Dork, March 2023 (The Last Dinner Party cover) by Dork

** PLUS **

MASTER PEACE

LIME GARDEN

THE SNUTS

THE BLINDERS

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB

DOWN WITH BORING.

86TVS

THE LEMON TWIGS

+ LOADS MORE

ISSUE 85 · MARCH 2024 · READDORK.COM

The

Last Dinner Party a

IDLES iDKHOW

ALL

IS LOVE

FEELING GLOOMY?

prelude

ECSTASY

OF MILLENIALS DECIMATED THE FAMILY PC WITH A LIMEWIRE VIRUS

INDEX.

BACK ISSUES! Want to complete your collection and grab Dork covers with all your faves? Get ‘online’ and head on over to shop.readdork.com and find our complete back catalogue, available while they last.

Issue 85 | March 2024 | readdork.com | Down With Boring

Hiya, Dear Reader.

As the calendar flips to March, we’re buzzing with the kind of excitement that only comes when we’ve got something truly special up our sleeves. And with this month’s cover acts, we really do have something special. Leading the charge are The Last Dinner Party. Making a grand entrance on our 2023 Hype List without so much as a recorded single to their name, they’ve now sky-rocketed to become the UK’s biggest new band. At the time of writing, they’re on the cusp of clinching the top spot on the UK Official Albums Chart with ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’. Their debut is the fastest-selling in recent memory, proving they’re every bit the powerhouse we anticipated. Maybe the haters can get back in their box now, eh? Then there’s IDLES, the Bristol punks who continue to redefine rebellion. With ‘TANGK’, they showcase that love, not anger, is the most potent form of resistance. Evolving with each step forward, they only affirm their status as one of the most vital and interesting bands in the scene. Dallon Weekes, with iDKHOW, takes us on a genre-defying journey with ‘Gloom Division’. Casting aside the constructs of that brilliant debut, Weekes’ latest work is a wild, creative ride that cements his position as a leading talent in today’s music world. But that’s just the beginning. This issue is packed with features that span the spectrum of brilliant new music. From Master Peace’s electrifying buzz to Lime Garden’s refreshing zest, 86TVs’ indie hero status to The Snuts’ undeniable fizz, there’s something from every corner to dip your feet into. In Hype, we’re introducing you to the likes of Elle Coves, Lutalo, and Telenova, while in Incoming we deliver the first verdicts on this month’s new albums, including insights on Yard Act, Crawlers, and Declan McKenna. And for the live music crew, we’re bringing you up close with Bring Me The Horizon and taking you across to Europe for Eurosonic Noorderslag 2024. But seriously. That The Last Dinner Party album. Down with boring indeed.

‘Editor’ @stephenackroyd

readdork.com Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jake Hawkes, Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Scribblers Abigail Firth, Alexander Bradley, Ciaran Picker, Dan Harrison, Emma Quin, Jack Press, Finlay Holden, Kelsey McClure, Linsey Teggert, Minty Slater-Mearns, Neive McCarthy, Rebecca Kesteven, Rob Mair, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin Snappers Darina, Derek Bremner, Frances Beach, Jamie MacMillan, Jennifer McCord, Jonathan Weiner, Jono White, ManicProject, Patrick Gunning, Sal Redpath, Sarah Louise Bennett, Shireen Bahmanizad, Stephanie Pia, Tom Oxley PUBLISHED FROM

Top Ten.

Hype.

Incoming.

04 06 07

EFÉ YOT CLUB MANNEQUIN PUSSY

20 22 23

ELLE COVES LUTALO TELENOVA

66 67 69

YARD ACT CRAWLERS DECLAN MCKENNA

08 12 14

86TVS PARIS PALOMA BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB ALKALINE TRIO TEENAGE KICKS: ANOTHER SKY A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... TALK SHOW THE LEMON TWIGS

24 34

IDLES THE LAST DINNER PARTY IDKHOW MASTER PEACE LIME GARDEN THE BLINDERS THE SNUTS

BRING ME THE HORIZON EUROSONIC GRETEL ROCKAWAY BEACH

Intro. 16 17 17 18

Features. 46 54 58 62 64

Get Out. 73 73 73

Backpage. 74

BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH

WELCOMETOTHEBUNKER.COM

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

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. Distributed nationally.

TRUTH OR

Words: Neive McCarthy.

THE BEST HAPPENING

Eighteen months since her last release, EFÉ has been busy. Her just dropped single ‘Truth☆Truth’ is the start of something big.

4. DORK

STUFF N O W.

→ EFÉ has been biding her time.

Thinking, planning, contemplating. She’s been sat a bit away from the edge, musing on what she’ll do when she reaches it. Now, perched on the precipice, she’s ready to take a leap of faith. Nearly eighteen months since her last release, she’s back with another richly colourful world to step into. Her new single ‘Truth☆Truth’ marks a new side of EFÉ – one that comes after over a year of learning to not hold back, and lean into what it is you’ve been dreaming of. It feels like the start of something new. “I’ve been trying to figure out the sound and what is next in terms of music that I release – what’s the visual representation of what I want to put out?” EFÉ explains over Zoom. “I think the hardest part of making music is always finishing the actual song. I think I’m learning that you have to go and get what it is that you want.” When it came to jumpstarting this new era of EFÉ, it turns out what she wanted was something bigger

FORGET ME NOT TOP TEN

“IT’S HEAVIER, THE GUITARS ARE GRITTIER, IT’S COOLER” EFÉ

– something rockier, something more intense and brooding and in line with the music she loved. Her last release, the ‘VITAMIN – C’ EP, was a sparkling step into a technicolour bright universe – all breezy, lush vocals and hazy soundscapes that made it feel like a dream world. ‘Truth☆Truth’ is cast in a different hue entirely. Its muted beginning quickly makes it evident that it will not stay quite so restrained, giving itself over to guitars that create a release that leaves you grinning. It’s a route EFÉ has wanted to take for a while. “I hinted at the rock direction that I wanted to go even with ‘Loving Girl’,” she recalls. “I have a lot of rock influences, but I was scared to go full-on with that. ‘Truth Truth’ is me being able to actually really go for it. It’s heavier, the guitars are grittier, it’s cooler. What I loved about it was the excitement I felt every time I listened to it; even in its demo stages, I was still like, ‘Woah, I feel like this could hit’.” Hit it does – ‘Truth Truth’ continues to bring cathartic release, a statement of not settling for people who won’t change their ways and won’t choose honesty. It’s a new injection of life into EFÉ’s sound, born largely from the realisation that she could create the things she really loves, too. Following that glee and passion is transformative for the track. “I found this artist named Tommy february6, a Japanese artist who was also in a band called the brilliant green. the brilliant green is way rockier than her alter ego. I realised I could just do this – I could make the guitars crazier if I want, I could make this what I actually want to be. It gave me the courage to do it.” With a keen part to play in the creative world she makes, EFÉ has become a master of building a specific aesthetic and world for her music to exist in. “I’m in a stage where I just want to do singles,” says EFÉ. “I kept doing EPs, but I want to have fun. I want to do cool singles and build a world around it. I have a music video for this song, I have photos – I want to focus on the song and make it as cool and huge as possible. Singles allow the freedom for it to feel fun, and you don’t have to be completely cohesive. For me, I always want a project to feel cohesive, so with this, I can venture out and do different things that still feel like me.” Determined to carve her own path, ‘Truth Truth’ sees EFÉ bravely set out on this new trail – with the pure possibilities of what she can do, it is set to veer and wind unpredictably. Inevitably, though, it will end with something truly, truly great. ■

PEACE-STER SUNDAY → Dork’s Night Out is back with a bang next month as we head outside the capital for an Easter Bank Holiday weekend bash, and it’s bigger than ever. Indie legends and Dork Hall of Famers Peace are set to headline the largest Dork’s Night Out event to date, taking place at Nottingham Rescue Rooms on Sunday 31st March (yes, you may well have the Monday after off work – Ed). The equally fabulous DEADLETTER and the anthemic Overpass will join them on the bill, with more to be announced. You can grab tickets now from readdork.com. Off you go.

→ Maggie Rogers is set to release her third studio album, ‘Don’t Forget Me’, on 12th April, and fans are already getting a glimpse of her new work with the title track’s release. The album, crafted in a whirlwind of inspiration over just five days, is a testament to Rogers’ creative process, with a pace of two songs a day. Rogers, in her own words, aimed to create an album that felt like “a Sunday afternoon,” evoking images of “worn in denim” and “a drive in your favourite car”. In a personal note, she expressed her enthusiasm for the project: “There’s a warmth to ‘Don’t Forget Me.’ In many ways, it feels like coming home, returning to the music and songwriting...” She also described the album as something to “belt at full volume alone in your car, a trusted friend who could ride shotgun and be there when you needed her”. This new album marks a journey through Rogers’ life experiences, from her college days to her late twenties, and for the first time, she explores the narrative of a fictional character, adding a fresh dimension to her music.

RED ALERT!

→ girl in red has announced her second album. ‘I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!’ – the follow-up to 2021 debut ‘If I Could Make It Go Quiet’ – will be released on 12th April via Columbia Records, teased by early single ‘Too Much’. She says of the single: “I’ve always been told I’m too much. Throughout my whole childhood and in my adult years. Getting shut down when I’m at my happiest or most excited made me feel self-conscious, alienated, and weird. It wasn’t until I encountered the same feeling in my relationships, that I realized how much it actually hurt me to never feel fully accepted for who I am. As well I think culturally people tend to be too cool to have fun or to show true excitement and emotions, and I’m so tired of that facade.” READDORK.COM 5.

BIG

PIXEL THIS

DROP

→ Little Simz has released an EP of new material, ‘Drop 7’. The project follows ‘Drop 6’, with 2024 also marking 10 years since she shared ‘Drop 1’ in August 2014. A press release explains: “Ever evolving and forwardfacing, the surprise 7-track EP sees Simz deftly weave her trademark introspective lyricism with some of the most experimental, club-oriented beats of her career, provided by esteemed producer Jakwob.”

From the lo-fi charm of ‘off the grid’ to the collaborative spirit of just announced second album ‘Rufus’, YOT CLUB‘s Ryan Kaiser opens up about his creative process, collaborations, and the art of making memorable music. → Brooklyn-based indie-popster Yot Club,

LIVIN’ FOR THE WEEKEND

Words: Stephen Ackroyd.

→ Vampire Weekend are back, announcing their return with their first album in five years, ‘Only God Was Above Us’. Set to arrive on 5th April, the album was inspired and haunted by 20th Century New York City, and recorded all over the world, from Manhattan to Los Angeles to London and Tokyo. ‘Only God Was Above Us’ was primarily produced by Koenig and longtime collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid, mixed by Dave Fridmann and mastered by Emily Lazar. The title is lifted directly from the album artwork, comprised of photos taken from a subway graveyard in New Jersey in 1988 by Steven Siegel.

