On title track ‘Polyurethane’, it sounds as though you’ve been trapped in a fun house at the town’s carnival for about 6 hours, and when you finally get your escape, this song falls out of it. From staring at yourself in distorted mirrors to trying to find your way off that dreaded wheel at the end, ‘Polyurethane’ is one of those crazy image-makers that Smith is becoming known for.

The music video drives this further; it’s rather deranged. Constant flashing lights match the franticness of the drums, with early Madness-esque rhythms filtered throughout to create that clown-house tune. From empty audiences at kids’ birthday parties to clear, plastic masks that look like something from VHS (2012), everything is thrown at it.

On ‘Polyurethane’, “A lot of time, care and savings went into producing the EP. It’s probably the most laborious thing I’ve created up until now. I’ve been working on these songs for about two years. Typically, I would just sit down in my bedroom with a guitar and a basic 4-channel mixer. I used these to record 10-15 second “blocks” of song structures, then I edited them together how I saw fit. I have a pretty short attention span, and I find it hard to write entire songs in one sitting. Overdubs of other instruments came after. At the very end, I came up with lyrics and cadences to go over the final versions.” Kenny finishes with a wishful note “Hopefully, this record energises its audience and inspires feelings of youthful vigor and confidence.”

Photo by Aabid Youssef

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Loud guitars loosely open the new track, and continue to create intriguing melodies throughout that keep the listener captivated. The instrumentals switch from intricacy to a calculated sense of messy noise, which allows the tone of vocals to follow this pattern too. 

We speak to Martial Arts inside Issue Forty-Nine of So Young Magazine. Order your copy here.

Vocalist James Marson said about the new single, “Defector is about the introspective struggle, helplessness and feelings of responsibility towards the disparity that our generation is faced with. Knowing that you have the potential to benefit others, but not knowing how to, and this creates frustration due to deception in the society we exist in”.

To close out the song, the vocals turn raw and grating – overtly showcasing the passion put into the track. ‘Defector’ is an exciting and ever-changing release from Martial Arts, cementing their upcoming talent.

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There’s often a scene at the end of any light-hearted (but ultimately emotional painful) romantic comedy – think Annie Hall or When Harry Met Sally – where the audience are tossed through a highlights package of our on-screen couples’ moments of greatest chemistry, often at the point where the relationship has collapsed, or is on the precipice of doing so. We are encouraged to celebrate those joyous memories, yet mourn their passing, and in turn reflect on the transience of our own mortal existences.

On ‘Running Cold’ Melotone show they’re not ones to shun such cinematic heights of wistful poignancy. With itching guitars and shuffling drums, the track motors delicately, yet with the firmest of urgencies – much like the rapid flashbacks through romantic memories into which singer Alex Madely vainly seeks refuge with his gorgeously pained lyrical sequences –  “Like a body running cold, I crawl back home to your door, Where the Glass is Full”.

Deftly melding the breeziness of indie with the full-bodied riches of chill-out psychedelia, a sympathy with the 60s Tropicalia too gives Melotone a luxurious edge. Madeley’s planing vocal melodies, like the flights of a dove, share more in common with the great chanteurs Tom Ze or Jorge Ben Jor than with anyone crooning from the other end of the oceans. (Half Brazilian himself, others of the band’s tracks see him pine in Portuguese.)

The video that accompanies ‘Running Cold’  is appropriately candid yet oblique :  the band chop onions, peel potatoes, and overfill cups of water in a rural cottage,  in what could be the most refreshing and watery set of visuals of the year so far.

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Like many other Medium tracks, Cotter recorded the single to a cassette tape which gives ‘Life in Hell’ an authentic and almost grainy sound that compliments the heavy guitar use within the song. This DIY process of recording music definitely pays off as the short but sweet track has a genuinely earnest feel due to its lo-fi nature, and feels as though it could have been pulled out of the golden era of psychedelic rock. 

‘Life in Hell’ features layers of whirring and distorted guitars, with drumbeats looping in the background alongside a quick and expressive bassline. The song finishes just as soon as it begins, but this tactic only makes listeners want to hear it again with it instantly becoming an earworm.

‘Life in Hell’s accompanying music video showcases the band stuck in the exhausting cycle of work, specifically office jobs – their frustration builds until they destroy their workplace, having transformed into Kiss-esque rock makeup. The video was directed by Cotter in his first time behind the camera, with help behind the scenes from Rocko who is a film director, and Veska who is a fashion designer – about the experience he explained, “Brooks Houser (director of photography) absolutely killed it. We had an entire prop warehouse available to us and a dozen other people lending their expertise. So I feel extremely lucky and thankful for how it all went down.”

Medium have proved their talents through their self-recorded singles and self-made video – impressively showing that DIY music and your own creativity can create nostalgic and dynamic results. 

