Dork, June 2023 (Ashnikko cover)

DOWN WITH BORING.

ISSUE 77 · JUNE 2023 · READDORK.COM

Ashnikko

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Issue 77 | June 2023 | readdork.com | Down With Boring

Hiya, Dear Reader. readdork.com

HAVE TO BE HONEST, when we first

decided to make Dork - back in the dark, distant past of 2016 - we didn’t ever really think we’d be putting the Jonas Brothers on the cover. Not because we wouldn’t have wanted to; we’ve always proudly proclaimed this is a Big Pop magazine. The idea was simply beyond the ridiculous.

Now, in 2023, it’s reality. An iconic phenomenon that have played a part in the musical journey of a whole generation of fans, they’re legitimately one of the biggest acts on the planet. Not bad, if we do say so ourselves. Also, ‘Waffle House’ is a bop.

But if we’re talking biggest bands on the planet, it’s time ‘the indie establishment’ fully woke up to Lovejoy. Another of this month’s cover stars, they’re already harnessing the kind of buzz and excitement that most established major festival headliners would rule out as an unrealistic ask. Millions of views, fans queuing around the block and fevered expectation for what comes next, they’re the real deal.

As is our final cover act Ashnikko. We’ve been waiting for their debut album for a while now, and it more than delivers. Bold, bombastic and unafraid to stand proud, it was worth the wait.

That’s not all we’re up to, though. We’re also starting to let you in on the first names for this summer’s edition of our big blowout party Dork’s Day Out. You’ll find the full update on page 16, but there’s so much more to come - including a headliner we’re really very excited about. More on that next issue. We’ll see you there.

Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Scribblers Abigail Firth, Dan Harrison, Finlay Holden, Jamie MacMillan, Jessica Goodman, Melissa Darragh, Neive McCarthy, Steven Loftin, Sam Taylor Snappers Alex Kurunis, Frances Beach, Holly Whitaker, Jamie MacMillan, Jennifer McCord, Julian Burgeño, Patrick Gunning, Sarah Louise Bennett, Willow Shields, Zachary Gray PUBLISHED FROM WELCOMETOTHEBUNKER.COM

UNIT 10, 23 GRANGE ROAD, HASTINGS, TN34 2RL

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COACH PARTY ALIX PAGE L DEVINE A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... MIYA FOLICK DEB NEVER DO NOTHING DORK’S DAY OUT THE LAST DINNER PARTY

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JONAS BROTHERS SQUID MCKENNA GRACE LOVEJOY DREAM WIFE

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TEMPS ASHNIKKO THE ACES

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All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of The Bunker Publishing Ltd. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which The Bunker Publishing Ltd holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of Dork or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions.

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‘Editor’ @stephenackroyd READDORK.COM 3.

INTRO. THE BEATING HEART OF POP NONSENSE.

100% or no

Wit CO

4. DORK

Half-arsing just wasn’t an option.

People will remember your debut album forever"

J E S S E AS T WO O D

othing

th their first full-length ‘KILLJOY’ on the horizon, OACH PARTY are ready to make some noise.

Words: Neive McCarthy. Photos: Patrick Gunning.

→ NAME A FESTIVAL, and the likelihood is that Coach Party have played it. Look at any of their line-ups, and you’ll find the Isle of Wight fourpiece lingering somewhere. Backto-back sets, ripping about on tour with every band under the sun and a stream of packs-a-punch singles, Coach Party have quickly cemented themselves as one of the most hotlytipped bands around. Rightly so, too.

They’ve well and truly honed their craft on the live circuit, but as all bands need to, it was time to enter a new chapter. Jess, Steph, Joe and Guy dropped ‘Micro-Aggression’ in February, a roaring beast of a track that, unbeknownst to all of us at the time, signified a new era for the band.

At long last, it was debut album time.

It has no doubt been a long time coming, but finding that time proved difficult. Sandwiched in between unmissable support slots and racing against the clock, the beginning of this year saw the band bunker down and get to work. Enter ‘KILLJOY’.

“We gigged so much last year that there was physically no time,” Jess, the band’s figurehead, sits cross-legged over Zoom. “The time we did have, we got confirmed for this Wet Leg tour.

We knew we had to take this tour that eats massively into our album time and just blood, sweat and tears it in January and February. We were all feeling intense. We all felt differently, but we all felt the pressure. At the end of it, it was in a good way. Thank the lord, it’s done. The label even were probably like, thank god – we couldn’t do with the trauma of it being pushed back any more.”

‘Micro-Aggression’ was ultimately the first introduction to ‘KILLJOY’, but is now joined by brand new single ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’. Together, the two introduce a side to Coach Party we have perhaps never seen blaze so ferociously. Between the two, there’s a pattern emerging for what we might expect from the band’s debut album.

Wildly fierce guitars, equally biting lyrics, an incendiary attitude – both singles have it all and had to have it all from their very conception.

“Me and Guy were in the house, doing a vocal take,” Jess recalls about the making of ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’.

“I did one, and it just wasn’t hitting. I was like, ‘Let me do it again; let me do the whole song again’. I did, and I was dancing about throughout the whole vocal take, and that was immediately just the one. This was the energy for it – bratty and super energetic. Those two songs, in particular, although probably all of them, they have to be 100% or nothing. You’re not getting away with even doing 95% - you have to pound it in the face.”

That particular vibe has definitely lingered at the edges of Coach Party’s earlier releases, but on their latest, it is dialled up to the max. There’s no room for anything lacklustre, nor is there room to keep anything bottled up. It’s a pure exorcism of emotions in every shade and hue. This was a

READDORK.COM 5.

INTRO

Songs have to be 100% or nothing. You’re not getting away with even doing 95% you have to pound it in the face" J E S S E AS T WO O D

project Coach Party had to attack with everything they had.

“Even the label were like: ‘You guys need to put out a fucking album and do it so well’,” Jess laughs. “What helps us and what motivates us to make sure we’re doing it right is our live shows.

They are going well, and we have some great shows coming up this year. It feels like we’re doing 100 on the live side, so we need to make sure the album reflects that. Half-arsing just wasn’t an option.

People will remember your debut album forever. Two, three albums in, they’ll be saying it wasn’t as good as the first. You need to make sure that when they do that, it’s because it’s such a good album.”

From the word go, Coach Party have committed to making this an era. From the skeletal bones of the artwork to the grungy cheerleader video for ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’, there’s a real rock star world at play for the band. “We didn’t want it to look cringey,” says Jess. “But rock music, with dancers, isn’t visited that much. Dan Broadley has always been our director, and he knows how to make you look good. I know videos aren’t too important these days; they’re not as watched as they once were.

But I think having the visual side to a song is still so powerful and important.”

The video sees them smash and shred their way through the track, bristling with fury and abandoning any cares with each brandishing of a baseball bat. They throw their all into their anger, letting it all out, as the track ultimately invites them to.

“The lyrics for ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’ just fell out,” explains Jess. “I was freestyling in the rehearsal room; the melody and the structure of it were there.

In the chorus, I sang, ‘All I wanna do is hate’, and then the verses just wrote themselves. That lends from the chorus being so angry – it was like, cool, what else are we angry about?”

Letting themselves feel the full extent of their feelings, whether pleasant or otherwise, proved crucial. They needed to open themselves up and pour everything into ‘KILLJOY’ – as Jess assures, you only get one debut album.

This had to be levels above all that had

6. DORK

come before, and achieving that without being open and true to themselves would’ve proved an impossible mission.

“We were like, we’re making a fucking album. We have to make this album with the mindset that millions of people are going to hear it. It’s going to be nominated for all these things, and it’s going to reach its highest potential. Guy especially really embodied that, and I feel that from the finished product. I feel very proud of it, and every song is so cool.”

With the knowledge that this needed to be a step up, the best thing they’d ever made, Coach Party looked to their much-celebrated live sets and sought to capture the angsty, insatiable energy of those on record. ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’ simmers with a need to be shouted at the top of your lungs, which

is seemingly exactly what the band were aiming for.

“We definitely consider what we’re putting in the studio into our live things.

Sometimes, we’ll restrict ourselves on track because we can’t recreate it live. Most of the time, though, we’re like, ‘Fuck it, no, let’s put it in the track because it sounds good’. We’ll find ways to put it in the track live. Lyrically, you write from the heart, but you still write it with the intention that you want people to hear it and be screaming it back at you.”

Before those songs are unleashed into the world in September, however, the band have a big summer ahead.

Packed with immense support slots, stadium shows and their own headline tour to look forward to in the autumn, the present is the epitome of the calm

before the storm for Coach Party.

“We’re all really ready for it. We’ve had two months off, and I am getting used to this normal life, and that’s not good.

When I start having three meals a day, going to bed at 9… It isn’t a bad thing; I’ve been loving it. But god, I need to start gigging. Sometimes I think I’d love a 9 to 5, cooking dinner every night and watching my favourite programmes and going out for walks. But when I’m doing that, I know I want to be out doing gigs.”

Thankfully, there will be no shortage of those for Coach Party. As ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’ brings its fiery descent unto the universe, Coach Party prepare to gear up for what might be the craziest year of their musical careers yet. This can only be the beginning. ■ Coach Party’s debut album ‘KILLJOY’ is out 8th September.

INTRO

→ GETTING LOST IN memories is

8. DORK

I wouldn’t want to have any other fanbase than young girls who have gone through the same things and appreciate the same things"

With her compelling second EP ‘Goose,’ ALIX PAGE delivers a heartfelt and introspective journey through growth, maturity, and self-discovery.

A L I X PAG E

Words: Neive McCarthy.

second nature to some of us. Trying to decipher what we truly miss amongst the haze of nostalgia is nigh on impossible, and that’s a feeling Alix Page knows all too well. “I wanna do it again,” she sings on ‘Automatic’, the first single from her second EP, ‘Goose’.

Deep down, though, she knows she can’t. A couple of years ago, when she was writing her first EP, ‘Old News’, it’s something she perhaps wouldn’t have considered. Yet, now she’s back with a new perspective – ‘Goose’ sees a sage wisdom blossom and develop into some of her best music yet.

“I’ve grown up a lot,” Alix shares. “I was 19 when we recorded ‘Old News’, versus 20 almost 21 with this. Last year was a huge year for me, there was so much touring, and I definitely grew up a lot and became more independent, and better at communicating. That plays a part in this music for sure, which is really exciting.”

Her first EP, a support slot with Gracie Abrams that saw the Californianative venture to the UK and Europe, and a smattering of headline shows all conduced to a year filled with realisations, maturity and acceptance.

‘Goose’ arrives as a result of that, a fivetrack exploration of Alix’s world in full, technicolour detail.

“This one feels a lot more mature to me. ‘Toothache’ and ‘How Could I’ are some of my most mature songs yet,” decides Alix. “It also feels more fun. It’s a weird thing where you’ve grown past dramatising something and gone to accepting and laughing about it.”

The fresh-faced Alix we meet on the cover of ‘Old News’ no doubt had a tendency to linger in what could have beens and what still might be – envisioning what things might turn out like when she’s 25, lamenting that things “haven’t changed all that much / but I’m dying to”. It seems her wishes came true – having gone through the classic early twenties rites of passage (read: getting bangs), she emerges with a new perspective that affords her sound a newfound richness, too.

More assured, more willing to see her own faults, more final; the Alix we’re re-introduced to on ‘Goose’ is set to slide out of her comfort zone and address everything head-on.

Still, that haze of the past lingers as thick as ever. Now, though, Alix has the lessons she’s learnt to help her to navigate that heavy mist. On ‘Goose’, the narrative has changed.

“A lot of the times, I get confused when I’m missing home or missing high school,” Alix recognises. “Do I actually miss them, or do I just miss high school and pre-COVID times and my hometown? ‘4Runner’ is the thesis of that battle. ‘Automatic’ acknowledges that no, we’re not going to do this again, we can’t. ‘How Could I’ in the same way is very realistic and lays everything out super truthfully. It’s acknowledging: why would I do that to myself again?

There’s definitely a battle there of what feels comfortable and what just feels familiar.”

Another facet of Alix’s musical world that has quickly become both familiar and, at times, unnerving is her own authenticity and honesty. Currently in the throes of balancing finals and college classes with tours and EP

releases, a journalism elective sparked a conclusion about the reasoning for even doing all this in the first place.

“We’ve been thinking a lot about the truth and what that means. One of my professors was an investigative journalist, who has a Nobel Prize for his work in Ghana. He’s insane. Someone asked him: are you ever afraid of what you’re going to publish for fear of people’s feelings or exposing too much? He said he thinks honesty is the highest form of loyalty and telling the truth is that. I realised I have a job to do, and it’s a loyalty to my fans and to myself to tell the truth and always try to speak from the heart. I think that will sit with me for the rest of my life, truly.”

The truth she tells always seems to resonate with her fans, luckily. A legion of thoughtful and sweet listeners, who even brought party hats to a show on Alix’s birthday last year, they’re living these moments in tandem with Alix a lot of the time. “I wouldn’t want to have any other fanbase than young girls who have gone through the same things and appreciate the same things.”

“At the heart of it, I’m a woman going through the same things and who has gone through the same things that every 16-year-old has gone through.

At the end of the day, my story will be similar to every girl who was 16 once.

We’ve all been heartbroken by that one guy, and we’ve all gone through certain things together. We all came from the same places and the same things.”

The vision she wished to be brought to life is, at its core, a piece of Alix – a statement of her growth so far, and her growth to come. There’s no shyness or regret, just a commitment to being true and honest despite what may come of it. This is a snapshot in time for who Alix is right now, and to bare witness to that is a pleasure. “I feel like with me what you see is what you get,” Alix concludes. “I’m never going to be the pop star to put on a costume or anything. It’s always going to be me at the forefront of it. For that reason, I feel like it always has to come from me and from the truth. Even though it is scary, I think it’s worth it and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” ■ Alix Page’s new EP ‘Goose’ is out now.

PUSH IT DOWN It’s been a minute, but L DEVINE is back! Back!! Back!!! With a brand new track, ‘Push It Down’, she’s refreshed, rejuvenated, and determined to be an artist on her own terms.

→ L DEVINE HAS been taking a bit of

10. DORK

Words: Finlay Holden.

downtime following a series of charged pop hits, with her two 2021 ‘Near Life Experience’ EPs providing ample evidence of a musician with ambition and talent to spare. Having taken a step back to reassess her trajectory, Liv is armed with a new arsenal and prepared to deliver a freshly honed vision.

“The things that have changed for me personally have massively impacted my writing, my work and my career,” she explains of the necessary reinvention. “I moved back home, away from London, left the label that I was with, changed management… for a while, it was just me on my own back in my hometown making music. It felt like everything got stripped right back to where I started from, which turned out to be exactly what I needed; the music I’m making now is the most authentic I’ve ever felt. I feel like kid Liv again in the best way possible.”

The journey towards finding her identity as an artist has been complex, a road with twists and turns along the way but bookended by her North East roots.

Once desperate to get a foot in the pop door within a region dominated by indie rock, Liv’s time surrounded by industry figures in the big smoke quickly became overwhelming.

“I thought I needed my hand held by people who really knew what they were doing,” she reflects. “I took a lot from those experiences, but I think I didn’t completely have a confident idea of myself; it’s rare that you do when you’re 19. I’m steering the ship now, and it’s really exciting.”

Finding her own feet and building up to a sprint, the major label experience unwittingly gave Devine everything she needed to pursue things on her own.

Establishing a portfolio of bangers on Warner Records, the singer has now moved to AWAL, where a close-knit team are backing the intent of an autonomous creative capable of navigating her own steps forward. “I’ve learned my craft and absorbed everything I possibly could like an absolute sponge, and now I’m able to make these huge tunes downstairs in my flat.”

Thankfully, she wasn’t alone throughout this transitionary period – bandmate, producer and newfound BFF Julien Flew has been the co-pilot on this crazy solo mission, and his invigorating energy was a timely gift. “He seemed so open to me doing my thing and let me lead him, trusting my opinion, which is just what I needed,” she describes fondly.

Marking a refreshing change-up after “speed-dating” session musicians, the relatively new studio professional was eager to establish a working relationship where the pair could delve deep into new waters together. As such, the duo’s upcoming output dives far below any agreeable surface and explores the sides of Liv previously filtered out.

As she illustrates herself, “when you’re writing a song, everyone has the idea that they want to be super vulnerable, but it’s hard to do that when you’re working with a dude you met four hours ago. You can’t

help but think, ‘this person doesn’t want to hear about my inner chatter of self-hate; it’d be weird to dump it on them’. With Julien, I dump away.”

The first proof of this mental outpouring comes in the form of ‘Push It Down’, a song kicking off a new era for L Devine. Far from the affirmatory vein she has mined from with tracks such as ‘Girls Like Sex’, this exciting new cut shows Liv accepting all aspects of who she is, including the negatives.

“In pop music, people want you to create songs that’ll make everyone feel happy and confident. I’m a queer artist, and I think it’s very much expected of us; we always have to be empowering, selfaffirming, sex-positive… but I don’t feel like that a whole lot, if I’m being honest. In a way, a lot of my self-deprecating material is a more real representation of the queer experience.”

‘Push It Down’ ditches false pretences and taps into inner rage with a chorus “all about repressed emotions - certainly something the queer community will massively understand. I’ll never shy away

I’m steering the ship now, and it’s really exciting" L DEVINE

from the fact that I make pop music; I’m meticulous in honing pop melodies and rhymes, I love that side of it, but I never wanted to shy away from the lyrically heavier stuff.”

With all this talk of pop, the natural instrumentation of this single comes as a surprise. Julien’s guitarist tendencies have triggered a “consistent fusion” of electronic and rock sounds, with ‘Push It Down’ embracing the latter to match the

emotional journey detailed lyrically.

“People are gonna think I’m gearing towards a heavy guitar record,” she jests.

“This is the one where it does lean into that most. It starts with these really soft acoustic guitars, keeping everything under the surface before I can’t take it anymore, and it erupts into the heavy chorus.”

“It’s a situationship anthem,” she continues, but it’s evident that the focus remains very much on herself. “People sometimes say my songs feel like a relationship story, but they’re not at all – none of these songs are about the people that broke my heart; it’s focused on what was revealed about me.” Not a love story, but a Liv story, then.

Returning after two years with a fresh approach might scare or excite some, but a grounded L Devine has learned “not to anticipate anything. The thing I’m excited about is putting music out there and redefining myself as an artist. It’s a chance to tell people who I truly am, how I think and how I sound. That’s what I’m excited to share.” ■ L Devine’s new single ‘Push It Down’ is out now.

