If you read my review of Incubate Festival earlier this year you will have noticed that I was blown away by Dutch instrumental noise rockers Mannheim...so now here they are in the Echoes of the Future column for you to check out as well. Highly recommended for fans of everything from And So I Watch You from Afar to Breach, from Fire! to Shellac. 

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Mannheim and what are your musical backgrounds?

Mannheim is Mark (Guitar), Otto(Saxophone/Electronics), Jochem(Drums) and Henry(Bass).

(((o))): How did the band come together?

Most of us have been playing in bands their whole lives. Mark, Otto and Jochem have been playing together for some time now, experimenting around in different formations. Mannheim was formed early in 2012. We immediately started to write the music for Super-Empowered.

(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form. (Haiku, rhyming couplets, acrostic, etc - take your pick)

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band?

Mark: Not so much actually.. Our local scene is really great and we see a lot of talented people doing very creative things. With Mannheim though, we’ve never really tried to fit into a scene. We’re just not that band I guess.

Otto: Then again there are a lot of great people in our local scene who have showed us a lot of support and have helped us to start out as a band

(((o))): Your debut album came out earlier this year. What can you tell us about that?

Mark: From the start, the album has been our main focus. We wanted to make an album that wouldn’t just sound like a demo or ‘first EP’. We put a lot of time and effort in the production value. We decided to work together with producer Rene Rutten (The Gathering) which definitely helped us bringing the album to a higher level. As for the song writing itself, it took us a year to write all the songs and to make all the pre productions.

Otto: To be honest, I think the end product is pretty unique.

(((o))): I’m curious about the inclusion of saxophone in your music, because it works really well and doesn’t sound forced at all. Is the music written around the sax parts, or are they added into songs that the rest of the band have already worked on?

Mark: For a lot of the songs I made the rough versions at home. I tend to fill things up without much room for a designated saxophone part. Otto handles this really well by always trying to complement the overall sound instead of creating his own little spot in a song. On the other hand, we have a song called ‘The Filth’ which started out on saxophone. It’s like the saxophone part is the main guitar riff.

In the end we’re not crazy skilled musicians, we’re not bothered by too many rules how music “should be done”. That gives us more freedom to focus on the overall sound and impact I think.

(((o))): I was blown away by your set at Incubate Festival earlier this year. Who were your highlights from that weekend?

Mark: I barely had the chance to check out the other bands. I did catch a glimpse of Sex Jams. Cool Band. I hate that I had to miss out on Mylets.

Otto: Louis Minus XVI, Kanine, Fire! and Shonen Knife.

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?

Otto: There are tons of bands out there that make decent music but there is only that much room to make an impression on your potential listeners.  Nobody is looking for you so you have to reach out to them A LOT.  Musicians are not sales people so there is a real challenge there. Being findable is one thing, being found is another.

Mark: I think you always need to be on the move, you can’t afford to sit still. You can’t expect anyone to do something for you.

(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Mannheim to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?

Mark: I always wanted to make an album. Now that we have an album I want to make another one. It never ends. I don’t think I’ll ever make it!

Otto: “Making it” isn’t really a goal. Goals are more practical like playing a certain festival or touring in a certain place. I hope I never “make it”. It must feel like a huge void to know that you’ve made it.

(((o))): You’re given the opportunity to curate your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. What would be the first five bands on your list?

Otto: The Body, Lighting Bolt, Locrian, Pharmakon, Colin Stetson.

Mark: Oh boy.. Ok fast and random:  And So I Watch You From Afar, Deafheaven, Mylets, Fuck Buttons, Deerhoof

(((o))): Are there any upcoming bands you’d like us to feature soon?

Zeus!, Staer, Svartvit, Distel, Gum Takes Tooth.

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?

Mark: Next year we want to focus more on Europe instead of just NL and we’ll definitely start working on a follow up for Super-Empowered.

Check out Mr Munchkin Streams for more quality Dutch music!

(((o))): So tell us a little about yourselves for our readers, how did the band form, what were your influences?

Casey: Our main influence when we formed the band was finding a cure for boredom… We were in the ninth grade and looking for fun stuff to do. We turned to music, which I guess is better than a lot of the other stuff you could turn to in ninth grade. Musically, Nirvana was the band that brought us all together, then almost immediately after that, Wilco became the biggest influence.

(((o))): What were your favourite albums growing up, and what are they now? 

Johnny: Growing up, there were a bunch, but these are some that stand out in my memory: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot; Radiohead - Kid A; Nirvana - Nevermind. Today it changes constantly:  James Blake - Overgrown; Beach House - Bloom; Tame Impala - Lonerism. 

(((o))): What current music is currently on your iPod?

Casey: Lot of current favorites. The new MGMT album has been growing on me, really cool production. Kurt Vile, James Blake, Kanye West albums have been on pretty much constant rotation since they came out. Eagerly anticipating the new Arcade Fire, too - 'Reflektor' is such a jam.

(((o))): For a band who is relatively unknown in the UK, how would you describe your music?

Johnny: Akin to putting on a pair of new socks.

(((o))): Hexagon is your fifth release now, how does it stand next to your previous releases? 

Johnny: Part of the same creative thread but with a different spin.  It’s more focused on how the music translates live.

(((o))): Talk me through some of the songs, where does inspiration come from?

Casey: I wish there was a inspiration bag we could just open whenever we needed some… instead it just decides to rear its head in seemingly random, isolated instances. 'New Local' - that opening section didn't exist until one day when a few of our friends dropped by the studio, one with a dog she was babysitting. We had a mic set up in the room so we hit record on what was just a genuinely good hang, and noodling away during that moment, that piano line was what seemed to score the scene appropriately. We left the conversation, and dog panting, on the record because it was a rare moment of inspiration converging with articulation.

(((o))): One highlight is 'Money on the Dark Horse', there is a great Southern feel about it and more than a hint of ZZ Top...your thoughts? 

Johnny: Everyone wants to be a sharp dressed man. Except women.

(((o))): You've toured with some big names in the past. How is the reception when faced with, say, a couple of thousand Black Keys fans? Or in that case, how do these bands treat you? 

Johnny: All of the musicians in bands that we have opened for have all been great people. We're still waiting to meet the temper tantrum divas out there. The crowds have all been cool. Most people are generally there to have a good time, not bringing tomatoes.

(((o))): Does it have any bearing on how you approach your music? What sort of things do you learn from this experience?

Johnny: You learn that a big show is nothing but a bigger garage. If it doesn't work in a small setting, it sure as hell won't work elsewhere.

our repertoire for years, but every night it's a little different. Songs evolve, but for this record we had already been playing most of the songs live before we tracked them in the studio, so you're hearing a little more of a "refined" product - which, somewhat backwardly, sounds more jammy.

(((o))): You have received a fair few plaudits in your time which must be great for the band. One of the most unusual is being cultural ambassadors. What exactly does this entail? It's not something we have over here in the UK. 

Johnny: You don’t have any? I thought that The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper’s attire was full-on ambassador clothing? The U.S. State Department asked us to participate in a program called the Arts Envoys Program in which members of the American arts community go abroad and engage in the arts with other cultures in order to learn and to share. We’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to go around the world and see many inspiring musicians and musical traditions.  

(((o))): Any amusing anecdotes of your time on the road? 

Johnny: Plenty. Haunted hotel room in Tennessee. The grizzly bear at our campsite in Wyoming - Snickers bar left out. Porch scene in rural Mississippi. A couple years ago we played before Johnny Flynn in an outdoor show in Didcot. Right when one of his lyrics referred to sunshine, the clouds opened up and the sun shone through on the whole crowd. Everyone went wild. Flailing tears. Not bad having the big man upstairs running lights. 

(((o))): What plans for the future, any UK dates planned?

Johnny: Nothing on the books yet, but we'll be back soon.

(((o))): Lastly, anything you would like to say to our readers?

Casey: Yes… if you've made it all the way through our musings and digressions… congrats! That, and please stay tuned, because we're in our studio in LA writing the next record and we're beyond excited to share it with everyone.

Ahead of her forthcoming tours of Australia and Europe (including a London show promoted by our buddies at Chaos Theory), Jarboe (formerly Michael Gira's key creative partner in Swans) took time out of her busy schedule to answer some quick questions from our features editor Benjamin Bland. 

(((o))): So, you’re just about to go out on a pretty huge tour, including a few UK stops. What can you tell us about your plans for the shows with regard to performance style, setlist, etc?

We’re performing acoustic versions from my career via guitar and voices. There are songs from Swans and World of Skin (Skin in the UK originally) as well as my solo material - even unreleased songs.

(((o))): P. Emerson Williams is joining you on stage each night as guitarist. How did you start working with him?

I learned of his work through a mutual friend. I was impressed with what I heard. 

(((o))): How wearing is it on your voice to have to play night after night for several weeks? Is that something that ever concerns you or something that has caused problems?

Sure, the voice changes with overuse. The way to handle this overuse is to be silent except for the show. After all, it is the audience experience that is most important for a show and for a tour.

(((o))): You’re a prolific collaborator as well as a prolific solo artist.  How do you go about deciding who to work with? 

I would call it gut instinct. I ‘read’ people and sense their sincerity and motivation and ability to follow through in addition to skill level.

