JOHN - NEW ALBUM, NOCTURNAL MANOEUVRES, OUT NOW!

JOHN’s NEW ALBUM, NOCTURNAL MANOEUVRES, OUT NOW ON BRACE YOURSELF RECORDS & PETS CARE.

Today, JOHN - the virtually ungoogleable moniker for London duo John Newton (drums, lead vocals) and Johnny Healey (guitar, backing vocals) - release their long-awaited third album, Nocturnal Manoeuvres, via the band's own Pets Care imprint and Brace Yourself Records.

Across ten tracks, it finds the duo expanding upon their celebrated idiosyncrasies once more. It sees them returning to their trusted producer Wayne Adams (who was behind the boards for both of their previous albums) knowing his success in capturing their presence as a live band. Realising the expansive quality of the resulting recordings, they then enlisted mastering engineer Sarah Register (Protomartyr, Future Islands, Chastity Belt) in order to deliver the sense of space that the varied track-list deserved. The result is a colossal body of work – one that moves easily between cinematic post-rock, elastic post-hardcore and pummelling noise rock.

Earlier this week, the band shared the album's final pre-release single: the frenetic, impressively angular 'Stadium of No' - all spiked riffs, overdriven interludes and soaring choruses, packed into a tight, sub three-minute runtime. It came alongside an excellent video directed by Henry Dartnall and Thomas Bonsu-Dartnall (aka The House of Lords) of Young Knives fame, which finds the duo acting on behalf of JOHN.

Speaking of the track and its relationship to Nocturnal Manoeuvres as a whole, Newton offers: “In parallel to the recurring motif of twenty-four hour work that runs throughout the album’s track listing, stadiums appear as hopelessly redundant monuments when they’re empty - only activated by the bodies that inhabit them. The song’s a nod to the often-overwhelming conditions of our present: a stadium-like crowd of opinions trying to shout on top of one another."

"There’s a real mechanical quality to the instrumentation in the song - it’s almost got shades of Devo in there. I feel there’s an interesting contradiction between the human strive for metronomic perfection and the reality of our biology. There’s simply no way we can be flawless when our bodies are in constant change,” adds Healey.

Other singles taken from the record include 'Non-Essential Hymn' (check out a stellar session version of it here), 'Šibensko Powerhouse' - which features a guest spot from IDLES' Adam Devonshire and came accompanied by an excellent video directed by Ryan Gander OBE featuring animatronic mice and cockroach costumes - and the titanic 'A Song For Those Who Speed In Built-Up Areas', the latter two of which both reached the A-list at BBC 6Music. Between them, the singles have garnered praise at press including from The Guardian, NPR, DIY, Loud and Quiet, The New Cue, Upset Magazine and many more.

Nocturnal Manoeuvres is the follow-up to their second LP, 2019's Out Here On The Fringes, which catapulted them into the Top 40 of the UK Independent Vinyl Chart, was featured as an Album of the Day on BBC 6Music with three successive playlisted singles, and saw the band hit the road with the likes of METZ and Mclusky.

Following recent festival appearances including Green Man and End of the Road, the band are currently on a mammoth tour of the UK before hitting the continent in 2022. As venues continue to reopen, it offers a captivating chance to catch a band who've built a devoted following through the sheer energy of their live show: a celebration of the primal intensity of the guitar-drums duo as a format and a monument to idiosyncrasy, which is exactly the sort of manifesto you could attach to Nocturnal Manoeuvres as a whole.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR 'STADIUM OF NO' HERE:

JOHN - Nocturnal Manoeuvres // Out Now - Brace Yourself/Pets Care Records

1. Return to Capital

2. Šibensko Powerhouse

3. A Song for Those Who Speed in Built-Up Areas

4. Haneke'd

5. Austere Isle

6. Jargoncutter

7. Stadium of No

8. Power Out for the Kingdom

9. Northwood Turret

10. Non-Essential Hymn

Buy Nocturnal Manoeuvres on vinyl, CD, cassette or digitally here: https://ffm.to/john-nocturnalmanoeuvres

BAD WAITRESS - New Album / Single "Strawberry Milkshake"

Today Toronto-based punk four-piece Bad Waitress are announcing their debut album 'No Taste' is set for release September 3rd via Royal Mountain and are sharing their new single & video "Strawberry Milkshake".

Speaking about the track, the band said "'Strawberry Milkshake' is saccharine sweet, milky pink terror. On the surface it’s sexy and enticing- but there’s a poisonous sludge bubbling just beneath. It paints the picture of an all-American beauty pageant with buckets of blood as the cherry on top."

Watch & listen to "Strawberry Milkshake" here:

Bad Waitress’ antsy art punk revels in fits of fury and ego. It spits in your face and winks, ferocious and playful. The Toronto-based four-piece play like they’re conspiring or casting a spell, each member wielding a different power, howls and erratic drum fills and fiery riffs fueling one another.

That improvisation spirit doesn’t stop at their music. Katelyn Molgard, Nicole Cain, Kali-Ann Butala, and Moon finish each other’s sentences. Their conversations flow like free jazz. When asked to describe Bad Waitress’ sound, they agree on one word: conviction. “We play with conviction. There's nothing apologetic about it,” Kateyln says. “Even with our bizarre song structures, we don't hide anything in our music. It's just very...I don't like the word raw, it’s overused, but...raw.” The band fidget between genres, instead honing a distinct energy. “It's energetic. It's electric,”Moon adds. “It's whatever word that we can think of later that's better than raw.” Nicole suggests, “Honest?” Katelyn jumps in, “Rawnest.”

The path that led them together follows a similar rhythm. Kali (Vocals & Guitar) and Moon (Drums) started jamming as The Nude Dogs back in 2014. Katelyn (Vocals & Guitar) joined two years later, and by 2018, the trio would release their Party Bangers EP under the name Bad Waitress. “It started off small,” Moon reflects. “The main premise of the band was that we just wanted to get together and play music with people who weren't old men.” When Nicole (Bass) joined in late 2018, things really clicked into place. “We didn't realize what was missing until it happened. Then it was like, this is like what our fucking band was missing this whole time, this extra little piece that made it all make sense.”

Bad Waitress’ debut full-length album, No Taste, finds strength in mood swings, from upbeat “groovin down the street” songs like “Strawberry Milkshake” to “I'm gonna punch everyone” songs like “Lacerate,” as Nicole puts it. “It’s good to listen to when you're walking alone at night. I get really anxious, but I feel powerful when I listen to this album, like I’m fucking untouchable. It’s basically a self-defense album.”