N GEORGIA HARMER TUE 16 MAY THE WAITING ROOM

THE NATIONAL TUE 26 SEPSOLD OUT WED 27 SEP ALEXANDRA PALACE

BLONDSHELL WED 24 MAYOLD OUT MOTH CLUBS

SKINNY PELEMBE WED 11 OCT SCALA

FLASHER TUE 30 MAY SEBRIGHT ARMS

BLONDSHELL WED 1 NOV LAFAYETTE

THE BIG MOON WED 31 MAY ROUNDHOUSE

DOG RACE THU 9 NOV THE WAITING ROOM

ANDY SHAUF THU 1 JUNE HACKNEY EMPIRE

EGYPTIAN BLUE THU 9 NOV 100 CLUB

CRUSHED TUE 18 JULY THE SOCIAL

BC CAMPLIGHT THU 23 NOV O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE

GIRLPUPPY FRI 21 JULY FOLKLORE BOYGENIUS SUN 20 AUG D OUT SOL PARK GUNNERSBURY

MOIN WED 29 NOV STUDIO 9294 LANKUM WED 13 DEC ROUNDHOUSE

PARALLELLINESPROMOTIONS.COM

INTRO

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

MIYA FOLICK

You know what’s easier than following around your fave pop stars, day in, day out, to see what they’re up to right that minute? Asking them. This month, Miya Folick lets us in on what she’s up to.

3:00AM → I am awake because the person in the hotel room next to me seems to be having a party.

The walls are paper thin, so rather than an indistinguishable din, I can hear everything they are saying.

They just decided to get pizza cheese and pepperoni. I put on ‘Soundly Sleeping, Pt. 3’ by Brain.

FM on Tidal. This is my sleep music of the moment. But it doesn’t work its usual magic. I am still awake at 4am.

7:00AM → I wake up to my alarm.

And then fall back asleep.

8:00AM → I wake up, drink water, and put on my running clothes. I haven’t decided where I’m going to run today, but my runs on tour are either exploratory or nostalgic. Because I pass through the same cities many times, I usually have places that I like to go, and it’s comforting to have a bit of familiarity. I often stay in the downtown or Bed-Stuy areas of Brooklyn, so I have a bit of a routine here. Today I jog to Otway bakery and order a mini babka and a coffee to stay. I always prefer my coffee in a ceramic mug. I’m usually a cardamom bun girl, but I deviate because why not? Then, I sit in the shop and do a little work on my phone - responding to emails, lastminute prep for the show, posting on socials etc.

8:40AM → I leave Otway and jog to Prospect Park. It’s late April, so

12. DORK

the park is absolute heaven. I don’t have a particular route; I just let myself get a little lost. Greenery is my Prozac and my friend, and my lifeblood. I love to hear the birds and watch the bird watchers. I love to see the trees in bloom and the tulips in the wind. My body is tired today, probably because I have been on the road for two months.

So, I take it slow. I run a little over 8 miles.

11:30AM → I have herbed eggs and cheese and bread at a spot called Miriam’s. I am very hungry and eat very quickly. While I eat, I post a photo of me with Aly&AJ. We just finished off a tour together, and I miss them already! I also start yesterday’s crossword puzzle but don’t finish it.

12:30PM → I’ve showered and changed now. I head to Fort Greene Park with my backpack and laptop because I want to work outside! My record comes out at the end of next month, so there’s a lot to get done.

3:00PM → We arrive at the venue and load all our stuff in. It’s always fun to meet the staff and say hello to all the people you’ll be working with that day. It’s one of the best things about touring. You have your own core crew, but there’s also a local crew every day.

4:00PM → Soundcheck! I love long soundchecks because you get to fuck around and jam a little.

7:00PM → Doors open, and I sit in the green room and write the setlist. I often write the setlist kind of last minute, but I just like to feel out my own vibe. I want a set list that flows well and works dynamically, but I’m also thinking about which guitar I’m playing in each song and making sure that I’m not switching guitars more often than I have to. I change into my stage clothes and do my makeup and warm up my voice.

8:30AM → Show! I love playing music. It’s just good. I don’t know what else to say. We have a lot of fun.

10:00PM → I sign merch and hang for a bit. Then I eat a cold impossible burger that was delivered much earlier, but I wasn’t able to eat. I hug my team and send everyone on their way. And then we head back to the hotel to sleep.

I wash my face and brush my teeth and write this little piece you’re reading right now because it’s due tomorrow!! I hope to be asleep by 1am, but it’s looking like it’ll be closer to 2! That’s my whole day. It was a good one.

Miya Folick’s album ‘Roach’ is out 26th May.

With an unapologetic embrace of her individuality – and her new EP ‘Thank You For Attending’ – DEB NEVER is taking centre stage.

→ “I’VE ALWAYS HAD this world

DEB NEVER

Words: Ali Shutler.

I don’t want to conform to what you think I am"

that I wanted to create with my debut album,” explains Deb Never. “I know what I want to talk about, I know what I want to do, and hopefully, it’ll take everyone by surprise.”

Before that, though, she’s got a couple more tricks up her sleeve. Her ‘Thank You For Attending’ EP is out now, following on from the release of lead single ‘Momentary Sweetheart’ back in February. “It’s a more evolved version of the past projects but also a step into the album where I can show off another side of me,” she explains.

Deb describes her string of previous releases – 2019’s breakout EP ‘House On Wheels’, introspective lockdown record ‘Intermission’ and 2021’s brilliant ‘Where Have All The Flowers Gone’ as “appetisers” for what’s to come next. “I didn’t just want to show off all my cards at once,” she reasons.

And the original plan was to follow ‘Flowers’ with an album. However, after a period of change, Deb felt like there would be “a chunk of music missing” if she ploughed ahead with a full-length. “It didn’t feel fair to the fans. I want everyone to grow with me as I’m experimenting in real-time.”

The bulk of ‘Thank You For Attending’ was written over the course of one week last summer, and you can hear that in the urgent, boundless music. “It feels good to release it now it’s getting warmer,” she says, apologising for a nearby lawnmower. “The sun’s coming out, which makes you want to lay in the park or go out and have a good time with your friends.”

As we’ve come to expect from Deb, the six tracks pull from all over. Familiar nods to emo, R&B and hyperpop are given a reworking while there’s a new focus on “organic instruments”. That came about after Deb went back and listened to nostalgic acts like The Smashing Pumpkins and The Strokes. “I wasn’t listening to it for research. I just got overstimulated, so listening to something familiar was a comfort thing.” Songs also take heavy influence from The Prodigy and 90s UK garage and jungle.

Lyrically as well, ‘Thank You For Attending’ blends the known with the unknown. Rather than introspective angst, this record reflects the “love life stuff” Deb was experiencing at the time. It tells a complete story from “that feeling of butterflies when you first meet somebody new, and it’s nothing but

fun and rainbows because you’re Fike, Clairo, Omar Apollo and happy and comfortable” to the acknowledging there are so many inevitable downfall when you “realise others as well. it was just a fling. Then you have the “I like to challenge myself and do whole crisis of the breakup and what things that I haven’t done before,” comes next,” she says with a grin. she says of her approach to music.

Still, there’s a sense of joy across “Keeping people on their toes keeps the EP that’s impossible not to get me on my toes. It just makes the caught up in. whole thing more exciting, doesn’t it?”

“There’s an ongoing joke between We’re not going to argue with that. my friends and I that no matter how Unlike a lot of new artists, though, hard I try to make a happy song, it there’s an air of mystery around Deb always just ends up sounding sad,” Never. She hasn’t revealed her age, says Deb, who eventually learnt to no one knows her last name, and stop overthinking things. “There we’re pretty sure she’s never shared were definitely moments last summer a picture of her lunch on socials. where I was really happy and wanted “It’s so funny being called to make music about that. I focused mysterious because I’m not trying more on off-the-cuff honesty.” to be. I just don’t feel like I need to Throughout the interview and explain myself beyond my music, across ‘Thank You For Attending’, really.” there are glimpses of Deb’s newfound Still, Deb has spoken about the confidence. “I’m more comfortable struggles she faced getting into the with what I make. I’m less focused music industry. As she previously on what other people will think,” she told Dazed, “being Asian, growing up says at one point. “There’s a part of poor with an immigrant mom, being me that was always so scared about a girl, being gay... there are so many being misunderstood that I would different things that work against constantly try and explain myself me.” and my music. With this EP, though, “It’s important to talk about I don’t want to even suggest what because it’s representation,” Debs someone should take from it,” she explains today. “Growing up, I never reasons later. saw musicians that look like me “This EP is me saying, ‘I know make music like me - whether that’s who I am’. I don’t know if it’s more because of my race or because of confidence or less giving a fuck,” she my sexual orientation,” she explains. offers. “Maybe it’s both.”

“There’s a lot of factors that worked Deb Never started releasing against me, and I never realised how music in 2018 after some friendly that affected me until recently.” encouragement from her friends.

“Now, though, I’m seeing so many Pretty quickly, she’d appeared on other artists, so many women, and so tracks by Brockhampton, Lava La many of my peers who are just killing Rue and Biig Piig and opened for the it. It makes me emotional, but it also likes of The 1975, Omar Apollo and makes me feel powerful.”

Mura Masa.

She admits she still gets “so That success “does change your perspective,” admits Deb. As soon as surprised” that people are resonating with her music. “That’s not from a a song or a project does well, there’s lack of belief in myself either, but pressure to follow it up. “You’re because that means there are a lot constantly asking yourself, ‘do I more people like me in the world. It make something similar, or continue down the path?’ But instinctually, you goes back to growing up feeling isolated and not feeling represented. always know [if a song feels right].”

I still carry that with me.“ Deb is part of a wave of exciting It’s not something that she’s new artists creating music outside talked about with her music just yet, of traditional genre lines. “There’s but it’s something that she’s been something fun about people not exploring recently as she looks to being able to guess what’s coming next beyond it being cohesive,” grins that debut. “I feel like I do have a lot to say; I just want it to be presented Deb, who’s been called everything the right way.” from emo-rap to bubblegrunge Deb might not want to tell people via bedroom pop. “I don’t want to what meaning they take from conform to what you think I am.” each song, but this project, she “In 50 years, people will look back explains, is all about “that sense of at this moment in time and see something important was happening. empowerment.” ■ Deb Never’s new EP ‘THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING’ It feels like a movement,” she continues, listing peers like Dominic is out now.

READDORK.COM 13.

INTRO

→ REJOICE. DO NOTHING have

Writing this album has made us accept that sometimes, you don’t have complete control over everything"

14. DORK

Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Patrick Gunning.

announced their long-awaited debut album. Following a pair of brilliant, personality-driven EPs (2021’s ‘Glueland’ and 2020’s ‘Zero Dollar Bill’), ‘Snake Sideways’ is out on 30th June, and comes ahead of a mammoth headline tour of the UK and Europe. Oh, and according to vocalist Chris Bailey, it was a fucking nightmare to write.

Do Nothing started writing music together a decade ago, shortly after the four members left school, and had a singular goal: to be in a band. With that one ticked off the ol’ bucket list by way of playing their first gig, Do Nothing set their sights on loftier, less tangible goals.

“We just want to do the best thing possible,” says Chris. On Debut EP ’Zero Dollar Bill’, that was elastic post-punk that paired ferocity with smirking quips, while ‘Glueland’ was murkier and atmospheric. ‘Snake Sideways’ is “quite different” to what’s come before, but it’s just Proving good things come to those who wait, DO NOTHING are finally about as exciting, even if Chris reckons to drop their debut album ‘Snake Sideways’. “people might be surprised by how mellow a lot of it is though.”

For years, the band had a loose vision for what their debut album would be. In 2021, deliberately antagonise certainly your self-worth and me telling that sort of belonged in a box Chris told us, “I want ours to didn’t help matters either. myself it’ll be ok,” he continues, together. be a statement in itself, rather “Annoyance is basically a explaining how he wrote a “At some point, though, you all than just be a representation of commodity nowadays,” he bulk of the lyrics when he was have to wander out on your own. our early years,” but he laughs explains. “People will try and at his worst with his mental Everybody goes and makes their when we bring that up today. wind others up because that health. They’re “more earnest own thing of it. It’s been long “Naturally, things never end up gets them interactions. The and less jovial” than previous enough since that initial postlike you imagined they would,” releases, but there’s still humour point, a lot of the time, is to get punk crest that now is the time he explains. a rise out of you. How do you throughout the record. “It’s just people will really start wiggling Sitting down to bring their respond to that?” he asks. more glib and poking fun at off in different directions, vision to life, Chris found that Musically, Do Nothing’s debut yourself,” he says. which is cool and exciting. The things didn’t come as easily as album takes heavy inspiration Despite the very specific important thing is not to die with they had in the past. “I became from the rough and ready music pressures that come from the wave.” overly self-critical. I felt like I of Tom Waits. “Some songs on trying to write a debut album, Later this year, Do Nothing was letting the rest of the band the album are swung, which is Do Nothing’s ‘Snake Sideways’ head out on tour to bring ‘Snake down,” he says. Things only got something a lot of post-punk is never self-indulgent. “The Sideways’ to life. worse as well. “I started worrying thing I try and above everything bands stay away from. They opt The band have had to recruit that if I couldn’t write the album, for things being straight, fast else is, make sure there’s room a fifth member to play the new the band would end. I’ve been a and repetitive instead,” said in the songs for people to songs live while Chris is feeling guy in a band since I left school, Chris, adding that electronic see themselves,” says Chris. “apprehensive” about headlining and without it, I’d have to rely on “Just because it’s inspired by bands like Underworld also big ol’ shows at London’s Koko just being a person.” influenced them. The result is something super personal, it and Nottingham’s Rock City.

“It’s a common trait with something intricate, confident doesn’t mean it can’t resonate “We headlined Islington anxiety; the fact you’re freaking and sure of itself. “I certainly with others.”

Assembly Hall in 2021, and out freaks you out more,” he didn’t feel ballsy at the time,” Take new single ‘Amoeba’. “It being in a grand hall like that explains. Instead of glossing admits Chris, who’s avoiding doesn’t come across as the just worked. We like the idea CHRIS BAILEY over his struggles, he decided thinking about the album but dourest one, but it’s about being of these grand affairs. People to explore those messy, starting work on what comes at the complete bottom of the have obviously been waiting a Fontaines D.C. - bands who take complicated feelings. “Not next. barrel, with no energy to do while for the album, so it feels influence from the resurgent everything is perfect right away. anything.”

“My favourite records are only right we do a big thing to post-punk scene but aren’t You need to put the work in,” he ones that you keep coming Written after Chris moved in celebrate. We might as well take afraid of trying something new. says. The result is a record that’s with his partner, he would often back to. Lots of albums are just a swing at it and try our best to “I think we’re maybe less a part intricate, messy and beautiful. chunks of immediate stuff, and find himself “laying on the sofa, make a great evening out of it. If of that scene now,” admits Chris. it works, it’ll be great. So why not Embracing the struggle, that’s great, but we wanted feeling like a piece of shit while “When we started out, we’d ‘Snake Sideways’ lives in those more,” he adds. she went out to be a productive give it a go?” ■ Do Nothing’s constantly be sharing bills with areas of frenzied thinking, says Do Nothing’s debut album member of society.” Being album ‘Snake Sideways’ is out other post-punk bands, and all Chris. “A lot of it is to do with bombarded with news articles on follows in the footsteps of 30th June. Their new single of us were making something aspirations, where you place Yard Act, PVA, Jockstrap, and TV and online that were out to ‘Amoeba’ is out now.

END OF WORLD UK TOUR SEPTEMBER 2023 11 SWANSEA PATTI PAVILION 12 MARGATE DREAMLAND 13 LINCOLN THE ENGINE SHED 15 BLACKBURN KING GEORGE’S HALL 16 BUCKLEY THE TIVOLI 18 SUNDERLAND THE FIRE STATION 19 ABERDEEN BEACH BALLROOOM 21 EDINBURGH O2 ACADEMY 22 MANCHESTER O2 RITZ 23 HOLMFIRTH THE PICTUREDROME 25 COVENTRY HMV EMPIRE 26 BRIGHTON CHALK 28 BRISTOL O2 ACADEMY 29 TORQUAY THE FOUNDRY 30 LONDON O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN PILOFFICIAL.COM An academy events and friends presentation by arrangement with Runway

New album End Of World COMING SOON

77 - 83

OF

GANG

FOUR

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

TEENAGE DADS MAY 18 LIVERPOOL O2 ACADEMY* 20 BOURNEMOUTH THE OLD FIRE STATION* 23 CAMBRIDGE MASH* 24 CARDIFF THE GLOBE* 28 EDINBURGH LA BELLE ANGELE* 29 NEWCASTLE BOILER SHOP*

31 LONDON O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN* AUGUST 29 GLASGOW SWG3 (TV STUDIO) SEPTEMBER 03 BRISTOL O2 ACADEMY 04 BIRMINGHAM O2 INSTITUTE 05 SOUTHAMPTON ENGINE ROOMS

BURNHAM KING LEE PAJO 2023

UK TOUR PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

(LUSH/PIROSHKA)

plus special guest

30TH SEP LEEDS O2 ACADEMY 1ST OCT EDINBURGH O2 ACADEMY 2ND OCT NEWCASTLE BOILER SHOP 4TH OCT MANCHESTER O2 RITZ

5TH OCT BIRMINGHAM O2 INSTITUTE 6TH OCT LONDON O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE 7 TH OCT BRISTOL O2 ACADEMY

UK TOUR JULY 2023 14 LONDON O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire 15 BRISTOL O2 Academy 16 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz 18 GLASGOW O2 Academy 19 NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms thewhitebuffalo.com

AN ACADEMY EVENTS AND CLUB.THE.MAMMOTH. PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH 33 & WEST

An Academy Events & friends presentation by arrangement with ITB

New album ‘Year Of The Dark Horse’ out now

WEDNESDAY 8th NOVEMBER 2023 O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE LONDON AN ACADEMY EVENTS PRESENTATION

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“LOVE IS STILL ALIVE” EP OUT NOW!

THE PERFUME OF DECAY U.K. TOUR

E EXCLUSIV

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SHO

plus special guests

OCTOBER 20. Brighton, England 21. Stoke on Trent, England 22. Birmingham, England 23. Gloucester, England 24. Oxford, England 26. Nottingham, England 27. London, England 28. Milton Keynes, England 30. Bristol, England 31. Sheffield, England NOVEMBER 1. Newcastle upon Tyne, England 2. Glasgow, Scotland 4. Leeds, England 5. Manchester, England 6. Cambridge, England 7. Portsmouth, England An Academy Events and Live Nation presentation by arrangement with Primary Talent International

LIVE MUSIC, FROM DORK

Dork’s Day Out is back!

Pixey

We’re heading back to Signature Brew Blackhorse Road this August for another day of top class entertainment. → Just like we told you last month, Dork’s

Day Out is back for a second year this summer, and we’re able to share with you the first wave of names.

Bringing together some of our favourite bands, DJs and more at

16. DORK

London’s Signature Brew Blackhorse Road, it’ll take place on Saturday, 5th August.

There, we’ll be joined by the first three acts from the 2023 line-up - Courting, Honeyglaze and Pixey. They’ll be joined by more in the coming weeks, as well as

our Really Very Good headliner.

If you want to make sure you’re there, head to Dice now. Tickets are on sale now at the very reasonable £15.50 plus booking fee each. For a full day of bands, cold drinks and good times, it’s a bargain.

Honeyglaze

bar italia

new album 19 may

BI

time C

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THE

Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Patrick Gunning.

G TRA

The Last Dinner Party have finally dropped their debut track, and it’s Absolutely Fucking Massive.