(((o))): Do you get a different sense of reward out of collaborative, as opposed to solo, work?

No, because I am even harder on myself and even more demanding and less easily satisfied. 

(((o))): You did a Masters dissertation on Lord Byron. What is that you find particularly inspiring and interesting about his work?

I’d say the mood of romantic love and tortured emotions is what drew me in at that stage of my life.

(((o))): I’ve always got the impression that many of the most creative musicians are inspired largely by the non-musical. Would you say that applies to you?

Yes, very much so. I am an avid film buff, as well as a dedicated follower of extreme fashion and design, architecture, and all the visual arts. I’m also very interested in gourmet cuisine and wine!

(((o))): Having said that, I am interested to know if you listen to much new music at all. If so what sort of music have you found inspiring in recent times?

I am a massive Tricky fan and own everything he has released and listen to it all constantly.  To me, he is a pure genius.

(((o))): I believe you have been writing your memoirs. How is that progressing? 

Yes, I have been doing so for years now. It is one main reason why I am going to the desert and Iceland in 2014 - for the isolation.

(((o))): I know you’ve reinvented a few Swans songs for your solo performances in the past, and the entire Swans discography has a feel of reinvention in it for me. Do you think reinventing your art, whether stylistically or purely sonically, is key to creating continually interesting music?

As I understand the vocabulary in the work with which I absorbed and sculpted, it is natural to express an essence of that creation, that child. As or creating itself, I have done numerous albums with a different sensibility from Swans and in fact am doing a modern jazz/blues album in 2014.

(((o))): I’m particularly curious about the period in the early nineties when White Light... and Love of Life came out. The former especially is one of my favourite Swans records, but it seems from various statements / lack of reissues / etc that Michael isn’t especially keen on that period of the band anymore! Do you agree with me when I say that period of the band has perhaps been overlooked? Why do you think that is?

White Light from the Mouth of Infinity is brilliant. I am proud of both of those albums. They shine. The reissue that Michael named Various Failures is the opposite of that title. It is magnificent. The most highly sought after album of all the Swans albums to date is the original issue of White Light from the Mouth of Infinity. I am also very proud of my keyboard work on that album.

(((o))): I know it must be tricky to think about, but I cannot help but wonder which records, or individual songs, have been most successful at translating your creative vision over the years?

The entire Anhedoniac album is my private and personal masterpiece.

Jarboe Tour Dates:

Thu 07.11.13 The Corner Hotel, Melbourne, Australia.

Fri 08.11.13 The Annandale Hotel, Sydney, Australia. 

Sat 09.11.13 The Zoo, Brisbane, Australia.

Sun 10.11.13 The Rosemont Hotel, Perth, Australia.

Mon 18.11.13 The Exchange, Bristol, UK. 

Tue 19.11.13 The Courtyard@The Rainbow,Birmingham, UK. 

Wed 20.11.13 Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow, UK.

Thu 21.11.13 Sacred Trinity Church, Manchester, UK.

Fri 22.11.13 Blå, Oslo, Norway. 

Sat 23.11.13 St Leonard's Church, London, UK. 

Sun 24.11.13 Winston, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Tue 26.11.13 La Boite, Madrid, Spain. 

Wed 27.11.13 ZDB, Lisbon, Portugal. 

Thu 28.11.13 Le Bukowski, San Sebastian, Spain.

Fri 29.11.13 NIU Espai Artistic Contemporani (Rocksound), Barcelona, Spain. 

Sat 30.11.13 SAS, Delémont, Switzerland. 

Sun 01.12.13 Marina Rijeka, Croatia

Tues 03.12.13 LoFi, Milano,Italy

Wed 04.12.13 Freakout Club, Bologna, Italy.

Thu 05.12.13 Dal Verme, Roma, Italy.

Sat 07.12.13 Six D.O.G.S., Athens, Greece. 

Sun 08.12.13 Mavri Trypa, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Tue 10.12.13 Slavianska Beseda, Sofia, Bulgaria. 

Wed 11.12.13 Club Control, Bucharest, Romania.

Thu 12.12.13 Rocktogon, Budapest, Hungary. 

Fri 13.12.13 Potrva, Prague, Czech Republic. 

Sat 14.12.13 Energy of the Sound Festival,Agora,Wroclaw (Breslau), Poland.

Mon 16.12.13 Narauti, Vilnius, Lithuania. 

Tue 17.12.13 Nabaklaba, Riga, Latvia. 

Wed 18.12.13 Von Krahl, Tallinn, Estonia. 

Thu 19.12.13 Kuudes Linja, Helsinki, Finland.

Fri 20.12.13 DaDa Club, Saint Petersburg Russia

Sat 21.12.13 DOM club, Moscow, Russia

Our reviewer Aidan Hehir described Repo Man's debut album 'All Mind in the Cat House' as "caustic, aggressive and infused with a 'we don't give a shit if you don't like this' mentality", so we figured they must be a pretty cheerful bunch to talk to. At any rate, as one of the best new bands we've discovered this year, they were prime for the Echoes of the Future treatment...

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Repo Man and what are your musical backgrounds?
Anthony Brown - Bass (The Happy Crayons / Macero)
Bojak - Vocals, Sax, Harmonica, Violin
Liam McConaghy - Guitar (Microdeform / Tlön)
Paul Albrecht - Drums

Ant: We are veterans of Brutar Weimaz, 94 Young Hitlers, disco cruise ship bands, improv orchestras etc

(((o))): How did the band come together?

Ant: I met Paul and Liam through Bristol Cube Cinema's Improvisatory Orchestra. Bojak I've known for about 12 years from when we lived in Worcester. The original lineup had our friend Rob on guitar and Liam was on drums but Rob decided not to move from London to Bristol, so we got Paul in and Liam moved on to guitar.

Liam: The band started out in July 2011 with our friend Rob Kent on guitar and me on drums.  Early material was entirely improvised, so the sound was quite different to how it is now.  I didn't meet Rob and Bojak until the first session.

Ant: The mission statement was 'Repo Man is always intense'. We wanted to produce what we weren't finding in other new bands at the time, maximum intensity with a full-on vocal without it slotting easily into 'punk' 'metal' or whatever other rock subgenre, and without hollow scenester posing.

Paul: I guess The Cube should take responsibility for that.

(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form.  (Haiku, rhyming couplets, acrostic, etc - take your pick)

Bojak: Rhyming couplets interspersed with prosaic scatological misanthropy, a wedge of lime is then wrapped around the end a stethoscope, which is then inserted (with benign contempt) down an obliging urethra .

(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band? 

Liam: Bristol has a thriving DIY culture so that has probably influenced the way we've approached things, but I wouldn't say we're part of any specific scene.  We've tended to do our own thing.  We've been fortunate to find a few promoters willing to let us curate our own lineups and that's worked well for us as that way people tend come along for the whole night rather than just to see one band.

Ant: Bristol's a pretty open-minded place musically and it is inspiring to see local artists receive attention. I don’t think we're a part of 'the' scene...

Bojak: Not that we don't enjoy the music but there does appear to be a stapled stagnant stigma to the overall ethos, almost regimented/ regime...

Ant: The fact that 3 of us all met through an Improvising Orchestra that welcomes people of all or no ability though is testament to something great about Bristol that you don't get in a lot of other cities. None of us are native to the city; we're one part North West, two parts Midlands and one part Sussex.

(((o))): You’ve just had your new album out.  What can you tell us about that?  How is it a progression from your previous work?

Liam: We went into the studio thinking we'd maybe manage to get down 4 or 5 tracks and ended up with 8, so that was quite a result!  We weren't hell-bent on making an album though. It’s important to record while things are still fresh.  You can definitely leave it too long, and then tracks start to get stale and irrelevant.

Ant: In our earliest days Liam was on drums rather than guitar so the sound was different in that respect as he has a different style to Paul. Some of the songs on the album were in embryonic form even then though. The album is our first recording so it's our initial statement and culmination of the early material. We had to get the songs down as we'd had them for awhile and were already working on a new crop, so the 'progression' is more with the new stuff that isn't on the album. The album was recorded in two days with a day and a half of mixing so we had to try and get the best results within a very short time frame. Ironically it actually sounds more polished than intended!

(((o))): 1984 sci-fi comedy or 2010 sci-fi thriller?

Ant: 1984 film.

Paul: Neither. 'Alien' (1979)

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?

Ant: The fact that there is more bands than ever before vying for attention with no filtration system means there is a lot of great stuff that falls between the cracks and a lot of the stuff that does get attention nationally seems to be through some kind of nepotism. Also, working full time jobs that some of us hate...

Bojak: It keeps us grounded.

Ant: There's a weird irony in the fact that we are in the era where exposure to all types of music is available so easily with tons of great, mad stuff out there but the actual mainstream of culture has reacted to that by becoming perhaps the blandest it's ever been, with little in the way of interesting stuff managing to 'invade' it like would happen in past decades.

(((o))): Every band has different aims.  What would have to happen for Repo Man to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?

Ant: Being able to devote the bulk of our time to the band rather than work. Having a fanbase in a few cities would be nice. The point is you can never 'make it' as that would spell complacency

((o))): You’re given the opportunity to create your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival.  What would be the first five bands on your list?
Liam: Don Caballero (mid 90s lineup), Fly Pan Am, Philip Jeck, Pete Swanson, Prefuse 73.

