 22nd September via Infectious Music. DIY

NEWS

NEWS IN BRIEF

FEEL THE LOVE

Caribou has announced details of his new album, ‘Our Love’. Released on 6th October via City Slang (7th October via Merge in the US), the record follows on from the celebrated 2010 LP ‘Swim’. Alongside the album news, Dan Snaith has also shared the lead track, ‘Can’t Do Without You’ which you can hear at diymag.com now.

Jersey Boys

And not a single one .remembered their keys.

It’s two years since their last album hit

GO! GO! GO! Grimes is back with a new track, ‘Go’. A collaboration with long term parter in crime Blood Diamonds, it was originally written for Rihanna and debuted at her Governor’s Ball show in New York earlier this month. You can check it out on diymag.com now.

JUST A LITTLE CRUSH Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O has announced details of her debut solo album: ‘Crush Songs’ will be released on 9th September via Julian Casablancas’ label, Cult Records. Featuring material including home recordings made back in 2006 and 2007, it’s not just unheard tracks we’ll be treated to: the record is also set to include Karen’s “own personal drawings, handwritten lyric and more.

GETTING JAZZY Experimental Leeds band Adult Jazz are barely a single to the good, but the four-piece have just announced details of their debut album ‘Gist Is’. Following on from the ‘Springful’/’Am Gone’ single, Spare Thought are putting out the record on 4th August. It was produced and mixed by Tom Howe at The Black Byre, Scotland. 14 diymag.com

s h e lv e s a n d n ow

The Gaslight Anthem

are

back, planning on striking a new chord or two. Words: Sarah Jamieson.

aving shifted from New Jersey’s working class punk heroes to chart-dominating rock and rollers with their previous four efforts, in 2012 The Gaslight Anthem’s ‘Handwritten’ truly made a dent on the mainstream subconscious. Over the next eighteen months, countless worldwide tour dates and huge festival slots filled their schedule, before the band felt ready to return to Nashville to bring their fifth effort to life. It must, then, be exciting to be at the beginning of another record? “Yeah! It is,” offers the band’s frontman Brian Fallon. “I just wish that we could’ve had some more material to release, to give more of an impression! I guess it’s just that way of marketing, people wanna do it that way.” He laughs, thinking back to the beginning of the band. “We used to kinda just say, ‘Hey, we’re gonna put out a new record’, and you’d go around and say it every night on tour and then, all of a sudden, you’d put the record out. That was kinda it, but now there’s this whole Internet thing...”

If anything’s evident about their forthcoming effort ‘Get Hurt’, it’s that it’s going to be a different beast. Having holed themselves up in Blackbird Studios for a second time, this time they recruited Mike Crossey to aid the cause from a production standpoint. “Blackbird is great because it’s got so much stuff; you can really experiment and try new things,” Fallon explains. “We really concentrated on creating a sort of ‘soundscape’, rather than me just strumming away on guitar. “We wanted to try and find something that was different sonically, and with different feels and tempos, but also that maintained some of the character of the band. We didn’t wanna abandon who we were as a band. I think we wanted to have something different, but different enough to have people say, ‘Okay, this is clearly audibly different’ yet not provoke a reaction where we throw away everything that made us a band.” The Gaslight Anthem’s new album ‘Get Hurt’ will be released on 18th August via Virgin EMI. DIY

fter rumours and plenty of teasing, Julian Casablancas + The Voidz have announced details of their reasonably long-awaited debut album. After a teaser video was posted online back in March, featuring Julian and pals previewing snippets of music and a few vague details, they’ve now confirmed that ‘Tyranny’ sees The Strokes’ frontman join forces with guitarists Jeramy Gritter and Amir Yaghmai, keyboardist Jeff Kite, bassist Jake Bercovici, and drummer Alex Carapetis. The record’s set for release on 23rd September via Casablancas’ own Cult Records. Of the title, he explains: “Tyranny has come in many forms throughout history. Now, the good of business is put above anything else, as corporations have become the new ruling body. Most decisions seem to be made like ones of a medieval king: whatever makes profit while ignoring and repressing the truth about whatever suffering it may cause (like pop music, for that matter).” DIY

TYRANNICAL LEADER WATCH LIFE AFTER THE THRONE DEATH Brighton duo Royal Blood have announced their self-titled debut album. Ben Thatcher and Mike Kerr follow their recent ‘Out of the Black’ single with their first full-length on 25th August. A full tracklist is yet to be confirmed, but ‘Come On Over’, ‘Figure It Out’ and ‘Little Monster’ all feature. The news comes after DIY spoke to the duo about their debut, during which they said they were “just trying to capture who we are as a band.” “It felt too contrived to throw in different types of genres and music just for the sake of it. In a sense, we’ve stuck to what we know. We actually feel like it’s eclectic enough for it to be a body of work.” DIY

Death From Above 1979 are back: Jesse F. Keeler and Sebastien Grainger have confirmed that they’re set to release a new, second album this September. The follow-up to ‘You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine’ has been ten years in the making. The band put a halt to their progression following an exhausting tour, and the Toronto-based pair didn’t get back together until 2011 for a SXSW comeback gig. Their eventual new record was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Dave Sardy at the helm. It’s out in the US via Last Gang on 9th September with a UK release date yet to be confirmed. Track names are set to include ‘Right On, ‘Virgins’ and the lead single, ‘Cheap Talk’. DIY

festivals ELSEWHERE AT BEACONS...

METZ It’s no secret that DIY likes things loud and if there’s anything that this Canadian trio do well, it’s turning the volume up to 11. Having already spent last summer wowing crowds across the country with their distortionladen punk offerings, it’s a welcome sight to have them back on our shores.

CHARLI XCX Already the queen of mainstream pop – whether the mainstream realises it or not – this girl knows no musical bounds, and with gems like ‘Boom Clap’ firmly stored in her arsenal, she’s sure to have the entire Beacons crowd in the palm of her hand.

Beacons

JON HOPKINS

7th - 10th August

aking place in the unsuspecting location of Skipton’s Heslaker Farm, this year’s Beacons boasts a variety of acts: from larger-than-life rapper Action Bronson, to the psychedelic meanderings of London’s own TOY, all manner of artists will be gracing North Yorkshire with their presence later this summer. There to entertain the masses will be Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington’s darkly electro lovechild Darkside, while 4AD’s ghostly darlings Daughter make one of just a few coveted live appearances this summer. Elsewhere, Mark E. Smith’s The Fall will be ruling proceedings, while Charli XCX is set proves just why she’s riding high at the top of charts on a daily basis.

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Diving headfirst into the thick of it, Leeds troublemakers Eagulls return to UK shores following a lengthy stint over in the US, and after the education that has been their current tour, the five-piece are looking forward to return to Blighty. “The US has been a learning curve for the band,” admits frontman George Mitchell. “It will be a breath of fresh air to play festivals this summer as we’ve been playing our own headline tour shows for months now. To be able to switch up and do things different like festivals will be a good thing for us. We’ll have a lot of energy to look forward to by then.” DIY

It’s safe to say that Jon Hopkins’ career has been somewhat of a slow-burning affair thus far, but now, he’s shining brightly. Having already incited quite the excitement at city festivals earlier this year, there’s another chance to catch the electronic genius in Skipton.

ON THE DIY STAGE

Frightened Rabbit, Jess Glynne, Saint Raymond, Lewis Watson, Woman’s Hour, Breton, Lyger and more.

DZ Deathrays

FESTIVAL

NEWS FLOW FESTIVAL Finland’s Flow has announced plans for a brand new venue at this year’s event, set to take place from 8th - 10th August. The MixRadio Music Hall will play host to the likes of Brooklyn’s Big Ups, Berlin’s Ballet School, Phantom, Jaakko Eino Kalevi and Beastmilk.

2000trees 10th - 12th July

heltenham may well be more commonly known for the Gold Cup and its picturesque spa town aesthetic, but those aren’t the only things drawing in the masses. Over the last eight years, the nearby Upcote Farm has planted itself firmly on the festival map, marking itself as a thriving hotbed of summer madness. Fresh from winning last year’s Grass Roots Festival award for the second time, 2000trees will be returning to the Cotswold Hills for another year of music-filled chaos - and limited tickets are still available. Taking to the stage over the weekend, the likes of Blood Red Shoes will showcase the breakneck heaviness of their latest self-titled effort, while Band Of Skulls indulge crowds in the gritty rock’n’roll they’ve honed so well with their three albums to date. Class of 2014 stars Wolf Alice meanwhile will spend their stage time blowing hangovers away with their beautiful brand of grunge-laced punk. Having already played a handful of festivals on our side of the world, cheeky Australians DZ Deathrays are also coming back. “I feel like we’re here a lot,” offers one half of the twosome, Shane Parsons. “It’s good to be back. We’re playing about four new songs… No one really knows them, so it’s just about playing a couple. “I kinda wanted it to be an extension of the first record,” he explains, on what the duo hoped to explore with their second record, “but just a little bit tighter. Song-wise, there’s a bit more structure. The songs we had on the first album were just all live songs, recorded it how they were played live and nothing really changed. Whereas this time, we sort of let go of everything.” Festival season isn’t the only thing on their mind. The band may not have even released their album in the UK yet, but frontman is already looking forward to the next step of their musical career. “We recorded at the beginning of the year, and I’m already looking forward to writing new songs and trying to get another record out as soon as possible.” DIY

ELSEWHERE AT 2000TREES...

THE BRONX The Cave, Friday

So good that they’ve managed to morph themselves into two separate incarnations – first channelling the pulse of punk rock, before taking on the world of mariachi The Bronx are not a band to miss.

YOUTH MAN The Leaf Lounge, Saturday

Ferocious and thrashing, Youth Man’s sound is as unrelenting as it is mesmerising. If you’re looking to get a glimpse into the heart of new heavy music, these boys will be bearing their souls.

PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL PARIS

A handful of new acts have been added to Pitchfork Music Festival Paris, including St. Vincent, Ben Khan and Perfect Pussy. Joining CHVRCHES, Belle & Sebastian and Jungle, other additions for the 30th October 1st November event include The Notwist and Jesse Lanza.

KNEE DEEP FESTIVAL

TALL SHIPS

Taking place near Liskeard in Cornwall, Knees Deep festival will be playing host to the likes of Eagulls, Glass Animals and Patrick Wolf. Happening from 1st - 2nd August, the weekender also boasts performances from Kate Tempest, Koreless, Beaty Heart, Gengahr, Oliver Wilde, Fear Of Men and Happyness.

Firm favourites at 2000trees, the Brighton trio are set to make a triumphant return to the Main Stage this year, and with it, there’ll hopefully be a taste of new material. Having spent the last year off the road, whatever it is that they’ve been working on will undoubtedly be met by eager ears.

Already set to have the likes of Metronomy, Jessie Ware and London Grammar performing, Wilderness has now announced a number of talks, debates and literary forums. The likes of Sir Antony Gormley, Irvine Welsh, George Monbiot and Oliver Burkeman will all be partaking in discussions at the Oxfordshire weekender.

Main Stage, Saturday

WILDERNESS

FESTIVAL

NEWS LABELLED WITH LOVE

Following on from the AIM Independent Music Awards, the Labelled With Love series of gigs will return to London this autumn. The event will be curated by independent record labels, with the line up still to be confirmed - watch this space.

Kendal Calling 1st - 3rd August

READING & LEEDS

The first ever solo live appearance from former My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way heads up a list of artists added to the line-up for Reading & Leeds. Gerard, who releases his debut solo album later in the year, appears on the NME / Radio 1 stage during the August Bank Holiday weekend.

VISIONS

London all-dayer Visions has confirmed its final set of acts for its second year, including London producer Sophie, Canadian fivesome Alvvays, Swedish singer Alice Boman, Dirty Beaches and Jaakko Eino Kalevi. The multivenue festival will take place across Oval Space, The Laundry, London Fields Brewhouse and New Empowering Church on 2nd August.

JABBERWOCKY

The inaugural Jabberwocky takes place at London’s ExCeL Centre from 15th 16th August, with the newly reunited Neutral Milk Hotel being the main attraction. New additions have also been announced, including Mutual Benefit, Ben Frost, Jozef Van Wissem and Ought.

SIMPLE THINGS

The first wave of acts has been announced for Bristol’s Simple Things, taking place from 24th - 25th October. Caribou will headline the Friday night, while Mogwai are Saturday’s headliners, with Evian Christ. Zomby and Laurel Halo also on the bill.

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he Lake District is one of the most beautiful places in Britain. An area packed with serene scenery that’s no stranger to inspiring artists old and new, it’s also the wonderful setting for this year’s Kendal Calling; a festival that’s harmonious, relaxed and jam-packed with music fans. “We love the smaller festivals,” offers Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison, thinking ahead to their forthcoming summer appearance on the DIY-sponsored Calling Out stage. “The crowds are music lovers and the atmosphere is really intimate and personal. Also, our buddies Augustines are playing, so hopefully we get the chance to catch up with them over the weekend.” Appearing alongside the likes of Woman’s Hour, Jimi Goodwin and Bondax, the Scottish four-piece will be making their live return to the stage after their first real break in years. “I think we all needed a break from Frightened Rabbit,” Scott assures, “so myself and Andy went off to record the Owl John album. It was time to take a breather.” “I always look forward to festival season,” he considers. “You don’t get crowds like that anywhere else and it’s also often the only opportunity you’ve got to catch up with old friends. You have to change your tactics a bit for the festival shows, the most important thing is to get the crowd on your side and work them up a bit.” Have no fear though, festival shows aren’t the only plans that the foursome have up their sleeves. “We’ll be finishing off the next Frightened Rabbit record by the end of this year,” reveals Scott. “We’ve begun to fling around some song ideas amongst ourselves, so things are underway. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in again after a wee break. Coming back to work with those gents is always a good feeling.” DIY

ELSEWHERE AT KENDAL CALLING... AUGUSTINES If heart-wrenching lyrics and emotion-laden vocals are your kinda thing, Augustines are a band right up your street. From the intensity of their debut record to the rough-around-the-edges beauty of their second, they know exactly how to musically soothe the soul.

WOMAN’S HOUR Woman’s Hour are like a great vintage wine: they get better with every showing. A highlight of many events over the summer so far, they’re set to shine even brighter, with their debut album ‘Conversations’ finally being on shelves by the time they appear.

LYGER Riffs, riffs and more riffs. If there’s any band set to fill your dirty rock’n’roll quota for the weekend, it’s LYGER. The next heirs to the Queens of the Stone Age throne – with only a handful of tracks to their name so far – they’re a surefire way to get the adrenaline pumping.

ON THE DIY STAGE

Frightened Rabbit, Jess Glynne, Saint Raymond, Lewis Watson, Woman’s Hour, Breton, Lyger and more.

fe st iv al s

What’s on your mind? Rob da Bank offers a glimpse into the inner-workings of Bestival.

estival has always been unique in its field (Geddit? - Ed). As organiser Rob da Bank observes, “Where else can you dress up as Robinson Crusoe or Donna Summer and get lost in a field on an island for four days whilst playing ultraviolet ping pong and being served Jägerbombs by a dwarf in a miniature tree?” This year the fun and games surpass previous efforts. There’s “a new reggae and dancehall stage called Reggae Roots,” Rob explains, “a new green and eco area called Peace Valley, lots more happenings in the Ambient Forest, and of course our disco ball.” Believe it or not, they’re trying to break the world record for Biggest Ever Disco Ball. “And we’re going to do it. It’s gonna be ten metres in diameter and it’s going to be onsite at Bestival, spinning as the night falls on Chic’s grand finale and lighting up the crowd.” The line up consists not only of the aforementioned Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, but Outkast, Foals, Beck, Disclosure, London Grammar, Wild Beasts, CHVRCHES, Tune-Yards, Temples… the list goes on. “Obviously Outkast is a big ‘un,” Rob enthuses, “and I’m super chuffed that Beck is coming to the little old Isle of Wight. As ever the headliners are

important to some but it’s the whole line up this year that’s really steaming!” Newer names on the bill include MØ, Woman’s Hour, Say Lou Lou, SOHN, Bipolar Sunshine, God Damn, and Catfish and The Bottlemen (“I’m a massive fan,” says Rob). Needless to say, it’s a lot to organise. Where does he begin? “I have a little post it note on my computer that I start writing notes on,” Rob laughs, “and then that turns into a bigger Word document. Once I really get into my stride it’s a huge bloody Excel sheet covered in ideas of heritage acts and new acts… it’s a selfish process involving what I like and what I feel the Bestival faithful will like too.” Indeed, Rob’s put together a sprawling mind-map, of sorts, to explain - which you’ll find in DIY’s super-spiffy fold out. “I love modern art and my favourite artist is Jeremy Deller,” he says by way of explanation, “so this is a kind of homage to his acid house number, which I love. I like scribbling lists and seeing the whole picture and how it comes together, so hopefully it makes some sense.” Bestival will take place from 4th - 7th September at Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight. DIY 19

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fe st al

photo: Matt Richardson

iv s ELSEWHERE AT BILBAO BBK LIVE... FRANZ FERDINAND 10th July

The original pioneers of the indie anthem, there’s no denying that Franz Ferdinand have many more strings to their bow. If their recent headline performances in the UK are anything to go by, their festival sets are going to be jam-packed with every foot-stomping hit you could hope for.

