For some listeners, Engine of Hell might sound like the calm after the storm, the kind that isn’t peaceful but dreadfully eerie. Coming off the heels of her recent collaborations with sludge metal band Thou – the 2020 opus May Our Chambers Be Full and this year’s The Helm of Sorrow EP – and despite its similarly grim title, Emma Ruth Rundle’s latest is not only a departure from the merciless grandiosity of those projects, but also from most of the prolific singer-songwriter’s own solo work. Fans of 2016’s Marked for Death or 2018’s On Dark Horses will be quick to note the absence of the reverb-soaked, full-band arrangements and atmospheric textures that fleshed out her gothic brand of folk, even if the reasons behind the shift aren’t fully accounted for. On a handful of the songs, she trades guitar for piano, returning to the first instrument she learned as a way of accessing some of her earliest and most traumatic memories. Rundle has understandably refrained from discussing these experiences at length, and for all its musical intimacy, the record feels less like a conversation between her and the listener than simply with herself. Yet for anyone who cares enough to listen, it opens up the same portal.
At one of the points in which Engine of Hell leans away from poetic ambiguity, we get a relatively straightfoward explanation for the album’s stark presentation: “So quiet, the melody I sing that’s just mine/ Is the center of my troubles,” she sings on ‘The Company’. Consisting mostly of her voice and chosen instrument, you could say the songs are stripped down to their purest form, but then it feels like this is just how they’ve always existed. You can even hear her fingers sliding up and down the fretboard, little imperfections left in, “the breath between things no one says” – all delivered not with the blurry distortions of a lofi recording, but with suffocating clarity. These are mostly live takes, unfiltered and raw. When additional embellishments do creep in, like the violin on ‘Citadel’, they are subtle, lone, and evocative.
But there is nothing cautious, uninspired, or weightless about the music. One of the most remarkable things about it is the way Rundle can conjure heaviness using the simplest and often unconventional tools. Though it sits at a fascinating crossroads between the styles of Tori Amos, Phil Elverum, and Sibylle Baier, Engine of Hell appears to spring from a place of unflinching vulnerability and isolation all on its own. Not only does it forego the layers of instrumentation that would add heft to her personal, reflective lyricism, it also eschews the kind of direct confessionalism that would normally stand in their shadow. You don’t connect to the songs so much as you become immersed their impeccable flow, ricocheting between a few scattered details (“Down at the methadone clinic we waited/ Hoping to take home your cure/ The curdling cowards, the crackle of china/ You say that it’s making you pure”), references both biblical and ancient, labyrinth-like recollections of the past.
Wherever it comes from or takes her, Rundle uses her rich, poignant lyricism less as an interpretive canvas than an avenue for emotional expression, and the way she dances through it is utterly mesmerizing. Music journalist Emma Madden put it best in her interview with Rundle for Stereogum, a description I can’t seem to escape: “It sounds like your voice is being born.” Her voice is naked and exposed, yes, but it goes beyond that; it often sounds like it’s forming itself through the words, exploring the confines and possibilities of stretching them this or that way. “Straight to the hangman’s noose, are we born this way?” she ponders on ‘Blooms of Oblivion’, “Handing down a fistful of sorries you will never say/ I love you.” Then, she commands an arresting performance by pushing around the edges of two of the most common words in the English language: “See? Say.” She does this throughout the record, stressing the core refrain not for dramatic effect but in search of some kind of release.
This is only one way in which Rundle maintains tension throughout Engine of Hell. Another is the way she applies the musical fluidity that has marked her discography to the record’s minimalist framework. This might be a spare singer-songwriter album, but it has little in common with the acoustic folk of Rundle’s 2014 debut Some Heavy Ocean. Even the traditional structure of some of the tracks tends to fade out of view as you follow the movements within a song, which, on songs like the harrowing ‘Body’, align vividly with Rundle’s storytelling. There are a couple of exceptions in the album’s second half: ‘Razor’s Edge’ has an almost adolescent warmth to it that comes into contrast with Rundle’s sharp lyricism, while ‘Citadel’ most closely echoes her earlier work. Unlike most of the songs here, they could easily be reimagined through the language of heavy music, but their power stems from Rundle’s frail, solitary presence.
So when that aloneness is broken through the occasional backing vocal or the haunting echo of an unfamiliar instrument, you might find yourself wondering what lies on the other side. And when tenderness does shine though, even devastatingly so, these moments are hard to miss: the delicate ‘Dancing Man’, the way the piano on ‘Body’ mirrors the embrace the singer is grieving. But when Rundle sings about how you “leave knowing nothing’s resolved,” you take it as given. You don’t expect a way out. She isn’t playing by the rules, after all, but turns the aimlessness of the journey into something gripping. Yet something of a miracle happens at the end, on the outwardly redemptive ‘In My Afterlife’. The catharsis is explicit: “And now we’re free” are the last lines on the record. But her voice, so far floating through the ether, spins upward in a way that gestures towards transcendence of the simplest kind: letting the light in, taking in air. Returning.