6. DORK

the musical alter-ego of Ryan Kaiser, is gearing up for a big reveal. With the spring sun on the horizon, Ryan is set to release his second full-length, ‘Rufus’, on 29th March. The anticipation is palpable, and the first taste of the album, ‘Pixel’, has already set the stage for what’s to come — a track that delves into the complexities of selfperception in our digital age. Ryan, who at the time of our chat is basking in the glow of a 10/10 day – dog walking and chicken wing indulging included – has had a relaxed start to the year. “It’s chill so far; there’s a lot planned for this year, so now is like the calm before the storm. I did do dry January, which was nice, so I’m gonna stick with that.” That done, there’s some time to reflect on his journey since his 2022 debut ‘off the grid’. “I took a little bit of a break after I made ‘off the grid’ to figure out what to do next,” he says with the calm of someone who’s found their footing after a whirlwind of success. “I was listening to a lot of older stuff like Galaxie 500, Apples in Stereo, The Bats, and The Cry. I wanted to make stuff that was simple and timeless like that. I was living in Nashville at the time and feeling pretty drained and disengaged from the scene.” It was a trip across the pond that allowed him to open up the creative doors on his next steps. “It started kind of slow,” he confides. “I was having trouble locking in what direction to go. But then I did a string of shows in Europe, and when I got home, I was super excited to get back to recording. It was a good reset, and from there, it became really easy and just kind of fell together.” The making of ‘Rufus’ marks a significant shift from Ryan’s previous work. He’s embraced collaboration, stepping out of his comfort zone and into a space where other voices and talents mingle with his own. “I’ve always done everything on my own at home. This was the first time I opened up to the idea of working with a producer who actually knows what they’re doing,” he admits. It’s a move that’s both vulnerable and bold, signalling a new chapter in his artistic narrative. “I also worked with some really good songwriters on a few songs,” he continues. “I’ve always recorded alone, so it feels like a personal thing to me. It can be hard to write

“THERE MAY BE SOME JUMP SCARES IN THERE” RYAN

KAISER

a song and sing it in front of other people.” The process of creating ‘Rufus’ was a stark contrast to the hurried pace of ‘off the grid’. “I made ‘off the grid’ shortly after my song ‘ykwim’ got popular, and I feel like I rushed because of that,” Ryan recalls. “I recorded it in the same room with the same gear and the same process as all of my previous projects. I love that album and those songs, but the making of ‘Rufus’ just felt more healthy. I was taking breaks, getting second opinions, and working with other writers and producers. That definitely made a difference.” Fans can expect the unexpected with ‘Rufus’. Kaiser hints at a dynamic range of emotions and a visual aesthetic that’s bound to catch the eye. “I will say the art is pretty jarring. The energy level definitely varies from song to song, so there may be some jump scares in there,” he teases. When asked about the key elements that make for a good album, Ryan doesn’t hesitate: “Being memorable is the most important thing. It helps if there’s a central or ongoing theme that makes everything feel connected. I like it when you can tell everything was made by the same brain, and the emotions on one song carry over into others.” ‘Rufus’ promises a deep dive into Ryan’s thoughts, a 13-track exploration of juxtaposition, introspection, nostalgia, and a bolder, brighter sound that retains the lo-fi charm Yot Club is known for. It’s a journey that’s taken him from the familiarity of Nashville to the bustling creativity of Brooklyn, and with ‘Rufus’, he continues to push forward on a voyage of musical discovery. Until then, though, dog walks and chicken wings sound like a pretty good plan. ■ Yot Club’s album ‘Rufus’ is out 29th March.

TOP TEN

FURY ROAD MANNEQUIN PUSSY’s Marisa “Missy” Dabice confronts deepening rage and the quest for unbridled selfexpression in explosive fourth album, ‘I Got Heaven’.

Words: Linsey Teggert.

→ “They tell you that you get less angry

as you get older, but I’ve actually found the opposite to be true: my rage has only deepened, but I’ve got much better at coexisting with it.” Mannequin Pussy’s guitarist and vocalist Marisa “Missy” Dabice is ruminating on the themes of the Philadelphia band’s upcoming fourth album, ‘I Got Heaven’, which finds the four-piece at their most vital and visceral. “Sometimes I feel like I need to appear powerful and unhinged and dangerous and confident, so people don’t fuck with me, and I’m able to walk unbothered,” continues Missy. She’s specifically referencing the hard-hitting first lines of album opener and first single, also named ‘I Got Heaven’, which immediately conjure an image of the unbridled: “I went and walked myself, like a dog without a leash, now I’m growling at a stranger, I am biting at their knees.” It brings to mind the oppressive and outdated trope of the hysterical woman who needs to be controlled - something Missy is very aware of. “In the band, we have our own vocabulary we’ve created together,” Missy explains. “When we play live, I play guitar for half of the set, and then I put the guitar down and perform without it. I can run around stage and scream in people’s faces and do whatever I want with my body, and we started calling it ‘going unleashed’ - I’m free of my guitar and get to go full Missy unleashed. “I’m almost comparing myself to a wild animal who gets to untether myself from this thing that’s been holding me back. I think it’s good to feel in touch with your animalistic qualities. As women, we’re held back from doing things that we love, or we have to reassess how to do the things we love just so we can be safe doing them, and that’s a very universal experience. I want to be just like a wild animal that’s free every time I’m able to leave the sanctity and safety of my apartment, but that’s not always my reality.” Mannequin Pussy have always been a band who skilfully combine the personal and political, and ‘I Got Heaven’ sees them hone their firebrand approach even further, raging at the state of the world while also exploring desire and empowerment. It’s their ability to cover huge themes in a way that feels universal that makes them such an important force. “I’m in a privileged enough place where I can write something in a song, and there are people who are going to listen to it, read those lyrics, and dissect them. Then maybe I come closer to being able to find

“MY RAGE HAS ONLY DEEPENED” MISSY

DABICE

my people, or maybe have the potential to affect someone who needed to hear that and not feel so alone in how they feel about the world. “There are such obvious propaganda tactics at play, especially in our Western civilisations that are so keen to divide people, because ultimately we’re just one step away from having class consciousness and from realising that all of us are closer to having nothing than we are to being millionaires or billionaires.” Despite all the rage, love and lust play a big part in this album; after all, love is one of those key fundamentals we can all identify with as humans. As previously mentioned, Mannequin Pussy have that special ability to blend the personal with the political, and there’s a healthy dose of introspection at play here, with Missy, in her typically witty and barbed fashion, questioning love in the wider context of what it means to be a woman. “I ended a relationship about two years ago, and when I ended that relationship, I realised that I have been someone’s girlfriend for nearly thirteen years straight. In the absence of that romantic distraction, I finally had to pull out those parts of me I’d been hiding from for a decade, and it’s been the most healing period. There’s also a lot of lust and horniness and desire in this record, too, a lot of innuendo and horny little jokes, because in the absence of another, you do start to fantasise in a new way. “I’m entering one of the most creative and professionally rewarding periods of my entire life, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I spent the last two years looking inward. There’s a line in ‘Loud Bark’ that I’m really proud of: ‘I’m a waste of a woman, but I taste like success’. I’ve always felt very judged by some people for choosing this alternative, unconventional life for myself. You can see me that way all you want, as a waste of a woman that didn’t fulfil the role you put onto me, but fuck, if I don’t taste like success.” ■ Mannequin Pussy’s album ‘I Got Heaven’ is out 1st March.

DEEP IMPACT

→ Kacey Musgraves has announced her new album ‘Deeper Well’, set to be released on 15th March. Alongside the announcement she also shared her latest single, the title track from the record. “Sometimes you reach a crossroads. Winds change direction. What you once felt drawn to doesn’t hold the same allure,” Kacey explains. “You get blown off course but eventually find your footing and forage for new inspiration, new insight and deeper love somewhere else.”

BEST FOOT FORWARD

→ FEET have announced their second album, ‘Make It Up’. The follow-up to debut ‘What’s Inside Is More Than Just Ham’, the full-length will arrive on 14th June via Submarine Cat Records and is teased by new single ‘The Real Thing’. “There’s no throw away ideas on this album and everything has to have its place. It has to be ironed out and perfected,” explains frontman George Haverson. “I don’t like to say polished, but it is perfected to a point where everything can be done in its fullest form. I feel like we’ve got 12 complete songs on this album and not 12 ideas. We’ve made the FEET machine and now it’s a case of inserting the right idea and the output is a great song. Before, it felt a bit more like we were throwing shit at the wall. This time round, everything feels a bit more refined.

READDORK.COM 7.

T INTRO. B THE BEATING HEART OF POP NONSENSE.

8. DORK

TELIVISION BROMANCE I INTRO

From legitimate indie icons to new thrilling upstarts all over again, 86TVs might be a fresh concern, but they bring a whole lotta history with them, too. by CIARAN PICKER. photography by SHIREEN BAHMANIZAD.

n the summer of 2007, Bloc Party toured around the USA, taking young indie-rock upstarts The Maccabees and Noisettes with them for the ride. Unbeknownst to anyone, this would prove a formative experience and ultimately lead to the inception of 86TVs, whose debut EP ‘You Don’t Have To Be Yourself Right Now’ is out now via Parlophone. To the outside world, 86TVs came out of the blue, with each band member having carved out their own paths over the last fifteen years, whether in the form of a cricket podcast, creating Yala! Records, or collaborating and producing with artists like Jamie T and Stereophonics. For the boys in the band, namely strikingly resemblant brothers Felix, Hugo, and Will White, and brotherin-arms Jamie Morrison, it was a long time coming. “It’s been about seven years in the making,” Hugo explains. “It just feels incredible to have a body of work out finally.” The word to describe 86TVs is organic, both with regard to the band’s formation and music they produce, but also the way they’ve worked their way back onto the scene. “We never had a conversation where we went, ‘Should we make a band?’ It was just a really natural force that brought us together,” Hugo recalls. Felix agrees, adding, “Because it’s what we’ve grown up doing, it’s kind of an instinct to start a band. Dynamically, though, we’re in a better place than last time.” Their younger years saw Felix and Hugo be a part of guitar-rock heavyweights The Maccabees, who called it quits at the pinnacle of their career, having secured their first Number 1 album with their swan song LP ‘Marks To Prove It’ in 2015, and signing off with a farewell at Alexandra Palace two years later. Thinking back to those days, Hugo

“IT’S A MIRACLE TO HAVE A BAND WORK ONCE; TO BE ABLE TO FIND IT AGAIN IS SO RARE” HUGO

WHITE

remembers their gruelling schedule that probably contributed to the band’s split. “We’d have eight-hour long, really intense rehearsals, and by the end, you inevitably came out of the room absolutely hating each other.” Felix applies this same feeling to live performances, “If ever you came off stage [in The Maccabees] and you made a mistake, it would feel like the end of the world. Now it’s like, ‘Oh, did that sound shit out the front? That’s hilarious!’” The band is drenched in a positivity that none of the boys have experienced in music before, with the addition of Jamie being a key piece of the puzzle. A renowned session drummer, as well as a founding

READDORK.COM 9.

