Sarah Williams

Shout Louder Launches PAPERCUTS #2 Pre-Order

Order our new book about gigs, festivals and tours – it’s a celebration of everything we’re missing in 2020.

Since September, we’ve been busy working on a brand new volume of PAPERCUTS. This edition is destined to be bigger and better than the last one, which sold out within two weeks of our launch back in January 2020.

PAPERCUTS #2 is a collaboration between musicians and fans across UK DIY punk scene and further afield, celebrating the gigs, festivals and tours that mean so much to us. Clocking in at approx. 200 pages, it’s a high quality paperback book, filled with fiction, tour stories, essays artwork and live music photography.

It’s all edited and designed by Sarah Williams at Shout Louder and, this time around, every single penny of profit will be going to the Music Venue Trust. Even before the pandemic, grassroots music venues were facing closures and hardships, but MVT work to keep them open through education, support and lobbying for policy change.

Order your copy of PAPERCUTS here: shoutlouder.bigcartel.com

We’re also re-printing our first volume of PAPERCUTS for those of you who missed out the first time. You can grab it on its own or in a great-value bundle of both books.

Podcast: Lesley-Anne O’Brien of Lockjaw Records & Midwich Cuckoos

Listen to our latest podcast, featuring an interview with Lesley from Lockjaw Records. We talk about inclusivity, marketing music in a pandemic and the current state of the UK music scene.

This instalment of the Shout Louder podcast features an interview with Lesley-Anne O’Brien: label manager at Lockjaw Records and guitarist in Midwich Cuckoos. Lesley is an eternally upbeat, enthusiastic and dedicated member of the UK punk rock community who works tirelessly to help new bands get heard.

We discuss the impact that COVID-19 has had on small artists and labels, and how using social media can help bands to get out there right now. We also discuss ways to improve inclusivity in the punk scene and make it more open to all audiences. We even get on to what it’s like to be a woman in a mosh pit!

All our conversation is broken up with fresh new tracks from Borts, Prey Drive and Midwich Cuckoos. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

The podcast is hosted on Soundcloud, but you can subscribe on any podcast platform of your choice (apart from Spotify, who make life difficult for us little podcasters), or listen to it right here. Enjoy!

Podcast: Punk Rock Radio – Round #5

Listen to our latest punk rock radio show, featuring heaps of brand new music, including Winning Streak, Teresa Banks, The JB Conspiracy and Stöj Snak.

This week’s podcast is brimming with new punk rock releases -I’ve got some great new tracks from up-and-coming bands, with a couple of old favourites thrown in for good measure. If you’re looking to hear some new music, you’re in the right place.

I’ve also got tales of portaloo incidents and socially distanced gigs, some complaints about the state of the world and quick-fire band assessments. My main hope for this episode if that you get to discover some great new bands.

Interview: The Union Ares

We speak to Todd Giles of The Union Ares about his multi-country musical project, their sound, history and creative ambitions.

The Union Ares are an unusual premise: two bands in one. Linked by guitarist/vocalist Todd Giles, who’s based in The Hague (NL), the first incarnation of the band includes Iain and Huw from Scotland (known for their work in Carson Wells). Their first album Songs From The North was released on April 1st, a literal message from the ‘northern’ band. It’s due a response from the ‘southern’ version of the band, which features Mike and Gabry from The Hague. Confusing, right! We guess they’re making good use of Zoom to keep track of it.

I caught wind of this fascinating new band late last year, and had a chat with Todd Giles to shed some light on it.

PAPERCUTS #2: Submission Guidelines

We’re seeking contributions for our new PAPERCUTS print zine. Send us your stories, essays, poetry and photography.

Shout Louder’s first print zine was released in January 2020, with 250 copies selling out in two weeks. PAPERCUTS is a 92-page paperback book collecting submissions from 34 writers and photographers from within the DIY punk scene, including authors in the UK, Canada, Belgium, Denmark and South Africa.

Following the unprecedented success of PAPERCUTS #1, I’m keen to make another high-quality book celebrating the DIY punk scene. This time, a proportion of the proceeds will be donated to The Music Venue Trust’s Grassroots Music Venue Crisis Fund.

The theme for this edition is Gigs, Festivals & Tours.

