Wolf Alice have had a cracking couple of years. From the certified gold debut album to the Mercury Prize nomination to the ever-expanding glitter-coated fan base, the London quartet have cemented their position in the British indie scene. With the release of their sophomore effort Visions of a Life on the horizon, we talked to guitarist Joff Oddie about success, recording in Los Angeles, and why he’s not a fan of social media.
Barrowlands Ballroom, 16/11
If the British indie scene of today is merely an extension of high school, then Wolf Alice are – unquestionably – the coolest kids in the canteen. They’re the kind that loll against walls with earphones in, quietly toe-tapping while everyone else scurries along to class. The kind that you fantasise about swapping old records with as you sit, slack-jawed, in third period maths. They’re the kind you just know have a few stick-and-poke tattoos concealed beneath their shirtsleeves. They radiate coolness, even if they’re not aware of it themselves.
Sorley McLean sat down with Wolf Alice at their most recent Glasgow gig to talk about South by Southwest, Glasgow venues, and their favourite up-and-coming bands. Continue reading
On 9th January, the latest victor of the BBC’s highest new music accolade will be crowned; setting them on the path to a million selling debut album and festival ubiquity. Past winners include Adele, Ellie Goulding and Haim, as well as Michael Kiwanuka, Corinne Bailey-Rae and The Bravery (lol). Each year the same criticisms rear their heads: the 2014 winner, Sam Smith is a talented vocalist but a songwriter so beige that he’d get lost in a Dulux warehouse; it’s weighted in favour of performers already signed to established labels; and for all the token leftfield choices one eye is always kept on the Radio 1 playlist. Continue reading
