There were very few, if any, empty seats at the glorious Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea. The throngs of fans, eagerly awaiting to see the showdown between China’s Weibo Gaming and South Korea’s T1 at the League of Legends Worlds 2023 Finals, filled the stadium with an energy that was immensely palpable. We were ready for the esports event of the year, but Riot Games knew how to turn up the hype even more.

• READ MORE: The 25 best K-pop songs of 2023

Star-studded performances kicked off the Worlds 2023 Finals opening ceremony on a high – being able to watch it live was definitely a core memory moment. Heartsteel were up first with their debut single, ‘Paranoia’. Featuring League of Legends characters Ezreal, Kayn, K’Sante, Sett, Yone and Aphelios – with the first four having real-life counterpart musicians that provide their vocal talents: EXO‘s Baekhyun, Cal Scruby, Tobi Lou and OZI, respectively. The clever mix of augmented reality and computer graphics with real life performances heightened the experience in a way that allowed Riot Games to put on a truly unique show that showcased the League of Legends IP.

Maria Egan, head of music and live events at Riot Games, tells NME that the “Baekhyun and Ezreal collaboration was a dream from the beginning”. When it comes to matching up the artists to the Heartsteel members, it’s usually a trial and error process that takes months. “You want to make sure that the artist is super invested,” she said. “We ended up in a place where they all feel very connected to the champions that they ended up performing.”

All four musicians appeared on the main stage to perform their parts, but what happened during the final chorus of ‘Paranoia’ was the biggest surprise. While you couldn’t tell just by watching the main stage, on the screens to the left and right, you could see the virtual counterparts of Heartsteel pull up in a car and join their real-life ones on stage together. The transition was incredibly smooth and, expectedly, the crowd erupted.

Virtual avatars have been around for over two decades, but have started to become increasingly popular – especially in the world of K-pop, with the likes of aespa, MAVE:, Superkind and more. Egan emphasises that many successful virtual bands don’t appear out of nowhere, and uses Gorillaz as an example. Musician Damon Albarn and comic artist Jamie Hewlett were already at the peak of their careers. Albarn was the frontman for the influential rock band Blur while Hewlett worked on comics such as Judge Dread and Doom Patrol. Together with their talents, the two created the idea for Gorillaz.

Egan also mentions the Japanese vocaloid, Hatsune Miku. She is one of the few virtual avatars that was able to gain massive popularity without an existing fanbase. Hatsune Miku was originally just a voice synthesiser where people would enter the melody and lyrics of a song, then be able to sing in a synthetic voice. However, Hatsune Miku’s personification and character design as a cute girl with blue hair on the outside of a box made Yamaha Corporation’s Vocaloid 2 product stand out amongst its competition of other vocaloid software.

Since then, Hatsune Miku has been treated like an actual artist rather than just a mascot of a piece of computer software. This is all thanks to fan and community support, where fans created original music and Hatsune Miku covers of popular ones. “So Gorillaz has had its own story, and then Hatsune Miku’s is really about the community and about co-creation,” Egan explains. “So that’s a very different thing where the community is at the center of it, and not necessarily an artist.”

League of Legends‘s success with its virtual music groups is a mix of both Gorillaz and Hatsune Miku’s approaches. The community is already passionate about the champions in League Of Legends – they’ve become invested after years of gameplay, learning all about their backgrounds, lore, play styles and more – and seeing Riot reinvent them is just the cherry on top. The fans’ adoration for these characters extend into other ventures that they are placed in, including music.

“For us, it’s this beloved, massive IP at the centre of it. And that’s really what the core of all of our projects are like, telling stories of Runeterra and telling the stories of the League IP in a new context in a new world that’s more accessible in pop culture,” Egan adds. She also notes how difficult it is to even make one song. While technology has made the motion capture process easier, it’s not enough to just drop one piece of cool animation and call it a day. There needs to be a fanbase or audience that really loves what you do.

The moment that a new virtual band is revealed needs to feel special, and to do so took many departments at Riot Games banding together just to create ‘Paranoia’. “Just making Heartsteel takes almost a year, with a lot of people touching it like composers, songwriters and producers crafting and getting the sound right,” Egan says. “There are many different versions of that song on the cutting room floor.”

Heartsteel is a good example of surprising fans with new experiences that keep them engaged and coming back for more League of Legends content. “Nobody saw that coming. Our goals are just to continually elevate and raise the bar of what we’ve built on before,” she says. Now that Heartsteel joins the ranks of K/DA, Pentakill and True Damage, fans are wondering if some of the other groups are due for a comeback soon.

“Stay tuned on that front,” Egan says In response to whether K/DA would return. “Everyday, we’re figuring out how we meet players’ expectations and also blow them away.”

League of Legends is available to play on PC and Mac.

The post Riot Games on Heartsteel: “The Baekhyun and Ezreal collaboration was a dream” appeared first on NME.

The songwriter behind a protest song aiming for Christmas Number One has told NME about how her campaign is about “how climate change affects us all”.

Louise Harris released the stirring ‘We Tried’ in November, with the track already having topped the UK iTunes singles chart. Broadcaster Chris Packham has got behind her bid for a Christmas hit, while iconic musician and producer Brian Eno describing the song as “a powerful weapon”.

Harris, 25, from Hertfordshire, was arrested after performing the track at a peaceful protest outside Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s home at the end of November. Her bail conditions mean she cannot currently enter the area within the M25 motorway, preventing her from performing gigs in London.

This week, the song will aim to go up against the likes of Sam Ryder, The Pogues and WHAM! all bidding for the UK’s festive top spot, with proceeds from ‘We Tried’ are going towards a range of climate action causes.

Harris told NME: “For me, it’s about the power of music – to move people, to get them to emotionally connect with the climate crisis – and what it means for them.”

The artist, who has previously collaborated with major producers like SOMMA and Paul Schulze, made international headlines when she climbed a gantry above the M25 motorway as part of a protest in 2022. Her tearful testimony about her action became a viral moment. NME caught up with Harris to talk about her track, and why action is needed now.

NME: Hello Louise. How’re you feeling about the response to ‘We Tried’?

Harris: “It feels surreal. I didn’t expect it. I’m grateful the climate crisis is actually now being given so much attention – a climate song has now entered the radio charts. It was Number One on the iTunes chart. That’s really exciting. For me, it’s about the power of music – to move people, to get them to emotionally connect with the climate crisis – and what it means for them. It just shows how important this issue is to so many people. How it affects us all.”

You sang the song outside Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s house a couple of weeks ago. Why did you do that and what’s happened since?

“Yes, myself and a group of Just Stop Oil supporters. We literally just gathered outside Rishi Sunak’s house. I sang my song ‘We Tried’. We did a couple of speeches. The point of that was to bring to his attention that we are in a climate crisis. And if he doesn’t act, then we’re all going to face water and food shortages, war, conflicts and a mass migration crisis over the next couple of decades.

“I sang the song to send him that message directly. I had no intention of being arrested. We completely complied with all the police. They still decided to arrest us which was shocking. I was issued bail conditions which prevented me from going to London for the past two weeks, even though I’m a singer-songwriter. My career and my living depends on going to London for gigs, open mics and interviews. It’s outrageous.”

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A post shared by Chris Packham (@chrisgpackham2)

What’s the latest?

“At the moment, my solicitor is saying it might be until the 22 February [2024] that I’m not allowed within the whole area within the M25. That’s months out of work. I’m waiting for an update. Hopefully, that will be appealed. The police haven’t been responding to my solicitor.”

In theory, right now, if you were to step on stage to perform in London you’d be arrested?

“Yeah, within the M25 then absolutely. Even just going into that area, just walking around. That’s illegal now for me.”

Tell us about ‘We Tried’ – how and why you wrote it.

“I wrote ‘We Tried’ in July 2022, a few days after my 24th birthday. At the time I wrote on Instagram, ‘This is an age that children born today may never reach’. That’s how urgent and severe the crisis is. It was inspired by my first time activism with Just Stop Oil and Animal Rising – non-violent direct action.