K

→ THE LAST DINNER PARTY played

THE

BI

Party

G T R AC

THE BEST NEW MUSIC, 24/7/365

The Last Dinner Party

Nothing Matters

→ Hyperbole is dangerous stuff, Dear Reader, so let’s spoon it all over this - quite probably one of the best debut singles in an age. A swooning, bombastic statement of intent, it’s a bit Kate Bush, a bit ABBA, a bit Florence and a whole load of indie brilliance. Kickstarting debate and confusion from The Borings all over social media (Jesus wept guys, it’s just a really great song), we’ve got something properly special on our hands here.

18. DORK

their first-ever live gig a little over 18 months ago, and since then, they’ve racked up support slots with The Rolling Stones and Benee while bootleg YouTube videos of their own headline shows have been watched by tens of thousands of people. Not bad for a band who have never released a song.

Well, until now. The Last Dinner Party’s debut single ‘Nothing Matters’ has just landed. Despite the dizzying amount of hype surrounding things, though, the five-piece aren’t nervous about sharing it with the world.

“It’s a bop,” explains guitarist/vocalist Lizzie before lead vocalist Abigail adds that the track “slaps”.

“We wanted to come out with a bang,” says bassist Georgia. “We want to always be a band that you can’t really pin down, so none of the other singles sound like this one. But this is a great banger to start off with.” Their album is finished, but The Last Dinner Party want to set the stage first.

‘Nothing Matters’ is, according to Abigail, “the truest love song I could have written at the time. I wanted to capture that sense of unbridled, untamed love that’s also a little perverse. I set out to write the best love song I could, and this is what we ended up with.”

Full of “Americana vibes”, the band liken the track to Nicolas Cage film Wild At Heart. “It’s got that energy of a runaway horse in a desert,” says Abigail.

What about musical influences? “The songs take more inspiration from cinema and how they feel than bands,” says Georgia. “It’s more nebulous than saying ‘let’s do a shoegaze song’.”

The Last Dinner Party formed like a lot of groups do - five friends attended a bunch of gigs and wanted to do something similar. “We wanted to look like we were having more fun than some of the bands we’d seen at the Windmill, though,” says Georgia with a smirk while a formative moment for Abigail came while watching Lucia And The Best Boys. “I was in awe of her,” she explains.

“Seeing this really fucking powerful woman who was also incredibly kind and joyful was really inspiring.”

Lockdown meant that the first couple of years of The Last Dinner Party’s existence were a bit of a struggle. “It was so demoralising having one practice, then not being able to see each other for three months,” says Lizzie. There was also a period where the band would just play ‘Burn Alive’ over and over because they “couldn’t get past that first song.”

They persevered, though, and now “everything really feels like it’s in its right place,” says Georgia. “After the tumultuous beginnings, it feels like

The era of maximalism is upon us"

CMAT

Whatever’s Inconvenient → CMAT’s quest for global pop domination continues with her first song from her forthcoming second album, and it’s very, very CMAT - just how we like it.

There’s always a sense of

Rachel Chinouriri Ribs

→ Rachel Chinouriri has not-soquietly been putting together a catalogue of absolute bops of late - but ‘Ribs’ is right up there with the best of them. With an innate skill for infectious, brain-bubbling indie brilliance, it’s yet another sign we’ve got a future megastar on our hands here.

Lava La Rue Renegade

→ Every artist has a moment that stops you

RK O

→ Things are going pretty sweet for the (correctly) self-declared ‘greatest band in the world’ right now. Opening for Taylor Swift on her massive The Eras Tour, playing their own sold-out headline runs, and dropping absolute solid gold bops like ‘The One That Got Away’. 5 stars. Full marks. Flawless.

More, please.

LIST

EADD

The One That Got Away

glorious drama and grace teetering perilously on the edge of chaos to the best CMAT songs that make them sound like nobody else. This one is a corker.

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24 / 7 / 3 6 5

On the Playlist

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things have come together.”

“Oh, something’s going to go wrong,” warns Lizzie with a smile. “It’s going to be chaos.”

The Last Dinner Party are speaking to Dork the morning after a commanding headline show at The George, which just so happens to be the same venue where they played that very first gig in November 2021.

“We’re a lot more confident now,” says Georgia.

So why have The Last Dinner Party waited until now to release music?

“We wanted the interest to build up a bit more organically. We wanted the live show to be the centre of what we were about, rather than a song or two we’d released on Spotify,” says Abigail.

The idea was that by the time it came to actually releasing music, “it would be more meaningful for us and the people who’d seen us live.”

After keeping people waiting, the band aren’t fazed by the hype. “People talk about us being this buzzy thing, but no one’s saying it to our faces,” says Lizzie, who prefers it that way.

“We do our shows, we hang out, we make music. It doesn’t feel like too much pressure. Hopefully, the song will get a good reaction, and people will care about it. That’s good enough for me.”

“We’ve worked so hard on it and feel so good about the whole album. We do just feel confident, peaceful and ready to put it out,” adds Abigail. “We’re not worried about living up to anything because this is just what we love to do.

There’s no other reason we’re doing this than pure joy.

“Come back to us after we’ve dropped a few singles, though – we’ll be so fucking jaded,” she adds with a laugh.

“Our own expectations are the most important,” continues Georgia.

“And we surpassed those fucking ages ago when they were ‘it would be nice to play some gigs’.”

The Last Dinner Party’s ambitions now involve “keep going, keep getting bigger and Wembley”.

“We’ve obviously got goals of playing certain venues or touring Australia and America, but the most important thing is to keep challenging ourselves,” says Abigail. “There’s five of us in the band, and all five of us have different strands of music and art we want to explore. We want to go down every avenue we find interesting, so we don’t ever box ourselves in and get bored.”

Speaking about the confidence The Last Dinner Party have in everything

.COM/RA

L I Z Z I E M AY L A N D

dead in your tracks and makes you go ‘Wow, what is THIS??’ This is Lava La Rue’s. A skyscrapingly huge single full of apocalyptic drama and end-of-the-world manic abandon, Lava’s first release since signing to Dirty Hit is a nextlevel return from a pop visionary

Claud

Every Fucking Time

→ The roster of Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory contains many a gem, but even amongst such sparkly treasures, Claud stands out. Back with a taster of their second album, ‘Supermodels’, ‘Every Fucking Time’ is a slow-burning but brilliant introduction. Essential listening.

they do, Abigail says: “I’m a huge attention seeker, and I need everyone looking at me,” with her tongue firmly in cheek. “It comes from what I was saying earlier about the camaraderie between us and feeling comfortable,” she continues. “The confidence comes from us feeling secure and supported by each other. We’re all just rooting for each other, and that gives you the confidence to really let yourself go.”

“Loving the music you play helps as well,” adds Georgia. “There’s not a note we play that I don’t think is fucking amazing.”

Playing live is a hugely important aspect of what The Last Dinner Party do. Later this year, they’re set to support Florence & The Machine and First Aid Kit alongside appearances at The Great Escape, Latitude, Green Man, Reading & Leeds. There’s also a string of headline shows. “There’s not much pressure around releasing music, but people do keep telling us we’re going to have a busy year,” says Lizzie. “I don’t know what that means, and I’m not ready for what might happen, but bring it on.”

“Being onstage is everything I wanted. It’s where I feel most at home,” adds Georgie, but already it seems like the band are looking to create something bigger than ‘good music to jump around to at a sweaty gig’.

“We want to be an artistic collective, as well as a band,” she continues. “We want to explore visual media, make short films, make concept EPs. Do different things that aren’t just playing a show. We want to push the boundaries in other ways as well.”

“We don’t want to just be a rock band,” adds Abigail.

The Last Dinner Party are a buzzy indie band, making interesting guitar music that’s packed full of personality.

Of course, the comparisons to Wet Leg are already rolling in.

“It is a compliment. Obviously, their trajectory is incredible and we love their music, but I do roll my eyes at the comparison. It’s because we’re women making guitar music, isn’t it?” asks Georgia.

“It’s more symptomatic of the music industry at large that that’s the comparison we get. It’s not that accurate,” adds Abigail, though the band do feel part of a wider scene.

“There are a few bands that are getting more cinematic,” says Lizzie.

“The post-punk thing where a chatty guy is doing spoken word over guitars seems to be waning. I feel like the era of maximalism is upon us.”

So, what do The Last Dinner Party want their band to represent? A few moments of silence follows before Abigail and Lizzie answer in perfect unison. “Joy”.

“This happens a lot,” explains Georgia as everyone else cracks up.

“It’s cool to try. It’s cool to care. It’s cool to put so much effort into,” Lizzie continues. “You don’t have to try and be aloof to seem cool. You can just have fun.” ■ The Last Dinner Party’s debut single ‘Nothing Matters’ is out now.

READDORK.COM 19.

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE BEST NEW NAMES.

20. DORK

PRIMA QUEEN

Set for Dork’s Live at Leeds: In The Park stage and with a brand new EP out now, PRIMA QUEEN are proving themselves royalty already.

Words: Jamie Macmillan. Photo: Lily Doidge.

→ WELL, THIS IS AWKWARD. Dork’s

unexpectedly crashing a birthday party and didn’t bring a cake. Or a hat. Or those things you blow that uncurl like an excited snake and go wheeeeee.

Thankfully, Prima Queen - and more importantly, the birthday VIP herself, Kristin McFadden - are far too polite to take offence at the cheek of us arranging an interview for this day and invite us to sit down over a delicious vegan pulled pork burger and chat all things Prima Queen-y.

Fresh from wowing crowds Stateside during their performances at SXSW, Kristin and bandmate (and very much best mate) Louise Macphail are in top form. A series of lush singles over the past few years, alongside tours with Wet Leg, The Big Moon and Dream Wife, has slowly but surely built a rabid live following. Now, the release of their debut EP ‘Not The Baby’ is set to accelerate that even further.

Chatting to the pair, it’s clearly an exciting time for the duo, and the way the success is built on their close friendship is easy to see. Rarely does a sentence get started by one without being finished by the other, stories from their past peppered with quick ‘am I okay saying this?’ and broken up by frequent bursts of laughter.

It would be easy to think they’d grown up together, but instead, they have the cutest meeting in the history of meet-cutes.

After being told by a friend-of-a-friend back home in her native Chicago that she should explore studying abroad, it feels like fate that led to Kristin meeting up with Louise on a songwriting course in London.

“They sent us a video of her playing, and I watched it with my housemates,” remembers Louise today. “I was like, she’s the one I’m going to be in a band with…

Everyone else was like, you have to be cool.

You don’t even know her!” Laughing as she describes the moment of watching the door waiting for her to arrive, the feeling was mutual - Kristin remembers thinking that Louise was destined for the biggest festival stages when she first saw her play.

Job done, band sorted, and everyone lived happily ever after, right? Right?

Nope. As when her course ended,

Kristin had to return to the States. She describes being in floods of tears during the return flight as Louise says it was “the segue into the saddest year ever”.

FaceTiming every day over the next year, the pair embarked on ways of writing remotely together before lockdown forced everyone else to do the same. It wasn’t easy.

“One of my housemates sat me down after Kristin left,” says Louise. “And he was like, you do know she’s not coming back?” She pauses and then laughs. “We don’t really speak any more.”

Finally managing to return in order to study her masters at Goldsmiths, the pair plotted new ways to let her stay permanently. “We looked into every way, and then we were like, ‘we’re gonna get married’,” laughs Kristin. “We were telling all our friends that if anybody asks, we are in a relationship, and we are in love.” “It’s so stupid that you can’t get married for friendship!” points out Louise. “I feel like we are so committed to each other in so many ways.”

Discovering that it would be possible to stay through her grandpa’s Hungarian heritage, a Hungarian passport was secured, and sighs of relief were breathed all around.

Those early writing and playing sessions helped to form the band and the sound that became Prima Queen, though ‘what makes a Prima Queen song’ is still something that they challenge every time.

“I feel that it would be quite boring to just have one sound,” explains Kristin. “I wouldn’t want us to be one of those artists where you love what they’re doing, but every song sounds the same.”

As the singles add up, Prima Queen are building a world in their music that is both vulnerable and personal while relatable to everyone looking on. Tracks feel like they are ripped from their diaries, the close friendship helping them through and keeping them ‘honest’. “It gives us confidence to say these things,” agrees Kristin. “You have someone beside you saying it’s okay and saying that we’re in it together.”

That translates to how their audiences have reacted, particularly to the beautiful

It’s such an honour to make someone cry"

ALSO

AT

LIVE AT

LEEDS IN

THE

BROOKE

PARK

COMBE

→ Described as “a future megastar”

by The Guardian, Brooke Combe’s music is inspired by new wave soul artists like Gabriels and Sault. She’s just dropped a debut mixtape ‘Black Is The New Gold’ and has already won her first gong - Breakthrough Artist award at the Scottish Music Awards.

K R I S T I N M C FA D D E N

and poignant ‘Butter Knife’, a track all about losing a loved one to Alzheimer’s.

As you would expect, it provokes strong emotions when played live. “People cry a lot in that song,” nods Kristin. “You’ll look out, and people will be sobbing. You might lose the emotion because you’re just doing it over and over, and then you see how it affects people. It’s such an honour to make someone cry, It’s beautiful.”

This emotional honesty continues on their new EP, with standout track ‘Hydroplane’ exploring Kristin’s thoughts on living most of her adult life thousands of miles away from family and home. It’s another fiercely personal yet relatable track from the band. “I think I feel shame sometimes if I’m saying too many English words or phrases,” she explains on a track that gave the EP its name. “If I see them catching me writing in an English way, or spelling, it’s like ‘Who are you? What are you doing? That’s not you!’ But it is me. So that song is thinking about that and incorporates the past, the present and the future. I’m not the baby any more. I’m an adult, I’ve changed, and things are not the same - sometimes, in the back of your mind, you think that things are gonna always stay the same.

But they’re not.”

By now, pudding has been served and talk turns to some guy called Ulysses, who ate a lot of sausages at an interband barbecue where one of Saloon Dion’s apparently chowed down on a fully raw hamburger. We can’t help but feel that we have intruded far too much into a happy birthday spent exploring sad songs, and we have to let them go to their (next) party meal with a firm promise to make a cake next time. ■ Prima Queen’s debut EP ‘Not The Baby’ is out now. They play Dork’s stage at Live at Leeds: In The Park on 27th May. Get tickets at liveatleeds.com.

ROSE

GRAY

PANIC

SHACK

→ Rose Gray has already made a serious splash with her blend of house, pop, and dance. Born and raised in East London, a lot more is expected in the near future.

→ With killer tunes and an inclusive attitude, Panic Shack are the punk rock antidote we all need right now. Comprised of Sarah Harvey on vocals, Meg Fretwell and Romi Lawrence on guitars and backing vocals, Em Smith on bass, and Nick Doherty-Williams on drums, these upstarts have built a cult following with their raucous live shows.

DOLORES FOREVER → Hannah Wilson (Yorkshire) and Julia Fabrin (Copenhagen) met at a London party and bonded over their love of Mitski, Sharon Van Etten, Stevie Nicks, and the Spice Girls.

With more magic to come, catch them at Live at Leeds and watch this space for what’s next.

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LAUREN SPENCER SMITH LAUREN SPENCER SMITH is breaking through with big emotions and big tunes.

Words: Martyn Young.

There are always bumps in the road, but for the most part, I’m good" LAUREN SPENCER SMITH

→ LAUREN SPENCER SMITH

is a pop star who exclusively deals in big things: big numbers, big TV shows, big emotions and a big future. Riding a wave of TikTok-fuelled super streaming dominance with songwriting of real depth and resonance, Lauren’s future is about as bright as it could possibly be. It’s been a swift rise since she appeared on American Idol in 2020 before she started to make music on her own terms.

“It’s been amazing. I’ve been so busy,” she begins. “When you find something you’ve wanted to do your entire life and then get to do it, and it’s right before your eyes, you’re so appreciative and amazed by all the love and

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support.”

It was in 2022 that things really started to go supernova for Lauren as viral breakthrough ‘Fingers Crossed’ cut through and currently stands at a massive 321 million streams. Quite a big deal, then. It was a song that, in its sense of expansive drama and heartfelt melancholy, evoked the sound of one of Lauren’s formative musical idols. “My biggest inspiration growing up was Adele,” she beams. “Literally only her. I had all the CDs; that was all I would play in my mum’s car. A couple of years after I got super into Sam Smith, and I would only listen to the two of them until I was 15. I was always very interested in the piano ballad

known as the singer,” she reflects.

“Everyone would tell me you need to write your own original songs.

I always wanted to do that, and going into the show, I knew it would help because I was going to meet people. I’m from quite a small town, and there isn’t really anyone else who does the music thing out here.

“I didn’t have any originals, but I ended up meeting one of my best friends, who is still one of my best friends to this day and one of my songwriters; I met her on the show, and she asked if I wrote songs and I said I don’t really know how yet, I really want to learn. She said, I’d be happy to teach you.”

This important period of nurturing her craft allowed Lauren to develop her voice and the stories she wanted to tell.

“My vision is any time something happens in my life that upsets me, it bums me out that I don’t have a specific song for it,” she says. “I love to tell people that I write the song that I didn’t have to help singers.“ other people.”

As she soaked in the While goosebump-raising grandstanding sounds of these top-tier singers, Lauren continued balladry to have a good ol’ cry to is at the heart of her music, honing her craft as a songwriter.

Lauren can deliver the bangers “I feel like I’ve been doing music too, like on the gen-z pop star for a long time, but I really posse cut of the latest single started properly doing it about a ‘Fantasy’ featuring Gayle and year ago,” she says. “I feel like a Em Beihold, two young singercompletely different person. I’ve songwriters Lauren feels a been through so many things that kinship with. are very abnormal to go through “I wrote that song just over a at 18/19 years old. I feel much year ago. When I wrote it, I knew more mature than I should be for I wanted other people on it. At my age, but it feels great. Every the time, I didn’t know Gayle and songwriter says this, but the more Em yet, but I had the song for a you write, the better you get.” couple of months. Me, Gayle and The desire to push herself as Em were all having big songs at a songwriter partly comes from pretty much the same time, so her American Idol experience. every festival, every radio show, “Growing up, I was always just we were booked together, so we

would always bump into each other. We became a little girl group and really good friends; we’ve had a group chat ever since.

A couple of months ago, I just reached out and they said yes immediately.”

The real challenge for any artist, though, is how you turn the virality and excitement into art that has a real legacy, and now Lauren is turning her attention to her long-awaited debut album ‘Mirror’. It’s something she looks at with refreshing honesty.

“It’s been a struggle,” she admits. “Making an album is the hardest part. There are so many different people giving opinions. Some people don’t like these songs, and then some other people like these songs. You’re guessing in your head what you hope people will like. Honestly, though, it’s been really fun. We’re at the point now where we’re having meetings to discuss everything because it’s coming closer. The order of the songs is pretty much the order of what’s happened in my life in the past three years. It’s cool to step back and listen to everything and the state of mind I was in when I wrote those songs compared to how I am now and how I’ve changed as a person.”

“The vibe is definitely sad,” she says. “Lots and lots of sad ballads.

I think there are two songs on the album that have a slightly positive vibe to them. A lot of it is about exes and old experiences, but there are two songs about how I’m currently happy. Everything is kind of good now. There are always bumps in the road, but for the most part, I’m good.”