INTRO

member of Noisettes, he brought a vibrancy to the music and the band more widely. “Looking back at that Bloc Party tour, Jamie was just this legendary figure,” Felix beams. “Partly because his hair was bigger than the venues, but also because he’s a musical genius who takes joy from even doing the simplest of things.” Jamie has clearly found his nirvana in 86TVs, with an undying gratitude oozing from him, represented by the vibrancy of his drumming on this new EP. “You can’t control vibes in a band; it’s all-natural, and as a drummer, I’m just reacting to everything around me. I’ve been waiting for moments like these for a long time, to have that addictive, joyous feeling, so if my drumming sounds different to stuff from the past, then that’s the best compliment anyone can give me.’ The EP itself, featuring the already released ‘Worn Out Buildings’ and ‘Higher Love’, is unlike anything we’ve heard before from any of 86TVs, individually or collectively. In returning to their roots, the gang have achieved a DIY feel to this foursong offering. The aforementioned organic feeling of the band translates into a very natural EP, sometimes literally – ‘Spinning World’ features the lads experimenting with tracks of birdsong, for example. Most clearly, though, the almost-inevitability of the band’s beginnings is best represented by gang vocals between three brothers that come together to sound as one. The band still describe their sound as guitar music, and their indie-rock past is certainly present, but with more nuance and technicality to the work, whether in the form of the timeless, almost folky love ballad ‘Dreaming’, or the funkier toe-tapper ‘Higher Love’. Jamie’s refusal to use a snare or to only have one crash cymbal on his kit during recording “cut all the fat away and meant we could just find that hook or beat – it’s just such an addictive feeling, man!” The unique sound that 86TVs have achieved was also deeply important to the band, pulling from traditional nostalgic influences but not wanting to rehash old ideas. “The intention is to always be individual,” Will remarks. “It’s kind of taken as an insult if you show the band something that you’ve made and spent all your time working on, and they go, ‘Oh yeah, that sounds like The Strokes’ or something.” The clearest difference in their music now compared to their previous bands, however, is in the lyrics and sentimentality of the EP, which cascades throughout the release. It is a body of work that zeroes in on acceptance, joy, and

10. DORK

communion but still grapples with self-doubt and insecurity. “I think it was conscious,” Felix states. “We knew that if we came back, we had to have a joyous record.” Hugo nods, “Yeah, it felt like this was art that we were making, and we wanted people to hear it and kind of be exorcised by it.” Will candidly admits, though, that “there is definitely a lot of internal struggle on the album. Like I don’t know how I want to be perceived or who I want to be necessarily. It’s good that it’s kinda feel-good, but we still wanted to dig into some personal experiences.” Being that bit longer in the tooth, the context surrounding the band is as important as everything going on internally. Where their lives could revolve around being in a band ten years ago, the added responsibility of family life and maturing into their thirties has changed their perspective and made for a healthier experience. “We’re more accepting of how life flows, like if we have to cancel a rehearsal or whatever, we don’t see it as failing, just living,” Felix levels. He smirks and adds, “Also, life’s made me realise how fucking stupid being in a band is!” Hugo laughs in agreement: “It’s a miracle to have a band work once; to be able to find it again is so rare that we’re just floating along in it; it feels as valuable as the first time we did it.” The boys have, in one way or another, spent a lot of time working with younger artists and watching the industry change. In this way, they’ve been able to avoid some of the pitfalls of the modern-day music business, focussing heavily on live shows.

“WE KNEW THAT IF WE CAME BACK, WE HAD TO HAVE A JOYOUS RECORD” FELIX

Felix knows this first-hand through his work with Yala! Records, whose impressive exports include Willie J Healey and Egyptian Blue. “I think that a lot of younger, more modern artists are musically more mature than we were, but then you see them live, and it just doesn’t correlate because everyone’s so focussed on streams over shows. Being on stage, especially in smaller venues, brings you together in a way that you can’t fake and forces you to learn about who you are.” For that reason, 86TVs launched their ship in the roughest of waters, starting their journey with a performance at Brighton’s Great Escape festival (alongside The Pretenders, no less) and a main support slot for long-time friend and indie powerhouse Jamie T. “It was amazing for Jamie to put so much faith in us, given we had no songs out,” Hugo laughs. “It felt like such a flashback, not hiding behind a hit song, but also knowing that we weren’t coming off that stage until

WHITE

we’d won the crowd over.” Seven years on from the first foundations of 86TVs, this is still only the band’s soft launch. ‘You Don’t Have To Be Yourself Right Now’ is barely even the first chapter in what the boys have to offer, with the promise of a full album later in the year very much something to look forward to. “We want this year to feel like the end of last year did: like we’re flying without even thinking about it,” Felix states. Jamie steals the show, though, when he sums up the band as “wonderful bottles of red wine that have aged and matured so well.” Hard to disagree, really. In closing track ‘Dreaming’, the Whites sing, “Did you have to lose someone to find out they’d always been there?”, feeling like a mission statement for the whole project. In spending their time away forging every facet of their own lives, the quartet have not only redefined themselves as musicians but rediscovered their desire to create the ultimate band of brothers. ■

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KEEP IN INTRO

Unveiling the transformative

power of her first 2024 single, PARIS PALOMA takes us on a

cathartic exploration of her bold new creative expressions .

by MARTYN YOUNG. photography by JENNIFER MCCORD.

“I

t’s a song about new eras,” begins Paris Paloma as she tells us all about her enormous new single, ‘My Mind (Now)’. The era we just left in 2023, though, was a transformative year for Paris that saw her release a string of compelling and evocative alt-pop storytelling epics that established her as one of our finest new musical and lyrical voices. On the back of her breakout viral anthem ‘Labour’, she is becoming more accustomed to riding the wave of being A Very Big Deal. “Last year was the best of my career so far,” she smiles. “It was wonderful. It was a whirlwind of me playing catch up and running along, compared to this year I’m planning now.” So, what are those plans she’s cooking up? Well, it all begins with a single that sets the tone and makes a statement, one she feels comfortable making, knowing she has already forged such a strong connection with people. “I feel more comfortable to foresee and plan things,” she says. “I feel like I know the people who listen to my music more, which is a really lovely thing.” ‘My Mind (Now)’ is Paris’ most expansive track yet. Operating from a boldly expressive and experimental sonic palette, it’s a swirling epic that matches the intensity and power of the lyrics. “It’s a song about the BC and the AD of something happening, whether that’s trauma or loss or something that sets off a lot of grief,” she explains. “I thought it was such a

12. DORK

great establishing song for the start of this year. So many of the songs I’ve been writing over the last couple of years have been a reflection on my mental struggle and the journey of that and overcoming so much of that noise in my mind.” “A lot of my songwriting is about putting a physical embodiment, in terms of a song and words, to my feelings and thoughts so that I can organise them. I think It was a time when I was struggling a lot with my OCD and my anxiety and my social anxiety and selfesteem, and it just felt like a constant loop in my head of ‘What am I doing wrong? What have I done wrong? What did I do wrong?’ It felt really lovely and experimental in the PARIS approach to making it compared to other songs that I’d written previously.” The sense of freedom in the music is exemplified by the swirling rush of the song’s climax, coupled with one of Paris’ best choruses. It’s pop accessibility meeting surging ambition. “I had so

much fun in the studio,” she exclaims. “I wrote the song, and then I went to Justin Glasco, and we worked on it. I talked his ear off in terms of what I wanted it to be and how big it had to feel. We got Paul Frith in on trumpet, which was amazing. There are also two big screams that were my first time screaming on a track. That was

“IT’S MY FIRST TIME SCREAMING ON A TRACK. THAT WAS REALLY CATHARTIC”

PALOMA

really cathartic. I need to learn how to do that so it doesn’t hurt my vocal cords,” she laughs. ‘My Mind (Now)’ is an incredibly striking opening salvo for Paris Paloma in 2024, and it points the way to what’s going to come in a big year for the singer. “It is heading up subsequent songs,” she says excitedly. “A lot of the music coming this year is all incredibly closely tied to the mental struggle and the things I’ve been through. This very long period of my life of overcoming that and the non-linear growth and documenting that.” Oh, and she has one more very important goal that she’s not quite gotten around to achieving but is working on it. “My New Year’s resolution was to do a pull-up, but I’ve not done much to realise this dream yet apart from lifting some weights,” she laughs. “This will be the year, though, that I don’t keel over in an airport from trying to drag instruments around.” ■

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INTRO

As they gear up for a new EP built on collaboration, BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB’s Jamie MacColl talks about their latest single, ‘Willow’, working with old friends and embracing the next generation of indie talent. by STEPHEN ACKROYD. photography by TOM OXLEY.

says, assuring fans that the band’s here comes a time in a essence remains intact even as they band’s life where, if they explore new sonic territories. manage to stay on the everCurating the EP was a process moving conveyor belt of steeped in familiarity and friendship. modern music, they achieve “We’d done a lot of work on the songs a sort of statesman-like during the making of ‘My Big Day’, quality. To describe art as being from and we always had our friends in dependable, trusted hands may mind to sing on them,” Jamie shares. sound rather Up With Boring, but for “Liz [Lawrence] actually sang on the Bombay Bicycle Club, nothing could first very demo of ‘Blindfold’; I think be further from the truth. It’s a nod Jack just sent her a rough demo, and to their consistency in remaining she sang the chorus. ‘Better Now’ is at the top of their game more than a basically the archetype of a Bombay / decade and a half in. Following up Rae Morris collaboration - big chorus, last year’s typically great ‘My Big Day’ Bombay at our most pop, Jack writing (the cover art of which alone shows a top line that needs Rae’s voice on it. there’s nothing dull or monotonous about this lot), they’re currently in the The great thing about working with friends is you don’t need to go through process of unveiling their upcoming several layers of management and EP ‘Fantasies’, a collection that label people to agree on something.” celebrates the band’s rich history There’s room on the EP for some while stepping boldly into a new newer collaborative forces, though. chapter. Today, it’s the turn of new Matilda Mann may be a more recent single ‘Willow’, featuring the serene addition to Bombay’s gang, but vocals of long-time collaborator Lucy she reflects Jamie’s enthusiasm Rose. for current up-and-comers. “It’s Guitarist Jamie MacColl is caught genuinely the most excited I’ve up in the buzz of their UK and Ireland tour. “I’m in Birmingham for a day off,” he starts, sharing the physical toll of touring but with an unmistakable undertone of excitement for being back on the road. “It’s been really fun so far, but my body is already feeling pretty sore!” When asked about the meaning behind new single ‘Willow’, Jamie admits, “Good question... I haven’t actually asked Jack what the lyrics are about, so here’s my interpretation: it’s about childhood. The song has actually been around for 3-4 years; it was one of the first songs we wrote after ‘Everything Else Has Gone Wrong’ came out.” Lucy Rose’s involvement in ‘Willow’ seems as organic as it is essential - a testament like the rest of the EP to that gang of regular creative allies that Bombay call upon. “Lucy and Jack’s voices just go so well together, and it sounds very effortless at this point. ‘Willow’ reminded us a bit of the songs on ‘A Different Kind Of Fix’, an album Lucy was very involved in making, so it felt natural to ask her to sing on it,” Jamie explains. The ‘Fantasies’ EP, according to Jamie, stays true to the band’s signature style. “They’re all quite classic Bombay Bicycle Club songs; we haven’t reinvented the wheel!” he

