Another week has come to an end and it's time for another digest! We're still cooking with gas here at DRAB despite every digest's return surprising us as much as it does our readers. This week is the usual: some art, some music and a whole load of excitement! If you miss gigs as much as we do, then get stuck in below to find out who you might be seeing next, or indulge in some photography to tide you over until then!
FEATURED ARTIST
We are delighted this week to feature the work of Sophie Jouvenaar, photographer and founder of Mouse Agency
"Photography has been the center-point of my creativity for the past 4 years, working with musicians in and around Leeds to depict them in the most honest and genuine light that I can. I've always valued the camera as a tool to tap into people's personalities, letting them flourish in a flat image which goes out into the world to front their sound - showing people a version of themselves that I experience in my time with them is so often a beautiful process of trust and sharing, and for me, that makes what I do worth my time. We can travel to places, hoard precious objects or hold money as the focal point of our lives, but the people we meet will always hold the truest value to me and I am so endlessly fortunate and grateful for the life that image-making is allowing me to live.
It felt like I had gotten to a point where I'd gained so much experience and so many contacts from working as a freelancer and it felt selfish not to share the joy that it brought me, and so this year I thought about how the arts could be replenished and interconnected within our communities in Leeds. After lots of deliberation, I came back to this gorgeous city after lockdown had ended, ready to move forward with these brewing ideas and so was born Mouse Agency; a collective of journalists, illustrators, photographers, filmmakers, designers and so many other creative souls, working together to form a centralised hub where musicians could go to satisfy their visual and verbal needs, where individual budgets and finances are considered and prices tailored to the musician(s) so as not to exclude those who are beginning their venture into the world of sound.
I feel incredibly blessed to have found the people on our team at Mouse and it's a dream come true to be able to work with so many talented and kind-hearted individuals. To think that gig photography work as a small, anxious 16-year-old would have taken me to where I am now is extremely surreal and I wake up to count my blessings each and every day."
You can find more of what Sophie's doing on Instagram @sophiejouvenaar and @wearemouseagency
EDITORS PICKS
Surely, you know the drill by now? Or maybe you don't? Maybe I shouldn't call you Surely? Either way, below are some things we, as a trio and individually, found exciting this week, so have a read and a further look!
Luc's pick:
"Alphabet" by Shame
"Well... yeah! Tantalisingly teased by the 5 piece post-punk kingpins my expectations were high ahead of this release! Let me say, it payed off. Alphabet exceeded my expectation to say the least, and it is exactly the direction I had hoped the likes of IDLES and other trailblazers were taking with their music. This is an epic response to where post-punk is headed, and I hope the rest of the album follows suit. Going above and beyond the musical capacity of this delightful 3 minute ear-battering (and yes, that is a compliment coming from a noise rock enthusiast), Shame also released a superbly strange music video to pair it with! Have a watch below, and see exactly what I mean.”
For fans of: Fontaines D.C, IDLES, The Fall
Summer's pick:
As Lost Through Collision by Sprain
"A diverse EP, the most recent release from Los Angeles' Sprain delivers five songs, each no shorter than 5 minutes, bringing a wide array of influences to the table. You're thrown into the deep end with the opening track 'Slant' (my personal favourite and the reason I've fallen in love with these guys), a piercing and angular song with levels that bring together what I think are the best elements of post-punk. From there you're given a chance to relax with 'My Way Out', a song I find oddly reminiscent of Radiohead up until the five minute mark, when you're hit with a lull followed by the jarring realisation that the song is far from over. The rest of the EP follows suit, offering up another five minute song followed by two of the longest songs in my Spotify library, none of which disappoint."
For fans of: Girl Band, Protomartyr, Radiohead
Varun's pick:
"I Want More" by Eades
"If you're ever in the mood for melancholy indie that fills your soul with warmth, Eades have you covered. "I Want More" is the first single from the band after their five-track EP earlier this year that caught my eye with the fantastically catchy track, "Same Guy". Clearly I'm not the only one with eyes on the group though as they've previously seen attention from NME and Dork so you don't just have to take our word for it. Their newest single is a stunner that is unafraid to lay back and take it slow, with a carefree saunter for most of the track that makes you want to just lie in the sun with the person you love the most. At the same time though, their choruses and solos wake up and infuse the soul with an energized roar without seeming out of place. A beautifully crafted song, "I Want More" deserves its spot in the sun."
For fans of: The Magic Gang, Van Houten, Pip Blom
THE BI-WEEKLY PLAYLIST
"What's that sound?" I hear you ask? Why, that's DRAB sounds! One week left until we refresh these 15 songs so make sure you fill your ear canals before our next digest!
Well wasn't that just great? I think so too. Stay tuned until next week when we'll have yet another steaming hot batch of artistic goodness for you all!
Stay ugly,
DRAB x