“The song was an expression of grief, anger and despair. I wrote it from a future perspective – our currently projected future perspective – of irreversible climate catastrophe. I wrote it to invite people to emotionally connect with how they would feel if we all allowed that to happen, but then use that feeling to spur them into the solution – which is collective climate action.

“I think the only solution left is to stop the people in power – which are only a few handfuls of people – causing this harm to everybody else. Everyone in the world needs to come together and join collective action. We are so much more powerful than the people in power.”

And you’re aiming for a Christmas hit… 

“I didn’t intentionally plan it around Christmas, but then the response to it was like, ‘Oh, wow this in the charts and stuff!’ I thought we might as well go for Christmas Number One, because it’s famously a time when charity singles and good causes are platformed. The proceeds from the song are going towards climate causes – that’s why I urge people to buy it on iTunes, Amazon or Bandcamp before midnight on Thursday [December 21].

“The climate crisis is not reported as an emergency in the way that COVID-19 was – we’re all in a life threatening emergency. If it could get to Christmas Number One… the radio and media are forced to report on this crisis. It’s the most important issue of our time. I want to continue having decades of Christmases listening to lovely songs, but we need to have a liveable future in order to do that.”

Some notable people have got behind your campaign…

“Chris Packham – absolute legend in the climate scene – he’s calling for it to be Christmas Number One. The legendary Brian Eno, he’s behind it as well. He was really moved by the song. Christiana Figueres – who was the key negotiator on the UN’s 2015 Paris Climate Agreement – said the song inspired her.

How can music play an important role in the climate crisis?

“Art in general, but particularly music, has a unique power to move people. To touch people’s hearts and emotionally impact them in a way that speeches or scientific evidence doesn’t. It has the power to bring people together, empower people into collective action. Where are all the songs, films and plays about the life-threatening emergency that we’re in? Historically music has been instrumental in bringing about social change and sparking revolutions. It’s time to do it again. If all music can’t change the world, I don’t know what can.”

You’re asking people to support you in order to make and release an album of climate songs?

“Yeah, I have six or seven climate and activism related songs in total. I’m hoping to release a climate album as soon as possible. Because we’re running out of time. There’s a rapidly closing window of opportunity in which to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. If people want climate action, then getting it into the mainstream and getting it into culture is one of the most powerful ways to do that.”

Speaking of climate action. Any reflections on the outcome of the UN’s recent COP28 climate talks? 

“Many people have said this, but it’s a cop out. They still haven’t decided to phase out fossil fuels, even though the science is clear. The COP28 president was an oil CEO – it’s like we’re living in a satire. There have been more COP conferences than years I’ve been alive, and every single year emissions have gone up. The damage keeps getting worse. It’s down to ordinary people like me and you to change things.”

Finally, if someone wants to gift ‘We Tried’ this Christmas – who should they give it to?

“Definitely buy the song for yourself for 59p – that’s your contribution to the charts. Tell 10 friends to do it, and share the music and video on social media. But if you want to send a direct message to Rishi Sunak then you can Google his email address, go on iTunes and gift it to him. He’ll get an email with the song.

Perhaps Rishi will be listening to the message of ‘We Tried’ this Christmas?

“On repeat. We can only hope.”

‘We Tried’ by Louise Harris is out now.

The post Christmas Number One hopeful Louise Harris says song tackles “how climate change affects us all” appeared first on NME.

Brandon Flowers has spoken to NME about what’s next for The Killers, as well as teasing a ‘Hot Fuss’ anniversary tour and exclusively revealing work on a new solo album. Check out our full interview below.

• READ MORE: The Killers on the cover: “There are a lot of young people unsure of their place in this world”

The frontman was speaking to NME just as news broke that the Las Vegas indie veterans’ new ‘best of’ collection ‘Rebel Diamonds‘ had hit Number One in the UK – marking their eighth chart-topping LP and a feat that Flowers described as “pretty amazing”.

“It’s hard to fathom,” he explained. “I’ve been caught up in this whirlwind for 20 years; in this cycle of touring, writing, touring and writing. The most time we had to reflect was during COVID, and it was quite an awakening process to get time to look through all that we’d done. I’m really proud of the band and the work.”

As well as looking back on their work so far, Flowers opened to NME about settling past feuds, the band’s “rock n’ roll” future, an anniversary tour for their seminal debut ‘Hot Fuss‘, and work on the follow-up to his two solo albums ‘Flamingo’ and ‘The Desired Effect’.

NME: Hello Brandon. When you first emerged with ‘Mr Brightside’ in 2003, did you imagine that you’d be here 20 years later celebrating your second greatest hits record? 

Flowers: “We were always little different from the other Vegas bands back then because I noticed that there was this competition and rivalry between local bands. I wasn’t thinking about them – I was thinking about The White Stripes, The Strokes, and Oasis. I didn’t allow myself to get to U2 just yet, but I asked myself, ‘What is it that these bands are doing and why are they not still in their hometown?’ That’s what set us apart quite early on.

“We were different, and we were ambitious. Ambition can be seen as an ugly thing to some people but it has served us well. We were able to persevere and it’s kind of unbelievable.”

You would famously  kick off feuds with the likes of The Bravery and Green Day back then. Do you feel regret over your past outspoken ways? 

“I’m over it now! But it nagged at me quite early on. Some of the things that I would say weren’t really representing my true self. I was a little green, not ready to be interviewed, and socially awkward, so I just resorted to name-calling! I’m a little bit embarrassed by it now, but I’ll live. I’ve apologised since.”

‘Rebel Diamonds’ is now out in the world. Do you learn anything about your legacy when you lay out your past like this? 

“Personally, I’m my own harshest critic. I’m still doing that thing I did 20 years ago where I’m looking at our best of and then looking at Tom Petty’s best of and seeing where I’m falling short! But at the same time, I’m looking at it and thinking, ‘You can really see this band striving, maturing, growing and representing ourselves as honestly as possible while still making great music that I’m really proud of.”

New tracks on a best of are usually a band’s way of saying, ‘This is where we’re going next’ – but these four on here are actually you saying, ‘This is where we’re from, now wait and see’, right?

“Yeah. It’s nice to wrap it all up. If you look at a song like ‘Boy’, it’s definitely got these nods to the early influences and has a little bit of that nostalgia, but I feel like that we still have places that we’re going to go. I’m still excited about the future.”

When we spoke just before you debuted ‘Boy’, you made it sound like it was the genesis of a new record. But we’re past that point, now right? You’re headed in a new direction?

“Yes, I realised that the vehicle that I want to ride in had less synthesisers and less laser beams! I’m trying to figure that out. It’s not uncommon; we’ve made records like ‘Sam’s Town’ [2006], ‘Battle Born’ [2012] and definitely ‘Pressure Machine’ [2021] where there’s less presence of that kind of sound. I’m not disparaging that sound – a lot of that music has shaped who I am – but as I get older I want to be authentic to who I am and how I’m feeling. I have to follow that, and I just feel like that’s leading more towards guitar music, rock n’ roll and Americana music.”

The Killers’ last two albums marked your most personal writing. Will the next album follow suit?

“You know how people say, ‘Oh, I don’t know what I’m doing’? Bands are always self-deprecating but I’m going to be honest – I’m starting to know what I’m doing! Once you get to that point, it’s tough to lie and make music that your heart isn’t really behind. I discovered something while making ‘Imploding The Mirage’ [2020] and ‘Pressure Machine’; two highly conceptual records that had this continuity, drive and conviction to them. Once you make a record like that, it’s hard to do it any other way. It’s not easy, but it’s something I’ve signed up for.”

What’s lyrically inspiring you at the moment?

“Right now, I’ve been gravitating towards relationships and singing about what it takes for people to really make it, while still having empathy for the things that people go through that break them and trying to work through that. Every time I go into this kind of territory, it makes me stronger in my own relationships through realising what I need to do to make them work and what I need to put into them. It’s a really important process for me because it makes me a better person.”

You told NME that your hope for the next album would be to have all four members on board to make it together. Is that looking likely?

“I’m making a solo record right now! I almost had it wrapped up. The goal has always been to get all four original members to take ownership and be proud of what we’re doing, but it’s so difficult with all four of us living in different cities. It’s not impossible. It’s weird to be talking to you about it, but I’d definitely like to do that.”