Rosalía and the Weeknd have teamed up for the new single ‘LA FAMA’. The track, which features a cameo from Danny Trejo and the Weeknd singing in Spanish, arrives alongside a video by Director X. Check it out below.
“I wanted to write, in my own way, a bachata with a little story around ambition,” Rosalía explained in a statement. “Taking as a reference the lyrics of Ruben Blades or Patti Smith and the songs of Aventura, I ended up writing a story of romance with fame.”
‘LA FAMA’ is set to appear on Rosalía’s upcoming album Motomami, the follow-up to 2018’s El Mal Querer. She previously joined the Weeknd on a remix of his single ‘Blinding Lights’.
Jack White has announced two new LPs, Fear of the Dawn and Entering Heaven Alive. Fear of the Dawn drops on April 8, 2022, while Entering Heaven Alive will follow on July 22, both via White’s Third Man label. Along with the announcement, White has shared a new video for his recent single ‘Taking Me Back’. Check it out below, and scroll down for the albums’ cover art and tracklist.
White shared ‘Taking Me Back’, the opening track on Fear of the Dawn, in October as part of the rollout for the Call of Duty: Vanguard video game. He also released a stripped-back version of the song, ‘Taking Me Back (Gently)’, which will serve as the closer on Entering Heaven Alive.
White’s last solo album, Boarding House Reach, came out in 2018.
Fear of the Dawn Cover Artwork:
Fear of the Dawn Tracklist:
1. Taking Me Back
2. Fear of the Dawn
3. The White Raven
4. Hi-De-Ho (w/ Q-Tip)
5. Eosophobia
6. Into the Twilight
7. Dusk
8. What’s the Trick?
9. That Was Then (This is Now)
10. Eosophobia (Reprise)
11. Morning, Noon and Night
12. Shedding My Velvet
Entering Heaven Alive Cover Artwork:
Entering Heaven Alive Tracklist:
1. A Tip From You to Me
2. All Along the Way
3. Help Me Along
4. Love is Selfish
5. I’ve Got You Surrounded (With My Love)
6. Queen of the Bees
7. A Tree on Fire From Within
8. If I Die Tomorrow
9. Please God, Don’t Tell Anyone
10. A Madman From Manhattan
11. Taking Me Back (Gently)
Matrix 4 is not on Netflix Canada and probably won’t ever be! But that doesn’t mean you cannot watch the movie. Here I will guide you how to get Matrix 4 in Canada.
HBO Max has picked up the rights for the movie in the US. So, if you happen to be in the US you are in luck, if not a VPN will help you.
Sex Education‘s third season recently premiered to positive reviews. The latest season of the Netflix series takes its characters in a new direction; for one, Moordale gets a makeover when Mr. Groff is replaced by Hope Haddon. Hope brings shame upon the students of Moordale, leaving them questioning their identities and sexualities.
The third season of Sex Education may have a different, darker tone, but it doesn’t lose its sense of humor. The characters continue to grow, and their progressing individual arcs are clearly the focus of this season, but it is, after all, a show about relationships. These aren’t limited to romantic or sexual pairings; Otis’s bond with his mother is one of the core relationships of the series, as is his friendship with Eric. Both of these relationships remain strong and steady throughout season 3, having resolved prior conflicts in season 2. Thus, here are some of the best and worst relationships introduced in season 3, or reintroduced with new conflicts.
BEST – Maeve and Otis
Season 2 ends on a cliffhanger when Isaac deletes the voicemail Otis leaves on Maeve’s phone, telling her he’s loved her all along. In season 3, the missing message is the elephant in the room for the few interactions Maeve and Otis share in the first few episodes. However, the two characters can’t dance around the issue forever – by now, they both know they have feelings for each other, regardless of the message.
Eventually, Isaac tells Maeve the truth, and she confronts Otis, demonstrating her strong sense of self-worth, courage, and honesty. Still, she’s not willing to throw herself into his arms. Maeve takes the time to consider if she really wants to be in a committed relationship with Otis, who has just broken off a casual fling with Ruby. Between their romantic drama, Otis and Maeve manage to inspire the students to take action against Hope, whether they realize it or not.
The pair no longer runs the clinic, but they use any opportunity they get to spread empowering messages surrounding sex positivity and autonomy. In this way, their journeys are still very much intertwined, and it’s clear that they’re meant for each other – at least at this stage of their lives. At the end of the season, Otis tells Jean that Maeve is “[his] person”. Maeve, on the other hand, decides to take the opportunity to study in America, but she reassures Otis that this isn’t goodbye. While she cares about him, she’s not going to sacrifice her own future prospects for him.