Traces of Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and The Stooges can be heard throughout No Taste. The band also cite jazz as an inspiration. Moon’s background playing improv jazz, blues and swing makes it an essential force, at the core of Bad Waitress’ music and collaborative process. “Moon usually has a weird drumbeat that they’ll play spontaneously, then Nicole will jump in with her wack ass music sensibility on bass, and then Kali will play something that’s super wrong in a good way,” Katelyn says. “And then I’ll make sense of it and find where the chords are. It’s bizarre.”

“Our process is a little bit of everything,” Kali concurs. “I write the lyrics and usually a standard rhythm for the songs and we go from there, sometimes it comes from a jam.”

The closing track on No Taste, “Restless Body,” started with a beer bottle sound experiment. “One night, we were jamming at the label and Kali started fucking around with a beer bottle on the neck of her guitar, making all these weird sounds,” Nicole laughs. “I was adding Sonic Youth-y bass. Moon came in and it turned from an empty beer bottle into a whole epic. A lot of the collaborative songs come from us dicking around in between practice. We all egg each other on, and a lot of good things come out of that.” You can get an idea of the bottle’s tinny resonance on the final product, a guitar solo swirling and crying into the outro, “Restless body, take me home.”

No Taste is set for release September 3rd via Royal Mountain.

CHASTITY BELT - Share new single "The Process"

Ahead of their US tour together, Chastity Belt and Melbourne band Loose Tooth have shared a digital split single today featuring new material from both acts: Chastity Belt's A side "The Process" and Loose Tooth's B side "Lonely". Both tracks are available to download or stream worldwide from Hardly Art records and Milk! Records (Australia/New Zealand).

Of "The Process" Chastity Belt songwriter Lydia Lund explains: "The lyrics came later and are a sort of reminder of the way self-criticism can compound. When I’m in that critical state of mind, I try to suspend judgement for that current state and I find it reassuring to remember that it’s temporary - a process".

Listen to "The Process" here:

As for "Lonely" Loose Tooth say: "We wrote ‘Lonely’ at the end of 2019. It is about an experience we witnessed when we were teenagers. #MeToo brought up a lot of realizations for many people, and for us; thinking back to us as young and vulnerable women, finishing high school and feeling invincible; we didn't realize that we could be taken advantage of by predatory and powerful men. ‘Lonely’ is about the power dynamics and manipulation of these relationships, and the lasting cycle of trauma that they can bring". Listen here:

TACOCAT share new standalone single "Retrograde" The album 'This Mess Is a Place' out now via Sub Pop

Tacocat know there's more to October 31st, 2019 than costumes and glitter (so, so much glitter). In recognition of today's kickoff to the next season of Mercury Retrograde, the band is sharing the astrology-themed new song "Retrograde," which is out now in all Digital Service Providers.

Listen to "Retrograde" here:

Download 2019 Announcement

Download Festival has just announced Def Leppard, Slipknot, and Tool, as its 2019 headliners, plus SEVENTEEN of the world’s most exciting bands in rock, pop punk, hardcore and metal. The three-day festival takes place on 14 - 16 June 2019 at the spiritual home of rock in Donington Park, Leicestershire. Tickets will be on sale 2pm on Thursday 25th October at 2018 prices until Tuesday 6th November.

Classic rock powerhouse Def Leppard make their spectacular return to headline the Main Stage, playing the seminal album Hysteria in full and more, in what will be their only UK appearance of 2019. The forerunners of the new wave British heavy metal movement have sold over 100 million records and will rip through a full-throttle stadium-sized show, built on a foundation of classics like ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’, ‘Animals’, ‘Rock Of Ages’and countless more.

Joe Elliott:“We are delighted to be going back to headline Download in 2019! The festival has a very special place in our hearts and it’s such a great place to play. We will be playing Hysteria in full - yes, in full! - plus a load more of the hits, and we are going to put on a very special show for our UK fans. Can’t wait to see you all there!”

Masked metallers Slipknot will also headline, where they stand as one of the most defining acts of the last two decades. The sheer power of Slipknot has been proven with their pivotal appearances at the festival going down as things of legend. With a back catalogue of rock club classics ‘Duality’, ‘Spit It Out’, ’Before I Forget’ and ‘Psychosocial’, Slipknot’s elite status and enduring relevance makes them one of the most exciting acts in the world today.

An appearance thirteen years in the making, Download is pleased to announce that Tool will be making their grand return to headline the festival. The Grammy award winning, multi-platinum, prog-metal titans are set to take fans on a grandiose career spanning journey from classic albumsUndertow, Lateralus, and 10,000 Days.

Living guitar god Slash will be teaming up with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators to whip the crowd into a frenzy with the axeman’s signature riffs and one of the best vocalists in the world. Fresh off the release of their third album Living The Dream, rock fans will be doing the same when witnessing the dream line up hit the stage.‘Here I Go Again’ hit makers Whitesnake will take to the stage with the legendary David Coverdale on vocals.

David Coverdale: “Once again, we’ve been honoured to be invited to participate in the legendary DOWNLOAD 2019...Can’t Wait To See You All & Kick Arse Together!!!...So Ready 2 Rock!!!”

Horror rock legend Rob Zombie will turn Download into his trademark twisted carnival with stomp-laden classics and new tracks. Trivium are coming back to take Download by the horns with their stomach-lurching, roaring metal as one of the genres most prolific and consistent acts. Swedish death metallers Amon Amarth known for their Viking lyrics make their return to Download.

Carcass are the vital, visceral death metal driving force that should be on every metal head’s bucket list. Revered Dutch symphonic metaloutfit Delain are ready to slay, led by the world-class frontwoman Charlotte Wessels. Known for their unique take on hip-hop as well as their South African zef style, Die Antwoord are a welcome addition to Download. Also added are punk rock covers supergroup Me First And The Gimme Gimmes featuring members of NOFX, Foo Fighters, Lagwagon, and Swingin’ Utters delivering their trademark rapid-fire interpretations.

Treasured names in progressive metal, Opeth will deliver a set laden with classics and tracks from 2016 acclaimed album Sorceress. New-school thrashers Power Trip will make their debut Download appearancewith their flourishing, authentic metal.They’ll be joined by Californian ska-punk heroes and fun-bringers Reel Big Fish.

Download Festival favourites Skindred never fail to raise the roof with their ragga metal. The unmatched energy and exuberance of frontmanBenji Webbe is sure to see the return of the Newport Helicopter originating at Download 2011.The hotly-tipped sci-fi, conceptual rockers Starset also join the line upwith their ambitious gigantic rock set for stadiums in the future. And Tesla will serve up classic hard rock anthems in mammoth portions.