Hold up, a new solo record?

“Yes, I’m writing a third solo record.”

Wow, will that be heading in that same rock ‘n’ roll dreamland direction?

“It’s different. I feel like it embodies a little bit of my first two solo records, but obviously there’s so much more living that I’ve done in the seven years since my last effort. I’ve got a lot more insight and things that I’ve absorbed. I’m really loving how it’s turning out.”

When do you think we can hear it?

“The ‘Rebel Diamonds’ tour put a little bit of a wrench of things! We’re also going to announce some kind of ‘Hot Fuss’ anniversary shows, so I probably won’t be able to release it until 2025. I’ll have to sit on it for a while.”

Will those ‘Hot Fuss’ shows be more of a sweaty and intimate affair like back in the day?

“I guess I’m not at liberty to tell yet, but people can put two and two together. I think we’re going to announce it shortly after the new year. The arena shows are for ‘Rebel Diamonds’, but this will be specifically a ‘Hot Fuss’ extravaganza.”

Maybe you could pop up at Glastonbury again?

“Yeah, sure!”

Here’s hoping. Merry Christmas, Brandon.

“Merry Christmas!”

‘Rebel Diamonds’ by The Killers is out now. A lengthy UK and Ireland arena tour kicks off in June. Visit here for tickets and more information. 

The post Brandon Flowers tells us about the future of The Killers and confirms new solo album: “I’m starting to know what I’m doing” appeared first on NME.

Madison Beer is an artist who has experienced the best – and very worst – of the internet. Her origin story reads like a Gen Z daydream: after Justin Bieber shared her YouTube cover of Etta James‘ ‘At Last’, Beer’s name began trending on Twitter and she landed a record contract with Island Records. The Long Island native was just 13 at the time, but after the label tried to mould her into a “Disney queen”, she went independent and continued to cultivate an online fanbase. Today, she has 37.7 million Instagram followers and 18.8 million on TikTok – if she were an influencer, she would be able to command huge fees.

But it’s music that has always been Beer’s calling. In 2019, she signed a new deal with Epic Records – her home to this day – and scored her first big hit: ‘All Day And All Night’, a house collaboration with producers Jax Jones and Martin Solveig. The following year, her stripped-down solo song ‘Selfish’ climbed to number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. Beer was a bona fide pop star, but she was also grappling with the toxic pitfalls of being a young woman with an online presence. In 2021, she told NME that she had opened Twitter to find #MadisonBeerIsOverParty trending “probably five or six times over the course of the past few years”.

Beer even had to deal with unimaginable slut-shaming when intimate teenage photos were leaked online – a soul-crushing episode she details in her recent memoir The Half of It. Yet throughout it all, Beer has remained an open book, especially when it comes to her mental health. She was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2019 and has spoken about experiencing PTSD and suicidal thoughts as a result of her leaked nudes. “I do get affected by people saying negative things about me and I get my feelings hurt very easily,” she says today when we meet at her label’s London office. “I’m a sensitive person. So I just don’t engage [now]; I just shut it off.”

Despite all the online vitriol, Beer has blossomed into a vital and surprising artist who takes genuine musical risks. Her 2021 debut album ‘Life Support’ deftly blended pop, R&B and indie, but this year’s follow-up ‘Silence Between Songs’ finds her venturing into more psychedelic territory. There are echoes of her heroine, Lana Del Rey, but also ’60s icons including the Beatles and the Beach Boys. In addition to co-writing every song, Beer co-produced the album with Leroy Clampitt and Timothy ‘One Love’ Summers. “Both of them really have allowed me to flourish as an artist and producer and, like, not be afraid to ask for [a producer’s] credit,” she says. “I do think the industry has pushed back [on that]. And I think a lot of that is power dynamics. I know for me and a lot of other women, we feel intimidated to ask; we don’t feel like we’re worthy.”

Here, in a typically candid conversation, Beer talks about her musical evolution, strategies to protect her mental health and plans to tour ‘Silence Between Songs’ in 2024.

Who were your main musical influences when you were making this album?

“This album had completely different musical inspirations than my first one. Mainly, we were listening to a lot of Beach Boys, Beatles, Zombies. I mean, the list is pretty endless, but those were kind of the main influences. And we wanted to kind of capture something that felt timeless in a lot of ways. I wanted people to be able to listen to this [album] and maybe not know what year it was from. I wanted it to have that, like, essence of classic-ness.”

When did you start getting into those ’60s artists? Did you listen to them growing up?

“No, I actually listened to ’50s music a lot growing up. I really was intrigued by it and thought it was so beautiful. And then I didn’t really deep-dive into ’60s [and] ’70s music until much later. I think it probably began with the Beatles. That was when I really was like, ‘Cool – this is what I am now going to make my entire personality trait.’ So yeah, I really loved the Beatles, and then I started to learn about the Beach Boys and Queen and so many other iconic groups that have shaped me so much. They were later discoveries, but very, very important ones.”

The song ‘King Of Everything’ deals with powerful men in the music industry. What was going through your head when you wrote it?

“There’s a few topics, honestly, within that song. There’s the direct relationship I’ve had with a few people – many people – who are those men in positions of power that I feel have maybe abused their power or not been great with it… I don’t quite know how to say it. You know, [there are] things I’ve seen and been through where now I’m older, I’m like, ‘That’s crazy.’

“But then also, [the song draws from] growing up around so many successful businessmen and big celebrities and billionaire managers and seeing how, like, truly lonely a lot of those people were. How you could have all the success and money and whatever in the world, but if you’re a miserable person, you’re gonna be miserable no matter what. It was pretty eye-opening to me and something I always recognised. So yeah, in the least harsh way possible, we wrote ‘King Of Everything’ [about all of that].”

In February you published your memoir, The Half of It. Did you want the book to clear up misconceptions about you? Or are you at the point now where you don’t want to think about that?

“The book is out [and] it’s like I closed it. I said everything I needed to say.  If you read the book and afterwards you still want to have judgments or whatever [about me], I can’t change your mind and that’s fine. I know I’m still young, but I am starting to realise that in life, you create your circle and you create people that do know who you are. And I think when you’re exposed to millions of people on such a big scale, there are always gonna be people who judge you wrongly – everyone’s gonna have an opinion. ‘I don’t like what she did here.’ ‘I don’t like the way she looks today.’ 

“I can’t spend the rest of my life dying on a hill that I don’t need to, frankly. Like, I have people and fans that see me [for who I am] and I can’t spend forever trying to beg the people that refuse to give me a shot. I can’t always be like, ‘Please, I promise I’m a good person.’ So yeah, I try not to pay too much attention.”

You could waste all your energy doing that and still get nowhere.

“And I’ve done it for years: being a teenage girl and having what feels like everyone on the internet have the wrong idea of you and spread rumours about you. I mean, we all know what it was like to have a rumour go around high school about you. Imagine how it feels having the whole internet [do that]. There’s just an endless string-line of hate and mean comments, and it’s extremely difficult to grapple with.

“So I’ve spent a lot of years trying to figure out, like, ‘If I’m gonna continue pursuing this career, this is something that I’m going to have to accept and be OK with, even though I don’t think it’s OK.’ And I am very big on explaining to everybody that your words do matter and you should take them seriously. You shouldn’t just say things because you think that you’re safe behind the keyboard – that’s total bullshit. Being someone in my position, I have to accept that people aren’t going to just suddenly wake up and be like, ‘Oh, I’m never gonna leave a [negative] comment again.’ So I have to figure out what I can do to be OK with that. And I think the answer is that I have to love the person I am and then feel like no one can mess with that.”

Who is top of your collaborations wish list?

“Paul McCartney is top of my wish list for collaborations. Yeah, that’s all I’ll say, because everyone else I’m actually trying to work on. But Paul, if you’re watching this, hit me up.”

A few years ago you made a big dance hit, ‘All Day And All Night’, with Jax Jones and Martin Solveig. Would you be interested in doing something like that again?

