With only a handful of shows under their belts, DIY hardcore outfit Slewfoot based out of Barrie, Ontario are quickly making quite the name for themselves in the last several months. Barrie’s hardcore scene hasn’t really been the topic of conversation in recent years to say the least, but that’s not to say it isn’t booming with exceptional talent. With the arrival of acts like Wolf Fang Fist and now Slewfoot, Baytown hardcore is exploding back into the Ontario scene and clearly they mean business. Consisting of Ty Askin (vocals), Brendan Hiles and Pete Freimanis (guitars), Van Shanahan (bass), and Ty Shaw (drums); Baytown’s newest act is smashing onto the scene with a purpose. Currently working on a debut release, the group has managed to pump out as many shows as they can in the process. Not only building up their reputation in the Ontario scene; these Barrie newcomers have garnished a sizeable following in their short time as a group while noticeably putting in the work to bring much deserved attention back the cities once popular alternative and hardcore music scenes. We spoke to vocalist Ty Askin about the the band’s inception, goals moving forward, and Baytown plans for the future as a reputable local scene and promotion in Ontario’s huge scene.
Joining the lineup today in terms of heavy hitters are Thursday sub-headliners Manchester Orchestra, recently reformed Kids In Glass Houses, emo stalwarts Hot Mulligan, Ontario two-piece Cleopatrick and Boston Manor, who will be topping the Wednesday bill alongside The Xcerts. They will also be joined by fellow newcomers Dune Rats, Better Lovers, Teenage Wrist, Grove Street, Lambrini Girls, and arguably the world’s best cover band, The 900.
Of course though, it wouldn’t be 2000 Trees without a grandiose serving of some of the best emerging talent. Also being announced the bands above are CLT DRP, Zetra, Carsick, Snake Eyes, Buds., Exit Child, Peach, Other Half, Fangs Out, Every Hell and more. See the full lineup thus far below to see the full list of bands announced today.
On todays announcement, Trees head honcho James Scarlett states: “Once again we’re bringing a line-up of 2000trees legends, including the likes of Boston Manor and The Xcerts to open the festival on the Wednesday night for those of you lucky enough to get your hands on a 4-Day ticket. We’re also stoked to be welcoming so many bands like The Gaslight Anthem, Manchester Orchestra, Hot Mulligan and Better Lovers to the festival for the very first time. 2000trees 2024 is already shaping up to be something truly special – don’t sleep on it!”
2000 Trees Festival 2024 takes place 10th – 13th July at it’s usual home of Upcote Farm, Cheltenham. Next years festival has easily been the fest selling edition of the event to date, with four-day tickets being long sold out and the entire festival as a whole being on course to be possibly sold out by the end of the year. However, an extremely limited amount of returned four-day and Wednesday tickets will be released on Friday. Find further information and tickets here, and peek the line-up in all it’s glory below.
After releasing what was arguably the best EP of 2022, idiosyncratic riff-mongers El Moono are back with track that see’s them being inarguably the best versions of themselves. Taken from their forthcoming debut LP due for next year, ‘Chains’ is the full and unfettered encapsulation of what makes this band utterly brilliant. Absurdly dense, articulated with suave swagger, delivered with an ever-escalating sense of unease and congested with riffs that both lacerate and bludgeon, ‘Chains’ is full epitomization of the El Moono experience. Those who have seen the band in recent times will know how hard-hitting this track is live, but for those who haven’t had the luxury, El Moono are set to ensure one and all are wrapped in ‘Chains’ very soon indeed. – Dan Hillier
Mercurial, gothic singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe has announced her latest studio album She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She along with single ‘Whispers In the Echo Chamber’. Following on from last month’s ‘Dusk’, it embraces electronics and industrial sounds alongside ghostly vocals, the song flitting between unsettling and something almost approaching anthemic in its chorus. Of the album, Wolfe says “It’s a record about the past self reaching out to the present self reaching out to the future self to summon change, growth, and guidance. It’s a story of freeing yourself from situations and patterns that are holding you back in order to become self-empowered. It’s an invitation to step into your authenticity.” – Will Marshall
The fourth single taken from upcoming album Rat Wars, ‘Ashamed’ sits on the gloomier end of HEALTH‘s unique brand of industrial rock. The “I’m ashamed of being born” refrain is delivered morosely, the usually thumping electronics instead muted and downtrodden. Despite this, it’s still an easy floorfiller; while worlds away from the scathing ‘Sicko’ and ‘Hateful’, ‘Ashamed’ still brandishes serious dance credentials. The video also features album track ‘(Of Being Born)’, as an extra teaser for fans eager for its December 7th release date. – Will Marshal
The followup to the band’s debut single ‘Bottomless Pit’, dream duo Interlaker are back with ‘The Hunger’. Taken from the band’s upcoming four-track 12” single – released December 15th via Hassle Records – ‘The Hunger’ see’s David Jakes of Lonely The Brave and Jack Wrench of Arcane Roots once again marring their respective talents in melody and musical dexterity to offer anthemic catharsis. Those will who adored the early work of Lonely The Brave will find plenty to fawn over here in thanks to ‘The Hunger’s’ ability to move mountains, and with the pair set to make their live debut on December 17th at London’s Omeara, it appears the duo are set to continue their respective musical legacies via the wonderful project that is Interlaker. – Dan Hillier
The closer of their fantastic LP Blouse Club – which is released tomorrow via Alcopop! Records – ‘Domestic Bliss’ is a grungy, frustrated and burning ode to how relationships can end not through explosive rows, but through silent mundanity. Whilst settling down, getting a mortgage and quietly living out the remainder of your days in an unassuming street may be the ultimate game plan for most couples, ‘Domestic Bliss’ perfectly encapsulates how such banality can lead to the erosion of love to the point where only apathy remains.
