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Home , Enter Shikari, The Mindsweep

COVER STORY LEADER

OF THE

OPPOSITION The journey of creating and touring fifth THE SPARK has, over the course of the past few years, shaped ROU REYNOLDS into one of rock’s most vital voices. Those experiences and life lessons changed him forever. What follows next? It may just be ’s defining moment…

words: JAMES HICKIE Photos: TOM BARNES

22 KERRANG! KERRANG! 23 ou Reynolds first went effectively on 2017’s The Spark. Two years While K! suddenly regrets saying ‘mincing to Reading Festival old this very week, among the record’s machine’, given Rou’s veganism, he deems it in 2002, aged 16. He many achievements – including a 4K an appropriate description. doesn’t remember too rating and a 2018 Kerrang! Award for Best “It was a gory process,” he admits. much about his debut Album – Enter Shikari’s fifth record and “There’s not been a point in my life when as a punter, aside from subsequent touring cycle have seen the I’ve felt so overwhelmed by global issues,” he having to hightail it away frontman complete a transformation from elaborates. “It was difficult to work out what to from the shit-covered youthful agitator of a niche band into the do with that. I didn’t want to do a ‘Fuck Trump’ towel Dillinger Escape Plan frontman Greg internationally recognised leading light of a album because that was too obvious, and we Puciato threw into the crowd, having social and political conscious that is becoming shy away from the obvious. For me, music infamously evacuated his bowels on the increasingly prevalent in rock and beyond. All allows introspection, thought and analysis. mainR stage. while fearlessly articulating his flaws to help We, as a band, have complete independence, Seventeen years on, Rou is leading Enter others better understand their own. so we can take a subject, think about it, Shikari through a set on that very spot that’s In the build-up to the creation of The Spark, research it and create art that hopefully explosive for less grotesque reasons. The St for example, Rou was vocal about the intense offers a different perspective. I ended up Albans band, completed by guitarist Liam anxiety he experienced in the wake of Donald concentrating on marrying the personal and “Rory” Clewlow, bassist Chris Batten and Trump’s election as U.S. president and the UK’s the political, talking about the dangers of not drummer Rob Rolfe, haven’t played Reading & vote to leave the European Union. So how allowing anyone – but especially, as it’s coming Leeds for five years, from me, men – to which might explain show their emotions, their decision to and the dangers of play an exhaustive covering up innate five sets between human vulnerability. both sites across Because that’s what the weekend. produces people The sky is like . cloudless and It’s not even a vibrantly blue for political thing. You set number four, can get people with temperatures with all sorts of reaching a scorching political views, and 32 degrees. This they can all have makes the suits the strident, narcissistic, band are wearing megalomaniac seem ill-advised, streaks if they’ve especially with all been raised to put the vast plumes up a dam to their of pyro shooting self-expression. We around them. see that in Donald For all the Trump, who is 50 pageantry and per cent pride and flashy touches, it’s 50 per cent anger. the imagery on the Pride and anger screen behind the are two things you band – and, more expect men to importantly, what display, but God it signifies – that forbid you show warrants most some vulnerability. attention. The From left: Rory Clewlow, Chris Batten, That, for me, was striking, colourful Rou Reynolds and Rob Rolfe a more interesting vertical lines that take on world affairs accompany the than a big album band’s set are ‘climate stripes’. Courtesy that was full of billboard statements.” of research by the nearby University of These shady political figures and duplicitous Reading, they plot the average global “I THINK THE SPARK practices aren’t anything new, but rather temperature for every year since 1850. the latest evolution in a fractured system The lines to the left are thin and blue and STRUCK DEEPER FOR continuing to benefit the few, not the many. represent the lower temperatures of the past, Does that mean Rou didn’t have the correct while those to the right are noticeably thicker treatment for these ideas before, or wasn’t and redder, providing a stark illustration A LOT OF PEOPLE ready to tackle them? of the degree to which human action has “There was definitely a restriction I felt,” he dangerously impacted climate change. Rou BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH explains. “That was purely a confidence thing. describes it as “one of the most defining, It wasn’t that I felt there was a social norm I crucial images of our time” and encourages AN OPEN ALBUM” had to uphold, it was more that I didn’t think the tens of thousands of people that make up ROU REYNOLDS I knew enough to address certain things.” the crowd to “spread truth like this as far and Rou’s first piece of activism came when he as wide as we can”. protested the closure of the local hospital in his “When I first saw [that image] I was blown native St Albans. Even aged 10, accompanied away by how simple and bold it was,” Rou did this man with extrovert tendencies – the by his mum, he sensed the injustice. reflects today, some three weeks later, perched wild hair, the pirate hoop earring, the frantic “I didn’t understand the wider politics on a Chesterfield sofa in an East London dance moves – that bely a sweet, unassuming of it all,” he recalls, simulating holding the studio adorned with plants, chandeliers and nature, take those concerns, put them in a hand-drawn placard he made for the occasion. taxidermy animals. “Sometimes a visualisation mincing machine and end up with an album “But I knew closing down a place that makes can be much more powerful than words to as much about the politics of self as those of people better didn’t make any sense at all.” communicate a very large idea.” the wider world? And how did a guy whose Rou thinks his first effective activism as a You can never trust Rou not to return from a car boot sale Rou himself has made communicating performances are so full of anger make a songwriter came with No Sssweat, from Enter with, er, everything big ideas in interesting, unexpected ways record that empathises with the broken Shikari’s 2007 debut studio album Take To The his raison d’être, and has done so most people running (and ruining) our planet? Skies, which was inspired by ethical concerns