WORST – Otis and Ruby
Unlike Otis and Maeve’s relationship – romantically and platonically – nothing about the dynamic between Otis and Ruby is healthy. From the get-go, Ruby tries to change Otis and essentially transform him into one of the Untouchables. He doesn’t put up with this for long and tells Ruby he won’t see her anymore if she doesn’t learn to accept him as he is. Ruby reluctantly agrees, but she still doesn’t treat him with the respect he deserves. She believes herself to be above him, and Otis’s patience with her and his disregard for social status is a sign that he’s matured since season 2.
For the duration of their relationship, it’s clear that Otis’s feelings for Ruby aren’t as deep as they are for Maeve. Nevertheless, he tries to get to know Ruby and understand her behavior. When Ruby confesses her love for him, she assumes that he’ll reciprocate the sentiment. This assumption speaks to who Ruby is and calls back to the moment the pair shares in season 2 when she tells Otis that she likes “nerdy boys” because “they think they’re in love with [her]”. Even then, Otis reassures her that he doesn’t think he’s in love with her, but she carelessly dismisses this claim.
When Otis is unable to echo her confession of love, Ruby’s reaction is understandable, but also reveals qualities in her that make the pair incompatible for a serious relationship. She treats him with cruelty, which Otis expects and brushes off. While she doesn’t transform completely, Ruby does grow a lot in season 3. In the final episode, she stops Hope’s attempts to sabotage the student protest. This moment seems to come from nowhere, but fans who read between the lines can infer that she’s driven more by her personal feelings for Otis than her desire to stand with the other students. Along with the other Untouchables, she continues treating the rest of the students like she’s above them. Overall, Ruby never makes the effort to get to know Otis the way Maeve and Eric do, and thus, she can never truly accept him.
BEST – Adam and Rahim
The friendship between Adam and Rahim is one of the most unexpected dynamics to come from season 3 of Sex Education, but they make a surprisingly delightful pair to watch. Now that Adam is dating Rahim’s ex, the two bond over their shared affection for Eric. They may not want to spend time together at first, but they find themselves being paired together during the French trip when Eric isn’t around.
The two boys have little in common apart from their relationship with Eric, and it’s their differences that lend their scenes a natural comedy. Their differences are also something the boys discuss themselves. When Adam wonders how he can make Eric happy, Rahim turns up asking for his poetry back. But when Adam asks for advice, Rahim recites an insulting poem about Adam and his “head shape: so average”. Adam recognizes that he’s no poet, but he’s willing to try anything if it means impressing Eric. However, as his friendship with Rahim develops, Adam begins to realize he shouldn’t be in competition with someone Eric didn’t love in the first place. For his part, Rahim helps Adam understand that he should be himself with Eric.
One of Adam’s final scenes of the season is after the dog show, where he only scores an honorable mention, which makes him feel like a disappointment. Afterward, he comes out to his mother and tells her that Eric was his boyfriend. This is where viewers hear his poem to Eric through voiceover while a touching montage of the main characters unfolds. They may not be a romantic pairing, but Adam and Rahim help each other grow and overcome inner obstacles in season 3.
WORST – Eric and Adam
Eric and Adam’s relationship begins promisingly, but cracks begin to appear early in the season. Referring to his confidence in his identity, Eric says he’s ready to fly but Adam is only just learning to walk, which frustrates him and makes Adam feel insecure and inadequate. He constantly compares himself to Rahim, who appeared much more confident in himself when he was with Eric.
Though this couple’s dynamic in season 3 makes sense, it doesn’t make it any less frustrating. Eric is usually depicted as a caring, understanding person, but he doesn’t have the patience for Adam in season 3. Adam tries very hard to better himself as a person and a romantic partner, but it’s never enough for Eric. Given Eric’s own past with shame surrounding his identity – especially in the context of his relationship with his own father – viewers might expect him to be more patient with and supportive of Adam.
In the end, Adam is worthier of sympathy than Eric is, even if his reasons for breaking up with Adam are understandable. Having built up the romance between these two characters for so long, seeing them happy together is a promising start to the new season. Adam and Eric have both suffered a lot over the course of the show, and they aren’t granted a happy resolution in season 3.
BEST – Isaac and Maeve
Though it’s clear from the beginning that Isaac and Maeve aren’t going to work out romantically, the development of this pair’s bond is pleasant to watch. Season 3 sees them grow closer as friends, which makes sense for both of them. These interactions are fun and lighthearted, and Maeve could certainly do with more of those. The transition to a romantic relationship feels natural. Rather than being an obstacle in the way of Maeve and Otis’s relationship, Isaac is a person with his own conflicts and desires, and his time with Maeve is sweet, if short.
Even if representation is one of the only reasons they share an intimate scene, it’s a huge step in the right direction for authentic disability representation onscreen, especially in the context of a show like Sex Education. Giving Maeve and Isaac a chance proves that he’s a real contender for Maeve’s affection rather than an opponent to Otis. The two boys share a few immature but very much in-character scenes where they bicker over who deserves Maeve more. However, Maeve’s own storyline in season 3 proves that she isn’t just some prize to be won, and ultimately, she chooses herself over any boy. Her romance with Isaac comes to a natural but amicable conclusion when she moves out of the caravan park. It’s clear that neither character will forget the other anytime soon, as they’ve both shared some tender experiences and have impacted each other in unique ways.