Queensland metalcore veterans The Amity Affliction have climbed the ranks with their syrupyhooks amongst melodic metalcore and ferocious breakdowns. Post hardcore pioneers Underoath will bring light and shade to Donington, as the trailblazers make their first appearance back at the festival since 2005.

Download Festival’s Andy Copping said: “We’re incredibly excited to announce three legends as Download 2019 headliners. It’s not quite been 10,000 Days since we have been able to indulge in one of our favourite alt-rock bands, but after thirteen years I am thrilled to announce Tool are finally making their long-awaited return to Download. Renowned for being one of the best live bands on the planet due to their one-of-a-kind performances, Slipknot are an incredible addition to the main stage. Last but not least, I am honoured to welcome true Rock N’ Roll legends Def Leppard to Download who bring with them a UK exclusive chance to see Hysteria played in full.”

Download Festival 2019 Line Up So Far:

Def Leppard

Slipknot

Tool

Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators

Whitesnake

Rob Zombie

Trivium

Amon Amarth

Carcass

Delain

Die Antwoord

Me First And The Gimme Gimmes

Opeth

Power Trip

Reel Big Fish

Skindred

Starset

Tesla

The Amity Affliction

Underoath

THE COATHANGERS - Previously unheard track 'Step Back'

Atlanta punks The Coathangers bring their blistering live show to the UK and Europe over the next few weeks, kicking off in Leeds on Thursday.

To celebrate, the band's singer/guitarist Julia Kugel recorded a raw and intimate acoustic video of new material to share with their UK & EU fans. "Step Back" is a previously unheard song from a new album currently in the works.

Watch "Step Back" here:

Back in June, the band released their first ever live album, aptly entitled 'LIVE' via Suicide Squeeze. The LP finds The Coathangers at their visceral and frantic best as they tear through assorted hits from their thirteen years of existence with a wild, unshackled energy - a taste of what to expect from their forthcoming shows. More info here.

The Coathangers European tour dates:

18th Oct - Hyde Park Book Club, LEEDS (UK)

19th Oct - Moth Club, LONDON (UK)

20th Oct - Actress & Bishop, BIRMINGHAM (UK)

21st Oct - Sticky Mikes, BRIGHTON (UK)

24th Oct - DB’s, UTRECHT (NL)

25th Oct - Stengade, COPENHAGEN (DK)

26th Oct - Oceanen, GOTHENBURG (SE)

27th Oct - Bar Brooklyn, STOCKHOLM (SE)

28th Oct - Plan B, MALMO (SE)

31st Oct - Urban Spree, BERLIN (DE)

1st Nov - Nochwache, HAMBURG (DE)

2nd Nov - Conne Island, LEIPZIG (DE)

4th Nov - Arena, VIENNA (AT)

5th Nov - Kranhalle, MUNICH (DE)

6th Nov - Club Stereo, NURNBERG (DE)

7th Nov - Alte Hackerei, KARLSRUHE (DE)

9th Nov - Eden, CHARLEROI (BE)

10th Nov - Sonic City Festival, KORTRIJK (BE)

12th Nov - Supersonic, PARIS (FR)

13th Nov - Le Chabada, ANGERS (FR)

15th Nov - Gastropote Market, SAN SEBASTIAN (ES)

16th Nov - Wurlitzer Ballroom, MADRID (ES)

17th Nov - Sabotage, LISBON (PT)

New Junk City - Same Places

Today we have some upbeat pop-punk from Atlanta’s New Junk City who have a great vibe especially uplifting as the nights draw darker! Check out ‘Stay Asleep’ from the album here:

Their sophomore album, ‘Same Places’ is out today and explores the idea of trying to stay young at heart while your body grows older and older. Building upon the foundation the band laid on their debut LP (2014’s Self Titled Effort), Same Places continues the band's trend of high-energy, high-intensity melodic folk-inspired and pop-influenced style of punk, while also dipping the bands metaphorical toes into some new realms. "Listen, everyone knows that getting old kind of sucks. Simple tasks in life seem to be more difficult as the days and years go by, and you find yourself trading in record hunting and late night shows at dive bars for utility bills and early morning alarm clocks. The dichotomy of growing older and wiser and maintaining youthful exuberance becomes harder and harder to manage with every trip around the sun."

Often compared to the likes of The Menzingers, early-era Get up Kids and The Gaslight Anthem, New Junk City layers a combination of both brash and noodling guitars over a driving and pounding rhythm section, combined with gravelled-but-oddly-melodic vocals with a certain fervor and passion not often captured on record. And while the band's music and sound certainly is one of their biggest selling points, on Same Places singer John Vournakis belts out nine heart-on-the-sleeve songs and stories dealing with the fear of loss, fear of being alone, and fear of being stuck, both in a literal and metaphorical sense. From the squealing feedback that opens the record, all the way through it’s abrupt ending, Same Places takes the listener through a journey of growing older, while still trying to remember who you are.

There’s a phrase you’ll see floating around twitter from time to time: “music for old punx.” While it started as something sort of tongue and cheek, the term “old punx” has begun to resonate and take a life of its own in the scene because it represents growth and maturity (both in terms of musical taste and life in general) while still staying true to the music and ideals that helped mould you into the person you are today. And while Same Placesmight not just be “music for old punx,” New Junk City absolutely build through that idea on this record. Because, to end where we began, getting old kind of sucks. But New Junk City seem to be making the most of it."

THUMPER - New Single 'Down'

Noise­-pop quintet THUMPER return with new single ‘Down’, produced by Dan Fox of Girl Band. ‘Down’ is a swaggering beast of a track. The lo-fi production draws the listener in with each hook and beat, and at the core is great songwriting - infectious bubblegum pop by way of ragged 90s-soaked noise-rock. Whether the 7 minute long version or the snippier radio edit, it's a winner every single second and blasts the listener into a world where riffs and pop hooks exist together manically but happily.

2018 has seen THUMPER tour relentlessly headlining Hard Working Class Heroes, joining Fangclub on tour, and playing festivals all summer long such as Sea Sessions, Body & Soul, and Electric Picnic. With a reputation for raucous and frenzied live shows, and a penchant for howling feedback and pounding rhythm, each THUMPER performance is an exercise in unpredictability.

The band’s records masterfully capture the apparent full-force energy of their live shows, and the result harnesses the best elements of rock, grunge and pop. Check out the single here:

Art Brut - New Album Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out!

ART BRUT Announce New Album Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out! due for release 23rd November via Alcopop! Records

Check out the Eggcellent Video For New Single ‘Hospital!’:

Berlin-based post-punk art rock band, Art Brut, have announced details of their new album, Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out! today.

