** Plus ** Salem Brutus Mayday Parade Seaway Black Foxxes The OBGMs Bitch Falcon + loads more
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PUP
While She Sleeps
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"F o wa r m nt y w ed
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Laura Jane Grace
RESEARCH SUBJECT
I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME
VISUAL
REFERENCE
THE DEBUT ALBUM ‘RAZZMATAZZ’ DELIVERANCE
23 OCTOBER, 2020
FEARLESSRECORDS.COM • iDKHOW.COM
A PRESENTATION OF MUSIC AND THE SPOKEN WORD
NOVEMBER 2020 Issue 60
RIOT 4. SALEM 8. PUP 11. SEAWAY 12. HAPPY. 14. WHILE SHE SLEEPS 16. BRUTUS 20. LAKE SAINT DANIEL 24. HANDS LIKE HOUSES 26. MAYDAY PARADE ABOUT TO BREAK 28. LAURAN HIBBERD FEATURES 30. IDKHOW 40. BLACK FOXXES 44. LAURA JANE GRACE 48. THE OBGMS 52. BITCH FALCON REVIEWS 56. IDKHOW 57. GHOSTEMANE TEENAGE KICKS 58. PILLOW QUEENS
Upset Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Scribblers Alexander Bradley, Chloe Johnson, Dan Harrison, Dillon Eastoe, Edie McQueen, Finlay Holden, Jasleen Dhindsa, Jessica Goodman, Kelsey McClure, Linsey Teggert, Melissa Darragh, Rob Mair, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin Snappers Amanda Fotes, Connor Laws, Danny Moshino, Eve Vink, Guadalupe Bustos, Jess Baumung, Katie Hovland, Lauren Perry, Micala Austin, Nicholas O'Donnell, @savebeee, Sarah Butler, Wyatt Clough P U B L I S H E D F RO M
W E LCO M E TOT H E B U N K E R.CO M U N I T 10, 23 G RA N G E RO A D, H A S T I N G S, T N34 2R L
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 The Bunker Publishing Ltd. 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 The Bunker Publishing Ltd holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of Dork or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally.
HELLO.
Let's be honest, while rock music is brilliant, it can also - on occasion - be a bit predictable. Men, probably with beards, almost certainly with one of two styles of shirt, making music they're pretty confident will gain the approval of their identical peers. Said music might be great, but it's also solid, dependable, expected. But that's not everything. There are also weird, wonderful oddballs. Those willing to play with the templates or throw them out altogether. To take fantastical stories and turn them into full-on mythology. When they come along, they need to be cherished. It's with that in mind we welcome iDKHOW to the cover of Upset for the first time. They're stars already, but with their new album 'Razzmatazz', they're already going interstellar. Cherish them.
S tephen
Editor / @stephenackroyd
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THIS MONTH IN ROCK
EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN ROCK
"A LOT OF THE THEMES WITH SALEM ARE CUTE BUT DEADLY" Words: Jessica Goodman.
Despite having just released an album with Creeper, Will Gould is back with yet more music - this time under the guise of Salem, his new project with long-time pal Matt Reynolds. 4 Upset
Wherever you are from, PUP are pretty clear with their new EP, it sucks ass. p.8
While She Sleeps want you to get involved in their band! p.14
Live music may be largely on hiatus, but live albums still exist - and Brutus have a great one. p.16
"The funny thing is that aliens landing wouldn't be surprising at this point this year," Will Gould laughs. "You'd just be
like, 'oh, of course'." The topic of conversation is the enduring legacy of Heathers. This cult classic gave a pitch-black voice to adolescent attitude ("dear diary, my teen angst bullshit has a body count"), while not being afraid to ask the hard-hitting questions ("you inherit five million dollars the same day aliens land on the Earth and say they're going to blow it up in two days – what do you do?"). It was also a huge influence on Will Gould and Matt Reynolds, who used Winona Ryder's dreaddriven internal monologue from the movie as a way to introduce the world to their new project. "That era of teen films has been a reference point for me for years," Will enthuses. "That quote is synonymous with a lot of emo culture that I grew up in. A lot of Salem is referencing that music." Released just in time for Halloween (another muchcelebrated cultural reference point) Salem's debut EP is "a love letter to those punk, emo, and goth bands that we grew up with." Announcing themselves not with a bang, but with a ball – a virtual Apathy Ball where the duo's first single served as the first dance
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" W H E R E V E R YO U ARE OR WHEREVER YO U ' R E F R O M , T H E P L AC E S U C KS AS S " "We're all fuck ups," Stefan Babcock proclaims. "There's no reason that we should walk out to a crowd of 4000 people at a hometown headline show. It doesn't compute to me. It doesn't make sense." As it turns out, that's exactly what PUP did last summer. From a packed out crowd in the sprawling outdoor setting of Toronto's Echo Beach, to an echoingly empty punk club by the name of Sneaky Dee's for a livestream, it's been a hell of a year. Words: Jessica Goodman. Photo: Jess Baumung. "It's been really hard," Stefan admits, "but we are also one of the luckiest." After everything they've been through to make it this far, this group of punk rock stalwarts seem like they might be capable of weathering any storm. In these turbulent times, the band – completed by guitarist Steve Sladkowski, bassist Nestor Chumak, and drummer Zack Mykula – are making the most of the opportunities they can find. "My heart just goes out to all of my friends in bands who are releasing their first record or still slogging through a lot of the industry bullshit," Stefan expresses. "They've been hit so much harder than we have." At a time when British politicians have been advising people employed in the arts