Approaching life as a major pop star in waiting with a sharpness and sense of perspective, you feel that Lauren is perfectly placed to have a career in the mould of her idol Adele. Throughout it all, there’s one defining principle that she applies to everything that centres her work. “The main thing is always to be true to yourself,” she reflects. “Some people like to try to write to be popular, and there’s a mix between the two, and it’s always important to write about yourself and what you think is important to you. Authenticity shines through.” ■ Lauren Spencer Smith’s album ‘Mirror’ is out 14th July.

HOTWAX Words: Steven Loftin. Photo: Holly Whitaker.

We don’t want to follow the same pattern Seaside trio HOTWAX are fast gaining a reputation for must-see live every time. We shows. With a debut EP out too, the band are proving themselves ones to watch. want to try and band so much as it was just being able to → SOME BANDS JUST OOZE COOL. write something Given how young you were when you HotWax are one such group, and the hotly- play with someone.

T: We would look up to older people we started writing, how do you look back at new" tipped Hastings trio have the tunes to know who are in bands, but it’s just that those tracks now? boot. Still in their late teens, they already have a built-up wealth of musical chops and attitude, which are now coming pieced together on their debut EP, ‘A Thousand Times’. Formed by vocalist and guitarist Tallulah and Lola in school, after various iterations of the band came and went, HotWax landed with Alfie on drums.

Bringing together a sea of influences from the classic (Nirvana, Hole) to the psychedelic (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard), HotWax are an amalgamation that equally lashes ferocious riffs as they do bounding grooves - that’s not to mention that live they’re an even bigger force to be reckoned with. So much so, in fact, they’re joining indie icons The Strokes at their massive All Points East show this summer.

Hi HotWax, how’s your day going?

Tallulah: We’re just recording at the moment. So we’re in the studio.

What have you got cooking?

T: The next EP! Blimey, you don’t hang around. So, how did you all meet?

T: I met Lola in secondary school. We formed a band with these two other girls because there was a competition to support Ratboy on the pier here. Our music teacher put us together, and we became really good friends. That band ended when we were 15, and I decided to start singing, and then we changed to HotWax. We met Alfie in music college when we were 17, and he was 19 in Brighton.

So it’s all through school.

How has the vision for the band changed as you’ve grown?

Lola: I’ve always thought we’ve been a weird band that people aren’t going to… like, we’ll have people that follow us in the local scene, but to have a lot of people have faith in us to put us on their line-ups like All Points East, and then to be signed too? And we’ve had a few radio plays that have shown maybe we do appeal to more of a wider audience, which is nice because music has changed so much in the last few years.

T: The vision for the band has always been the same for me and Lola. We’ve always had an idea of exactly how we want everything to sound and how we want it to look. We’ve always stayed true to ourselves, and also all had our individuality.

What was it about being in a band that was so attractive to you?

L: I’m not sure what it was. We both used to play guitar in our bedrooms all the time from when we were, like, eight or nine. And we also have musical families as well, so it’s just a normal thing. It wasn’t being in a

having someone to play music with is the best thing.

How have you developed HotWax since those early days?

L: We’ve got various singles we put out on Spotify independently, but when we got to this EP, we wrote that just before we signed to Marathon. ‘A Thousand Times’ is a song that we’ve had since we started.

That’s more psych.

T: And less vocals as well. When we started, it was a lot of instrumental because I was really shy about singing.

L: We try not to follow too many of the most obvious structures. With this EP, all the songs are quite different and are their own thing, which I think is important.

T: We don’t want to follow the same pattern every time. We want to try and write something new.

T: Some of them we’ve dropped obviously because we’re like, ‘Oh my god, that was badly written’. But some of them have a special charm about them, and that’s why we love ‘A Thousand Times’, because even though we were new to it, and we’ve now been writing songs for like four/three years at this point, it just feels the older songs are special in a way. When we were younger, and we wrote songs, we didn’t overthink it at all.

L: We’re definitely a massive live band as well. That’s always been the most important thing, playing live, so when it comes to recording, we always try to experiment so we can also play them live.

We’ve played most of the songs live on the EP except one before we’ve put it out.

Speaking of playing live - you have some massive shows booked for this year.

TA L L U L A H S I M - SAVAG E

What is it about playing live that you love so much?

L: It’s taken off a bit recently; we’ve suddenly we’ve got so many gigs booked in. We don’t have any days off where we’re not doing band stuff now for a couple of months, so that’s exciting. It’s just building it up and seeing the reactions.

T: Definitely, playing live is my favourite thing to do ever. It’s such a special feeling that you can’t get any other way. It gives you this confidence because you have to be so vulnerable.

What inspires you when it comes to putting on a show?

T: Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Karen O really inspire me as a frontwoman. I’ve seen them live recently, but it’s not the same as how they used to be, so I watch all the YouTube Live videos, and that is like, wow, to me.

L: I think YouTube. Obviously, you can’t beat going to your gigs, but it’s so cool to be able to watch old footage.

T: For my 14th birthday, me and Lola went to see Starcrawler, and I’d never heard of them, but I just searched up gigs that were on my birthday, and [Arrow DeWilde] on stage is amazing.

How has your focus changed since you began?

L: When we first ever played, we didn’t know that we would even get to play gigs.

It kind of just naturally happened, and before we knew it, we were just gigging all the time. It all happened really quickly, the signing and everything. We didn’t think we’d get signed for years and years, but now this is what we want to do. We’ve got to do it.

What do you reckon it is people love about HotWax? T: People always say that when they see us, they feel like they’ve gone back in time or they feel like they’re young again, but it’s also younger people.

L: I think a lot of people like us because we’re not one of those bands that sound like they’ve been taken out of the 90s or the 80s. That’s cool, but with us - this is going to sound big-headed - but we’ve taken all the bits of a band that’s timeless and then turned it into something new. I think there’s only so far you can go with making new music until you have to look back. Without those bands, there wouldn’t be new bands like us. ■ HotWax’s debut EP ‘A Thousand Times’ is out 19th May. READDORK.COM 23.

COVER STORY

Back with their second record since returning to active service, ‘The Album’ sees JONAS BROTHERS laying it all on the line with some classic style.

Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

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THE JONAS BROTHERS

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ICK JONAS IS CHOOSING HIS WORDS CAREFULLY.

“Throughout our career, and I say this with a real sense of gratitude,” he begins, aware of how quickly things can spiral out of control. “Someone’s distaste for our music, or their lack of respect for what we do, has never affected our ability to do what we do,” he continues as his two brothers, Joe and Kevin, relax.

“We just keep our heads down and keep going.”

There’s a lot of baggage that comes with the Jonas Brothers. The trio are celebrities in their own right and charttopping pop stars as a unit. They came of age in pop’s most intrusive era and fell apart in the public eye before finding success as actors and solo musicians.

None of that choppy history weighs down their new record, ‘The Album’, which is their second since reuniting in 2019. “There’s just an ease to it,” says Joe. “We feel like this is a whole new beginning,” adds Kevin.

But first, a history lesson. The Jonas Brothers released their debut album ‘It’s About Time’ in 2006, which featured original songs written by the brothers alongside a couple of Busted covers.

“The idea was that we were going to be a punk band,” says Nick, with the trio inspired by the pop-punk and emo bands that defined that time. Producers Michael Mangini and Steve Greenberg had other ideas, though, with the record instead channelling classic punk bands like The Ramones.

“The biggest misconception about us is that Jonas Brothers was and is a boyband,” says Nick with a grin.

“From the very inception of this group,

WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS A WHOLE NEW BEGINNING"

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though, it’s been a band. Especially back then, when it was really raw with loud guitars and loud drums. It wasn’t the most complex music around, but it was certainly in your face.”

That debut wasn’t exactly a commercial success and is still unavailable to stream, but the group built up a small, dedicated following through various club tours and raucous gigs. It wasn’t enough for Columbia Records, though, who dropped the band.

Then Disney swooped in.

Their self-titled second album was written in the basement of a family friend’s house, with the trio heavily in debt after chasing their pop star dreams.

With seemingly nothing to lose, they made the sort of snotty, bubblegum pop album they’d always wanted. Backed by the full might of Disney’s Hollywood Records, their cover of Busted’s ‘Year 3000’ started opening doors before singles like ‘S.O.S’ and ‘When You Look Me In The Eyes’ made them undeniable stars. They quickly found themselves among a new wave of Disney talent that featured the likes of Miley Cyrus and the cast of High School Musical. “It was the sort of exposure we could never have imagined,” says Kevin. “It was crazy.”

The successes kept on coming for the band, as they added acting to their

portfolio with turns on Camp Rock and their own Disney TV show, Jonas. So did the pressures, though. Back in the noughties, pop stars were expected to be polished, perfect idols. “You were living under a microscope,” explains Joe. “We were kids in an adult world, and people had no problem asking interesting questions to teenagers that would never fly now,” he continues, referencing the countless headlines about Jonas Brothers’ “purity rings”, a sign that they were abstaining from sex before marriage. “There were times when we just wanted to be normal teenagers,” he continues. “In our world, our senior class was our Disney group of friends – other young artists who were also performing and touring.”

“I don’t really envy any young artist that is coming up in this day and age, but I definitely have an understanding of what it means to grow up in that spotlight,” he adds. Luckily all three had a ready-made support network when being in one of the biggest acts on the planet got too much.

“We were really fortunate to have each other,” says Nick, who describes that period as challenging. “It would have been more challenging if we went through it on our own, though. The benefit of having your best friends, your

THE JONAS BROTHERS

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THE JONAS BROTHERS

brothers and your blood there was massive.”

“We could lean on each other when we needed to,” says Kevin. “We could also take out our anger on each other as well, and there not really be much of a repercussion. We always had a punching bag, in a way, but it always worked out because family is family.”

Things stopped working out after 2008’s ‘A Little Bit Longer’, though, with the band’s Disney generation wanting to come of age. Miley Cyrus quit Hannah Montana, explaining, “I can’t base my career off of the six-year-olds”, while Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens had moved on from High School Musical after three movies. Jonas Brothers also wanted to expand their sound but were still fans of radio-friendly pop. The result was 2009’s ‘Lines, Vines and Trying Times’. “It was a little scatterbrained in what we were trying to say musically because we were all starting to drift in different directions,” says Joe. “We all had different ideas about what we wanted to make. We’d walk into a room, and one of us would want to write a breakup song; someone else would want to sing about how depressed they were feeling, while another would want a song about how happy they were.

Everybody was fighting one another.”

Jonas Brothers went on a break and focused on solo projects to try and cool the drama, but it only made things worse. When they reunited in 2012 for a world tour and a new album, it was without Disney’s Hollywood Records.

They held things together for about a year before abruptly cancelling the final leg of the tour due to “creative differences”. Three weeks later, the band went on hiatus and scrapped new album ‘V’.

“After so much success, it started to feel like we were walking back down that mountain,” says Nick. “Instead of acknowledging it was time to evolve and work with new people to push ourselves, we hermited. We made this album [‘V’] that we said was us taking back creative control, but really, we just didn’t think anyone would want to work with us anymore.” Trying the same thing that they’d always done and getting the exact same results only “created tension” between the trio. They realised that the band wasn’t the “right” thing for them to do anymore and walked away.

That struggle for identity was such a huge part of the Jonas Brothers story, but since they returned in 2019, there’s been nothing but self-assurance. “We had to all go on our own separate journeys to figure that out.”

“We wanted to be respected as musicians from day one because we knew that we were putting in the hard work. Looking back, though, it’s so funny to be saying ‘respect me’ because

that’s something you have to earn,” explains Nick. “That desire for respect was a factor at one point in time, but eventually, you realise you’re never going to make everybody love you. Nor do you want to.”

The decision to return “certainly felt like a risk”, says Joe. In their documentary Chasing Happiness, Kevin asks, “Do you think anyone will care?” before the film cuts to a string of postreunion successes. The band had to live it, one day at a time. “The question really did echo and gave all of us different layers of anxiety,” Joe continues. Once they recorded sleek pop banger ‘Sucker’ though, “we felt fairly confident”.

“I don’t know if we had anything to prove by coming back, but we had stories to tell,” adds Nick.

He thinks part of the reason their comeback was so successful was that it came at the time when a lot of their earliest fans had started reclaiming the things that had first brought them joy. “It happens to everyone – you dismiss the things you loved as a kid before coming back around to them when you’re comfortable enough to be unapologetically yourself.

During the ‘Happiness Begins’ era, the band saw this massive wave of people “coming into adulthood and accepting themselves for who they are. Part of that was reincluding us in their lives.”

That said, they’ve also reached a new audience. “We’re a brand new band to some people,” says Joe, with them playing songs to people who “weren’t even alive when it all began.”

‘Happiness Begins’ took influence from Joe’s dance-rock band DNCE and Nick’s R&B-indebted solo album ‘Last Year Was Complicated’. “It was a great segue for us coming back together as one,” explains Kevin. New record ‘The

THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT US IS THAT JONAS BROTHERS WAS AND IS A BOYBAND"

N I C K J O N AS

Album’ is “very different”, though.

Sonically, the band pulls inspiration from timeless greats like Fleetwood Mac, Earth, Wind & Fire and The Bee Gees but gives it a modern twist with the help of producer Jon Bellion who’s worked with the likes of Justin Bieber and Miley. ‘The Album’ sees Jonas Brothers breaking new ground lyrically as well.

“Historically, romantic relationships were the primary focus of the stories we were telling,” says Joe, with other tracks tackling “broader themes” about life. “This one, we were really intentional about allowing people to have a window into our lives.” ‘Little Bird’ tackles parenthood, ‘Waffle House’ is about the band’s relationship as brothers. “It’s READDORK.COM 29.

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WE’RE SPEAKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT BEARS MORE WEIGHT THAN HAVING A GOOD TIME OR LIFE BEING AWESOME"

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THE JONAS BROTHERS

interesting to be 20 years into a career and be tackling new things we’ve never spoken about.”

The band know that marriage, kids and healthy sibling relationships aren’t exactly the sexiest of topics for songs.

Recently, Nick read an article about how happy people can’t make good music.

“It’s presumptuous to assume someone’s happy because everyone deals with things in their own way,” he starts. “I guess I agree to a certain extent, though.

The reason film and TV is engaging is because of that tension that makes the story connect.”

Still, they believe ‘The Album’ says something worth saying. “By expanding our creative vocabulary, we were able to open things up beyond the need for drama. We’re speaking about something that bears more weight than having a good time or life being awesome.”

Joe points at ‘Little Bird’, a delicate song written about father/daughter relationships, and the Oasis-inspired

THE WORLD IS SUCH A DARK AND INTENSE PLACE. WE LIKE TO BRING POSITIVITY IN WHERE WE CAN"

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‘Walls’. “There are some complex, dynamic themes in there.”

‘The Album’ is, undeniably, a feelgood album. “The world is such a dark and intense place,” says Nick. “We like to bring positivity in where we can,” with the band naturally gravitating to upbeat themes. “It wasn’t an intentional feelgood record, but the fact it ended up there makes a lot of sense.”

The Bob Dylan-inspired ‘Americana’ touches on peace and inclusion. “It’s about celebrating what makes us who we are as well as certain figures who have helped shaped culture,” explains Nick, with the track name-checking Jay-Z, Bruce Springsteen and James Dean. “It’s almost anti-politics because it’s about people who represent good in the world.

Blue jeans and marijuana is the America that I love.”

Then there’s ‘Summer Baby’, which started life as a Shania Twain-inspired country song and ended up paying homage to people letting loose and celebrating who they are. “We wanted to write a song that gets played at every family barbecue,” says Joe, with the band reflecting on “simpler times before the world became as complicated and nuanced as it is now.”

“As a group and as a collective of individuals, messages of inclusion and accepting all people from all walks of life are really important to us,” he adds.

The band didn’t feel pressure to make any sort of statement with their music, but those messages of acceptance just came about from conversations they were having. “There’s nothing we’ve said or done on this record that doesn’t feel completely authentic to who we are. It’s impossible to be a human being and not be sensibly aware of what’s going on in the world.”

It’s a freedom that’s typical of this latest chapter of the Jonas Brothers’

journey. Back in the noughties, pop stars were supposed to be these perfect role models, but nowadays, authenticity is king. “It’s a beautiful thing,” says Kevin.

“It’s nice that we can say, ‘This is who we are; this is what we like’. Take it or leave it.”

“We are celebrating life with this record,” he continues, pointing out there’s literally a joyous song called ‘Celebrate!’ on ‘The Album’. “It can be fun to make a record that makes you want to go out and party. Sure, there are days when you want to listen to melancholic music, but it’s nice to have something that’s uplifting at a time when so many people have felt down for so long.

“We’ve also been performing in front of people again, so of course it’s a celebration.”

That vibe extends across Jonas Brothers’ back catalogue. The band have “always” been happy with the music they’ve made, but this making this one “helped us look back at everything we’ve done over the last 20 years and be really proud of it,” says Kevin. It’s why the album is full of so many easter eggs and why they’re comfortable touring under the promise of ‘five albums, one night’.

“When we play songs from albums where our vocals might sound like chipmunks, or we touch on things like MySpace, we can still look out and see how much our music affects people.

Ultimately, we want to make people feel good,” says Joe. And that includes each other. Rather than projects outside of Jonas Brothers causing tension in the group, solo work is now fully embraced.

In fact, Joe’s DNCE bandmates Jinjoo Lee and Jack Lawless currently form part of Jonas Brothers’ live setup. “It makes it so much easier to write songs,” he explains.

“It’s good that we have our own individual journey; it brings clarity to what we do together,” adds Kevin.

“This album says a lot about who we are now as well as the way we were raised and the places we grew up,” Joe continues, with chirpy opening track ‘Miracle’ starting with him shouting out “New Jersey”.

“There was always the fear that what we had would disappear,” says Joe. “But we are still here, and somehow, it keeps getting better.” Later this year, the band play two of their biggest-ever headline shows at Yankee Stadium alongside a full US run. “It’s still blowing our minds a little bit. Even at the last biggest point, that was not possible.”

“At the same time, where does it go from here?” asks Kevin.

“It’s not a nostalgia play for us because that would never work in this group,” he explains. “We want to continue to release music that is career-defining. We don’t know what the future holds, but it’s nice to be able to think about us having one,” he says before looking around at his brothers. “I think our best years are ahead of us.” ■ Jonas Brothers’ album ‘The Album’ is out now.

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GREEN Back with a new album, SQUID’s ‘O Monolith’ is a natural evolution in sound and style.

WORDS: FINLAY HOLDEN. PHOTO: ALEX KURUNIS.

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→ DELIVERING A DEBUT album in

the middle of a pandemic probably isn’t how they expected things to go, but Squid managed to establish themselves as raw and gritty experimentalists and have kept their peculiar train at high speed – not fazed for a second they’re now about to pull in at the second stop, ‘O Monolith’.

“We finished ‘Bright Green Field’ as lockdown was starting, and the whole of ‘O Monolith’ was written and recorded during lockdown as well,” bassist and brass-ist Laurie Nankivell begins, spinning a tale of not one but now two albums impacted by feelings of isolation. However, never ones to let circumstances get them down, Squid were able to turn their worst enemy into a disgruntled friend.