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“IT’S THE MOST EXCITED I’VE BEEN ABOUT THE UK INDIE SCENE FOR A LONG TIME” JAMIE

been about the UK indie/alternative scene for a long time - there’s a lot of great music, and it also feels like it’s starting to crossover again into the mainstream.” “Equally, I like that a lot of new ‘indie’ artists are much less constrained by genre, or aesthetic or sonic boundaries in the way that it felt like a lot of bands were when we were growing up,” he continues, giving nods to Divorce, NewDad and Etta Marcus. Of course, collaboration is a two-way creative street, with artists learning nuggets from each other

MACCOLL

along the way. When asked about the most impactful imparted wisdom, it’s producer of ‘Everything Else Has Gone Wrong’ John Congleton that comes to mind. “[He] taught me to worry less, which had a big impact on my experience of making ‘My Big Day’,” Jamie reflects. As for the future, Jamie hints at the band’s ever-evolving musical journey to come after their ‘My Big Day’ era. “We’ll do something different, I imagine. It’s very hard to know until we start working on it, though,” he admits. “Whenever we make a plan, we seem to end up doing the exact opposite.” With their biggest headline show at London’s Alexandra Palace Park on the horizon, Jamie teases potential on-stage collaborations and surprises. “We just announced the supports: CMAT, Picture Parlour and Liz Lawrence. I’m hoping we can do something with all three of them for our set - maybe some sort of country duet with CMAT. We’ll make sure there are some surprises and special guests, too.” Jamie’s aspirations for the year are twofold: to spread joy through their live shows and for the world around us to become a little less awful. “I hope we can spend the year spreading some joy and fun through our live shows. Bombay aside, I hope there can be just and fair resolutions to the various terrible conflicts around the world at the moment.” And in the immediate future? “I’m about to have a bubble bath.” It’s a moment of levity and self-care for a band member who’s part of a group that’s not only still making a splash with their music but also their commitment to a wider community of creativity, both established and new. With bands like Bombay Bicycle Club watching the path, we’re in good hands. ■

TRUE BLOOD INTRO

love and compassion. [But] I feel like there are just things going on that we a vengeance, embracing the couldn’t ignore.” The state of the world, not to darkness and the light in their mention America in general, was ripe latest album, ‘Blood, Hair, and for the Alkaline treatment. While not Eyeballs’. the initial idea, it all clicked together with a chance stumble across REM’s ‘It’s the End of the World as We Know wenty-five years in, and It (and I Feel Fine)’. “I was like, wow, Alkaline Trio are hitting that’s pretty accurate to what we were new strides. Their latest, the trying to do with this record; it may gruesomely titled ‘Blood, not be the end of the world, but we’re Hair, and Eyeballs’ is a closer to it than ever before.” fresh era with the punks While not a means of solving all refusing to shy away from the darker the problems out there, instead, side of life. Still devilishly mixing ‘Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs’ (named murderous metaphor with heartfor vocalist and guitarist Matt Skiba’s on-sleeve yearning, the trio’s first mum’s stint as an ER nurse) is here in almost six years - since 2018’s ‘Is to soundtrack our potential demise This Thing Cursed?’ - is a return to celebrating rather than mourning. Of form that equally celebrates their past while embracing what lies ahead, album cut ‘Shake With Me’, vocalist and bassist Dan Andriano mentions, even if it is all a bit bleak. “We wrote that together, and for me, “As fucked up as it can be, that song was a love song for the end armageddon, to me, is a pretty of days that it seems like we’re living beautiful thing,” Matt Skiba opens. in now. A love song for the people “There’s a lot of horror in the world who want to have fun, who don’t want and also a lot of beauty and a lot of to succumb to all this hatred and

ALKALINE TRIO are back with

“ARMAGEDDON, TO ME, IS A PRETTY BEAUTIFUL THING” MATT

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SKIBA

by STEVEN LOFTIN. photography by JONATHAN WEINER.

bullshit and political discourse and happened. I had a great time playing get sucked into everything.” with Blink, writing and recording, and Contrary to popular belief, this touring the world with them. They’re has always been the Alkaline Trio great guys, and I’m thankful for it. But mindset. “We write that way because I feel like I’m back where I’m supposed that’s what our worldview is; it comes to be. I feel like I’m back home.” naturally.” Matt reckons, “Taking It’s a feeling that they both share. something horrible and finding “I’m just so proud of it all,” Dan gushes. the silver lining in it, something to “I don’t necessarily know how to put celebrate in that horror. People may my finger on it,” he says, pausing. think, ‘Oh, they’re death-obsessed’ “But I know that there was a shift in we’re life-obsessed. I think that the focus from Matt; he was very much fact that it comes to an end is what involved in the entire recording, but makes it beautiful. Writing that way more from a production standpoint. is just a reflection of who we are as With every aspect, having Matt fully people. I’m not afraid of death. My invested and focused on this one was dad used to say death is not the worst killer. It just made everything so fun.” thing that can happen to you, and I Recalling a story from his Blink 100% agree. It’s the most final, but I days, Matt recognises that what he mean, a bad decision and spending and Dan have is a unique bond. “I your life in prison - I’d rather be dead worked with a band when I was than spend my life in prison - fuck playing with Blink, we did some that!” co-writing, and we wrote with this Approaching their tenth release, very well-known band - and I love Dan acknowledges that for such a collaborating, I love working with landmark, “we didn’t want to just go other people - but one of the first and remake one of our old records - we things that this artist said to us was, ‘I just wanted to write together and see hate metaphor, I think metaphor is what happens.” fucking lazy’. And I politely excused It would seem the gates are wide myself and went home,” he chuckles open now. With Matt’s tenure in now. “I’m like, well, if we’re going to Blink-182 coming to an end after Tom put rules on how we write, then I’m DeLonge rejoined in 2022, Alkaline not interested.” Trio have a clear road ahead, allowing This is why Alkaline Trio are them to freely embrace being a group entering 2024 with as much energy for 25+ years. While there was never a and drive as any snot-nosed startup doubt about the future of the band, it punk band - they’re lifers with the was hard to envision a wholly focused same grisly dream who have grown one while Matt was splitting his time. together and watched the world spin “Dan and I always said that if Alkaline into this frenzy while never afraid to Trio ever stopped being fun, that’s the dig into the guts of it all to see what thing that would end the band,” says the heart has to offer. Life obsessed, Matt. “And that’s the only thing that indeed. ■ Alkaline Trio’s album would end the band - and that’s never ‘Blood, Hair, And Eyeballs’ is out now.

Photo: Darina.

THIS MONTH...

ANOTHER SKY

EVERYONE HAS THOSE FORMATIVE BANDS AND TRACKS THAT FIRST GOT THEM INTO MUSIC AND HELPED SHAPE THEIR VERY BEING. THIS MONTH, ANOTHER SKY TAKE US THROUGH SOME OF THE SONGS THAT MEANT THE MOST TO THEM DURING THEIR TEENAGE YEARS.

Jimmy Eat World

The Middle Catrin Vincent: This one got me through school. Nothing like a chorus that tells you what you want to hear. “Everything will be alright”. I even did a terrible cover of it and couldn’t do a guitar solo at that point, so I did a piano solo. I had zero shame. I’d find workarounds, you know?

Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Give it Away Naomi LeDune: I picked up the bass guitar when I was around 14, so this song was on heavy rotation, or at least until I could play it well enough to earn my first belt in slap bass. After all, slap bass is the absolute zenith in bass playing, so naturally, I obsessed over the likes of Flea, Bootsy Collins and Victor Wooten.

DAY

Tracy Chapman

3000 Miles Catrin: God, this one cuts to the bone. I always resonated with this song, even though it wasn’t meant for someone like me. And that’s the beauty of music. You can always find what you need to hear in someone else’s story.

‘Every Kingdom’ sounds how my hometown looks. I remember feeling like I was in a movie walking around mulling over my teenage bullshit. Get me out of here!

Paramore

Folding Stars Catrin: Looking back, Biffy Clyro were my favourite band. It’s mad we got to support and meet them. I had a friend called Ellie, and I always used to think of her while listening to this song.

Misery Business Naomi: This song really helped me live out many of my childhood fantasies of getting my own back on the mean girls at school. The muscle memory my fingers acquired from punching in 368 on the Sky remote to watch the music video on Kerrang was pretty impressive. Also, Hayley Williams is sensational.

me as a teenager who wore those two things like a pair of gloves. I loved blink-182 so much that my first bass was pink, just like Mark Hoppus. I am enjoying their return to the music scene.

Ben Howard

blink-182

Coldplay

Biffy Clyro

Keep Your Head Up Catrin: I loved walking around my hometown listening to this. Very leafy. His whole album

Feeling This Naomi: This song had such a dramatic sense of regret and sadness, which naturally spoke to

Don’t Panic Naomi: I have so many fond memories of this era of Coldplay. This song, in particular, strikes a

the bridge and squeeze into a spot where I can almost comfortably watch Netflix on my phone. I’m finishing The Fall of The House Of Usher at the moment; watching it on the train makes it less scary for me.

9:00AM → Arrive at school. I teach music

in various schools and youth centres around Newham. I feel very fortunate to be working with young people through music, and I can tell you the future’s bright.

11:00AM → After 2 hours, 30 violins, 60

THE LIFE OF...

TALK SHOW

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, we nab GEORGE SULLIVAN from TALK SHOW. 6:30AM → Wake up. I’ve got a new phone

and alarm, so I am relieved to hear it going off as expected. Apple has upped their alarm tone game, too; I’m impressed with the soft piano of Unfold. Well done, Apple - you have won over another consumer.

6:32AM → Tune into Chris Hawkins on

Radio 6 just in time to hear him premiere our new single, ‘Red/White’. It’s always a buzz to

hear our tracks making it onto the radio; you can hear it in a different way than before. 7:00AM → Showered and dressed, cup of

tea, porridge (peanut butter and banana) and listening to Jim Legxacy to start the day while I run through emails and social media.