The song itself perfectly encapsulates this sense of frustration. As Alanah Smith vividly bellows forth the just four lines that compose the lyrics for this song, Beverley Boal, Bethany Crooks and Ciara King escalate from gingerly caressing their respective instruments prior to full-on assaulting them, vividly interpreting this slow-burn of loveless atrophy. The climax, a wall of noise featuring a Henry hoover and unchained scream before silence, makes the frustration and rage palatable and immediately relatable to anyone who has found themselves in relationships such as one explored. Watch the video – featuring the Henry itself – exclusively below
PEACH have had a slow and steady gestation, initially forming in 2019 between JeanPaul (JP) Jacyshyn (Guitar) and Andy Sutor (Drums) over their shared love of 90’s and 00’s desert-rock, punk and grunge, before swiftly recruiting Tim Cooke (Baritone Guitar) and shaping their initial ideas. It was a little later in the summer of 2021, not helped by the global pandemic grinding the world to a halt, when Ellie Godwin (vocalist) joined and PEACH took their final form.
Reflecting on the state of the band in the earlier days, the trio had actually managed to get quite far along before they’d even found a vocalist: “We were actually recording, just in a different studio” JP reveals. “We had like, four or five tracks and we’re like ‘oh we’re just going to record these instrumental and then we can just pop the vocals on top because it’s that easy’”, he laughs, “Yeah, so obviously that didn’t go to plan at all. But that was the first time Ellie came down to the studio, that’s where we all just chatted, had a few beers, listened to the recordings. Then we went away for a bit, the recordings didn’t feel right and how we went about recording it.” Bringing Ellie into the fold seemed to be the catalyst to get PEACH moving again as Andy describes: “Ellie had started writing for vocal parts, then that started changing the arrangements of the songs, then we started writing new songs. By the time we had seven or eight, we were like ‘OK, we need to do this again, really’”.
It’s worth baring in mind that this is still in the uncertain times of 2021, lockdowns were coming and going, live music was taking tentative steps forwards and everything was still up in the air. “I think also, like not to mention the whole fact that it was in the pandemic, we kind of decided in the end to just rework them again with her. Because before it was just like passing ideas back and forth. It took a while to get into the room together, which was… It wasn’t the most conventional time Ellie to join, obviously” Tim reflects of the time.
Whilst not being conventional, it was seemingly exactly what Ellie needed as well: “Yeah, it gave me my mojo back a bit. Like many other musicians or anyone, everyone lost their mojo and it just gave me a bit of a kick up the bum, really” she smiles. “It was good, because Andy sent me some little recordings, which I think the first one was ‘Already There’. I was just like, yes, I mean, I want to do that!”
From the word go the band were already eyeing up a unique sound for themselves, notably with Tim Cooke opting for a Baritone Guitar as opposed to the more “traditional” bass guitar for the bands low-end. “I’ve never played bass to be honest. I was a guitarist, I guess it goes back to how it started. It was JP, Sutor and myself deciding to turn up with a pretty raw sound. I don’t want to say ‘not be conventional’ or anything like that, but I think we were rehearsing in a studio that had a Baritone. I’d never played one before and then I loved it” Tim clarifies. “You hear a lot of people saying it doesn’t replicate the bass. I would say well just come to a PEACH show then! It’s a bit like a nasal like muddiness. from octave pedals that sounds a bit different. I’m quite happy to keep that. I think it’s something we all wanna keep.”
Being in a band is all about camaraderie and you can’t help but feel that when listening to Heavy Lungs. “Being from Bristol is really cool because it has a big village feel to it. You’re always going to see someone you know walking around. We have a thing called the ‘Bristol bump’; you’re always fist bumping a mate when you’re in town.” So just how did Heavy Lungs come about? Danny told us “Our drummer George (Garratt) was in a band that split up and I knew how great a drummer he was, so when I heard he was available, I felt a bit like a vulture feasting on his old band’s corpse, but when you’re that good, you aren’t going to stay single for long so I knew I just had to go for it.”
With the gang freshly signed to Alcopop! Records, the decision to sign with the label was something that the band felt was right for them “There wasn’t any sort of bidding war, they were just great with everything and we had such a great time recording with them.” As such, All Gas No Brakes is a record that has been ready for a while “We demoed half of the songs in the spring of 2021 with Dom (Mitchinson) at Hum Studios before recording the album with The Wiz (Chris Fullard) at Holy Mountain Studios in London in June (2021).” The inclusion of ‘The Wiz’ in the recording process is something that Danny glowingly recounts “The Wiz is called that because he is a wizard. He is so good at everything and working with him was just amazing because he is so experienced. The whole process with him and Stan (Gravett – engineer) was the best we’ve ever been a part of. They just make everything sound massive. The album wouldn’t sound anywhere near as massive as it does without those two.”
