Eve Boothroyd, Author at So Young Magazine https://soyoungmagazine.com/author/eve-boothroyd/ A fully illustrated new music magazine Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:45:17 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://soyoungmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/cropped-Screenshot-2023-07-24-at-11.44.40-32x32.png Eve Boothroyd, Author at So Young Magazine https://soyoungmagazine.com/author/eve-boothroyd/ 32 32 Portals of Discovery: Ireland’s Next Generation https://soyoungmagazine.com/portals-of-discovery-irelands-next-generation/ https://soyoungmagazine.com/portals-of-discovery-irelands-next-generation/#respond Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:45:17 +0000 https://soyoungmagazine.com/?p=15913 Despite often being worlds apart in sound, the common homeland of these artists has given rise to the question of who comes next, and suddenly all eyes have fallen on this wildly varied cultural landscape for answers. 

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The nation of Ireland is famously one of storytellers. It is evident in its lore, with mythological tales weaving themselves into everyday anecdotes and reflections. It is seen in its masterful literary output, one that far outweighs the country’s relatively small population. And, as of late, it is particularly apparent in its musical offerings, with pioneering Irish artists crafting sonic realities and breaking through to the mainstream at an unprecedented rate. 

There are of course the obvious examples. Fontaines DC have gone from sweaty rooms in the backs of pubs to selling out Finsbury Park in a matter of years, and their sound has grown increasingly complex as they fly past career milestones with breathtaking ease. The Murder Capital’s ‘Can’t Pretend To Know’ sees an exhilarating return to form from a group whose 2019 album ‘When I Have Fears’ brought an enraptured audience’s attention to the offerings of the country’s alternative scene. Recent discourses of the most exciting emerging acts are dominated by names such as CMAT and NewDad and even this issue features two of the nation’s acts, namely Skinner and Search Results. Despite often being worlds apart in sound, the common homeland of these artists has given rise to the question of who comes next, and suddenly all eyes have fallen on this wildly varied cultural landscape for answers. 

Bubbling away beneath that buzz there is in fact a new generation emerging, one buoyed up by the success of acts before them. But these acts don’t belong to a cohesive scene or genre, their sound is wonderfully eclectic and varied, dipping into a tapestry of inspirations and sounds. Take Dublin’s Croíthe for example, whose debut single ‘The Kiss’ is a deliciously shadowy track, clearly pulling on influences such as Suicide and The Cure, but taking strands of the preexisting to weave them into something new.   

Elsewhere in the same city we find another act who is building considerable buzz but whose material feels worlds apart. It seems impossible to resist the boundless energy of Annie-Dog, as she takes elements of alternative guitar and driving dance beats and combines them in an intoxicating manner. Her sound is constantly shifting, refusing to settle and instead endlessly evolving, as demonstrated in the subversive and brilliant production of her recent track ‘Double Cherry’.

Meanwhile Adore, a trio hailing from Dublin, Galway and Donegal are working hard to perfect their propulsive, garage rock inspired sound. Tracks such as their latest single ‘Can We Talk’ balance heavy chords with playful enthusiasm, resulting in a stunning backdrop upon which narrative lyrics delving into dynamics of manipulation and toxicity can be delivered. 

Much like Adore there is an overt politicism explored within the work of intersectional feminist act M(h)aol, whose narrative centric songwriting is used as a platform to highlight and question the taboo, from period sex to gender roles. Moving away from the spoken-word type lyrical delivery that dominated their earlier material, the band’s sound has become increasingly ethereal in nature, a shift that we are following with eager anticipation.   

Portals of Discovery feature inside Issue Fifty-Three of the print magazine.

This sense of dreamy otherworldliness is mirrored in the music of the recently returned The Fae, who received acclaim for their gothic ‘faerie’ inspired sound with the release of their debut material in 2023, but whose momentum was cut short by the singer’s need for a lifesaving liver transplant. Now fully recovered they have re-emerged with that same magic, and their recent release ‘Like Your Man’ proves they have blossomed out of the experience, fusing fuzzy discordant guitar with siren-call vocals to make a truly intoxicating mix. In contrast, Limerick’s Theatre don’t shy away from belting out their emotions, with soaring vocals paired immaculately with jangly instrumentation to create music that serves as an emotional gut punch.  