Ant: Fugazi, Autechre, Ornette Coleman, Mission of Burma and seeing as every fucker is reforming I'd try for Husker Du though can’t see em going for that

Bojak: Nick Cave, The Fall, Patti Smith, Tori Amos, Leonard Cohen

(((o))): Are there any upcoming bands you’d like us to feature soon?
Liam: H & Uiutna (Zamzamrec), Blackhoods, Stuart Chalmers, Big Naturals, The Cosmic Dead, Falling Stacks

Ant: Happy Crayons, Microdeform, Macero

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?  Thanks!
Liam: More out-of-town gigs, more releases, hopefully some festivals and touring at some point!

Ant: Gigs n' Records

Paul: More gigs.

Bojak: A giant origami canvas, twenty foot tall.

Last time we discussed the nature of the crescendo, and the manner in which its usage has, arguably, changed very little over the history, not just of popular music, but music in general. Now it’s time to examine how far this notion is really true?

Certainly the crescendo as it has always been remains a hugely significant part of contemporary music. Its power remains undiminished, and that shall always be the case, but to suggest that it’s the only way out of built-up musical tension is misleading. Experimental music long ago reached the point at which the crescendo was not just unnecessary but completely obsolete.

The influence of industrial music in this development is unparalleled. Acts like Nurse with Wound and Throbbing Gristle dispensed with the notion of the crescendo-based right from their earliest work. The release of tension, if it ever came, was through the end of a piece, not a glorious swell of maxed-out musical bliss. Industrial music, whether it was aware of it or not, took the continuous musical elements already applied to varying extents by many jazz artists and overemphasised them to the point where the music was brutally uninterested in notions of release (for its listeners at any rate).

Industrial music has since come to shape almost all musical extremity since. Noise music has come to mean not only the manipulation of sounds that are amusical but also the deliberate, unremitting, sonic excavation of skulls and the mental faculties contained within. If much drone music has, perhaps, prolonged the crescendo to encapsulate a whole piece, then many a noise artist has done the exact opposite. The crescendo is replaced by unpredictable and unrelenting waves of aural pressure. This track by Michigan luminaries Wolf Eyes serves as a good base example:

No doubt there has also been a role in these developments played by ambient and drone acts. However it is difficult not to hear, in all but the most obscure sound art-oriented release of this kind, notions of crescendo not all that dissimilar to those employed at the fulcrum of post-rock; take the work of Stars of the Lid as the perfect exemplar of this trend. If we are to acknowledge the influence of drone then we must also recognise that of psych/post-psych artists; for instance krautrockers like Cluster and Neu! , whose approach is largely, if not exclusively, crescendo-less. The difference, perhaps, lies more in the melodic function (or lack of) that is present.

For, ultimately, the crescendo as it has traditionally been known holds a certain degree of melodic functionality as well as merely referring to an increase in volume. For a great deal of instrumental music the crescendo performs a role not dissimilar to that of the chorus in traditional song based music. Perhaps this means that even a piece with zero volume change should not be held as crescendo(climax)-less.

Indeed, to assume that the idea of crescendo has not evolved seems a bizarre line of argument to pursue further. The technical definition refers to volume, but does it not more accurately refer to intensity? Surely even the blunt repetition of the Wolf Eyes track above increases in intensity over its duration, even if it does not openly contain a gradual increase in volume. Musicians and listeners have become comfortable with equating the dynamic interplay between the loud and the quiet as being effectively equivalent to “intensity”, but it’s not as simple as that.

Swans are well known for being one of the loudest bands on the planet. In fact their reputation for volume has been overstated thanks to the infamous reputation they gained from their early shows in the eighties, yet descriptions of the band still refer to the deafening crescendos present in their music as evidence of their intensity, which is strange, given that some of the most intense moments of their discography are their quietest. The climax of a Swans song is not always the most deafening moment, but sometimes the fade-out or the moment before the deafening begins. Try this performance of 'Eden Prison' for size:

So, the relationship between tension and release has not disappeared after all. It has merely evolved over time, to the point where now the crescendo has lost most of its formal musical meaning. Intensity is delivered in many ways. Release is delivered in many ways. If our understanding of this process has held us back it is in our lack of terminological flexibility. It is not the case that music has not changed, it is that our perceptions of its devices and meanings have not caught up with the developments that have occurred within it.

Your Favorite Enemies formed the best part of a decade ago in Montreal, Canada, but only now is their music spreading across the ocean to Europe and beyond...

((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Your Favourite Enemies and what are your musical backgrounds?

We're six completely different messed up individuals who grew up on the wrong side of the rail track. Music has been the emotional ricochet by which we've been able to survive the social and economic disparity we were facing everyday. 

I guess our collective background explains a bit of our musical background. The Lemelin brothers (Ben on bass and Sef on guitar) have been involved in some pretty hard stuff all of their youth. Ben was wearing t-shirts with impossible to read blood and HEAVY HEAVY band names. As for Sef, well, he was actually more into hair glam rock than heavy, even if he still believes Poison and Cinderella were heavy. So yes… we all have different issues! 

Moose (drums) grew up with Rush and early 90's alternative rock and somehow ended up "studying" drums in university! Jeff grew up in a family environment where music was from the devil So like every kid who grows up in such very healthy and sane environment, he kinda missed a few years due to some undisclosed high time spent listening to non-evil and godly music such as Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Hendrix and The Doors. At least, that's what people told him he was into back in those so-called "frozen" years. 

Miss Isabel (vocals, keys) is the daughter of some obscure preacher and she'd probably win the price for growing up listening to the weirdest and creepiest stuff ever produced. You know, the weird extreme of Jesus loves you and you better love him back or he will stick his holy finger in your eyes kind of lovely environment? 

As for me (Alex, vocals), I grew up listening to old punk, hardcore and... The Cure (my gangster friends never knew about The Cure, but my girlfriends really loved that soft side of my bad boy attitude, it was a real win!)

(((o))): How did the band come together? 

I guess it's fair to say we were a band way before we even tried to create some cohesive noise together. We've been in different bands in the past, but when we got together, it was more about being in a community than putting together a five year plan to become Vampire Weekend or another pink polo type of band. It was more about the mess we were in and the desire we had to get out of that. Music came together along the way. For an historical point of view, let's say Sef and I started the band when we met through social work. Saving the world was really tiring, so when we found out we were both into music, solving the world's problems became a part time hobby. 

It's kinda weird to look back only to realize we didn't have anything in common musically or artistically, but we probably needed each other for deeper reasons than his devotion to Metallica and my desire to get him to understand about the social virtues of the Dead Kennedys and the artistic freedom of Fugazi. We still argue all the time, but at least he knows that a Boss Metal Zone ain't necessarily what heavy means! The rest of it was a happy accident.

(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band?

For some, It's sexy to say you are from Montreal. Especially if you are not originally from Montreal and come to town to join all the other bands playing with mandolin and wearing a brand new Minor Threat or Black Flag t-shirt paid $75 at some hipster shop in order to look cool, indie and hardcore. But I would say that Montreal, for what the city used to be (or still is deep inside), had a tremendous impact on us…   

Montreal for me, is the only place in the world where you were eating or sleeping anywhere in the neighbourhood without an invite. Maybe survival creates some kind of community values, but the openness and generosity of people who don't even have enough for their own is just another kind of community. It wasn't about the color of your skin or the uniform you were wearing, it was about living. 

I guess this is what truly characterizes our band. The sonic collage, the mosaic of emotions, the different flavors of letting go. There are great sounds in Montreal, but the greatest ones aren't played on instruments, they are lived and embodied in the most unexpected places. 

(((o))): You are releasing your debut UK single in October and I believe you have one EP out as well. What can you tell us about those releases?

We're defyingly independent and are doing pretty much everything based on our vision to musically commune with the people. We wanted to turn our releases into moments, not into commercial shots for stardom. Our EP "Youthful Dreams Of An Old Empire" and single "I Just Want You To Know" were moments we recorded in our own studio, a catholic church we bought and turned into a studio. We have the luxury of choosing the degree of let go we are ready to commit to and to embrace.

Ever since we decided to let go, it became somehow interesting and exciting again. We kept ourselves away from the neon lights and decided to go with what was real and honest, rather than trying to "fix" things up. That's why everything we do has the ability to become some epiphanic uplifting moment and why some pure catastrophe of incoherent noises defyingly became our art form of expression for being alive… to "be" and to "assume" what it means as we let go. It's honest and real, it's imperfectly human, it's as soulful as it can be self-deceiving… 

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?

Relevance comes to mind. I mean, it's been the very same story from the first time someone had a flash and told Elvis to wear a leather suit and pretend to play guitar… ELVIS IS BACK! It's show business… and when you don't understand what it means, well, you're up for quite a bit of disappointment. There's always a cuter face, a cooler pair of shoes to dance in and a brighter new savior of rock n roll emerging somewhere with a "genuine" Bieber type of story. If it's stardom you're after, you should have learned to kick a football, to create apps or to attend music business for dummies, as they are the new rock stars.