“I love all music, so yeah, I would definitely be open to that. I think there’s so many awesome DJs and you know, I don’t know what you would categorise it as, but electronic [or] EDM [music]. So I would love to do something like that again. And people loved that song.”

Madison Beer’s album ‘Silence Between Songs’ is out now via Epic Records. She tours the UK in March and April 2024

The post Madison Beer: “I can’t spend forever trying to beg people who refuse to give me a shot” appeared first on NME.

Slipknot’s founding member and percussionist Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan has spoken to NME about the band’s upcoming tour, as well as numerous new releases, career highlights and the importance of nostalgia.

• READ MORE: Slipknot on the cover: “Nobody created us except us – we have always drawn our own map”
  

Earlier this week, the masked metal icons announced news of a 2024 UK and European tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their self-titled debut album. As tickets have gone on sale, Crahan has opened up to NME about why it was so important for the band to go back to their roots, and revealed that there are plenty of surprises in store for the new year.

“25 years is swirling in our brain now,” Clown told NME. “There’s so much audio and footage from that time, so we’re reminiscing about our culture and the people that felt it. I’m harnessing the energy of [late members] Paul [Gray] and Joey [Jordison]. They weigh heavy on my heart at the moment and there are so many things happening in my mind about yesteryear. I remember it like it was yesterday.”

He continued: “Everything I experienced 25 years ago on that first album set the precedent for me sitting here today, so it only makes sense to try to come back and [celebrate those] things the best we can.”

Not only did the news of the tour arrive in celebration of the anniversary milestone, it also came following the unexpected departures of two members in just five months – drummer Jay Weinberg and keyboardist Craig Jones.

However, according to Clown, despite the rumours going around about the line-up, the iconic masked metallers have got their eyes set solely on the road ahead and have some new material in the pipeline that maggots can’t afford to miss.

NME: Hello Clown. What has it been like to reflect on your debut album, 25 years on? 

Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan: “We are completely in reflection mode and reflection can bring tears. Reflection can bring smiles. Reflection can bring energy. Now, we are in a place that we never imagined we would be 25 years on. We’re standing really strong and we’re better as people.

“I think all of us are really, really happy about what we’re creating to the point where we’re scared a little bit. That fear is what we live for and that’s what we’ve always done. That’s why we’re still here.

“We’ve moved away from things that don’t belong and we are continuously moving away from what is in the way. There are no hard feelings. There’s no anger or hate. Nobody’s wrong. No one’s mad, it’s just that we’re very aware of us. If you’re a Slipknot fan, then you know what that means. The future is very very exciting. I’m excited, because no one really knows what we’re capable of – as usual.

“As far as Jay goes, what people need to know is Jay did not leave the band, and what I want to say is that we’re moving on. Like the statement said, we’re choosing to do something different. This space that we’re at right now is a very, very special space, thought about and generated mostly by the OGs [longstanding members Corey Taylor, Mick Thomson, Sid Wilson and Jim Root].”

What else does the band have planned for 2024?

“In 25 years of writing seven albums, we’ve allowed ourselves to do anything and everything we want. We do what we want, as much as we want, when we want, how we want. I’m ready to move on from what has been, and move onto a world that I know needs to be. For instance, normally we’d have about two years on and one-and-a-half years off — we’re not doing that anymore.

“We’re going back to basics. I’m ready to kick everybody in the face again! I’m ready to do a 100-person venue again! I’m ready to do a 500-person venue. We want to play in front of 500 people, but there are a lot of factors that will mean it can’t happen. We’re at the point where we’ve got to ensure safety.

“Nobody knows truly what’s happening. If I were a fan, I would [ask] ‘Why wouldn’t the band play the album in its entirety?’ and ‘Why wouldn’t the band play some special events that seem intimate and fun?’ I’d put money on it – I want to come full circle and get back to when the dream was only a dream. I can’t promise you anything until it’s happening though.”

“As far as the new album, that’s happening, but that’s another plan. These live dates are coming first and we’re here to have a good time. This band has never been happier, and that takes a lot because we’ve been through a lot — drugs, women, money, fame, ego, isolation. But we are on track.”

For a few years now you’ve been teasing fans that the lost album ‘Look Outside Your Window’ is just around the corner. Earlier this year Corey Taylor hinted to us it may be released in 2024 – are we getting close?

“It’s definitely arriving next year. You have my word. The art’s been done. It’s been mixed. It’s been mastered. It is definitely coming out in 2024 and it’s such a great album. Corey is my favourite singer ever, and you’ll never hear him sing in the same way as on this album, so it’s been worth holding it back. It’s such a different, timeless project.”

Speaking of going back through the Slipknot archives, we hear there may be some sort of new documentary on the horizon…

“I’ve harvested relics from our whole career, I’ve just collected and collected all of it. Let’s call it a documentary, but really it could be a film. I’ve recently signed on with some forces for it and I’m going to get a director too.

“A lot of the footage has already been captured, but there is a lot that still needs to be compiled for it to be what it needs to be. So yes, there’s something like that coming, and there’ll be a DVD which would be behind-the-scenes too. Also footage for the 25-year anniversary, there would likely be a package for that, and there’s going to be a reissue of the album, probably.

“I’m working on everything now and there’s so much that we haven’t honed down on exactly what we’re selling! Songs from shows, radio performances, behind-the-scenes footage, live performances, tracks that were never released. Just about everything and anything you can think of.”

In the quarter of a century since you released the breakthrough album, what big moments meant the most to you?

“It’s always been the fact that I get to get up and do it again and again. I’m always amazed at that. There are moments that fucking shocked me up there too. It’s always those moments of complete chaos that always moved me the most.”

Looking at today’s music scene, to what extent do you agree with Bruce Dickinson’s recent comments about the struggle for rock and metal artists to reach stadium level?

“There was this fundamental system behind the way that bands started [previously] which encompassed their philosophies. There’s none of that around any more. I mean, are there big arenas that big companies like run? Yeah. That’s never going to change. But there’s a different model now. I’m not dissing anybody, but you can throw enough money at a project and get them into any venue now.

“When we were first coming up – and especially Iron Maiden– it was just a whole different way of approaching bands. [With new talent, though] people just have to keep going and going and going and going. Where’s the infrastructure supporting them? There’s none.

“So, with what I think when he’s saying, I agree. All the infrastructures to support great music from the ground up to beat those conglomerate stadium bands… I don’t believe that’s there.”

What’s one thing you’d want to tell fans before you head back on tour?

“We miss all of you. Please be conscious of what’s happening because it’s going to be happening very quickly and very smoothly, but it’s probably out of comprehension. So look forward to the future!

“2024 is going to be amazing. Keep your heads up and hail Slipknot.”

Slipknot’s last album, ‘The End, So Far’ arrived in 2022. Tickets for their upcoming UK and European tour are on sale now, including a newly added show at The O2 in London. Visit here for tickets and more information..

The post Slipknot’s Clown talks 2024 tour and new material: “This band has never been happier” appeared first on NME.

In 1990, Orbital performed your debut single ‘Chime’ on Top of the Pops. Name any other two acts who appeared on the same episode.

“Snap! and Big Fun. I jumped into the audience and danced to Snap! afterwards.”

CORRECT. Apart from the Eurodance group and boyband, you could have also had Liza Minnelli and They Might Be Giants.

“Afterwards we tried to speak to Snap!, but they turned their noses up at us, so we left and went to a party Pete Tong had invited us to and were gobsmacked because Neneh Cherry and Boy George were there. We felt we’d hit the big-time!”

You performed with your keyboards’ plugs visible, mocking Top of the Pops’ miming policy…

“We were banned from Top of the Pops afterwards for six years for being utterly boring! [Laughs]. We were doing something new and ‘other’ than rock and roll, so having to do something as old-fashioned as miming your music on Top of the Pops felt like a crock of shit. I’m quite Lars von Trier about things. If it’s not happening for real, I can’t do it. They didn’t let us bring our own equipment, and had to get tables from the BBC canteen because we refused to use their fancy keyboard stands. I’d only stand there twirling a plug or playing with the on/off switches, so we stood looking awkward.”