The record was produced by award winning folk musician Jim Moray, and the striking artwork comes courtesy of contemporary German pop artist Jim Avignon—a hugely respected cult figure in the art and Techno subculture in Berlin, he currently lives and works both in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and in Berlin.

Alongside the album, the band are also very pleased to announce a run of UK headline tour dates for February and March 2019 (see below for full listings).

The video for their new single ‘Hospital!’ has a delightfully fragile ‘Eggy Argos’ who traverses the pitfalls of modern life. It’s a stark juxtaposition with the deeply personal track for the band’s larger-than-life front man and huevo-namesake Eddie Argos who, three years ago, found himself dangerously ill in hospital.

“I didn't realise quite how ill I was at the time,” explains Argos, “I was in a German hospital und mein Deutsche is nicht sehr gut. I had a big operation, bigger than they were expecting when they started operating on me, and there were a few complications. They kept me in for nearly a month. It was the most undignified month of my life and although I was very grateful to the surgeons for saving my life and also to the nurses for taking care of me, I despised every fucking minute of time I spent there.

“The only thing that kept me sane was the mantra that eventually became this song. Every single lyric was written and repeated over and over again as I suffered numerous indignities. Songwriting is something I've always used to alleviate stress and on this occasion I really tested it to its limits. What I am most impressed by is that even when I'm at death’s door and pumped full of morphine, staggering around and collapsing all the time, I can still write a comical call-and-response backing vocal to amuse myself.

“I'm very glad not to be in hospital anymore—of course, as this was three years ago, I've broken all the promises I make to myself in this song.”

Art Brut are now comprised of founding members Argos, Ian Catskilkin and Freddy Feedback—whose absence in press shots is due to her extended maternity leave—while Toby Macfarlaine joins on guitar and Charlie Layton joins on drums.

Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out! Tracklist:

Hooray!

I Hope You’re Very Happy Together

Good Morning Berlin

She Kissed Me (And It Felt Like A Hit)

Schwarzfahrer

Hospital!

Too Clever

Kultfigur

Veronica Falls

Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out!

Awkward Breakfast

Your Enemies Are My Enemies Too

Art Brut 2018/19 UK Headline Tour Dates:

07.11.18 LONDON, BOSTON MUSIC ROOMS *SOLD OUT*

17.01.19 LONDON, GARAGE

15.02.19 BIRMINGHAM, HARE AND HOUNDS

16.02.19 BRISTOL, THE EXCHANGE

17.02.19 CARDIFF, THE GLOBE

18.02.19 OXFORD, THE BULLINGDON

19.02.19 LIVERPOOL, PHASE ONE

20.02.19 EDINBURGH, SNEAKY PETE’S

21.02.19 GLASGOW, STEREO

22.02.19 MANCHESTER, YES

23.02.19 BRIGHTON, THE HAUNT

02.03.19 SOUTHAMPTON, THE JOINERS

03.03.19 GUILDFORD, BOILEROOM

Photo credit Pedro Hernandez

Oxygen Thief - New Album 'Confusion Species'

Bristol-based alternative-rock trio, Oxygen Thief have just shared the new riff-ladened single Graffiti; Irony; Lists alongside announcing full details of their new album, Confusion Species, set for release on November 16th through Xtra Mile Recordings.

Confusion Species will be available on limited edition 12inch transparent blue and orange with black splatter vinyl - available from Oxygen Thief on tour, as well as a very limited amount through the Xtra Mile webstore.

It’s been just over four years since the release of Oxygen Thief’s second album, The Half-Life Of Facts, and the world has changed a lot in that time. In fact, a lot has changed since Barry Dolan started the project in Bristol back in 2006, and the 11 tracks of Confusion Species are the sound of him trying to make sense of it all, rather than be overwhelmed, lost and consumed by the sludge and noise of this modern, post-Brexit, post-Trump world.

“Everyone is constantly bombarded with things in the news and on social media" says guitarist and vocalist, Barry Dolan. “Your phone’s going off all the time and there’s a constant need to keep up with things. As someone who tries to be politically engaged, I want to stay informed, but there’s a point where that tide just becomes overwhelming.”

In support of Confusion Species, Oxygen Thief will take to the road throughout the UK with Jonah Matranga in November, finishing up with a headline show at The Monarch in London:

06 Nov - Isle Of Wight, Strings

07 Nov - Tunbridge Wells, Forum

08 Nov - Norwich, Waterfront

09 Nov - Corby, White Hart

10 Nov - Cheltenham, Frog & Fiddle

11 Nov - Bristol, Crofters

12 Nov - Stoke, Sugarmill

13 Nov - Southampton, Joiners

14 Nov - Leicester, Firebug

15 Nov - London, The Monarch

Simultaneously angry at and perplexed by the state of, well, everything, Confusion Species is a raucous, bellicose call-to-arms punctuated by Oxygen Thief’s now-trademark barrage of furious riffs and chaotic layers of intense and inspiring sounds.

Estrons - Debut Album 'You Say I’m Too Much, I Say You’re Not Enough'

On very rare occasions, from the most destructive of places, beauty can emerge. Ever since singer Tali Källström and guitarist Rhodri Daniel met as “two strangers with disparate tastes and influences,” the two have been carving out a body of work that resembles an essence of chaos and beauty; a feeling of estrangement, an expression of morbid elegance, inspired by opposing sides. The funny thing about opposites, is they need each other in order to exist - one wouldn’t be what it is without the other.

From this place of tension, Estrons found their debut album which is due out October 5th. Ultimately, the bind that ties them is their love of creating fresh, exhilarating music, and with You Say I’m Too Much, I Say You’re Not Enough, they’ve done just that. Beginning as an experiment, Estrons quickly became significantly more important than intended. They are simply a force that cannot be forced.

With its off-kilter rhythms, angular guitar work and clashing atmospherics, the album is both arresting and thrillingly disorienting – a fitting sound for a band of “highly driven, frustrated, volatile people.”

Vocals and instrumentals collide together throughout, creating a wild, beautiful noise – likely mirroring the self-confessed love/hate relationship between Rhodri and Tali, tied together by bassist, and long running producer, Steffan Pringle, whom they eventually convinced to join them. Despite the odds, they have captured a sound of their own. Estrons’ music “can be off-putting at first glance,” says Rhodri. “It’s only when you make your way through it that you get it. I have no time for music that doesn’t leave some sort of a mark.” And nor, evidently, does he make it.