On the south of the country, we find the beautiful coastal county of Cork, where the native Cardinals are releasing consistently emotionally vulnerable, sonically complex music. Their achingly tender track ‘If I could Make You Care’ carefully builds to a blistering crescendo while the raucously fun ‘unreal’ fuses playful instrumentation with hard hitting lyrics. Their fellow city-dwellers Pebbledash are an equally promising act, this time a noisy six piece whose live reputation is causing a stir. Echoing the styles of Deathcrash and Mogwai before them, they explore vulnerability and catharsis with masterful ease.

Cork is also home to an act who has accumulated an immense amount of buzz in recent months, Cliffords. Iona Lynch’s divine vocals are the perfect match to this wonderfully balanced pop-indie project – it is fun, lyrically relatable songwriting that is sure to win the hearts of many in the year to come. 

To describe such a variety of acts as belonging to a ‘scene’ feels like a leap. The music is far too eclectic, and despite bouncing off each other’s sound and sometimes landing on the same bill, many of these artists live miles apart and are instead on their own musical path. Perhaps instead then, these artists can be seen as a testament to the vital nature of grassroots scenes, and how they can lead to the blossoming of such an immense variety of acts with plenty left to say.  

Portals of Discovery: Ireland’s Next Generation was originally published inside Issue Fifty-Three of So Young. Order your copy here.

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The Other Folk – We Are Witnessing an Alternative Folk Revival https://soyoungmagazine.com/the-other-folk-we-are-witnessing-an-alternative-folk-revival/ https://soyoungmagazine.com/the-other-folk-we-are-witnessing-an-alternative-folk-revival/#respond Mon, 11 Mar 2024 16:20:24 +0000 https://soyoungmagazine.com/?p=14553 Tales are being spun reminiscent of bygone times, no longer fixating on the disappointments of city life, instead detailing lush landscapes and aching hearts.

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There is a steady force taking a hold of London’s pubs and venues. Stages once dominated by angsty punks and distorted guitar are beginning to find themselves home to haunting strings and guttural wails. Tales are being spun reminiscent of bygone times, no longer fixating on the disappointments of city life, instead detailing lush landscapes and aching hearts. We are witnessing an alternative folk revival. 

For some fans, Katy J Pearson’s stirring Halloween release, reworking tracks from the classic Wickerman soundtrack with a selection of the scene’s most fascinating talent, may have been the first indication of a blossoming trad folk love affair among musicians. For the more keen eyed, the mention of Broadside Hacks, who feature on ‘Lullaby’ and Pearson’s particularly evocative rendition of ‘Willow’s Song’ may have led them further down the rabbit hole. 

Broadside Hacks are integral to this tale, a collective whose 2021 compilation ‘Songs Without Authors’ was a revelation in introducing predominantly indie centric audiences to the allure of trad folk. With acts like Oscar Browne, Gently Tender and Pixx contributing, the comp was a fascinating insight into the diversity of folk music, and its surprising parallels with the wider direction of alternative indie. Folk may seem at odds with the music being made by scene leaders such as Sorry, but it was Sorry’s own Campbell Baum who founded Broadside Hacks

Since ‘Songs Without Authors’ was released, and Broadside Hacks toured their riveting trad folk sound across the UK, Europe, and even the sun baked streets of Austin for SXSW, a number of its musicians have gone on to become leaders of the next musical generation. Oscar Browne’s intricate multi-instrumental songwriting has allowed his music to cut through the noise and form a cult following. The collective have hosted nights showcasing many of the finest voices rising in alternative right now, from The New Eves to Clara Mann

Many of the venues and even musicians that were integral to the post punk ‘revival’ are at the heart of this blossoming folk movement, and in a number of ways it feels like a natural progression. There is a shift away from cynicism and toward hopeful truth. Where post punk seeks to highlight the strange realities of the everyday, there is an intrinsic beauty in folk, a desire for escapism within the details of the mundane, and a confrontation of the most human of vulnerabilities. It is a well-needed antidote to the adversity faced by venues and musicians in their day-to-day survival. 