Since we weren't cute, didn't have cool dancing shoes and weren't eleven year-olds brilliantly playing bongos on YouTube, we preferred doing our own things and creating our own world. Being true to yourself might not be sexy nowadays but still, you can do whatever you envision based on your own values and measure of involvement. You can curse all you want after the state of the industry. You can secretly envy all the bands who are pushed and supported by big time corporations, but it won't change the nature of the business we are in. There are no equal chances, there are no fair deals, there's no "may the best one win", there are not even communities of artists. Everything is scripted in advance and you don't stand a chance at winning and keeping a straight face. That's why we created our own world. Would we make it, whatever it means? The best of all news is that I already made it, and that everything has yet to be discovered. That's my point of view. DIY is cool to brag about until you realize your van broke in the middle of nowhere and that you won't be able to play in front of the twenty-five people you've been able to drag to your show by begging them. But still, it's the best way to live it if you want to work it out. Otherwise, I've heard there's a whole lot of work for anyone able to repair ukuleles and mandolins nowadays…

(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Your Favourite Enemies to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?

As I said, I feel like I've made it so I never actually thought about it but since you're asking… winning grammys, having Jay-Z on speed call, having David Bowie wearing a t-shirt of me wearing a t-shirt of him... I'd lose myself in hard drugs for a few years then clean up and cry on Oprah (or any other late afternoon talk shows), get my shit back and headline all the major festivals (you know, those with the same bands playing over and over? yes, all those festivals), I would produce a bio-epic drama movie about myself, then, I would start thinking about falsely killing myself in some relapse episode to add to the drama of my legacy and to promote my new album/book/movie/web series/t-shirt/cat food brand and underwear series called "I HATE PAIN, BUT PAIN LOVES ME". Yes, that would be the starting point… I mean I'd never thought about it before, so these are just a few ideas!

(((o))): My housemates are my favourite enemies because they all have annoying habits, but ultimately I can't quite bring myself to openly dislike them! Who are your favourite enemies and why?

I used to think all that was fake and pre-fabricated was my favorite enemy. It's asier to look at from the other end of the spectrum, I suppose. Now though, I tend to see all my personal paradoxes, my own denied fears and doubts, all the times I hesitated for the wrong reasons, every time I lied to feed my self-created illusions and absurd make-believes. It used to be that faux-punk ethic. You know, when it's cooler to ditch everything successful for the sake of some pure ethos, when in reality it's the most ridiculous incarnation of envy and jealousy… It amuses me now, as I realized that being myself, in all the most imperfect and paradoxical way, remains the most amusing part of life. To assume what it means to "be" remains the most incredible act of defiance you can resolutely live by…

(((o))): You’re given the opportunity to create your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. What would be the first five bands on your list?

Kim Gordon's Body/Head, Thurston Moore's Chelsea Light Moving, Lee Ranaldo & The Dust (featuring Steve Shelley), my new favorite band Savages and… well… Toto (so we can finally have Sef shut up about that freaking band…). It would be called "Let's subtly trick all the Sonic Youth Members into some kind of a reunion by having them all to listen to Toto's music for hours and hours". Guess we won't see that line up at all the other festivals this summer (thank you Toto!!!)

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?

I will try to finish the interview without having your website hacked by your regulars due to the endless answers and pompous way I answered your questions. (Ed: Don't mention it). Let's just say that a whole lot of things will take place before the official release of our new album "Between Illness And Migration" due out in the UK at the end of February. See, I did quick, a real pro! 

I first encountered Your Neighbour the Liar playing with Lightguides at Sneaky Pete's in Edinburgh several years ago, and then encountered them again when browsing the Carefully Planned Festival line-up. Unfortunately, given the column title, it seems that their drummer Jamie is moving to Berlin next month, so if you like them you are advised to blockade the airport upon his attempted departure - Ben. 

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Your Neighbour the Liar and what are your musical backgrounds?

We are an indie-emo band based in Edinburgh. Jamie plays drums, Kyle plays guitar and sometimes sings and I (Andy) also play guitar and sing more. Kyle and I used to play in a pop rock band from when when were 15 and Jamie used to play in tech-metal band.

(((o))): How did the band come together?

We came together in November 2009 after attending an Algernon Cadwallader gig at 13th Note in Glasgow and deciding then that we would go have a practice together. A friend of ours then offered to put us on at a gig she was putting on the next month so we quickly got a set together and went for it.

(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form. (Haiku, rhyming couplets, acrostic, etc - take your pick)

I have never been great at poems, but here we go…

We are sometimes loud, but sometimes sad,

Hopefully you think we aren't that bad.

(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band?

Edinburgh has a few good wee venues, but there has never been a big scene here. Luckily we would get put on good bills through in Glasgow when we were starting out.

(((o))): What can you tell us about your recorded output to date?

We recorded our first EP a month after we played our first gig to try and get more gigs and our name out there a bit more. It got a bit more attention than we expected from various blogs, magazines and radio. We then recorded another EP about 6 months later which was also well received. An American label called Keep it Together put out those two EPs along with our song John Slow and a live set on a cassette. We then released a 7" during summer 2011 and a split 7" later that year with our friends in Human Hands. We recorded a song for a split 7" with Empire! Empire! (I was a lonely estate) and Smithsonian, as part of a series on German label Time as a Color, which is due out soon.

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?

There's a lot of different ways for new bands to promote themselves and a lot of new bands, so I think the most difficult part is getting your music out there to the right people who will appreciate what you are doing. I guess research is the key, knowing the promoters, recording studios, etc. in your area.

(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Your Neighbour the Liar to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?

We have never really set any aims at all in the band. I guess things just progressed nicely for us with regards to releasing music and playing tours. Travelling over to Europe to tour was a great moment for us.

(((o))): Are all neighbours intrinsically deceitful?

Not so much deceitful but my neighbour recently complained to the council about some stuff I had left in the landing, the fire brigade had to come move it as it was a 'fire hazard'. I was too ill to move the stuff myself which is why it was sitting there, don't know why she couldn't knock on my door or put a note through the door...?

(((o))): You’re given the opportunity to create your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. What would be the first five bands on your list?

I’d like to see The Twilight Sad, Chrvches, Brand New, our friends in Penguins Kill Polar Bears and I’ll throw in Metallica too.

(((o))): Are there any upcoming bands you’d like us to feature soon?

Human Hands have their LP coming out soon which is great and definitely worthy of your time. Carson Wells also have some new stuff coming out soon.

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?

Jamie is moving to Berlin next month, so this is the beginning of the end for the band. We start recording our last EP this week and we’re playing at A Carefully Planned Festival on the 20th October. Hopefully we’ll manage to release the EP on vinyl and play a few final shows before the end of the year.

Your Neighbour the Liar play Manchester's Carefully Planned Festival on Sunday at 7pm. 

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Noyo Mathis and what are your musical backgrounds?

We're a three-piece band from Portsmouth/London (attempting) to play technical rock music, and probably alienating most listeners in the process, although that is honestly not our intention. We like to use weird time signatures and harmonised vocals as much as possible.

(((o))): How did the band come together?

Dan had been kicking around with other musical projects that never really took off. The three of us knew each other through mutual friends, and we were interested in putting together a band for fun, so we had a writing session. At the time, Jamie and Toby were in another band, and after it broke up a few months later we got together in the practice space of our friends in Bear Cavalry and spent some time getting a short set together. The three of us were all good friends to start with anyway, so it was a pretty easy transition.

(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form. (Haiku, rhyming couplets, acrostic, etc - take your pick)

Haikus are always a good laugh. Here we go:

Complicated stuff.

We're often far, far too loud.

That's a good thing, right?

(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band?

We're really fortunate to be part of a local scene in which the artists and promoters work really closely together – a friend of ours runs Beach Community, which has been instrumental in bringing us as bands and artists together, often for good and charitable causes. Being in a band and playing shows at home has ended up with us making a lot of contacts and genuinely good friends.

(((o))): What can you tell us about your recorded output to date?

Aside from our earliest demos, we recorded three tracks last year with our friend and released it as a short EP called Tethers. We pressed fifty handmade copies, each one having a unique photograph from the seventies on the front. We didn't repress as we didn't have many photos left, but we put together another handmade collection of work to date bundled with a zine, as well as making about ten or fifteen cassettes. We've recently released a new EP called Ages, which we're all pretty proud of. It's up for free download on our Bandcamp page.

(((o))): A lot of three-pieces have a really unique chemistry by virtue of the fact that they are unable to embellish their sound with lots of extra bits as easily as larger groups. Do you feel that’s important to the dynamic of Noyo Mathis as a band?

I think we all, as a band, like to listen to music sometimes that isn't completely drenched in fancy noises and weird, idiosyncratic instruments. Those embellishments can really work well sometimes, but for our material we like to put as much focus as possible on raw and stripped-back sounds, a kind of 'less is more' ethos. Being limited by what we can play simultaneously live lends a hand in focusing less on parts and more on the songs as a whole.

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?

We've never really made it a goal to try to make much money, because though it can appear feasible, it's a false economy.  Bands need to be prepared to pretty much feel lucky to break even.

For us, the biggest stumbling block has not so much been getting gigs, but branching out beyond our own city limits. We were lucky enough to have had a lot of great opportunities early on in the band to get outside of Portsmouth, and although we love playing gigs at home, it's important to try and get the experience elsewhere playing to a room of people that have no idea who you are.

(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Noyo Mathis to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?