8:07AM → Arrive at the train station as my

train is pulling in, sprint up the stairs, over

young violinists and lots of enthusiasm, I retreat to the staff room to remind myself that I feel very fortunate to be working with young people. Coffee.

11:30AM → Hop on the underground

heading into Central. No Netflix this time. Listening to this week’s new releases. There’s a new Walt Disco track out; it slaps.

12:00PM → Get to Joe Goddard and Al

Doyle’s studio; I’ve come to hang out and help while trying to learn some of their secrets for making bangers. It’s always great to see them. We set up and test some drum mics; Al shows me some EQ magic on the desk before we take a break for some lunch.

1:00PM → Ambitiously order mussels off a pub menu, wonder if I’ll regret it. 1:15AM → Mussels arrive... Completely

fried… I knew I should’ve gone with the halloumi. Delete ‘Be more adventurous’ off my lacklustre New Year’s Resolution list and punch ‘Trust your gut’ into the keyboard.

chord with me as the first track of the album ‘Parachutes’. My dad was always in control of the music when we were in the car, especially during holiday road trips, and I particularly loved it when I heard this come on. I knew the next 40 minutes of music were going to make the long car journey ahead more bearable. ■ Another Sky’s album ‘Beach Day’ is out 1st March.

2:00PM → Back in the studio. We listen to

some of the tracks they’ve been producing recently. Blown away, to be honest.

5:00PM → Talk Show video call. HQ is

currently on Google Meets; Harrison’s tuning in from his beautiful new flat, which we’re all excited to see. On the agenda tonight is the UK tour. We’re debating setlists and the best meals to batch-cook for us to live off of in the van for 10 days.

6:30PM → Get home for the evening. It’s spaghetti night, so cook and eat that. Listening to Drexyia to help. 7:30PM → Quickly edit some demo tracks I

have been working on my laptop, comparing with some new references I have heard throughout the day.

8:30PM → Tea time. I’m a big fan of

herbal teas. I won’t bore you, but - Ginger Chamomile and Thyme from MUJI is 10/10. Vegetate on the sofa, then laugh and cry through The Bear; damn it’s good.

9:30PM → Independent reading time. I’m currently reading Diary Of A Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty. It’s a beautifully written book about the author’s experiences with nature, and he’s only 17. Really mad and would recommend. 10:30PM → Lights out, goodnight and thanks for joining me today, Dork. ■

Talk Show’s album ‘Effigy’ is out 16th February.

READDORK.COM 17.

INTRO

bubblegum pop this time”), signal a n the effervescent world of modern music, where the sparkle relentless creative spirit that had the often fades as quickly as it arrives, brothers diving into their next project before the ink on the last album’s The Lemon Twigs stand as a liner notes had dried. beacon of enduring flamboyance Brian, en route to a performance and musical ingenuity. Hailing on the Tonight Show, introduces from the suburban sprawl of Long us to their new record with a sense Island, brothers Michael and Brian of excitement. “We recorded a D’Addario have carved out a niche ton of material for our last album, over the better part of the last decade that’s as much a nod to the past as it is ‘Everything Harmony’. We knew we had enough for multiple records, but a bold step into the future. we wanted the tone of this one to be With their roots deeply embedded more upbeat,” he explains. The new in the rich soil of music history, The recording studio they moved into Lemon Twigs have always been provided the perfect testing ground, greater than just a band. They’re and ‘A Dream Is All I Know’ was one more of a self-propelling musical of the first songs to emerge from odyssey, a two-man journey through this fresh space. “It felt like a good the magpie-snatched shelves of the direction to go for the new album,” he annals of pop, rock, and everything in between. Their sound, a kaleidoscopic reveals, “so in a sense, we built the whole album around that song.” fusion of genres and generations, has The album’s evolution was a always been both timeless and utterly process of selection and creation, contemporary. From their debut album ‘Do Hollywood’, recorded when with the brothers choosing which they were just teenagers, to their latest songs from the ‘Everything Harmony’ sessions to complete and then work, whenever the brothers make recording brand new ones. “We were a new shift, it’s always worth extra excited by the new studio. Michael attention. was getting great sounds, and our Their latest single, ‘They Don’t recording process became more and Know How To Fall In Place’, is yet more fluid as time went on,” Brian another testament to their enduring recalls. “We decided to record all the presence, and it’s just the beginning. instruments ourselves on this record It heralds an upcoming album, ‘A as opposed to the last one, where we Dream Is All We Know’, set to arrive used outside studios and outside this May, a mere year after their last musicians. Doing it ourselves sped up full-length ‘Everything Harmony’. the process.” The tracks, born from the thrill When asked about his favourite of venturing into new musical track, Brian doesn’t hesitate: “’My landscapes (“Trying something more

by STEPHEN ACKROYD. photography by STEPHANIE PIA.

Back with a quick about turn for their new album ‘A Dream Is All We Know’, THE LEMON TWIGS are going – direct quote – “more bubblegum pop”.

18. DORK

Golden Years’ is probably the best song on the record. It’s the most direct song but also well crafted.” Described on its release last month by the duo as a song for “Mark Ruffalo or people who hike”, he’s got more suggestions for the wider record. He also offers a whimsical guide to enjoying the album, suggesting that listeners might jump rope to ‘…Fall In Place’, slow dance to ‘In The Eyes Of The Girl’, or bob for apples to ‘A Dream Is All I Know’. Standard stuff, then. The recording process wasn’t without its hurdles. Brian admits, “I didn’t quite anticipate how frustrating recording all the strings and trumpets would be, being an untrained BRIAN player. The last time I had done it, it had been on our first record, and I was able to use the computer to piece multiple takes together.” The album was recorded entirely to tape, eschewing computers for mixing or recording, which meant that Brian had to actually play the parts, at least for 20 seconds at a time. “By the end of the process, I had improved on the cello, but the

trumpet parts were always a real challenge.” The quick succession of ‘A Dream Is All We Know’ after ‘Everything Harmony’ was a result of inspiration striking hot. “Three songs on the album were recorded while we were working on ‘Everything Harmony’, but the rest were done as soon as we finished,” Brian shares. “We were excited about having a new direction, leaving a lot of the folk influences behind.” Touring is definitely on the agenda to support the new album, with plans to visit the UK and Europe, tour the States, and hopefully more. As for any additional insights, we’ll D’ADDARIO have to wait. “You already know too much!” In a world where so much can feel transient and ephemeral, The Lemon Twigs stand as a reminder of the power of creativity, of the enduring allure of a well-crafted song. With a touchy of mystery and a sense of bravado, their dreamland awaits. ■ The Lemon Twigs’ album ‘A Dream Is All We Know’ is out 3rd May.

“I DIDN’T QUITE ANTICIPATE HOW FRUSTRATING RECORDING ALL THE STRINGS AND TRUMPETS WOULD BE”

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→ BIG SPECIAL have announced their debut album, ‘POSTINDUSTRIAL HOMETOWN BLUES’. The full-length is set for release on 10th May via SO Recordings, with the news accompanied by a video for lead single ‘DUST OFF / START AGAIN’. “‘POSTINDUSTRIAL HOMETOWN BLUES’ is an album about depression,” explains lead singer Joe Hicklin. “It’s about the different shapes it takes; personal, social, generational… and it’s about coming face to face with those ghosts and what we do or how we feel when that happens.”

LET

→ Dylan has released a new single, ‘The Alibi’. The follow-up to last year’s ‘Rebel Child’, it arrives to coincide with her European tour, the UK leg of which kicks off at London’s Hammersmith Apollo on 15th February. Dylan says of the track: “The Alibi is my Bonnie and Clyde anthem. Except I nearly let Clyde ruin my life. For me the song was written about having to let go of a relationship that meant a lot to me – despite it not being a healthy one – and wanting to express how much that person still meant to me after. I think the hardest kind of breakup is when you still think the absolute world of someone after it’s over. It’s taken a year to get this song right but I knew it was special the minute we wrote the 1st version. Ten versions later, it’s more of a celebration of love rather than loss.”

20. DORK

ELLE O COVES From bedroom ballads to pop phenomenon, 18-year-old singersongwriter ELLE COVES captures hearts with her evocative storytelling and infectious melodies.” Words: Martyn Young.

ver the course of 5 striking singles released in 2023, Elle Coves established herself as a supremely exciting talent with a blend of evocative songwriting and a playful, imaginative flourish that chimed with the TikTok Gen Z as she created immersive vignettes like the gently epic wild west lament of ‘Lost Cowboy’ and the exuberant joy bomb rush of ‘Summer’. As we enter 2024, Elle is back and ready to take things to another level with a new song, a new EP and a desire to really put in the pop star work. “I’ve been working on an EP, which I’m really proud of. I’ve been working on it nonstop,” she beams. “I’m really excited for people to hear the music and play some cool shows.” While it might seem that Elle arrived fully formed last year with endless ELLE bangers to spare, for the 18-year-old singer-songwriter, it was the first real step of everything, especially a lot of singerin a gradual climb. “It’s been slow and songwriter stuff. When I first started steady,” she says. “I started writing songs writing songs, I was referencing people when I was 14. I’ve been working towards like Sheryl Crow.” releasing music since then. Working on You can definitely hear a lot of the getting better at writing songs and what exuberant pop rock of Sheryl Crow in I want my music to sound like. It’s still Elle’s music, as well as a pronounced weird to me that people actually care. I Swiftian rush that helps make her music like the music, but it’s just weird when sound so accessible and relatable. Much other people like it. It’s really cool.” like one of her musical heroes in Taylor, Elle recalls that special moment when Elle’s creative process is, at its heart, she went from someone who does music simple and direct. “I write my songs in a at home to someone who does music notebook,” she explains. “Usually on an because actual real people want to hear acoustic guitar and a piano, and I switch it. “When my first single ‘Before I Fall back and forth.” Apart’ came out, that’s when I started to As she moves into the next phase see people really connect,” she explains. of her initial burst into the pop world, “It’s still my most streamed song. When though, Elle is beginning to think more I started releasing music, it all became expansively. With this EP and my new very real. Before that, it was, yeah, I single, I feel like I’ve found a sound release music, I’m an artist, or I want to and a sonic world that I’m super, super be an artist, but it’s a bit hard when you excited about. I just want to keep going don’t have something to show people. in that direction,” she says excitedly. “It Releasing music was a big step for me.” feels very organic with loads of acoustic S ome of the expansive and guitars. It’s still pop songs; I make pop freewheeling quality of Elle’s music can music. I want to make songs that I will still perhaps be explained by her childhood be really proud of 10, 20, 30 years from growing up travelling around and now. That’s what I’m aiming for.” engaging with different cultures and The single she mentions is called ‘Born environments. “I grew up in Germany, but To Lose’ and it’s a surging epic anthem my parents are Spanish,” she says. Elle that combines searing emotions in the then moved to Ireland when she was 13 lyrics with widescreen abandon in the before forging some strong connections music. “Sometimes you can take not-soin the Irish music scene that have helped pleasant experiences, for example, her still to this day. relationships, and you can turn it into As a kid, though, she was taking in all something you can really enjoy,” she says. the sounds enjoyed by her parents, which “In the moment ‘Born To Lose’ is about, I gave her the pop-rock sound that imbued might have been a bit heartbroken, but I her first songs. “My parents would listen turned it into something cool and fun to to Spanish indie-rock bands. There was listen to despite when analysing the lyrics, a lot of German music. My parents were it’s not the most fun. It’s quite healing.” really into rock, so there was a lot of that That raw honesty is what has made when I was growing up. Also, I had a bit Elle’s music strike a chord with a new