Though collectives such as Broadside Hacks are overtly folk in nature, the draw of trad folk songwriting has begun to spread across the scene, rooting itself in many of the most interesting rising voices in music right now. Emerging in the same period as Broadside Hacks we find Shovel Dance Collective, a group of nine musicians who have been celebrating the oral tradition alongside diving into its queer, feminist, and class transcendent nature since 2019. A few sonic steps away from these we find My Life Is Big, an art collective that wanders between formats with curious glee, merging music, art and theatricality in a beguiling fashion.

The acts tied to My Life Is Big are inherently folksy in nature, with groups such as Tapir! placing storytelling, folklore and nature derived imagery at the forefront of their identity. Their concept of following the tale of a Pilgrim across a lush yet treacherous landscape echoes the narrative heavy nature of folk, with characters being subject to difficult and complex journeys in order to undergo personal and emotional transformations. Similarly, The Last Whole Earth Catalog’s 2023 release ‘Do You Face The Brutal Reality’ sees the group shift toward incredibly stripped back, lyric centric songwriting. The resultant album is a profoundly moving experience, an utterly personal and vulnerable release that resonates with you long after the last track. 

The emergence of these collectives ties in closely with the disruption caused by COVID and its repercussions across the London musical community. Broadside Hacks’ decision to form initially began as a label, centring on the ‘Songs Without Authors’ compilation, bringing together artists remotely since they could no longer be on lineups together. From this a folk club began, initially a jam session among friends before developing into a series of events. 

The rise of collectives including Broadside Hacks, Shovel Dance Collective and My Life Is Big ties in to a wider shift in the scene, with more artists diving into their folksy sound and experimenting with the tradition. Groups such as Bishopskin, whose mesmerising debut album was released last October, musically worship an England of the past. Frontman Tiger Nicholson has reflected that “English people have always thought of an ancient, better version of England, a more beautiful version than the reality.” The album sees them delve into the alluring ideals of a forgotten England, entranced by luscious countryside, religious imagery and storytelling in a way that mirrors many of the acts involved in the aforementioned collectives, not least Tapir!

The ripples continue to spread, from the intricate, moving live sets of Black Country, New Road’s Tyler Hyde (who performs under the pseudonym Tyler Cryde) to the fantastically delicate songwriting of Clara Mann, whose tales sound like the musical equivalent of tracing the fine details of a spider’s web. The primal, inherently feminine vocals of The New Eves, contrasted with harsh instrumentation creates an eerie yet alluring trad folk sound, something that wouldn’t sound out of place on the soundtrack of a classic folk horror film. 

The Other Folk in print inside Issue Forty-Eight of So Young. Buy a copy here.

The appeal of trad folk is clear, and its roots are beginning to take a hold of many of the finest voices in alternative music, encouraging them to confront human truths and pushing them to make brilliant sonic offerings. What is less clear is its cause. Perhaps it is the desire for community, a deep need to regain the unity that was fragmented by COVID and a celebration of being able to get so many people in a room together, creating again. Alternatively, it could be a wider reflection of artists having the opportunity to explore further inspirations and experiment with their sounds. As Broadside Hacks’ Campell Baum has reflected in a previous interview, “it was because of lockdown we had an opportunity to dive into something brand new, because you suddenly had the time.” 

An enticing and empowering interpretation is that the revival ties into the defiant longevity of the art of the working class, something that resonates with artists as they face increasing economic difficulty in their pursuit of creativity. This sentiment is echoed in the words of Naima Bock, who featured on the Songs Without Authors compilation, describing how “there’s the history of working class people who made the land and communities that we have remnants of today. Singing these folk songs is honouring them and their history, rather than the history of the elite, their money and their wars.”

Whatever the cause, the strange allure of trad folk is beginning to spread, and it only feels inevitable that the wider indie scene will follow. Soon haunting vocals, string instruments and vivid storytelling may become the norm. It is an exhilarating shift that is bound to produce some truly original and brilliant new offerings, and we can’t wait to see where it takes us.

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The Last Dinner Party Share New Single ‘My Lady of Mercy’ https://soyoungmagazine.com/the-last-dinner-party-share-new-single-my-lady-of-mercy/ https://soyoungmagazine.com/the-last-dinner-party-share-new-single-my-lady-of-mercy/#respond Mon, 09 Oct 2023 19:16:15 +0000 https://soyoungmagazine.com/?p=13836 For every soaring, cacophonous high of the track there is an equally affecting moment of pause, like the gasp of air you grab on a rollercoaster before plummeting into another moment of exhilaration. 