To be able to balance a life of work and to keep the band playing shows, getting out to Europe and touring as much as possible. That might be it – if we broke into Europe and found an audience there, we'd be living the dream. I mean, it's not international but it's a nice goal and we've heard the crowds are generally incredibly receptive and nice. Of course, we'd love to be able to play the States too, and Japan, ad infinitum. Anywhere you put your finger on an atlas – that's cool with us. Except possibly North Korea.

(((o))): You’re given the opportunity to create your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. What would be the first five bands on your list?

Oh, now this is difficult. I guess we'd like to see The Band perform 'Music from Big Pink' in full, if they resurrected Rick Danko, Levon Helm and Richard Manuel. Alas, science has only come so far. They could do a 2Pac and just use holograms. Another essential we'd all pick is Godspeed You! Black Emperor, just because it has to be done.

For the other three: Dan would pick The Dismemberment Plan, they've written some of the finest songs of the past twenty years. Toby would pick Joanna Newsom, who could be considered a genius. Jamie's choice would be The National – they've been consistently good for their entire existence.

(((o))): Are there any upcoming bands you’d like us to feature soon?

There are a few artists from within our own scene who really deserve recognition. Acres are a really talented bunch of guys and good friends. Matt Jarvis is an incredibly gifted songwriter and we're all pretty jealous of his effortless ability.  There's also a band called Jesse Wyldes & the Stallions – if you could imagine a guitarist with dirty surf sounds, growling vocals and a killer rock combo backing him up. And finally, Bellyeyesmile – they sound like Cardiacs with a bigger set of balls.

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?

Just keep on truckin', really. Play shows, make friends and get ourselves over to the continent. Chase that goal.

Noyo Mathis play Manchester's A Carefully Planned Festival #3 on Sunday 20th October.

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Two Trick Horse and what are your musical backgrounds?
MC: I’m Marcus, I play bass, that’s about as far as it goes.

SC: I’m Sam and I play guitar and occasionally yelp out the vocal line. Dave is the drummer and hits the drums.

(((o))): How did the band come together?
MC: Sam and Steve started it. I joined. Steve left. Dave joined. Here we are.
(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form.
MC:

Fear of disappointment
Fuelling short deep breaths of despair
Sharpened by noise
Convoluted and coy
(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band?
MC: Massively. There is something of an uncomfortable noise about Leeds which is so alluring at the same time. Things change very quickly with it being a student city you can never really settle down in a place like this and I think that’s reflected in the music. The instability provides a sort of cognitive dissonance which is beautifully represented by the noise rock bands here like Blacklisters, That Fucking Tank, Super Luxury, Bilge Pump etc. Pulled Apart by Horses proved that we didn’t just have the Kaiser Chiefs, the work that Brew records did really helped to put the city on the map and define a “Leeds sound” of sorts although I don’t really think there is a definitive “Leeds sound”. There are lots of micro-scenes that make up the Leeds music scene in general. Sometimes cross pollination happens, it’s a small enough place, everyone knows each other and helps each other out, it’s more of a community than a ‘scene’. Venues are cheap to hire out, rent is cheap so living costs are lower so you have more disposable income or don’t have to work as much as you would in London so you end up having more creative space. £600 pcm for a 4 bedroom house in Hyde Park, probably get a cardboard box for that in London. Lots of interesting DIY promoters are bringing in all sorts of bands from elsewhere which not only gets people watching live music but inspires creativity too. It’s like the earth being the perfect distance from the sun for life to evolve. Leeds allows creative people a lot.

SC: It’s massively inspirational as a musician as there is always loads going on and the quality is always quite high. The community aspect is also important as I gigged in London for seven years and although there were loads of great bands, the scene was quite disparate with pockets of great bands all over. I’ve only been living in Leeds for a few years and one of the first gigs I went to was Live at Leeds – I walked into the Cockpit and saw Kong and These Monsters back to back which was amazing. That in turn led me to Brew Records and beyond that, to the other promoters and labels working in the city and around which was actually how I met Marcus. As well as the noise rock element there is a fantastic heavy scene as well. I think everyone knows Humanfly and Black Moth but we’ve also got Envoys and Sunwolf. It’s pretty healthy at the moment.
(((o))): What can you tell us about your recorded output to date?
SC: Steve and I did the first recording up in Newcastle before we’d even gigged as we presumed we needed something for people to listen to in order to get gigs. As a result it sounds like a 2 piece trying to sound like they’ve more members (!) (for some reason we splattered bass and keyboards all over it….)
Both our last 2 recordings have been done at Ghosttown Studios in Leeds with Ross Halden who is brilliant for recording with and gets the sound exactly how we envisage it in our (collective) head i.e. 3 people playing dirty noise in a big room… I was obsessed with ape-ing the Kill Yourself guitar sound at the time of the 2nd recording although I don’t think I quite got there but that was the context for Ross to interpret. I can definitely see us doing some sort of long form record there in the future as it’s such a great environment.

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?
MC: Well it depends how rich your parents are but class war gripes aside I think striking a balance between work, life and getting time to play, rehearse and write. Making sure you’re earning enough money to keep yourself and the band afloat without having a mental breakdown either because you’re working a really low paid part-time job to free yourself up for music or a full-time one grinding away at your soul day by day just to pay the bills. If you can master that balancing act then do everything yourself, why get someone else to book you shows if you’re perfectly capable? Why bother with a manager? Can you do your own artwork? Can you shoot your own video? Yeah, all these things take up a lot of time but so did learning your instrument so stop being lazy and get on with it. If you love playing in a band that much then make it fun, it’s your thing, do what you want to do.

SC: I would definitely agree with the balance aspect – it gets very hard to juggle everything if you’re working fulltime and if you work part-time and have more space for band activities then you probably aren’t making enough money to put into it and pay bills at the same time. You need to work really hard to not make being in a band a chore. Saying all that we’re creating something from nothing, just an idea of a drum sound or a riff, and there’s nothing more interesting or exciting than that.
(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Two Trick Horse to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?
MC: You never make it; you’re always ‘making it’ so to speak. I’m not sure what ‘it’ is but it seems pretty fun being part of the process. People are so obsessed with an end product, something presented to them in a finished form. People are scared of process because they don’t know where they stand, it’s a state of flux. If you stop to turn around and admire your footsteps in the snow you’re gonna get hit by snowball and you’re gonna go home crying to your mum and she's gonna call you a fool. That’s actually an old Jamaican proverb handed down from my Grandmother.

SC: I don’t really know what that means anymore and everyone seems to have their own definition anyway. For me I would by releasing an album and managing to sell it to an audience beyond our social circle combined with touring a few times a year. We’ve talked about going round Europe before so that would be something to tick off the list. I still want to see some vinyl with ‘Two Trick Horse’ on the label.
(((o))): What trick can horses do that one trick ponies cannot?
MC: They probably have bigger dicks. I haven’t seen substantial evidence to verify this but it’s an educated guess but I suppose having a bigger dick isn’t really a trick, it’s more nature’s way of saying “Hey mate, you’re much bigger than this other animal, why not have a bigger dick? Go on, have a bigger dick on me mate”. Luck of the draw I guess. But if I were to give a less phallic focussed answer I’d say badminton.

SC: Can’t say it better than that!
(((o))): You’re given the opportunity to create your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. What would be the first five bands on your list?
MC: Fugazi, Drive Like Jehu, Pissed Jeans, Dope Body, Lightning Bolt.

SC: Hot Water Music, Converge, Planes Mistaken For Stars, Silent Front, That Fucking Tank.
(((o))): Are there any upcoming bands you’d like us to feature soon?
MC: Godzilla Black, Stilts, Nately’s Whore’s Kid Sister, Girl Band, Alpha Male Tea Party, Bearfoot Beware, Super Luxury, The Engine, The Physics House Band, Ikestra, The Witch Hunt, USA Nails, Death Pedals.

SC: Ditto the above plus Torpor (fantastic sludge noise from London), Cleft, Nope, Cowtown, Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster, Cattle, Envoys, Shield Your Eyes.

(Ed: We’re doing pretty well on that list!)

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?
MC: Keep writing songs. They’re pretty important.
Play more out of town shows and record some new material. We’re pretty economical when it comes to recording so we could probably knock an album out in a couple of days. Don’t hold us to that though.

SC: That sounds good to me.

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Bearfoot Beware and what are your musical backgrounds?

Bearfoot Beware are Tom, Mike and Ric. Mike is the only member with a credible musical background having been in a number of bands previous and studying music at school and university. Tom and Ric are basically self-taught music fans that enjoy stumbling hap-hazardly upon combinations of guitar note thingys, singing different notes in several thingys and making them combine into some sort of thingy.


(((o))): How did the band come together?

All objects exert a gravitational pull. When an object becomes as large as Ric and Tom’s egos the forces involved become so large things start to gravitate towards it. It was only a matter of time before a collision occurred. Poor Mike was just an innocent comet dragged into the terraform.

(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form. 

Listen intently,
A Three of Thrashing humans
It never quiet.

(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band?

Leeds has an incredibly deep pool of musical talent and variety, not only in the rock scene, but in every available genre. We all try to get out to as many gigs as possible and it'd be silly to say that we weren't inspired by what we see. There are bands like Cowtown, That Fucking Tank and Bilge Pump that have been credible staples of the scene here for years and watching them do what they do well drives us to get better.