But the best things are never easy, and nothing about Estrons – who are set to support the legendary Garbage on tour this September – is easy. Least of all Tali’s beautifully challenging lyrics, which are inspired by the raw honesty of artists like Peaches and Missy Elliott. Tali doesn’t do small talk – and you can hear that in the way she writes, which is vulnerable and assertive in equal measure, flitting between railing against people’s weaknesses, including her own, and making peace with them. “I swear I hurt you with the best intentions,” she sings on the melodic, introspective Strangers. “I’ve been trying to change myself again / Won’t you please just take me as I am?” The album, she says, grapples with societal pressures and expectations, and “the paradigm of how the perfect human should be.”

Tali has had a lot to contend with over the past few years -  raising a son as a single mother while working in an unstable industry and fighting custody battles - but writing provides her with a much-needed sense of catharsis. “I went through many court cases to simply be able to be a single mother and a touring musician,” she says. “I was constantly watched. I had social services called on me, I had police turn up to tours.” ‘Drop’, meanwhile, was written from a police cell on tour after such misunderstanding. “I was so angry, but I wasn’t allowed a pen, so I just kept chanting these lyrics,” she says. “I ended up having to go through three months of hell.”

Cameras, on which Tali sings over jagged guitars, is a message to be read in the future, written for her son, “I’ll always put a fight up for you, I’ll buy the day and night for you,” is about “that one love that can’t be broken, no matter how many times people try to break it down. You can’t fuck with that kind of love.”

For all the album’s moments of intensity, though, there are bursts of levity too. “It’s not all bleak bleak bleak,” laughs Tali. “That’s not what I’m trying to achieve with the album, I don’t want people to feel just terrible. I want to empower people, and I want to get some laughter.” Make A Man, for example is a sexualised blow out which celebrates predatory attraction and equalises outspoken lust between genders. 

Body, indictment of the “self-obsessive compulsive disorder” caused by social media, is equally tongue-in-cheek; Lilac is about the assumptions we place on gender, while the volatile ‘Killing Your Love’, which builds to a raucous, distorted frenzy before giving way to a moment of calm, is somewhere between mocking and sincere. “I originally wrote it about a specific person who I felt was a love addict,” says Tali, “but then after I wrote it, I realised we’re all terrified of being alone.” The line, “I heard you met the one… the one you met the other week,” is directed at herself as much as it is anyone else. “I like switching perspectives,” she says. “I’ll go from talking to another person to talking to myself.”

The album’s title – which is taken from the misfit anthem Aliens – has multiple targets, too. Though it sounds characteristically confrontational, Tali insists that it’s “not meant to be an argument, or an answer back. It’s just meant to be a comment on how we’re all different’. Growing up of mixed international ancestry in a proud traditional country as Wales, Aliens examines they’re proud roots but questions what it means to be of any nation in the 21st century. ‘Estrons’ in itself is a bastardised ‘Wenglish’ word for ‘Strangers’ or ‘Aliens’ in the Welsh language, which they all proudly speak.

Estrons’ album is an examination of opposites. Looking outwards and inwards at the same time, it is the sound of people coming together and pulling apart – an exploration of the human condition by two humans who could hardly be more different, who are held together by the love of their music. The album bubbles with defiance, vulnerability, humour, love and unapologetic rage. “People get made to feel ashamed for feeling angry,” says Tali. “You try so hard to kill it with love and be positive, but sometimes it’s just not possible. Sometimes you wanna be angry.” In making their debut album, Estrons have exorcised that anger – for now, at least. “Abrupt endings are common,” says Rhodri of Estrons’ songs, but he could just as easily be warning us about the band itself.

Still, through blood, sweat and tears, they’ve produced a piece of work that will survive whatever implosions are still to come.

You can catch the band live on the following dates:
09 Sep: Manchester, UK - Academy*
11 Sep: Nottingham, UK - Rock City*
12 Sep: Newcastle, UK - Northumbria SU Institute*
19 Sep: Paris, FR - L'Olympic Café
20 Sep: Rotterdam, NL - V11
21 Sep: Tilburg, NL - Cul De Sac, Psycho in Mind
22 Sep: Hamburg, DE - Reeperbahn
23 Sep: Berlin, DE - Maze
01 Nov: Leeds, UK - Belgrave Music Hall
02 Nov: Glasgow, UK - King Tut's
03 Nov: Newcastle, UK - Think Tank
07 Nov: Manchester, UK - Soup Kitchen
08 Nov: Bristol, UK - Louisiana
09 Nov: Nottingham, UK - Bodega
14 Nov: Exeter, UK - Cavern
15 Nov: Birmingham, UK - Castle & Falcon
16 Nov: Brighton, UK - Green Door Store
17 Nov: Caernarfon, UK - Galeri
23 Nov: Carmarthen, UK - The Parrot
06 Dec: Cardiff, UK - Globe
07 Feb: London, UK - Scala

* Supporting Garbage

Skating Polly - 'Camelot'

Ahead of their European tour next month, Skating Polly give us a taste of what to expect with a raucous new video for “Camelot”.

“Camelot” is a thrashy number, taken from the band’s recent album ‘The Make It All Show,’ which was released back in May. “I want something better than you… course I do” yelps and snarl’s 17-year-old Kelli Mayo, as the Tacoma-based trio prove why they’re one of the most visceral rock bands doing the rounds, dishing riffs and attitude in spades.

"There are so many moments throughout that always make me smile" she says of the new video. "I love the little kids, love the unfortunate crowd surfer who did not get caught – he’s okay! – and Arrow and Henri from Starcrawler had me cracking up through out the whole shoot. Those two are powerhouses, they never run out of energy. Also Allison Wolfe from Bratmobile crowd surfed for the first time ever in the video!”

There's a difficult to describe, yet timeless quality to certain songs that transcend genre or era. It's something that you can't fake or contrive and it's what lies at the core of Skating Polly's music. Admittedly the female-driven alternative acts that inspired the band such as Veruca Salt, X, The Breeders, L7 and Babes In Toyland (the latter of whom Skating Polly toured with in Europe) aren't typical reference points for most of today's up-and-coming bands, but maybe they should be. “The thing that we identify with in a lot of those bands is that they can be really aggressive and loud while also being super melodic,” Kelli explains, adding that the new dynamic in the band helped them to be more expansive when it came to their arrangements: “Everything happened very smoothly when Kurtis became part of the band. It just felt natural having him there and writing with him.”