PARQUET COURTS 10th July

BILBAO BBK LIVE 7th - 10th July

he UK could have the finest weather since records began, and it still wouldn’t be quite the same as soaking up the sun somewhere on the continent. That’s exactly how hoards of festival-goers are now beginning to think too, with legions of them grabbing their sun cream and travel miniatures, throwing them into hand luggage and jumping on the next budget airline to España.

knows-how-many records over in America – they’re set to bring the singalongs in bulk.

That’s because Northern Spain is the newest hotspot for musical weekenders, and with Bilbao BBK Live attracting a higher calibre of acts with each year that swings by, it’s getting harder and harder to resist the sunshine. What with the likes of Franz Ferdinand, The Prodigy and The Black Keys taking on headlining duties for the event, it’s enough to make you unearth the sunglasses and get to Stansted Airport quicker than you can hum ‘Take Me Out’.

On Friday evening, Chet Faker will be showcasing his electro-infused talents, before Conor Oberst makes things that little more intimate with offerings from his latest solo album ‘Upside Down Mountain’. There’s not much chance of a quiet evening in the tent though; well, not if The Prodigy have anything to do with it.

Elsewhere at this year’s event, there will be plenty of jumping up and down and waving your arms around, if Bastille have anything to do with it. Still on a high from winning that BRIT Award earlier this year – and selling god-

Another act well-versed in the art of pop are Phoenix, who’ll be bringing their wonderfully catchy songs to the opening evening of proceedings, whilst the likes of White Lies and Parquet Courts also get the crowds warmed up ahead of Franz Ferdinand’s closing set.

New York’s Skaters should have just enough time to begin causing a ruckus ahead of a set from the more soothing tones of Band of Horses, and familiar sounds of MGMT. Then, how better to end a festival than with a pint of sangria in one hand and The Black Keys running through their hits on stage? That’s how they do it in Bilbao, right? DIY

This Brooklyn five-piece pull no punches when it comes to their live show, so expect nothing less when festivals are involved. With their new album ‘Sunbathing Animal’ finally out in the open, carnage will undoubtedly be on the cards when the Brooklyn troupe step up to the plate.

MGMT

12th July

Having taken their time with record number three, it wasn’t even certain that we’d ever actually get to hear their self-titled third effort, let alone be treated to their live shows again. In 2014, that’s all changed and the duo will be bringing their oracular spectacular (geddit?) to Bilbao with true style, cowbells and all. 23

neu all we are

NEu C r o s s i n g pat h s f r o m t h r e e s e pa r at e c o u n t r i e s , L i v e r p o o lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s A l l W e A r e a r e u n i t e d i n t h e i r l o v e o f p s yc h . W o r d s : Ja m i e M i lt o n , P h o t o : E m m a S wa n n .

All We ArE

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t’s not quite funk, it’s not quite disco, and it’s not even psych. The three members of All We Are - Guro Gikling (bass, vocals), Rich O’ Flynn (drums) and Luis Santos (guitars) bond over a love of just about anything, and together in their early singles they’ve latched onto a sound that is neither one thing nor the other. It simply works. Debut ‘Utmost Good’ was released back in the early months of 2013. Tagged with the eye-opening “Bee Gees on diazepam” description, it gave hints towards psych giants Unknown Mortal Orchestra, only it arrived with an even more deranged, underether take on things. Follow-up ‘Feel Safe’ (the band’s first single on Domino) was a little sharper in approach, its funk slides and clipped guitars possessing a razor edge. The group’s eclecticism could be put down to different backgrounds. Guro is Norwegianborn, with the Ireland-bred O’ Flynn and the Brazilian Santos completing a rich and diverse line-up. But together, these three all speak from the same page. They love good music, good atmospheres and, above anything else, good booze.

“We’re g o nna s ti ck aro u nd for a long time.”

Guro Gikling

Rich cites a recent getaway trip to the North of Wales as evidence of All We Are’s unorthodox routine. They packed their gear, recording equipment and a fortnight’s worth of liquor. “Our mission was to write a tune a day for two weeks. A couple of those were album-worthy. Three tunes in two weeks was pretty good, and we had a fucking load of fun,” he eagerly recites. “We lock ourselves in, enter this All We Are world and just write,” says Guro. “We’ll come out of it and be like ‘Woah, there’s an actual world out there’. This is weird. We have to go back to civilisation.”

sessions, six hour “jams” (“nobody will ever hear them,” jokes Guro). Other times every member will swap instruments, entering into some distressed, free jazz experience. “I was on guitar and it was like ‘Fuck man,’ it’s a spaceship in here,” Rich says, as traditional guitar wizard Luis sips a mid-afternoon pint ahead of the band’s Great Escape Festival set. Together, they deny suggestions that they’re cosying up to one particular genre. “Disco” and “funk” are both dirty words according to Rich and Guro, with the latter narrowing down the group’s sound to “psychedelic boogie.” “There’s an atmosphere to the tunes, an expansiveness. People might call it psychedelia, but it’s more a depth,” backs up Rich. “It’s not really funk that we do. It’s just groove-based. That’s always existed.” If it’s just an initial taste of psych that the band tend to expose in their recordings, the actual psychedelic mentality they share was enhanced by recent sessions with producer Dan Carey. His conventional studio setting involves flooding the room with smoke and lasers. “We all came out of it as new people. Even spiritually. It was really special,” says Luis. “We made a mate for life,” echoes Rich. Of the sessions, Guro recites a process that sounds psych to the extreme. “By the end you start seeing things that aren’t really there, feeling things you didn’t know you could feel… It’s really weird, this one track while we were playing it, I felt like I was wading through water.” Carey might’ve brought out the inner acid trip in All We Are, but on record they still sound remarkably cool under the conditions. An eventual full-length is expected to come out in the beginning of 2015. For the time being, the band are going to carry on writing. Signing to Domino gave them a sudden jolt in motivation, a desire to keep on penning songs. “They’re really supportive. They’re lovely human beings. They believe in what we’re doing,” says Guro of the label, before summing up the trio’s long-term plan. “We always wanted to do an album. We wanna make loads of albums. All We Are is a very new band when you look at the scheme of things. But we’re gonna stick around for a long time.” At once, the three of them burst into laughter. It almost sounds like a collective cackle, like they’re together planning on taking over the world. “But we’ve really been focused on this,” says Rich. “We always thought we’d plough on and see it through to the end. We love writing. We don’t see it as a short-term thing.” DIY

All three of the band write together on a prolific basis. Sometimes it’ll involve far-out 25

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Alvvays

S u c k e r s fo r t h e s u m m e r , T o r o n t o’s A lv vays r ec o r d e d t h e i r e f fo r t l e s s d e b u t i n t h e d e a d e n d o f w i n t e r . Wo r d s : N at h a n R o b er t s .

TITLE ‘Alvvays’ LABEL Transgressive RECORDED 2013 PRODUCER Chad VanGaalen RELEASE DATE: 21st July 2014 TRACKLISTING 1. Adult Diversion 2. Archie, Marry Me 3. Ones Who Love You 4. Next of Kin 5. Party Police 6. The Agency Group 7. Dives 8. Atop a Cake 9. Red Planet

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olly Rankin, the lead singer of indie upstarts Alvvays, sounds admirably enthusiastic given her early morning call from Toronto. It’s even more impressive considering that the band have only just recently returned to their native Canada after a intense first jaunt across the pond. “The shows were really cool,” she reminisces. “The turnouts were really good.”

“I’m trying t o h av e this ‘life is short’ vibe these d ay s . ” M o l ly Rankin

Speaking at the beginning of summer, Molly claims to be dependent on “surroundings and lighting” and “y’know, the state of trees”. The recording for their debut had the band relocate to Calgary at the “tail end of winter.” She remains good-humoured reflecting on the “bleak surroundings” and sardonically laughs when mentioning that they housed with her brother, who broke his leg the day they arrived. As a band, Alvvays immediately followed Molly’s own forays into a solo career; making what she calls “pop-folk” that was “a little bit singer-songwriter-y”. The transitional process was helped along in part due to her own listening habits. “It became a band because I listen to bands, and I don’t really listen to singersongwriters. It was like, ‘Why I am writing folk songs? I don’t even...’” Despite each of the five-piece being involved in projects in the past, Molly was nonchalant about the prospect of people potentially seeing her earlier work, there’s only one song that she seems remotely embarrassed by. “I recorded a song when I was like 18 with my family [country/folk group The Rankin Family] and it’s this hilarious radio song. I haven’t listened to it in a really long time, but if I did, I would probably throw up. It’s the most successful thing I’ve ever done, but it’s just a heinous song.” Molly doesn’t mess around, musically or in conversation. The lyrics of ‘Adult Diversion’ in particular are strikingly real. “If I should fall, act as though it never happened,” she sings, in amongst a song about drinking “one more cocktail”. It’s easy to relate. “I guess there’s the literal meaning: if I put myself out there and it doesn’t work out… then let’s say this never went on.” It’s almost as if she describes the spontaneity of the band itself; Alvvays is a gamble, and it’s one that looks set to pay off. DIY

photo: Carolina Faruolo

NEu LIVE REPORT

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NEWS

ON THE ROAD

One of the best live groups around, Dublin’s Girl Band, have announced another run of European dates taking them through to October. They include a headline show at London’s Shapes warehouse (16th June), plus a run of dates in Ireland. They’re also touring with Metz this summer - see the dates on diymag.com.

DUMBO AND DUMBO-ER

GENGAHR

Australian newcomer D.D Dumbo has signed to 4AD (Grimes, The National), with a newly announced schedule of UK shows taking place this July. Debut UK shows begin with a headline date at London Chat’s Palace (9th July). Following that, he supports Daughter for one show and Tame Impala for their July UK run.

Lond on Scal a

he Wolf Alice / Superfood tour was always going to go down as one of the most raucous and unhinged of the year. Judging by the post-Scala celebrations - winding past the 6am mark - this run of dates could’ve done with a peacekeeper, a sensible bunch to balance things out. Not Gengahr. Apparently this London lot are the worst of the bunch, partystarters in their prime. It doesn’t show. First on the bill on the last date of a mammoth tour, the newcomers look unfazed; clean-shaven, even. Their 90s psych fusion is precise. So far, these guys just have demos to sport, but when running through

‘Fill My Gums With Blood’, they fill the room. The rapture for both Superfood and Wolf Alice is unparalleled - these are bands in their prime, ready for the world. But Gengahr aren’t far behind. The big draw comes in John Victor, a guitarist who mimics Jonny Greenwood and Bloc Party’s Russell Lissack in appearance, resembling their playing style in every sense too. He’s of a very different form, this guy, throwing himself into every ether-doused solo with ease. As if the line-up for this tour wasn’t already exciting enough, Gengahr give further reason for it to eventually go down in folklore. (Jamie Milton)

COMING INTO BEING Caila Thompson-Hannant aka Mozart’s Sister has announced details of her debut album, following on from the breakthrough 2013 EP ‘Hello’. Debut album ‘Being’ is out in the US on 25th August via Asthmatic Kitty - lead track ‘Enjoy’ is a rhythmic beast, flirting with all-out pop hooks before retreating into its own oddball corner. Listen on diymag.com. 27

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Public Access TV N e w Yo r k i s k i l l i n g t h e m . N o w i t ’ s a c a s e o f c o o k i n g u p t h e B i g A p p l e , g i v i n g i t a n e w l e a s e o f l i f e . W o r d s : J a m i e M i lt o n , P h o t o s : E m m a S wa n n

ity the guys in Public Access TV when, in the first week of 2014, their debut track ‘Monaco’ picked up comparisons to The Strokes. There’s no doubt that this song - arguably the year’s first out-of-the-blue success story - has a big fat dose of ‘Is This It’ pouring from the seams. But these New Yorkers are looking to change the story. They’re confused that when a relatively exciting band steps out of this city - a city where there’s “really not that much happening,” - they immediately get prompted with the Strokes card. “It’s like, how many years later is that going to be part of the conversation?” asks frontman John Eatherly. He looks the part with a scuffed-up leather jacket, but this band isn’t some lame-ass rock ‘n roll audition. “You can’t be a guitar band in New York these days without people throwing The Strokes in your face. Every fucking band.” Public Access TV intend to change things. ‘Monaco’’s spiky immediacy was just the beginning. Second track ‘Middle Child’ brings a higher intensity, plus a studio sheen from its session in Nashville. They’ve a lot of gripes - bands with attitude and no songs, big groups with rehearsed arena stage-shows, “mediocre” scenes scattered across the US - but they also have a solution. A statement issued upon their emergence in January boldly reads: “With Public Access TV we want to draw a line in the sand between us and them.” And with their initial batch of songs, they’re already doing just that. “We probably wouldn’t have put out music without ‘Is This It’,” admits guitarist Xan Aird. “They had it all. But most of all they had the songs and they were probably one of the best New York live bands ever.” John pipes up, again referring to PATV’s own tattoo-inked mantra. “You think back to guys like [David] Bowie and Iggy [Pop] and Lou [Reed] and people like that - they changed it up, they changed it up and you have different eras you can fall in love with.” The full package, then, is exactly what Public Access TV intend on providing. Like any band with two songs to their name, it’s too early to deduce whether this is all talk or just plain excitable intentions. But they’re clearly on an upwards trajectory. “Right now I like to keep it as tight as possible with just songs, songs, songs,” says John. “Keep it short. We’re a new band and I don’t wanna overplay it.” But with statements and opinions to last a lifetime, already here exists a group brave enough to stand out in the crowd. DIY

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NEED TO KNOW

+ PATV’s first UK shows were secret affairs, played under the name The Ill Herbs. + The band do still have some love for New York - they heap praise on Ratking. “Those kids are much more rock ‘n roll than anything going on in the East Village at the moment.” + They go back into the studio in June, with plans to return to the UK this August.

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JACK GARRATT B e i n g m u s i c a l ly o b s e s s e d pay s i t s d u e s .

A recent convert to the electronic sphere, Jack Garratt began as a sixteen year old with a SoundCloud account that nobody would visit. Two songs into his latest journey and ‘I Couldn’t Want You Anyway’ and ‘Water’ have gained 100,000 plays. “Most of what I’ve learned is through being able to watch people I loved the tone of and sound of,” he says of his learning experience, listing off Stevie Ray Vaughan and David Bowie as big influences. He’s lucky enough to share a house with fellow musicians who all enjoy nights in sharing their favourite ever guitar solos. “It’s one of the things where it’s ok to talk about work after you’ve been working because that’s all we know. It’s the best thing - you could talk to them about anything in the world. They’re my best friends.” In the flesh or on the web - Jack is surrounding himself with all the right things in order to assist with his remarkable progress. LISTEN ‘Worry’ (from the ‘Remnants’ EP, out 14th July) FOR FANS OF James Blake, “electronic chillax”

SEMI PRECIOUS Semi Precious sets himself limits. It’s the only way he knows how to go about things. Two samples are picked out from goodness knows where, placed in the spotlight and spun around in circles. The South London artist - going by the name Guy - has the intention of breaking everything into pieces. On ‘When It’s Hard’, his under-ether debut track, everything feels precious, capable of collapsing at the slightest touch. Both creepy and oddly affirming, not a single song on his SoundCloud page sounds like the other. Clearly we’re witnessing an artist in the midst of a big experimentation binge. LISTEN ‘When It’s Hard’ FOR FANS OF How To Dress Well

FLYTE In the space of a year, Flyte have ditched bedroom surroundings for a studio in East London: they’ve picked up a record deal, put shows under their belt, but together they joke that they’ve collectively “lost friends!” It’s an exaggeration, but the four-piece have kept to their own corner. There’s not a great deal of comparisons that can be thrown their way; anyone clutching onto a copy of The Beatles’ ‘Anthology’ will love them, but that person could be anyone from a dogged hipster to Alan Partridge. If there’s a neat summation, they’re a bunch of sweethearts. LISTEN ‘We Are The Rain’ FOR FANS OF Romantic walks, picnics

SUN MACHINE There’s a strange sense of rejoice to Sun Machine’s de-calming clatter. They’re a band that always sound like they’re out celebrating, but this isn’t traditional flag-waving fare, even if it’s essentially built from the ground up for festivals. Recent track ‘Wild Heart’ is a series of progressive steps. When foot-stomping rambunctiousness isn’t enough in their book, shades of Britpop collide with a hushed, Primal Scream-style of delivery. On debut ‘Have You Seen It, It’s Alive’, storming riffs burst out with zero grace. But there’s more to them, with several shades yet to be exposed. LISTEN ‘Have You Seen It, It’s Alive’ FOR FANS OF Tame Impala, vibes

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“I just wa n n a g e t away f r o m r e a l i t y. ” Jacqueline Mapei Cummings

Mapei

Electronic pop for dummies: how to break out of the bedroom and m a k e a g a m e - c h a n g i n g d e b u t a l b u m . W o r d s : j a m i e m i lt o n .

‘D

on’t Wait’, Mapei’s breakthrough single from last year, is an arms-in-the-air, joyous, patience-slamming triumph. One million plays to the good, it celebrates the sound of someone giving in to their instincts and just going for it. No messing around. No second thoughts.