Saying that we also make sure that whatever we write is different, we're not interested in replicating what other musicians have done. We want to stand out on our own and build on it.

(((o))): Your third EP is just about to come out. What can you tell us about that?

I really feel like we're finding our feet now. The previous E.Ps have been us playing around, seeing what we want to sound like. We listen to all sorts with several influences shared, so it's nice to finally settle on a sound we're happy with.

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?
The beliefs that all new bands probably have, I know we did, the belief that all it takes is a lucky break and that lucky break will come. It takes all the money you have, all the time you have and all the social skills you have (or manage to fake).

(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Bearfoot Beware to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?

Ric: It changes every time something happens. At first it was play Leeds festival.. but we did that.. so then it was tour Europe .. but now that’s booked for April of 2014. So I guess for now it’s going to be the Japan tour.

Tom: I'll feel like we've done it when we make and sell records for a good living. I've no interest in substantial amounts of money or popularity, just the ability to do this until I'm decrepid.


(((o))): What has prompted the need for the bearfoot to beware?

Google

(((o))): You’re given the opportunity to create your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. What would be the first five bands on your list?

Clearly the best question we have been asked to date!

Tom: Red Fang, Devin Ocampo (Medications/Faraquet), Henry Rollins (stand-up or spoken word), Maps & Atlases and LITE. I'd also like to point out that it's pointless saying Shellac as they're the House band. They play anyway. In fact I'd have Steve Albini on a throne just behind the sound desk. If he doesn't like the band playing, he gets to press a button that activates a trap door underneath the stage.

Ric: Red Fang, Faraquet and LITE I agree whole heartedly. The rest I’d swap for a bit of Hot Water Music and ASIWYFA.


(((o))): Are there any upcoming bands you’d like us to feature soon?
Our good label friends - Bear Makes Ninja
Our good topless friends - Alpha Male Tea Party
Our goodest friends - Super Luxury

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?
The next 12 month is hopefully going to happen in the following order
E.P
UK tour
Europe tour
Album
Galactic Domination

Paying to get your music reviewed. My attention on this issue was pricked when one of the editors saw a plain WordPress blog was charging four pounds to do an interview with your band. The more I dug the stranger it became – blogs charging bands $35, $50, $65 to review a record and put the link on their Facebook and Twitter. It soon became clear that there's a whole lot of people out there wanting to make money from small bands trying to get heard above the noise.

Now I'm not saying making a buck is a bad thing. There should be day jobs that are part of the music world (I'm deliberately going to keep away from the term “music industry” because it occurs to me that it suggests it's only about making and selling products). If you can offer, for money, a service to a band and they think it's good value for what it provides them, whether it's mixing an album, marketing that album, or reviewing that album, then I think that's the band's decision to make. But how do bands know what is good value? How do you know what you are really getting for your money?

I've offered my own thoughts and included some from others associated with the music world – particularly independent/underground music. This includes artists, bloggers, managers, publicists, journalists and labels. My sincere thanks to those who had input into this article. I've found that there are so many people out there with a vast range of experiences who are happy to offer free, constructive advice to players old and new.

Let's have a look at three types of review-for-money services out there:

Paying for a review to add to your press kit

This service is generally explicit about saying it's like a bio service or that service you might get from a record label, manager or promoter. Reviewyou.com says it's so you can get gigs at festivals and through booking agents, who want to see reviews of your band to decide if they will book you. They charge $45 for one album review or $385 for ten reviews of that album.

They are not hiding the purpose of the review and as it seems to be a full time business you would expect to pay. There are testimonials on the site but as with all of these it's impossible to gauge exactly what you get for your money in terms of outcome.

Indiemusicdigest.com offer to build your press pack and more for $100 but the site provides samples and heaps of free advice and information. However “non-paying” submissions for a record review take ninety days (as opposed to four to six weeks) and “run the risk of not getting reviewed at all”. So there.

Muzikreviews.com labels itself as providing “artist services” and charge $25 for a guaranteed review which they then post on their site and also to a number of syndicated sites including Progarchives and Sea of Tranquillity. They make a point (as all the sites charging for reviews do) of saying that the review will be honest and accurate. I looked at the last twenty reviews on their site and all scored 4/5 or 5/5 except one which got 3.5/5.

Paying for feedback from a professional writer or market testing

The premise behind this is like paying a market research company to test your product on a big group of people so you know if you have what it takes to hit the big time, or to have someone with years of experience give you an honest appraisal of your work. It seems to be aimed more at those who want to be mega-stars.

An example of this is soundout.com who charge $45 for 125 reviews of your song (yes, 125) and give you a report. They work in conjunction with slicethepie.com who arrange the actual reviewers. The sample report looks pretty neat. This is not about getting your music heard, it's just about knowing what people think, and it is designed for songs, not albums. Reviewers get paid up to about 10-20c for each review. (Dan, you owe me at least four bucks by now!) The reviewer streams a song without knowing the artist and after ninety seconds can start typing their review into a box. There is a complex and secret system of ratings that determines your rank and how much you get for each review (and you'd be spewing if you got 13c and you though your review was worth 18c, wouldn't you?).

Reverbnation have crowd reviews which promise that you might get more exposure through them and on radio if you score well. I couldn't see the pricing as you have to sign up.

These first two main types of service appear on the face of it (certainly in the ones I found) to be very clear about what they provide for the money – a PR kit service, or a market testing/appraisal service. I don't have a problem with that in principle; you may have a problem so please leave a comment if you feel the urge to disagree!

Other related services are sold by sites like musicsubmit.com and beatwire.com who basically send an email to heaps of blogs and labels and charge bands for this. I have no idea how effective that is but if it's a shotgun approach I can imagine many editors would send these emails straight to spam. More on relationships and targeting later.

Pay for a review and/or interview on a blog

This is the service that originally caught my attention and that I'll focus on from this point. Characterised by a statement along the lines of “We get shit-loads of music submitted for review on our blog. If you give us some money we guarantee we will review it. A bit more and we will interview you too and even post a link on Facebook and tweet the link to, say, 3500 followers. You can still submit your music for review for free, but I wouldn't hold my breath.” OK, not all say that your music has no chance if you don't pay, and in fact no site will guarantee to review everything that turns up in their inbox.

Some of these sites say that paying helps them prioritise what they review and put on the site, which editors would probably agree it does. After all it means the ones that come with a $50 note are the only ones you review. No more time-consuming looking for the good ones worth reviewing.

What all this means is that if a blog can only review a certain number of albums, reviewing a crap record by a band because it has paid potentially means a good record or band missing out.

Musicemissions.com is a good example of this kind of scenario and costs up to $65, $2-5 of which goes to the person who reviewed it. I clicked on the first review on the banner and it's of a live Counting Crowes album from 2011.

Midtnmusic.com have a similar offer where an album costs $20 for a few paragraphs and a stream, and you can pay up to $50 for the “Crank it up” package. They say they charge, in part, to "monetize our sacrifices and dedication to the indie music community". Of the sites I read, this was the most frank declaration that they felt what they did was worth being paid for. I read a couple of the reviews, which were very short and said very little about the actual record as if it's just the guts of a PR blurb and 30 words on the sound. The site and reviews look nice though and are quite a lot newer than the site above. There was more news and event related content that the other sites I looked at.

Marsbands.com charge varying amounts to speed up your review, but unlike the other sites they don't say that not paying probably means no review. These reviews look OK and have no rating, unlike the other sites above. Since posting this story Mars Bands and I have had a lively conversation and they have decided to make a change where paid write-ups will no longer be called reviews, which I think is a good decision:

MarsBands will continue to provide free reviews for independent bands and musicians who request one, as we always have, provided we enjoy their music.

However, should a band or musician choose to offer MarsBands money in exchange for an expedited, review-type promotion, we will write up a promotion for them and label and tag it as such.

For $35 you can get a guaranteed review at themetalreview.com that gets promoted and gets out to their community (followers, likers and people who read the site). The page you complete to submit your music says clearly that free reviews are not promoted so I wrote to them for more information. I was told only 3% of their reviews are paid for and that 95% of the work their staff do is voluntary:

We have the option to have a paid review or interview most bands prefer our free option. The only reason we have paid reviews/interviews is when a band wants their material to be priority and done right away. Due to the fact that they are paying us we will promote these.

Let me explain the process. Most bands select our free option. If our writers like their music then they will promote it in a number of ways (facebook, twitter etc) money does not need to be exchanged for this to happen. A few years ago we had a number of bands that were adamant and persistent they wanted us to focus on their music. They offered to pay for the time and effort our writers would put into having to stop their current work and review/interview their band. Since then we introduced the option for bands to jump the queue with an incentive for our writers. This gives our writers some pocket money for the work they do. Keep in mind 95% of the work my staff do is voluntary it is only every now and then they receive paid work.

They also clarified after a second email that all reviews get posted on the website, some will get posted on Facebook and Twitter, and that the reason there are not many up at the moment is because they have had a major redesign some months ago. That is at odds with what the submission page says, so perhaps that needs to be made clear. There are 22 reviews posted for the last two months which isn't a large amount, but I don't know how many writers they have. The most recent tweet I could find on their Twitter that linked to a review or interview was twelve months old. I don't use Facebook so I can't confirm whether the reviews were promoted there. (Ed: Seems mostly to be news on there rather than reviews and interviews). 

