INTERVIEW // Bristol punks IDLES choose love on their new album, Joy as an Act of Resistance
‘We were heading down the path of second album syndrome, so we scrapped all the songs and started again’ IDLES frontman Joe Talbot tells me, nine months since our last conversation and on the brink of releasing their second LP, Joy as an Act of Resistance. ‘I was trying to over intellectualise our art because …
Riot grrrl-inspired punks The Menstrual Cramps release their second album
Riot grrrl-inspired, feminist DIY punk band The Menstrual Cramps are on a mission to ‘make girls feel good’ and ‘not take your shit’. Mixing elements of punk, Britney Spears, Spice Girls and a helping of witty humour, vocalist Emilia, guitarist Cooper, bassist Robyn and drummer Beth take their tenacious spirit and ignite the stage with brutally …
A Bristol record label is releasing 11 singles from BIMM’s best this summer
Bristol’s new student-run record label HUBB Records has dropped the second in a string of 11 releases from BIMM students planned for this summer. On Friday, rap-metal trio Profiler’s new single Burn hit the digital shelves. Taking strong influences from Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and Deftones, they brilliantly evoke the sounds of 90s nu metal with …
10 Questions with Mallory Knox
2018 marks a brand new chapter for Mallory Knox with an exciting new direction, after bassist Sam Douglas stepped up to take lead vocals after the departure of Mikey Chapman in February. Their latest single Black Holes is already turning heads and offers an intriguing insight into what’s to come from the Cambridge alt rockers. …
Interview // How Bandulu are turning heads South West for progressive grime
Known collectively as Bandulu Gang; Kahn, Neek, Boofy and Hi5ghost have played a huge part in building an important hub for instrumental UK grime in Bristol. As well as releasing between them on key labels like Deep Medi and Innamind, and operating under a number of aliases, including Young Echo, Wu Yen, O$VMV$M and …
Interview // Post-rock newcomers Dead Fast Hares on their debut EP, Miles Ago
It all began with swirling winter surf trips in Cornwall and raging acapella jams to Audioslave. Now, Bristol-based indie outfit Dead Fast Hares are less than two weeks away from launching their melodious debut EP Miles Ago, with a launch party and live show to follow at Bristol’s Rough Trade record store on 16 August. …
RuPaul’s Drag Race star Shangela on working with Lady Gaga, self love and PRIDE
Bristol drag institution Eat Sleep Drag Repeat (ESDR) are bringing in Rupaul’s Drag Race star Shangela for a Pride special at SWX this July. Whether you watch the show or not, there’s little chance you haven’t heard about it or the reams and reams of positive comments about the show’s representation and normalisation of the …
Interview // Valis Ablaze: ‘We’re achieving what we set out to achieve’
Four parts Bristol, one part Manchester, progressive metal band Valis Ablaze was born in 2012 with guitarist Ash Cook and drummer Rich New. Six years and some lineup changes later, the final incarnation, in addition to Ash and Rich, is Tom Moore and George Demner on guitar and bass, with Manchester-based vocalist Phil Owen joining …
10 questions with Kayla Painter
Kayla Painter has been pushing the boundaries of Bristol’s electronic scene since 2012, when she independently released her debut EP Kayla Painter. Combining unusual instrumentals and field recordings, she creates dreamy, multi-layered, left-field electronica. Kayla was selected for this year’s Future Bubblers programme with Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings, where she is currently receiving mentorship from …
Interview // Bristol’s Bengal Sound is the next producer to blow up the underground
Anyone following Bristol-based producer Bengal Sound probably shares the opinion that he is the next producer out of Bristol to blow up on the underground. At just 23 years old, Farhad Ahmed AKA Bengal Sound has already released with White Peach, his tracks have been cut to dubplate by the likes of Kahn and Zha, …