Remember when gigs were sort of allowed, but not really? That brief period gave the five-piece the opportunity to bring the creative process to the stage. “In May 2021, we did a seated tour called Fieldworks, which predominantly consisted of new music,” the multiinstrumentalist shares. “That was a way in which we could road-test some new and improvised material on tour, and a lot of that ended up being the stuff that took shape as this record.”

Attentive fans witnessed experimentation in its purest form as material was gradually honed in front of their very eyes, and their own responses had a direct impact on the direction of Squid’s choices.

Although that exposure must create some pressure, this freeform unit are no newbies to spontaneous judgement.

“We always like to have a feeling of improvisation within our sets anyway,” Laurie confirms. “I think that is a key part of our live performance. Allowing yourself to relax while you’re at that point, while mad sounds are spinning around you that people aren’t always vibing with, is quite a nice feeling to have, but it’s also quite a bold one. A lot of this material came from semiformed ideas that we jammed out, and that live feedback certainly helped to shape the tracks.”

Although their sonic musings are often sprawling, the development in the band’s style is clear to see – reaching out towards glimpses of jazz and electronica, the postpunk box is starting to feel a little cramped. Although there is a definite line connecting their two albums, albeit loosely, there is also a thematic transformation and musical evolution.

“We’ve always had the postpunk label, and it doesn’t feel like it best represents all of our musical

one point or another over the past few years. The aforementioned lead single follows Ollie into the very fabric of a painting, while ‘Undergrowth’ follows it up with the singer becoming a drawer which exists in the afterlife.

Eclectic as always, the various tales across the record – which has been kept to a short but sweet eight tracks – build a world of dreams, nightmares and everything else between as Squid flex their muscles away from touring and knuckle down to become an experienced writing and recording force.

“The folklore that exists in Britain feels like, prior to the last 50 years, it’s been really important to how people told stories,” Laurie observes.

“To some extent, creating your own mythology and story within a record feels like an important thing to do. I would say it feels more of an internalised and creative process interplay between the more organic this time around.” and electronic elements. How you That process unfolded at meld those things together is an Real World Studios, the space of interesting space to navigate.” which was a stark contrast to past Those organic elements have experiences. As Laurie tells it, “it already been proven to thrive in a was literally less claustrophobic; we live environment – as you’ll know if were in Dan’s basement in central you’ve witnessed it, Squid’s stage London for the first album, recording show is key to their success in more during lockdown in the middle of a ways than one. “Having a human-to- heatwave. That contributed to the human interaction through music intensity of the record in a really in an increasingly digital world feels fun way, but Real World is a big, like the most important thing we spacious space looking out at ducks can do,” Laurie declares. “I love the playing on a pond that comes up idea of creating a space within our to the main windows; its beautiful music where people can feel like English countryside and definitely they can be themselves. More and emphasised the spacious, natural more often lately, there have been feel of ‘O Monolith’.” fewer and fewer spaces for people Each method has given these to fully be themselves. Our music, two LPs a distinct fingerprint, with through the very nature of it being the slightly alleviated pressure so experimental, allows people to and sweat-inducing environment reach that place, and it can only be a offering the opportunity to explore positive thing.” new areas for the band. “Having Twisting a formidable niche space within records is always really into a welcoming scene is not a important in order to allow quieter simple challenge, though. Despite moments to breathe. Progressing on their sound being one that seems from what felt like quite an intense immediately intimidating, the and angry record, it feels more Bristol-based unit are keen to offer important to show that other side of glimmers of humour by embracing ourselves.” their own quirks, and enjoy pulling Although it is perhaps more on the irony that has consumed loose emotionally, the substance modern internet culture. “Some of ‘O Monolith’ is still unsurprisingly of that inherently slips in, and it’s dense. It’s not an album that shows a case of not taking yourself too its hand very easily but, as Laurie seriously. At the same time, it is a concludes, forcing the listener to fine balance between sincerity and pry for a new perspective with each taking the piss out of yourself a little listen is half the appeal. “Things that bit. Sitting within that world feels like confuse you the first time and invite something we all subconsciously do.” you back in for another listen, things that don’t give you the answer on a Speaking of the subconscious, silver platter, are usually the ones I this is where ‘O Monolith’ finds its grounding; while ‘Bright Green Field’ enjoy most because it makes you go back again and again. It makes you spoke outwardly about political grow with the art rather than just tabloid headlines, it seems that Squid eventually withdrew into their being fed something immediately gratifying – hopefully, we can own minds; their new full-length provide that for people.” ■ Squid’s leans into the demented and surreal album ‘O Monolith’ is out 9th June. headspace that we’ve all visited at

A lot of this material came from semi-formed ideas that we jammed out” LAURIE NANKIVELL adventures. It wasn’t necessarily something we all felt massively influenced by or aligned with. As a five-piece with disparate musical tastes at times, trying to put us into one genre can be difficult to do. ‘O Monolith’ feels more rhythmically and melodically complex at times, slightly proggy but also with a slight naivety within the lyrics and elsewhere too.”

Both the progression and naivety Laurie mentions can be seen realised in lead single, ‘Swing (In a Dream)’, which was the first tease towards the larger project; ongoing Squid elements, new synth additions and a uniquely muddled experience yet to be discovered. As a declaration of intent, the track is not afraid to get down and dirty pretty quick.

“As a progressive statement, it immediately says: this is electronic.

This is a weird time signature. This is the first song on the album. It also has lots of different musical elements that seemed to fit together in a way that felt like a nice representation of other corners of the album.”

With the group signed to legendary techno label Warp Records – the supporters of icons (Aphex Twin) and newcomers (Jockstrap) alike – it felt like some sort of electronic revolution was inevitable for Squid, although it does manifest in subtle ways.

“I’ve produced techno for a while, and Ollie [Judge, vocalist]’s done some other electronic work,” Laurie reveals. “Naturally, these things start to seep in. It’s hard to not get excited by that stuff because it feels new and exciting, like there’s still a forefront of new technologies that are interacting with and shaping music. We’re a band that likes experimenting, especially with the

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34. DORK

MCKENNA GRACE

From blockbusters to bangers, MCKENNA GRACE is a creative force to be reckoned with.

WORDS: MARTYN YOUNG.

→MCKENNA GRACE CAN SEEMINGLY DO IT ALL. The sixteen-year-old from

Texas is already a big-time actor with roles in actual huge Hollywood blockbusters like Ghostbusters Afterlife, and she has also been nominated for an Emmy for her role in prestige TV behemoth The Handmaid’s Tale. Now she’s getting in on the music game with her super fun, super fresh turbocharged pop-punk EP ‘Bittersweet 16’. Oh, and she’s also really good at roller skating. “I’m a really big roller skater,” she says. “I love going to skate parks and learning tricks. I like to drop into the deep end of the bowls, go around and do the splits and go back in. That’s my go-to when I want to impress.” See, multi-talented.

Mckenna is talking to us while on a trip to London. Why’s she in London, you ask?

“Who knows???” she teases. “Not for me to say!” No doubt it’s something very exciting.

What is very much not a secret, though, is Mckenna’s swift ascent towards the summit of mount pop. Despite a challenging start to 2023 as she recovered from a spinal operation, a now-healed Mckenna is revelling in being an actual pop star in all its brilliance. “2023 was off to a very rocky start, but we’ve made it. Now we’re here, and it’s looking pretty good,” she smiles.

It’s always a good sign for an artist when they’re laser-focused on what comes next rather than coasting on their current triumphs, and Mckenna is already looking forward to the new music that she’s creating. “This EP was really fun and angsty, but I’m really excited because I think I’ve grown as an artist since then,” she explains.

“I’m excited about the music I’m creating lately because I think I’m constantly changing and evolving.”

For Mckenna, while it’s true that acting came first, her two main passions of acting and music now go side by side. “I can’t even remember a time now when I wasn’t going to the studio all the time and writing music,” she says. “I don’t think there was a firm decision like, ‘OH, I’M A MUSICIAN NOW’, because music has always been a part of my life. I’ve played the ukulele for five years now. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed. I play the piano, and I’ve just started learning guitar. I’ve always been a musical person. I love singing and creating.”

Mckenna is someone whose vibrant, buzzing personality jumps out, whether on record or on screen. While both disciplines share performing, they both require a different skill set, which Mckenna has had to develop, although the open creative environment of the film set does provide fertile ground for anyone wishing to prove their musical chops. “I really love what I get to do. It’s my dream job, both music and acting. I love it. The two are truly so different, though. I have a few producers

and writers that I work with a lot that I wish could come on set and see what I’m like because it’s so wildly different,” she says. “You’d be surprised how musical most actors are. I bring a guitar to work every day; usually, there are cast chairs, and I’m always sitting playing music. Some people will sing; right now, what I’m working on, everyone plays guitar, so my guitar just gets passed around. It’s so lovely.”

Mckenna puts down her ingrained musical and creative impulses to the diverse tastes of her parents and the musical touchstones that formed her first experiences. “I like to say that I grew up on Taylor Swift and Korn because my parents had very different music tastes,” she laughs. “My mum really loves Taylor and Selena Gomez, and my dad is a big heavy metal guy. I have a very broad sense of music.” As she began to explore her own tastes, Mckenna developed a taste for punky eccentrics and piercingly emotional and evocative songwriters. “I really got into music over the pandemic when I started to like Le Tigre and punkier things like that,” she remembers. “What inspired ‘Bittersweet 16’ was I was listening to a lot of Le Tigre and Alanis Morrissette and No Doubt. Now I’m listening to a lot of Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey and other sad music.”

Even the greatest of songwriters, like Taylor Swift, had to start somewhere, and Mckenna laughs as she remembers writing her first songs as a kid. “My best friend and I would listen to music, and we would write parody songs,” she laughs. “We would write parody songs about Cheez-Its or Minecraft. Cheez-Its are square crisp, chip thingys; they’re so good! Do you not have them here?”

Well, if there’s one thing at Dork we love almost as much as music, then it’s crisps.

We don’t have Cheez-Its here, but we do have cheesy Wotsits. Sadly, Mckenna is not a fan of unquestionably the greatest crisp flavour. “Salt & Vinegar???” she cries disgustedly. “I’ve never heard that.”

Anyway, “We would just goof around,” she continues. “I have to text my friend now and ask her if she remembers all those little things we used to do because growing up, we would listen to [buzzy American YouTubers] Rhett and Link because I thought they were hilarious. I wrote an actual song, which was terrible when I was 11 or 12 and then actually started ‘writing’ writing over the pandemic. I’ve been changing a lot as a writer. I’m really proud of what I’ve been creating lately, and I can’t wait to release it. I’ve changed a lot since ‘Bittersweet 16’. I’m always looking back at myself, thinking I could have done better.

I’m very proud of it, though. It’s always weird having those moments captured in public for everyone to listen to, but it holds

her music is mirrored in the directness and straight-talking approach of her lyrics, like the matter-of-fact self-deprecation of the girl in ‘Ugly Crier’ who thinks they’re “so mediocre” and “will never be Taylor Swift” or the lame protagonist of ‘Buzzkill Baby’ who “sucks the air out of the room”.

“I feel so mean in my music sometimes,” laughs Mckenna. “I’m a super non-confrontational person. For me, music is a way to get out a lot of emotions I don’t usually release. I was in an angry place for a while. I got that put through music. I moved past it by writing music. I’m like, oh gosh, my music is a terrible representation of who I am as a person sometimes. It was for the fun pop-punk feeling. It was totally my therapy, but they are things I would never say to anyone, ever to their face. Writing these things down or saying them out loud is so therapeutic.”

Itching to tell more stories and let out more of that emotion, Mckenna is excited to be making music in a time full of possibility.

“I want to move to a different place that I haven’t been before,” she says. “Pop is people evolving and changing and different people telling their stories. There’s so much stuff out there, and the best part to me is that music shouldn’t look like what we think it’s going to. Music is at its best when people surprise us or do something new that you haven’t heard before. I’m excited to see what people do this year. I want to challenge myself to create some new stuff. I want to explore different genres. I think I’ve found a sound I really like, but who knows if I’ll stay there.”

Mckenna recently played her first-ever live show at The Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles. It’s an experience she describes as “terrifying, but the coolest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve never experienced anything like it. a special place in my heart. I remember With acting, so many people see what you exactly where I was and what I felt when I do, but you never see them watching you. wrote it. It’s a time capsule, even if I know I It’s so strange; you only have one shot. You can do better now.” can’t mess it up.”

The songs collected on ‘Bittersweet 16’ Ready to seize the moment, Mckenna represent a specific time in her life captured for posterity with hugely relatable lyrics and has big plans for the rest of the year as she an endearing sense of youthful exuberance. continues to develop her artistry. “I have a vision for what I want to release next,” she Punky, poppy and full of hooks, they’re engaging snapshots of what it’s like to grow says confidently. “I want to be a bit more up. “I was trying to tell the story of the weird singer songwritery and a bit more personal, get into a little bit more heartbreak. I have mixed emotions of being a teenager,” says a plan and a definite vibe for my new stuff.

Mckenna. “It’s a weird time in everybody’s It’s all very cohesive. I’ve been tying a lot of life. I wrote a lot about heartbreak, but things back to different songs, and I’m very it’s so funny cos I hadn’t even been on a excited by what I’ve been creating.” date. My non-EP song ‘Haunted House’, Turning 16 and becoming a pop star as which seems like it might be about a well as a major actor all in one year is quite breakup; to me, it’s about a totally different the ride, but it seems the journey is only just situation that wasn’t even romantic. I think beginning for a star who’s ready to build on heartbreak can come in a lot of different her early buzz and turn an unforgettable forms. All of my songs stem from real musical year into a lifetime of creativity. ■ situations in my life, but sometimes I want Mckenna Grace’s EP ‘Bittersweet 16’ is to be a little dramatic.”

That propensity to ramp up the drama in out now.

For me, music is a way to get out a lot of emotions I don’t usually release" MCKENNA G R AC E

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COVER STORY

36. DORK

LOVEJOY

Massive queues, online hysteria, millions of views and frantic engagement - LOVEJOY are already a phenomenon. Now, with their third EP landing with a bang, it’s time for the indie establishment wake up...

Words: Abigail Firth. Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

READDORK.COM 37.

COVER STORY

QUASHED INTO A TOUR BUS SOMEWHERE IN BERLIN ARE THE BIGGEST BAND THAT - UNLESS YOU’RE AS CHRONICALLY ONLINE AS US, DEAR READER YOU’VE MAYBE NEVER HEARD OF.

With sold-out tours across the UK, Europe and North America, millions of monthly Spotify listeners and a spot in the UK Top 40 with their latest single ‘Call Me What You Like’, Lovejoy could be mistaken for veterans.

Far from it. Their first proper bit of press is, well, this very cover interview.

They’re gearing up to release only their third (or maybe fourth, depending how you count their just dropped ‘From Studio 4’ collection, released under the name Anvil Cat) EP, ‘Wake Up & It’s Over’, and those sold-out tours? The first shows they’ve ever played. It’s rare this amount of hype surrounds a guitar band these days, so who the fuck are Lovejoy?

Formed during the early 2021 UK lockdown, Lovejoy consists of Will Gold as the frontman, Joe Goldsmith on lead guitar, Ash Kabosu on bass, and Mark Boardman on drums. Seemingly brought together by sheer luck, their epic ascent is the result of a lifetime of individual hard work and some serious fan devotion over the past couple of years.

It’s taken a while to pin the band down, and we catch them just after their first full UK tour as they embark on the European leg. It’s all been a bit of a whirlwind.

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“I think it was our 32nd show yesterday, which is just nuts,” says Ash, who introduces himself as the one who doesn’t talk and proceeds to lead the interview.

“Literally every show we’ve played, we’ve been like, ‘That was the best one!’ Then the next one, ‘Oh, that was the best one!’”

“I’ve especially been enjoying acclimating myself to not knowing where I’m going to be falling asleep every night,” says Will, “which is a very hard thing to get around. But it’s a lot of fun. I’m really enjoying it. And I love seeing everyone’s faces because we’ve been somewhat of a lockdown band. To now be able to put faces to the numbers is great; it’s lovely to see and speak to them.”

Describing their very first live shows at the end of 2022 as “teething”, Lovejoy admit they’re still getting to grips with it all. Although the size of their fanbase means they could’ve easily sold out bigger venues than the humble Electric Brixton they headed up on this tour, they didn’t want to skip steps for a good reason.

“We didn’t want to be bad,” says Ash, frankly. “It’s a completely different ballpark to just, you know, playing guitar in your bedroom, and there are so many moving parts and so many things you don’t think about that you need to learn and understand. We didn’t want

to deliver a show to the fans that wasn’t good enough, so we’ve been deliberately ramping it up step by step and going through the process as naturally as possible.”

“It’s so much more personable and fun to make mistakes in front of a crowd of a couple hundred people who are along with you for the ride than when you start to get into the larger crowds,” adds Will.

“Making a mistake, at least for me, really gets to me, but if I’m in a room with less people, and they’re there for the story, I feel more ready to make mistakes.”

Will and Joe cut their teeth playing with a folk punk band a few years prior to Lovejoy forming. After what Will describes as a “very dramatic first gig”, they went their separate ways, but his lust for live never went away. Finding one another at the beginning of the pandemic, Joe came to visit Will before the lockdowns kicked in and decided to sleep on the sofa rather than risking taking public transport back and forth to London.

“We wrote our entire first EP in my basement and very quickly decided we’re going to need a drummer and a bassist because all the stuff we were writing was band stuff,” Will explains. “It wasn’t our normal folk stuff that we were used to –

LOVEJOY

and rock music has always been what me and Joe were the most interested in; even when we were in that folk band, we used to implore the lead singer if we could write some indie music please, and he would always be like, nah, not really into Arctic Monkeys actually.”

So they set out to find both a bassist and a drummer. Fate did its thing, and upon walking into a Smashburger in Brighton, Will met Ash, bass guitar in tow, and asked him if he’d like to be in a band.

“Ash is not one to say no to many exciting adventures,” says Will, “so he said yeah, and I gave him my address.

Joe was very sceptical at first when I said I found a bassist in a burger shop.”

“I think for me personally,” adds Ash, “I’m living in Brighton – which is kind of a young, creative place – you often have conversations in pubs and places where people are like, we should do this, we should do that, and I genuinely thought that this was just another one of those conversations.

Like, ‘Hey, I’m in a band, do you want to play?’ I never thought in my wildest dreams anything would even come of it. I didn’t even think we’d practice, let alone be playing shows in front of

thousands of people.”

As for Mark, he was booked for the day via the freelancer hiring website Fiverr. When they couldn’t pay him the fee he was owed, they instead offered him a spot in the band.

“I said, look, you’re sick at this, do you want to just join the band?” Will explains. “Mark thought about it for a good five seconds and then said yes.”

Echoing Ash’s sentiments, Mark recalls, “I thought it would be another band that I’d join that wouldn’t even release on Spotify. Now we’ve sold out tours in the UK, Europe, America….”

Life before Lovejoy was very different for most of the boys. Mark was at university studying editing, hoping to work in visual effects, letting drumming take the back seat. “It would have been a grind for like 40 years to get a good paying job, and Will came along and saved me. So I’m very grateful for that,” he says.