It’s a strange title, in a sense, given that the Swedish musician - full name Jacqueline Mapei Cummings - did a whole lot of waiting before she finally came good on her promise. Back in 2012 Mapei was a much talked-about, hyped rapper, fresh from releasing the ‘Cocoa Butter Diaries’ EP. Following that, things stalled. The next step would have to take time. “I couldn’t find the right sound,” she says, post-finding that all-important eureka moment. “I just wanted to do something more polished.” For the first time since writing songs from the age of 12, she shunned rapping and decided to express herself through singing. Sessions in Swedish producer Magnus Lidell’s plush studio were a first, too. She was used to recording in thin-walled bedrooms (“You couldn’t really scream so much”). Limits were in place. Not anymore. The songs form what will eventually amount to a debut album (‘Hey Hey’), out later this year. Together, they point to a genuine freeing of ideas. “ I wanted to do something more fluffy poppy, more beautiful and feminine. I always wanted to do that. I ditched that dream at some stage and tried to be cooler than I was,” she says. The inner pop’s broken free, and there’s not a great deal capable of standing in its way. Jacqueline describes the record as a “rainbow unicorn,” which is quite something. These songs are definitely colourful, though. They take in everything, from the musician’s wild imagination to her equally extreme background, which took in “the hood in Sweden, the hood in America,” plus a period in Brazil. “I just wanna get away from reality. I don’t know the facts about these things. I wouldn’t call myself political so I can’t take that on my shoulder and be a political rapper. But I know what I know and I know what I’ve been through and I wanna speak about that sometimes. But I prefer a more simple world.” Perhaps it’s been worth the wait after all. DIY

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LITTLE label

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

CASCINE

FOUNDED: 2010. KEY RELEASES: Keep Shelly In Athens, ‘At Home’ (2013), Yumi Zouma, ’ST’ (2014). Anyone emotionally invested in Cascine doesn’t just cite the bands. The sleek image it’s associated with is just as much a part of the package. Someone once suggested that Cascine should bring out a fragrance - it’d sell. Above anything else, the label’s been responsible for releases that all feel like they belong in the same home dreamy, often bedroom-produced pop. Answers come from the label’s head of press, Sandra Croft. What was the founding ethos for Cascine? Did you have one or is it just something that’s evolved? It’s definitely evolved over time. In the beginning, we used “experimental pop guided by intuition” as our ethos, but it’s always been less of a strict ethos than a guideline for the label’s evolution over time. We’ve always been interested in exploring the different ways in which ‘experimental pop’ can be represented, from the light-as-air microhouse of RxGibbs, to Ditt Inre’s deeper, layered, distinctly Nordic pop sound, to Yumi Zouma’s sweetly nostalgic sound. So with every release, that curiosity and understanding evolves. You seem to be a label that finds it vital to keep good relationships with artists - why is this so important? Well, we work really closely with our artists throughout all the steps in the release process. Jeff (our label boss) guides the evolution release, Andi (our project manager) keeps the release on track, and I do the press. We’re consulting directly with the artists along all these steps, and you end up being friends with them. I think it’s important because as a label, we’re trying to develop the careers of artists over several releases, so maintaining good relationships with artists is a way to really get a deep understanding of what they’re about beyond the music itself. It’s also a lot of fun - our artists are intelligent, funny, warm and kind people, and knowing them is one of the best rewards we get out of Cascine. DIY

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JULY 2014

IN EPS

With album releases on the backburner during the middle of summer, July’s a big opportunity for new bands to steal attention with new EPs. One four-track release can go a long way, and this year’s already seen superb releases from Wolf Alice, Yumi Zouma and Ben Khan. Below, we round-up EPs worth paying attention to over the next month.

Eugene Quell A Great Uselessness

(7th July) First a bedroom project, now a fully-fledged band, Eugene Quell’s new EP follows up a scrappy debut that came out in the beginning of 2013. Lead track ‘That One Song’ is a balls-to-the-wall, QOTSA-style frenzy of pure, unhinged grunge. Taste the dirt.

T win Peaks Flavor (7th July)

Chicago upstarts Twin Peaks might’ve already released a fantastic 2013 debut album (‘Sunken’), but this is their first official UK release. It brings together highlights from their LP plus a couple of fresh faces to warm fans up to an eventual second album, out later this year. Bessies with The Orwells, expect sharp-witted rock’n’roll with its shirt untucked.

Jac k G a r r at t Remnants (14th July) One of the year’s breakout successes on the back of just two blog-tastic tracks, this is Londoner Jack Garrett’s first EP. If previously unveiled songs (‘Worry’ and ‘Water’) are anything to go by, this is a slick, soul-spliced introduction.

Fa m y

Ava (21st July) Ahead of an eventual debut full-length (expected in winter 2014), FAMY are leading with their biggest single to date, ‘Ava’. It’s backed by three new tracks, each recorded during the band’s 2012 sessions in an abandoned church. Sounds romantic - it is. Sometimes big numbers like these need a beautiful backstory to help with their conception.

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latitude 2014

What’s better than a music festival in the middle of a forest, by a lake, near some sheep? Nothing, that’s what. This month DIY is hooking up with Latitude to bring you the best coverage of this year’s event. From main stage headliners Two Door Cinema Club through to cover stars Röyksopp and Robyn and new blood Woman’s Hour, over the next few pages we’ll run you through the very best of Latitude 2014.

Not going? Fear not. We’ll be bringing you all the fun of Latitude 2014 from 17th-20th July on diymag.com 33

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Scandinavian giants R öyksopp & Robyn are t wo artis ts who avoid repetition like the pl ague. With ‘Do It Again’, they break that golden rule by saying yes to another coll abor ation - the results are s pec tacul ar. Words: Jamie Milton, Photos: Mike Mas saro.

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‘Body Talk’, all focus on collaborations. “We decided, at some point, to front this record together,” remembers Robyn. “It becomes a very different process at that point. It gets more serious, for all of us.”

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ays could be spent trying to find two acts more in line with each other than Röyksopp and Robyn. Their tastes and ideas match to a T. Not only that - their views on what it takes to be an artist also align. They’re musicians who have, on their own journey, shunned stardom. Both share Number One hits, both write inherently sad music that nags at the conscience. They explore these traits in very different ways, but there couldn’t be a more fitting meeting of minds than ‘Do It Again’, their new mini-album. Even the blindingly white hair and collective wiriness of David Byrne and St. Vincent can’t match the Scandinavians’ kinship.

“We started on zero,” says Torbjørn. On day one, they had a discussion about time and all its strange effects. From there, they made ‘Monument’, a giant sprawling opening track that deals with the idea of leaving something behind after you’re gone. It’s dark, but then again, it’s Röyksopp and Robyn that are behind it. “We tried to harness whatever sentiment or feeling that was reigning at a given point - we were trying to capture that moment and go on intuition, starting from scratch,” recalls Svein.

One outstanding characteristic that defines these three - Röyksopp’s Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland, the unmistakable Robyn - is that throughout their time in the spotlight, not once have they felt the need to repeat themselves. Röyksopp’s ‘Junior’ was a shiny-pop feast. It saw them on the precipice of something huge and absolute. They climbed back into their shells and released the dark, introspective wise pair of shoulders, ‘Senior’. Robyn started in the mainstream. Over time, through a process of experimentation, she redefined who she was as an artist, and the face of the genre itself. On paper, then, they’re breaking their one golden rule by deciding to combine years after their first collaborations, 2009’s ‘The Girl and the Robot’ and 2010’s ‘None of Dem’. The explanation is simple: ‘Do It Again’ is different. Yes, its title stems from the fact that they’re back in the studio together, but this is a new experience, something untried and untested in every way imaginable.

“ I t ’ s

n o t

l i k e

i t ’ s

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n e w

f o r

n e w

p u r p o s e . ” R o b y n

ll crazy ideas have to start somewhere. When ‘Do It Again’ was first coined, everyone involved was just messing around. They had their respective projects to think about; Röyksopp were starting their fifth full-length; Robyn was strung out from a three-part

j u s t

c o l l a b o r a t i o n ,

As they prepare for an afterhours party in Bergen - the Norwegian city where Röyksopp and Robyn first met - they’re clearly still in the midst of this new experience. This minialbum they’ve emerged with is only the first step. Attention now turns to the live show. True to their collective character, this is as big a test as any. As Torbjørn states: “I don’t think anything like this has ever been done before.”

Individually, a word all three of the musicians cite

is “freedom.” This was the first time since their late teens, early twenties that they’d made a record without interruption. Virtually nobody on the outside knew that it was happening. “No-one knew it was going to be made, and it’s a record that’s never been made before,” boasts

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Robyn. “There’s nothing wrong with the industry side of things, but it carries a certain pressure,” says Svein. “Somebody wants to have an opinion on something that hasn’t been made yet. We started making music with no other intentions. It’s a good feeling. It brings me back to when I was a fifteen year old, sitting in my living room, making music, just the two of us.”

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Doors closed, blinds down, together they racked up the air miles and studio time to finish off this record. The five songs that eventually wound up on ‘Do It Again’ are just a small fraction of what was produced, but as it plays out, it sounds like one concise, constant journey. It goes from ‘Monument’’s open electronics to ‘Sayit’’s tense, robotic jerking into action. This burst into life then heralds the title-track, which together they call the “pinnacle” of the journey. The sheer, breathless excess of ‘Do It Again’ can’t be topped, so instinctively they choose to wind things down again, with the heart-wrenching ‘Every Little Thing’ and the pure, uncensored comedown ‘Inside the Idle Hour Club’. Svein imagines a graph of the album, with a very exact line forming a pyramid shape to map out these five tracks. It’s “obviously” about hedonism, this record. “It’s saying: ‘I know what I’m doing here is utterly despicable and might be frowned upon in a moral context or even that it’ll suck up my body, but something in my behaviour tells me that knowing these consequences, I will do it.’” Excess and all its pitfalls that’s ‘Do It Again’. “Whether it’s feelings or partying or falling in love or having sex or whatever it is - spinning a kid around until they nearly throw up and them going, ‘Again!’ - it’s very human,” says Robyn. “It’s about going too far past something and still wanting to do it again.” She describes the whole experience as a process of “doing things you wouldn’t otherwise” - “I think it’s liberating when you work with someone else in a new constellation where it’s not just like a new collaboration, it’s for a new purpose.” Svein remembers the recording of the ‘Do It Again’ track, where you can practically hear all

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Röyksopp vs. Robyn We quizzed Torbjørn, Svein and Robyn about the vital ingredient that makes their collaborations so special.

R öy k s o p p,

o n

R o b y n : “Robyn’s sincerity in her music and the way she comes across in media - it’s not an act she puts on. It’s her. We’ve been a lot more reserved and secluded - it has to be said that’s by choice, we decided to be some sort of musical recluse.”

R o b y n ,

o n

R öy k s o p p : “We started out collaborating for each other’s records. Both on this record and the other things I’ve done, I feel like I’m lucky to be around them. It’s always a pleasure for me to be in the studio with them - they’re great musicians.”

“ I

d o n ’ t

a n y t h i n g t h i s

h a s

d o n e

t h i n k l i k e

e v e r

b e e n

b e f o r e . ”

Torbjørn Brundtland

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LATITUDE AWAITS

Latitude is the only UK date on Röyksopp & Robyn’s ‘Do It Again’ schedule. There’s no doubt these guys are fussy - they’ll only play when there’s a purpose. Asked about what makes a festival special, Svein doesn’t hesitate: “It’s the crowd,” he says. “We have played in some quite strange places where we didn’t know if it was a good idea. But we’ve been completely embraced by the audience.” What’s the key to a good festival? People just enjoying themselves - that’s what it should be about. In whatever shape or form, enjoyment comes first. I want people to take it in a good way and embrace the moment. Do you still enjoy touring, or are you treating this as something completely different? The way that we’ve toured before with Robyn, it’s how we formed our friendship. This is a new thing and there’s no hiding the fact that there has been a bit of hardship external factors, really - and whenever we’ve been touring in the past as Röyksopp, we’ve chosen to go to the places that are fun to do. It’s never been driven by, ‘Let’s go to the States and conquer America.’ It’s about treasuring the experience. And it’s a similar thing here. We’re not out to conquer the world. Doing this with Robyn and her band, it’s going to be amazing.

three of them bouncing off the walls. “It could be described as EDM. For us, it has something more. It’s pop music that we grew up with - heavy on melodies, heavy on harmonies. It’s almost too much, which I kind of like. It was a fun track to make - we were all in a good mood and it became this little bastard of a monster which we all loved.” With that, they’d made one of the songs of the year. The intention wasn’t to create a record that shunned the spotlight. There wasn’t strictly an option to do that. Previously, this project’s been called a new band, a different entity altogether. In a sense, it’s strange that this whole thing doesn’t have its own band name, something that sums up the experience in one word. Svein says that wasn’t an option. “We felt - although those two blend in this project - there is no hiding that there’s a certain element of Robyn and a certain element of Röyksopp. It is a new thing, but it’s not so far removed from what we do separately that we could justify giving it another name.” With a record complete and a desire to tour itching at their conscience, they decided to uncage this beast.

hen ‘Do It Again’ eventually left its secret hiding place, it didn’t so much sneak out as announce itself in firework-backed technicolour. Two of Scandinavia’s biggest artists combining on one record, where big, bouncing electronics combine with Robyn’s famed melancholy. Not only that - a tour to back it all up. A live show that tests the boundaries and celebrates these musicians and all their brilliant oddities. They’re speaking midway through intense rehearsals, but it’s already clear that they’re swept up in some kind of fever. In a very dry, Norwegian tongue, Torbjørn describes a fantastical “three-stage rocket experience.” One third of the set will be pure Robyn, another pure Röyksopp. Then they combine. Throughout, every musician on stage is being shared. “Robyn is bringing her band and we are bringing our outfit,” he continues. “We’re just fusing them.” “It was natural to bring all these resources together,” backs up Svein. “We’ve just gone with our gut, really. Or heart, rather. We haven’t been cynical with things.” Alongside Latitude, the tour sees them playing sets at the dead of night, headline slots where the abandon of ‘Do It Again’ is replicated in the crowd. Robyn dismisses it being a “club record” that they’re fronting. “I felt like I was in space,” she says about the recording. “I’m not saying music made for a club is a bad thing at all - I’d love for people to think that was what it was for. But I also think we were exploring more nondescript places. Not being so concrete about anything was something we were doing quite a lot. Maybe getting closer to an emotion than an actual concrete reference.” Röyksopp differ in that Torbjørn is outspoken about his dislike of touring, whereas Svein claims not to mind the experience. “But with this set up and with Robyn, there’s a fresh take on it,” the former insists. “And I don’t think there’s any point for us to go on the stage and perform our music without a hint of celebration or party.”

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t seems appropriate that this record deals with age and all its potential perils. As professional musicians, together the two acts share 36 years in the spotlight. ‘Monument’ deals with legacy, and in part ‘Do It Again’ is a following of instincts. If they don’t collaborate now, when will they? If they don’t take this on the road, will they ever? Svein is asked, bluntly, if he feels like he’s getting old. “If you put forward that question, you should prepare yourself for an almost bordering on pretentious answer,” he begins. “Death is not something I fear in any way. I don’t fear it but I’m fascinated by it, by its magnitude. But not in a gothic fascination. Age has never been a factor when it comes to those thoughts. I think they have been with me ever since I was a teenager. They’re something I have in common with my colleagues.” “I’m definitely at a point in my life where I’ve been thinking about these things more than I did before,” admits Robyn. “[‘Do It Again’] is about death in a way, but it’s also about the now, to me. Sometimes when you stop, when you get scared and think about death or things you don’t want to look at, you also look around at your current surroundings more and get a sense of what’s actually there.” If ‘Monument’ sticks to its guns and does indeed “represent a moment of my life,” as Robyn sings, it documents a point where both acts are entering a “ W e w e r e a l l new chapter. Their desire to experiment hasn’t shifted i n a g o o d m o o d one jot, but they’re also accepting who they are a n d i t b e c a m e and who they’ve become over all these years. t h i s l i t t l e Svein cites a “thin line” which together they tow, b a s t a r d o f a “between pretentious, self-centred cheesiness.” m o n s t e r w h i c h He’s the first to admit that a three-minute saxophone w e a l l l o v e d . ” solo might alienate, but it’s “an attractive kind of Svein Berge camp,” he says. “We like to make music that’s a bit for those in the know, and that sounds very elitist and awful, but it’s for people who have a similar cultural upbringing as we do.” Somehow this apparent elitism ends up producing the most universal music any of these musicians have ever put their name to. ‘Do It Again’ does have the ability to strip away the past and focus on the now - calling it a debut isn’t pretentious, because it feels like a work that’s owed a follow-up. Dealing with hypothetical situations isn’t in Robyn’s character - she’ll sooner commit to signing a new artist on her label Konichiwa than announce solid album plans - but she does admit that “it would be wonderful” to work on music with Röyksopp one more time. “The great thing about being in a band like this is that we can go off and do other things and then come back to it,” she says. “I don’t feel like we have to choose.” And with that, this tour could either be the spark for a famous meeting of minds, or it’ll be a pocket of history that saw two acts doing what they were always destined to do, if only for a couple of months. Either way, it’ll be a gigantic celebration. Röyskopp and Robyn play the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage on Saturday 19th July. DIY

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top of the bill B

Two Door Cinema Club are the latest band to arrive in the big leagues: that coveted festival headline slot. Words: Andrew Backhouse.

eing in a band is not for the faint-hearted. Sure, you may daydream about the day you’re commanding the crowds at Glastonbury, but think about it: do you really want to say goodbye to your loved ones to spend every waking second trapped on a motorway with a pack of hungover musicians? You’d never have to spend that long with any other human being in your life - except, perhaps, when you’re in hospital. And yet by some beautiful accident, for Two Door Cinema Club, something went right. And not just right – incandescently, transcendentally, wonderfully right.

