July Talk, Against Me!, Usher, TUNS and Our Hangout Handbook Fill Exclaim!'s September Issue

BY Eric Noble-MarksPublished Aug 24, 2016

With summer's last weeks dwindling away, we've got you covered with a brand new issue of Exclaim! that's loaded with captivating interviews, reviews and features to drive away your autumnal woes. Specific to this month's issue is our annual Hangout Handbook, here to teach you how to eat, drink and shop like a rock star in whatever Canadian city you might find yourself in this September. That's just the beginning, though, so buckle up for a quick and dirty overview of what's in store this month.

Gracing the cover this month are Toronto indie rock quintet July Talk, who discuss their intimate live performances, survival in the image-conscious music industry and their deeply personal new album Touch.
 
For this month's Timeline, we delve into the rise and rebirth of R&B regent Usher, from his humble church choir beginnings to his 2000s superstardom to reinventions in the 2010s. Along the way, we find out which rap legends he kicked it with as a precocious teenager, which pop star he beat out to land Bieber and which R&B singer inspired his 2005 smash Confessions.

For this month's Questionnaire, we got a glimpse into the crazy world of punk rock iconoclast Laura Jane Grace. Inside, the Against Me! singer regaled us with tales of life-changing punk shows, drunken keyboard players and other lore of life in one of the premier punk bands of today.

Exclusive to our September issue is our annual Hangout Handbook, which assembles an all-star cast of Canadian musicians to give you the inside scoop on Canada's best eats, drinks and goodies. If you've ever wanted to know BADBADNOTGOOD's favourite source for rare vinyl in Toronto, A Tribe Called Red's go-to late night greasy spoon in Ottawa or Andy Shauf's beloved Regina vegetarian joint, it's all there, along with much more. There's simply no better way to get acquainted with the hip and happening spots in your town, whether you've lived there for 10 days or 10 years.

For this month's Music School, we head up north for a visit to the remote Quebec studio where Despised Icon craft their brutal brand of deathcore. There, we talked to former guitarist-turned-producer Yannick St-Amand about his decision to leave Despised Icon to focus on his family, his role in the Quebec metal scene and getting the band back to basics for their ferocious new album Beast.
 
In other interviews, we chatted with Angel Olsen about defying indie-folk expectations on her new record My Woman, while R&B ingénue Charlotte Day Wilson outlined her mellow outlook and diverse musical aspirations. Elsewhere, electro-soul queen NAO described the process of finding her sound on For All We Know, rising comedy star Maria Bamford discussed balancing the funny and the candid on Netflix's Lady Dynamite, and alt-rap heroes Atmosphere talked about the collaborative nature of their seventh studio album.

Finally, we sat down with indie-rock supergroup TUNS to get a glimpse into the recording process of their self-titled debut and to find out what it's like for three old friends to make music together again.

If you're still looking for more, we have more interviews with Datach'i, Michael Kiwanuka, Sect, Gojira, Shad and many more online, but there's nothing like that new print smell, so be sure to grab a copy of Exclaim! in your local street box, cafe or other place of leisure.
 

Latest Coverage