Ash was working in broadcasting as a producer for TV, a job he’d gotten into after studying film production at uni, and had taught himself animation as another means of income. “Unlike Mark, I actually enjoyed it,” he adds.

As for Joe, he was working as a tree

surgeon, which is a flashier-sounding name than what the job actually entailed. “I was literally just cleaning up branches on the floor,” he says. “I wasn’t even allowed to go up the trees.”

Will isn’t such a stranger to the spotlight, as he edited for the YouTube channel SootHouse in the late 2010s, later creating his own channel as Wilbur Soot and amassing a sizeable following on the streaming platform Twitch (although the other boys say they had no idea about his following when they joined the band, Ash noting, “I just thought he was quite a tall, handsome man, we’re just here because we fancy Will”).

With the band assembled, they started recording together in Will’s bedroom. In early 2021, the UK was still firmly in lockdown, so with all studios closed, it was their only choice.

When they finally made it to a studio, the group had two days to record five songs, the ones that would make up their first EP, 2021’s ‘Are You Alright?’.

“We didn’t get enough done,” says Will, “which is why the first EP actually has scratch vocals. We just used my draft vocals that are then doubled up and thickened out. And also because it would have been far

too expensive to just keep going back.”

“Which is why, little easter egg,” adds Ash, “some of the lyrics are wrong. We don’t sing those anymore, so the fans get very confused when we perform some of the earlier songs.”

The whole journey has been a learning curve for all four members.

With none of them coming from a proper musical background, there was no one to guide them in the process.

“We kind of had to jump headfirst in and see what we can do off the back of it,” says Will.

That isn’t to say they haven’t put the work in, though. With each of the boys picking up their instruments in their childhood or teenage years, it feels like they’ve been setting up their own individual dominoes, hitting the ground running when they were knocked down in perfect formation.

“There’s a photo of me when I was a baby,” Mark begins, explaining where he got his start in music. “I couldn’t even walk, and I’m on my auntie’s lap, who originally taught me drums. I’ve been wanting to play since I could speak, basically, but we could never afford a kit. And then I got to about eight years old, my parents finally got me an electric drum kit, and my auntie

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COVER STORY

40. DORK

LOVEJOY

started teaching me. I caught up with her quickly, which was crazy. I always wanted to be in a band, but I was thinking more realistically, it’s the same odds as becoming a famous football player or something like that. Then along came these boys, and it all changed.”

“I was really determined from when I was about 13, 14?” Joe recalls, “Playing acoustic guitar and just learning stuff from YouTube and Arctic Monkeys songbooks, working out tabs and things like that. I was pretty dead set on at least giving it a shot to try.”

Ash’s start was similar, learning to play guitar with his dad. “When I was very young, my dad found an old Spanish guitar in the attic of our family home that wasn’t ours,” he tells us. “I’ve kind of always played guitar, and I’ve always been interested in music; my dad is in a band as well, bless him, doing dad rock. It’s always been a part of me, but I never ever thought I’d do anything with it.”

“Not for me,” Will jumps in. “The minute I first started learning guitar, I was like, this is what I want. When I was a teenager, I used to follow around bands and go to all their shows, and I knew from that moment I want this as my creative outlet. This is where I want to put my creative energy. I literally remember I shut myself in my room and practised guitar for like ten hours a day in the beginning.

I missed two summers doing that. To finally be in this position I’m in now, thanks to all the wonderful support we’ve gotten from people, a lot of them have come across from the YouTube space, is just absolutely humbling. I’m trying to give it back in any way I can.”

It’s fair to say Lovejoy have been pulled substantially further up the ladder by a deeply devoted fan base, but that’s part of what makes their trajectory so exciting.

There hasn’t been a new guitar band that’s had venues bursting at the seams like this for a long time. Just two self-released (on their own label Anvil Cat via AWAL) EPs, debut ‘Are You Alright?’ and follow-up ‘Pebble Brain’ garnered enough love to have fans queuing around the block for hours on end when the live shows finally came. It’s reminiscent of what 5SOS were seeing at the start of their career ten years ago, or that other numbers band.

And the devotion goes both ways, too; Lovejoy play games with the fans, leaving puzzles on social media for the fans to solve, firing confetti with QR codes printed on every other piece out at their London headline show. Their involvement hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Oh, man, I love them,” Ash gushes.

“One of the best feelings for me is when we create something, even if it’s something as simple as a little photo shoot, the response is incredible. And to inspire other people to create through our creativity is just so rewarding. My favourite part of it is seeing the writing, the poetry, the paintings, the drawings, like all the art that comes back to us is incredible.”

Joe adds, “Every single person that I’ve

met after a show or before a show, they’re all so respectful and all so lovely. And they’re just so generous.”

Ash continues, “They make such an effort and go out of their way to listen to the support bands’ music and show up for them; they show up on time and fill the place out for everyone. And then they go crazy jumping around and singing to everyone’s music, and that’s just so fucking cool.”

With new EP ‘Wake Up & It’s Over’ on the horizon, it’ll be their first proper release since 2021. A break away from recording to do the touring part of being a new band has led to Lovejoy’s longest writing phase yet and has played a part in shaping the sound of their new material.

This time around, being able to take more time to record and more studio options, they’ve fined tuned their sound and brought it closer to their personal ideal.

Aiming for something a little heavier this time, the boys wanted to pull in their READDORK.COM 41.

individual influences more drastically.

For Will, that’s shouty British lyrics and overdriven guitars (he calls Arctic Monkeys the most famous example), with Ash also growing up on the late 2000s indie of Foals and Bombay Bicycle Club. Mark, on the other hand, was introduced to bands like Bring Me The Horizon and Asking Alexandria by his sister at a young age, pushing him into heavier territory when it came to discovering his own tastes and allowing the band to take on the slogan of ‘the only indie band with a

double kick drum’. (Joe simply adds, “In the words of Brandon Flowers, it’s indie rock and roll for me.”)

Opening track ‘Portrait of a Blank Slate’ pulls in those influences most brazenly, employing the mathy Foals-y lead guitar, ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ era Arctic Monkeys fiddly bass, and wordy vocals a la The Wombats. “I can’t wait to play that for thousands of people,” says Joe. They’ve been road-testing some of the other tracks too, the poppier (see: jumpier) ‘Consequences’ and ‘Warsaw’, as well as the single ‘Call Me What You Like’, but the rest have been kept a secret, one track particularly well.

Initially beginning the recording of this EP late last year, the boys weren’t 100% satisfied with the tracks.

Having already played some of the tracks live, fans developed a particular affinity for one called ‘It’s Golden Hour Somewhere’, and up until the EP drops, have been under the impression it isn’t going to be released.

“I like to make rumours amongst the fan base,” says Ash, “I sort of said yeah, it’s scrapped, we just don’t like it, it’s not up to scratch, it doesn’t fit the nature of the EP, blah, blah, blah. We’ve just made up a bunch of nonsense.

And they’ve bought into it. And as I expected, they’re also campaigning to bring it back. We’ve seen signs at shows saying ‘PLAY GOLDEN HOUR’.

It’s just a bit of fun, and I think the relief and the excitement they’ll feel on the day that it comes out to just see it in the tracklisting will be worth it. I think for the amount of time that the fans have been waiting, we want it to be as special as possible.”

Even with ‘Call Me What You Like’ landing at No.32 on the UK Top 40 – an enormous feat and a rarity for a new band these days – it’s still what the fans think that means the most to Lovejoy.

“It was very validating to see it go that far,” says Will. “I think that was

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our longest-ever lyric writing time; we had the tune down for about ten months before I even penned the lyrics that ended up going in the final release.

To see that time pay off is amazing, but we had no idea it would get that reception. It’s more important that our fans really love what we’re putting out.

We’re aiming to create music that will really connect with our fan base, and you know, we’ll give them back what they’ve given us.”

With formative years that any new band would dream of, a knockout first tour and an audience hungry for more, Lovejoy are keen to maintain the hype. Currently using soundcheck time to write new material, every spare hour is used wisely while they’re on the road, Ash hinting they’ve already got new songs saved up for when they return home. This summer, they’ll be hitting the festival circuit, playing Reading and Leeds for the first time and undoubtedly not the last. The path may not be fully paved yet, but it’s definitely leading somewhere exciting.

Will says, “We’ve felt that wave of energy from the audience singing our words back at us, and that’s really influenced my lyrical style and our music instrumentally, which took a lot longer. 2022 was a sort of foundational year; I feel like this is the launch in 2023 into this next era of Lovejoy.” ■ Lovejoy’s EP ‘Wake Up & It’s Over’ is out now.

LOVEJOY

READDORK.COM 43.

FEATURE

DREAM WIFE further their mission to combine the highly political with some much-needed silliness.

Words: Jamie MacMillan.

44. DORK

DREAM WIFE

→“WHEN WAS THE last time we were

asked what it was like to be women in music? Oh, last week…”

In a world where so much has seemed to have changed over the last few years, it appears that in some ways at least, nothing is different - especially for Rakel Mjöll and her fellow Dream Wives, Alice Go and Bella Podpadec and the tired questioning that surrounds non-males in music.

But, with their exceptional third album ‘Social Lubrication’ ushering in a new era for the band, time is most definitely running out on the dinosaurs of the world, and a fuse has been lit. Their previous record, ‘So When You Gonna…’, suffered, like most of 2020’s releases, from being ushered into a world that was locked down and scared. While no artist had it easy, it was a real blow for a band who lived, breathed and were even fuelled by their emotional connection with their fans and live performances.

Today, it isn’t just the world around them that feels different and back to life.

The band themselves seem re-energised, with a ferocious flame burning deeply.

Stung by comments that their live sound was never quite captured on record, this time around, it is as raw and as in-yourface as it is when watching the band in the flesh. This feels and sounds like a group ready to take on the world once again.

Chatting to the trio over Zoom, the energy is palpable - even for an interview taking place at breakfast time. ‘Reset’ can feel like a dirty word in music sometimes, a suggestion that something was wrong in the first place. The band are embracing the word, however.

“It feels like we are re-establishing ourselves,” nods Alice, the sole producer this time around of a record that is pure, unfiltered Dream Wife. “Obviously, with it being a record, it is a different experience listening back to something rather than being present at live shows,” she continues. “So we have dubs and layers put in, but it’s a very delicate sprinkling and not overdone. I think on the second album, we overdid all that.”

For ‘Social Lubrication’, the guitarist is clear that it was all about getting back to the energy of a live show. “Alice produced the record,” explains Bella. “And I think having that kind of control and power from within our unit meant that there wasn’t space for other people to project their ideas on the art. It was really about taking the reigns and shaping what the beast is from the inside out. And for us, the live show is where this band is alive.”

With no slight or dig at previous producers intended, that element of total purity is obviously a key element in the magic this time around.

But for a band who feel most alive in a live setting, the enforced lockdown was a smothering force on their inspiration.

“All the songs that we were writing for this record were really melancholy and lacking in energy and that lust for life,” admits Alice. “But coming back to the live show and the community that comes with that, this is what it’s all about. It’s a celebration of the live show that we’d all been missing so much.” Latitude Festival was their first performance back, a set that didn’t come without its own dramas for Rakel. “I had just broken my shoulder about a month earlier,” she grins. “I had only just been able to sort of move it. And then I’ve seen videos of me after, and I am SWINGING that shoulder around… It’s

I’m done with being unnecessarily polite" RAKEL MJÖLL

called ADRENALINE.” is right for your body. And the people that Their mojo returned, the next week have nothing to do with that are the ones saw four new tracks being written and the able to make the decisions. So yeah, have eventual birth of ‘Social Lubrication’. some fucking empathy….”

Aside from the raw vibes of the album For all of the success that movements sonically, there quickly comes the sense like Time’s Up and a focus on genderof a band who have decided that enough balanced festival line-ups has brought is enough. Never ones to shy away from on the surface of things, progress seems political issues, Dream Wife have also slower up close. “You do maybe see never overtly been A Political Band. They more of a spread of people involved in are still walking the line here, but it’s terms of diversity and equality amongst pretty obvious that they aren’t going to performers,” says Alice. “But once you take any more crap. From the very first step behind that, it’s there that the issue song ‘Kick In The Teeth’, Rakel is singing lies. Across the board in the creative that “I’ve spent so much of this youth industries, looking at the people that are questioning my value”, and today she in positions of power or control - that’s explains further. where the problem is. That’s only the first “I’m sort of done,” she says. “Done with stage, and you have to go deeper than being unnecessarily polite or staying in that for there to be real change in the situations because of social habits when I music industry.” already feel uncomfortable. So the start of It’s frankly depressing to read older the record is kicking down the door…” interviews with Dream Wife and to realise Always mindful of their position and just how long these conversations have the limits of what they can do, Bella takes been happening with limited results. On it on. “Obviously, we’re a rock band, so we the title-track, the band poke at that with can talk about things and maybe try to its side-eyed line of, ‘What’s it like to be a incite change,” they say. “But we’re not woman in music, dear / You’d never ask the points of change, and we’re not able to me that if you regarded me as your peer’. crumble the systems as a rock band. But The song itself only came to life at the end I think it’s a way of telling stories about of the recording process, despite already what we see and maybe inviting people being selected as the album title. But what into that conversation. Over the last few exactly IS social lubrication? Bella takes years, the kind of structural inequalities on describing its meaning. that are present - be that with socio“It is speaking to the mechanisms and economic, race, gender, sexuality, climate actions that we use to gloss over those collapse… I think the pandemic has structures that don’t serve the people that really cast a light on how these systems live within them,” they say. “They’re oil in just aren’t working. There’s a kind of the cogs of capitalism; they’re being polite impossibility or unfairness in which these where you should be ‘actually, no, fuck structures are literally serving such a that’. It’s the ways we excuse and placate, minute amount of people!” like getting really drunk at a party when It’s no surprise in hindsight that the you actually want to go home. Or diversity searing ‘Leech’ was the first single then, within performers when the people who with its anguished and devastating hold all the power are still white CisHet screamed mantra of “Have some fucking guys. Or big corporations saying that if empathy!” at its core. In part inspired by they recycle, then they are good for the what Rakel saw in those early months environment.” of the world opening back, in particular The others smile as Bella really picks up noticing the same men in positions of speed, the bassist blaming it afterwards power still not being held to account, it is as “feverish tonsillitis vibes” with a laugh. as devastating in its ferocity today as on “It’s better not to make love to the universe first listen. than get fucked by the system,” they say, “That part for me is about the music as Alice and Rakel whoop in response. industry, but it could be any industry,” “Genius is coming through,” grins Alice. points out Rakel. “You come back really With sexism continuing to rear its head in hopeful, and then there’s some stuff that the industry again (the interview came at you can’t just push under the rug. We’re the height of some nonsensical Internet not here to tear anybody down, we’re not Discourse about certain female bands here to call out names, it’s more about being industry plants), it’s clear that rebuilding a broken system.” fighting against these forms of social Freshly back from Texas for this lubrication remain vital. year’s SXSW, the American state in the The album takes in far more than just process of rolling back abortion laws that, of course; Rakel describes it at one and transgender healthcare, it’s a timely point as “hyper-lusty”. Hyperlust, a new reminder that empathy is missing all genre, just dropped there, folks. Early around the world in many aspects. single ‘Hot (Don’t Date A Musician)’ is a “People don’t understand that women’s joyously silly classic Dream Wife romp reproductive autonomy and trans rights where they point and laugh at themselves are the same conversation!” points out as much as anyone else, and on the Bella. “It’s having autonomy and access album, it is joined by standout tracks like over your body and being able to do what ‘I Want You’ and ‘Curious’. Bella describes

the latter as “The bisexual polyamorous anthem that we have all been waiting for, or at least what I have been waiting for”, and it’s clear that it is at the heart of this latest era.

“Bodily autonomy is also good, and it’s also being able to express your lust,” explains Rakel. “Whether that’s for the live show, life, your own being or your own sexuality and sexual feelings. That’s really exciting for us too.” ‘Curious’ contains a memorable reference to the singer’s 85-year-old grandmother’s sex life prompting a nervous grin from Rakel as the sounds from the next room indicate that the great lady herself is up and around during our chat. “She hasn’t put her hearing aid in yet,” she laughs. “But obviously, there are different standards regarding women and men in music and ageism - and it was an interesting thing to touch upon here.”

It all goes back to the underlying theme throughout all of social lubrication, that EVERYTHING is political whether it’s overtly a political subject or not - even the silliness and joy at the heart of songs like ‘Hot’. “It’s so important to make fun of yourself, too,” nods Rakel. “And to allow that silliness to be there. I think it’s an important combination, and it’s also highly political to be silly too at some times.”

There’s a sense that Dream Wife have now come full circle, both with the sound of the new record and also in their announcement as supporting Le Tigre at their first London show in 18 years. For a band that believe in their community as much as this, it is a Real Moment to be playing with an artist that first brought that element to life for them. They share memories of receiving moments from the band and from JD Samson individually, notes of encouragement to keep going and sharing that they were, in turn, Le Tigre’s favourite band.

“It’s such a strong sense of community about supporting each other and this underground scene,” explains Rakel. “I think with Dream Wife, that’s what we’ve always been aiming to achieve too. You never know what a kind message can do to someone; you don’t know what your songs might mean to someone. Trying to go to school through a snowstorm at the age of 13, not feeling like they belong there and then having ‘Decepticon’ get you through… You never know!”

Dork asks if the band feel and recognise that they are providing that same emotion and motivation to others. “I really hope that is true,” smiles Rakel. “But you don’t know what you mean to people.

So you might as well just keep on making your art and putting a lot of joy into it. I don’t think we would really be a band if it wasn’t for the community around us.”

“Le Tigre and what they stand for has always been this really hopeful thing for finding your people,” agrees Alice. “For doing things on your terms and in your way, and it’s the flag they fly. So I think if we can in any way inspire or touch people with our music anywhere near close to that, we’ve done our jobs. It’s an honour to be able to feel like you can share your platform or give people hope in whatever way. That’s what we’re here to do.”

Standing up for and alongside the next generation, now is proving the perfect time for Dream Wife to make their points loud and clear once more. The world better be listening. ■ Dream Wife’s album ‘Social Lubrication’ is out 9th June.

READDORK.COM 45.

FEATURE

James Acaster scales new heights (sorry) with his joyful new TEMPS album, ‘Party Gator Purgatory’.

Words: Ali Shutler. Photo: Willow Shields.

always work my life into whatever it is I’m making,” he explains. had a breakdown on Bake Off, called out Because of this, James found himself Ricky Gervais for all his anti-Trans jokes, having conversations with vocalists about and asks famous people about their dream the party gator storyline, but they were meal. He’s very much our sorta comedian. given space to put their own spin on things.

His new musical project Temps is “It became ‘this part of the album is about also right up our street. Debut album loss or death’ or ‘this part is about feeling ‘Party Gator Purgatory’ sees James lead stuck’,” he says. a 40-strong musical collection through “During the pandemic, those themes 15 tracks that touch on everything from became more relevant. Very few of the jazz and folk to punk, rock and hip-hop. “I songs are actually about the party gator.” wanted to make something innovative, James says releasing ‘Party Gator interesting and accessible that really let the Purgatory’ feels scary, exciting and new. talent of all these musicians shine,” explains “I know people who know me from my James. “I didn’t want it to disappear up its stand-up might check it out, but ultimately, own arse, though.” this is new territory for me.” He still doesn’t ‘Party Gator Purgatory’ started life as a know how much he’s going to engage mockumentary that saw James return to with the release but knows “it’s one of the his childhood home to pick up a drum kit projects I’ve made where I’m 100% satisfied he hadn’t played since he was a teenager with the results.” and a stuffed toy alligator he’d won at a fair.