24 KERRANG! KERRANG! 25 surrounding the fashion industry. His passion create something it’s a gift that enables you Enter Shikari’s new record: held for fashion started early, and hasn’t left to connect with someone. And if that person up because of Rou’s upcoming him judging by the dapper white shirt he’s gets what you’re doing, you’ll probably Downton Abbey appearance wearing today. Remarkably, it’s somehow understand them better than you would if you avoided being besmirched by the messy sat down and had a conversation with them. falafel wrap he was eating earlier. “I don’t think The Spark was necessarily “I used to make my own clothes, as high better received than our other , but street fashion was too expensive, and I it struck deeper for a lot of people, because became exposed to where garments come it was such an open and personal album, from and how they’re made,” he explains. lyrically, giving it a depth we hadn’t achieved “No Sssweat was my first passionate outcry, before, which was very warming.” about sweatshop labour, and I remember While reactions to Enter Shikari’s latest thinking it worked in all its madness and this album were positive, some of the experiences was what I was supposed to be doing.” explored on it were anything but. The year 2015 proved an annus horribilis for or a man whose biog bills him as Rou – or the year “everything hit the fan” a ‘Neuropunk’, Rou’s musical upbringing as he puts it – marked by the death of his was a rather surprising one. As a child, beloved grandmother and the break-up of hisF first musical hero was Glenn Miller, the a long-term relationship. Both informed The legendary American bandleader whose Spark’s penultimate track, An Ode To Lost swing music brought welcome escapism to Jigsaw Pieces, which features some powerful listeners during the Second World War. In his imagery in its lyrics, most notably: ‘I awoke teenage years, meanwhile, Britpop turned with a face like a crumpled plastic bag in his head, though he admits the likes of Oasis a puddle / When everyone in this town is and Blur appealed “for shallow reasons” (“I a bag for life.’ Rou reveals he’s received a just thought it looked cool”). More profound number of letters from fans who have gone influence came later when Hybryd, the through similarly turbulent times. “Everyone’s band that would later become Enter Shikari, experienced a year like that in their life where formed and drummer Rob shared his copies lots of bad things happen at once,” he says, of ’s self-titled before revealing he goes to great efforts debut and third to respond to this album The Battle Of correspondence, and Los Angeles. loves nothing more “At first I didn’t than typing out his really grasp the “WE HAVE THE replies on the same intricacies of the old style typewriter politics that Zack that featured on [De La Rocha, OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE the cover of Dear RATM frontman] Future Historians, a was about, A MORE DEFINITIVE collection of his lyrics but the venom to date, released he put across was ENTER SHKARI ALBUM” earlier this year. infectious,” recalls ROU REYNOLDS It’s a process Rou Rou. “It magnetised finds meditative, me to the things not least because he stood for. I was communication with blown away, and knew then that I wanted to fans continues to be “a key source of fuel” for make music that was like a fight.” the band. And while putting that passion into Despite this support, the litany of negativity practice came easily enough, having the Rou was up against proved debilitating. There knowledge to inform Enter Shikari’s songs is were the heartbreaking losses. There was the something Rou continues to strive for – and social media-induced depression addressed with good reason. on the track Undercover Agents. There was “No-one wants to say something and be an increased awareness of an unhealthy rumbled for not knowing what you’re talking competitive streak that would see him about,” he explains. “It’s amazing what a monitor the