Bonding in their school days over a shared love for Biffy Clyro, the vision for the music they would one day become loved for was formed at the tender age of fifteen. (Or, should that be ‘unformed’.) “We were playing music that we weren’t enjoying,” confesses bassist Kevin Baird, a founding-member of the trio, “so we said ‘Let’s write some songs, without any pretence of what they’ll sound like’. That’s why we find it so hard now if people now ask us what genre we are.” Whatever genre it is, it sounds good to us. Striking that rare triple-whammy of claiming awards, reviews, and broken hearts, the Northern Irish trio’s aptly-titled debut ‘Tourist History’ travelled the globe. And then, just for good measure, they bolted into 2012 - clasping the chart-topping ‘Beacon’ in hand - to do it all over again. Not bad for three schoolboys

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from Bangor. Two Door make being in a band look effortless, but it hasn’t all been a walk in the park. The schoolboys may be enjoying the Radio 1 love they’d always dreamt of during maths lessons, but, with their Kitsuné singles not sparking the hype they rightly-deserved, they would have to make their name for themselves through grinding graft. “We didn’t get any of that publicity at the start, so we just carried on doing what we do, which is playing live shows.” “We got frustrated that every step we moved forward, it almost felt like we deserved bigger steps of recognition,” Kevin admits. “Whether that be a bigger line-up at a gig, or how much radio play we expected to get with a single, it felt like every time we seemed to be beaten to the post by someone else. And I think it was quite disheartening for a while. “But then, six months later, every single person who had beaten us had died away, and we were still there selling

“Th er e’s a l ac k o f n ew h e a d li n er s co m i n g i n .” Ke vin Baird

Zaba-DabaDoo

Glass Animals have had their fair share of terrifying festival experiences, but if all else fails, a famous musician just needs to provide them with some snacks. “We played a festival in Barcelona recently - we got a call while we were driving there, telling us the stage we were playing had collapsed,” remembers the inventive pop group’s frontman Dave Bayley. “We made our way to the new stage we’d been allocated, and as we parked up, the tyres on our van got slashed by some dude… But Mac DeMarco did find us some cake later on that evening - it was delicious, and also, it turned out, belonged to The Vaccines. It’s probably up there with the most mental festival experiences. Ed getting our tent burnt down was also fairly bad.” Which acts are you most looking forward to seeing at Latitude this year? There are tons, but I really wanna see Phantogram and Tom Vek. I’ve tried to catch Phantogram twice this year and failed. At SXSW in Texas there was queue to get into their show that wound around two entire blocks. We also played at the same time as them at Great Escape and missed them... Caught a bit of their soundcheck though, and it sounded huge. Glass Animals play The Alcove on Saturday 19th July. DIY

out shows. That’s the biggest indication you’re getting bigger, when your live show’s getting bigger, because there’s no other parameter for increasing your popularity, really.” If you measured a band’s popularity by their live shows, with their headline festival debut this summer at Latitude - and all off the back-catalogue of only two albums – it’s a safe bet that Two Door aren’t going the way of their contemporaries anytime soon. “In this day and age, there’s a lack of new headliners coming in. They take less of a risk, because there’s a fear they won’t sell-out. But festivals like Latitude, that are a bit smaller - more leftfield - are geared towards the real music lovers. That’s where bands like us are gonna start earning our stripes, in a couple of albums’ time, to push through to headline your Glastonburys and your Reading & Leeds. It’s great bands like us get given the chance to do that.” The last few years have been a roller coaster ride for Two Door Cinema Club, but if Kevin could go back in time, and speak to those fresh-faced schoolboys in Bangor, what advice would he give them? “I’d go back and say, ‘Don’t get attracted by the shiny things, and just focus on the really important things: being a really good live band, and writing good songs, and ignoring the people that society says have the biggest authority to question whether you’re good or not. They’re not the people that are coming to your gigs and buying your t-shirts. They’re who really matter.’”

Do you remember the first time?

First timers fear not: you’re far from alone. Parquet Courts’ main man and Latitude first-timer - Andrew Savage explains what he knows about the festival. Have you played Latitude before? No. Do you know much about it? Nothing!

Okay. So maybe being in a band isn’t so bad after all.

Thanks, Andrew.

Two Door Cinema Club play the Obelisk Arena on Friday 18th July. DIY

Parquet Courts play the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage on Sunday 20th July. DIY 43

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A quick catchup with… Mogwai This hasn’t been an average year for Mogwai. They’ve been graced with a new tag of chartbotherers (eighth album ‘Rave Tapes’ made the Top 10), they’ve played their ‘Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait’ soundtrack in full to sold-out crowds, and they’ve gained a reputation as the best in the game for soundtracking supernatural television dramas. Now they’ve diving headfirst into festival season - the band’s Stuart Braithwaite’s trying to keep track of things. Have you started working on the new ‘Les Revenants’ soundtrack yet? We’ve started sketching ideas but haven’t done anything as a band yet. We’re looking forward to getting into it again though. ‘Rave Tapes’ was the first Mogwai record to make the Top 10. Are you fussed about that sort of thing? I think we’re more fussed than we would be were

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it not released on our own label. It was an exciting week as we didn’t know if it would stay in the top ten until we were told the final chart. We were very pleased - I don’t know about the others but I was pretty amazed. It’s a fairly rare thing for a band to be eight records in and only gaining more popularity. What’s the biggest thing that keeps you going? I think we just enjoy doing it, to be honest. I’ve been in this band for more than half my life. I’m pretty much institutionalised. You’re a dab hand at curating festivals, but given that you’re playing Latitude this summer, which three acts would you get to headline your fantasy fest in 2014? Public Enemy because they’re one of the best live bands on the planet. Low because they’re just amazing, and The Jesus and Mary Chain because I love them. Mogwai play the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage on Friday 18th July. DIY

No Rest For The Wicked

Lykke Li’s biggest UK show comes as she headlines the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage at Latitude. “It’s overwhelming and daunting,” she forebodes. “But I’m also the kind of person that loves to put myself in situations that scare the shit out of me. I won’t think about it too much until I’m there.” Lykke Li plays the BBC Radio 6 Music stage on Sunday 20th July. DIY

Food For Thought It’s not all about the music

There’s all sorts going on at Latitude besides the bands, as Rhodes points out.

“Really looking forward to checking out some of the film and music talks and screenings, I love music in film. There is a film about Pulp that I’m really excited to see. David Bailey is going to be there doing a talk, I recently went to his exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery and am a bit obsessed with his work. I want to check out the Comedy stage as well, I love stumbling across new comedians at festivals.”

Who’s your favourite artist at Latitude, Dominic McGuinness from The Bohicas? “My favourite artist performing at this year’s Latitude is Kelis, who also made my album of the year so far - ‘Food’. It was released in April which was perfect timing because it gives you enough time to digest it and know every single inch of it by the summer. It’s sexy, sweaty, and perfect for a barbecue. Her voice has never sounded better. Especially on my favourite tune on the album ‘Hooch’. It’s got everything I ever wanted from Kelis and more. A great title, sexy backing vocals, incredible rhythm section groove and spicy horns. I love her earlier releases like ‘Trick Me’ and ‘Acapella’ but for me this album encompasses everything incredible in Kelis. The singles ‘Rumble’ and ‘Jerk Ribs’ are also fantastic. Beautiful tunes that display what you’re in for when you get hold of the album. Whip this record out during your next barbecue. Music to baste meat and drink ice cold booze to.” The Bohicas play The Lake Stage on Saturday 19th July. DIY

Rhodes plays the iArena on Friday 18th July. DIY

Seconds with…

Luke SitalSingh

Luke will be playing a set on Latitude Lake Stage ahead of the release of his debut album, ‘The Fire Inside’. Have you been to Latitude before? Yes I have. It was one of my favourite festival experiences. Really beautiful, characterful site and a great crowd for my set. Loved it. Which acts are you most looking forward to seeing there this year? Mogwai and Conor Oberst are my picks. Which of your songs goes down best at festivals? Tends to be the happier numbers like ‘Bottled Up Tight’ and ‘Nothing Stays The Same’. Where are you most likely to be found at a festival? Back stage catering. Free food, mmmmmm. Do you have anything special planned for your Latitude set? Yes, and it includes having a good twenty or so people on stage with me! Luke Sital-Singh plays The Lake Stage on Sunday 20th July. DIY

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DOWN

1 _____ x 3 features on Lykke Li’s debut album (5) 2 DJ duo who believe that sharing is caring (6) 3 George Ezra’s famed hashtag (5) 4 Come back, Popworld (7) 5 Alana, Danielle and Este (4) 7 Likely to cook something up for Latitude (5) 8 _____can’t go for that (no can do) (4-3-5) 13 _____ India Youth (4) 15 Peter Pan never wanted to grow up and leave behind _____ (9) 17 Richard _____- producer behind Damon Albarn’s solo album (7) 18 Editors don’t like to see these outside hospitals (7) 19 A stinky fish, often salted, smoked or pickled. Also the frontman of Future Islands (7) 20 Former DIY cover band playing the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage (6) 21 Phosphorescent, San Fermin, Dawes, Rhodes and Vailts are all _____ on their respective stages (6) 24 Vienna-based producer, Kwabs collaborator (4) 46 diymag.com

6 7

ACROSS

4 One half of The Black Keys, Dan _____ (8) 6 Bespectacled multiinstrumentalist whose name rhymes with Vom Tek (3-3) 9 A friendly and sociable medium sized species of antelope. Normally native to Southern Africa, but this one comes from Australia, and can be spotted at Latitude this year. (4-6) 10 A song by 5 down. _____ Me Go. (3) 11 Half the DIY crew initially thought this artist’s name was a synonym for period (6-3) 12 First name of Bond, also playing the Obelisk Arena (5) 14 What unites Robyn and Röyksopp? (11) 16 Brooklyn quartet fond of wooden flooring (7-6) 22 You could probably do with one of these (6) 23 Curator of Latitude’s Lake Stage (3-8) 25 Inevitable festival weather (4) 26 Not seagulls (7) 27 Band Jimi Goodwin used to front (5) 28 Usually the busiest food & drink stall (3)

8 9 10 12

14 15 16

18 19

20 23

25 26 27

Oh no! Damon Albarn has lost Mr Tembo! Help him get through the maze to find his friend

Top Tips

Festival rules from Crystal Fighters.

1. 2. 3.

Always headline (even when you are not headlining). Bring everything (forget everything). Fire it up (these are the moments of our lives, waste no time).

See You There

Bombay Bicycle Club continue their ascent up the Latitude line up. Bombay Bicycle Club are practically festival veterans: the enthusiasm with which they attack muddy boots season every year has stood them in excellent stead. This summer, they’re bringing their soggy feet back to Latitude for a spot right before headliner Damon Albarn. “We’ve played Latitude twice before,” bassist Ed Nash explains. The latter of those appearances saw them top the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage, alongside Foals and Eels. “It’s actually the first time we WHAT’S THE WORST headlined a stage, back in 2011! As such I am incredibly THING THAT’S EVER fond of Latitude.” HAPPENED TO YOU AT A FESTIVAL, ED? Indeed, their excitement shows no sign of fading: this “I once spotted Colin year they’re perhaps most looking forward to seeing Greenwood in the crowd Tom Vek. “He’s one of the reasons we started the band,” at a Horrors show. He Ed laughs. “I’m [also] excited to spend some time in the is one of my all time comedy tent.” The bill is set to include Simon Amstell, favourite bassists and Tim Key, Josie Long and Josh Widdicombe, amongst I was pretty drunk at others. “It’s a great way to spend the afternoon and the time, so I ended up discover some new acts.” chasing him trying to get a photo. It’s one of Of course, when they’re not “front of the crowd, the most humiliating Vuvuzela in one hand, warm Carling in the other,” the things I have ever band do have their own set to prepare for, closely tied done as I know it made to their new album, ‘So Long, See You Tomorrow’. “It’s him feel incredibly projection based and really takes the set to another uncomfortable. I’m sure level,” Ed enthuses. “I will leave the rest as a surprise.” it ranks as one of his worst festival moments Bombay Bicycle Club play the Obelisk Arena on Saturday too…” DIY 19th July. DIY

Hydration (hydrate people). Crystal Fighters play the Obelisk Arena on Friday 18th July. DIY

Timey Wimey

Who’d be the best act on the bill to spot in the crowd while you’re playing, Tom Walmsley from Temples? Us, because that’d be virtually impossible. Temples play the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage on Friday 18th July. DIY

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3 Things

Circa Waves’ Joe Falconer offers some invaluable advice.

FESTIvAL aNthems First Aid Kit’s Johanna and Klara Söderberg run through their favourite songs to play live in grassy, muddy fields.

raincoat’ and ‘Kathy I’m lost I said though I knew she was sleeping.’ Ah, Paul Simon, you’re so good with words.”

Wolf

“We just started playing this one live, it’s the title track of our new record. It’s always a little scary to play new songs from a fresh album, you never know how the crowd will react and which songs will work and which won’t. However, this one has been a blast performing live!”

“This song always gets the crowd moving. We’ve never considered our music super danceable, but people do actually get into some kind of groove here! It’s got a tribal drum beat and a festival-friendly chorus hook. When we play bigger festival stages we try to play our more upbeat and ‘big’ songs, some of our songs are better suited in more intimate venues.”

America

“This is often the only laid back and quiet ballad we perform in our festival sets. It’s a cover of the Simon & Garfunkel song. It’s such an incredible tune in so many ways. Even though we play it with only one acoustic guitar and some pedal steel it’s very dynamic and builds up into a dramatic ending. The structure of the song and the melody just make for an epic journey. The lyrics are like a poem, without a single rhyme, and they contain some of our favourite lines like ‘Toss me a cigarette I think there’s one in my

Stay Gold

Emmylou

“It’s special for us to play ‘Emmylou’. We usually end our sets with it. It’s one of our most popular songs so we’ve probably played it thousands of times, but it never gets old! It’s about the power of music and singing together with someone. Therefore we invite the audience to sing along with us in the last chorus. It’s magical to hear the fans who know it inside out sing along. It melts our hearts.”

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at Latitude this year? Looking forward to seeing Tame Impala on the Sunday. It’s a shame we probably won’t get a chance to see Slowdive and Kelis on the Friday. Between those two acts they’d cover all our festival needs. What’s your earliest festival memory? My earliest festival memory was seeing my older brother returning from his first festival, stepping out of his friend’s car and falling asleep on the front lawn immediately after. I made sure that I went the year after that. Which essential festival tip should punters keep in mind? Don’t pay for festivals: start a band and you’ll get to go for free. Either that or don’t camp downhill from the toilets. Circa Waves play The Lake Stage on Sunday 20th July. DIY

First Aid Kit play the Obelisk Arena on Saturday 19th July. DIY 49

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fIRST ChapTER 1 50 diymag.com

T h e b e g i n n i n g o f W o m a n ’ s H o u r s ta r t e d w i t h a c o n v e r s at i o n . F o l l o w i n g t h e i r d e b u t a l b u m , t h e y ’ r e r e a dy t o h av e a w h o l e l o t m o r e . W o r d s : J a m i e M i lt o n , P h o t o s : E m m a S w a n n .

NEW BANDS TO SEE AT LATITUDE Alongside the big-name headliners, comedy tents and poetry, Latitude also boasts a great reputation for inviting countless exciting new bands. Last year’s fest hosted the likes of CHVRCHES and Joanna Gruesome before they’d even put a record out - 2014 is just as tantalising a prospect. First time you’ve seen these names mentioned? Take a punt and see them live - you won’t regret it.

latitude

They stand out, and they always have done.

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oman’s Hour’s journey so far hasn’t followed the strict path many new bands wind up on. Even now, whereas technically a group might be past the ‘beginning stage’ following the release of their debut, they’re still working things out, forging their own route. When they started out, they were based in Kendal, with one single to their name. Then followed a deathly silence. Behind the scenes, they were creating the beginnings of their debut record. They said no to labels, gigs, any semblance of sanity. They sat down and had a conversation outside of their regular rehearsal space and decided, collectively, that this whole band business was going to be a long haul. “The most important thing was choosing to do it, choosing to fully commit to it,” says guitarist Will Burgess, three years on. His sister, vocalist Fiona, affirms: “From that point forward, there was this commitment that none of us had dared to have.” Perhaps that’s what it takes these days for a promising group to fulfil all their goals. Woman’s Hour are only starting, but they stand out from a pack of newcomers who might release a couple of hype-baiting singles before disappearing off the face of the earth.

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With ‘Conversations’, the now London-based four piece are convinced that this first work isn’t the be all and end all. A slick, meticulously constructed first work, it’s also an album that not a single member of the band has listened to since its completion. Instead attention has turned to getting a live drummer, making songs that reflect a certain “freedom” and “sense of fun”. No doubt attention should be paid to this debut - it’s an impressive first work - but if there’s any example required of why Woman’s Hour are where they are today, that’s it: they look forward, incapable of doing anything else.

he signs were there from the start. Even when Woman’s Hour were in their baby stages, they had a presence about them. Two years on and they’re even further away from the rest of the pack. On stage they’re surrounded by the giant pyramid shapes that grace their debut album cover. Fiona wears a striking headdress that - when combined with the group’s all-black attire - gives off a strange authority.