 
Skating Polly European live dates:
6th Sept - Vera, GRONINGEN (NL)
7th Sept - Extra Blues Bar, BIELEFELD (DE)
9th Sept - Paard, DEN HAAG (NL)
10th Sept - Sebright Arms, LONDON (UK)
11th Sept - Le Pub, NEWPORT (UK)
13th Sept - The Thunderbolt, BRISTOL (UK)
14th  Sept - Firebug, LEICESTER (UK)
15th Sept - Broadcast, GLASGOW (UK)
16th Sept - Hare and Hounds, BIRMINGHAM (UK)
17th Sept - Yardbirds Rock Club, GRIMSBY (UK)
18th Sept - L’Olympic Cafe, PARIS (FR)
19th Sept - Blue Devils, ORLEANS (FR)
20th Sept - le Brin de Zinc, CHAMBERY (FR)
22nd Sept - Vortex Surfer Musikclub, SIEGEN (DE)

Black Peaks

Brighton 4 piece BLACK PEAKS release their huge, brand new single 'Electric Fires' today, Friday 3rd August. It is the 3rd new single this year, and the band will be releasing their hugely anticipated, Adrian Bushby produced (Grammy award winner for Muse, Foo Fighters) 2nd album 'All That Divides', on October 5th through Rise Records/BMG. 

Check out the single 'Electric Fires' here:

Front man Will Gardner said of the new single "'Electric Fires was one of the first songs we wrote for All That Divides, and was one that had a few live outings towards the end of the Statues tour. The song in many ways is one of our most straight-forward. Lyrically the song is a bit of a sarcastic comment on the beliefs of certain conspiracy theorists, Flat-Earthers etc. Essentially we just had fun with that idea, and wrote a song about how our Alien forefathers came here from Mars at the dawn of civilisation to build the pyramids, which, of course, 100% totally happened. Stay woke, kids."

Will Gardner on 'All That Divides' also said, "Lyrically at least, this album represents the fear of a future where freedom is restricted. Over the last two years, we as a band have been incredibly lucky to have been able to travel accross Europe and play our music. The fact this happened to take place during a period where various political changes, at home and abroad, made us focus a lot about the freedom and right to travel. We have seen people, families, relationships and countries divided by conflict and political upheaval, and our reaction to this is a core lyrical theme running through the album."

The band will also be on a full UK and European tour after the album release, with some incredible supports in tow. ALL dates and supports are below, with Worthing and London already SOLD OUT:

BLACK PEAKS UK headline show:
Thu-Oct-11- Empire, Belfast - N IRE - support from + Ilenkus + LNT
Fri-Oct-12 - Grand Social, Dublin - Ireland - support from + Ilenkus + LNT
Sat-Oct-13 – Newcastle, Cluny - support from Bossk and Gold Key
Sun-Oct-14 – Glasgow, King Tuts - support from Bossk and Gold Key
Tue-Oct-16 – Leeds, The Key Club - support from Bossk and Gold Key
Wed-Oct-17 – Manchester - Academy 3 - support from Bossk and Gold Key
Thu-Oct-18 – Birmingham, Hare and Hounds - support from Bossk and Gold Key
Fri-Oct-19 – London, Underworld - support from Bossk and Gold Key SOLD OUT
Sun-Oct-21 – Worthing, Forty Two - support from Gold Key - SOLD OUT

BLACK PEAKS European headline shows, support from Tusky and The Prestige:
Tue-Oct-23 – Gibus, Paris – France
Wed-Oct-24 – MTC, Koln – Germany
Thu-Oct-25 - Molotow Sky Bar, Hamburg – Germany
Mon-Oct-29 – Kranhalle, Munich – Germany
Tue-Oct-30 - Arena 3Raum Bar, Vienna – Austria
Wed-Oct-31 - Dynamo Werk 2, Zurich – Switzerland
Thu-Nov-1 – Magnolia, Milan – Italy
Sat-Nov-3 - Razzmatazz 3, Barcelona – Spain
Sun-Nov-4 - Moby Dick, Madrid - Spain

Full list of all other BLACK PEAKS shows in 2018:
August 18th - ArcTanGent Festival, Bristol
August 25th/26th - Reading and Leeds festival
September 1st - McMillan Fest, Nottingham
Oct 20th - Sheffield - Festiville - The Leadmill
Oct 26th - Anti-Fest - Haarlem, Netherlands at The Patronaat
Oct 27th - Groezrock Indoor, Hasselt, Belgium
Oct 28th - Anti-Fest - Wiesbaden, Germany at the Schlachthof
 

Photo: Gareth Bull

DOE - New Album 'Grow Into It'

Big Scary Monsters and Topshelf Records have just announced the signing of London trio Doe, who will be releasing their second album, Grow into It, on 28th September 2018. 

An album about the aging process and growth, Grow Into It takes influence from bands like The Breeders and The Cars, and aims to be, "an antithesis of the overdone trope of male bands singing about rejecting adulthood and wanting to stay young and get wasted with their friends forever."

Doe’s evolution is showcased on the first single to be taken from the record – Heated. One of the first tracks written for the album and already a live hit, the dynamism of the song excitingly ebbs and flows, with Nicola and Dean (Smithers – Guitar) riffing back and forth before a Pavement-esque crescendo that is collectively one of the band’s favourite parts of the record. Watch the video below, directed by Jack Barraclough.

It’s safe to say that for indie-rock trio Doe, the last 12 months has seen a dramatic shift in their evolution as a band.

“Grow into It is an album about the ageing process and growth” explains singer and guitarist Nicola Leel. “Lyrically, I wanted to write an album about getting older that was an antithesis of the overdone trope of male bands singing about rejecting adulthood and wanting to stay young and get wasted with their friends forever. Instead, Grow into It is about finding light and freedom in age and finding autonomy in death.

“Vivid body imagery is a recurring lyrical theme, not only to evoke ideas of physical change / deterioration, but as a metaphor for the development and deterioration of personal relationships as you grow and gain perspective. 

The subject matter across the songs ranges from deciding you’re not going to accommodate others at your own personal expense anymore (Labour like I Do, Team Spirit), to realising your favourite author is a bit shit at writing women (Even Fiction)”

Embracing the theme that age is a challenging force, but ultimately positive: sonically the band have written something light and catchy that reinforces their pop sensibilities but ambitiously builds on the lyrical word-play, intertwining guitars and off kilter time signatures of their debut.

Drawing on a much wider range of influences than the last record, from The Breeders through to The Cars, the band have been more playful in their compositions; still referencing their 90’s influenced roots but reaching wider to create something unmistakably classic sounding but irresistibly modern.

Photo Credit: Andrew Northrop

False Advertising - New Single 'You Said'

Manchester trio FALSE ADVERTISING released their new single ‘You Said’ next Friday 3rd August 2018.

The three-piece also recently announced a clutch of dates supporting Tom Hingley of legendary Manchester-based alt rock band Inspiral Carpets (see below for full dates).