What pseudonym did Alison Goldfrapp use for the tracks she sang on Orbital’s 1996 album ‘In Sides’?

“Auntie.”

CORRECT.

“She’s brilliant. We met because she was an acquaintance of Phil’s [Hartnoll, Orbital’s second member and his brother]. She had the voice of an angel and nonchalantly didn’t seem to care – you’d ask her to sing and she’d treat it casually like you’d asked her to make a cup of tea. She even asked us to help her start a [solo] career, but I was always looking for unconventional psychedelic hooks and was crap at working with singers at that time, so it didn’t work out. But then she met Will Gregory and Goldfrapp exploded. I remember her bringing her first album [2000’s ‘Felt Mountain’] to the studio, muttering ‘Oh yeah…done this…look’. I grabbed my Sharpie and said: ‘Sign this bloody record because when you’re famous, it’s going to be worth something’. She incredulously told me to piss off! [Laughs]”

At 2010s Glastonbury festival, you brought out Matt Smith for Orbital’s cover of the Doctor Who theme tune. In the show, what number Doctor he is?

“I know all the Doctors! You’ve got: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, John Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant… so Matt Smith is the Eleventh Doctor?”

CORRECT.

“The controversial thing is whether we’re counting Peter Cushing’s [1960s] Doctor as canon, and whether John Hurt’s War Doctor, who is supposed to come in between Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston, counts!”

Eek…just take the point and run! What was it like being joined by the, er, eleventh Doctor?

“There’s nothing more fun than walking around Glastonbury on a Saturday night with Doctor Who if you want to see people off their faces freak out. He’d never been in front of a crowd that big before and was loving it.”

As a die-hard Whovian, did you ever consider throwing your Fez into the ring to compose the music when the show was revived in 2005?

“I got vaguely close to doing it. The BBC asked me to submit a demo – which was a bit lazy and a revamp of the Orbital one that already exists – but it was a done-deal that [Who supremo] Russell T Davies would be working with composer Murray Gold. I would have loved to do it.”

On the subject of sci-fi, Orbital sampled a speech by Klingon Lieutenant Worf (played by actor Michael Dorn) from Star Trek: The Next Generation on the 1993 track ‘Time Becomes’/’Moebius’. Did Dorn ever hear it?

“I won’t say whether we did or didn’t sample it, but Michael Dorn came into a club of some DJ friends of ours, who waited for him to be on the dancefloor and then played ‘Moebius’ at him – he fell about laughing!”

Back to Glasto: its founder Michael Eavis credits your legendary NME Stage headline slot in 1994 as bringing rave to the masses…

“We were supposed to go on before Björk, but she swapped set-times with us so we could go on in darkness. Watching her go on, I lost all my bodily fluids when I heard the roar of the crowd and just thought: that’s you next. But it was amazing and Glastonbury had been craving dance music. I was there the year before when The Orb played the same slot and when they dropped ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’, it was immense. I thought: ‘Somebody’s got to do this with full-on banging techno’. I didn’t know it was going to be me the year after!”

Orbital’s Tilda Swinton-featuring promo to ‘The Box’ was nominated for Best Video at the 1997 BRIT Awards. Who beat you?

“Ah you’ve got me there! We walked off in disgust as soon as we didn’t get it [Laughs]. No, we knew we weren’t going to win. The audience was cheering for each band in the category until they announced ‘and Orbital…’ and it was tumbleweed. Who beat us?”

WRONG. You were pipped to the post by the Spice Girls’ ‘Say You’ll Be There’.

“Bollocks! I nearly said them! They recorded their ‘Spice’ album in the room below ours at the Strongroom studio [in London]. We used to have our lunch watching Neighbours with Mel C. Mel C is the only DJ on the planet to have a copy of ‘Spicy’ [Orbital’s live ‘Wannabe’ remix]. She said she loved it, so I said: ‘Here you go – have it’.”

In 1997, Orbital played Lollapalooza. Which Manchester indie band claimed they once stole golf buggies before knocking your dressing room wall down on that touring festival?

“If that’s not James, I’ll eat my hat!”

CORRECT.

“They became our party buddies on that tour. It was Brits abroad gone mental. We were put in the same dressing room as them, with curtains separating us down the middle. As banter was flying through the curtain, Saul [Davies, James member] started climbing up it, so we just removed it. James would go on at 4pm, and our set was at midnight, but when we finished, they’d still be partying, bless them. They probably just smashed a dressing room wall down of another band – but thought it was ours! [Laughs]”

Reviewing Orbital’s EP ‘Times Fly’ for Select magazine in 1995, which mothership-loving musician raved: “They got a funky drummer – I’d like to play on top of it”?

“Was it Jamiroquai?”

WRONG. George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic.

“Whoa! I didn’t even know that!”

Ever meet him?

“No, I saw him at an airport once during festival season. I once sat on a flight to Japan next to Peter Hook chatting all the way – and didn’t realise it was him until we got to the gate and I saw a sign saying ‘Mr Hook’. I’ve met some mad people. I even had Ennio Morricone bless my unborn child at one point. When we played ‘Where Is It Going?’ at the Paralympic Games opening ceremony with Stephen Hawking in 2012, we discovered he [Hawking] was a trickster and funny. He even wore our torch-glasses even though he could see sod-all to feel part of the band.”

“But if we’re name-dropping the two most incredible people I’ve met were David Bowie and Kate Bush. We played with Bowie at Phoenix festival [in 1997], and afterwards, he asked us to do a remix for him and my biggest regret is turning him down because I was stressed with work – my toes are curling thinking about it!”

How many times have you asked Kate Bush to work with you now?

“Hmmmm…only once. It won’t be the last time I ask either. I’ve not given up. I asked her on the last album [2023’s ‘Optical Delusion’] because I had a big sample of hers, but she replied: ‘No, I don’t want my music taken out of context. But I do remember you from Buckingham Palace!’”

“Because we’d met at an industry soiree at Buckingham Palace and we were told we had to stay together in a group because the Queen was coming through. Then we sneaked into the other room and tried to play their harpsichord, creating this awful din! I couldn’t believe I was playing an out-of-tune harpsichord sharing a piano stool with Kate Bush, as every face you’ve ever seen on Top of the Pops turned around looking at us thinking: ‘Who’s making that fucking racket? Oh, it’s Kate Bush and some herbert!”

For a bonus half-point: In a later Select magazine feature titled ‘If Pop Was World War 2’ in 1996, comparing Britpop to historical figures, who were Orbital bizarrely likened to? For example, Noel Gallagher was compared to Stalin*

“[Laughs] Did anybody get compared to Hitler?”

Yes! Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder. “Demonic, vegetarian leader of forces of darkness, hell bent on enforcing American longhairs,” according to the Select writer.

“Jesus! [Laughs] I would like to think we’d have been compared to Monty, but even by ’96, the rock ‘n’ roll world treated electronic artists suspiciously – like witches. They still thought: ‘ I don’t know what they’re doing! The music makes itself!’. As we’ve found out with AI, the music didn’t make itself. Watching all the people afraid of AI now, I think: ‘Oh yeah, that’s what you used to accuse me of in the early ‘90s!’. Possibly we were compared to some kind of V2 rocket engineers or inventors of some war-related equipment?”

CORRECT-ISH. Close enough – you were likened to Sir Barnes Wallis, inventor of the bouncing bomb, for being ‘Top boffins’. 

“I love discovering weird, obscure old articles. The first ever publication to print something about Orbital was our local newspaper the Sevenoaks Chronicle. Reading it recently, I wondered why all the quotes were attributed to Phil, until I got to the end where I say something like: ‘A few weeks ago I was in this paper because of the evils of acid house – and now I’m being applauded for doing an acid house record. Funny that, isn’t it?’ Then I remembered I was furious because the police had beaten the hell out of us ravers for having an illegal rave [then outlawed by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994] and the local paper had taken the side of the police!”

*Noel G was compared to Stalin because the latter was a “big-moustachioed leader of [the] biggest country in world, on whom victory depended. Many of [his] original political compadres vanished’, while the Oasis icon was judged: ’Similarly hirsute chief of world’s biggest band, on whom victory depends. First drummer not seen since last year.”