WORST – Adam and Michael
Michael Groff spends most of the season separated from the other main characters. Unemployed, he lives with his arrogant brother, where Michael is able to reflect on their childhood. Viewers get an insight into why Michael is the way he is, and though it doesn’t excuse his actions, it allows him to grow in a more natural way.
But disappointingly, Michael doesn’t get even a single scene with his son. The only moment they share together is a brief glance through a window. Throughout the season Michael attempts to make amends with Maureen, but despite her encouragement, he never speaks to Adam, who feels rejected by his father. Adam could really use his love and support in season 3, but instead, he only worries that he’s disappointing him. At the dog show, he even asks Maureen not to tell Michael that he didn’t win anything.
By the end of season 3, Michael is a completely different version of himself, and perhaps he feels too ashamed to speak to Adam. On Adam’s part, he’s also changed a lot. He now seems to better understand himself and his desires. Hopefully, these two characters’ journeys will align in season 4.
BEST – Aimee and Maeve
Aimee and Maeve’s friendship has remained strong and steady from the very first episode of the series. In season 3 they have their first argument, which proves to be a real test in their relationship. It reveals flaws in both of their characters; Aimee realizes that she’s a people pleaser, and Maeve tries to open up more emotionally. Seeing them overcome their fight and try to work through their flaws together is very empowering.
Unlike Eric and Otis in past seasons, Aimee and Maeve have always been capable of treading their own paths. In season 3, they continue to have their own individual storylines outside of their friendship. However, this doesn’t mean that they can’t support each other. In fact, when Maeve leaves for America, Aimee isn’t at all upset at her departure – she’s the one who encourages her to go. This leaves Aimee without any real friends, but she’s so happy for Maeve’s success that she hasn’t even stopped to consider this.
Maeve, on the other hand, hasn’t forgotten about Aimee’s trauma in season 2. She organizes for Aimee to see Jean, a real therapist, where she begins to work through her experience. In the end, both girls are mature enough to set aside their differences to remain supportive friends. Season 3 allows them room to grow together and individually, which is a refreshing perspective for onscreen female friendships.
WORST – Jean and Jakob
Despite the drama surrounding their relationship, Jean and Jakob don’t get quite as much focus as the teens in season 3. Most of their scenes focus on the lack of trust between the pair, particularly when it comes to Jean’s pregnancy. Jakob believes that the baby may not be his – an accusation that Jean feels is unfair. The couple sees a counselor, but the sessions only highlight the differences between the two.
Jakob grows closer to Otis, but Ola rejects Jean’s presence in her family. She’s still mourning her mother and feels that Jakob has forgotten this. She also doesn’t think that Jean is right for him, given the amount of conflict in their short history. Jean, too, points out the cracks in their relationship, even though she’s the one to approach Jakob about getting back together. She tells Jakob that they don’t actually know each other very well, which is true.
This season leaves the future of Jean and Jakob’s romance in the air, after proving that though they’re attracted to each other, they may not be right to love each other. The season also ends on a note of suspense – though the clues aren’t too hard to follow – that Jakob might have been right about the baby’s paternity. Though this couple keeps trying to make things right, perhaps they’re only meant to be co-parents – at least, that’s the impression left after this rocky season.
Let’s Eat Grandma, the duo of singer-songwriters Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth, have announced their next album. Two Ribbons, which was co-produced by David Wrench and Let’s Eat Grandma, arrives April 8 via Transgressive. Today’s announcement comes with the release of the album’s title track, alongside a music video directed El Hardwick. Check it out below, and scroll down for the LP’s cover artwork and tracklist.
“‘Two Ribbons’ is a song I wrote to, and about, two of the closest people in my life, and how my relationships with them shifted over time through loss and life changes,” Hollingworth explained in a press release. “It touches on the isolating experience of grieving, our powerlessness in the face of death, and the visceral emotions of grief.”
‘Two Ribbons’ follows the previously released single ‘Hall of Mirrors’, which landed on our Best New Songs list. Let’s Eat Grandma’s last album, I’m All Ears, came out in 2018.
Two Ribbons Cover Artwork:
Two Ribbons Tracklist:
1. Happy New Year
2. Levitation
3. Watching You Go
4. Hall Of Mirrors
5. Insect Loop
6. Half Light
7. Sunday
8. In The Cemetery
9. Strange Conversations
10. Two Ribbons
Gang of Youths have announced a new LP: angel in realtime is due out February 25 via Warner Records. Along with the album news, they’ve also announced a run of North American 2022 dates and shared the single ‘tend the garden’. Check out the new song as well as the album details and the band’s tour schedule below.
In a press release, the band stated that “the album is about the life and legacy of Dave Le’aupepe’s father, indigenous identity, death, grief and God. And also the Angel, Islington.”