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“None of us knew what we were getting ourselves into,” claims Josh Hunnisett (keyboards), about the very conversation that helped shaped things. “It’s allencompassing, it really is,” he says. The record, explains Fiona, “captures a moment in time” - “It was incredible. It was intense. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.” “Likewise!” jokes Will with a gigantic sigh and roll of the eyes. This album took everything out of them. They had to work full-time day jobs before working in the evenings with producer Tom Morris. Night creatures going about their work with meticulous degree, the four of them were constrained by logistics, in some senses (“It was about making something while surviving as an artist, which is tough,” says Fiona). Every inch of life poured into it has been worth it, they collectively stress. “There have been some beautiful moments where you’re in the zone, where something clicks and you forget about your bank balance and you forget about everything else, everything that you’ve lost,” says Will. “It’s like ‘This is perfect’. And you cling onto that. You look at that vinyl for the first time and you say, ‘You know what, I’m glad I didn’t go on that night out and forget to go to the studio the next day.” ‘Conservations’ is exciting in two distinct senses. One, it’s hard to pinpoint a record made by another British band that sounds remotely like this. It ought to be a Mercury Prize shoe-in. The second aspect is that this is an album made in controlled circumstances. Now the band are learning their trade live, they’re discovering bits of the songs that didn’t emerge in a studio setting. The three

years that preceded mean very little in comparison to what lies ahead - this initial commitment to the project has taken on a life of its own. “Thinking about the last record and playing it live, it almost acts as a stimulus for the next one,” argues Josh. “However stressful it can be and however overwhelming it can sometimes feel, I’m just so passionate about it,” says Fiona, who admits: “I knew deep down I wanted to get to this place.” “I’d be gutted to think that this record was the best record we’re gonna make. Certainly not. I hope there’s a growth. And I find the word ‘best’ weird anyway surely it’s just different. I’m already thinking about the future. Rather than reflecting on what we’ve done I’m using it as a springboard to channel other things and explore other things.” On a similar level, all four are still balancing the band with day jobs. It’s “two full-time jobs at the same time,” jokes Will, his sister claiming that there’s a “taboo” about bands admitting that they’re still having to pay the bills while attempting to tour the world. “There’s a pressure to not talk about it. Often you get this facade of seeing us from the outside - even with friends who don’t know us so well in our day-to-day lives - they assume that we’re supporting ourselves with this,” she says. “Doing this - it’s not something that’s been handed to us now we’ve got a debut album. We’ve chosen to live in the most expensive city in Europe. It’s great on the one hand because it’s so easy to communicate, but on the other hand it’s expensive. That’s a reality that’s often glossed over.” Still, it’s exciting to see a band so pointedly obsessed with the future. Only once in what amasses to a two hour interview, do they give the

slightest inclination that they’re the types to reflect. “Do you think you find yourself wanting to change things?,” Will asks the rest of the band. “Wanting to change the record? All I’m worried about is we’d find an incredible new section suddenly that we could have put in.” There’s a silence that’s swiftly cut short when Fiona says, “That’s not the way I think. That thing is done. I get so much fulfilment being a part of this process. You can eventually look back and reflect.”

stupid’,” reflects Will. “We’d try scratching our heads around drums for ages, then somebody would go into the other room with a cabasa Fiona’s incredible with the shaker!”

It’s strange to think that had Woman’s Hour simply not returned from their year out of the spotlight back in 2012, very few would have batted an eyelid. Hype works in cruel ways - two head-turning tracks don’t account for a twelve month absence. Thankfully, these four took that reality into account and still went with their guts. They returned with songs that represented who they wanted to be after a process of discovery. “There’s been a vulnerability of going, ‘I’m fucking giving

oman’s Hour have been called perfectionists before, and that’s a natural result of making a record that sounds so tightly-packed, precise in its delivery. The title-track is all sharp arpeggios and exact application. ‘Her Ghost’ wouldn’t be nearly as affecting if its moments of silence didn’t carry so much purpose. But there are parts to this debut that sound free, that shun the perfectionist tag. ‘Our Love Has No Rhythm’ - an early single - has been re-recorded, this time closing with a lifting, euphoric solo that could wind off until eternity. ‘Two Sides Of You’ is Fiona’s most passionate performance yet, where lyrics crackle and shake under an emotional weight. It’s the sound of a band finding their freedom as they go along. “We’ve realised making this record that we do want more [freedom],” says Josh. “Some mornings we’d get fucking frustrated with tracks and we went ‘Right, let’s do something completely

NEW BANDS TO SEE AT LATITUDE

this my all. I’m open to criticism,’” says Fiona. “When you put so much of your heart and soul into something, there’s a danger of being hurt and putting yourself on your line. It took us a lot of time to dare to do that. You’ve got to stop a lot of other stuff in your life in order to make this thing live and breathe. I thrive off it. I love it and I feel so lucky.” Woman’s Hour play The Lake Stage on Sunday 20th July. DIY

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NEW BANDS TO SEE AT LATITUDE

JUNGLE

London’s hot test propert y will be ‘ B u s y E a r n i n ’ ’ at t h e f e s t i va l s t h i s s u m m e r .

Arguably the most exciting new band to see on the Latitude bill, DIY’s June 2014 cover stars are stepping out and conquering festival stages. It’s next on their musical bucket list - they’ve already penned monstrous hits, been featured on BBC’s Sound of 2014 shortlist, and signed a deal with XL Recordings. Every massive achievement is just another day in the life of JUNGLE. Their self-titled debut is out this month (see DIY’s review in this very issue), showcasing an amped-up funk that’s best reserved for sweaty tents and outdoor stages in equal measure. Early gigs saw ‘T’ and ‘J’ drenched in fog, barely visible behind palm trees and sound samples picked straight out of the Amazon rainforest. Now they’re stepping out. And to think - they only started releasing music 12 months ago.

photo: mike massaro

The album’s out this summer. That’s quick. J: We’ve got loads of great festivals ahead and we wanted it out before then. If some people knew the album they’d be able to enjoy more of the set. We cut everything really fine. Was an album always on the mind, or…? J: When you start, it’s not about that. We didn’t have a long term plan with ‘Platoon’. At the beginning you don’t have structure. No management, label; all the things that turn music from something you do in your bedroom to something that’s actually invested in. That investment gives you structure. But you don’t think about it. You always want to build up to a body of work and if you wanna release it… New to JUNGLE? Listen to new single ‘Time’ from their self-titled debut album.

photo: phil smithies

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Kwabs

There’s ‘Something Right’ about this soulful newcomer with an earth-shaking singing voice.

Kwabs is more than a flooring singing voice, but bloody hell does he pack some gusto in those vocal chords. Wander around Henham Park this year and - whether you’re a few miles off or right next to the stage speakers - Kwabena Sarkodee’s voice will reverberate across the site. It’s like one of those “banter”-ous festival chants you sometimes hear ripple around a crowd, only way nicer. Across his first two EPs (‘Wrong or Right’ and ‘Pray For Love’), he’s so far picked up collaborations with Ben Drew (aka Plan B) and fellow Latitude-goer SOHN. Add to that a performance in front of Prince Harry at Buckingham Palace two years ago and Kwabs isn’t likely to be daunted by his first Latitude appearance. A recent slot on Later… Live With Jools Holland cemented him as one of the country’s biggest talents, unparalleled in being able to send an emotionally-direct note off into the distance. New to Kwabs? Listen to ‘Wrong or Right’ from a debut EP of the same name.

George Ezra There’s every chance t h at G e o r g e E z r a w i l l b e f o u n d pa r a d i n g t h e L at i t u d e f o r e s t o r f o o l i s h ly t r y i n g t o ta k e a d i p i n t h e l a k e - sure, he’s there to perform, but this is a L a t i t u d e fa n b o y.

What do you do when you get back from tour? Feet up. Bath. Gogglebox. I had my tweet picked by Gogglebox and aired on the show. The reason Gogglebox isn’t as bleak a concept as it sounds on paper - you kind of fall in love with all the couples and the characters. I’m not very patriotic at all, but I’m happy to share with these guys. They’re all great guys. It’s national pride, Gogglebox burning up inside me. New to George Ezra? His debut album ‘Wanted on Voyage’ is out now.

photo: emma swann

What makes Latitude so special? I love Latitude, it’s brilliant. What I like in a festival is when there’s more than just ‘There’s where you camp. There’s the music’. And it’s got that down proper. There’s loads of art in the woods, different tents scattered about that don’t shut. So you can get lost, which is good. There’s an amazing light show by the lake.

Gengahr

Dosed-up on the ‘90s, Gengahr are a charming bunch. Just don’t mess with their nice new shoes...

Gengahr’s earliest festival memory is “Kylie Minogue at Newquay,” which is difficult to top, but the new London four-piece are aiming to channel that experience into their Latitude performance. Fresh from a tour with Wolf Alice and Superfood, their 90s-channelling sound checks in at ‘Bends’-era Radiohead and lands right up in the present day. Which acts are you most looking forward to seeing at Latitude this year? We definitely wanna catch Slaves, Mogwai and The War on Drugs.

What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you at a festival? Getting hit in the head with a metal deckchair whilst trying to enjoy 50 Cent. Or getting mud on my brand new Louboutins… New to Gengahr? Check out their very promising “demos” on Soundcloud.

photo: emma swann

Who’d be the best act on the bill to spot in the crowd while you’re playing? Tame Impala hanging out with Hall & Oates.

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BROODS

H A I M a r e n ’ t t h e o n ly must-see siblings on this year’s bill.

New Zealand duo Broods consists of siblings Georgia and Caleb Nott. They’ve been making music for the best part of two years, but it wasn’t until the release of ‘Bridges’ that they caused a stir. Now they’re keeping it in the family with new single ‘Mother & Father’. Taken from their debut album, due next year, it’s a glossy, ultra-personal pop offering. Their early work entangles an all-consuming aesthetic with straight-down-the-line songwriting. These songs are addictive to the extreme, and it led them to a recent arena tour with Ellie Goulding back in their native country. Expect lit-up screens en masse when they take to The Alcove at Latitude. “I’m looking forward to just experiencing it as well as playing,” says Georgia. “It’s weird - all these festivals we’ve dreamed of going to we’ve ended up playing. When you’re part of the line-up, it’s like ‘Whaaat’?”

photo: emma swann

Which acts are you most looking forward to seeing at Latitude this year? Georgia Nott: Lykke Li! She’s one of my all-time favourites. Caleb Nott: Bombay Bicycle Club and SOHN. What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you at a festival? Georgia: I wore shoes that were too small for me and when I got home my feet were blue. New to Broods? Listen to their new ‘Mother/Father’ single on diymag.com.

Years & Years

M u lt i - t a l e n t e d d a n c e poppers Years & Years just conquered the showcase fests. Now they’re moving onto the fields.

When festival season kicked off, it was down to Years & Years to define the early-summer showcase festivals. Landing at Liverpool Sound City and The Great Escape, the Olly Alexanderled band stood out from the pack with a dance-pop fusion not unlike that of production duo Disclosure. Olly also boasts some serious acting chops. Recently, he worked alongside Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch on the God Help The Girl project. It’s difficult to equate Murdoch’s sweet-as-can-be songwriting with the dance-centric trio Olly fronts, but some similarities flicker beneath the surface. As for an album, they promised “an emotional electro-dance roller coaster” in a recent DIY interview. That sounds like the kind of catchphrase you might hear in an after-hours version of Deal or No Deal. Still, if it’s packed full of songs linking up to their recent single (they’re making a record with “ups and downs,” in a good way), there’s little doubting the trio’s chances of stealing the summer. One simple step at a time. New to Years & Years? Check out their latest single ‘Take Shelter’ on diymag.com.

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S m a r t, e n l i v e n i n g songwriting of the highest order - Hozier is something special.

Andrew Hozier-Byrne is a 24-year-old Irish songwriter who took off last year, all via one viral video. ‘Take Me To Church’ entered with a cutting political message, perfectly timed alongside the controversy that met the Sochi Winter Olympics. Hozier isn’t a specifically political songwriter. “Every song whether intentional or not is reflective of society in some way,” he claims. Expect slightly cheerier times than the overbearing vibe of his breakthrough bit - Andrew grew up on “old cheesy songs” and “blues music” and he’s right in the middle of a surge of creativity. “It was only in the last year or so that I felt close enough to stand over the project and move with it.” New to Hozier? Watch the ‘Take Me To Church’ video.

NEW BANDS TO SEE AT LATITUDE

photo: phil smithies

8 HOZIER

Bondax

Dance d u o wi l l b e ‘ G i v i n g I t A l l’ o n t h e i r L at i t u d e d e b u t.

With a debut album just around the corner, Bondax have spent the best part of the 2014 trapped in a studio. It’ll be good for their own sanity that they’re allowed outdoors really, especially when they’re bound to be road-testing new material. Tell us about your first ever show. George Townsend: At 18 it’s never wise, but they gave us a full bottle of vodka and a free bar. I have no idea what happened. Made it. G: After that we realised we were going to chill out a bit. We’d reached our rock‘n’roll peak. New to Bondax? Listen to ‘All I See’ on their Soundcloud page.

Childhood

T h i s i s n ’ t c h i l d ’ s p l ay - Childhood are more t h a n o n e s t o wa t c h .

With their debut album ‘Lacuna’, Childhood are fusing genres like they don’t realise there’s actually a bloody rulebook to follow. Initially they emerged as an all-out, melody-obsessed indie band. Then they took a turn towards the psych hills. This debut of theirs bridges a gap, but it doesn’t make them any more predictable. In short: anything can happen at Latitude. Goodness knows what you’ll be turning up to see. Is there anything on this record that will surprise people? Ben Romans-Hopcraft: I think we’ve surprised ourselves. The main thing for us is we’re really happy for it. I never wanted to do an album that was underwhelming. We could have recorded most of the songs that people already know; we made a conscious effort to do lots of new stuff. New to Childhood? Start off with their new single ‘Falls Away’. DIY

interview how to dress well

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om Krell - otherwise known by his stage name How to Dress Well - is unfortunately jetlagged. Sat at a table at London’s Hoi Polloi restaurant he orders a cleansing drink - an interesting mix of kale, squash, and an array of different herbs and wild greens - in order to help soothe a sleepless night that involved watching the NBA. He’s got a copy of May’s DIY, and before he’s even opened it he’s already making astute observations about the cover. The Horrors grace it, and when he glances at it, Krell’s mind buzzes with ideas about the minute details - what does their style say about them, and what is it with those 80s haircuts? This is a man who is unabashedly meticulous in his ways, and on his new album ‘What Is This Heart?’, it is all about exploring the little details.