Complete the following lyrics: ‘Blaming everyone in hospitals/Blaming everyone at the bottom of the English Channel…’?

“Blaming everyone who doesn’t look like a fried animal.”

CORRECT. From the track ‘Dirty Rat’ – Orbital’s 2023 team-up with Sleaford Mods.

“That’s my favourite reference to gammon without saying the words! Sleaford Mods are absolute diamonds.”

Which novel does the mother wash in the video to Orbital’s 1992 single ‘Halcyon’?

“I’d put money on it being Jilly Cooper’s Riders!”

WRONG. It’s Barbara Catlin’s Shotgun Wedding.

“Goddammit! Of course. It’s implying the poor woman in the video was unhappy with her life. That’s a piece of trivia I should have known!”

You DJ-d in a 2002 episode of medical drama ER. Which character crowdsurfs during your scene?

“That’s unfair because I didn’t watch ER so I don’t know the characters’ names!”

WRONG. It’s Dr. Jing-Mei Chen.

“We’d been doing an album launch in New York, and Phil decided he wanted to go home, but our film agent said they were happy for me to do it on my own. I remember debating with one of the actors if the Royal Family could have bumped off Princess Diana, while Maura Tierney [who played Nurse Abigail Lockhart on the show] was just tutting in the background, not having any of it! [Laughs].”

Which 2004 American teen movie uses ‘Halcyon + On + On’ for its final scene?

“Mean Girls?”

CORECT.

“That intro to ‘Halcyon’ is all over TikTok at the moment which is brilliant. I’d like the upcoming Mean Girls musical remake to use a Jon Hopkins or Bicep track for that scene, so the next generation get their ambient intro.”

You’ve composed myriad film soundtracks. What’s been the most surreal Hollywood experience?

“Probably pretending to play live in [2002] film xXx, in complete silence, with Vin Diesel walking through the crowd.”

The verdict: 6.5/10

“I wish I’d just guessed the Spice Girls for that extra point!”

Orbital’s ‘The Green Album – Live – 2024’ tour, celebrating the duo’s 1991 debt album, tales place April and May 2024. Full dates can be found here

The post Orbital: “We were banned from Top of the Pops for being utterly boring!” appeared first on NME.

K-pop in 2023 stands at a crucial crossroads. As new groups burst onto the scene, each one seemingly shinier than the last, the allure of the next big thing can be irresistible. In this quest for being the trendiest, it’s easy to get caught in the glittering whirlwind of change. Yet, amidst this enticing chaos, there’s a poignant beauty in artists who stand firm, embracing their truth and style.

• READ MORE: Red Velvet – ‘Chill Kill’ review: deliciously dark, delightfully macabre
  

When Red Velvet released teasers for their third studio album, ‘Chill Kill’, there was familiarity in the foreboding, fiendish nature of it all. A dimly lit room, pensive faces, an empty chair and that signature spellbinding spine tingle – it represented a celebratory return to form for the SM Entertainment girl group, who are closing in on ten years since their debut.

“I definitely felt the pressure,” Seulgi candidly tells NME. “Since it’s been a while since we have prepared a full-length album, we wanted to make sure the album contained our colours. It was not easy to combine the ‘Red’ and ‘Velvet’ concepts in a single album, so it was a challenge.” That is the group’s namesake, mixing in infectious “Red” pop songs with darker and mature “Velvet” ones, to major success.

The group’s last full-length album was the beloved and critically lauded ‘Perfect Velvet’ in 2017, which featured the hit song ‘Peek-a-Boo’. Joy’s rainbow dress from the music video went viral, distracting from the plot where the members are sirens who lure pizza delivery boys to their spooky demise. Reflecting on the success of ‘Perfect Velvet’, Irene shares that she is “truly honoured” by the legacy it has created. “I’m just realising and extremely surprised that six years have passed,” she added.

In the past nine years, Red Velvet have released well over 100 songs, spanning over a dozen mini-albums, many OSTs and several Japanese releases among them. This time around, though, the central theme for ‘Chill Kill’ was to evolve. “As our growth and Red Velvet’s storytelling are incorporated into the album, I think it has a complex yet mature atmosphere to it,” says Yeri. She doesn’t just mean storytelling like how some artists bear their soul, but more akin to the narrative of a film or television series. Not all of them are as grim as committing murder – though there are a few – but they galvanise many fans to craft their own theories.

“I’m not sure if we can say that we’ve helped define K-pop, but if others think so, this would be an honour” – WENDY

“‘Chill Kill’ is an album that carries a clearer narrative than any of our previous releases,” says Wendy. “Every content for the album, such as the tracks, choreography, teaser images, trailer and music video, are woven into a single story.” She playfully leans into it all. “I think it’s more fun for fans to interpret the story by themselves, and they have been doing much better than us.” Birthed from that is a sonically confident and masterful record, one that allows Red Velvet to return to their roots and bloom fuller.

Where the group truly shine, some fans would argue, are on their album cuts – after all, they aren’t known as the “B-side Queens” for nothing. “If I were to pick one, it would be ‘Underwater’,” says Seulgi. “It’s a dreamy yet cosy track that feels like submerging into water, and its warmth makes it perfect for the chilly winter days.” As leader of the group, the motherly Irene recommends something for the well-being of their fans. “The more I listen to ‘Wings’, the better I like it. It’s a track that reflects big power from hopeful lyrics, and I’d really recommend this song to ReVeluvs who may be going through tough times.”

The album also was an opportunity for Red Velvet to consider their own evolution as artists and people. With such a journeyed career, comes wisdom. “I’ve heard that the process of one’s maturity is similar to breaking out of an egg. My tranquillity can be disrupted by the process of self-improvement or the influence of good people around me,” says Joy.

“I realise that I’ve become more mature once I recognise that the pain was a part of my growth, shattering my own world,” the singer adds sagely. Joy’s observation draws parallels to Red Velvet’s position in this “new world” of K-pop. Once heralded as vanguards of their era, they are perceived by some as part of the “old guard” – alongside contemporaries TWICE and BLACKPINK.

“As our growth and Red Velvet’s storytelling are incorporated into the album, I think it has a complex yet mature atmosphere to it” – YERI

Thinking back on their impact, the quintet keep it humble. “I’m not sure if we can say that we’ve helped define K-pop, but if others think so, this would be an honour,” says Wendy, who also touches on their recent appearance at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2023 as the only K-pop act. “I was glad that we were able to introduce not only Red Velvet’s music but also K-pop to a broader audience.”

It’s a road paved with hardships, but plenty of laughs too. Every K-pop group has intimate moments that become internet memes and cherished inside jokes for their fandoms. Yeri shares one such memory. “I remember eating ice cream while we were doing a live stream. There were two types of ice creams and someone made a meme called ‘Differences between ice cream A and ice cream B’. One was soft ice cream, the other was hard, so our facial expression was so different when we tried each of the ice cream, and comparing the two expressions was hilarious. I can still remember how much I laughed when we first saw that meme.”

Sincere humour and a genuine bond with one another are crucial ingredients to their longevity. One ethos that keeps them grounded through the unevenness of the music industry are sagacious words they once received. “The advice not to rush and to keep my own pace, along with the encouragement that it’s okay to take a break when things get tough, have helped me during hard times,” Wendy says. “Hearing these warm words allow me to completely focus on myself, without comparing myself to others.”

Despite their self-perceptions, Red Velvet have indelibly defined and shaped K-pop, not just in expanding the limits of the genre but also exemplifying some of its highest peaks. With their ‘Chill Kill’ album, they not only remind listeners of their profound presence amid shifting tides, but school new groups on how to achieve an enduring legacy.

For those wondering about what is next for the group, Irene assuages concerns. “This third full-length album was released after 6 years, and we plan to focus on album activities for the time being,” she says, while teasing that the members also “plan to meet fans through different solo projects”. As for a US tour, she says that they don’t have “specific plans” just yet, but “hope to have the opportunity to meet you there in the future”.

Red Velvet’s third studio album ‘Chill Kill’ is out now

The post Red Velvet: “I’m not sure if we can say that we’ve helped define K-pop” appeared first on NME.

