Ethan Stuart, ‘Bird Baths, fountains, hanging plants, plants from other climates, and pamphlets on how to take care of them’
Farewell 2019, Issue Twenty-Three is our final magazine of
If you’re in a band, there’s one label you’re currently
the year and is packed with reasons to be excited for 2020.
looking towards for support right now and it’s Partisan.
The last twelve months have been as exciting for breakout
The label have been responsible for two of this year’s
bands as they have for returning artists, and it’s one of
Mercury Prize nominated albums and we gave them a bell
them that we have on the cover. The Big Moon return to
to chat Idles, Fontaines D.C. and the growth of the label.
our ears with their second album ‘Walking Like We Do’ in
Lurking in the underground are 2020’s next big sounds and
January. We catch up with them in London to chat about
we reached out to three of the most exciting. Inside you’ll
not making another rock album, fandom and coming down
find conversations with Drug Store Romeos, Do Nothing
to reality after touring. On the flip side, Working Men’s
and Powerplant. Another band making the transition from
Club are one of the UK’s most exciting brand new bands.
charming indie to pop bangers are Girl Ray. The three
The group have a new line up and with mainstay, Syd at the
piece are set to release their second album this year and we
helm, the Manchester band are likely to be at the forefront
met them to discuss the new sounds, Ariana Grande and
of a dance music led subculture... made by bands. London’s
self love. We see off the issue by leaving British shores
Matt Maltese is back with his unique brand of high melody,
and speaking to those responsible for two of our favourite
low mood songwriting. We catch up with him as he gears
releases of the year. We get political with BODEGA and
up to release his second album. Anyone not heard about
catch up with Twin Peaks whose thoughtful new sound
Lazarus Kane? It’s difficult to cipher any clear facts about
was polished off in Wales. As always we give a brief
the ‘American’ from the southern states, but we do know
introduction to our favourite new artists who are playing
that his debut single ‘Narcissus’ is a monster and we had to
support slots in small venues up and down the country.
give him a call.
This time we say “Who Are You?” to Legss, U-Bahn, Julia Bardo, Los Bitchos, Deep Tan and more.
3 Lazarus Kane Narcissus
26 Twin Peaks Our World
6 The Big Moon Walking Like We Do
30 Working Men’s Club Teeth
10 Girl Ray Girl
33 Partisan Records Values
14 Matt Maltese Krystal
38 Do Nothing Gangs
17 Powerplant Hey Mr. Dogman!
39 BODEGA Shiny New Model
20 Drug Store Romeos Now You’re Moving
41 Who Are You? Get to Know
U-Bahn What’s special about where you’re from? Has it inspired your music? Melbourne is a vortex of creativity and community. It’s almost impossible to not be involved in some sort of artistic or musical project. With so much exceptional music being made here, you can’t help but be influenced by what’s going on. Whether musically, aesthetically, or through work ethic alone. What can we be excited for in the next 12 months? Touring, exciting opportunities and new material. We’re currently in the process of recording our second LP, and (with at least two EP’s and half an Album’s worth of extra material sitting on the back burner) we have no plans of slowing down and evolving our sound.
Julia Bardo Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?
Los Bitchos
My name is Julia Bardo, I am from Italy and 3 years ago I
We are Serra Petale (Australia), Carolina Faruolo and
moved to the UK because I knew that something in my life
Agustina Ruiz (Uruguay), Josefine Jonsson (Sweden)
needed to change. I don’t know how I would describe my
and Nic Crawshaw (UK), all based in London. We make
music other than “personal”.
instrumental Psych Cumbia-inspired tunes.
What led you to start writing and performing songs?
Can you tell us the story behind one of your songs?
I used to sing in a band when I was 19, back when I lived
Serra: We have a song called ‘5 Years, 2 Years, 1 Year!’ It’s
in Brescia, my hometown. But I haven’t properly written
the fastest I’ve ever written a song. I had been at Carolina’s
my own songs since I moved to the UK. When I came here
a few days before this epic snow storm hit London last year,
I didn’t know anyone so I taught myself guitar and started
listening to lots of King Gizz and other assorted bands with
writing about what I knew the most: myself. After a year in
epic tunes. And while I was trapped in my house, out came
the UK I decided to go to a music college to meet people to
this 6 minute wild number.
play with and there I met and joined Working Men’s Club. Meeting them definitely shaped my style and my music
Carolina: The name comes from a shocking Megabus ride to
taste too. Writing words has always been an urge, since
Portsmouth to play a show. We were all struggling and in a
I was younger and it definitely helped me and healed me
desperate attempt to try to keep the spirits up I said “Guys,
when I felt lonely or heartbroken and when I had nobody to
in 5 years, well 2 years, NEXT year when we’re touring the
talk to other than my notebook and my inner self.
world this will all be worth it!”
Football FC We are Football FC, we’re from Bristol, and we make noisy Deep Tan
spunky post punk for anyone who’ll listen.
Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and
Can you tell us something that you collectively really
about the music you make?
love?
Waf: We all live in London, but none of us are from here.
This was a hard one, we don’t have much in common apart
In different ways, we all came to London because of music,
from our music taste, a discomfort with Tory Britain and
amongst other things. For Celeste, Dublin didn’t have
a love of alcohol, so it took some decent brain power.
nearly enough gay bars either (laughs).
Something we collectively love is Toms van. That is an amazing piece of kit. It will get you anywhere you need
Celeste: Yeah, the bigger pool of music obsessives and
to be without fail even though it looks and sounds like
lesbians with weird hair cuts definitely appealed.
it’s ready to keel over and pack in. It’s how we get to all our shows, 2 in the front 2 in the back on the way with a
Can you tell us the story behind one of your songs?
traditional spliff on the M4 on the journey home, nothing better.
‘Constant Inconsistencies’ is about a person who doesn’t show up when people need them. You know this kind of person, the human flake. It could be your flaky lover bailing on a dreamy date you’d planned for ages, or it could be your
Legss
favourite flaky drinking buddy who leaves you waiting at the bar alone for an hour with just a pint that’s going flat
We’re Legss and we’re a four piece group from London and
(and the bartender’s pitying eyes) for company. You love
Liverpool who make a coded, guitar-based, dusty sort of
them, but where the fuck are they?
music. Can you tell us the story behind one of your songs?
Mice On Mars
In Vallotton’s La Charge, armed guards ignite social unrest with truncheons and swords in a crowded Parisian square.
We are Zac, Fred Shaky, Alfredo Shtick, George Elderman,
In Peckham’s up-and-coming gastro-pubs, similar scenes
and Will Do - all from Yorkshire bar one. We make songs
irregularly occur when twenty-somethings and forty-
about how tragic humankind is.
somethings fight it out (under hushed breaths and canopied astroturf) to decide, once and for all, who is the most unsure
What’s special about where you’re from? Has it inspired
about what they are meant to be angry about. No one can
your music?
escape the harrowing pull of South London at the moment, and to what effect that is having on its populous is touched
The fish and chips are incredible- as are the surrounding
on in the lyrics of our song of the same name, ‘La Charge’.
views and pint prices. In terms of inspiration, the lack of things to do is the most crucial factor in us starting to play music. Can you tell us something that you collectively really love? A good fire in the garden.
Illustration by REN
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