Top image: photography by Michele Baron

Loose, the three-piece art collective behind such photography zines as Five Days in Los Angeles and Jeremy Corbyn, are back with their latest anthology, Lager.

As the name unashamedly suggests, this is a homage to the amber nectar, to cold ones and brewskis, as interpreted by the typically exciting line-up of emerging photographic talent tasked with capturing the theme.

“It’s something that people have shit loads of photos of,” the group explains. “Everybody shoots photos of their mates when they’re pissed so I figured it would be rich ground for a zine.” Rich ground indeed, with the new A5 publication showcasing the work of twenty-eight young photographers, including ink enthusiast Connor Weistein and Derry-based up and comer Megan Doherty, whose rich, lo-fi aesthetic has the fitting quality of evoking a sense of inebriation.

“Everybody shoots photos of their mates when they’re pissed so I figured it would be rich ground for a zine.”

As far as inspiration goes, the new zine was typically intuitive. Loose, to their credit, don’t really go in for pretentious references or press release waffle, but say it how it is. “I saw some graffiti that just said ‘LAGER’ and thought it was funny so I wrote it down in my phone and then a few weeks later decided to make the zine,” being a primary example of the straightforward honesty that gives their work such appeal.

And even though they might be reluctant to admit it, there’s a distinct Britishness that accompanies these photos, just as with their Jeremy Corbyn release. Far from making any kind of nationalist statement however, the images hint at the self deprecating absurdity that characterises this nations drinking habits. Does the zine say anything unique about our national identity? “Probably, but I don’t have a fucking clue about that.”

Lager is available for purchase for just £5 at loose.tictail.com