Clash #127

COVER SENT AT RANDOM

Notes from the publisher:

Cat Burns is an understated MVP. She was the UK’s highest-selling female artist in 2022 and was nominated for three BRIT awards the following year. Her super-smash
breakout single ‘go’ went two-times platinum in the UK and she’s performed in massive
arenas on the international tour circuit supporting Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith.
Yet she remains the humble, girl-next-door you’d love to have as your best friend.
Navigating the vagaries of the music industry as a young Black queer woman, Cat Burns is unafraid to speak her truth, and this honesty is what fans dial into.

Whether it’s her No. 2 viral smash ‘go’ or her much-anticipated debut album, Cat seizes
hold of each opportunity, pushing it to the max. In this extensive cover interview, she
looks back on her roots, discusses the stresses of fame, and the reciprocal relationship
this sensational vocalist has with her fans. As she puts it: “As long as you are honest and true, that shines through in the art you create…”

The past 10 years in the life of serpentwithfeet has born witness to an act of perpetual evolution. Moving fearlessly from project to project, their innate daring and exquisite technical abilities have brought about an inner sea change.

New album ‘GRIP’ might just be their most revelatory release yet. A document of personal progression from a truly magnetic talent, serpentwithfeet’s elevated fantasy is born from a desire to embrace truth in all its forms.

They tell us: “I was interested in airiness and effervescence…the whimsy of love, the security of love…”When BROCKHAMPTON broke up Kevin Abstract closed a chapter in his life, but lost his support network. As old insecurities rose to the surface, he needed to wipe the slate clean, working on himself and building a new creative community in the process.

Returning to some of his core values, his solo album ‘Blanket’ turned the page, and began a new chapter – at times echoing the indie rock of his lonely Texan youth, the record is the closest we’ve ever come to Kevin Abstract in his purest form.

Challenging himself in ways he could scarcely have imagined, sessions found Kevin Abstract emerging utterly renewed.

He tells us: “I need some sense of community in order to make something I'm proud of.”
Elsewhere in this issue you’ll obtain access to electronic enigmas Mount Kimbie, and
explore the world of rising songwriter Elmiene. CLASH profiles English Teacher’s
inspirational front-woman Lily Fontaine, before meeting Alice Phoebe Lou. We
encounter American force Sleater-Kinney, and dissect Yoko Ono’s new career-
spanning London exhibition. Kickstarting our 20th anniversary year in style, we also welcome Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos – our first ever cover star – to dissect nostalgia and the weight of the past in an exclusive essay.

Clash is a multi-award winning music magazine that launched to critical acclaim in 2004, combining underground and mainstream music genres that includes fashion, film and entertainment in its subject matter.