to retrain and find other jobs, any sense of security working in the music industry has been lost – and everyone's feeling the strain. "I think about what would have happened if this had happened three/ four years ago," Stefan contemplates of the global pandemic and consequent lockdowns, "and I'm not positive that we would be a band if this had happened then." When the pandemic hit and the events industry started to shut down, PUP were on tour across the US celebrating the release of their third record. "Those were some of the best shows we've ever played in our lives," Stefan reflects. "They were the most fun, the biggest crowds, the most enthusiastic response, and we were
just having a great time." If you caught the band live on their (previously) seemingly never-ending tour schedule, you know just how much of a whirlwind experience their shows can be. Even so, the growing sense of unease and ever-mounting safety concerns were unavoidable, and prompted the group to make the difficult decision to draw their tour to an early end. "It's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that maybe the last time I will crowd surf for four years will be in Eugene, Oregon," Stefan laughs, quickly adding "nothing against that town." On paper, a band who wrote one of their gnarliest singles about how much they hate life on the road – the impeccably titled 'If This Tour Doesn't Kill
You, I Will' – should surely be taking the reprieve in stride, but PUP have never been ones to play anything by the book. "I've spent so much time in my life complaining about being on tour," Stefan laments. "There was obviously an asterisk next to all those complaints. We do it for a reason: we all love it – but we're still allowed to complain about it 'cause we're all negative people," he conveys with a shrug. "That's what we do." Pinning their cynicism with their heart on their sleeve, PUP wear their acerbic nature as a badge of honour. But more than that, it's a fundamental part of who they are. "We think it's hilarious how negative we are," Stefan declares. "It's kind of an ongoing joke on tour where we will challenge each Upset 9
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Though gigs have started to resurface in new, socially-distanced forms, live music's absence from 2020 has been hard-felt by bands and fans alike. Luckily, live albums are a 'thing' and Belgian trio Brutus are releasing their first-ever one, recorded in their hometown of Ghent last year in front of 750 fans. Catching up with the three of them - Stefanie Mannaerts (drums, vocals), Peter Mulders (bass), and Stijn Vanhoegaerden (guitar) - fresh out of rehearsals, they give us the lowdown on what's been going on in their world... Hey guys, how are things at the moment?
Peter: We're writing new songs, or trying to write new songs.
It's exciting that you've got a live album coming at a time when there's no real live experience happening. Stijn: I never thought we would make a live record this fast, so it's really nice. When there's no live music, it's nice that we can still do something like this.
Have you been listening back to re-conjure that feeling?
Stefanie: I think when we were judging the mixes, it brought us back right through that moment, but we are rehearsing so much that the focus is now on writing new songs. But two weeks ago, 'All Along' came out, and I checked it again. I'm very proud of what we did that night.
It must be nice to have this moment of your career immortalised?
Peter: It's an honour to have a live album. We're only a band with two studio albums, and now we can do this live album. It's cool. We had the idea, but you still have your labels who need to follow you in the idea, and when they listened to the mixes, they were so enthusiastic. It's weird, we had the idea in March at the beginning of the lockdown, and now it's six months later that 16 Upset
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Words: Steven Loftin. Photos: Eva Vlonk.
LIVE +
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Good
Daniel Radin (of Boston band Future Teens) charts the journey to his debut album under the Lake Saint Daniel moniker, 'Good Things'. 20 Upset
"We were the band practice house, but we didn't practice in the garage or basement, it was in the living room. Anytime there was any music happening, it permeated the whole house," laughs Daniel Radin, the Daniel behind Lake Saint Daniel, as he describes the "horrible, horrible" noises created with his drummer brother.
Music
Words: Rob Mair. Photos: Danny Hoshino.