Not all of the sites that seek payment for review declare on individual reviews that they are paid for. None of the sites above state clearly and up front on the review page, home page or about page anything like the words “These/some of these reviews are paid for by the artists”. You only find out if you search for how to submit a review or click on a disclaimer link at the bottom of the page. (see my comments above re the intention of marsbars.com to make changes)

Readers should know if content has been paid for. This is both common sense and a media standards issue. In India, for example, paid news has become one of the country's greatest scandals. In Australia the "cash for comments' saga involving Alan Jones led to amendments to broadcasting standards.

The Problem

Bands/musicians by and large want to share their music with as many people as they can. Certainly those who seek some publicity through blogs are looking for affirmation of their skills and/or a bigger audience. What they are ultimately looking for varies between individuals and bands, but there are some key things at play when it comes to blogs that charge for “guaranteed reviews”:

1. Despite the proliferation of music blogs out there, it's hard for an unknown band to get reviewed.

2. Most bands don't know the measurable value of a review on one of these blogs

3. The charge, in the scheme of things, is nominal (How much did the recording cost? What's another $10 - $65 on top of that?)

I asked some people I know from different parts of the independent and underground music world (artists, label owners, managers, publicists, journalists, writers, engineers and bloggers) for their thoughts and I have compiled their responses later in this piece.

My own view is that I feel privileged to be able to listen to and absorb the fruits of countless hours of someone's artistic endeavours and then write my thoughts about it, and I'm thrilled when a fan of the band or another writer says “awesome review” or even if they say “the guy who wrote this is a moron”. I actually get to ask artists who I admire questions that I want to ask, and I can't begin to describe the satisfaction of hearing them say “wow, no one's ever asked me that before”. I'll sometimes buy physical copies of downloads I've reviewed because I like them so much and I know several writers who do so far more than me.

I'm not a journalist. I didn't study writing and this is not my day job. My comments may help a small band sell a few more CDs or get a few more punters to a gig, or the opposite. I will not make or break anyone's career. I may make some fans feel good about knowing someone else likes the band they like and wrote about them on the internet. If it's good music there's a good chance I'll keep pestering my friends and others to listen to it for some time to come, but there are more and bigger factors that will influence the success of a band or artist. Such as is the music any good, do they play a niche style and how much do they want success, whatever that looks like to them.

As for thinking I have the right to ask an artist to pay for me to write about them – Fuck. Off. Dan, Sander, Myron, Ray, Mitch (my editors) – if I ever think I'm more important that the bands, please kick me really hard up the arse.

There are hundreds of writers who feel the same, and hundreds who have different views. That's OK.

I asked a few people from different parts of the music world for their thoughts on the idea of blogs charging bands to write a review. I also tweeted about the topic and it generated a fair bit of emotion. I wasn't the only one who had no idea this was going on, and who thought it was not on.

One band who used a blog that charges for reviews told me they had paid $30 for a review that was positive, but contained a high amount of spelling/grammar mistakes, including their band name. They felt “instant regret” and describe it as “just a kick in the teeth. Why do they deserve to hold the right to charge people for their opinion?”

I asked the others what part music blogs play in the success of bands/artists.

Lachlan runs Art As Catharsis and plays music. He started writing opinions and reviews for an online zine in 2001 and then started working for DIY labels in 2004 when helping out Grindhead Records with their digital and press stuff.

Music blogs are really just online music communities. Nowadays the music press is dominated by scores of these little blogs rather than the bigger, more-consolidated music mags of yesteryear. When you think about it, that perfectly mirrors the current state of bands too; loads of small, highly fragmented sub-scenes.

These little blogs can be far more specialised, and have a better chance of carving out an interesting niche or audience (though, like with the explosion of the number of bands in the world, the quality will vary greatly).

I know from my work with Art As Catharsis that some blogs can have absolute minimal impact; but out of no where one small blog can lead to quite a few sales. It's a hugely mixed bag. It depends on audience and relevance.

Angela is editor of online publication Soot Magazine, and freelance music journalist for Rolling Stone and Australian Penthouse. She’s been a journalist for eight years and the editor of Soot for over a year:

I am wary of music blogs in general because they are often run by fans or those with no training in media law or as a journalist. This means that while those running the blog may be considered by some as experts in a field, their skills may be limited. However, if a blog is run properly and by someone with training or knowledge in the field, they can assist in a band’s career. The band’s success depends on the blogger’s following, online presence and access to material that their readers or followers are interested in. If it’s a start-up band, then blogs may provide them with a review they can use on their press materials to start approaching larger media outlets. And if they target their audience through a blog that shares a similar readership, it can make for a great partnership. However, this is also true for smaller online publications, so it’s not exclusive to blogs.

Music sales are in decline, but a lot of bands are making their music available through online platforms and publications but I’m not sure how that translates to sales.

Ray is writer/founder and chief editor for Ghost Cult Magazine. He also writes the occasional review for other webzines, including Midlands Rock and Metal-Rules. As a writer he’s been active for the better part of 15 years. As chief editor and various assorted roles, around four years.

Music blogs and websites play a pivotal role in getting the word for bands and artists that cater to a certain niche market, like Metal and Jazz, usually the type of music that get (willfully) ignored by more mainstream orientated media. It's hard for me to judge in which way promotion that is generated online translate in actual sales, but I'm sure it doesn't hurt either.

Jake has been an engineer for five years, a writer for two, and a musician for “much, much longer”:

Music blogs can be huge for exposing bands if it's the right blog, with the right band, at the right time. Like everything with music it's all about the timing (and luck).

Myron has been a writer and editor for a couple of blogs for around five years:

I don't know if blogs play a huge part of success of a band, they may be a rung on the ladder or maybe a part of a rung on the ladder.

S (who chose to remain anonymous) is a publicist:

It’s hard to say, there just seems to be so many music blogs popping up all over the place. I don’t think you can just rely on blogs to sell gig tickets or to sell albums. You have to bit hitting print as well as radio and then blogs. You have to be everywhere to make an impact.

Simeon has been a performer / artist for ten years – he performs under the name SEIMS

How big an influence are they on things like music sales? Professional opinion and critique is always an influence on sales and traction. Whenever I have received any public recommendation or mention, my website's traffic will triple for the next few days. It has definitely been a key influence on sales.

I asked if any had seen one of these blogs or knew anyone who had used one. There were some strong emotions around this.

I do know of online publications charging to review the band’s music, but I have never implemented this for Soot Magazine. Firstly, it undermines editorial integrity, and secondly, if the band’s paid for the spot and you don’t declare that fact, then it’s really an advertising spot not a review, so readers deserve to know that. I’m not sure if the money changing hands alters the review to be favourable and not honest. I understand why publications do it as digital revenue is pretty much non-existent and you need to make money to live, but charging for reviews and not declaring that fact is not the best business model. –Angela

I've heard about these type of blogs and I feel they're giving reputable online publications like Ghost Cult Magazine a bad name. I don't know anyone personally who charges bands for coverage, but I think it's a disgrace. It almost like mobsters charging people for protection money so that they won't get hurt. I like to stay away from these people as far as I possibly can. – Ray

I have not, I don’t think any band or artists should pay to have their work reviewed. The band has done their job producing good music, it’s a publications job to hold up their side of the bargain. It’s their job to ensure they are bringing in revenue and eyeballs to the sites. It’s just poor business and I think it is really unfair/mean to target young musicians who have nothing. A website site would never ask The Rolling Stones to pay for a review so why should they ask that of someone starting out? Where has the love of music gone? Everyone has to start somewhere. It’s funny how easily people forget that. - S

No. that's insane. - Jake

Would any of them recommend anyone pay a blog to guarantee a review of their music or an interview?

No. I already spend money to;

·Rehearse, write and play music (provided its my own band)

·Record, mix and master an album

·Print the release

·Print nice glossy press materials

·Mail/post the release to press outlets

·Design and print posters for tours

·Undertake any additional advertising

I don't make a profit for anything I do. The chance I would pay for a guaranteed review is very slim. I want to work with people with the same mindset as I; very much independent/DIY focused and doing what they do because they love music.- Lachlan

I would be checking out the stats of the blogger before handing over money if you feel that is the best blog for your band and you feel there is no other out there. Firstly, do you research. Can the blog give you a press kit or outline their unique visitors? If they can’t or won’t, check out their online profile. Do they have a large Twitter/Facebook following? Do they have access to exclusive articles? Do you like their content and will it match your audience? If you aren’t happy with any of these things, I suggest keep looking. - Angela

I would recommend against doing it. Even if this generates the desired effect, you end up having a biased coverage. As chief editor I get swamped with requests from bands to review their music and as much as I want to, I can't cover all these bands on Ghost Cult. I totally understand that bands and musicians are desperate getting the word out, but there's only so much I can do and we can cover as a publication. – Ray

NEVER. – S

Never, I'd rather assault the website with hate mail and pressure them until I grew tired. - Jake

I would never recommend anyone pay a blog. We could all write that the music is sunshine and lollipops if we want to (or blood and guts depending on the band) but in the end I think people want to hear what another has to say about music. There are plenty of people that I respect writing that even their recommendations sound like crap to me. Music is personal and you may make a choice based on someone’s opinion, but that’s all it is an opinion. In America we have a saying, opinions are like assholes, we all have one and they all stink. – Myron (Mine doesn’t – GP)

No, I would not. If your craft isn't good enough or bad enough for a professional critique, you're clearly not doing something right. There are plenty of "free" sources out there happy to promote your music - all you need to do is ask (and make sure that you have something worthy of promoting, of course.) - Simeon

Would you recommend against it?