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Before today The Last Dinner Party have always toyed with fragments of their identity. Their astounding two singles ‘Nothing Matters’ and ‘Sinner’ introduced the core details. Deep dives into the beautiful intricacies of feminine aesthetics, adoration and celebration of the historical and gothic, and abrupt confrontation of female desire and sexuality. 

Today, the pieces fit together to provide an unobstructed view of brilliance. The convictions of stardom that electrified their prior singles and live performances find their place within their astounding track ‘My Lady of Mercy’. The signature sense of storytelling and defiance remain, but there is a new level in the track that shows the diversity of talent on array. The song’s accompanying video continues in the band’s signature use of vivid visuals to elevate and enrich the glimpses we are able to pull of their enticing world. 

The Last Dinner Party on the cover of So Young Issue Forty-Four. Grab a copy here.

The track itself is inspired by girlhood, teenage anguish and the intensity of “a teenage crush that can only be described through the bloody, carnal language of religious experience.” “My Lady of Mercy is about being a girl” the band describe “a girl looking up at a painting of Joan of Arc for the first time and thinking that she looks so brave and so beautiful that she wants to kiss her. And maybe she also wants to kiss the girl who stands next to her in the school choir.”

Perhaps what elevates the track to such enigmatic levels of brilliance is its use of negative space. For every soaring, cacophonous high of the track there is an equally affecting moment of pause, like the gasp of air you grab on a rollercoaster before plummeting into another moment of exhilaration. 

Photo by Cal McIntyre

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Mary in the Junkyard Share Debut Single ‘Tuesday’ https://soyoungmagazine.com/mary-in-the-junkyard-share-debut-single-tuesday/ https://soyoungmagazine.com/mary-in-the-junkyard-share-debut-single-tuesday/#respond Tue, 03 Oct 2023 14:04:59 +0000 https://soyoungmagazine.com/?p=13816 Mary in the Junkyard are here and with them everything changes. This is a band who demand to be seen, but only in their own, distinctly vivid and playful terms. 

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Mary in the Junkyard Share Debut Single ‘Tuesday’.

It’s taken nearly two years of performing, and over 50 gigs, to reach the point where Mary in the Junkyard were ready to release their debut track. Over that time, they have rapidly built up momentum, becoming the whispered rumour of a revolution on the scene. From their early, sometimes self admittedly half empty performances, they have always performed with valiant assurance of their own brilliance. The recent string of sweaty, electric shows is proof that the crowds wholeheartedly agree. 

Lucid visuals sprawl across the band’s lyrics and artwork, providing glimpses of an intricate and deeply considered musical identity. The tender voice of singer Clari Freeman-Taylor acts as a siren call through the track’s momentous crescendos, building with driven drums and wailing guitar into a cathartic sense of release. 

We spoke to Mary in the Junkyard inside Issue Forty-Two. Grab a copy here to read the interview in full.

The track explores the feeling of “life in a city and… feeling very small.” “He said get out of my way and that destroyed the Tuesday” Clari repeats, hung up on the ways in which small acts of inconsideration are blown into momentous emotional moments in the midst of isolation. “We all have wildness within us that we might be suppressing” she explains “and we shouldn’t feel like aliens because of it.”

The accompanying grainy, found footage style music video ushers in the wondrous, strange aesthetic of the band. Finding the chaos in the mundane, screaming for the humanity in the thick of the urban sprawl. Everything about the release feels like a shout of howl of retaliation, that Mary in the Junkyard are here and with them everything changes. This is a band who demand to be seen, but only in their own, distinctly vivid and playful terms. 

Photo by Steve Gullick

Watch the So Young x State51 Live Session with Mary in the Junkyard here.

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Leeds Experimental Collective HONESTY Share Debut Single ‘U&I’/ ‘TUNE IN TUNE OUT’ via Partisan Records https://soyoungmagazine.com/leeds-experimental-collective-honesty-share-debut-single-ui-tune-in-tune-out-via-partisan-records/ https://soyoungmagazine.com/leeds-experimental-collective-honesty-share-debut-single-ui-tune-in-tune-out-via-partisan-records/#respond Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:19:49 +0000 https://soyoungmagazine.com/?p=13800 Refusing to be bound by genre or fall into tropes, the tracks swell and ooze as they trawl through vivid emotions and unspoken truths. 

