In the magazine May 2025
Featuring Nova Twins, Damiano David, Låpsley, Sports Team and more.
On their last album ‘Supernova’, Nova Twins took us out of the gloom of the pandemic and transported us to an in-your-face alternate universe in which they were no longer two best friends in their bedrooms, but rock-fuelled superheroes. On their forthcoming third record, though, they were faced with a different kind of darkness. After the huge success and dizzying touring cycle of their second record, a new raft of pressures and anxieties cropped up for the duo, which they were left to fight together; it’s that journey that’s fuelled ‘Parasites & Butterflies’, their triumphant new record. Now appearing on the cover of DIY for the first time, they tell us more about what into making their tremendous third album.
“We wrote ‘Supernova’ in a time where we had to be super strong,” the band’s Amy Love tells us, pointing to their second album’s birth in the pandemic and the superhero-esque avatars they wrote for themselves. “There was so much going on, and we wanted to give people hope in a time where it felt hopeless, and so we gave that part of ourselves, but things take a toll. We’re all human, we all go back to our homes at night and, you know, face reality, and we just felt it was super important to be a bit honest with things. We don’t always have to be super strong because that’s not logical. No one’s fine all the time, and if you are, you’re lying,” she laughs. “We just wanted to make sure that there was a full perspective of our human experience, you know?”
Elsewhere in our May 2025 issue, we catch up with Måneskin frontman Damiano David as he ushers in his first solo foray via new album ‘FUNNY little FEARS’, we delve into relationships and womanhood with Låpsley to mark her new, self-released record, and get the pints in with longtime faves Sports Team to celebrate the release of their third album, which lands later this month. Meanwhile, we catch up with Toronto’s finest punks PUP around the release of their dark humour-laced new album ‘Who Will Look After The Dogs?’, talk the lethal new album (quite literally) from Rico Nasty, and delve into a dreamscape courtesy of The Last Dinner Party’s Lizzie Mayland, and their new solo project L Mayland.
Over in this month’s Neu - aka a one-stop shop for all things new music - we meet rising star Chloe Qisha, ahead of the release of her new EP ‘Modern Romance’, meet metal’s new stand-out duo in House Of Protection, and get ushered into the fascinating world of New Zealand star ratbag. We’ve also got reviews of releases from the likes of Matt Maltese, PinkPantheress, Blondshell, Ezra Furman and loads more. Plus, join us as we kick off festival season over at The Great Escape and Live at Leeds in the Park - it’s gonna be a big summer…

Inside this issue

ratbag: “I really don’t want to be restricted by anything, in any capacity”

House Of Protection: “We’re in this for the long haul - we’re going to outrun everyone”

Rico Nasty: Killer Instinct

L. Mayland: To Sleep, Perchance To Dream

PUP: Dog Days Are Over

DIY Label Spotlight #6: Breakfast Records

For One Night Only!: BIG SPECIAL curate their dream gig

Chloe Qisha: “Pop’s not taking itself too seriously - so why are you?”

Låpsley: Winds Of Change

Nova Twins: Angels and Demons

Sports Team: Boys To Men

Damiano David: A Star Reborn


