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Feb 28, 2025

Under the Radar is excited to announce the full details of our new print issue, Issue 74, which is The Protest Issue and features Kathleen Hanna and Bartees Strange on the two covers.

We’ve done a Protest Issue every four or five years since 2004. As we’ve done in the past, the issue examines the intersection of music and politics and features photo shoots with musicians holding protest signs of their own making. Later this year we will auction off all the autographed signs, with all profits going to War Child UK and their U.S. fundraising arm, Children in Conflict.

The issue has shipped out to subscribers and stores and can now be bought from us directly here. The issue will also be available to purchase nationwide (on newsstands, in such stores as Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, and elsewhere).

Issue 74 also features Magdalena Bay, Doves, Lauren Mayberry, Jarvis Cocker, Mdou Moctar, Kate Nash, DIIV, Reggie Watts, Nilüfer Yanya, Porridge Radio, Billy Bragg, Thurston Moore, Mannequin Pussy, My Morning Jacket, Michael Kiwanuka, Pixies, MJ Lenderman, Mount Eerie, The Linda Lindas, Confidence Man, Soccer Mommy, The Weather Station, and many others.

COVER STORIES

Kathleen Hanna

Celine Teo-Blockey spoke to singer/author/activist Kathleen Hanna about her days in Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, the riot grrrl movement, her 2024 memoir Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk, parenting, her battle with Lyme disease, the Israel-Gaza war, and her deep history of activism. Kate Garner photographed Hanna exclusively for Under the Radar in Los Angeles.

“[When I was eight] we were marching in this like big circle and I just felt like screaming with all these women…. And I remember being like, ‘I want to do this forever.’” – Kathleen Hanna

“Yes, October 7th was absolutely hideous, absolutely unforgivable. But this is, I mean, beyond overkill, like this is just absolutely obscene…it’s really awful to think my tax dollars are buying bombs to drop on families.” – Kathleen Hanna

“You know, riot grrrl went off the rails. All these white women arguing with each other about who’s less racist instead of actually doing anti-racist work in the world.” – Kathleen Hanna

“It feels like protesting does nothing, but it does, you know, it does. They do take notice…it’s really a strange time to be alive.” – Kathleen Hanna

Bartees Strange

For our other cover story, Candace McDuffie spoke to Bartees Strange about his third album, Horror, his experience of being a Black queer person in modern America, and his previous life working in government in Washington, D.C. Wendy Lynch Redfern photographed Strange exclusively for Under the Radar in Washington, D.C., including outside of the United States Capitol and the Supreme Court.

“For a lot of Black folks, there’s this fear [that] no matter how far you go in life, it can always be taken away. I took that pretty literally when I was a kid.”

“As I got older, I actually started to think about horror and the things that scare me, like intimacy, friendships, relationships, where to live, making money, surviving as a Black queer person in the world.”

“I feel like more people should focus on things that are relatively impactful instead of thinking about all of the humongous issues that are so hard to touch and change so slowly over time.”

“Regardless of race or gender or political party, everyone should be so extremely pissed off about [the erosion of abortion rights] and scared by it. People’s lives are at risk.”

DETECTION

The front-of-book Detection section features interviews with the following about their latest albums: Confidence Man, Deep Sea Diver, Doves, Geordie Greep, Michael Kiwanuka, MJ Lenderman, The Linda Lindas, Magdalena Bay, Laura Marling, Lauren Mayberry, Mount Eerie, Pixies, Porridge Radio, and Soccer Mommy. Plus we continue our new Record Stories series, where we profile an independent record store in each issue.

“I was flying past the Shard [building in London], completely naked, and I couldn’t help but wonder how that looked for the people inside.” – Janet Planet of Confidence Man

“I wanted Billboard Heart to be so much more expansive than just another record about pain.” – Jessica Dobson of Deep Sea Diver

“Right now [touring is] not a good fit for my life. I’ve had family bereavements and I’m just trying to get my swerve back on.” – Jimi Goodwin of Doves

“That’s one of the main ideas behind the whole album. I thought the humor, dark comedy, tragedy—whatever you want to call it—would all work better if we played it straight.” – Geordie Greep

“Before Love & Hate, I was really concerned about proving myself. Now I feel a lot freer to just express what I want without trying to be cool, or considered a ‘good artist’ or
whatever.” – Michael Kiwanuka

“There’s a level of goofiness to the record that that I wanted to maintain, like, a sense of humor.” – MJ Lenderman

“I don’t think [my dad’s] first choice when we were growing up for us, for a career, would have been going into the music industry.” – Lucia de la Garza of The Linda Lindas

“Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance was my first and most intense musician crush because I was 11/12. I don’t think I’ll ever experience such an intense degree of fandom over someone again.” – Mica Tenenbaum of Magdalena Bay

“I wanted the song and the album to unashamedly express how incredible motherhood has been. What a transformative, extraordinary experience.” – Laura Marling

“I think now, as a grown woman, I look back on certain things and I’m like, ‘Yeah, that wasn’t fucking fine.’” – Lauren Mayberry

“We live in this place that has this barely acknowledged, genocidal, colonial history.” – Mount Eerie

“It was quite a life-changing phone call, obviously—it’s not every day you get asked to join an incredible band like this.” – Emma Johnson of Pixies

“I’ve seen friends fall apart under the relentlessness of touring and the expectations from their fans. Over the past few years, I’ve seen people I care about become really burnt out
and struggle.” – Dana Margolin of Porridge Radio

“When the songs are actually coming out, it takes the personal events away from you. When you put it out into the world for people to hear, it’s not a close personal thought
anymore.” – Soccer Mommy (aka ​​Sophia Allison)

THE PROTEST ISSUE

Our Protest Issue section features photo shoots with musicians holding protest signs of their own making. The following musicians were photographed with signs:

Emma Anderson
A Place to Bury Strangers
Billy Bragg
Cheekface
Cherry Glazerr
Jarvis Cocker
Cursive
Deep Sea Diver
DIIV
GIFT
Half Waif
illuminati hotties
Kneecap
Lonnie Holley
Cassandra Jenkins
Hamilton Leithauser of The Walkmen
Mannequin Pussy
Cass McCombs
Mdou Moctar
Mogwai
Thurston Moore
My Morning Jacket
Nada Surf
Kate Nash
Oceanator
Palehound
Katie J Pearson
Porridge Radio
Ratboys
Caroline Rose
Laetitia Sadier
Shamir
Silverbacks
Donita Sparks from L7
Tasha
M. Ward
Reggie Watts
The Weather Station
W. H. Lung
Wings of Desire
Xiu Xiu
Nilüfer Yanya
Yard Act
Adrian Younge

There are also these articles in the protest section:

Mdou Moctar: Injustice Everywhere

“I think that the message of the record is resonating for a lot of people around the world.” – Michael “Mikey” Coltun of Mdou Moctar

Katy J Pearson on Disability Rights

“Growing up with a sibling who has special needs has shown me firsthand the discrimination still faced by the disabled community.” – Katy J Pearson

Blooms Corda – A New Realty: The Ukrainian Indie Band Reflects on Three Years of War

“Before the war, we had a more relaxed tempo of doing things…. But now, you’re always thinking about the war, and you don’t know what will happen tomorrow, or
what will happen even in some hours.” – Danylo Galyko of Blooms Corda

“In Kyiv, we have several venues, but the rule is that if there is an air raid siren, you stop immediately.” – Danylo Galyko of Blooms Corda

War Child UK and Children in Conflict – Right Place, Right Time: Healing Global Wounds Through Music

“The world is a terrifying and bewildering place right now and it’s hard to know how we can help without people like War Child.” – Adrian Utley of Portishead

“No child should ever be part of war, no child ever started a war. Regardless of the territory they live in and the regime that runs it, those kids play no part in that.” – Jim Benner of War Child UK

“I believe that if you have a platform and a voice, you have a duty to help create the change you want to see in the world.” – Brandi Carlile

Forbidden Music: Iranian Musicians Push Back Against the Islamic Republic

“Everything is illegal in Iran. The electric guitar is considered a satanic instrument, which makes me a devil worshiper and an execution order would have been on the table for me.” – Arash Rahbary of TarantisT

“The permitted environment of rap in the Islamic Republic is male-centric and anti-women. The Farsi rap audience is mainly teenage boys and the music is helping form their minds in the way the government wants.” – Justina

“If the Islamic Republic finds out there is a record label in Iran, we will all disappear.” – DJ Ali Pink

Quiet Quitting: Musical Artists Sit Out 2024’s South by Southwest

“Our work is labor. And historically, workers who go on strike are withdrawing their labor. I was thinking of it as a cultural strike.” – Squirrel Flower (aka Ella Williams)

“I called Jake [Ames], our lead guitarist, and he really ended up being the compass on this one. Jake said, ‘This is our town and our music scene, and if our friends are dropping out in protest I want to be there with them.’” – Tyler Jordan of Good Looks

THE END

For our regular last page feature, The End, we ask a different artist the same set of questions about endings and death. The Weather Station (aka Tamara Lindeman) is this issue’s participant.

“I don’t believe in the afterlife, but I do believe in the idea of people’s energy and ideas living on in those left behind.” – The Weather Station (aka Tamara Lindeman)

REVIEWS

Issue 74 has a selection of album reviews, including of the latest albums by the following:

Amyl and The Sniffers
Ethel Cain
The Cure
Deep Sea Diver
DITZ
Doves
Father John Misty
Heartworms
The Horrors
Horsegirl
jasmine.4.t
Michael Kiwanuka
Manic Street Preachers
Maribou State
Lauren Mayberry
Mogwai
Panda Bear
Public Service Broadcasting
Nadia Reid
Anna B Savage
Sports Team
Squid
Bartees Strange
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Youth Lagoon

DIGITAL SAMPLER

Each issue comes with a digital sampler that is a free download and includes up to 39 complimentary MP3s. This issue’s digital sampler includes tracks by:

Deep Sea Diver
Father John Misty
Dutch Interior
Field Music
Magdalena Bay
Tunng
Tess Parks
Tunde Adebimpe
girlpuppy
A Place to Bury Strangers
The Weather Station
Saint Etienne
Mount Eerie
Kassie Krut
Heartworms
Naima Bock
Oracle Sisters
Bonnie “Prince” Billy
Katy J Pearson
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Denison Witmer & Sufjan Stevens
Great Grandpa
Being Dead
Office Dog
Alice Costelloe
Emma Anderson
Ela Minus
Anna B Savage
Rose City Band
jasmine.4.t
Wild Pink
Lilly Hiatt
Katie Knipp
Dragon Inn 3
Silverbacks
W. H. Lung
Mogwai
Squid
Porridge Radio

DIGITAL MAGAZINE

The digital version of the issue (for iPads, iPhones and other smartphones, Macs, and PCs) also features extra interviews not found in the print magazine, as well as additional full-page photos from our photo shoots for the issue.

The digital magazine features additional interviews with the following artists: Andy Bell of Ride, Heartworms, Lilly Hiatt, political poet/musician Patrick Jones, and Squid.

Click here to buy the print version of the issue.

Click here to buy the digital version of the issue.

Click here to subscribe to the print version of Under the Radar.

Click here to support us on Patreon.

Interviews

My Firsts: Andy Bell of Ride
My Firsts: The Horrors