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Today sees experimental collective HONESTY release their debut double A-side ‘U&I’ and ‘TUNE IN TUNE OUT’, accompanied by their announcement of signing to Partisan.

The first material released since the collective first began to form back in 2020, these tracks propel HONESTY into the world with a clear and assured sense of self. Refusing to be bound by genre or fall into tropes, the tracks swell and ooze as they trawl through vivid emotions and unspoken truths. 

‘U&I’ sees vocalist Imi Holmes murmur and wail, distorting her voice to become another instrument that can be altered and contorted to the track’s requirements. Snippets of familiarity peek through the alluring, alien world of sound, providing moments of grounding before the track veers in unexpected and enthralling directions. 

‘TUNE IN TUNE OUT’ introduces George Mitchell as lyricist. Across both the singles no individual member takes the forefront, instead using the project as a celebration of collaboration and a way to distance the ego from the art. Vivid, enticing visuals accompany the track, pairing with the lyrical explorations of isolation and uncertainty to establish the song, and the wider project, as a fascinating and mysterious world.  

 

Photo by Barney Maguire

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Tapir! Merge the Familiar with the Mystical on New EP ‘Act 2 (Their God)’ https://soyoungmagazine.com/tapir-merge-the-familiar-with-the-mystical-on-new-ep-act-2-their-god/ https://soyoungmagazine.com/tapir-merge-the-familiar-with-the-mystical-on-new-ep-act-2-their-god/#respond Tue, 29 Aug 2023 11:14:26 +0000 https://soyoungmagazine.com/?p=13692 We may only be midway through the pilgrim’s first tale, but we cannot wait to hear what his future may hold. 

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Tapir! are alluring in every sense of the word. Perhaps you stumbled upon them live, drawn in by their signature papier-mâché red heads and elaborate sense of performance. Perhaps it was their debut, narrative driven EP ‘Act 1 (The Pilgrim)’, a captivating tale swirling with vivid symbolism and witty lyrics that caught your attention. Or maybe you’re a stranger to their lucid and folkloreish world, yet to be drawn in by their self-assured and enticing use of mediums to convey a complex and beguiling odyssey of narrative.  

In any case, the release of today’s EP ‘Act 2 (Their God)’, the second of three planned EPs, which sends their pilgrim on a voyage through an oceanic and tumultuous world, is bound to capture your attention. It is a rare kind of release, so confidently brilliant and elaborately thought out, and it places Tapir! assuredly in the category of one of the most exciting acts making music right now. 

Tapir!’s allure is found in their captivating ability to merge the familiar and the mystical. Their lyrics are filled with allusions that span from the mythological to the modern, with plenty of references to their own small but rich discography. But underpinning the deft lore is an undeniably genuine sense of vulnerability and emotion. They are artists at their best, projecting the mundanity of the universal through an array of complex images and stories. 

Tracks such as ‘Eidolon’ strip the band back to basics, using beautifully picked guitar and raw vocals to convey the vulnerability and adoration of storytelling at the heart of Tapir!’s complex world. The use of a narrator across the band’s discography, as seen again in the opening track of the EP ‘Act 2 (Their God)’ serves as a reminder of the narrative driven nature of their music, and the ways in which each track and story has been consciously constructed by the band and shared, providing just a glimpse into a far more complex and lore driven world. 

The music itself swells and falls to mimic the ocean heavy imagery of the lyrics. It carefully balances surges of emotion, accompanied by beautifully instrumented waves of strings, with more stripped back and simple songwriting. We may only be midway through the pilgrim’s first tale, but we cannot wait to hear what his future may hold. 

We chat with Tapir! in Issue Forty-One of So Young Magazine. Grab a copy here.