The first song that I remember hearing

Clarence Carter – ‘Strokin”

“I grew up in a small house on the east side of Kenner, Louisiana. I remember the yellow panels and the brown wood and the smell of the pancakes on the stove. And I remember my dad used to play this record on his vinyl player. It’s got a few risqué [lyrics] in there and he would always turn [the volume] down at those moments. But after a while, he knew I’d heard them, so he just would let it play [laughs].”

The first album I bought

Common – ‘Like Water For Chocolate’ / Michael Jackson – ‘Dangerous’ / Björk – ‘Vespertine’ / Erykah Badu – ‘Mama’s Gun’

“I used to go to Blockbuster Video. It was around the year 2000 and they had this big, old deep bin of used CDs in the middle of the store. I would just dig into the bin and see what I could find. These were the first four records that I ever purchased.”

The first gig I went to

Alvin Batiste at Medard H. Nelson Charter School in New Orleans, late 1990s

“Alvin’s my second cousin. At the time, I didn’t know we were related. I just knew we had the same last name. I actually ended up studying with him and all the other musicians on the stage. My early experience of music was studying avant garde jazz. People don’t know that about me.”

The song that reminds me of home

The Meters – ‘They All Ask’d For You’

“I didn’t know it was The Meters when I first heard the song. You know how when it’s Christmas season, you hear almost nothing but Christmas music everywhere you go. So, imagine growing up in New Orleans. Every year, when Mardi Gras season comes, you only hear carnival music everywhere you go – and there’s like 20 songs in rotation and this is one of them.”

The song I wish I’d written

Kendrick Lamar – ‘i’

“That song is probably in my most listened to songs of all time. I really love the approach to the production, you know, blending The Isley Brothers ‘That Lady’ into this sort of expression of self-love. And also, you know, the way that he exposes himself lyrically. His mental health struggles and things that he has dealt with sociologically and the trauma of generations and how we process that. And he does all these very complex things in a song that’s just a bop. It doesn’t require a whole lot of thinking to understand and feel and listen to it.”

The song I can’t get out of my head right now

Betty Carter – ‘Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most’

“The version from ‘Inside Betty Carter’, the album. Listen to that today. Take five minutes, put it on your headphones, cut out the light, lay on your comfortable couch or your bed and experience it.”

The song I can no longer listen to

Charles Aznavour – ‘La Bohème’

“If this was a record, I’d have played the grooves of this song. It’s actually a CD that the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, gave me. I was asked to do a performance at The White House and he was an honoured guest and we connected there. We exchanged information and he called and invited me to Paris to Fête De La Musique, to celebrate with them.”

The album that makes me want to dance

James Brown – ‘Live At The Apollo’

“That’s always gonna get you. It’s an elixir.”

The song that makes me cry

Joni Mitchell – ‘Shine’

“There’s many ways you could go. You got tears of sorrow. You can go wistful cry, you know, that kind of cry where it’s like perspective on life. You see the bigger picture and the grandeur of perspective and you cry. But I’m gonna go tears of joy for this answer. It’s my favourite Joni Mitchell song.”

The song I want played at my funeral

An unwritten Jon Batiste song

“Oh man, that’s a heavy question. You know what? I’m gonna compose one. And then you’ll have the opportunity to hear it at the appointed time.”

‘American Symphony’ is streaming on Netflix now

The post Soundtrack Of My Life: Jon Batiste appeared first on NME.

Austrian born, Berlin-based rocker Uche Yara radiates a bold, effervescent energy. Meeting NME in Dalston on a cold November night, the multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter is defiantly cheerful, even as we climb up the grungy concrete stairs of a worn-down building for our interview. “Reminds me of Berlin!” she says, gamely, of the unglamorous setting she finds herself in.

Yara is in London for Pitchfork Festival (her first ever performance in the city), bringing her rip-roaring rock show to the iconic Cafe Oto. A beloved space for the capital’s underground and avant-garde music scenes, it’s not her usual type of venue. But she’s got this in her stride anyway – playing live shows is how she got her start.

Discovered straight out of high school at her first performance at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Yara toured extensively around Europe without putting any music out, forging connections with audiences purely with her electrifying stage presence. Before releasing a single song, she had already played Wilderness, The Great Escape and opened for The Rolling Stones at their Vienna show in July 2022, alongside local band Bilderbuch.

This September, she kicked down doors with her first track ‘www she hot’, a vigorous and innovative rock anthem that flits between distorted vocals chants to blasts of amped-up guitar; she introduced herself as a genre-bending artist playing in the same riotous sonic spaces of 100 gecs or Genesis Owusu. The track has firmly cemented itself as one of this year’s most eclectic debut singles. Yara’s latest twin-release ‘Sophie’ and ‘Panama’ join ‘www’ in featuring unpredictable structures, unique vocal effects and influences from across punk rock, psychedelia and R&B.

NME caught up with Yara to discuss coming up as a live musician and opener, how the cities she’s lived in have influenced her music, and how she constructs her unconventional songs.

You’ve been really focused on live performance. How do you approach your shows, especially with audiences who may not be familiar with your work? 

“Being on stage has always been the most natural thing to me. Playing my songs to audiences live before releasing them always felt like the most direct way to approach my music.

“Performing in front of new audiences can be scary, especially as an opener. People are mostly waiting for the band to come on and don’t necessarily want to see you. In those situations, I find it’s all the more important to just be positive and give the audience some time to understand me and what I’m doing.”

Being an opener is a really unique experience. Have you felt like you’ve won people over in those situations?

“Yes, and it’s so satisfying! I always focus on putting my energy out there, even when I don’t necessarily receive something back. I’m mainly just honoured to open for bigger acts. It’s comforting to play in that big construct, without the full pressure of carrying that whole evening as the main character.

“I can get an impression of what that’s like, but I can hand over to the ‘big guys’ and watch them do it. It’s a real ‘tastemaker’ experience for me – in the moment I’m glad I don’t have to carry a two-hour concert in front of a stadium, but it shows me that at some point, I would love to.”

The three songs you have released so far are very powerful. What do you hope people take away from seeing you perform them live? 

“I do quite a rock show. Whilst I have a bunch of other different songs in my back pocket, right now I feel it’s important that people who see me live aren’t confused by me playing music that’s completely out of the rock world that they know me for. I try to build a bridge in my live show from the rock setup to demos that are also in that powerful rock direction.”

You rock out to guitar at your shows, but also jam on the drums too. How do you build your music around the various instruments that you play? 

“There’s always one specific idea, like a great drum groove or a catchy melody that turns into a vocal line. With my latest single ‘Sophie’, the line was ‘Sophie, you’re so mean!’. When I have that groove or melody, within a few seconds I’ll be able to hear the total song in my head. After that, it’s all about trying to write down and record the things I’m hearing. But even before starting that, it’s already quite clear to me what will happen. I hear all the pieces.”

“My dream is to have that moment where people scream my lyrics back at me”

Your music has been mostly self-produced. What is it like starting to involve more people in your music?

“This year was quite intense because I’ve only recently had to learn how to communicate my vision to other people. I was used to sitting alone in my home studio doing everything on my own. With more people now involved, I’ve had to learn how to say what I need.

“It’s not easy, and I still struggle finding the words for all the things that I hear in my head. But it’s coming more naturally as I go, the more people I talk to and work with.”

You grew up in Austria and are now based in Berlin. How has each place shaped you and your music? 

“Austria is where I learned how to play instruments, from guitar to drums to piano. There was so much space at my parents’ house in the countryside, and I could be loud at any time. I grew up and learned music in a really free and playful way.

“I moved to Berlin after I graduated high school. What struck me immediately was the lack of space, as I moved into a flat share and could no longer make noise. I couldn’t bring my drumset with me, and I didn’t have access to a studio at the time. Things switched from being really free to neighbours saying: ‘Are you mad? You can’t play drums here!’

“At that point, I started sampling myself and finding a workaround for loud instruments. I also started being really playful with my voice and learning about vocal distortion.