“I MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BIT HEARTBROKEN, BUT I TURNED IT INTO SOMETHING COOL” COVES

generation of listeners who value that kind of relatability and desire to put everything out there, giving her a close-knit and devoted following. “It’s incredibly fulfilling,” she smiles. “A lot of them are just girls my age. It feels like a big friend group. It makes me feel very comfortable. I feel quite safe in my songs opening up and sharing my personal life with them.” As well as building a collection of singles with distance themes and vibes, Elle has a knack for placing her songs in a unique visual world and aesthetic where she revels in capturing the imagery and vibe of the moment, from the ice cream cones and blue skies of ‘Summer’ to the saloon bar country of ‘Lost Cowboy’. “I’m quite multi-faceted creatively,” she says. “If I’m listening to a song and I really like it, I’ll get music video ideas, and then I’ll just make it. That’s what happened with ‘Lost Cowboy’. I had a note on my phone, I was thinking, ‘I AM THE KID; I AM THE COWBOY’. I love Taylor Swift and thought it would be a ‘You Belong With Me’ kind of thing where I’m playing both characters. I didn’t think I’d actually be able to get to do it.” It feels like a good moment for an artist like Elle Coves right now as pop embraces a more organic and rich sound. Something Elle recognises in one of her key touchstones and someone else who’s having quite the moment in 2024 who shares a key tenet of what drives Elle Coves in her music. “Noah Kahan is a huge inspiration for me,” she says. “I think he’s incredible. The thing I connect with the most is his authenticity and rawness. That’s something I love to see in pop music; that’s what people connect with the most.” ■

BLOOMIN’

ELLE

Here’s six facts on Elle Coves 1 Elle was born in Freiberg, Germany, and lived near the Black Forest 2 Her manager and early songwriting mentor is Conor O’Donohue from Irish band and former Eurovision contestants Wild Youth 3 She’s pals with pop hero Lewis Capaldi and has supported him on tour 4 She loves running and does it every morning even though she claims “I’m really bad at it” 5 One of Elle’s main passions is scuba diving. “I saw an octopus once, and it was pretty crazy,” she says. 6 She has a new EP coming very soon! READDORK.COM 21.

LUTALO

THIS

MONTH

NEW MUSIC

The Really Very Good LUTALO has joined forces with the Equally Really Very Good Claud for a brand new single, ‘Running’. Turns out, they share a birthday too. It’s fate. Words: Sam Taylor.

→ Minnesota-raised, Vermont-based producer

and songwriter Lutalo and longtime Dork fave Claud have dug out their very best athletic shorts and taken a trip to the beach for a brand new single. ‘Running’ is a tune that digs into neglect and loneliness, packed with coming-ofage vibes and channelled through a nostalgic indie-pop lens. It’s just as charming as you’d expect from these two. “‘Running’ focuses on a stressed parent-child relationship,” Lutalo explains. “A story of a child feeling neglected, only to be acknowledged when a problem is deemed large enough that the parent feels obligated to care about it. Though there is pain and resentment built within these interactions, the child still reaches out for the attention of their parent. Only to be continuously let down and pushed away.” “With this song, my goal was to produce something that felt like a nostalgic indie-pop track,” Lutalo adds. “Claud had the perfect voice for the idea and filled the role well. They understood the direction and feeling I was going for and really delivered. I wanted something that not only showed my flexibility as a producer but was catchy and allowed the listener to have fun.” was for me. I thought it’d be fun to tap into what would’ve caught my ear at that time. Driving Hello Lutalo! How’s it going? What are you up guitars and punchy drums with a catchy melody to today, anything fun? seemed fit. Hey, it’s a pleasure; I’m doing well. I’m at home. A big storm rolled through my area; it took out The song is a collaboration with Claud – you massive trees and my town’s power. So I’ve been guys have been pals for a while, right? How in my cabin, living off candlelight and a little oil did that friendship come about? lamp. Other than that, just enjoying the snow. Our friendship is relatively new. Just a few years ago, I believe, we connected over the internet. Tell us about your new single, ‘Running’. It’s We showed mutual appreciation and found out thematically pretty dark; where did that we had the same birthday, and I thought that come from? was funny. Then, I Claud and I really just was set to look for stumbled upon the someone to do a concept. We were fun collaboration writing the song with, and Claud was over a Zoom call the right fit. Later together, and when on, we strengthened I started sorting out our friendship when chords, Claud had they took me on a the idea to write set of dates on their it about a parentheadline tour. There, child relationship. I connected with Then we just rolled them and the rest with that, and the of their team. All fun lyrics continued to and great people. flow out. I like songs that have a brighter Have you worked sonic character but with each other with darker themes. on tracks before, But generally, I don’t or was this the think that dark was first time? Is it specifically the something you’ll intention; it’s a story do again in future? that just is. This is the first time we’ve worked You’ve said you together. Honestly, LUTALO wanted to produce it was a very easysomething that felt flowing process. We like a nostalgic indie-pop track. How did you built the song out in one session, and they’re go about achieving that? a clever and quick writer. Who knows what the I suppose I just thought about what I liked future holds. listening to when I was in high school. For a lot of people, those are quite formative years; it Do you spend much time working with other

“WE CONNECTED OVER THE INTERNET. WE SHOWED MUTUAL APPRECIATION AND FOUND OUT WE HAD THE SAME BIRTHDAY”

NOTHING FOREVER

LASTS

→ Hannah Grae has released a new single and confirmed an upcoming mini-album. The news follows on from her recent tracks ‘Who Dunnit?’, ‘It Could’ve Been You’ and ‘Screw Loose’, as well as debut minialbum ‘Hell Is A Teenage Girl’, which came out last spring. ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ will be released on 15th March, and is teased by early single ‘Better Now You’re Gone’.

artists? What do you get out of it? I do. Outside of my main project, Lutalo, I love to help produce and write with other artists. For me, it’s a space where I get to continue to explore my current limits and creativity. Having the task of supporting someone else’s voice or sound is something I want to do into my old age. It puts me into a deep active listening that can’t always be heard when working alone. Anytime I’m taking a pause from my own work, you’ll find me helping out someone else. There are endless lessons to be learned from working for others. What do you most enjoy writing about, generally? Are there any themes you’re particularly drawn to? I’d say that the most exciting thing is when the writing process feels mysterious and freeflowing. I don’t like “human brain” writing. For me, it often feels clunky and too logical. I like vague lyrics that still have a direct intention but can be interpreted in many ways. The way I like to write is from a lens of observing and questioning life in general. Sometimes, that comes out in reflecting on relationships, feelings, or just random things that are overlooked in everyday life. What else are you working on at the moment? Do you have big plans for 2024? I’m currently in the process of recording my debut album, which should be out later this year. Looking forward to sharing it. What does being a successful musician look like to you? To me, a successful musician is someone who remains curious and excited to dive into the mystery of expression. Is there anything else we should know? Inside is the eye that you’re looking for. Peering behind the locked door. The young never die. ■

SOMETHING THE

IN AIR

→ELIO has released a new single, ‘More Than My Mind’. The track marks her third – after ‘A2B’ and ‘Sorority’ – following a move to LA and a period away to work on her music. All three feature on her upcoming debut album ‘something in the air’, too, due 19th April. ELIO explains: “I’m so proud of this album, I feel like when you start releasing music it can feel daunting to think about what you want to say and sound like on your debut album. I feel like it’s the perfect time to reintroduce yourself and really dig up your life and what brought you here and what you’re feeling.

ROUND BENDY

THE

→ Blue Bendy have announced their debut album, ‘So Medieval’. The full-length is set for release on 12th April via The state51 Conspiracy, with the news arriving alongside teaser single ‘Come On Baby, Dig!’. Singer and lyricist Arthur Nolan says: “Dig is dedicated to an old flame and a city break. I was eat pray loving, digging around for some culture in the wake of breaking up. The wheels came off the trip quickly, and now I won’t go back to Bologna, I’m banned.”

TELENOVA It might be all thirty degree temperatures and surf on the beach at home in Australia for TELENOVA, but with a fab new single, and an album ready to go, the UK better watch out. Words: Stephen Ackroyd.