Lyrically-speaking, the track is an ode to niggling doubts that build up over the decisions we make, as vocalist Jen Hingley reflects on feelings of indecisiveness over her place in the world and questions that she might be “wasting her life” by doing the things that she loves.

“This song is catharsis to me,” she explains. “Saving face over disagreements and injustices shake me up over time - I constantly look for new ways to let go and forget everything that freaks me out about the world these days. Coming together and screaming 'ahhh!' over a loud guitar riff is a pretty good way of venting frustration - it can work in the short term at least.”

Marking a period of change and growth for the band’s songwriting which has seen them step confidently into a more condensed and concentrated form of their searing and experimental alternative rock.

Historically a staunchly DIY band, the trio were invited to Paul Epworth's The Church Studio in London to record the track earlier this year, with producer Luke Pickering helping to capture the sound of a band thirsty to make the most out of a legendary studio and recording space. This single is the first of a series signifying the beginning of False Advertising's forthcoming debut album, set for release in 2019.

The band return to the live circuit this weekend to play the main stage at Kendal Calling, alongside playing further festivals including Humber Street Sesh, How To Make Friends and Waves Vienna.

FALSE ADVERTISING 2018 Live Dates:

28/07/18 - Kendal Calling
03/08/18 – Leeds - Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen (w/ Tom Hingley)
04/08/18 – Hull - Humber Street Sesh Festival
05/08/18 – London - How To Make Friends 2018, Sebright Arms
28/09/18 – Vienna - Waves Festival
20/10/18 – London - Upgefukt Festival, Brixton Windmill
02/11/18 – Glasgow – Play (w/ Tom Hingley)

Gang Of Four - New Video

Gang of Four have just released the video for ‘Lucky’ from the band’s latest ‘Complicit’ EP. 

Arriving ahead of a new Gang of Four studio album due for release in September 2018, ‘Complicit’ is co-produced by the band’s Andy Gill, alongside Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode) and Ross Orton (M.I.A., Arctic Monkeys). The EP, from a band recently quoted as a touchstone for musicians as diverse as St Vincent, Frank Ocean, James Murphy and Pharrell Williams, also includes the single ‘Ivanka (Things You Can’t Have)’ and has already caused a stir with artwork that captions the President’s daughter with a single Russian word, замешанная, meaning ‘complicit’. 

The video itself was shot in a deliberately small space with just two Dedo lights so the light bounces of the walls to achieve the gritty neo-realist feel of 50’s Italian films. Gaoler comes across as an Homme Fatale gangster, while Gill comes across as, well, just a gangster.

‘Lucky’ also offers a commentary that is political and metaphysical. Gill says: “‘Lucky’ is about how luck defines more than we imagine. You might think of the words from Macbeth concerning life being an hour upon the stage where the walking shadow struts and frets but can change nothing. A parallel idea is that luck may have as much impact on the course of a life than anything an individual does. As in Sartre’s ‘les jeux sont faits’, action, truth, morality will always play second fiddle to luck.” Lucky identifies itself as a Gang of Four track with Gill’s serrated guitar, beneath frontman Gaoler’s alternately piteous and self-aggrandising protagonist, freighted by a taut groove from Thomas McNiece and Tobias Humble’s rhythm section. 

‘Complicit’ also zeroes in on the push/pull between Trump’s White House and the ways in which news stories are pollinated. Talking about ‘Ivanka (Things You Can’t Have)’ - which weaves into its lyrics quotes from Ivanka and her father - Gill says; “It would’ve been easy to be extremely damning about Donald Trump and of course, like everyone else, I could have called him all kinds of names. What drew me to this subject at all was the running commentary from Ivanka in the earlier stages of this administration - it was fascinating to get a kind of explanation or justification from the daughter who had already been given an official position within the White House. A lot of it was pretty funny. But although the characters in the Trump family are interesting, it’s more the ideologies and politics which they represent and enable which need describing.”

Tour Dates:
3 August HORTEN, NORWAY Bueskytterbanen
5 October LONDON, UK Indie Daze, 100 Club SOLD OUT

Dilly Dally - New Album 'Heaven'

“This feels like the album we’d make if the band died and went to heaven,” says Dilly Dally guitarist/singer Katie Monks about her band’s upcoming second LP, aptly titled Heaven (out September 14th via Partisan Records). In a sense, that’s precisely what happened. Heaven rose from the ashes after the Toronto four-piece almost decided to call it quits following the rigorous cycle around their acclaimed debut, Sore. Instead, they’ve returned with a fierce, fiery ode to optimism, a distortion-soaked battle cry for hope and beauty in a world of darkness and doubt.

Opening track 'I Feel Free' is out now along with a video written and directed by Monks. The clip visualises the band’s struggle to breathe new life into old friendships. It shows Monks literally digging her three bandmates out of the ground, ultimately finding cathartic release in the form of a white Flying V, dug out of the fourth grave. 

Monks explains, “this song is me asking my bandmates to let go of what’s been weighing us down. We’re not going to let the past hold us back from our dreams. Let’s do this thing.”

Monks describes the sound of Heaven as “doom metal vibes with lots of positive messages.” Recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck), she’s backed by Liz Ball (lead guitar), Benjamin Reinhartz (drums) and Jimmy Tony (bass). Collectively they weave from anthemic slate cleaners ('I Feel Free') to swamp-rock ferocity ('Doom') to epic queer tragedy ('Bad Biology') and beyond, while Monks’ singular wail remains one of the most powerful instruments in all of rock music.

Following an opening set last week for The Voidz at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere, Dilly Dally will tour extensively behind Heaven. This autumn they’ll hit the road with FIDLAR in the US with additional headline dates to follow, as well as a brief European run in October. 