“I know what this project is and what it The plan was for James to pretend he’d quit means to me, so I’m not too worried about comedy to become a serious musician, with the comedian-making-an-album syndrome. the party gator as his muse. Production got I knew that if I overthought it, then it would as far as recording hours of James playing just ruin the project,” he continues. For a drums, with those tracks then re-recorded large part of the album’s creation, he was by legendary drummer Seb Rochford. Then considering putting it out anonymously, COVID hit, and production shut down. hence the videos where he’s dressed up James would listen to those drum like a giant alligator with a career in starting recording every day “because I was just parties. By the time the record was done, really amped that my favourite drummer though, he knew it was all an important was playing along to my drums”. Like most part of the story. “I know assumptions will people, though, he got pretty bored during happen, so I just have to hope the music lockdown and emailed a bunch of musicians speaks for itself.” he knew from his Perfect Sounds podcast This isn’t James Acaster’s first time in to see if they fancied “messing around” on a band, though. When he was 13, he was top of the recordings. “It wasn’t going to in a nu-metal band (“because those were be a serious thing, but they all took it a lot the times”) before joining a hardcore more seriously than I was expecting,” says group, then a post-hardcore band. He then James. “I’m now releasing it, so I guess it’s a formed The Wow Scenario with his friend serious endeavour but everything up until Graeme Wicks which took influence from this moment has felt like pure play.”

Biffy Clyro’s ‘The Vertigo Of Bliss’, The For a very brief while, the album was and I know that I must never do it again Beach Boys’ ‘Pet Sounds’ and modern jazz just going to feature percussion and vocals. because it will never be that easy again.” bands like Polar Bear. “We wanted to be the Then James wanted to feature a bit of bass, ‘Party Gator Purgatory’ became about most important band in the world, doing but Joana Gomila felt like adding synths “this ultimate feeling of collaboration, something no one’s ever done before,” says and vocals instead. “Straight away, the community and everyone just coexisting James. “Then I ultimately failed at that, so I album I had in my mind wasn’t happening within it instead,” says James. “It was more became a comedian.” anymore, but that’s a good thing,” says a case of discovery than chasing a vision.”

Back then, James just wanted to make James. “Because you’re sending it to a jazz Still, it was easy telling someone he an amazing album. “I would have happily musician, an indie musician, then a folk wanted a saxophone solo or a blistering stayed working in kitchens as long as we’d musician, it quite quickly became clear that guitar riff. It was harder telling vocalists released a brilliant album that resonated Temps wasn’t going to be one set genre,” what to sing about. See, James wanted to with people.”

James continues, who hit up a range of keep the “silly” storyline from the scrapped He goes on to say that making ‘Party artists that, in his words, sit “on the melodic, mockumentary, with the album split into Gator Purgatory’ is the result of “decades of accessible side of experimental.” three categories. Party Gator RIP, Party want. I resigned myself to the fact that that “All of my first choices wanted to do it, dream was never going to come true, but Gator Purgatory, Party Gator Resurrection, I’ve actually done the thing I always wanted which is mad. Then, they all did what they which reflects the stuffed animal being said they were going to do, and they did it won, stored at a friend’s house for years and to do. It still feels a bit surreal,” he admits.

Still, he hasn’t entirely given up on The brilliantly. I was stunned at how easy it was, then its subsequent reunion with James. “I

→ YOU KNOW JAMES ACASTER. He

I’ve actually done the thing I always wanted to do. It still feels a bit surreal" JAMES ACAS T E R

46. DORK

Wow Scenario. In 2018, the pair added all the strings and horns to their debut album, and they recently spent ten days in Liverpool recording two new vocalists. “I’ve just got to mix it at some point,” says James, which might take a while. “This year is now very busy.”

However, James has a deal with Bella Union that includes more than just ‘Party Gator Purgatory’ and the companion EP. “Actually, having a potential label for that album feels insane.

“The experience of making ‘Party Gator Purgatory’ has been really informative on how I’m now approaching this one,” continues James, who’s “being a lot more ruthless with it”. It’s apparently much better for it.

Shortly before the pandemic, James took a break from stand-up. “I know it looks like there was a real ‘take-off’ point for my career, but since I’ve started, it’s just been growing every year. By 2019 though, I was exhausted, and I needed a break,” he explains. “I just wasn’t enjoying it as much, and that was affecting the audience’s enjoyment, which is never good.”

He’s back this year, though, with a new stand-up show Heckler’s Welcome, alongside a new comedy podcast Springleaf, and you can thank the party gator for that.

“Making that album was just pure creativity and joy. It reminded me to just embrace that side of things,” says James.

“I’m still that little kid drawing cartoons in the living room; I’ve just managed to turn that into a career. My job is to play.”

So, what’s next?

“I’m always just looking at the next project but not really beyond that,” says James. “I know I want to finish The Wow Scenario album and put that out, but right now, I just really want to focus on releasing this album the best that we can and get it to the people who will connect with it. Beyond that, I have no idea.”

“Even with stand-up, I’ve got nothing beyond this show. With all of it, it’s doing one thing well, and you’ve got nothing after that, then I guess you have to quit. It’s about the projects rather than the career.”

“I don’t want to ever make this stuff to be self-indulgent. I don’t want people to have to listen to a vanity project,” James continues. “I want people to be excited and inspired by this album.”

“This might be all I ever do musically. And if it is, I will be so proud. I’ve achieved what I wanted to since I was seven, and that feels incredible.” ■ Temps’ debut album ‘Party Gator Purgatory’ is out 19th May.

TEMPS

READDORK.COM 47.

COVER STORY

ASHNIKKO has always taken us on big, brash, bombastic journeys that cut to the bone. With her debut album ‘WEEDKILLER’, though, we’re heading to a whole new world.

Words: Ali Shutler.

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ASHNIKKO

READDORK.COM 49.

COVER STORY

I

LOVE TELLING VERY HUMAN STORIES IN A FANTASTICAL WORLD,” says

Ashnikko.

“Creating someplace to escape into is a big part of that.”

The alternative musician has spent the past five years transporting people via bold creations, but their upcoming debut album takes that to the next level.

Inspired by a short story she wrote, ‘Weedkiller’ takes place on a different planet, in the wreckage of a destroyed civilisation. The lead character is the sole surviving faerie. The enemy is the Weedkiller.

“I’ve put a lot into it,” says Ash, still recovering from an ambitious Coachella performance that saw dance routines do battle with a 12ft tall robo-puppet. “I can’t wait to take that show on the road in a less pressured environment.”

She goes on to describe ‘Weedkiller’ as a visual endeavour as well as a musical one. There are no plans to share the original short story with the world, but she is working on a graphic novel. “I’ve always written narratives in my music, but this feels like an evolution.”

The album features tracks reminiscent of their previous releases, but there are also many “different” songs on ‘Weedkiller’,” says Ash. “I try not to listen to other music when I’m writing and recording because you run the risk of sounding similar,” she explains. It’s hard to think of anyone making music quite like this.

Ashnikko “approached the album like we were scoring a film”, pulling influence from fantasy novels, Studio Ghibli’s fantasy epic Princess Mononoke, Japanese art film Angel’s Egg and action role-playing game Horizon Zero Dawn.

The result is something cohesive and surprising, beautiful and visceral.

‘Weedkiller’ is “kind of ” a concept

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THERE’S A LOT OF CATHARSIS ON THE ALBUM; IT’S ME RECLAIMING MY SENSE OF SELF"

AS H N I K KO

record, according to Ash. Songs like ‘World Eater’, ‘Super Soaker’, ‘Possession Of A Weapon’ and the title-track are very much in that realm, but other songs are “very sexual and very much about body autonomy. There are also very autobiographical stories from my childhood,” they explain. Sonically, everything is part of the same world, and the concept really comes to life through the visuals.

That fantasy world is “definitely a lens through which I can write personal songs,” says Ash. “There’s a lot of catharsis on the album. It’s me reclaiming my sense of self, stepping into my selfhood and growing as a person.”

They go on to say that the Weedkiller represents a lot of different characters from her life. “It’s me grieving over the natural world being decimated, it’s me speaking to my abuser, it’s me reclaiming my autonomy in my life.” The hope is that others can confront their own demons through ‘Weedkiller’.

Broadly speaking, the ‘Weedkiller’ era is already tackling themes of control and freedom. “I have OCD, so that makes sense,” Ash explains. “I won’t go into detail, but finding my spiritual, emotional and bodily autonomy was very important because it’s not something I had growing up.”

Ashnikko has been on a journey of self-discovery over the past couple of years. At age 25, she realised she could treat herself nicely. “I can choose to put myself in healthy environments. No one’s out to get me. I can receive love,” the 27-year-old reflects. “It feels like a crushing tonne of weight has been lifted off my shoulders, but it’s still a process I’m working through.”

“Life is crazy right now, but I definitely feel way more rooted in who I am as a

person now than I did when I began my journey as a musician at 18 years old,” she adds.

Back then, all Ashnikko wanted was to tour. They released their debut EP ‘Sass Pancakes’ in 2017, while follow-up ‘Unlikeable’ came in 2018 alongside the first of their annual Halloween tracks, ‘Halloweenie’. Breakout EP ‘Hi, It’s Me’ followed in 2019 and featured the viral smash ‘Stupid’. Coming into 2020, Ashnikko had plans to put three immersive gigs at London’s 320-capacity Omeara, but COVID had other ideas.

By the time they finally got to play a headline gig in the capital, it was two sold-out shows at the O2 Forum Kentish Town to round out a world tour, thanks to the ‘Demidevil’ mixtape.

Ashnikko “definitely” wasn’t expecting ‘Demidevil’ to blow up like it did. “That first year that things really popped off was really hard on my mental health,” she explains. “It was just super overwhelming.”

“Learning about and growing into my own gender identity while simultaneously doing interviews where everyone’s like ‘what’s it like bEiNg a WoMAn in the MuSiC InDuStry?!?!’ is very strange,” they tweeted in 2021. “And to clarify, I am pansexual and genderfluid.

I just didn’t feel ready to tell the internet yet, but I guess now’s a good time since everyone’s doing a dissection into my sexuality and gender identity,” they added, following the release of ‘Clitoris!

The Musical’, a song that does everything the title promises.

“I am from a very small, conservative, patriarchal town in the Bible Belt in the United States, so for me, feminism was very radical when I first discovered it late in my life,” she says today, with her older material helping explore that.

ASHNIKKO

READDORK.COM 51.

COVER STORY

THAT FIRST YEAR THAT THINGS REALLY POPPED OFF WAS REALLY HARD ON MY MENTAL HEALTH"

AS H N I K KO

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ASHNIKKO

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COVER STORY

THERE’S STILL HUMOUR ON ‘WEEDKILLER’, BUT I’M JUST TELLING DIFFERENT STORIES"

AS H N I K KO

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ASHNIKKO

READDORK.COM 55.

ACES

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A period of forced introspection has seen THE ACES digging deep and laying everything out.

WORDS: NEIVE MCCARTHY. PHOTO: JULIAN BURGEÑO.

HIGH

with the often terrifying world ahead of them. They didn’t go into the studio with had an interesting story to tell. Through the intention of unravelling this story, the rollercoaster ride of their first two albums, they’ve consistently been thought- however. Rather, faced with a seemingly unlimited amount of time, they found provoking, examining and introspective themselves making music for the pure with every infectious pop anthem they enjoyment of it – experimenting and seeing create. However, as they return with their their instincts through. In channelling that third album, ‘I’ve Loved You For So Long’, childlike freedom of creation, they started that rings truer than ever. They’ve dove an internal conversation that plunged deep into their own world. them into a world of understanding for After releasing ‘Under My Influence’ their younger selves. into a locked-down world, Cristal and “The deeper we went, we realised we had Alisa Ramirez, McKenna Petty and Katie Henderson had something of a mountain to to go back to the source,” Alisa continues. climb. Left with a lot of time on their hands “It became important to me to go back to those teen years and sit in that for a while to take an inner look, the four-piece had to and unpack that to be able to talk about scale the heights of everything that had it. I think something beautiful happened gone on in their lives thus far. A few years later, a weight has lifted, and they’re floating to Ken and Katie as well. We were all just in the same place in our lives. We had all down the other side of that gargantuan come to this point where we had stepped mountain. On ‘I’ve Loved You For So Long’, away from this religious upbringing, and we meet a different band in a way. Matured and more understanding, we find them truly, we were finding ourselves in this time of our life for the first time at the same pace. truly in tune with themselves, their inner Because of that synergy, we were able to child and, more importantly, each other. go there and talk about these things in a “Without the pandemic, I don’t think way that felt truthful, and at times painful, that ‘I’ve Loved You For So Long’ could’ve but really cathartic and healing together.” been made,” admits Cristal, the band’s lead McKenna Petty, the band’s bassist, vocalist. “That forced introspection was a that people feel and are scared to say and really big catalyst to being able to make this adds: “The ability for us to be able to then hear through a song and feel seen and make this record as a band came from all type of record. Our two previous records comforted. That’s the point of what we do. A of our different journeys lining up for the were externally based, but this record is main mission of ours is healing through our first time ever in our adult life. It’s also just internal. ‘Under My Influence’ coming out music. We’ve had so many fans come up to age – being able to reflect in that way is at that time was hard. We had all these us and say that this song was the only thing something that comes with emotional preconceived ideas of what we wanted they listened to for the two months they maturity. It was impossible to do that before. were depressed, and it was the one part of for that record – the travel, the show, It couldn’t have happened without that time. their day that they felt better. These things everything around it. To have that taken away so quickly was devastating, but it also It was a place for us to progress individually are so powerful. That feeling of fear that we in a big way for us to be able to reflect in forced us to get real about who we were, feel it’s this guiding light of intuition. That’s what we wanted, the direction of our career this way too.” hard to remember sometimes, but that’s They explore what it was like growing up actually the magic and the important thing.” and the kind of art we wanted to make, and closeted amongst small-town mentalities really, what was important to us. It was In reminding themselves of how they on tracks like ‘Suburban Blues’, or connecting with the fanbase and making might guide their fans, many of whom may elsewhere delve into panic attacks, anxiety music that is more than just us.” well be those anxious 14-year-olds The and the struggle mental health can present Aces get back in touch with on this record, The story they unfold on this album is on tracks like ‘Stop Feeling’.

They examine a poignant one. It has that pure The Aces they also guide themselves – towards the lingering fingerprints of their Mormonist peace, acceptance and love. Of course, essence musically, of course, but it also upbringing, and they accept that it’s okay to marks their most personal release yet. there’s the knowledge that the world will be 25 and still unsure of things. No stone is Casting their minds back to their younger hear this vulnerability. ‘I’ve Loved You left unturned on the album, and no lesson selves and allowing them into the studio For So Long’ is as much an act of healing is learnt that isn’t set to a delicious cocktail with them, they recognised that there was for The Aces as it is an act of guidance for of sprightly, hopeful indie rock. Lyrically, it a narrative to be told that they previously their fans. ‘Person’ seems to epitomise that. can be quite heavy with honesty, but in their The guitars are akin to an absolute blast of shied away from. Now, they were ready to deliciously bright guitar riffs and bouncing document it for the sake of their younger powerful heat as they remind themselves: vocals, they never let that weight fall onto selves and their younger listeners, too.

“We’re all just a person sometimes”. And their listener’s shoulders.

“That was a big part of this record, that’s completely fine.

“For the first time, The Aces are fully an really inviting our younger selves into “There’s a peace that comes with really open book,” Alisa exhales. “Before, there the room and into the sessions when we owning your story,” McKenna reflects were certain areas we didn’t want to go. were creating,” Alisa, The Aces’ drummer, sagely. “It’s like the final acceptance of We didn’t want to talk about being raised recalls. “Really going back in time and the inner child work where you’re not Mormon; we didn’t want to talk about the putting ourselves in the shoes of what it ashamed of yourself or your past. We’ve all reality of what that was. We all left that was like to be that 14-year-old girl who was said that we’ve never felt this way about a faith at different times, so it felt hard to miserable and scared. How do we tell her record where whatever happens, we feel talk about that too. Now, we’re all aligned stories? It felt like we’d pushed her away this underlying peace with what we have and on the same playing field. We’ve all for a long time. Most of our music has been created and the stories that we’ve told. I left, we’re all out and living our adult lives, about being out, being queer, leaving our think that’s something really cool – the and we’re all happy. Now, we feel confident hometowns, and moving to the city. We process of feeling more fear is the biggest skipped over telling the story of what it was to talk about those things – talking about gift you can give to yourself. mental health and being really honest about like to be a teenager in the town that we Not just a give to themselves as that. You get scared to own your truth this grew up in, so it was important to explore individuals, however, ‘I’ve Loved You So intensely and as raw as this…”. that on this record.”

Long’ is a shared experience and gift to one Luckily, Alisa’s sister Cristal has a another. That love that echoes through All four of them hail from Provo, Utah, solution to bate that fear. “As an artist, it’s each beat and strum is a love between the and have been making music together four of them – the ones who have stuck since they were those young girls, grappling our job to explore the really scary stuff

→ THE ACES HAVE ALWAYS, always

For the first time, The Aces are fully an open book" A L I SA RAMIREZ

beside one another through all those life lessons and remained there to learn their effect. The music video for ‘Solo’ sees Cristal rise from her bed to find the others in her bedroom already, already geared up and ready to play her through the day.

It’s a striking image that accompanies an equally striking glimpse at Cristal’s own vulnerability.

“To me, that is so symbolic of my whole life,” laughs Cristal. “The girls are always there with me, playing me through the events of my life. We always have this constant of the band. One of the only reasons we were able to get out of our hometown and explore and figure out who we were and have this career was because we had each other. Making this record together was realising that this band is everything to me and to the girls as well. It’s my family, it’s my sense of belonging, and my sense of purpose – it’s my labour of lifetime love. There are ups and downs, and sometimes it’s hard, and you’re questioning everything, but there’s always this guiding, soft reminder when we’re together with this energy of this is exactly what we’re supposed to be doing. That was so evident throughout making the record.”

Somewhere along the way, that discovery allowed the band to capture that energy when recording. The sheer joy of what they were doing and being able to have this life together seeps into the album.

They went back to the core of who they are, but that core is entangled with one another and with the absolute adoration for this band. There’s no surprise, then, that ‘I’ve Loved You So Long’ shimmers with hope and optimism and glee even as it considers the darker sides of life.

“The whole thing was just so fun,” the guitarist of the band, Katie, reminisces. “We did the entire record analogue, which we hadn’t done in the previous records. To just line up amps, pedals, and all be so creative on the live aspects felt so reminiscent of when we were kids. Finding different pedals and being like, ‘Oh, this sounds sick! Let’s use this!’ It was all playful, and authentic and felt really fun and exciting. I felt this deep sense of trusting our instincts. When you’re a kid, you don’t double-guess yourself as much. You wear it with your whole chest.”