success of his peers and measure THE SPARK THE COMMON A FLASH TAKE TO THE driver that is, especially for me as someone it against his own. There was the “nasty ( 2017) MINDSWEEP DREADS ( 2009) FLOOD OF SKIES ( 2007) with all sorts of types of anxiety. It’s only in the cocktail” of anxiety, insomnia and OCD. 1 “I guess the kneejerk 2 ( 2015) 3 “It was the 10-year 4 COLOUR ( 2012) 5 “I hate listening to it. last few years that I’ve heard other people Looking to calm the incessant noise, Rou has sorry, take reaction is to go for the most “I listened to this recently anniversary of this album “It starts with System… and I recorded it while I had speak about this as well, but sometimes really embraced mindfulness in recent years – the recent album, because it’s before Reading & Leeds, as this year. We didn’t do …Meltdown, which we’ve nodules on my voice box, negative things can be such a motivating psychological process of being aware of the freshest in your mind we wanted to open with The anything big with it but tried been playing this summer. so the whole experience is factor. I want to make music that means your experiences in the present moment, to the skies, and most representative of Appeal & to put a lot of songs from it To this day that still gets just a painful memory. A lot something to people and is fighting for through meditation, which borrows liberally where a band is right now. It there. It got me really excited into our sets during festival the blood pumping and me of people really like really something, but I don’t want to be found out from a number of spiritual practices. The also helps that I’m incredibly about the album, and it made season. We’re about to do going into full rage mode. It’s raw, unedited vocals, but for being a fake. I want to be up there being enthusiasm with which he talks about it proud of the album. There’s me realise that it’s our prog a re-release of the vinyl rare that a song keeps that I can hear I was ill and it that guy throwing himself all over the place, suggests it’s had a profound effect on his you’re not something so focused about album, with every song because it’s been out of innate energy without ever doesn’t sound powerful. but I want it to be for a reason, otherwise it’s personal and creative lives. it all the way through, and around the five-minute mark stock forever. I really like having a dip. The reason I wish we’d recorded it just a show, which makes me queasy.” “It’s about getting a grip on what it’s like I love that in its diversity it’s and going off in all sorts of the album because it’s so it’s in such a low position, differently. We were so While Rou’s musical tastes and knowledge to be a human,” he explains. “The best way opened all these potential directions like an opera or bold, tries so many different as harsh as this sounds, is ignorant about production. has developed over the years, the impetus for to deal with stress is to be able to choose a winner… doors we can go through something. I felt a little surge sound palettes and lyrically because it hasn’t particularly I still love the songs, though, doing this, he says, remains the same. one thought over another, which is very ROU faces up to the difficult challenge when we properly get down of pride listening to some of I took a step into being more been on my mind for a while, and am so happy it was our “Nothing in my reasoning has changed, it’s difficult to do as we as people are usually on of choosing between his children, as he to making the next album.” those riffs.” assertive with things.” so I’ve let it slide a bit.” lifting-off point.” simply expanded. It’s still based around the autopilot. There are all these things you learn pure exhilaration of creation. Only later did at school, but there’s no class on how to think, ranks ENTER SHIKARI’s discography I come to understand that was all about the or how your mind works, or how to deal with joy of human connection, because when you emotions. Mindfulness steps in and teaches