Le’aupepe elaborated: “My dad was a gifted and passionate gardener. It’s where he funnelled a lot of his energy and sensitivity, and despite our humble surroundings, we were always surrounded by beauty. The journey he made from Samoa to NZ to Australia was a difficult and inspiring one, but also fraught with mistakes, regret and terrible choices. I like to think he was building something beautiful, and pondering what life had given him in spite of his mistakes and concealment. We never knew his story until after he died, so this is the most poetic interpretation of his affinity for gardening that I could think of.”
“I hope the record stands as a monument to the man my father was and remains long after I’m gone myself,” Le’aupepe added. “He deserved it.”
angel in realtime will include the previously released singles ‘the angel of 8th ave’ and ‘the man himself’. Gang of Youths shared the surprise EP total serene in July, and their last album was 2017’s Go Farther in Lightness.
angel in realtime Cover Artwork:
angel in realtime Tracklist:
1. you in everything
2. in the wake of your leave
3. the angel of 8th ave.
4. returner
5. unison
6. tend the garden
7. the kingdom is within you
8. spirit boy
9. brothers
10. forbearance
11. the man himself
12. hand of god
13. goal of the century
Gang of Youths 2022 Tour Dates:
Apr 21 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
Apr 22 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue
Apr 24 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
Apr 25 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
Apr 27 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Apr 28: Charlotte, NC – The Underground
May 1 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East
May 3 – Chicago, IL – Metro
May 4 – Detroit, MI – Shelter
May 6 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
May 7 – Montreal, QC L’Astral
May 9 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
May 10 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
May 12 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of the Living Arts
May 13 -Washington, DC – Union Stage
May 16 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
May 18 – Los Angeles, CA – Belasco Theater
May 20 – Las Vegas, NV – 24 Oxford
May 21 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
May 23 – Austin, TX – Scoot Inn
May 24 – Dallas, TX – The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
May 26 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
Sep 13 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave II
Sep 14 – Minneapolis, MN First Avenue – Mainroom
Sep 16 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
Sep 17 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
Sep 19 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre
Sep 20 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
Sep 22 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall
Sep 23 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
Sep 25 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
Sep 27 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
Hailing from the Isle of Man, Penelope Isles is a Brighton-based band led by siblings Jack and Lily Wolter. When Jack – six years Lily’s elder – came back home from university, she had already started getting into music and playing in bands, and they started a group together called Your Gold Teeth, which lasted until Lily moved to Brighton to study songwriting. Jack eventually joined her there, and the pair formed Penelope Isles and shared their first EP, Comfortably Swell, in 2015, before releasing their dreamy, artfully crafted debut, Until the Tide Creeps In, via Bella Union in 2019. Then, halfway through their North American tour in support of the album, the pandemic hit, and the group decamped to a cottage in Cornwall to start work on their sophomore record.
It ended up being a turbulent and emotionally charged time, with the band going through multiple line-up changes. Now joined by Henry Nicholson on bass and Joe Taylor on drums, they sent the mix to Flaming Lips collaborator Dave Fridmann, with English composer Fiona Brice also providing beautiful string arrangements on some of the tracks. Produced by Jack, Which Way to Happy finds the band expanding their mercurial sound, allowing it to reach soaring heights against a rich, widescreen palette. More captivating than anything is Jack and Lily’s dynamic: hearing the album’s gorgeous, ethereal melodies amplify and distort their raw confessions can feel a bit like watching them trying to desperately keep the ship from sinking, catching glimpses of each other through the swirling haze. But for all its twists and turns, Penelope Isles sound more controlled and clear-eyed than ever by the end: they have weathered the storm and come out stronger on the other side.
We caught up with Penelope Isles’ Jack and Lily Wolter for this edition of our Artist Spotlight interview series to talk about how they started making music together, the process of making Which Way to Happy, and more.
You started playing music as teenagers, but because of your age difference, it was something you explored quite separately. How much would you say you bonded over music at an early age?
Lily Wolter: I was more into classical jazz music, dealing with grades and exams and stuff, compared to Jack’s experience. When we first bonded I would say was when Jack – I got an iPod shuffle for my like 15th birthday.
Jack Wolter: I think you were a lot younger than that.
LW: And Jack put loads of music on it. That’s how got into more rock and indie and stuff. He put like, the Kooks on there, the Thrills, Paramore. That’s when I first heard Radiohead, and that’s when we started talking about bands and getting into it together.
JW: I think it was the first time Lily started falling in love with bands and certain songs that become a part of your life. And then I went away for about four or five years to study, and when I came back, Lily had started playing in bands and with her friends and we started our own band. I had a bunch of songs I wanted to play live with the band, and Lily was around so I taught her how to play the bass and we just started gigging.
Lily, can you think of anything non-musical that you learned from Jack at that age?