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Female Future – Women are Reclaiming and Reshaping Guitar Music https://soyoungmagazine.com/female-future-women-are-reclaiming-and-reshaping-guitar-music/ https://soyoungmagazine.com/female-future-women-are-reclaiming-and-reshaping-guitar-music/#respond Thu, 24 Aug 2023 13:03:26 +0000 https://soyoungmagazine.com/?p=13686 There have always been women in guitar music, but the vast amount of talent and variety emerging in a relatively short period feels like the beginning of a significant movement.

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Female Future – Women are Reclaiming and Reshaping Guitar Music.

The past year bore witness to a phenomenal wave of female artists rising on the scene. There have always been women in guitar music, but the vast amount of talent and variety emerging in a relatively short period feels like the beginning of a significant movement. It is no coincidence, however, that this shift has also seen acts being subject to more scrutiny and debate than ever. From The Last Dinner Party to Picture Parlour, it feels like every exciting female fronted act of late has had their fair share of criticism, running risk of overshadowing their well-earned acclaim. Even Issue Thirty Six cover stars Wet Leg aren’t safe; despite distancing themselves from industry plant accusations in the form of multiple Brit and Grammy awards, they recently found themselves in the headlines following a petty personal takedown piece written by member Rhian Teasdale’s ex boyfriend. 

The reality is that these stories and debates gain so much traction because they signal a very real shift in the music industry. Increasingly female and non-binary acts are pushing their way into traditionally male dominated spaces, and the subsequent backlash is an insight into the insidious toxicity they have been forced to endure. Guitar music is very much central to this shift, and the debates and conversations caused by the controversy surrounding these acts is integral to exposing and challenging the changes that need to be made within the music industry. The issue is, however, that the conversation runs the risk of eclipsing the incredibly exciting and intriguing array of talent emerging right now. The sheer variety of music being made by female fronted bands is a pivotal moment in alternative music that is being overlooked due to the systematic issues it challenges. From the fantastic and humorous Sailor Honeymoon to the hauntingly ethereal The New Eves, even this issue provides a window into the sheer array and volume of talent emerging right now.  

Femininity, alongside being a force of resistance within alternative, is integral to understanding the movement that these bands belong to. Take one of the acts at the heart of the controversy; last issue’s cover stars The Last Dinner Party, as an example. Having performed in venues such as Brixton’s Windmill, The Finsbury and The George Tavern for over a year prior to the release of their killer debut single ‘Nothing Matters’, they were known as a somewhat open secret among London gig-goers. The immediate buzz and widespread coverage surrounding the track’s release saw the band subject to relentless online scrutiny, with industry plant accusations and critiques being heavily directed towards them. The band reflected in their interview for issue Forty-Four that they “knew 100% it was gonna happen, but it doesn’t make it hurt that much less. Because… you just don’t believe that women can do it, is essentially what they are saying.”

What these critiques often fail to take into account is just how interesting and monumental the music they are making is. The Last Dinner Party take traditionally feminine elements, from ornate clothing to virgin-suicide-inspired visuals and make them central to their identity as a band. The lyrics overtly explore female sexuality in an unruly and wry fashion, using evocative storytelling to communicate the often intangible and complex emotions that come with womanhood. Instead of moulding themselves towards the “acceptable” forms of femininity that women are often made to adhere to in order to succeed in music, they have arrived in the world of rock in an unabashedly and unshakeably female form. 

But The Last Dinner Party are not alone. Take a look at recent rising stars The New Eves, who are reigniting the flame of folk through the use of traditional instrumentation and vocal harmonies. Their debut tracks ‘Mother / Original Sin’ are ethereal, spooky, and deeply affecting, seething with feminine resilience. The New Eves draw upon a long and complex history of women in Folk culture and music, and their performances feel as informed by a long and tempestuous past as a defiant and vehement future. Similarly to The Last Dinner Party, their live shows feel diligently planned, with the band using them as an opportunity to expand upon their elaborate and mysterious world. Taking to the stage in victorian-esque white clothing, often altered to each member’s personal style, they use their instruments in unusual and experimental ways, making each performance a deeply emotional and psychedelic experience. They hold the captivating allure of a band that know something the audience do not, but who are willing to reveal snippets of the truth through stories and riddles. 