People can do whatever they want. There are a million different conceptions about how things can be done - but, personally, paying for a review does not fit in with my label ethos. My goal is not to get famous or sell a million records. If it is, perhaps paying for a review is worth considering. – Lachlan

I certainly do. It's a matter of principle. Blogs and websites shouldn't charge bands and artists for guaranteed coverage. It's a whole different ballgame when labels and pr persons approach me for coverage for bands. - Ray

HELL YES. It is just plain mean. - S

It's each individual's choice on how they choose to promote their band / music. If the only people willing to critique your craft are the people who will only accept a payment to review your work - I think there's a bigger problem that you should be considering. - Simeon

Finally I asked what tip/s can you give bands about how to improve their chances of getting their music reviewed by quality blogs for free. (other than make sure your music is not crap).

I give this advice all the time. Want to maximise press coverage? Here are some tips:

·Spend time finding the right media/press for your particular release; put time and effort into establishing meaningful relationships with them.

·Give press your release at least 6 weeks before the public (get it).

·Print physicals and let press know their copy is en route (physicals = more chance press will give you coverage).

·Book a decent national tour (tour announcement promoting the album shows press you are serious, and they will be more willing to spend time covering you).

-Lachlan

Have a good bio or press release. Pay for a professional in the field to write it for you (probably the only thing you should pay for, not the review). Do your research. Take note of the blogger’s name and use it in the email. It will be somewhere on the blog, so don’t be lazy. Remember that blogs, like most online publications, can get up to 500 emails per week if they are a large blog, so you need to do what you can to get noticed. Any mistakes in your bio or email means it will most likely end up in the trash folder. Include links to your music, website, Twitter and Facebook, and all your band members’ names in your bio – bloggers can also have day jobs or other things on the go all at once, so including all these things is very important. This is the same way you would approach larger music publications, so try to be as professional as possible at all times. Keep in contact with the blogger, and perhaps if you haven’t heard back in a week or so, send a friendly and polite follow-up email. - Angela

A professional presentation certainly helps, like a well-written letter/email and an EPK that contains all the information you need as a writer/reviewer. Some form of PR representation or being signed to a label also helps. It's a mark of quality to a certain extent, a sign that a band has their act together. Another thing bands and musicians shouldn't do, is pestering writers and publications about when their music will get reviewed. It's very annoying and downright unprofessional. Of course there's a difference between a decent and polite follow up and spamming one's inbox with requests. - Ray

It is nothing but hard work, and there is no easy way to do it. Get on the phone, get talking about your bands – make sure you are proactive. There are amazing blogs out there who love uncovering Australian bands, but they won’t know about you unless you tell them. Tour, send music to community radio stations, be active on social media. There is so much young bands can do for them self, your money is better spent on printing posters or CD’s rather than paying it to a blog who can’t guarantee anything. In this business there is no guarantee, so we have to be careful where we are chucking our money. You might as well keep it where you can see it. – S

Pick relevant blogs, not just any/all of them. Look for people covering the same stuff. Target particular writers if they dig the same shit you play. Present the music as well as you can. Make it EASY - encode your mp3s properly, send a Dropbox link that has a PR in it. Lyrics are nice, photos are great. A follow-up email somewhere down the line doesn't hurt but it still won't guarantee anything and any more than once and you become a bit of a dick. Be a cool person, not an asshole, in your emails.... use formats people are familiar with such as Bandcamp (rather than your flash-vomit labyrinthian homepage). Describe your music as well as you can - spend as much time writing about yourself as you do writing your music - the more accurate and inspiring (but not pretentious) the description the more likely I am to read it. If you say you sound like Pink Floyd meets Radiohead and you sound like a shit Coldplay I will not only not review you but I'll probably find you and burn you. – Jake (I think that burning business is a metaphor for ‘curse you for a couple of seconds’ – GP)

Be polite, courteous, and don't send a blanket email to each source. Know your demo, and who the key players are in your demographic. Read other reviews on their site - get an idea of their tone, and whether they'd actually consider your music in the first place. Also, make something worth reading. - Simeon

For bands, don't pester blogs, people do this for free in their spare time, it takes work to shop albums to writers, convince them that it is good music and the like, and sometimes it can take time. We all jump on the big names because we may be long time fans BUT for editors we love it when people jump on the big names because that can often equate to more hits and more visibility. So for a band starting out, or one that's been around trying to make a name for themselves, be patient with us. You music may just click, and next thing you know you made a friend who has access to help promote your band for free. I point to Bovine, came through as a complete unknown, got my interest up because of the unusual name, and now I may be their biggest American fan and have talked them up many times over. – Myron (Many, many times over – GP)

So that’s it – great advice from those who know. The only tip I would add is to ask around for advice, and make friends. The people above were all too happy to share their thoughts (I swear Lachlan got back to me within 30 seconds), so don’t be shy.

I do also have some advice for blogs that charge for reviews:

• Don't do it

• If you are going to do it, make it clear to readers that you charge for reviews, and the circumstances/reason.

• Give the promos to your writers without telling them they are for paid reviews (unless they are all paid reviews, of course)

• At the top of each paid review, state “This review was paid for by the artist”, and if the reviewer did not know, “The reviewer was not aware that it was paid for until after the review was submitted”

• After two weeks, provide the full data and analysis of the hits on that story to the artist.

Comments are welcome.

Consider this less a personal reflection and more of a necessary acknowledgement.

It’s been pretty difficult not to hear word, even if you’re not really much of a Nirvana fan, of the upcoming twentieth anniversary reissue of the group’s final, and indeed finest, album In Utero. It’s a record that has meant so much to so many people, both as fans and future musicians, that to try and ignore its place in the building of the contemporary musical landscape would be unwise in the extreme.

It’s a record that deliberately scratches away at preconceived notions of what a mainstream rock album should sound like, in stark contrast to its predecessor Nevermind. If their 1991 breakthrough was essentially shiny alt-rock at its most palatable then In Utero is alt-rock trying its hardest not to fall into the same trap. For all the talk about whether the original Steve Albini mixes were more extreme, which I for one am sure they were, there’s little denying that an album that opens with the lo-fi dirge ‘Serve the Servants’ and the rampant ‘Scentless Apprentice’, and closes with the droning outro to 'All Apologies’, is pretty far from what makes traditionally radio-friendly rock music.

Nirvana didn’t have to do this. It made their lives considerably more difficult, but as a reaction to Kurt Cobain’s backtracking over the sound of Nevermind (which only really occurred after that record had made him one of the most recognisable figures in popular music) it was perhaps as much inevitable as anything else. If Nevermind is the album that nominally, if not necessarily factually, brought the alternative to a mainstream audience then In Utero is the album that introduced a mainstream audience to something genuinely alternative.

The fact that the record still sounds as potent today is testament more to Cobain’s songwriting than anything else however. He may have famously preached his devotion to R. E. M. and Shonen Knife, but let’s not forget that this is a man who was also a fan of bands like Scratch Acid and Swans. He was no stranger to harsh, difficult music, something which shows on In Utero. The difference between Cobain and so many others, however, was his ability to write harsh and difficult pop songs, and to a standard few others have matched since.

Whilst it would be easy to sit back and claim that this is a record that has had its influence vastly overstated by legions of critics in the years since its release, in fact it’s nigh on impossible to do so seriously. In Utero is one of those rare records that helps to define not only the generation of musicians its creators were part of, but also several generations to follow. Whatever you think of the economics behind the new reissue, this is as good a time as any to salute a record without which many of us probably wouldn’t even be listening to most of the music we love today.

Shields rocked hard when supporting Torche at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds last month, so it seemed prudent to get them in on the Echoes of the Future act. Jonty answered the questions, and Joe provided the haiku. The others were busy trying to think of new band names...

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Shields and what are your musical backgrounds?
Kris – Formally of alt metallers Nerve Engine
Jonty – Shotgun Democracy / Cock Fight
Paul – The Plight
Si – Tangaroa / Year of the Man
Joe – Shotgun Democracy / Seven Headed Cobra

(((o))): How did the band come together?
Well, it started with myself, Paul and a guy called Cheese! Then Cheese left, so we got Kev in as well as Owen. Then we also added Kris, but then Kev left, so then Dave joined. Soon after that Dave and Owen left, so Si joined, as did Martyn, but then Martyn left and thus Joe joined... and there you have it!

(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form. (Haiku, rhyming couplets, acrostic, etc - take your pick)
Guitars tuned to A
Extravagant song titles
Skull fucking rhythms

(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band? 

The Leeds scene is incredible… It’s an honour to have such talented friends like Pulled Apart by Horses, Black Moth, Hawk Eyes, Black Listers, Humanfly & That Fucking Tank to name but a few! Having the honour to grace the stage with such giants is awesome for us. Even if they do steal our kettle leads.

(((o))): You’ve got an EP and a single out. What can you tell us about those?