LW: Oh, that’s a really sweet question. I think more just social skills and confidence in interacting with people, I was heavily influenced by Jack at a young age. Not a lot of older brothers would do this, but I used to go visit him when I was about 14-15. I used to go from the Isle of Man to Cornwall to visit Jack when he was like 20, 21, 22, and that’s quite a young age to do that. But it definitely massively shaped who I am today, if it wasn’t for those little visits in the summertime.
JW: That’s quite nice.
LW: Yeah, the way you communicate and how you are with people, I think we’re quite similar in that way.
In what way do you mean?
LW: I feel like this is like therapy a bit? [laughter]
If it’s too much, that’s totally fine. You don’t have to answer.
JW: No, it’s nice. They’re different to the normal questions we get asked. But we’re both quite friendly and quite confident in some in some ways, quite easygoing. I’m not trying to be big-headed, you know, but that kind of thing. Until you really get to know us, and then we’re just dickheads [laughs].
Jack, can I ask you the same question? Was there something that you learned from Lily?
LW: No. [laughs]
JW: I think more so nowadays, I learn a lot from Lily. She’s like my best mate and I look up to her a lot. I think when we were younger, I kind of took her under my wing a little bit, and definitely vibed off how enthusiastic she was back in the day. As far as little sisters go, she’d be well up for anything, you know, like you weren’t grossed out by being in the van with all of us. But I think more later in life, I look up to Lily and we’ve got each other’s backs.
When you first started playing together as Your Gold Teeth, did it feel natural right away, or was it in any way challenging?
JW: It was challenging in the sense that Lily had never played bass before, but it was never a barrier.
LW: It was very much Jack’s project and he was sort of the ringleader. I’d never really been really in a band before, so I was very stoked to be playing bass and getting off the Isle of Man and seeing a little bit of the UK.
JW: It was exciting more than anything. The songs and the instrumentation were all relatively simple. It wasn’t technical stuff. It felt like a really natural exciting thing, and we slowly built up a really small fan base, but it felt significant. And then Penelope Isles kind of happened after that – we had solo projects and then we formed those solo projects to make Penelope Isles.
When that happened, did you go into it with the intention of there being more of an equal dynamic?
LW: I think with this record more so than the last. I was still sort of finding out who I was in the first record, I was still quite young. I wasn’t writing as much, so I only have maybe two or three songs on the first record. Whereas this one is a lot more of an even split. It just happened naturally, I sort of immersed myself into it more, because it’s very much what I want to do with my life and my career. There wasn’t even a conversation about – it was just like, “Jack’s got a load of songs, I’ve got a load of songs, let’s just record them and see what happens at the end.”
You began working on the album while staying at a small cottage in Cornwall, where you’ve said things kind of spiraled out of control. Having a certain distance from it now, is it easier for you to process what happened?
LW: The whole world just fell out of control, so it’s hard to imagine what that time would have been like if it wasn’t a pandemic. But it’s also a weird comfort knowing that it wasn’t just us going through this really weird time. Everyone was going through it.
JW: I think we just, like, worked a bit too hard. The reason why we went to Cornwall to do it is we love surfing, so we were going to get up in the morning, go for a surf, come back, spend like five or six hours on the music and then have a barbecue or go hang out with mom and dad, who live down the road. Because we didn’t do that, and we weren’t allowed to do it, we worked really hard on the record, and then obviously, we just drank a load as well. And I think in hindsight, it would have been amazing to do it differently, but I’m also weirdly glad that it happened that way. Because I think we pushed ourselves to a certain point that we almost broke our flow. And because of that, we had to reevaluate our situation, and then I think we actually got a better sounding record out of it in the end. So, kind of glad it happened even though it was a strange time.
Could you share some highlights from the recording process?
JW: There was this one song, ‘Rocking at the Bottom’. We started recording that song, and it was amazing. We had this drum beat down, this really fun bass line, and then we put some guitars on it. We spent like a day getting the song down, and I remember that night, we’d all have a bit to drink and we’re dancing around the cottage going, “This is so cool.” So that was a highlight, but soon after that, that song kind of deteriorated. I don’t know exactly what happened, it was definitely on the percussive side of it. On closer evaluation, something wasn’t right with it. And because we loved this bass line so much, we wanted to keep it, and we kind of had to rearrange that song around the bass line, and it soon became an absolute nightmare. To the point that I was thinking, “How are we going to make this song work?”
LW: I kind of almost just lost interest. It went on for so long just trying to work out how to get that drum and bass line down, I was just like, “You guys just do this. I can’t deal with it anymore.” I couldn’t even hear the problem anymore. I just couldn’t. Yeah, it was hard. But Jack cracked it. I remember coming in the studio and Jack had been up all night working it out and he was like, “I’ve done it.”
How did you go about collecting and using the field recordings for the record?
JW: There’s a bit in ‘Have You Heard’, there’s like a little noise, you can hear kind of laughing and conversation and us fooling around. It’s quite distorted, you can’t really hear it. But there was a lake near the cottage where we were staying, and we’d go to the lake and there’s a little old rowing boat that we’d go out when we just had enough in the studio. And obviously, we were limited to where we could go, but we could go to this lake. We did a lot of recording out there just with our phones.