I guess,” says Edward. Josh elaborates, “We all bring our different elements; Ange is excellent at the visual aesthetic as well as being a killer singer. I’m the anal retentive, and Ed is all vibe.” Their live gigs? A whole other level. “We expand,” Ed offers. “We have Ange on vocals and acoustic guitar, Josh on rhythm bass, Ed on guitar and our man Ryan Beazely on drums.” “I actually try to sing harmonies as best I can,” Josh interjects. “I warm up to Elvis for 30 mins before every gig and kinda drive everyone a bit mad.” Reflecting on their whirlwind journey so far, Angeline quickly plays through their highlight reel to date. “Writing songs in a little home studio at the back of Josh’s house. Recording songs in more legit studios so they sound shiny. Hitting the road locally and also all over Europe and the UK most recently. I think we did 18 cities in a month, or something like that? Was wild. Real whistle-stop tour for us. Didn’t know what country we were in half the time.” Josh chimes in, “Good thing everyone spoke impeccable English, or we would have been done for. Currently working on album number two, actually. Number one is in the can, so gotta keep the momentum up.” All of which not only goes to introduce Telenova but also their dynamic. Bright, fast, ready to go and whipsmart, it’s that kind of energy that results in a track like ‘Teardrop’. Classy, top-of-the-class JOSH pop music that’s matured nicely on the vine, it cuts a high-definition silhouette that’s both immediate and permanent. A gem that Edward had in the vault, the track came to life with a touch of piano, a reworked bassline, and Angeline’s killer vocals. “Ed already had a rough instrumental of ‘Teardrop’ before we started. He brought it into the studio and played it to us, and we were all feeling it. I put the piano part down and re-recorded the bass, and then Ange went ham with the vocals; nek minute, the song was in the ballpark,” Josh recounts. And the video? That’s Angeline’s realm, blending her → Picture this: a sun-soaked Melbourne, where the film and TV chops with a collaborative spirit that turns temperature’s high and the vibes are nothing short of good ideas into great ones. “I was actually working in film chill. This is where we find Telenova, the Aussie gang that and TV before I was doing music straight out of uni, so should capture more than a passing glance of attention directing on set is very much my happy place. I realised with their Really Very Good new single ‘Teardrop’, their after a few videos that I enjoy bringing my concepts to a first under UK label Fiction. co-director to collaborate on for the shoot day because Edward Quinn, one part of the trio, isn’t looking to I get very in my own head when it’s just me directing avoid any Aussie stereotypes. “Today is going beautifully myself in front of the camera as well. It’s just a bit much, - it’s going to be a sunny 30 degrees in Melbourne, so lol. Collaborating with different people also allows the I think we’re going to the beach. I’m talking Edithvale, ideas to grow and adapt and transform in ways beyond baby. Southside.” Angeline Armstrong, the group’s vocal the usual things my creative brain might latch onto.” powerhouse, can’t help but agree. “Very Australian thing “Ed and I always make a small cameo in every video, to say, that we’re going to the beach. But yeah, we love the kinda like the Chemical Brothers would do,” Josh offers. beach. And we all have amazing tans and can surf really “I’m not much of an actor, so it’s usually just sitting still, well,” she boasts before pointing out that “fortunately, no looking pensive.” one from your side of the world is close enough to verify “I’m trying to get you guys to do some more acting this.” Josh Moriarty, completing the line-up, sees it as a in the third video,” Angeline promises. “We’ll see how matter of urgency but has other things at hand. “I’ve got convincing I can be.” mild tanorexia, so I jump at any opportunity,” he confides. “We felt it was the coolest way to introduce the new “I am, however, strapped to the computer today and going record to people,” Josh adds of the single. “It’s the most through old demos, seeing if we missed anything good on kinda classic Telenova, so it felt like a good place to start our way to the record. Turns out we didn’t.” the campaign”. It’s a hard life, eh? Angeline picks up on how it compares to the rest of In the studio, Telenova are a collaborative dance of their catalogue: “There’s quite a lot of musical influences creativity. “We all write the music together collaboratively. across the record - I think that comes from our varying Then Josh and Ange will go away and work on lyrics while musical tastes and backgrounds,” she offers. “’Folk’ is I keep working on the musical bed we’ve just made. And kind of a dirty word in the studio. I personally love folk we keep tinkering away together until a song is finished, music and came from that background, so I do feel a lot

of the melodies and lyrics are influenced by that. Josh’s a rock pig. Ed’s production is heavily influenced by hip-hop. In other words, the boys make it badass. There’s a lot of UK trip-hop and 90s hip-hop-inspired beats across the record.” But it’s not all music, all the time. Yes, Josh has got a solo gig on the side, but also some other... erm... interests. “I’m a music junkie; I’ve made three solo records, and I’m just about to release my fourth, so it’s always just non-stop tunes. I wish I had a boring hobby to take my mind off music, but as yet, I haven’t found it. Kinda keen to try taxidermy at some stage if I can get around to it.” “Can confirm that the taxidermy obsession is quietly brewing,” Angeline explains. “Josh randomly bought a taxidermied two-headed pigeon recently between soundcheck and the show. It haunts Ed and I to this day.” Looking ahead, the band have got their sights set on album number two, with Josh already sweating over number three. “Album one is wrapped, and number two is almost all written! I’m stressing about number three already cos I’m a bit of a psycho; I need to learn to relax,” he jests. Edward teases some big news, “I’m not sure what we’re allowed to say here, but we do have a record in the can (finished) and ready for release. Yes. Very exciting times for us to be working with Jim [Chamberlin - Fiction MD] and Lois [Freedman - product manager (it’s an MORIARTY industry thing - Ed)] and the team from Fiction.” Angeline recalls her first meeting with the label as something straight out of a fairy tale. “Yeah, when we first met them over Zoom, it was love at first sight. I mean, sometimes you’re meeting ‘industry’ people, and it just feels a little slimy or off or something. But Jim was - my first impression - was that he was this benevolent, long white-haired music wizard. Kind and very passionate about music that felt a little magic. That’s super special. We’re so proud to be partnering with them for this release!” Oh. And Jim’s brother is in Tool, apparently. Enough to win Josh over. Their UK connection? “I used to visit London every summer cos my parents had a place there; I love that city. We are definitely hoping to be back this year. It’s looking likely as we have a festival in Greece in June, so it’s just a hop and skip away,” Josh shares. Edward reflects on their past visits, “We came in 2022 and 2023 and loved every second of it. Audiences really seem to connect with our music over there and are such discerning listeners. We’d love to play that summer festival circuit one day. And I believe we’ll be coming over again this year if everything falls into place.” Angeline is even pondering a move across the pond. “We’ve actually talked about potentially moving there for a stint, so who knows… I think I’ve finally settled into this artistic lifestyle of having no idea what my life is going to look like one month from now. I love the UK; I have a lot of family from there. London is a very cool city, and then everywhere else, I just remember it as being gorgeous woods, spring flowers, and rolling hills.” For now, though, there are big plans afoot. More shows, getting that debut album out, and possibly more. “I can’t wait for people to hear it,” Josh admits. “We are super proud of it. Might be a chance to get a single from album number two out before the year is out, but maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.” “I hope more people than we could’ve hoped get to hear this record and experience it live,” Angeline concludes. “That would be magic.” ■

“ALBUM ONE IS WRAPPED, AND NUMBER TWO IS ALMOST ALL WRITTEN”

IDLES’ ascent from underground rebels to chart-bothering provocateurs hasn’t dulled their edge. With ‘TANGK’, they’re redefining the punk ethos for a new era, proving that love, honesty, and a relentless work ethic can coexist with success. by JAKE HAWKES. photography by SARAH LOUISE BENNETT.

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IDLES

even years is a long time in the world of music. In seven years, Bristol’s favourite sons, IDLES, have released four albums and are gearing up for their fifth. They’ve also gone from a snarling punk-laced band playing in sweaty basements to a critically lauded group who can comfortably sell ten thousand tickets to an Ally Pally show. It’s a rise that was at first meteoric. Debut album ‘Brutalism’ may have been released eight years into IDLES’ existence as a band, but it was a complete bolt out of the blue for most listeners. Whether their debut kick-started the now ubiquitous post-punk resurgence or just managed to pre-empt it by a couple of months is up for debate, but at the very least, it was a case of ‘right place, right time’. Widespread and well-deserved critical acclaim was thrown at the band from all quarters, perfectly teeing up their explosion into the mainstream with follow-up ‘Joy As An Act Of Resistance’, which peaked at Number 5 in the Official Albums Chart and led to a year or two where there were so many IDLES t-shirts at festivals that it felt like they were handing them out for free at the gate. Third album ‘Ultra Mono’ saw the band’s first Number 1, but also a critical backlash against the group in some

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quarters, which may have contributed to the slightly muted release campaign for fourth album ‘Crawler’. So where next for a band who got far bigger than anyone expected but, in doing so, pigeonholed themselves in many eyes as a shouty, socially aware one-trick pony? New album ‘TANGK’ is the band’s answer. A box-pushing, genre-fluid take on IDLES’ sound, it’s the most confident - and complete - they’ve been in years. “Considered prowess, that’s the approach,” says guitarist Mark Bowen as we sit with him and vocalist Joe Talbot in a restaurant near Kings Cross. “We’ve learned from previous mistakes, which leaves us in a position to do this in a way that makes sense. Early on, we were too keen to please, too keen to give people everything all at once, but we’ve learned to withhold things and do everything at our own pace.” It’s an ethos that the band have settled into with time, but also one that’s only possible with the level of establishment that IDLES now have. “Once we got our foot in the door, there was a real sense of urgency to sustain that,” explains Joe. “Five white men with guitars wasn’t an interesting thing to write about or listen to necessarily, so we took our time with the debut album to make sure people had a reason to give a shit about it. But as soon as you start to have a trajectory within this industry, you can. not. stop. You just can’t. “People’s attention spans are a lot shorter these days, and if you aren’t pushing yourself to the forefront with a new album or a tour or whatever, people become less invested in you. I get that, it’s not me complaining, but that impetus led to us building a narrative through live music, becoming more expressive and more experienced

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“EVERYTHING I’VE EVER SAID, I’VE MEANT” JOE

TALBOT

in listening to our mistakes and working on becoming the best live band we could be.” This drive to continually create and forge connections with their fans has paid off in spades. The AF Gang, the band’s core fan group, are some of the most passionate of any band and (maybe more crucially) one of the largest. They’ve got their own social media pages and their own merch, and are dedicated enough to follow IDLES up and down the country, or even abroad. Being in a situation where you know you can announce a show and guarantee the first few hundred tickets will fly out the door to the same group of hardcore fans is a situation a lot of bands would kill for, and it isn’t one that Joe or Bowen take for granted. “We see our fanbase for exactly what they are - a gift,” says Joe. “A gift we’ve earned through retaining a sense of personality and making it clear that we are in it 100% every single time we step on stage or into the studio. Everything I’ve ever said, I’ve meant. I might wear longer eyelashes on stage now, figuratively speaking, but I’ve never, ever played a character; I’m always me. “That’s why we could never make an album as fan service, because it wouldn’t be truthful. We have to make music we’re interested in making, and bring our fans along with us on that journey. Interested is interesting, however the fuck we sound. Being an artist is about having a constant, considered dialogue with yourself in order to be as lucid as you can be. You need to constantly be questioning, breaking things down. Challenging yourself, making yourself uncomfortable, working with different people, working in different places. It’s just never going to stop for us. It might not be IDLES for the rest of my life, but I’ll be doing this until I die.” “We have a responsibility to ourselves,” agrees Bowen. “We’re in a position people would kill for, a position we would have killed for. So there’s this responsibility to do everything as well as we possibly can and not to cut corners or phone it in. We’re not here to slam things down people’s throats; we just want to be as brilliant as we can be. “I used to listen to the music of Portishead, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, and they’d feel like these intangible works of genius which cannot be grasped. But through hard work, luck, and experience, I think we’re getting really close. So now more than ever, I’m not going to dust my hands off and say, ‘That’s it, we’re done here’,” he laughs. “Instead, I’m in the studio thinking, ‘Shit,