That’s precisely what The Aces have captured here – it’s a portrait of themselves, old and new, worlds colliding and sliding into one to create the band as they are today. They end the record with ‘Younger’, a gorgeously melodic, The Cure-esque track that is both tinged with yesteryear and looking bright-eyed towards the future. “I wouldn’t change anything,” Cristal’s voice rings out across the track.

That shining optimism and appreciation shine on the track and on the album as a whole – the journey has made them who they are and allowed them to create some of their strongest work yet. It’s an album for themselves, past and present, and delights with promise of a future well and truly at peace. ■ The Aces’ album ‘I’ve Loved You For So Long’ is out 2nd June.

READDORK.COM 57.

INCOMING. THE NEW RELEASES YOU NEED TO KNOW

WHAT DO THE SCORES MEAN? ★ Rubbish ★★ Not Great ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Amazing

bar italia

Tracey Denim

★★★★ The Orielles

The Goyt Method ★★★★ → The Orielles show yet

another new side with EP, ‘The Goyt Method’. Named after Goyt Mill, where the mix was created, they experiment with sound design using samples from their latest album, ‘Tableau’. Taking these snippets, they resample them into something entirely new. It’s both interesting and beautiful. MELISSA DARRAGH

→ Over the past couple of years, London trio bar italia have been building up more than a bit of noise. With two albums, an EP and several singles already to their name, they’re now inked with legendary label Matador, a brand new album in tow. ‘Tracey Denim’ has that feel of a record that’s certain to make an impression in the right places. At times, it shifts from echoes of Dry Cleaning to vibes reminiscent of those breakthrough moves of The xx, but to compare to anything else seems reductive. A stellar future awaits.

DAN HARRISON

The Aces

I’ve Loved You For So Long

★★★★ Opus Kink

My Eyes, Brother! EP ★★★ → Fans of unbridled musical

bedlam can rejoice Opus Kink have returned with a second EP of unhinged chaos. ‘My Eyes, Brother!’ is the kind of music that, in truth, doesn’t always quite live up to its removal from the heaving masses of its live form - but tracks like the magnificently beer-stained ‘Dust’ come mighty close.

JAMIE MACMILLAN

→ If there’s one thing we can be sure of from The Aces, it’s fantastically addictive, saltedsugar-spun alt-pop magic - and that spell is well and truly cast over ‘I’ve Loved You For So Long’.

‘Solo’ and ‘Not The Same’ have all the pop magpie prowess of the 1975 at their boppiest, while closer ‘Younger’ rattles off the hinges on it’s way out. More personal than before, it’s a record packed front to back with the kind of shimmery bangers that demand repeat plays.

DAN HARRISON

aespa

My World

Arlo Parks

My Soft Machine

★★★★★

→ Talk about having something to live up to second time around. With the Mercury and BRIT winning (and Grammy-nominated) ‘Collapsed In Sunbeams’ under her belt, the weight of expectation on Arlo Parks’ follow-up carries the weight of a

58. DORK

star. But let’s get this out of the way early, shall we? ‘My Soft Machine’ is as close to perfection as it gets. A sumptuous, sun-drenched record that feels custom-made for summer, it is an utter triumph.

From the opening crackle and hiss of a record playing on opener ‘Bruiseless’, the record whisks you into Arlo’s inner world - complete with all the insecurities and anxiety of anyone living and moving through their 20s. As easy to let the lyrics sink in and be digested as it is to let the lush soundwaves wash over you, it’s a ‘walk on a sunny day with big headphones on’ kind of record - with frequent pivots in sound and mood like the electrifying jolt of guitars on

‘Devotion’. Whether it is the soulful grooves of the romantic ‘Blades’ or the dreamy chiming guitar of the more melancholic ‘Purple Phase’, it’s a masterclass in setting a mood and entrancing the listener.

It’s a mark of how good this album is that it is hard to pick a standout moment. Phoebe Bridgers drops in for ‘Pegasus’, a track that is an exquisite mash-up of two absolute legends at the top of their game, while ‘Dog Rose’ soars into the heavens. Even when exploring some of the tougher moments that she has gone through in recent years, it is still an uplifting and triumphant listen. Absolute toptier music at its best here. JAMIE MACMILLAN

★★★★ Tigercub

The Perfume Of Decay ★★★★ → Gothic darkness,

restlessness in the night, a sense of melancholy contrasted against tireless riffing - Tigercub are back with a gloriously indulgent record that thrives on its ferocity. It’s a seamless project boasting sonic experimentation and sharp songwriting, trying new things but prioritising the roots of Tigercub. FINLAY HOLDEN

→ Since their debut, aespa have proved themselves one of the most forward-thinking and ambitious girl groups in the world today. Up until now, aespa – that’s Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning – largely existed in the virtual realm; here, they step away from the computer. While ‘MY WORLD’ doesn’t quite reach the dizzying heights of their first EP ‘Savage’, it offers up a new side to aespa, doubling down on their versatility and expanding their ever-intriguing universe. ABIGAIL FIRTH

Lewis Capaldi

Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent

★★★★

→ Lewis Capaldi knows how to turn sadness into anthem-sized sing-a-longs. On ‘Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent’ he plays to that strength at full force. Whether the focus is on longing or limerence, apprehension or adoration, falling hard or feeling lost, at its core this is an album about that most universal of emotions (and a word that features on the record 31 times): love. Sonically, it largely falls within the same template set out on debut record ‘Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent’, but this album never claimed to be a reinvention.

Instead, Lewis has found his element and he’s flourishing in it.

JESSICA GOODMAN

ARTIST’S GUIDE

SWIM SCHOOL DUALITY EP

swim school’s Alice Johson talks us through the band’s new EP, track by track.

Squid

O Monolith

★★★★

→ Squid have learnt to embrace falling headfirst. Often, they find themselves landing into musical magic where things that shouldn’t work do, and make the kind of transcendent moments Squid excel at. Their debut album, ‘Bright Green Field’, teetered on the edge of claustrophobic – compressing on your chest till you were gasping for air against the force of those rattling, chaotic sounds. On their second effort, ‘O Monolith’, there’s room to stretch out and breathe.

That’s not to say it doesn’t shake with fraught tension, however. It wouldn’t be Squid without it, and ‘O Monolith’ is an intricate web that is a joy to get tangled up in.

NEIVE MCCARTHY

Dream Wife

HotWax

★★★★★

★★★★

Social Lubrication → Opener ‘Kick In The Teeth’ is the perfect entrance, attitude dripping from Rakel’s vocals, and it instantly feels as inyour-face as is humanly possible.

Solely produced in-house by Alice, this is an unfiltered and undiluted version of Dream Wife and is all the better for it. The record rips along at a ridiculous rate in its first half in particular, the tongue-in-cheek fun of ‘Hot (Don’t Date A Musician)’ sitting deliciously alongside the titletrack, where years of casual sexism and gender-influenced disses is turned into some sonic truth bombs. It is the sound of a generation’s patience running out to a soundtrack for the ages.

JAMIE MACMILLAN

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Council Skies

★★★

→ Noel Gallagher is back with a full-length that finds its roots in the deceptively simple, stripping back bells and whistles for a gentle listen loosely grounded by an appreciation of the life he’s experienced since an eventful childhood in the suburbs of Manchester. Where his 2017 LP and three subsequent EP projects have sought to encapsulate an otherworldly energy, ‘Council Skies’ instead reflects on music’s ability to elevate the listener’s own reality, seeing Noel explore the juxtaposition in his life and use it to flesh out a new sonic world. FINLAY HOLDEN

A Thousand Times EP

I saw the quote, “Duality is a situation in which two opposite feelings exist at the same time”, and that described the EP perfectly. The songs are based on experiences that I have gone through. The fact that you can feel contrasting feelings at the same time can be confusing and take its toll on you mentally, but I find that writing is the best way to cope with it.

Don’t Leave Me Behind ‘Don’t Leave Me Behind’ is the emotions you feel when you meet someone you have a genuine connection with, but you don’t know where you stand with them.

You think that they feel the same as you, yet you aren’t sure, and your mind can’t stop thinking about them.

We wanted to write our own version of those cheesy, early 90s love songs, and I think we nailed it. It contains a lot of synth, which gives that floaty, loved-up feeling.

The gang vocals at the end is one of my favourite parts of the song as it adds to that 90s feel.

Kill You ‘Kill You’ is about being in love and wanting to spend the rest of your life with someone. It’s about the confidence you feel when you are in a good relationship, and you feel comfortable enough to show your vulnerability. I didn’t want it to be your stereotypical love song either, which is why I chose the title ‘Kill You’ - it almost contradicts what the song is about.

Bored ‘Bored’ is a follow-up to ‘Delirious’ - the way I see it is that ‘Delirious’ is talking about experiencing sexism, and ‘Bored’ is what I’ve learnt and the confidence I found when I finally started standing up for myself.

It’s a powerful song which is a middle-finger to others who don’t support you and talk behind your back. Again, the song is very much tongue-incheek lyrics, making something positive out of the negative.

Delirious 2022 was our busiest year yet as a band as we travelled the whole of the UK playing new venues, cities and festivals. Playing all of these gigs meant we were constantly meeting and working with new sound engineers, but not every encounter was good.

I experienced a lot of sexism; I was constantly disrespected and patronized, which led to me feeling like I wasn’t good enough.

Instead of letting it get to me, I decided to write ‘Delirious’ and reminded myself that insecurities are the root of sexism.

Over Now ‘Over Now’ is about someone toxic finally leaving your life and them not having a hold over you anymore. The person promised you the world but ended up treating you badly. It’s about telling them that you finally see them for who they really are, that you no longer need them and how

Swim School Duality EP

★★★★★

→ Some bands just have it.

Impossible to truly describe, Swim School are drenched in that scuzzy, fuzzy je ne sais quoi. It’s a quality that marks out an act able to push beyond the jagged shores, peppered with the husks of new bands past. Maybe it’s the gutteral drop that echoes in the start of bone-bare rager ‘Delerious’, or the jangling highs of opener ‘Don’t Leave Me Behind’.

It could be the vampy cool of the soaring ‘Bored’, or the marching advance of closer ‘Over Now’. Or, let’s be honest, maybe it’s all of that put together. There’s no one lane for Swim School to stick to.

They’re brilliant at all of them.

DAN HARRISON

much better you are now.

The repetition of the words “it’s over now” is you not believing that it’s really over, and you are trying to convince yourself by saying it over and over. The song ends with the same dynamic it started with - it starts soft and with just vocal and guitar and ends with just the vocal too. The repetition gets harsher and anger as it builds, yet it comes down to just one vocal at the end, representing that alone feeling after the toxic person has left. The song goes through a lot of different emotions- anger, relief, sadness and happiness.

→ HotWax have been setting pulses racing with their explosive live shows, and on this debut EP, they are proving more that they can tear everything apart on record too. Only just out of school they may be, but they’ve already graduated with honours here. ‘A Thousand Times’ drips with elements of punk, grunge and alternative rock with huge riffs from guitarist and singer Tallulah Sim-Savage thundering in alongside a runaway train vibe from bassist Lola Sam and drummer Alfie Sayers. It’s a viciously searing and uncompromising statement of intent to take on all comers in 2023 and beyond. Seriously exciting. JAMIE MACMILLAN

Lola Young

My Mind Wanders And Sometimes Leaves Completely

★★★★

→ The heavy, spectral piano that opens Lola Young’s latest project is nothing short of deceiving. ‘Stream of Consciousness’ gives into beats that pulse erratically, like racing thoughts. The straight-talking, blunt delivery of Lola’s cut-open lyricism is hard not to get caught up in. There’s a comforting sense of confession and trust; not so much as a sigh is censored. “You’ll never break through in pop music anyway,” Lola recalls an ex-lover telling her. In an exultant twist of fate, ‘My Mind Wanders...’ will see her do exactly that. NEIVE MCCARTHY

READDORK.COM 59.

GET OUT. LIVE MUSIC, FROM THE FRONT

60. DORK

SHIT THAT SHOULD BE YOURS,” declares Hayley Williams onstage at London’s O2 Arena.

She’s talking specifically about “sappy little number” ‘The Only Exception’, which has only just returned to the setlist after an absence of over seven years due to it being written about a shitty ex, but this new era of Paramore is driven by that sense of taking back control. “This year is about not giving all your power away,” she adds.

From the very beginning, Paramore have been out to prove something. From wanting to make it outside of their hometown of Franklin, Tennessee, to needing to show their was life beyond generation-defining anthem ‘Misery Business’ and the various line-up changes that followed, every album has seen Paramore fighting back. Even the joyous ‘80s pop escape of ‘After Laughter’ saw the band do battle with their own wellbeing.

After a four-year break and a muchneeded shift in the larger conversation about that noughties punk scene in general, Paramore returned in 2022 more adored than ever. Rather than a messy history, they’ve now got a legacy. Sixth album ‘This Is Why’ is a celebration of that. Across the record, there are nods to the disco-rock bands that first inspired them (Bloc Party, Foals) while the angst of their breakthrough anthems has returned, as furious as ever.

Tonight’s gig sees Paramore come back to The O2 as “grown-ass people” and celebrate nearly two-decades together.

“There are moments I know Taylor, Zac and I would do all over again,” says Hayley.

“There are moments where I’m so glad we’re passed that shit. It’s finally somewhat peaceful,” she says, adding that “life is somewhat insane” outside these walls.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous we’re still here,” says Hayley later in the night. “It’s crazy that we’re still a band,” she continues, joking that they’ve nearly broken up 1000s of times.

Elsewhere she thanks the audience for “letting us try whatever the fuck we wanted with each album,” but despite the gratitude, Paramore aren’t here to appease anyone.

The whole show is defiant and unapologetic. There’s space in the 100-minute set for Hayley to perform solo number ‘Crystal Clear’ with the rest of the band, while Zac Farro tests out unreleased Halfnoise track ‘Baby’ on the sold-out arena. Moody, introspective tracks like ‘Liar’ and ‘Last Hope’ sit comfortably next to sweeping, joyful anthems like ‘Hard Times’ and ‘Ain’t It Fun’. Even ‘Misery Business’ is purposefully introduced by Hayley saying, “let’s just do it”.

Theatrical classics like ‘Decode’, ‘All I Wanted’ and ‘Playing God’ create emotional highs throughout the night but it’s the spiky, visceral tracks from ‘This Is Why’ that showcase Paramore’s playful freedom best.

Opener ‘You First’ is a barbed revenge anthem, sung by an anti-hero that concludes with so much confetti, a stagehand dual-wields leaf-blowers to try and clear the stage. ‘The News’ wrestles with complicated feelings of community, outrage, fear and hurt, leading to a rebellious few minutes of joy while ‘Crave’ clears a space in the noise. “Just for a second, it all felt simple,” sings Hayley, looking out at the crowd.

“Was it everything you needed,” Hayley asks towards the end of a set that’s offered catharsis, collective mourning and giddy joy. “Same.”

Words: Ali Shutler. Photo: Zachary Gray.

PARAMORE BRING CATHARSIS, COLLECTIVE MOURNING AND GIDDY JOY TO LONDON’S O2

→ “THIS IS THE YEAR OF RECLAIMING

READDORK.COM 61.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?

Panic Shack Yes, Dear Reader. We enjoy those ‘in depth’ interviews as much as anyone else. But - BUT - we also enjoy the lighter side of music, too. We simply cannot go on any longer without knowing that one of Panic Shack used to fancy Casper, and another is def, 100% related to Brian from East17...

If you could be best friends with a celebrity you do not know, who would you choose?

What did you last dream about?

Meg: Absolutely no idea, but I DID use to write all the dreams I could remember in my Notes app, so I’ll find you an excerpt...

“Somebody stole my doormat so I barked at them - sleep paralysis.”

- Meg, 03/04/2018.

Meg: Megan Thee Stallion.

What’s your standard order from the fish and chip shop?

Meg: Oooh, sometimes we just get a rissole as a midnight-out snack.

What’s your biggest fear?

What was the first record you bought?

Romi: RATS.

Saz: I got Teletubbies ‘Say Eh Oh’ on cassette. Does that count?

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?

Meg: I’m pretty sure Romi had a crush on Casper the Friendly Ghost.

If you had to live as an animal for one year, which animal would you pick?

Saz: A sloth, hands down (always smiling, chills in trees all day and does fuck all).

What do you always have in your refrigerator?

Em: Mayo.

Saz: Gherkins.

What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?

What is your favourite time of day?

Saz: Finishing work.

Do you believe in aliens?

Meg: Absolutely, 1000% yes.

Which supermarket do you shop at?

Meg: Lidl.

What’s the stupidest lie you’ve ever told?

Em: Deep fried.

What is your most treasured possession?

Saz: My trunk of hats.

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Photo: Jamie MacMillan.

What’s the best way to cook a potato?

What is your earliest memory?

Meg: Sobbing when I got a Furby for Christmas; best day ever.

If you had to be on a TV gameshow, which would you choose?

Em & Meg: Tipping Point OR Deal Or No Deal if that was still on the telly.

If we gave you £10, what would you spend it on?

Rom: White Claw.

You’re picking a 5-item breakfast. What’s in it?

Em: Normally, just beans and mushrooms for our little vegan Saz. We actually have this discussion quite regularly, and I KNOW Romi would choose toast and egg; probs chuck a sausage on there, too, for good luck.

How punk are you out of ten?

Em: Hard 10.

If you had to get a tattoo today, what would it be of?

Saz: Sexy Marge Simpson.

What’s the silliest thing you own?

What was the last thing you broke?

Is there anything you’re brilliant at, but nobody else knows?

Meg: My amp on stage, all fixed now!

Romi: Yodelling.

Have you ever had a nickname?

How far could you run, if your life depended on it?

Meg: I always, very publicly, salute lone magpies.

Em: Between us, I reckon 100+ (Saz has a trunk specifically dedicated to hats).

Em: Mayo.

Meg: I feel like Saz owns a lifesize plushie HB pencil.

What is the most irrational superstition you have?

How many hats do you own?

If you could win a lifetime supply of anything, what would you choose?

Meg: Getting recognised after a smear test xoxo.

Em: ‘Smico’.

Meg: Saz has the new nickname ‘Mucus’ at the mo; we’re trying to get it to catch on.

Saz: I told people in school that Brian Harvey from East17 was my cousin (my surname is also Harvey).

crazy, but we are partial to a french fry dipped in a strawberry milkshake.

Rom: Saz and Em have actually both run marathons, so pretty far.

What strength Nandos sauce do you order?

Em: Hot, probs.

What’s one thing you can definitely beat the other members of Panic Shack at?

Have you ever been thrown out of somewhere?

Meg: I would give the girls a run for their money in karaoke-off.

However, I do think that Saz would beat us in a dance-off.

Have you seen her do the worm?

What is the strangest food combination you enjoy?

Panic Shack play Dork’s stage at Live At Leeds: In The Park on 27th May.

Em & Rom: Almost got thrown off the Megabus on the M4 (it wasn’t our fault).

Em & Rom: Okay, it’s not that

“Gem of the UK festival scene” THE GUARDIAN

THE INDEPENDENT

“Something for everyone at the friendliest festival around” ELLE

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