"Just recently, I said to my parents that I must formally thank them for letting us do that. We could experiment and record in that house, and they left us to it. One time, when I was in my Explosions in the Sky phase, I remember recording this snare roll for eight or nine minutes, and my Dad came down and was like 'You have to stop! There's only so many times you can do this, and I can't deal with it." While such a story makes for a great anecdote, it also draws together the three main themes of 'Good Things', Lake Saint Daniel's debut album: nostalgia, growing up, and family. These subjects flow through the record, interweaving the narrative and placing the listener firmly in the stomping grounds of Radin's childhood neighbourhood in Boston, Ma. It's also a world away from Radin's main creative output in Future Teens, where sad songs about relationships are the order of the day. Instead, 'Good Things' has a much softer, gentler approach, recalling James Taylor and other greats of the American Songbook in a sepia-tinged journey through Radin's teenage growing pains. This odd melancholy nostalgia manifests itself beautifully throughout the album. It's particularly striking on closing number 'Goodbye', where Radin succinctly sums up some complicated feelings with the line "I've been feeling nostalgic, not just for the good times but the not so good ones too". Such a moment of inspiration came after a walk around his childhood neighbourhood with his girlfriend, he says. "I started to feel so nostalgic, even though a lot of my middle Upset 21
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Words: Ali Shutler Photos: Lauren Perry.
Inspired by the sort of otherworldly musicians that stole his teenage heart, Dallon Weekes' biggest hope for iDKHOW was to introduce the likes of Marc Bolan, David Bowie and The Cure to a new generation. "If we can't be your favourite thing, then maybe they can be," he says, Zooming from his home studio. A man unafraid to wear his influences on his sleeve, he believes music is best when it's a communal activity. "I enjoy my favourite things a lot more when I'm able to share them with people. That's what this band is for me." But their debut album 'Razzmatazz' is much more impactful than opening a door to the greats of old. Forget nostalgia, this is a record about adversity, childhood dreams and refusing to take no for an answer. Full of metaphors for being isolated, "this record is about the frustration and anger that can come with not being able to connect with other people," he explains. Add in a healthy dollop of escapism, some joyful bombast, and 'Razzmatazz' is the perfect album for a
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pandemic. "I wish I could say that I had written this thing with quarantine in mind, but who could have known what was coming?" Dallon certainly didn't - and it's not the first time, either. iDKHOW's debut album was originally set to be recorded years ago, but after a substantial amount of hype from early singles' Modern Day Cain', 'Do It All The Time' and 'Choke', the band hit the road to try to keep up with demand. The record was only finished, via email, this year. "It's not the best time to be releasing music, but waiting any longer than we have done would have actually driven me insane. It's good that we're here, regardless of the state of the world right now," says Dallon. iDKHOW fans have been waiting a long time, but he's been waiting even longer. When he was five years old, Dallon wanted to play the guitar. He didn't know what a guitar was, but he'd seen one in the window of a pawn shop and fallen in love. A decade later, he took some of the money he had saved up, went to the same pawn shop, and bought one. "My family was so disappointed in me that I chose to spend this money on a complete waste of time." Like many workingclass kids, Dallon spent his whole life being told "to quit daydreaming and to get your head out of the clouds." Time and time again, he was advised to go to college, get a job, earn his living. "But there was never a plan b. For me, it was always music." He "grew up very poor, very blue-collar," he explains, in Utah and was only able to live out his musician dreams at evenings and weekends via his nowUpset 31
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Words: Dillon Eastoe. Photos: Connor Laws.
B A D L A N D S
Since 2018, Black Foxxes have been through the wringer. Their second album 'Reidi' reigned in some of the cacophonies of their debut in favour of slick arpeggios and atmospherics on a trip into the Big Wild of the Icelandic landscape. A stellar record, tensions bubbled under the surface however around the poppier choice of singles and the trajectory of the band. Touring fizzled out, and main-man Mark Holley ended the year playing
new material written without the band in mind at solo shows. Radio silence in 2019 has been resoundingly broken with Mark releasing two solo EPs and, now, a new self-titled Black Foxxes album too. A band whose music is forged in rage and frustration, the process wasn't without its challenges; founding members Ant and Tris departed, and a new rhythm section was recruited while Mark continued to contend with the effects of chronic illness. Those solo releases, an acoustic collection with partner Ciara Flint providing harmonies (as well as creating visuals for new Foxxes videos), and a Upset 41
Words: Linsey Teggert. Photos: Katie Hovland.
STAYIN' ALIVE 44 Upset
Like most, Laura Jane Grace thought she had her plans for 2020 figured out. At the beginning of March she was on tour with her band Against Me!, and had spent months prior to that working on songs for their new album. The band had even spent a week in the studio starting to get to grips with those new songs. But then we all know what happened next.