Storytelling is integral to this movement of female fronted alternative, with increasingly poetic and abstract imagery used by almost all of the bands discussed. Mary in the Junkyard, for example, intricately trawl through emotion, using vivid descriptions and enticing imagery. They have built up their reputation through a relentless live schedule, performing their tender and cathartic material multiple times per week at some of London’s greatest DIY venues. Their candid and enthusiastic approach to making and performing music, alongside the magnetic relationship seen between the band members, has led to them gaining a cult following despite not having a single release to their name. Balancing classical elements and abstract strings with more recognisably classic indie rock, their music is enthralling and exhilarating. The band even take to the stage adorned in knitwear, handmade by frontwoman Clari in her free time, further establishing the centrality of their friendship and amusement in the group’s identity. 

The enjoyment of making art and the centrality of the relationships of these bands is fundamental in understanding them. In fact, in the face of the backlash and criticism many of them have faced, they have come together in solidarity despite their often vastly different musical styles. Looking at Picture Parlour, for example, who feature elsewhere in this issue and recently had their fair share of controversy regarding their first NME cover. The lack of female representation in the scene was actually what initially drew them together, with guitarist Risi describing meeting frontwoman Parlour as being “so nice to be playing with another woman that really got me.” Being together enabled them to “just be our authentic selves around each other.” 

Online, a community has formed between these acts. When Picture Parlour found themselves subject to heated online debate surrounding their NME cover, The Last Dinner Party jumped to their defence writing that they are “the best band I’ve seen in years and deserve every accolade there is.” Acts such as Heartworms have opened up about the intense personal struggles and sacrifice that come with pursuing success in music, as seen in a recent instagram post in which Jojo Orme aka Heartworms described how a band’s success is often an indication “they worked fucking hard to get to where they are and I mean HARD – blood and battle, they have created this world for themselves to deal with things.” The post is a cry of defiance against narratives that these acts are getting handed opportunities easily, with Orme opening up with her financial struggles and the importance of a “circle of friends I can call family.” The solidarity seen in response to the post, with acts including The Last Dinner Party, Nuha Ruby Ra, and Genn leaving comments of encouragement, shows that beneath the controversy and struggles a network of support has begun to form.  

Meanwhile on twitter Picture Parlour recently shared a humorous moment with rising Brighton stars Lime Garden over having members that look alike. There is a warmth and friendship that is integral to the movement, a solidarity and desire to encourage one another as each act respectively faces the relentless challenges that come with being women in music. For Lime Garden, friendship is central to the band’s identity. The group entered the pandemic as a close-knit group of friends making music together and emerged with a hardcore fanbase. Recent singles such as ‘Nepotism (baby)’ see them translating universal experiences of friendship into critiques of class and social divides. Much like The Last Dinner Party’s ode to teenagerdom in the Virgin Suicide inspired imagery of the ‘Nothing Matters’ music video, or the isolation explored in lyrics such as Mary in the Junkyard’s “I feel like an alien here”, Lime Garden use the track to revisit “the feelings of being a teenager again”, and the relentless desire to fit in. “To be the it girl is to be it” the track confesses, pausing to reflect upon the demands and tribulations endured by girls as they become women. 

The movement isn’t isolated to London, although the close-knit community migrating between a handful of core venues makes it easier to notice there. Take a look at English Teacher, a Leeds based band echoing similar sentiments to that of Lime Garden in tracks such as R&B, singing “despite appearances I haven’t got the voice for R&B” as a call out to the racial and gender stereotypes projected onto frontwoman Lily Fontaine. Meanwhile in Dublin M(h)aol have made gender integral to their identity, with tracks such their latest single ‘Period Sex’ directly confronting taboos in a tongue in cheek but defiant fashion. In fact, the punk rooted rise of female talent emerging right now can be seen across the globe. From the rapid, energetic egg-punk of Snõõper and the grungy lo-fi brilliance of Horsegirl in the US, to the wry, and brilliantly original Sailor Honeymoon in Korea. But there is something special happening in the UK, a movement imbued with solidarity that inverts femininity and uses it as a tool of empowerment. There is an incredibly vast and alluring array of talent emerging, from the dream-pop of acts such as Oslo Twins to the dark, dance inspired indie of Gretel Hänlyn. There are so many acts emerging right now that it is impossible to discuss or credit them all. Crucially, however, despite all the hubbub and clamour in the foreground, there is a wave of female fronted talent on the horizon, and it feels set to impact alternative music in a real and lasting way. 