LW: Jack fell into the lake, and I captured it on my voice notes.
Is that on the record?
JW: Yeah, it’s more us just laughing.
LW: He goes, “I’m soaking wet mate!”
JW: I remember we did have a conversation about it. We were going through our phones in the studio at that point looking for something that would fit, and that kind of made total sense. But then the last track, ‘In a Cage’, our friend Eugene, he’s the last thing you hear on the record. He passed away just before we started making the record, actually, and I found this recording – 10 years ago, when we were mates on the Isle of Man, I had this microphone recorder thing, and I used to take it around when I was studying art. I would do field recordings and then I’d use them in artwork. And I remember we were all hanging out on the beach once, all of our friends, and then I’d left it recording. And basically, the last thing you hear on the record is Eugene – we all left, and he found the little recorder, him and his girlfriend were like, “Oh, look, Jack’s left his little recording device.” And then you can hear him coming down and he picks it up and he goes, “Haha, I’ve got you Jack!” And that’s the last thing you hear. It meant a lot to us to have that finish the record, just a little nod to Eugene.
Lily, did you know what that field recording was when it was first introduced to you?
LW: I wasn’t there, I was a little bit too young to be hanging out with all those guys back then. But it was really emotional when Jack found it. I mean, you said you don’t feel sad when you listen to it, you’re really happy, which is really nice. But yeah, I think it means a lot to us, but it’ll mean a lot to a lot of our friends back home as well when they hear it.
What was it like recording the vocals for ’11 11’?
LW: I was just really sad. I was really sad. I was going through a breakup, my first breakup. Which really sort of benefited the take, to be honest, to a certain extent. I could only really sing it like couple times, but I think we only did two takes and that was enough.
JW: Lily just poured her heart into it. And it was tough – obviously, having someone so upset, you just want to comfort them. But I knew that I needed to capture it, instead of going, “Oh sweetie, are you okay? Should we go outside, get some fresh air?” Which is probably what in any other situation anyone would have done, especially the big brother side of me. But I was like, “Alright, should we do another take then?” [laughter] We tried a third one, but it was actually a blabbering mess.
LW: It started to get a bit ugly on the third one [laughs].
Jack, you have some vulnerable vocals takes there as well, did you have a similar moment recording any of them?
JW: I do remember recording the vocals for ‘Pink Lemonade’, and I couldn’t get the vocal down for a while. It’s kind of a vulnerable vocal take. And I remember I’d stayed up, it was like four in the morning and I was on my own in the studio, and I just looped the whole song. I just sung about like 20 takes on my own and like, and I remember just really enjoying it. I was like, “This is working.”
LW: I think sometimes you just do it so much better when you’re on your own, especially when it’s a vulnerable song. Some of the demos I’ve made, I prefer my vocal takes so much more sometimes because it’s extra vulnerable, rather than being surrounded by people and trying to convey that.
Can you tell me one thing that you learned from each other during this whole process of making the record?
JW: It was a bit of a whirlwind, I must admit, the whole thing.
LW: I feel like I’ve aged three years since making this record.
How long has it actually been? A year?
JW: A year and a half-ish. But yeah, me and Lily have gone through like breakups and relationships, financially it’s been difficult, not being able to tour, and I think the record has been a little bit of an anchor, having something to focus on.
LW: I think the best part about it for me it was when we finished it, me and Jack went to Cornwall for four months to live at home and we just went surfing every day. Just switched off. I learned to surf, and Jack taught me to surf, and that was a whole new part of our relationship, just not to do with music. And it was so great. Sometimes I wish that I could just go back to that time and just have nothing to do but go surfing. We were so privileged where we live at home with our mom and dad, we would just go surfing and then come back and write some new songs and watch a bit of TV. It was just bloody lovely.
What do you love about surfing?
LW: Aww. That’s so funny, man, someone asked me that yesterday. I think for me, I only started at Christmas and really dived into it, pardon the pun. And I’d never thought I’d be able to do it. I was the worst in school at sports, and I just never thought I would be able to do it. And I really, really tried. And now, when I catch a wave, I just feel really proud of myself. For me, it’s like no other feeling. What about you?
JW: I think it’s just like – obviously being in the ocean and riding the wave is absolutely amazing. But it’s just the process as well, the knowledge of the sea and the trust, the whole process of reading the ocean and being a part of something. Riding a wave, it’s different every time.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
With gaming being so ubiquitous across smartphones, home consoles, PCs and Macs, it’s a cultural landmark that is very much here to stay. As such, ‘being a gamer’ is even seen as a lifestyle aspect for many people. What’s more, it’s also getting easier to pinpoint certain times of year when gamers and players can expect some of the best titles for their chosen devices.
That goes not only for console users and PC fans, but for those looking at slot and card games online, too. Anyone likely to look up Betfair casino reviews will also have favorite times of year when they are likely to see new titles pop up.