Laura spent that first month sat on her couch wondering what the hell was going on with the world, but after a while, she realised she needed to do something to make herself feel alive. Not wanting to let those songs she'd worked on for the new Against Me! record die, Laura decided to do what she does best. She booked time in the studio and sang her fucking heart out. "It got to the point where I was like, 'What am I doing?!," laughs Laura. "I realised that if I just adjusted my scope, I could figure out a way to make a record here in Chicago where I live. I already had the songs in the bag - I'd overwritten for the Against Me! record, so when it became clear that that had come to a complete standstill as none of us live in the same city, it was a case of working out which songs made sense as a record in this new context." So Laura picked up the phone and called Electrical Audio, the recording studio owned by the legendary Steve Albini and conveniently located in Chicago, and booked a (socially distanced) session with Steve to record her solo record 'Stay Alive.' "From mid-April I decided I was going to wake up every day and
"IF SOMEONE IS GOING TO SAY THAT THIS IS MY COVID-19 ALBUM, AT LEAST THAT MEANS I HAVE A COVID-19 ALBUM" practice these songs, go running every day and just live a really low-key, simple daily existence. The focus was completely on practising the songs as I wanted it to be fully analogue, just live recordings with nothing overdubbed, so I knew I had to be as prepared as possible for
going into the studio." Famed for his no-bullshit approach, Steve Albini was the ideal person to bring Laura's vision to life. "Working with Steve was meaningful in so many ways. I'm a huge fan of so many records he's made, whether that's PJ Harvey or 'In Utero', but I also really appreciate him as a personality and his whole philosophy behind recording - I knew that was really in line specifically with what I was looking for. "I was getting lost in the weeds with people giving me advice that I didn't necessarily want or need, and it seemed like such arbitrary advice that didn't actually matter. I 100% wanted to work with Steve because he is strictly a recording engineer: I wanted someone to set up microphones and press record and to make it sound really good and to give me no fucking opinions on what they thought of the songs. Any of that I felt was going to cloud my judgement and try and steer me away from what I wanted. And that's completely what Steve was about, and it could not have been more perfect in that way." The stripped-back, no messing about approach to 'Stay Alive' amplifies the sincerity and urgency
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"The OBGMs are the best band in the world, and we deserve our comeuppance!" is Densil "Denz" MacFarlane's flag in the ground atop a hill he is willing to die on. There is no pretence. No bullshit. He firmly believes it. "That's honestly what this whole album is about," he continues. "It's like, 'yo, we're great, and nobody's paying attention to us because the system is rigged against us, but that's fine, we're gonna succeed anyway'. That's what we're gonna do, period." "We're not afraid of anybody out here; we're one of the only bands out here doing different types of shit. I don't think a band sounds like us on a record, especially our whole album; there's not an album that sounds like that. I think that's cool and I wanna be aggressive, I wanna be in people's faces to let them know that, 'yo this is who we are. This is our stand. This is our time. So, go ahead and move out the way'." And it's true, this band is one of a kind and their time is now. The OGBMs are punk. They come from Toronto, Canada. They are black-fronted. It's that final fact that means they've had to work harder to be seen and be taken seriously than most, due to years of little-to-no black representation in punk. But, The OBGMs are back with their second album 'The Ends', and it demands attention. It's ten tracks in 24 minutes of genre-defying, expectation-exceeding, pumpedup, in-your-face, bruising punk
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Words: Alexander Bradley. Photos: @savebeee, Amanda Fotes.
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On the Clock Photos: Nicholas O'Donnell
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Dublin dreamgrunge trio Bitch Falcon have been riding on a wave of hype with their mustsee live show for years .
out and excited to show it to the world. We have taken a good while to record our debut, and it really feels like the music we're supposed to write.
Now, it's time for their debut album. Thankfully recorded long before the tumultuous events of 2020 took hold, this is the band fully realised, charting themes of mental health, existentialism and personal relationships. Frontwoman Lizzie Fitzpatrick and drummer Nigel Kenny tell us more.
Nigel: It's hard not to look back on it and want to change, add or take away something. There comes a time, though, when you have to just let it go and let it off into the world. Everyone has a 'Chinese Democracy' [Guns'n'Roses infamous very-delayed album] in them I reckon. Lizzie: Nothing is ever finished! I guess you just have to put things to bed and be happy with the way they turned out.Â
Congrats on finishing your debut album, how does it feel to have it done?Â
Nigel: Exciting! It's nearly time so definitely very eager to have the whole thing out there for everyone to hear. Lizzie: It feels so great to have it done. We're really happy how everything has turned
Are you guys good at drawing a line under things, or do you like to go back and tinker?
Does it feel as though the record's been a long time coming?
Nigel: Yeah, for sure. We've been around for a while now playing a lot of gigs and drip-feeding music, so it's nice to have ten songs out there, on a record which
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