Backlash magazine started out in 2004 from a small house in Norwich. Since then it has spread it’s wings and is now starting to cover the breadth of the UK. Reef Younis, a resident native of Wrexham, is their online editor and hard copy interviewer/reviewer. Below he fills us in on the background of backlash and what it aims to do:

The idea of backlash is simple – to produce a magazine about music that is actually about music, regardless of genre and with no consideration of the current trends or fashions. Music should be much more than just a way to be cool or fit in – it should mean something and it should be important in its own right, for the right reasons.

There are many great bands out there who have never had a chance because, the major labels are only interested in profits and mainstream magazines would rather feature bands who have the image. It’s this imbalance we hope to address.

This is what backlash is about, to write about music, be it good or bad, with a passion for, and only for, the music.

Hopefully the writing in backlash will reflect that passion and show that music journalism can be articulate, intelligent and well-written rather than self-righteous, supercilious and shoddy.

Each issue of backlash now comes with a free compilation CD called backlashed, which is designed to compliment the wide variety of music the magazine covers. Songs by Wolf Parade, Kinski, Jawbreaker, The Black Heart Procession, Screeching Weasel, Dawn of the Replicants, Bayside and The Audition have all appeared on backlashed compilations in the past. The next CD is in the process of being compiled, but will feature, among others, The Paper Chase, The Broken Letters, Kevin Seconds, My Sad Captains and many more.

For those demanding total backlash satisfaction, the backlash website (www.backlashmagazine.com) is live and running to sate music literature appetites and constructively fill the time between issues with all the reviews and interviews we just couldn’t fit into the magazine.

We’ll also endeavour to run as many competitions and give away as much cool shit as we can feasibly (legally?) get our mitts on. Interested? You should be.

Find us on myspace (www.myspace.com/backlashmagazine) on the main site (www.backlashmagazine.com) and join us on facebook too (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=20853219738)

Interested in writing for the site?
Drop Reef an email: sherief@backlashmagazine.com