In this interview feature, we get to know the most radicalist up and coming stars on the planet.

This time we caught up with art-punk experimentalists Drahla.

Originally hailing form Yorkshire, 2016 saw art-punk outfit Drahla sauntering onto the scene with their minimalistic yet heavy-hitting take on industrial post-punk meets noisy alt-rock. Recalling the iconic sounds of both Sonic Youth and Siouxsie and the Banshees, 2017's 'Faux Text' saw the talented trio rising through the ranks of a wealth of promising noise-inspired acts. Catching gigs with heavyweights METZ, Parquet Courts, Ought and The Cribs to name a few, Drahla were also asked to perform at The Cure's very own Robert Smith's Meltdown at the Southbank Centre as their abrasive live show reeled in new fans all over the country.

Signing a deal with respected US indie label Captured Tracks back in 2018, Drahla announced their new release A Compact Cassette consisting of all their previous singles alongside their ripping debut EP Third Article, before sharing news of their long-awaited debut album Useless Coordinates back in March of this year.

With Useless Coordinates now out there in the world and a string of exciting festival slots ahead of them, not to mention a US tour starting in September, we figured it was about time to get to know one of our favourite new acts a little better.

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TMR: London is famous for its thriving music scene. However, it's been mentioned quite a lot that Drahla began in its current format as a result of moving back to Wakefield/Leeds after a stint of living in the capital. Can you tell us more about your decision to move away and how this affected you as a band?

R: We initially moved to London in 2013, at that point the band didn’t exist. Me and Lu we’re making music in our bedroom. We moved back to Leeds in 2015 to start the band with Mike. We weren’t particularly excited about the current music scene in London and felt isolated, Leeds had more to offer us, a cheap place to practice and a better quality of life. We had to sacrifice our jobs and flat in order to do the US tour last October. So we’re currently based in London again. We’ve been doing week stints up in Wakefield in between touring which has proven to be really productive.



TMR: Leeds has been the birthplace of some pretty legendary post-punk bands, with Gang of Four, Delta 5 and even Red Lorry Yellow Lorry instantly spring to mind. Do you think these bands have directly influenced local acts like yourselves?

M: Definitely a fan of early GO4. Entertainment is a perfect listen from start to end, that said, I don't think the fact that they formed in Leeds has had a direct influence on us. Our influences as a group and as individuals are much broader than that.

R: No more so than anyone else.

TMR: We'd love to know more about your writing process. Do you usually jam ideas from scratch or do you like to work on things individually and bring them into the group later?

M: The writing process is a very organic thing. Ideas come from playing around in the practice room as a group usually. Sometimes I'll have a beat or Riggs and Lu will have a melody, bass line, riff or whatever and we go from there...

R: I think it depends on the situation, when were all together in a room there's a lot of improvisation until something appears, either by accident or intuition. Individually, we all write at home.

TMR: We've been thoroughly enjoying the incorporation of saxophone into your recent singles 'Stimulus For Living' and 'Pyramid Estate'. Can you tell us how this came about?

M: We met Chris fairly early on when we wanted sax on our second single 'Faux Text'. It's been a pleasure working with Chris. Not only because he's an amazing musician but he's also introduced us to lots of Jazz / Avant Guard records too.



TMR: Do you see yourselves strictly as a three piece or do you think you'd be willing to introduce more musicians/instruments as time goes on?

M: We're the core but I don't think we'd ever be adverse to working with other musicians if it felt rite, who knows! 

R: For the band to grow i think it’s essential to bring in different elements.

L: Yeah, I agree. It's been great starting as the 3 of us. It felt really natural and easy for us to come together, meaning we could realise ideas quite quickly. I definitely feel like we're more of a four piece now though both through playing live shows and sharing ideas and eager to expand on that.

TMR: The lyrics on 'Stimulus For Living' speak explicitly about the negative impact of humans on the natural world. Do you think it's important to raise awareness about social/political issues through your music or do you see it more as an outlet for your own thoughts and feelings?

L: The lyrics definitely have social awareness, that would be something hard to avoid completely but it's not really the inspiration for writing things. I draw a lot of the lyrics from visual references and experiences and translate that into more formulated ideas. 'Stimulus for Living' has a narrative of seeing beyond the immediate and seeing your own version of things, homing in on points of interest that stimulate. It's really interesting to hear the different perspective though.

TMR: Having caught you guys live a few times, we loved the energy and the rawness of your sound. Have you ever been concerned about how to capture this in your recorded works?

R: It has always been a priority to achieve a true representation of our sound in the recordings. I don’t think we’d ever record with someone if we had any doubt about their abilities. 

TMR: Can you tell us more about the recording process behind Useless Coordinates and how you found the experience of creating your first full length release?

M: We recorded for ten days in between touring last summer (2018)

R: Some people seem to think the record was long overdue, but it was written in between touring and working full time jobs, we finished it last September. At the time of recording we were moving out of Leeds and getting ready to go to America, so there was a lot changing around us. The studio was a sanctuary for us to maintain a singular focus and maximise creativity. 

TMR: Captured Tracks have released some wonderful records over the years, including some of our faves Mourn, DIIV and Craft Spells. Were there any particular artists that made you feel at home on the roster?

R: We spent three weeks in vans and sleeping on motel floors with Lina Tullgren and Wax Chattels, we’re pretty close now. Were big fans of The Monochrome Set too.

TMR: As a blog specialising in new music, we'd love to know which (if any) emerging acts have caught your attention as of late?

R: Mush are good friends of ours, we’ve been playing with them since we started. They just released an EP, which is one of the best things I’ve heard recently. We just finished touring with Sleep Eaters, also good friends of ours, who are getting set to release their debut EP, which is also very good. 

TMR: Finally, now that Useless Coordinates has been released, can you tell us your plans for the rest of 2019?

M: Lots of shows all over the place! Write more music!



Catch Drahla with support from fellow TMR Faves Bo Gritz at the Shacklewell Arms in London on the 23rd of August.

-Holly Mullineaux