Photo by Clementine Hage

The new issue of So Young is out now. Grab a copy in print here or read the digital edition below.

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It’s been a pleasure inviting five of our favourite new bands to join us at State51‘s East London Factory and the fifth and final in this series of live performances comes from Mary in the Junkyard.

“Mary in the Junkyard haven’t released any music yet, but they’ve become a recent staple in London’s independent venues, playing multiple gigs a week and often pulling bigger crowds than the acts they’re supporting. Their intriguing sound balances moments of tender reflection with cathartic bursts of release. The result is an intoxicating live show that is so obviously enjoyable yet vulnerable for the band.”

-Eve Boothroyd

Here’s Mary in the Junkyard

We Spoke with Mary In The Junkyard in Issue Forty-Two of So Young. Buy In Print or Read Online.

A huge thanks once again to the incredible team at State51 for making these sessions happen.

The new issue of So Young is out now. Grab a copy in print here or read the digital edition below.

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Enamoured by State51‘s live sessions over the years, we reached out to see if we could get involved. Thankfully said yes and we duly invited five of our favourite new bands to join us at State51’s East London factory. The fourth in this series of live performances comes from London’s Teeth Machine.

Blending indie rock angst with beautifully atmospheric moments, Teeth Machine hypnotise with impressive pop hooks and enchanting harmonies. Since releasing a string of singles with London label Ra Ra Rok, the band have gone on to tour with the likes of Sorry and perform at The Great Escape, Left of the Dial and DOt2Dot festival.

Excited for what’s to come, we were chuffed that they accepted our invite. Here’s Teeth Machine.

If you’d like to listen to more from Teeth Machine, you can find them on Spotify here.

We spoke with Teeth Machine inside Issue Thirty-Six of So Young. The print edition is sold out but you can read it online here.

A huge thanks once again to the incredible team at State51 for making these sessions happen. One more to come. See you next Wednesday.

The new issue of So Young is out now. Grab a copy in print here or read the digital edition below.

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We’ve reached the centre point of our State51 Factory takeover. The London based independent music company invited us into their impressive factory space to record some live sessions with some new favourites. So far we’ve released sessions from C Turtle and Gently Tender, and today we welcome Glasgow’s Humour to play three songs with no breaks.

2022 saw Humour release their debut EP ‘pure misery’ and with new single ‘The Halfwit’ out now, the band are gearing up to tour the UK in June. For a taste of what you can expect at these shows, here’s Humour performing ‘yeah, mud!’, ‘pure misery’ and ‘jeans’.

If you’d like to listen to more from Humour, you can find them on Spotify here.

We spoke with Humour about their ‘pure misery’ EP in Issue Forty-One of So Young. Grab a copy here.

A huge thanks once again to the incredible team at State51 for making these sessions happen. Two more to come. See you next Wednesday.

The new issue of So Young is out now. You can purchase in print here or read the digital edition below.

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Following the launch of our State51 factory takeover last week (see Part One here), we are very excited to share the second edition with you. London’s Gently Tender released their debut album ‘Take Hold of Your Promise!’ in August 2022, a record full of classic songwriting and beautiful harmonies. Just before their UK tour and a stint with Band of Horses, the London five piece visited the State51 factory to play three songs with no breaks.

Performing tracks ‘God Didn’t Leave the Factory’, ‘Heaven Ho’ and ‘Sunlight In Motion’, this is Gently Tender.

If you’d like to listen to more from Gently Tender, you can find them on Spotify here.

We spoke with the band in Issue Thirty-Seven of So Young. Illustration by Dylan Hall. Pick up a copy here.

A huge thanks once again to the incredible team at State51 for making these sessions happen. More to come!

The new issue of So Young is out now. You can purchase in print here or read the digital edition below.

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It’s been a while since we’ve been involved in a live session. Over the past few years it’s been clear that the most exciting new bands have been stopping by at State51‘s Factory space to record an uninterrupted take of three songs. Some released, some never to be heard again. Curious, envious and willing, we reached out to see if we could have a go. They said yes.

So, a few months back we invited a group of bands to join us on our week long residency at State51’s Factory and for the next few Wednesday’s you’ll be seeing the fruits of their incredible teams labor.  To kick us off we have London’s new favourite fuzzy rock band, C Turtle. A group obsessed with analogue recording, blending noise with melody, and generally giving it some. The perfect start.

Performing the tracks ‘Tarred & Fucked’, ‘Ex Athlete’ and ‘Have you ever heard a turtle sing?’, this is C Turtle.

If you’d like to hear more from C Turtle, you can find them on Spotify here.

We spoke to the band in Issue Thirty-Nine of So Young. Check out the preview below, and pick up a copy to read it in full here.

The new issue of So Young is out now. You can purchase in print here or read the digital edition below.

The post So Young x State51 Factory Takeover – Part One: C Turtle appeared first on So Young Magazine.