This article originally featured in the latest print edition of So Young. Order your copy here.

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London’s Oscar Browne Shares New Single ‘Cut Me Off’ https://soyoungmagazine.com/londons-oscar-browne-shares-new-single-cut-me-off/ https://soyoungmagazine.com/londons-oscar-browne-shares-new-single-cut-me-off/#respond Tue, 04 Jul 2023 09:10:57 +0000 https://soyoungmagazine.com/?p=13457 ‘Cut Me Off’ is vulnerable, frustrated and fearful in equal measure.

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Communication is the precarious and unsteady glue holding together every relationship. It binds us together, but its breakdown inevitably pushes us apart. The latest single,  ‘Cut Me Off’, from London-based multi instrumentalist Oscar Browne confronts this truth in its stark and lonely reality. 

“I know you think I don’t care” Browne opens, leaving the listener feeling as if they have been propelled into the centre of a weighty and emotional conversation. As Browne muses on his loneliness, “alone against it all” the music swells, with intricate guitar accompanied by classic folk instruments such as violin, trumpet and flute. Crucially, however, the music never overpowers the lyrics, they always remain central. As a result, the listener’s full attention is on Browne’s words as he heartbreakingly reveals “I hope you realise I didn’t want it to end, just something else to begin.’

The track’s inspiration comes from “when someone close to you begins to accuse you of lying and suddenly cuts you out, without giving you any chance to defend/explain yourself” Browne explains, and so “the lyrics are all the things I wanted to say but were never heard.” Within the song Browne finds the opportunity to communicate what he never managed to, providing it with an overwhelming sense of melancholic catharsis. 

The production of the track, courtesy of Ali Chant, elevates it from a simple folk song to an in depth dive into Browne’s psyche. ‘Cut Me Off’ is vulnerable, frustrated and fearful in equal measure, with truth seeping through the space between the melodic guitar and aching vocals.  

Photo by Inigo Blake

We caught up with Oscar Browne in Issue Forty of So Young. Pick up a copy here.

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London’s Bishopskin Share New Single ‘Hey Little Sister’ https://soyoungmagazine.com/londons-bishopskin-share-new-single-hey-little-sister/ https://soyoungmagazine.com/londons-bishopskin-share-new-single-hey-little-sister/#respond Thu, 04 May 2023 14:24:16 +0000 https://soyoungmagazine.com/?p=13133 With a stirring, swerving singular violin melody, Bishopskin usher in the latest of their unusual and rousing tracks.

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With a stirring, swerving singular violin melody, Bishopskin usher in the latest of their unusual and rousing tracks with their new single ‘Hey, Little Sister.’ Much like the eclectic discography that has preceded it, the track veers in unexpected directions, rallying between moments of tender familiarity and animated exploration.

There is a sense of tradition and wisdom behind the creations of Bishopskin, as if they are crafting music on a whole other level. There is the humour and playfulness often found in traditional folk, but darker modern tones residing underneath. The voice is as much an instrument as the cacophony of instruments surrounding it, with masculine and feminine vocals intertwining and elevating each other.  

Bishopskin’s sound is wholly unique, it feels equally as feasible as something you could stumble upon in a pub from a fable as much as a modern, dingy punk venue. The band embrace this folksy, storytelling persona, with frontman Tiger Nicholson describing the track’s inspiration as having being drawn from his twin sister and “this image of us as little children in a big row boat straining on bended oars against this enormous green marbled sea.” 

There is an intricate toying with the duelling elements of folklore in the track, from the familial ties and nuances of ancestral relationships to an exploration of lush imagery and visuals of pastoral life. Violins, harmonica and orchestral harmonies provoke memories of traditional blues, but the eccentricity is cut through with a driven bassline and contemporary poetic lyricism which propel the track into the modern day. 

The band’s live performances act as a showcase for the elaborate details of Bishopskin as an act, veering between religious semi-archaic moments of stillness and intoxicatingly energetic explosions of folk. ‘Hey, Little Sister’ sees the band tease further at what their future holds, with their debut album looming on the horizon, scheduled for release before the end of the year via Isolar Records.  

Photo by Spela Cedilnik

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