26 KERRANG! KERRANG! 2927 you how to remain slightly more in control. comes to album number six, work on which a productive two weeks at Vada Studios near You can choose to take it as deep as you like will start in earnest once this tour is over. And Birmingham, tracking four songs for album and use it in all sorts of ways – like trying to lose though the band have been writing on the road number six. the ego.” along the way, Rou admits those are far from his “Because The Spark was so much more favoured conditions. melodic and minimal with clearer structures, he day following Kerrang!’s sit down with “I write and record best at home in my it’s broadened the scope of what Shikari is and Rou, Enter Shikari fly to Austin, Texas bedroom. The way I create is to wake up with what we can do, which is really exciting. Now for the opening night of their North an idea, develop it and then realise, ‘Oh shit, I’m out of that horrible headspace and that RABBLE AmericanT Tour, a 14-date complete need to write jaunt that will officially an album about that. In bring The Spark era to some ways it’s difficult, ROUSERS a close. It’ll be a time of because with the palette reflection for the band, being so big now, you ROU rates SHIKARI’s a chance to gauge what can get option paralysis, five sets at this year’s they’ve learned in the but I think we have the last three years. Rou is opportunity to make a READING & LEEDS already able to take more definitive Enter FESTIVALS… stock because, by and Shikari album that takes large, they’re the same from all of our eras and is things they’ve always more all-encompassing. SET 1 been. Some he hesitates I’m not being dragged LEEDS, MAIN to talk about – “There in a direction by STAGE KKKK are things I want to say necessity on this new “It was the best Leeds main stage but I don’t want to moan album; there’s no inner set we’ve ever done. It wasn’t about them because pressure pulling me in a complete bog and pissing it it never reads well” one particular direction. down, which helps! Being back at Reading & Leeds and walking – while others centre The stuff that we’ve on to the stage never fails to make around his continued been doing is so diverse, me nervous. And we didn’t have preoccupation with how and probably angrier any technical problems!” his music is perceived, than The Spark, which for good and bad. was quite reflective and SET 2 “As an artist, as stupid sombre. I was tweeting LEEDS, THE PIT KKK as it is, I want to please the other day that the “It was solid, but we almost everyone,” he explains. first stage of writing burned one of our techs alive. “Every time we make any album is sheer fear, We haven’t used pyro much, and an album, because we standing at the foot I hate fire, but we thought, ‘Fuck it, let’s do it!’ One of our techs like to keep exploring of the mountain and had his hair singed when he ran because that’s what thinking, ‘How are we into a fireball.” comes naturally to us, going to do this again?’” there’s always going Despite the SET 3 to be something of a reassurance Enter READING, backlash. For a while Shikari must have in ACOUSTIC SET, I tried to read as much of their abilities, having BBC INTRODUCING the negative feedback as successfully navigated KKKKK positive, to keep the ego the album-making “I fucking loved it! It couldn’t in check, but that just process five times, Rou’s have been more perfect – the sun doesn’t work.” confidence appears to was out and there were people It’s not that Rou minds be a work in progress, standing arm in arm singing with warm ciders in hand. It’s so nice people not liking his in spite of his respected to play with that stripped-down music, recalling the sight firebrand status. atmosphere, though there’s of a gig-goer holding “The styles of music nothing to hide behind.” their middle fingers aloft we introduced on The during The Spark’s anti- Spark enabled me to SET 4 Rou had nailed his ‘unimpressed nationalist anthem Take with the question’ face embrace new types of READING, MAIN My Country Back, but performance onstage,” STAGE KKKKK more that he struggles he explains. “I was “It was so fucking hot and we to understand how some can still be surprised brought up on Motown and soul, but being a were wearing suits. I couldn’t by the provocative, politicised nature of his white British, lower-middle class man, I don’t believe that Chris and Rob kept lyrics five albums in. say ‘I dance’ with a straight face. Being able the full works on. I had my shirt off “I’VE LEARNED SO MUCH by about the fourth song. Every “It’s not like we’ve suddenly become big to take new influences and embrace the role time we play Reading’s main liberal, tree-hugging communists,” he laughs. ABOUT HOW TO IGNORE properly and seriously is exciting to me.” stage it feels like a moment, but “There’s always been that running through our Does this seriously mean that Rou, now something always goes wrong. lyrics. All art is left-leaning anyway, isn’t it?” widely recognised as one of the UK’s most I think Rory had a tuning issue He certainly knows to expect the same when THE NAYSAYING GOING exciting, engaging frontmen, doesn’t think he’s partway through Live Outside.” they hit America. been much cop up to now, then? “I spoke to someone at our merch table at ON IN MY HEAD” “It gives it an extra angst,” he says with a SET 5 a show when we last toured the States towards ROU REYNOLDS laugh. “I feel there’s a rigidity there and I’m READING, THE PIT the end of last year,” he recalls. “This guy was always trying to get through the internal mental KKKK effectively telling me that our music was a gift barriers I put on myself. In the past few years “No-one got burned at this one. from God and we should be thankful and praise I’ve learned so much about how to ignore I didn’t even know what was him for that. On a selfish level it annoyed me it’s 5pm and I haven’t eaten yet.’ It’s the kind a lot of the naysaying, catastrophising and going on because I was absolutely because I thought, ‘You don’t understand the of flow state that people talk about in sport or ruminating that’s been going on in my head knackered. I didn’t have a drink until after the main stage set, so time and effort that we’ve put into this.’ God art, where you’re in that world. You can’t do and has stopped me engaging fully before now. I don’t remember a great deal has been no part of it, and if he had been a that on tour when you’ve got to soundcheck Let’s see what happens next…” K! about this one. But I do know that part of it I’d have told him to fuck off and help or do laundry.” it took me far too long to hang the enter shikari’S sixth album is Onstage, and rather people in Africa. I don’t need his help.” The wheels are certainly in motion, Extinction Rebellion banner up on expected in 2020 warm, at Reading 2019 Enter Shikari don’t need any help when it though, with the band having already spent the screen next to the stage.”

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