NARC. #200 out now!

The November issue of NARC. magazine – our 200^th edition! – is out now, available in print from outlets across the North East, and digitally via our website.

Our cover star is Teesside-born Newcastle-based artist Sarah Johnsone, who talks to Cameron Wright about finding her feet, discovering catharsis and defining her sound on her debut EP.

In the Previews section, we check out live shows from Hilary Woods, Hector Gannet, Queens of the Stone Age, Peace, Teenage Fanclub, Mouses, Gazelle Twin and Calexico, plus Boundaries Festival, Songs From Northern Britain, Byker Grave Festival, PinDrop’s 13^th anniversary and much more. There’s exhibitions courtesy of Tyne & Wear Youth Music Collective at NCA and (Re)Grounding at NewBridge Project; comedy from David Callaghan at Pop Recs Ltd., Rachel Fairburn at ARC, Eleanor Conway at The Stand, and Angela Barnes at The Witham; theatre shows Disciples and High Times & Dirty Monsters at Northern Stage, Unknown Realms at Dance City; Lumiere returns to Durham and Wintertide Festival to Hartlepool.

Interview-wise, Robert Nichols talks to Joe Hammill about Cattle & Cane’s luminous new album; David Saunders talks to Liza Bec and CHAINES about CRYSTALQUEER, their audiovisual and multi-sensory exploration of local landscapes and life beyond the gender binary; Linsey Teggert talks to Joe Ernest Allan, aka ERNIE, about the catharsis that comes from the release of his debut EP; Damian Robinson talks to Holly Clarke about The Reivers’ love of dark folk sounds on their debut album; Matt Young talks to North East artist Rachel Lancaster about her otherworldly exhibition; Nat Greener talks to Amy Thatcher about RE:VULVA, a new quartet which aims to break the cycle of under-representation in folk music; Lee Fisher checks in with the astonishingly industrious St James Infirmary and find out how the Ashington Joe Meek is faring ahead of three upcoming releases; Kate Relton talks to author Steve Spithray and Butterfly Effect’s Stephen Gill about a new book which lifts the veil on Middlesbrough vinyl manufacturers, Press On Vinyl; ahead of This Is Makina!, a new gig-theatre production at the Customs House, David Saunders finds out how music lovers in the North East found an outlet through a subgenre of hardcore techno; Kate Relton talks to writer Vici Wreford-Sinnott about her contribution to Three Acts Of Love, a trio of plays which examine passion, community and tolerance; Claire Dupree discovers how teenage twins Twayn’s songwriting talent has led them to international acclaim and honest introspection on their debut EP; Mera Royle uncovers some of the highlights at Waves Festival, Sunderland’s all-day celebration of musical talent; and Keeks McGarry from the Tyne & Wear Youth Music Collective talks about some of his favourite tracks in Mixtape.

In the review section, we report from live performances by Hannah Peel, Max Cooper, The Young’Uns, Maius Mollis, Scott Hepple & The Sun Band and more; there’s reviews of local singles and EPs by Northeasterner, Speak For Yourself, The Happy Now?, Red Remedy, Crux, The Blytons, Oddo’s Gaze, Flatline, Rees, Andrew Johnson, Josh Ingledew and Gaydar; plus demo reviews of Daniel James, Vulture King, The Almighty Zeros, Arez and Deafbed; and new album releases from Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno, Steve Luck, Maria & James, Kerrin Tatman, Bas Jan, Baby Queen, Beirut, Tkay Maidza and more.

Enjoy!