Fall and winter just so happen to be pivotal times of year for gamers of all calibers and experiences. But why is that – and can we really expect the same level of excitement at other times of year too?
Developers are preparing for the holiday rush
The biggest reason for there being such an influx of big-name games and innovative releases in fall and winter is, of course, to do with the holiday season. Parents will be looking for games to buy for their children, and adult gamers will also be looking to treat each other with triple-A titles. The fact is, this is a massive shopping season, so from a business perspective, it makes sense to save the biggest hitters until the droves are likely to hit the stores.
This applies just as much from a physical shopping perspective as it does online, too. Players are accustomed to sites such as GoG and Humble Bundle running massive sales during holiday periods. Steam, too, tends to lead the way for PC gaming with their seasonal sales. In fact, Valve has generally swung the other way in recent years, with their Steam summer sales gaining legendary status – but that’s another story.
We’re spending more time indoors
Just as movie-makers anticipate there being huge rushes to see blockbuster films in the summer, game developers are ready to play to those who are likely to stay indoors during the cold. Yes – you can play mobile slot games on public transit or on breaks at the office – but people generally want to settle in with a great game or two in the cozy comforts of their own homes. As such, gamers can expect some great titles to pop up later on in the year.
Gaming isn’t always seen as a social hobby, at least not offline, though this changes drastically during the fall and winter months. It’s a time for family and friends to come together – which is why big-selling games such as the Jackbox Party Pack lines do particularly well when the cold sets in. Whether it’s Christmas or Thanksgiving, once dinner has settled, people love to play games – and that’s one reason why party games and titles do a fantastic trade this time of year.
It’s a great time to launch special game twists and add-ons
Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas – all are universally recognizable. What’s more, when it comes to slot games in particular, many developers take the opportunity to release ‘special’ versions of titles that have generic themes and styles throughout the year. For example, you might occasionally see Christmas versions of your favorite slots.
It’s also a great time of year to expect festive content in console and PC games too. Fortnite, in particular, has been rich in seasonal and themed content released as DLC over the years. Animal Crossing players will also likely find rafts of seasonal add-ons and items for their homes and villages too. Ultimately, it’s an exciting time of year for any gamers hoping for something a little bit different from titles they’ve already well-loved across the year.
It’s a great time to be a gamer
Regardless of the time of year you choose to dive into your favorite games, we are extremely lucky to live in an era where there is superb content constantly heading our way. Yes – there’s often an abundance of great titles that pop up over fall and winter – but release calendars are getting more balanced as the years go by.
It very much goes the same for all other types of media too. We’re in a golden age for great horror movies, for example. Therefore, as any avid gamer will tell you, it’s not always worth just holding on for games at the back end of the year!
If photography is a hobby of yours, then this is something that you should show off in your home. Displaying your personal photographs around your living space can be a reminder of good times, and can spur you on to take more pictures in the future. Having a sense of pride in your work isn’t something to shy away from – if you take good pictures, showcase them! Here we will take a look at different ways you can display your favourite pictures throughout your home.
Canvas Print
Order a canvas print of your most professional photography shots and dazzle any visitors you might have over. Canvases look classy, are good value for money, and are easy to create online. They are also highly versatile – on Hello Canvas you can edit them to your liking, with various different sizes, materials, and frame options to choose from, so they can fit within your home perfectly.
Poster
If you think your images resemble an album cover or a film advert, then have some fun with them. There are plenty of poster-making options online where you can make edits with your own images, making them look like genuine advertisements. This could also be a unique gift to give to somebody if they have similar interests to you. Have a play around today and see what you can come up with – let your creativity shine!
Collage
If you have endless photos you’ve taken over the years that you’ve never done anything with, why don’t you print a number of them and create a collage? You can group them in themes, whether it be specific years, seasons, events, or places. If you’re unsure how exactly to arrange your pictures, buying a collage frame is always an option, but if you wish to have more freedom with each picture, you can easily assort them and stick them up however you please.
Hanging Display
Hanging displays are a more unique way to show off an array of your photos, whilst giving a stylish nod to interior design at the same time. You’ll most likely need to have small to medium prints for hanging displays, as anything too large wouldn’t work. You can make your own photo hanging display with various materials, such as string and pegs, or even fairy lights. Or, alternatively, there are plenty of different options for you to buy hanging kits if that makes it easier for you. Weigh up your different options.
Photo Album
A more traditional way to display your photography shots is in a photo album if you want to be more discreet. These days, disposable cameras with printable pictures are a lot less common, so now we have the option to create photo albums online, with our digital pictures. You can really add a personal touch to your imagery in photo albums, with different dimensions, colours, shapes, and the option to add captions. Again, this is also a great idea for a gift to anybody that admires your work.
If you’re a talented photographer, that is a wonderful thing – don’t be shy when it comes to showing your favourite pictures off! Otherwise, what’s the point in you taking them in the first place?