Recorded in Berlin over a six-week period, Krell’s work ethic on ‘What Is…’ is more of a painstakingly conscientious method that he has mastered over time. He worked ten - sometimes twelve hour days on the record, taking around three days off in total during the entire six week stint. Live he now plays with a full band, but Krell still records by himself, seizing control of every individual song and poring over each component alone. He recalls how he slid down “a slippery slope of obsession” - an obsession that led him to examine and study the subsonic sounds of each individual tune. “It doesn’t sound anything like ‘Yeezus’,” he claims, pulling that line out of one of his continuously running trails of thought. “But because it’s Kanye, every single element is like a boutique element, you know what I mean? Everything is fucking top of the line. “I wanted to make a record where I put on my finest headphones and listen to everything having its own space,” he explains, as if trying to explain a huge, grand vision. Initially Krell was just going to record for two weeks, with the intention to produce a record that was along the same lines of 2012’s ‘Total Loss’. But as weeks became months, Krell found himself completely fixated on the songs he was producing. “I wanted everything to really hang together with a real elegance and coherence,” he divulges, sounding incredibly passionate. “I’ve never worked this hard on anything in my entire life.” Always one to buck assumptions, Krell’s music is consistently diverse, forward59

interview how to dress well

thinking and uncategorisable. His discography has meandered from the weirdly textured, ambient-pop beginnings of 2010’s ‘Love Remains’, to orchestral renditions of those songs, to the more sonically adventurous and emotionally draining ‘Total Loss’. On ‘What Is…’, he’s travelling further ground - he’s exploring terrain he hasn’t crossed before. It’s thick, sprawling stuff, and we both come to the conclusion that it’s a record that can’t be hit head-on - it needs time to be metabolised by the listener. He expresses that this record is “more like a meal,” than anything he’s made before, and that it certainly is. It’s not just a musical meal though - it’s an emotional one too. Krell happily talks at length about the places he traversed mentally and emotionally while recording this album, from beginning with the song ‘Blue’ that was ultimately scrapped (an “intensely beautiful” a cappella about his brother Dan that Krell felt was too confessional), to the last song on the album ‘House Inside (Future is Older than the Past)’, a song inspired by something his mother said to him (“we think the future’s new but it’s actually older”) “in a dark moment”. In regards to ‘Blue’, Krell’s adamant about the reasons surrounding his decision to let it go. “I know my music is personal, but I want it to be personal in a way that somehow opens up to be universal as well,” he reveals, seemingly scared at the thought someone might miss this when listening to it. “I can’t remember which one, but one of the famous Greek tragedians said ‘tragedy in excess falls flat’. If you’re just crying and crying and crying, eventually people are going to be bored by it - they’re going to be bowled over by it and then you lose the effect.” Krell’s incredibly open in talking about things that are most personal to him, and as the conversation continues, we start to dig deeper into his outlook on the ideas he explores on all of his records, and things take an intriguingly philosophical turn. He talks about sitting on a song for several weeks, going over everything in his head from what a new record might be to where

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he feels he’s at. “I started thinking about human communication, questions and answers, and the ways in which we live under the banner of questions or answers,” he discloses, his mind beginning to ride a deep train of thought. “Sometimes you need a question in order to like motivate yourself or whatever - get out of bed. Have a child. Whatever you’re gonna do. “I started thinking a lot about these things - and my writing process is very freestyle, very associative - so I started realising that I was constantly re-associating people. I would be on a train freestyling - not a literal train, but a trail of thought - and someone would pop into my head like an ex-girlfriend or my cousin, and I would remember something they said to me and I would freestyle it out.” Instead of letting these ideas just float around in his mind, Krell began “taking it all out of the quotation marks,” flirting with the idea of “leaving a lot of conversations and a lot of questions in the lyrical content.” The result is that ‘What Is…’ feels like an observation of these conversations, and it sounds like a train passing through many drastically different environments en route to its destination. But how does Krell live under the “banner of questions and answers”? What motivates him to get out of bed? He says that while he loves making music (and he doesn’t consider it work - “work is awful,” he proclaims, denouncing it as “the downfall of civilisation”), the idea of having a child is something he’s also considered. “I think a lot about what it means to have a child,” he says - and it’s obvious he does. Krell’s set at The 100 Club the night before included a lullaby, while the song ‘Very Best Friend’ is seemingly built on the foundations of childlike wonder. What’s more, he explains that the song ‘Childhood Faith in Love’ is about how “we need to look to the way we felt as children about love,” going on to reveal how it “disparages the present sort in favour of the past and the future.” Ever since he was 15, Krell’s songs have been dabbling in the same themes - “love, heartache, static joy, open intimacy” are just some of the few he describes - and while

‘What Is…’ explores these ideas even further, it feels like his most emotionally open record yet. “I was feeling very disheartened about love in the present sociopolitical, whatever world we live in,” Krell says on his mindset when writing ‘Childhood Faith in Love’. “I think the world we live in is pretty inhospitable to love. I was thinking that if I want love in the future - if we want to live in a world where love is welcome in the future - then we need to look to the way we felt as children about love.” Throughout the conversation and outside of his philosophical thoughts (we indulge about many subjects, the anecdotes of which would build up to a biography of Krell if disclosed here), Krell provides insight into new tracks he’s been working despite ‘What Is…’ not even being available yet. He’s incredibly prolific, and his excitement is palpable whenever he sings a line from a new track he’s been working on, or describes the vision of it as a whole - “maybe it could be a piano ballad, or maybe it could be super gnarly distorted guitar with me singing on top! “I feel like on whatever my next record is, I can do whatever I want so long as I come from that genuine spot, and so long as it feels right to me, I’ll put it out. I always like to be a bit surprising and buck assumptions and trends - I like to try and start trends.” He leans back and stares off into the distance, the metaphorical train in his mind is preparing to leave the station again. “I just really like to make music,” he simply states, that rare simplicity perhaps drawing from exhaustion due to diving so deep into his own brain. “Part of me is just so exhilarated by feelings, and part of me doesn’t really understand what else I’m supposed to do. The song ‘Port Cyril’ is based on this film The Kid with a Bike - I watched that movie like seven times and each time I watch it I’m just so bowled over by intense love and sadness and sympathy, a that to me is just one of the most thrilling things imaginable as a songwriter.” How To Dress Well’s new album ‘What Is This Heart?’ is out now via Weird World. DIY

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Yes, he definitely did. 61

interview slow club

Ev e r y t h i ng Slow Club realise their pop vision.

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Swann .

“I

do think we’re the same people. I mean being in a band for seven years makes you completely mad and insane as a useless human but it’s still very much Charles and me, and if he’s not happy, I’m not happy and vice versa. There’s still this compromise that seems to work… so far.” Rebecca Taylor from Slow Club is having her makeup done, and she laughs as she ends her thought, contemplating whether the two members of Slow Club currently sat in The Village Underground dressing room are the same people who released their debut album, ‘Yeah, So?’. Charles Watson nods in agreement. “And we spend a lot more time together now – it used to be that when we finished the album we’d go our separate ways.” “Well, you’ve chilled out,” Rebecca grins. “And you’ve grown up,” replies Charles, without missing a beat. What’s clear from chatting to Slow Club is that their closeness is reflected in the music. Just like with their albums, an interview with the duo shows them to be funny, warm and disarmingly, refreshingly open. This month they return with new album, ‘Complete Surrender’, and after just one or two listens it reveals itself - just like their previous albums did - as an old friend.

“ T h e

n e x t

r e c o r d g o i n g b e

i s t o

i n s a n e

d i s c o . ” R e b e c c a

T a y l o r

It’s a record that you want to return to daily to reassure that, hey, everything is going to be ok. It will be there for you, it will console you and make you laugh. Yet it’s also an album that sees them take a decisive step forwards. They’re a band who’ve always been more pop than the twee label they were landed with when they started suggested. And with ‘Complete Surrender’, it’s become a mere speck in the distance. This is the record that sees their pop ambitions well and truly realised. There’s country in here too, beautiful torch songs and hints of Motown (Slow-town Club anyone? No, never mind). They wanted it to sound “expensive and beautiful” while still remaining stripped back and personal, and boy have they delivered. The result is a record where those big themes of love and loss – the ones Slow Club do so well – are still there but here they’re soundtracked by big, classic pop music. “This is the most happy I’ve been with a record,” beams Rebecca. “I find things like strings and brass so beautiful so I love how the whole album sounds. “Charles and I were in a really good place and the songs were really important to us both – none of them had fizzled out in terms of what we felt about them. It was just a wonderful experience.”

interview slow club

Charles has a slightly more pragmatic reason. “I just think we were a lot more prepared.”

“ T h i s

“I think it’s magic and Charles thinks it’s because we were prepared!”

m o s t

“We worked really hard for a year before we got to the studio.”

I ’ v e

“Really hard slash go to Sainsbury’s a lot,” laughs Rebecca.

Whether it was inspired by a meal deal or magic it’s obvious this emphasis on planning meant they had a clear idea of where they wanted the record to head. “With every record, we’ve always made a conscious decision to make things even more streamlined,” explains Charles. “I think that just comes from becoming better songwriters.” “We wanted it to be simple and beautiful,” says Rebecca. “Some of the songs have taken on a life that I didn’t think they’d get but mostly they’re what we intended.” “There’s one called ‘Dependable People and Things That I’m Sure Of’ that I wanted to be really stripped down but in the studio Colin (Elliot) our producer could hear something more in it and it became something much more than I thought it was going to be. And ‘Wanderer’ was completely different to what we expected. I couldn’t believe Charles went for it. We sent the song to the moon basically.” “I was totally surprised myself,” admits Charles. “It was just going to be piano and drums basically and then we had this old synth in the studio and we had this patch called Greek Power which is essentially like Vangelis and totally doesn’t fit with the record at all but it just worked.” The first single – the title track from the album – comes complete with a pulsating hook and dramatic string section: it seemed to take people by surprise. “It doesn’t shock us! It encapsulated what we were getting at,” says Rebecca. “We both said ‘Yes, that’s the first single’. I kinda wish we made a record of songs like that. The next record is going to be insane disco.” As a first single it also showcases

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i s

t h e

h a p p y b e e n

r e c o r d . ”

R e b e c c a

T a y l o r

w i t h

a confidence that this is them – this is what they do. A big, gleaming pop song. Do they feel that sense of confidence? “I’m definitely singing how I want to sing now,” agrees Rebecca, though Charles is more hesitant. “I feel with singing I’m still finding where I want to be with it. I find it quite hard to sing in certain places. But with this one I spent a lot of time practicing how I wanted to sing.” And it’s the stunning, beautifully poignant ‘Number One’, written by Charles, with lyrics about ‘wanting to understand yesterday’, that means the most to both of them. “Before you wrote it I was willing you to write it.” “I’m really happy with it. Writing in the first person doesn’t come naturally to me,” explains Charles. It is this togetherness – that knowledge that they have each other’s backs – which you can instantly feel. It’s what makes Slow Club this idiosyncratic gem: with their pop songs, their deft, touching lyrics that blow you away and those small, relatable details that make you feel like this is your best friend. It’s pop, but different to Rebecca’s beloved Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. “I don’t just listen to them! We listen to some fundamental bands: Neil, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac. And Bowie – lots of Bowie.” But it’s what makes

them different and where they take those inspirations that makes them so great. “This record is a lot more separate,” says Charles. “But the collaborative songs are a lot more cohesive than the last one. We’ve both just allowed each other to write songs from our own point of view and enjoyed the fact that we’ve both got different opinions and visions… we’re very different people.” And what of their ambitions for such an ambitious sounding record? “Global domination!” shouts Charles. “We’ve being doing it ages and we love doing it but it would be great to reach a few more people,” says Rebecca more realistically. Charles concurs. “I think we’ve been really lucky because we’ve never been a band that have been super-championed by anyone – we’ve kind of been able to go slowly on our own terms with the freedom to do what we want. I think some bands have massive first albums and then are like ‘Arrgghh’. I don’t think that’s a nice feeling, I wouldn’t want that.” It’s left to Rebecca to provide the best answer. “I want to be an M&S girl. How good would I be?” Slow Club’s new album ‘Complete Surrender’ will be released on 14th July via Caroline Records. DIY

interview honeyblood

Hon

ct a Point r s

eyb

Scot

loo

tish

d m igh t

duo

loo

have

k in n

a tri c

oce

nt,

but the k or two up

their sleeves. Words: Sarah

Jami

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s: Photo eson,

Emma

Swan

“I

t was nice to feel like we were in a different world,” begins drummer Shona McVicar, thinking back to the recording of Honeyblood’s first full-length with esteemed producer Peter Katis. “There were no distractions or anything. We’d just be in this cool little house: you would go into that world and that’s what you were there to do.” “He had the most amazing cat!” excitedly chirps guitarist and vocalist Stina Tweeddale. “It’s a really famous cat actually, called The Wolfman. He’s huge! Like an actual wolf, and he acts like a dog. I think a lot of bands have made friends with this cat, and he was just there all the time. And I love cats, so I was like, ‘Yes! We’re recording and there’s a cat here!’ It’s just such a serene place. It’s just a big massive house in a suburb in Connecticut and there’s nothing to distract you. “We’d just wake up in the morning and listen to what we had recorded,” she continues, “have some breakfast, and then start recording until late at night. We didn’t check our phones or anything at all, they would just be left downstairs. We literally spent ten hours in that attic, every single day, without coming down. Sometimes we would eat at midday, record until ten and then we would eat at ten. Some days, if we were really struggling, Peter would be like, ‘right, okay, I’m gonna make a lasagne or a stew’, and he’d go cook this amazing meal. All of us would go downstairs - Gregg, who works as his assistant, Eric from Augustines who was about the whole time and his son, sometimes his wife - and we’d just eat this massive meal and we would talk about recording,

interview honeyblood

but we’d also talk about other things. We pretty much lived there.” Giant cats, domestic bliss and suburbia aren’t the only things that Honeyblood encountered whilst spending thirteen days recording with Peter. Despite admitting that they “didn’t even leave the house much”, there were a few unexpected twists to their trip. “We sometimes walked to the local supermarket,” throws in Shona. “It was quite a rough area though, you wouldn’t go out by yourself...” It’s easy to raise an eyebrow; after all, the duo’s hometown of Glasgow has never had the most pristine of reputations. “Oh, this was worse.” “Much worse!” laughs Stina. “They’ve got guns, haven’t they?” “There was a big police incident outside the house once,” Shona reflects. “A man on PCP drove into a house across the road,” Stina explains, “and into our friend’s car and loads of other cars. Then he took all his clothes off and ran about and loads police were trying to catch him. We were all watching him like, ‘Ahhh!’” The chaos outside of their surroundings wasn’t the only challenge they had to deal with during their time in Connecticut: the two-piece knew going into the making of their record that they had set themselves a high bar, and things were always going to be a little tight to pull off. “I think it was hard because in ten days, we did thirteen songs,” admits Stina. “That’s more than a song a day. Also, we just flew in and then had to adjust to the time zone. I got really sick at the beginning and lost my voice, so the whole pressure of that… It was a really tight squeeze, but I think if it [had taken] any longer, it wouldn’t have been the same. You can tell that there’s a sense of urgency on the record. “It’s such an emotional thing, recording an album,” she muses. “It really is. You think it’s just gonna be a happy time, but it’s not.” The pair burst out laughing, before the subject turns serious once more: this time, it’s about ‘the break’. “When we

“ I t

w a s

r e a l l y

a t i g h t

s q u e e z e ; t h e r e ’ s s e n s e

o f

u r g e n c y o n

t h e

r e c o r d . ” T w e e d d a l e

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S t i n a

were in there, Peter was like, ‘You will have ‘the break’.” It’s easy to imagine what ‘the break’ entails. “He was like, ‘You will have it. I don’t know when it’ll happen, you don’t know when, but it will happen’. It happened to me on the second last day! I literally just had to go away for a while, sit down. “I had a talk with Peter that day and he was like, ‘You’ve got four or five songs left and two days to go. I don’t think you’re gonna do it. I’m just telling you!’ So, we had basic tracks done for all of those songs but we didn’t have maybe all the vocals or other guitar parts. So, he sat me down and told me we needed to make a decision to decide between the songs that we wanted to keep and the ones we didn’t. The thing is, the ones that we really wanted, we had left until the end because we knew we could do them the best. I was like, ‘No, I have to do them all!’ and he was like, ‘Okay, it’s up to you.’ I’m so glad I made that decision because we did.”

“ Y o u

t h i n k

i t ’ s

j u s t

g o n n a h a p p y b u t

b e

t i m e ,

i t ’ s

n o t . ”

S t i n a

T w e e d d a l e

Whilst the pressure may have got to the guitarist before their time was up, the pair managed to overcome. They’re just not entirely sure how... “I have no idea what happened,” interjects Shona. “It got to 8pm on the last night and then we were like, ‘Oh, woah, it’s done.’” “Nobody knows how it happened!” laughs Stina. “The last day, I can’t really remember how we did that, but it did happen. It was an emotional roller coaster! We had a little drink at the end, and a little bit of a celebration because it was a bit of a feat.” “I think we would’ve definitely preferred more time,” Shona reminisces, “but we’re quite lucky that, because it’s our first album, we’ve been working with the songs for a long time now. We know the songs off by heart, so we were able to go in and do it, luckily, in the time. It’s a big thing to do, your first album. It was really stressful, but we did it in the end.” Honeyblood’s self-titled debut album will be released on 14th July via FatCat Records. DIY

It’s ok, we Photoshopped out the projectile vomit. 69

A LV VAY S / A R C A D E F I R E / A R C T I C M O N K E Y S / B R O N T I D E / D O W N L O A D / L E W I S / J UN G L E / L A RO U X / L ANA D E L R E Y / LO R D E / MAC D E MARC O / / PA R K L I F E / P R I M AV E R A S O U N D / R E A L F R I E N D S / S H A B A Z Z PA L A C E S /

TRACKLIST 1. The Heat 2. Accelerate 3. Busy Earnin’ 4. Platoon 5. Drops 6. Time 7. Smoking Pixels 8. Julia 9. Crumbler 10. Son of a Gun 11. Lucky I Got What I Want 12. Lemonade Lake

JUNGLE aren’t stuck sweating in the Amazon.

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JUNGLE Jungle

(XL Recordings)

The sirens, field recordings and distant yelps that form a minor part of JUNGLE’s debut album are just as important as the falsettoed funk that defines the London band’s sound. This first work is inmesurably calculated, a record made by two guys intent on conquering the charts. It’s music with a structure, a purpose. Those choruses need to come in before the 1 minute mark. Each song needs a nostalgic core and a future-leaning edge. JUNGLE have undoubtedly read The KLF’s guide on how to get to Number One. And it’s easy to view their once anonymous, irresistibly catchy schtick with cynicism. But that would be overlooking a fantastic collection of songs and, besides, those field recordings give an all-important guide to the process. They sound like two guys having the time of their life, even if it’s a life spent following a rulebook. ‘Accelerate’ sets itself in the midst of a club, appreciative whistles and crowd whoops backing a disco strut. Closer ‘Lemonade Lake’ practically sounds like it’s sipping in

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PHOTo: mike massaro

F I E L D D AY / G E O R G E E Z R A / H O N E Y B L O O D / H U N D R E D WAT E R S / J E N N Y MAN I C S T R E E T PR E AC H E RS / MAS T O D O N / M O R R I S S E Y / N I N E I N C H NAI L S S L AM D UN K / S LOW C L UB / T H E AC I D / WO L F AL I C E / WO MAN ’ S H O UR

an actual ocean, so clean and crystal-clear is its delivery. JUNGLE aren’t stuck sweating in the Amazon. They explore environments, and test out their immediately familiar pop in dynamic settings. Then there’s the choruses - JUNGLE sure know how to write them. ‘Busy Earnin’’ is a lonesome tale that somehow morphs into a glittering giant. Even ‘Lucky I Got What I Want’ - the record’s sombre counterpoint - cuts to the chase and delivers a singalong without a second wasted. One criticism lumped at JUNGLE is that they’ve shoed all their early singles into this record. Try writing this many world-beating songs in the space of a year while leaving them off a debut then write back.