Instant Reply Culture… And Why I Haven’t Replied To Your Messages

Expecting an instant response is part of the way we work in 2020, but is it asking too much? Sarah explores why she’s left you on read.

Written by Sarah Williams.

I walk around every day carrying a dizzyingly-advanced dystopian-sci-fi computer in my pocket. Every day, I clock up multiple hours of screen time and I send countless messages. I am constantly connected… and yet I frequently fail to connect.

I am notoriously bad at replying to messages… and emails, phone calls, comments and voice notes especially. Honestly, I fear listening to voice notes in case it’s someone yelling at me, because the written word wouldn’t suffice to convey their anger. This is an entirely irrational thought, but it’s there nonetheless.

Podcast: Punk Rock Radio – Round #3

Listen to our latest punk rock radio show, featuring heaps of brand new music, including Burnt Tapes, CF98, The Sinking Teeth and Other Half.

This week’s punk rock radio hours is choc full of brand new tunes. I’ve delved into the world of recent releases and collected my favourite new songs, peppered with a few old classics for good measure.

It’s mid-August at hotter than the fires of hell in Manchester right now, so this was a sweaty recording. It reminded me of festival season, driving hours in burning sun and finding new bands out there in the fields full of drunk punks.

The podcast is hosted on Soundcloud, but you can subscribe on any podcatchers of your choice (apart from Spotify, who make life difficult for us little podcasters). Enjoy!

Top 5 Worst Things About Punk Rock Festivals

We’re missing out on festivals in 2020… so here’s a list of the things we WON’T miss!

Article by Sarah Williams.

Memories of festivals passed have been popping up on our social media timelines lately, reminding us of all the fun we’re missing out on in 2020. This year of cancelled live music and ultra-distanced friendships can be tough when we’re reminded of the good times, but punk rock festivals aren’t all hugs, bands and blazing sunshine, are they?

Let’s consider some of the stuff we won’t be missing out on.

Ten years ago: absolutely haggard at Download 2010.

Dickheads

Being with your friends in a big, sunny field is glorious… but you’re rarely able to completely escape the sea of dickheads that exists outside of your social bubble. This varies depending on the festival, but dickheads exist everywhere.

Podcast: Punk Rock Radio – Round #2

Episode two of our Punk Rock Radio show is now online, featuring a lot of angry banter plus new tunes from Swayze, Jealous, Neurotic Fiction, Screaming Toenail and more.

On this week’s podcast I got really damn angry about the UK government, coronavirus, sexism and racism, and I argued with trolls on the internet. I thought: where better to let out that rage than on a public music forum, where will respond and/or care?

I enjoyed the new radio podcast format massively for Round #1, so I thought I’d try it again. I’ve played some bangers and done my best to give you some solo banter – I’ve talked a lot more on this episode and I will not be the slightest bit offended if you skip ahead to the juicy punk rock tunes.

Subscribe to the Shout Louder podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Soundcloud or any of your favourite podcast platforms. Alternatively, hit play right here:

Interview: Stonethrower on Legacies and Lockdown

Scottish post-hardcore band Stonethrower have just put out an enthralling new album. We discuss their creative inspiration and the punk scene at large.

Interview by Sarah Williams.

I was chuffed to see a fresh album from Scottish ecossemo peddlers Stonethrower released earlier in July. They’re doing a digital-only release for the time being, with all proceeds going to Conroy’s Basement / Rad Apples in Dundee and Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights. Legacies as an instant winner for fans of post-hardcore or old-school emo, packed with

We spoke to the band to get an insight into the latest release, and on how coronavirus has impacted them.

How would you sum up [the band] for someone who’s just discovering you?

Ross: Yikes, I’m normally pretty bad at this part, but let’s give it a bash: ‘punk music made by people who don’t listen to all that much punk anymore’.
Ken: Haha! Punchy, pulsating post-hardcore? It’s probably post-something. I actually don’t really know. Maybe Cal’s got a better answer…
Cal: The music is pretty aggressive but don’t let that put you off, we’re really OK guys.

Order your copy of PAPERCUTS here: shoutlouder.bigcartel.com

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The theme for this edition is Gigs, Festivals & Tours.

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Dickheads

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