“One week I visited my parents at home in Austria, and took the opportunity while I was there to record as many drum loops as I possibly could whilst I could make noise!”

The way you play with vocals is really unique. You often sing in a low register, but also manipulate your voice. How do you decide to use your voice in this way? 

“Tierra Whack is the greatest inspiration to me. She is so playful with her voice, and her music has a great sense of humour. Listening to her was what first made me think, ‘Wow. I have my own type of voice and should use it, including the whole register.’

Years ago I felt pressure to have the kind of high, clear, pop vocal that you hear on the radio, like Ariana Grande and Caroline Polachek, who have really high and sophisticated vocals. But I just can’t sing that high. In fact, my voice goes really low. I always thought that was something people wouldn’t understand, but at some point I just started embracing it. I’ve now grown really confident in the way I sing.”

Your newest song ‘Sophie’ is sung from the perspective of a person whose lover is being cruel to them. What was your inspiration to create the song this way? 

“The topic of love and how we treat each other is universal. It felt so clear to me to use the character ‘Sophie’ in the lyrics, as it’s a popular name in many languages and was a way of showing how relatable this experience is, how anyone can through this at any time. I wanted to approach the topic in a different way, so I decided to switch roles and sing from the other person’s perspective.

“I thought it was especially powerful to sing from this perspective in my low register. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the song is sung from a male perspective, but I felt a power and darkness in the lower register.”

Your music is very maximalist and can feel like multiple songs in one. How do you approach putting arrangements together? 

“I put the pieces together in a way that feels easy and lighthearted to me. I didn’t realise how complex the songs were until I showed them to people and they responded with total confusion. ‘There’s so much going on! It sounded like five songs in one piece’, they would tell me. But that’s just where my mind goes!”

Do you have a statement of intent with your music moving forward? 

“My dream is to have that moment where people scream my lyrics back at me. Where we just sing together and people feel understood. I want to share that experience with the whole room.

“I’m a fan girl too, so I know how beautiful it feels to stand in the audience and feel so connected to the artist on stage. I want to give that to people and show them: ‘I see you. Let’s do this together.’”

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Noah Kahan peers out from a Zoom window in a nondescript, half-lit room in New York City, his long black hair pulled back and his eyes betraying every mile swallowed by the wheels of his tour bus in the past years. “I never thought this was gonna happen to me,” he says, wearing an almost disbelieving smile. “I don’t have a lot of reference points for it.” But, in fairness, very few people do.

As we talk, Kahan is 36 hours out from Emma Stone introducing him to the audience at Saturday Night Live and performing his breakout single ‘Stick Season’. This is the latest domino to fall in the sort of breakout year that would scramble anyone’s senses. Released towards the tail-end of 2022 and supersized this summer by momentum-seizing new songs and starry collaborations with everyone from Post Malone to Kacey Musgraves, his third album ‘Stick Season’ has become a sleeper hit for the ages, its blend of picaresque storytelling and open-hearted Americana catapulting him from relative obscurity to the cusp of superstardom. Olivia Rodrigo recently covered the title track in Radio 1’s Live Lounge in a viral session with views that outstrip performances of her own material.

“I think that’s a lonely place to be, when you feel like something’s happening that no one can relate to,” he tells NME. “That’s something I carry with me and work on all the time. I’m doing my best to reach out to people I know are going through it. I’ve met some really wonderful people who have no reason to be a great resource for me other than being kind and willing to talk.”

Kahan made the trip down to New York from the sprawling acreage of his parents’ plot outside Strafford, Vermont – they’re divorced but live next door to one another – where he had holed up amid the early winter snow. There, he briefly pumped the brakes following a UK tour that ended with two packed, rapturous nights at the Forum in Kentish Town.

When he returns to Europe in February, he will trade theatres for arenas. Following that run, he has a run of enormous shows across North America, including two sellouts at Fenway Park in Boston and a headliner set at Atlanta’s Shaky Knees festival in May. Given that he’s now based out of Watertown, Massachusetts, that represents a homecoming so fanciful that he once light-heartedly promised to retire if he ever managed it. Rattling around in the background are Grammy noms and numbers that will give you a nosebleed — Kahan’s TikTok likes and monthly streaming stats resemble the populations of medium-sized countries; his 26m monthly listeners on Spotify exceed that of Australia.

Remarkably, though, the humanity in his music continues to cut through the noise. Kahan wrote ‘Stick Season’ while cut adrift in Strafford during the pandemic, uploading song fragments to TikTok before turning the resulting viral validation inward. He embraced levels of narrative ambition and specificity that eluded him on the surface-level guitar pop of his earlier records, writing songs that were honest and sometimes desolate, orbiting lacerating self-analysis, thwarted love, loss, and a bone-deep sense of isolation reflected by the LP’s eventual title.

“Stick season is between fall and the snow,” Kahan says. “It’s a time of transition in the weather, but also in a lot of people’s lives. A big part of my childhood was being surrounded by friends and family. I thought I was gonna go to college but, instead, I got a record deal. I was just at home in Vermont making music and my friends would come home for Thanksgiving, when stick season was in full swing. They would leave, and that loneliness would come back. [During COVID] that feeling of being left behind or out of place was at the forefront of my mind again.”

To reflect this depth of feeling, Kahan turned away from the palette that had sustained his career to that point. In 2019’s ‘Busyhead’ and 2021’s ‘I Was / I Am’ he made a couple of albums that sounded like what he thought a popular singer-songwriter might sound like – halfway between Ed Sheeran and a less bombastic Imagine Dragons. Nestled alongside the two was an EP called ‘Cape Elizabeth’, a short, sharp storytelling exercise recorded in a week with a friend, Phin Choukas, at his home studio in Vermont.

When they got into it, Kahan had just quit New York, finding that being alone in a crowd was much the same as being alone anywhere else. He used its songs to retreat into Maine, conjuring evocative acoustic narratives studded with granular details. When ‘Stick Season’ began percolating, its bare-bones approach shone back at him like the lighthouse on its sleeve. “That project is more important with hindsight, but at the time it was desperately needed for my mental health,” he says.

“It was the first time I made a record that spun a bit of a narrative. I feel like there was that intention behind setting a scene and bringing somebody into a place that I took into ‘Stick Season’ in a more focused way. Putting it out into the world and seeing people respond — people in California and Arizona singing about Maine — was like, ‘Okay, there’s relatability in these specific spaces.’”

As he grew more comfortable and confident in navigating this style of writing, ‘Stick Season’ came to crackle with what Welsh people call ‘hiraeth’ — a longing for home that is coloured by sadness bordering on grief. By tapping into that, along with embracing rock’s penchant for a proper noun, Kahan breathed fresh life into blueprints passed down by Mumford and Sons and the Lumineers. Nothing about this work is confected or cool – these are touchstones that matter to him regardless of their cultural baggage – and listeners have responded to it in part because of this overriding earnestness. “It’s not lost on me how rare it is to have your own truth be what has led to wider success,” Kahan says.

“What’s important is that the emotion leads to those specificities – you’re not just talking about the Walmart parking lot just because you happen to have a Walmart parking lot in your town,” he continues. “It’s about finding the balance, but I definitely want to include my own experience and memories in my music forever. It lets you feel like you’re visiting an old place – when I’m on the road, it allows me to go back and think about things that I can’t see anymore.”

Following SNL, Kahan will take a couple of weeks off before cranking through the gears again. He intends to spend them quietly and deliberately, maybe writing, hopefully resting, while essentially figuring out how to function as a human in his new normal. He knows he will likely be lost and lonely again at some point, even while being consistently confronted by thousands of fans who know where he came from and who he is. But that’s part of the journey.

“I always feel together with people on stage, but sometimes I feel even more alone afterwards,” he observes. “But I know every night I’ll see a bunch of people who are truly supportive, not just people who are there for a moment or to hear the song they heard on TikTok. It seems like everybody wants to say they were there in the beginning, and that’s amazing. It means that they truly care, they want to be here for the long run. That helps with loneliness. I’m surrounded by people I love all the time.”

Noah Kahan’s ‘Stick Season’ is out now. He tours the UK and beyond in 2024.

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