When it comes to the fresher tracks, they all sound like they were written during the same inspired session. ‘Smoking Pixels’ is a default theme song, ‘Julia’ a juggernaut waiting in the wings. ‘Crumbler’ is a duff note, but only by the standards of ‘Time’’s giant stature and ‘Son of a Gun’’s subtle flex. Besides, any record that contains ‘Platoon’ and ‘The Heat’ alongside these big guns is destined to soundtrack unbounded hedonism for years to come. Given the excitement that’s put to tape, it’s obvious this has been JUNGLE’s intention all along; not to be mysterious, not even to be adored; just to be the record that plays while people’s lives are shaped. Something that’s remembered within every pang of nostalgia. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Julia’

reviews

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JENNY LEWIS

The Voyager (Warner Bros.)

To anyone with even the most passing interest in the work of Jenny Lewis - either solo or with Rilo Kiley - the sounds of ‘The Voyager’ will come as little surprise. Lewis’ shimmering vocals dominate over a backdrop shifting between Americana and 70s soft rock (themselves not unexpected given the production credits featuring one Ryan Adams). It’s the Pixies-esque ‘Slippery Slopes’ that’s the real gem, though, as her sugary vocals are tempered by delightfully grungy sounds and grubby themes. (Emma Swann) LISTEN: ‘Slippery Slopes’

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HUNDRED WATERS

The Moon Rang Like A Bell

(K7 / OWSLA)

Gainesville’s Hundred Waters open their record with nothing but a voice. Nicole Miglis is the one constant on ‘The Moon Rang Like a Bell’, an album which zig-zags between anxiety, apprehension and unhinged joy without any warning. This voice of hers - it’s brittle on the outside, but has this strange ability to hold its own in any circumstances. Less a human emotion, more a tool, the only thing stopping this album from collapsing under its own scatterbrained thoughts is this glue of a vocal. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Innocent’

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LANA DEL REY Ultraviolence (Polydor)

Strung out and teardrenched. It’s hard to forget the mud-slinging, hype-stamping furore that met Lana Del Rey’s debut ‘Born to Die’. By that point, she was already writing songs about being famous, having to deal with zero privacy and fragile relationships - she knew where she was going. ‘West Coast’ is an odd lead single. Within the context of an album, it’s a brilliant track, but like ‘Sad Girl’ and ‘Shades of Cool’, parts of this song feel almost intentionally out of place. Choruses - big, brilliant choruses at that - sweep in out of nowhere after awkward bridges and faltering falsetto-ed build-ups. It’s a strange, uncomfortable form of expression, and it’s a big part of a record that’s a hundred times more cohesive than ‘Born to Die’. Her debut didn’t have a moment’s notice to deal with the backlash. This second record knocks the rumours and naysayers out of the park. After all, there’s a track called ‘Fucked My Way Up to the Top’. Confused by Lana Del Rey? Good - that’s exactly how you should feel. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Brooklyn Baby’

PHOTo: emma swann

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JOYCE MANOR eeeee

HONEYBLOOD Honeyblood (FatCat)

More than just a brilliant debut. Glasgow has always been a hotbed of musical talent, and yet still Honeyblood stand out as something more than a little bit special. A sneering put down, a wilting refrain, a hook line from the heavens or a swiftly delivered kick to the teeth, their self titled debut can do anything and everything without breaking stride. From the rattling bounce of ‘All Dragged Up’ to the bitter contempt of ‘Super Rat’, this isn’t just a contender for debut album of the year, it’s the odds on favourite. In a year of endless new favourite bands, Honeyblood are the one. (Stephen Ackroyd) LISTEN: ‘Fall Forever’, ‘Super Rat’, ‘All Dragged Up’

Never Hungover Again (Epitaph)

Taking firm hold of their pop obsessions and improving the formula that turns them into skatepunk hits, on ‘Never Hungover Again’, Joyce Manor have once again created a short, sharp record that is as emotionally pummelling as it is incessantly catchy. The clarity that was lacking on ‘Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired’ is back with a vengeance, and the band are all the better for it. ‘Never Hungover Again’ is a stark reminder of just how much fun you can actually have without alcohol pumping through your veins. (Tom Walters) LISTEN: ‘Victoria’

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MASTODON

Once More ‘Round The Sun

(Warner Bros.)

Mastodon are a band who, almost without anybody noticing, have risen to become one of the most important bands in modern metal. The rushing pace of opener ‘Tread Lightly’ attests to this, bulldozing breakdowns and solos in its path with verve and pure fucking riffery. ‘Chimes At Midnight’ is a solid atmospheric rocker that develops quickly into Sabbath-like levels of melodrama and rapid-fire licks, while ‘Feast Your Eyes’ is an absolute joy. They’ve kept the quality high and the riffs flowing where others might have faltered - no mean feat. (Alex Lynham) LISTEN: ‘Chimes at Midnight’

reviews

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LA ROUX Trouble in Paradise (Polydor)

Heady and humid.

Writing a solid record of tropical disco pop is harder than it looks. Get it wrong, and it can leave an album flailing and out of context; like a Bee Gees tribute act that took a wrong turn and ended up at a UK garage night. Try too hard, and it’ll sound like someone who learnt all all the words to one Madonna song ready for their first beach party. Luckily La Roux steps up to the challenge. ‘Trouble in Paradise’ is a cohesive and infectious second album that builds upon ‘La Roux’ and takes its melodic clout away on a tropical holiday to a progressive musical island. Five years since that self-titled debut, Elly Jackson’s pop appeal is still at the forefront, but ‘Trouble Is Paradise’ feels warmer, cheekier and more mischievous. (El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Uptown Downtown’

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THE ACID

Liminal (Infectious)

What would happen if Jamie xx and James Blake were locked in the Big Brother house with nothing to subsist on but a wheelbarrow of marijuana and several crates of Pro-Plus? First of all you’d probably get some of the strangest reality television conceivable - but throw some recording equipment into the mix and they might well end up with an album that sounds a little like ‘Liminal’, a record that operates in that same alloy of anaesthetised lethargy and paranoid agitation. (Jack Enright) LISTEN: ‘Ghost’

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BRONTIDE Artery (Pink Mist)

Three years after incendiary debut, ‘Sans Souci’, Brontide make a valiant attempt at striving for a more mature, focused brand of songwriting on follow-up, ‘Artery’. They’ve crafted something inherently melodic and genrespanning, yet still bookend it with stabs at that familiar intensity of theirs. It doesn’t take much of a leap to consider ‘Knives’ as something that wouldn’t feel out of place as an ‘OK Computer’-era Radiohead B-side, and then there’s ‘Still Life’, which maintains a folk and blues inflected approach before exploding into the latter folds of the record. Varied then, but no less ambitious or daring. (Nathan Roberts) LISTEN: ‘Kith And Kin’ 74 diymag.com

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GEORGE EZRA Wanted on Voyage (Columbia)

Charged with pure emotion

Yes, George Ezra possesses a voice that seems to have aged with him like twenty-year-old bourbon, steeped in the soulful hops and grains of America’s deep Southern Blues. At first it wouldn’t sound out of place coming from the mouth of a weathered shrimp fisherman cruising the waterways of Louisiana on a battered little boat. Take a closer look at ‘Wanted On Voyage’, though, and it isn’t beyond Ezra’s years at all. Colouring his lyrics of heartbreak with all-important believability is Ezra’s major strength, and though his melodic veins might run red with the paired-back folk of Tom Paxon, Woody Guthrie, and Phil Ochs, on this album’s stand-out moments, Ezra manages to channel his decidedly vintage influences into a stomping, energetic, and thoroughly youthful place. He could be singing his shopping list, and it would still sound charged with pure emotion. (El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Budapest’

MANIC STREET PREACHERS Futurology (Columbia)

After last year’s predominantly acoustic ‘Rewind The Film’, the Manics are back with their twelfth album. Famously the band claimed to have had their “last shot at mass communication” but lead single ‘Walk Me To The Bridge’ is proof they haven’t lost the knack of writing killer pop songs, starting off with a needling guitar line and a gnarly vocal before a tidal wave of synths are unleashed. But, from a band with a string of masterpieces in their back catalogue, ‘Futurology’ is a real disappointment. ‘Let’s Go To War’ is merely a plead to shun complacency, ‘Europa Geht Durch Mich’ soulless, repetitive dirge. Their willingness to experiment at this stage of their career is laudable but they fail to make any real emotional connection. (Greg Inglis) LISTEN: ‘Walk Me To The Bridge’

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ALVVAYS

PHOTo: emma swann

Alvvays (Polyvinyl)

Sometimes hooks are just hooks, catchy songs with no lofty cause or five-year plan. That’s the case with Canadians Alvvays. Their songs document love, “cocktails”, awkward exchanges and tough times. But that’s not the important part. What matters in the band’s first full-length is that not a single track comes off as a dud. With each effort packing at least half a dozen unique hooks, it’s difficult for anything to come off remotely dull. Drawing from the same spirit as early Shins and given its lack of missteps, it’s capable of becoming just as important a debut as ‘Oh, Inverted World’. All it needs now is a Zach Braff endorsement. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Archie, Marry Me’

reviews

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REAL FRIENDS

Maybe This Place is the Same and We’re Just Changing (Fearless Records)

Real Friends’ ‘Maybe This Place Is The Same And We’re Changing’ might look like quite the mouthful at first glance, but its twelve tracks possess a welcoming spirit, urging you to throw caution to the wind, forget all your problems and just sing the hell along. Perfectly executed pop punk might be a guilty pleasure for most but this is enough to sway any naysayer, reminiscent of The Starting Line at the peak of their anthemic powers. Bright, passionate and fizzing with energetic bubbles, it’s safe to say that Real Friends are set to light up summer with their debut record. (Sarah Jamieson) LISTEN: ‘Loose Ends’

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MORRISSEY

World Peace Is None Of Your Business (Virgin EMI)

Morrissey’s tenth solo effort, ‘World Peace is None of Your Business’ feels infinitely more concise, and musically more defined. European influences seep in through every pore – from the flamenco guitar that plays a major role throughout, to the bouzouki-resembling moments of ‘Istanbul’ – and it’s no real surprise to learn it was recorded in the depths of Southern France. His lyrics feel leaner and more piercing; from the pitying tones of the album’s title track, to the twisted humour behind ‘The Bullfighter Dies’. Truthfully, there couldn’t be anyone but Morrissey behind this record, but if he continues to deliver with that same enigmatic snarl as ever, we wouldn’t want anyone else. (Sarah Jamieson) LISTEN: ‘I’m Not A Man’

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WOMAN’S HOUR

Conversations (Secretly

Canadian)

Where some precise electronic pop records come off cold, ‘Conversations’ has a genuine soul. It shows itself up in ‘Darkest Place’’s heart-shattering line “for the first second of every day, I don’t understand why you’re not around.” It rears its head again in ‘Our Love Has No Rhythm’’s closing, soaring guitar line, the sky being a pathetic limit that’s easily surpassable. And throughout, Fiona Burgess oversees everything with emotional depth, giving herself to every line, like it might be the last one she ever sings. This album is, in reality, the sound of perfectionists giving in to instinct. And once Woman’s Hour shun exactitude and all its side effects, they emerge with a dazzling debut. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Reflections’

PHOTos: emma swann

Perfectionists giving in to instinct.

LESS THAN FOUR

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SLOW CLUB Complete Surrender (Caroline Records)

Sheffield two-piece go big. Really big. You know what you’re getting with Slow Club, right? Wrong. Not anymore you don’t. Like a pair of butterflies Rebecca Taylor and Charles Watson have cocooned themselves away, returning with something unexpected - a bloody huge pop album. This isn’t in any way dubstep, syths and flavours of the week, mind you. ‘Complete Surrender’ takes the Slow Club of yore and ramps up the Northern Soul and Motown vibes. From the title track and its retro disco stabs to ‘Suffering You, Suffering Me’ and its big band bombast, what results is a seductively rich, first class diva of a record that makes any foolish preconceptions seem ridiculous at best. (Stephen Ackroyd) LISTEN: ‘Suffering You, Suffering Me’

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SHABAZZ PALACES

lese Majesty (Sub Pop)

Grammy winner Ishmael Butler isn’t a conventional revolutionary, but an experimental edge was exposed in technicolour on his latest project’s 2011 full-length ‘Black Up’. If anyone is splintering hip-hop into a collage of strange pieces, shaping a genre into the complete opposite of a mirror’s image, it’s Shabazz Palaces. Their ambition is there to be seen, right in the tracklist of ‘Lese Majesty’. The whole record initially comes off like a collision of crackpot thoughts; abstract lyrics; abstract synthetics; all abstract everything. There won’t be another record like it in 2014, and Butler will do well to re-discover his inner madness if he’s to make an album this insane ever again. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Forerunner Foray’

As a lot of records found themselves with four-star ratings this month, here’s a list of things which deserve much less than four stars.

Originally going to be ‘England’s performance during the World Cup’, but now just Steven Gerrard. You let it slip, mate.

Whoever decided to get rid of Jen and Ally’s amazing Sunday night show from the BBC Radio 1 line-up. That’s one in the teeth for everyone who loves new music.

Any of you lot that haven’t been to see the new diymag.com yet. Get on it. Now.

live

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Field Day Victoria Park, London

Blue skies above, green Sky’s on stage

Photos: emma swann

pilling out over two days seems to suit Field Day: the first day a cavalcade of interesting and eccentric new music gems stretching from dance to hip-hop, the second day – headlined by the Pixies – a more staunchly indie day dominated by The Horrors. Saturday’s proceedings start with Sky Ferreira but someone has forgotten to tell her the sun is out: she wears a duffle coat all the way through her performance, yet the ‘Night Time, My Time’ songs have a light touch that cut through the blue sky. Night-time seems to be everyone’s time through the afternoon: SOHN appears, obscured by his black oversized hood, his set – including a mesmerising ‘The Wheel’ – darkly captivates. John Wizards seem to have one member auditioning for The Strokes and one for Crocodile Dundee II but their colourful cocktail of light harmonies, hyperactive rhythms and bubbling synths has the whole of the Shacklewell Arms tent bouncing as if it’s 3AM. Enveloped in the canopy of Resident Advisor tent Todd Terje’s kaleidoscopic and joyful set is perfectly paced, providing many highs, notably ‘Delorean Dynamite’. Pulsing and rising, it’s easy to imagine yourself wearing a white suit and chasing a criminal across a yacht while listening to his undulating slippery dance. Jon Hopkins finds it slightly more lost on the big stage but you can’t escape from the immersive qualities of ‘Collider’ and ‘Open Eye Signal’ as balloons fall around. The end of the day is left to Metronomy,

as Joe Mount and his white-suited bandmates take centre stage framed by the cut out clouds in their backdrop (the first we’ve seen of the day). ‘The Look’ is is infectious and the ‘Nights Out’-era cuts such as west country funk of ‘Radio Ladio’ are welcomed like old friends. It’s ‘Corrine’, however, that’s beautiful as the stars twinkle above. The decision to put Future Islands on at a time when not one other band is playing across the entire site means a sign says ‘Tent full’ as the band begin. “I’m drunk as shit,”says Samuel T Herring as he takes to the stage. At one point he spins around the stage as if he’s going to carry on forever. “I don’t know where that Whirling Dervish shit came from,” he admits. Half pro-wrestler, half Shakespearean actor, you can’t take your eyes off Herring for a second as he beats his chest and growls theatrically. It’s utterly captivating but the songs are there too: huge synth pop numbers like ‘Sun In The Morning’ and ‘Doves’ which have the crowd dancing until their feet bleed. Compare and contrast that with Black Francis on the main stage who stands motionless and grimacing for most of Pixies’ headline set. And yet… it still works. A stretched out ‘Vamos’ feels alive, the whole crowd dance along to ‘Here Comes Your Man’ and ‘Hey’ somehow becomes a singalong anthem. When they finish under the dark clear sky by playing ‘Where is My Mind?’ you know you have a show on your hands. (Danny Wright)

reviews

ownload is absolutely huge. Second only to Glastonbury in terms of sheer (literal, physical) size in the UK, its lineage may be steeped in classic heavy metal, but more recently it has stepped out of that bubble. The recently reunited Quicksand continue their whistle stop tour of festivals at Download and their post-hardcore, emo sound is in stark contrast with the rest of the acts so far, providing a reprieve from the full on intensity of the rest of the bill. Another band that are genuinely impressive live but don’t quite fit on the bill today are Drenge, whose grungy sound is sadly under-appreciated in today’s heatwave. Headlining the main stage tonight are Avenged Sevenfold, making their debut headline performance at the festival, looking every bit the part of a classic metal band, with the swagger of M Shadows and the shredding ability of Synester Gates more than fitting them for the part of Download headliners. With a decidedly greyer outlook to Saturday, Marmozets take to the Pepsi Max stage eager and ready to impress. They really have come a long way in the past twelve months and the crowd spilling out the tent is testament to that. Their sound has

evolved and they’ve grown in to their niche to provide a nice surprise. Fall Out Boy return to the UK following their arena tour earlier this year. They are now naturals in this kind of environment and reel off hit after hit in a very familiar setlist. It’s impossible to argue with the mix of songs they play tonight, including a couple of album tracks from ‘Save Rock And Roll’ and their obligatory closer ‘Saturday.’ Album shows are often divisive, but tonight ‘Hybrid Theory’ still sounds excellent, and Linkin Park’s energy on stage makes for a fitting closing to Saturday’s proceedings. In the aftermath of the England game that went on till the small hours, there’s a muted excitement about the final day of Download. Against Me! follow on the Pepsi Max Stage and are (thankfully) the complete opposite to Steel Panther, who’ve just returned the main stage to the 80s - and not in a good way. They are on truly wonderful form with their passionate punk-rock live show. Frontwoman Laura Jane Grace entrances as the band rifle through hits old and new. Finally, if Download has a heritage it needs to maintain, Aerosmith provide a fitting end to Download 2014. (Tom White)

agaiNst me! fall out boy

Rock rock rock rock rock rock

DOWNLOAD

bring me the horizon

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett

Donington Park

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Photo: Dani Canto

st. vincent

SLAM DUNK

University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

PRIMAVERA SOUND Parc del Forum, Barcelona

n the Friday of Primavera Sound 2014, after an hour-long storm pounds the concreted walkways of the Parc del Forum, the rain suddenly subsides, blue skies almost magically materialise and a double rainbow emerges above the stages, framing the festival in the most beautiful light. What begins with a gentle, melodic Real Estate set under the evening sun, swirls and grows and seethes, over three days later as Spanish DJ Coco ends with Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’. Between the two there are stunning highlights: Arcade Fire play a 21-song set that showcases everything they do so well: it’s unashamedly big and brilliant, beginning with a giant ‘Reflektor’ before we get a pounding ‘Power Out’, ‘Rococo’ with a Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’ a cappella outro, ‘No Cars Go’ a Springsteenfist pump while for ‘It’s Never Over’ Régine travels through the crowd to sing back at Win. St. Vincent’s show is also approaching hypnotic perfection: every one of her robotic movements and all the spellbinding theatrics make it a mesmerising show – and that’s forgetting her jawdropping shredding. It only helps to shine a light on the twisted hooks and sparkling guitar lines of her new songs. “It’s time to go fuckin’ loco, motherfuckers,” announces Josh Homme, like the ginger Elvis he is, as