Tour Dates:
 
Aug 18 | Ponderosa Music Festival - Rock Creek, Canada
Sept 07 | First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN *
Sept 08 | Vic Theatre - Chicago, IL *
Sept 10 | Newport Music Hall - Columbus, OH *
Sept 11 | The Majestic Theatre - Detroit, MI *
Sept 12 | Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, Canada *
Sept 14 - Paradise - Boston, MA *
Sept 15 | Terminal 5 - New York, NY *
Sept 16 | Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA *
Sept 18 | 9:30 Club - Washington, DC *
Sept 19 | Cat's Cradle - Durham, NC *
Sept 21 | Cannery Ballroom - Nashville, TN *
Sept 22 | Masquerade - Atlanta, GA *
Sept 23 | Tipitina's - New Orleans, LA *
Oct 3 | Maze Club - Berlin, DE
Oct 4 | V11 - Rotterdam, NL
Oct 5 | Botanique - Brussels, BE
Oct 8 | Espace B - Paris, FR
Oct 9 | Sebright Arms - London, UK
Oct 18 | Observatory Park North - San Diego, CA *
Oct 19 | The Van Buren - Phoenix, AZ *
Oct 22 | Emo's - Austin, TX *
Oct 23 | White Oak Music Hall - Houston, TX *
Oct 24 | Canton Hall - Dallas, TX *
Oct 26 | Gothic Theatre - Denver, CO *
Oct 27 | The Depot - Salt Lake City, UT *
Oct 29 | The Vogue Theatre - Vancouver, Canada *
Oct 30 | Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA *
Oct 31 | Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR *
Nov 02 | Fox Theater - Oakland, CA *

*w/ FIDLAR

Photo credit: Michelle Homonylo

credit: Vanessa Heins

METRIC - New Single ‘Dark Saturday’

With their eagerly anticipated new album coming September 21st, METRIC have released the first single from it “Dark Saturday”, available on all streaming platforms now.

For the first time in 3 albums, guitarist Jimmy Shaw did not co-produce, preferring to hand over the production mantle to first time collaborator Justin Meldal-Johnsen who has previously worked with M83, Beck and Nine Inch Nails to name only a few. The album, which was recorded in METRIC’s own Giant Studio in Toronto, was also mixed by first time collaborator Tony Hoffer, whose countless credits include Phoenix, Depeche Mode and Air.

“Justin was just what we needed in a producer for this album”, says Jimmy. “He really saw every band member eye to eye and was able to capture what we each do best. It was something I realized I couldn’t do at this stage, having been in the band for so long. We were finally able to focus on just playing again, as we did at the start. Making this album brought us together in a way we hadn’t been for quite some time and I think you can hear it in the music.”

“This is our seventh album as a band”, says iconic frontwoman Emily Haines, “and we wanted the first song people heard from it to be “Dark Saturday” as a sonic heads up that our guitars are back in force. Lyrically, the song depicts a dystopian night life scene of gaudy wealth where oblivious party girls say nauseating things like, ‘I’m so rich everything’s free.’”

On July 12th METRIC kicked off a 38-date run of live performances in arenas across North America as special guests on the reunion tour of alternative rock legends Smashing Pumpkins. Tickets are available from www.ilovemetric.com/tour/
 
METRIC play the following UK dates in November as part of their European tour:

November
Sat 17th            BIRMINGHAM, O2 Institute 2
Sun 18th            GLASGOW, Queen Margaret Union
Mon 19th        MANCHESTER, O2 Ritz
Tues 20th        LONDON, O2 Kentish Town Forum

Lyrical excerpt of “Dark Saturday”:

Somewhere in the south of France, or the Caribbean Sea, she said, “I don’t need to make a living, fake diamonds got nothing on me”. I met her in the world below, she’s a tourist of the world beneath. I said, “Everything I built from nothing.” She said, “I’m so rich everything’s free.” So dark it ain’t so dark. 

Forever and never, a torch in search of a flame. To be good, get better. I change by staying the same. Forever and never, a night in search of a day. As anxious as ever, it’s such a Dark Saturday.

What’s your name and where you from? Well I’m worth your weight in gold. While we lie here in the sun, the whole wide world’s about to explode. Now our bodies intertwine, and the truth is plain to see. I said, “Everything I built from nothing.” She said, “Don’t you blame your problems on me.”

Photo credit Justin Broadbent

Self Defence Family - 'The Supremacy of Pure Artistic Feeling'

Self Defense Family share the video for 'The Supremacy of Pure Artistic Feeling', the second track taken from their upcoming Run For Cover Records debut LP. The video features guitarist Mary Brulatour discussing the art of Muay Thai, with footage of a recent bout. 'The Supremacy of Pure Artistic Feeling' is from the upcoming Have You Considered Punk Music which will be released on June 29th.

On their debut Run For Cover Records album, vocalist Patrick Kindlon asks the listener to take a close look alongside him at the bottomless drive to create that he's spent his life exploring. "It’s about feeling very intensely about a thing you’re becoming increasingly aware the rest of the world doesn’t give a shit about,” says Kindlon. “It’s like how people feel about their cats: they love their cat, but you don’t give a shit about their cat.” 

Ask any touring musician and they’ll agree: years spent on the road can be measured like dog years. Over time, the unpredictable nature of the lifestyle starts to become not only predictable, but all-consuming. On the band’s latest full-length Have You Considered Punk Music, singer Patrick Kindlon reflects on his time as a musician, taking a closer look at the bottomless drive to create that he’s spent his life exploring. “I’ve been doing something for a long time that I find really fulfulling, and I’m able to look at it with more clarity as time passes,” says Kindlon. “I can look at things from 10 years ago, or the reason I even got involved in this thing in the first place, with more perspective. The changes I’ve gone through as a person over time are interesting to me. I spend almost all my waking hours making things, and that’s a relationship I assumed was normal, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve started to understand that that’s not the way everybody is looking at life,” says Kindlon. 
 
His choice to reflect on his experiences isn’t a topic he discusses with ease - “It makes me sound like I’m 200 years old,” he jokes - but it’s one he does well, distilling personal, specific experiences into simple and relatable metaphors. “It’s about feeling very intensely about a thing you’re becoming increasingly aware the rest of the world doesn’t give a shit about,” says Kindlon. “It’s like how people feel about their cats: they love their cat, but you don’t give a shit about their cat.” 
 
Kindlon’s passion for making music is matched by his bandmates. While many bands have found themselves stuck in a rut after years of making music together, Self Defense Family’s unique structure ensures that the band never ends up at a dead end. Their tours aren’t mandatory, but instead an open invitation to whoever would like to come, whether that be three members or seven. Their recording process is equally as open ended; when one member gets creatively burnt out, another will take their place, often offering a new take on the song at hand in the process. This type of system can lend itself to chaos at times, but to the band, it’s worth it in the end. “While it can be frustrating to sift through a million ideas, at least you have a million ideas to sift through,” says Kindlon. 
 
The album was recorded in just under two weeks, the longest the band has ever spent in the studio at one time. As they often do, the musicians in the group who chose to participate in the project came to the studio completely unprepared and wrote the songs as they tracked them. “For us, recording is largely about first takes,” says Kinlon. “We don’t see recording as creating a product - we see it as capturing whatever’s going on at the moment, and if we mess it up, we’ll do better next time. This album is different for us in the respect that it’s a fairly polished final product.” It’s a perfect fit for a record about making records - that, simultaneously, the band hones in on their craft while dissecting the craft itself. 
 

Photo credit: Mitchell Wojcik