Queens Of The Stone Age launch into ‘Feel Good Hit of the Summer’. It’s a lean, intense show that is as powerful as it is efficient. On the other hand Pixies’ efficiency sometimes comes across more as going through the motions and Black Francis barely moves, but when you have ‘Gigantic’, ‘Where Is My Mind’ and ‘Debaser’ to pull out of the bag you can’t go wrong. The National’s show here is unflinchingly great. Augmented by Justin Vernon for ‘Slow Show’ and Hamilton Leithauser for ‘Mr November’ and ‘Terrible Love’, it’s a set that’s been perfected through a year’s worth of performances. Elsewhere Television playing the immaculate ‘Marquee Moon’ feels much fresher than it has any right to be: so much so you can nearly imagine what it would have been like to have heard it live in 1977. Girl Band are ferociously, brilliantly loud, Spoon remind you that they can be the one of the best bands around, while Warpaint, Factory Floor and Cut Copy all lock into thrilling rhythms that entrap you for the duration of their set. Of course there are duds: Godspeed’s set doesn’t work and ends up feeling more of a endurance test while Kendrick Lamar’s seems too half-baked and too short. But as the philosopher Dolly Parton once said, “If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain”. (Danny Wright)

letlive.

Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett

The rain(bow) in Spain...

f there’s one thing that’s hampered the UK’s pop punk scene, it’s surely the weather. While the sunny West Coast can churn out the cream of the crop, the drab unpredictability of the UK’s forecast doesn’t lend itself quite as well to such musical sunshine. That doesn’t faze Gnarwolves, whose thunderous ‘Melody Has Big Plans’, instantly inspires the biggest sing-along of the whole day. letlive.’s Jason Butler meanwhile storms around the confines of the car park - climbing fences, surfing inflatable mattresses and diving headfirst into the crowd on numerous occasions. Closing the main stage is left to The All American Rejects, who - despite drawing a huge crowd - can’t quite match the energy of the day. The odd misogynistic comment from frontman Tyson Ritter also hits a sour note amongst a crowd who can only really bring themselves to humour him through tracks from 2007’s ‘Move Along’. No such trouble for Kids In Glass Houses, as they storm through a set comprised predominantly of debut album ‘Smart Casual’ in full, closing out both the festival and their career as they head towards hiatus. (Tom Connick)

That’s Jason B-boy to you 81

Not a howler

WOLF ALICE

omething’s going on. In darkened rooms up and down the country, those still able to be enthused are gathering. Excitement reigns, and not just on its blog with its arms crossed at the back of an East London boozer. The Brit Pack is real. Superfood know it. When scene daddies Peace first declared them as B-Town’s greatest hopes, it might have seemed like a spot of nepotism; helping out mates from the same stable. Since then, though, that Midlands crucible has mutated, not died. Belying the history lesson anyone over thirty would try and subject them to, few in the Scala tonight care that - yes - Superfood are magpies, not scientists from the bleeding edge of the sonisphere. Kitchen sink, tea towel melodies, a lackadaisical delivery that hides an iron will, the Birmingham four piece know when to watch the world go by, and when to give it a good old slap on the nose. ‘Bubbles’, ‘TV’ and sort-of-theme-song ‘Superfood’ all connect in a way only a special few can. Where Superfood ramp it up to 10, Wolf Alice crank it past 11. A band with a couple of EPs and a few singles

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Scala, London

under their belts, they’re probably having the best week of their lives. A new release ripping up the airwaves, national magazine covers hitting the streets, tonight they headline as if it’s a packed Wembley Arena. From the front to the back, the crowd goes absolutely bloody mental as Ellie Rowsell’s vocal cuts through like glass. This is some homecoming. The truth is, those established bands may have deep pockets of material to play with, but they don’t have ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’. Nor do they have ‘Storms’. They definitely don’t have a ‘Bros’. In their short lifespan, Wolf Alice have been stacking up the hits like they’re expecting the music apocalypse. When it never came, they decided to usher it in themselves. Neither of these bands will tackle it on their own, either. The really remarkable part of tonight, without sounding cheesy, is the audience. These are their people young, engaged new music fans who don’t care what Grandad has to say about 1997 or Britpop. They’re the ones who dance like nobody else is watching, sing back every word and, most importantly, get they’re part of something far bigger. (Stephen Ackroyd)

Photos: Carolina Faruolo

reviews

LORDE

Photo: emma swann

Photo: Carolina Faruolo

You can call her Queen B-rixton

Brixton Academy, London

I wanna be N4’s

ARCTIC MONKEYS Finsbury Park, London

“F

insbury Park, you can’t be sure”, muses Alex Turner as he scans the never-ending crowd amassed before him. The short of it is - on this warm Friday night, Finsbury Park is very sure. Whether it’s the bleeding obvious ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’, ‘Brianstorm’ or tub-thumping opener ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ there’s barely a second through tonight’s entire set that doesn’t involve the lighting of flares, the throwing of pints or frankly terrible attempts at a Sheffield accent. From the fences bearing Arctic Monkeys’ now trademark soundwave artwork, to the slicked-back Eddie Munster hair and impossibly highfashion blazer sported by the frontman, it’s immediately evident just how massive a deal these gigs are. In essence, the recent remarks from US tour notso-pals The Orwells on the quartet’s similarities to massive boybands are

entirely correct: a production this immense can’t be scripted on the back of a beer can. That’s not to suggest it’s entirely asyou-were. ‘505’ creeps its way in to the set proper, recent single ‘Arabella’ gets itself a huge breakdown courtesy of Black Sabbath, ‘Knee Socks’ gains a dark and spooky makeover, and while ‘No. 1 Party Anthem’ sounded strangely like an ode to Primal Scream during last year’s festival run, this time around it’s a fullon ‘Hey Jude’ style hug-a-long. So after the solo acoustic ‘A Certain Romance’ to open an inevitable encore, then the extended wig-out duo of ‘One For The Road’ and ‘I Wanna Be Yours’, it’s back to the bombast of ‘R U Mine?’, the long walk out of the arena and – predictably enough - countless football chants. (Emma Swann)

he general consensus is that ‘putting on a pop concert’ these days should involve a complex equation mixing oversized novelty props, elaborate costumes and a lighting show that costs more to stage than a one bedroom flat in the area immediately outside the chosen venue. Tonight at Brixton, though, Lorde wears a bold, boxy tuxedo-type effort, and has assembled a kind of minimalist take on a baroque drawing room in a stately home. She’s brought along a chandelier, three massive picture frames, a drummer, and another band member to man the delivery of her killer synth chops, and that’s about it; at least in terms of physical spectacle. The main draw here tonight is Lorde herself. “We’re slipping off the course that we prepared, but in all chaos, there is calculation,” she sings quietly, in richly hushed tones, over slinking drumchops. Opening with ‘Glory and Gore’ is an unexpected, but fitting, opening choice, and Lorde delivers it alone, lit unfussily by a single spotlight. Bold, formidable, haunting, and occasionally, glimpsingly, vulnerable, tonight confirms Lorde is far more than a flag bearer for the misfits; she makes weirdo pop sound effortless. (El Hunt)

Fire in the disco

ARCADE FIRE Earl’s Court, London

“T

hey keep on being the best band I’ve ever seen,” avows a gracious Lorde, who obviously jumped at the chance to support Arcade Fire tonight. Their lyrics, quite often wistful, suburban, youth-centric, have resonated with disillusioned teenagers all over the world, she explains, and she for one is among them. As they join the stage, ‘Reflektor’ is an explosion of pomp and colour, as light rays bound off a blinding robot-man dressed in shards of mirror. Disco Arcade Fire is the first of the band’s many faces running amok, gleefully, jerkily packing in off-beat woodwind grooves, 90s house piano plinks, and Win and Régine’s glorious vocal interplay. This side continues with the lilting ‘Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)’, the synth-pop Cure-isms of ‘Afterlife’, and the gender identity-tackling ‘We Exist’. Next, Stadium Rock Arcade Fire is an altogether different beast. Whether it’s the rebellious punkiness of ‘Month of May’, ‘Normal Person’ and ‘Joan of Arc’, or the Springsteen anthemics of ‘Rebellion (Lies)’, ‘Tunnels’ and ‘The Suburbs’, they never flounder about. There’s always a cathartic side to the beautiful cacophony. Will Butler persists in the OTT drumthwacking, Richard Reed Parry in his urgent facial expressions. And then there’s Caribbean Arcade Fire. The reggae riddims of ‘Flashbulb Eyes’ provide an early standout, while ‘Here Comes the Night Time’ offers calypso shimmying galore. Similarly, ‘Power Out’ and ‘Haiti’ are given a strangely uplifting twist with the addition of steel drums and creole chants, as the band constantly remind us of the sheer extent and malleability of their back catalogue. ‘Wake Up’ is the predictable culmination, with all hands raised for that timeless grumble of a riff and belting ‘all together now’ finale. It’s a nigh-on tearful moment for everyone involved. (Huw Oliver)

Photo: Leah Henson

reviews

Stoked on Trent

NINE INCH NAILS Phones4U Arena, Manchester

Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett

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here comes a moment when you can feel the machine-paced pulsing of your heart, a sensation of pure muscularity, a heightened awareness of existence, of just being there in the jaws of the most ferocious beast in music. That’s Nine Inch Nails. It’s not just a feat in raw power either, it’s immaculately planned, impeccably conceived and executed with flair and a decisiveness that few other live acts manage. Once the simmering promise of ‘Copy of A’ explodes into frantic staple ‘1,000,000’ there’s no going back. A tornado of lights and sound, as the sky breaks into a dizzying display of overhead flashes. The setlist is intelligently arranged, loosely falling into chapters of eras, beginning with the late 2000s hysteria and suspicion and morphing into a 90s trash. Classics like ‘Closer’ sit seamlessly with the likes of ‘Survivalism’ as each part of Nine Inch Nails’ history is united by their pure ferocity. Robin Finck, Alessandro Cortini and Ilan Rubin bring unflinching consistency, each taking their moments in the spotlight with aplomb and Reznor retaining all the claims of his cult-like presence and super-human stamina. No sign of slowing, no sign of tiring and no sign of repetition – Nine Inch Nails are quite possibly the best live band on the planet. (Matthew Davies)

Photo: Carolina Faruolo

They all go, hand in hand...

PARKLIFE Heaton Park, Manchester

MAC DE MARCO KOKO, London

“JUST RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM MAC DEMARCO’S TOUR MANAGER INFORMING US TO BE PREPARED COS THE SHOWS ON THIS TOUR SO FAR HAVE BEEN “A BIT WILD”!” We can’t say we weren’t warned. A day prior to Mac DeMarco’s biggest London show to date and the signs are laid clear by Manchester promoters Now Wave. This time round, Canada’s slacked-out poster boy means business (or more likely, an excess of pleasure), and the crowds do too. Last time he toured the UK it was grotty venues swelled by his wide-smiles, cheeky pranks and effortlessly loveable personality – oh, and an album or two’s worth of stoner rock ‘n’ roll anthems. This time he’s got one more, and he’s reached a whole new plain with it. Opening with this year’s laa-laden, eponymous album opener ‘Salad Days’ and the buzz is festivalesque: people ride shoulders, brazenly chant-a-long, and the good times flow free. Five songs in with live favourite ‘Cooking Up Something Good’ and the atmosphere hasn’t let up. They fucking love it. The new album, unsurprisingly, fits in perfectly with Mac’s established live set – the addition of a synthesiser to the live show is a much-welcomed one.

‘Passing Out Pieces’ receives one of the greatest receptions of an energised and vocal crowd, and the gooey electronics sound outstanding later on album highlight ‘Chamber Of Reflection’, as well as the George Harrison-esque ‘I’m A Man’. But in other aspects, with new material he also brings change with him; “Please don’t take my love away”, he sings on ‘Let My Baby Stay’, and it is at this point that a newfound (relative) maturity is laid out by the jangling artist. Like the wizened lyrics of ‘Salad Days’, Mac seems to have grown into his rock star status with his return to London. Gone are the drawling stories about being stoned in the basement. Bassist Pierce McGarry attempts a staple between-song joke to fill the silence, but this time he’s barely audible; the show has grown and the ‘raunchfests’ of old seem like they no longer fit. That doesn’t stop Mac crowd surfing around the whole venue at the end of the set, visible only for his red Vans emerging from the gangly blur of limbs beneath him, but this, for sure, is a performance that finally lets the music do most of the talking. Maybe he wasn’t prepared for it, but Mac DeMarco has been crowned tonight; he can only continue to flourish from here. (James Balmont)

katy b

Photo: Leah Henson

Big Mac

o amount of rain stops things in Manchester, as submerged we often are, but it can delay them. So Parklife splutters into life with a delayed opening time, heavy flooding and the predictable deluge of afternoon-eating DJ sets. By evening Katy B slathers her dance-pop all over the stage, predictably peaking with ‘Katy on a Mission’ while Cyril Hahn leads a set of just plain dance through his slick chilled-out remixes of much loved chart hits like Destiny’s Child’s ‘Say My Name’. A brief respite and Chromeo take to the stage. Breaking out their funky classics like ‘Tenderoni’ and ‘Fancy Footwork’ the Canadian duo delight the crowd. Replacing Kendrick Lamar is a tall order, but while likely to lose a poetry contest against him, A$AP Rocky is on all other fronts perhaps the ideal replacement. The second day opens with its eye on critical acclaim as Warpaint and Sam Smith take to the main stage. Bastille later play a high-intensity set, and it’s Dan Smith’s surprisingly excitable antics as a front man that propel radiofriendly songs like ‘Bad Blood’ and ‘The Draw’ into the status of festival anthems. Arguably the standout British act of the last few years (on a main stage headlining level), there’s almost a guaranteed level of high quality from Foals. Still, they far surpass it and by now from the mesmerising explosions of ‘Inhaler’ and ‘Providence’ to the tender swoon of ‘Spanish Sahara’. (Matthew Davies)

c indie

dreaMboat

Of the Month

DAVE BAYLEY glass animals

FULL NAME David A Bayley NICKNAME Fatty Dave Head, Davey Dave Dave, Disco Dave, Davidoff, DAV, Sarky Dave, Algie. STAR SIGN Gemini. PETS I’ve got a rabbit. He’s called Xander. He plays synth and deals cocaine. FAVOURITE FILM Coffee and cigarettes. It’s got some good musicians in it. And Bill Murray. FAVOURITE FOOD Sushi. No… Thai. No… sandwiches. No… Ice cream. Ok wait. Sushi. DRINK OF CHOICE Old Fashioned. FAVOURITE SCENT 50. IF YOU WEREN’T A POP STAR, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING? I’m not a pop star. CHAT-UP LINE OF CHOICE Go on then, seduce me.

DIY 86 diymag.com

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