YARDIDLES ACT

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we could actually do this, we could be that good!’” Throughout our conversation this idea of constantly pushing towards something better is a recurrent theme. Five albums in, many bands have either become heritage acts or disappeared into a niche away from mainstream relevance. Striking a balance between the two is no easy feat, especially when casual listeners expect more of the same every time a new track is released. IDLES first telegraphed that they weren’t likely to get stuck in a rut with 2020’s ‘Ultra Mono’, which brought in hip-hop producer Kenny Beats and saw the band keen to stress that their influences were far wider than the post-punk bracket they’d been put in. ‘TANGK’ feels like the logical conclusion of this arc. Combining genres, foregrounding piano on some tracks and slowing the pace right down for others, it’s a testament to IDLES’ growth as a band that it still feels like a coherent whole. Telegraphing this diversification in sound were the first two singles from the album. ‘Dancer’ infuses the band’s traditional sound with scuzzy flecks of big beat and Britpop topped off with backing vocals from LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Nancy Whang. ‘Grace’ sits at the other end of the spectrum, a slowJOE burning ode to love which builds to a wellearned crescendo. Both tracks are career highs for the band, neither fit safely into what fans might expect. “This album was about challenging ourselves to write from completely new perspectives and approach production in a novel way,” says Bowen. “’Dancer’ to me is actually one of the more typical IDLES tracks on the album - we wanted to release a weird one first, but we let the label choose because we’d bring too much baggage to the decision.” “It’s probably not healthy for us to give a shit what order they’re released,” adds Joe, before correcting himself. “No, it’s healthy for us to care, but it’s not healthy for us to have that conversation. For us, it’s just about making the best, most unified album we can and then leaving the release itself to people who know how to best do that. “Making that singular work involves having conversations about singular themes. This album is a love album. All I’m interested in is love. Uncomplicated, uncompromised

“YOU NEED TO CONSTANTLY BE QUESTIONING, BREAKING THINGS DOWN. CHALLENGING YOURSELF, MAKING YOURSELF UNCOMFORTABLE”

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love songs. I’ve reached a point where I know what I’m supposed to do in art, and it’s to be a cheerleader forever. In these very, very complicated times, I want to be a very, very uncomplicated part of that conversation.” It’s a big shift from the uncompromising calling out of small-minded little Englanders, which made up the lyrics of some of the band’s earlier songs. However, that’s a reflection of the band having matured and moved on from broad-stroke soapboxing into something more nuanced. “It’s like learning from past romantic relationships,” says Joe, referencing perceived missteps in the past. “You carry them with you because if you don’t, then you repeat the same cyclical mistakes. And those mistakes aside, everything we made and everything we play live, we still love. There are two songs that I don’t sing live because I missed the boat, not necessarily thematically, but in approach. Those tracks are ‘Great’ and ‘Model Village’ - I won’t play them

IDLES

“IT MIGHT NOT BE IDLES FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE, BUT I’LL BE DOING THIS UNTIL I DIE” JOE

TALBOT

because I’m not willing to stand on stage and pretend to be something I’m not. “I made a mistake during the writing process because I was under the duress of my own selfloathing, addiction, and my desire to be loved. I wore the wrong fucking hat the day I wrote those songs, and right now, I can’t be fucked with treading that ground again. I’m not ashamed of writing them because it led to a dialogue, and that dialogue led me to where I am now. “On the flip side of that,” he continues. “I got to the point with ‘Danny Nedelko’ where I didn’t think about the lyrics when I sang them. But then, after the pandemic, there was this feeling of elation and connection with people through the celebration of immigration that is in those lyrics, and that made me cry for the first month of playing it when we started touring again. I’m so glad I made that song, and I’ll sing it forever. So it’s constantly changing, and what I love and what I feel like is always shifting, as it always should. “I like to use the analogy of a haircut. When you’re younger, you go through phases of getting fashionable haircuts, and then when you look back on them, you’re embarrassed. Not because it looks bad, but because it isn’t you. We don’t look

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“THIS ALBUM IS A LOVE ALBUM. ALL I’M INTERESTED IN IS LOVE. UNCOMPLICATED, UNCOMPROMISED LOVE SONGS” JOE

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IDLES

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IDLES

“WE COULD NEVER MAKE AN ALBUM AS FAN SERVICE” JOE

TALBOT

back on any of our songs with embarrassment because we made them all from a place of honesty - we weren’t following fashions.” Among the many reasons for perspective shifts across the last few years has been both Joe and Bowen becoming fathers. “Basically, it just means you stop fucking around,” Bowen says with a grin. “If I’m going to be away for six months in a year, then it has to be for a very, very valid reason. Whenever I’m with my kid, I’m as present as I can be, and whenever I’m not, I’m being the best version of myself possible in whatever capacity that is. I owe it to them, which means I owe it to myself as well. It’s not like I’m thinking about my kid when I’m playing guitar, but the person actually playing that guitar is a completely different man to who it was beforehand - that’s the big change.” “The rest of the band…” Joe pauses, picking his words carefully. “Bowen and I work our arses off constantly, and we kept doing that even when we had children to look after. I’ve had issues with the work ethic in the rest of the band before, but after a loving and honest discussion, paired with us having kids, they got it. There was a sense that if we were getting up at 5am, looking after another human being and still managing to write an album, they’d better get in the practice room and start working hard. With that shift came a sense of mutuality, a fellowship where we all put the fucking graft in. We’re getting on better than ever because we’re all on the same page, and that’s beautiful.” It’s an admission which could seem fractious if it wasn’t delivered with such obvious honesty and warmth. Instead, it’s an encapsulation of the band IDLES have become - one which isn’t afraid to question itself, to tear things down to rebuild and to always strive to be better than they are. “One thing that helped me massively with my imposter syndrome which, by the way, there is no place for in the arts at all,” says Joe. “Is that all of the gatekeepers that you think about, in so-called high culture right down to popular culture, you’re imagining them as gatekeepers. They’re not stopping you from being the next Radiohead; you just need to work hard; that’s all it takes. You are the gatekeeper, not them. “Don’t get me wrong, there are things which are true gatekeepers. Classism, lack of money, bad journalism. Those are three things that disallow and dishearten a lot of people. Most working-class people don’t get the opportunities to be able to record an album with who they want at the start, and that is the beginning of a domino effect which can impact their whole career. But if you do get the opportunity and you don’t seize it and work for it, then you’re an ingrate - at best. “Three weeks in a beautiful studio is such a gift, and for us to treat it like a nine to five would be a fucking insult to everyone that cannot afford to record in those surroundings. All of my friends would give their right arm to be where we are, so we have to do it right. We have to get deep down within ourselves and make sure we’re giving it everything we can to make the best album we can. And I like to think we’ve done that on this album.” ■ IDLES’ album ‘TANGK’ is out 16th February.

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THE LAST DINNER PARTY

They’re the band everyone is talking about, they’ve scored the biggest debut album in years, and they’re just getting started. THE LAST DINNER PARTY really are that band. by ALI SHUTLER. photography by JENNIFER MCCORD.

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he Last Dinner Party have an unofficial mantra that’s helped guide them through a dizzying twelve months: Don’t dwell on it. Chill out. Carry on. It’s the morning after it was made public that the band won the BBC’s Sound Of 2024 crown, but they’ve yet to celebrate. “I didn’t even know it was being announced; did anyone else?” asks Georgia Davies, who found out at the end of last year when Florence + The Machine broke the news in front of a camera crew. “We don’t really know what’s going on most of the time,” she admits. Between then and now, The Last Dinner Party have made their US television debut and shared Graham Norton’s sofa with Paul Mescal, while debut single ‘Nothing Matters’ has twirled its way back into the UK Singles Chart, ten months after it was first released. It follows on from massive support stints with the likes of The Rolling Stones and Hozier, while The Last Dinner Party have also become the first guitar band to ever win The BRITs Rising Star award. “It’s hard to have a grasp on what’s massive and what isn’t as massive,” says Aurora Nishevci, with Abigail Morris adding: “We have no concept of scale, but that’s a good thing. If we knew how important or career-changing something is, it would maybe change how we felt about it. This way, we can enjoy every moment and then move on to the next thing.” “I feel like if we sat down and tried to process everything that’s happened since ‘Nothing Matters’, it would be disastrous,” says Georgia. “Right now, we have an Alice In Wonderland sense of scale and time. Everything feels warped and whimsical. We just try to take things as they come rather than looking too far into the future or focusing on the past.” “There’s nothing there that interests me,” adds Abigail. “It’s more about playing shows post-album and trying to find time to write more,” says Aurora. “We’ve worked hard to get here though. We haven’t just done it on a whim.” The Last Dinner Party seem eager to move

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“IF WE SAT DOWN AND TRIED TO PROCESS EVERYTHING THAT’S HAPPENED SINCE ‘NOTHING MATTERS’, IT WOULD BE DISASTROUS” GEORGIA

into a space where every move isn’t scrutinised, and fair enough. As soon as that mammoth, empowering debut single ‘Nothing Matters’ was released, everyone rushed to social media to share their opinion on the group. Despite spending years playing shows together in grotty London venues after meeting at university and getting discovered by a DIY live recording uploaded to YouTube, a vocal corner of the Internet seems convinced there’s something inauthentic about the group. “If you don’t like our music or our vibes, that’s okay! But it’s not fine to accuse us of not writing these songs or existing as a band in our own right. None of us have famous or industry parents either, shock horror,” the band wrote on social media when the industry plant accusations first surfaced. As CMAT elegantly put it: “A lot of supposedly smart peoples’ definition of industry plant is ‘someone who is signed to a record label and is also a woman’.” But there’s also been so much excitement that actually releasing music has felt terrifying. “We obviously interacted with people at shows for two years and were constantly asked when the music was. By the time we got to ‘Nothing Matters’, everything had become a bit buzzy,” says Lizzie Mayland. “There was this expectation that we didn’t have when we were recording it. I’m so proud of that song, and I’m glad people liked it, but I hid under my duvet for two days because I didn’t want to be perceived.” “It’s quite overwhelming to have so many people so excited about something,” explains Aurora, with The Last Dinner Party comfortably the most exciting new band in Britain. The perks? “Bitches, lots of champagne and preparing to go off the rails,” smirks Abigail, though the band are more likely to be requesting ginger shots and tissues today to deal with the collective cold they’ve picked up over a refreshing Christmas break. “I was starting to feel normal about

DAVIES

THE LAST DINNER PARTY

DREAM DINNER PARTY

One guest, one song, one dish. ABGAILI Dish: Steak tartare finished with an egg yolk Guest: Mary Shelly (“I think she’d be a riot”) Song: Aggro Santos ‘Candy’ AURORA Dish: Pita Zeljanica Guest: Nina Simone Song: Beyonce - ‘Virgo’s Groove’ EMILY Dish: Guest: Song: Banshees

Veggie Brian Siouxsie and ‘Cities In

curry May the Dust’

GEORGIA Dish: Gin Martini, extra dirty Guest: Oscar Wilde (“Perfect for a dinner party, suggesting all the games”) Song: Fat Dog - ‘King Of The Slugs’ (“Just to see what Oscar Wilde would make of it”) LIZZIE Dish: A well-made, flamedat-the-table creme brûlée Guest: Ezra Collective’s Femi Koleoso, Song: Lianne La Havas - ‘Weird Fishes’ (Radiohead cover)

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everything until I saw you guys,” she tells the rest of the group. There are still moments when they need to check in with each other that this is actually happening, and they haven’t fallen asleep during a university lecture and imagined the whole Dinner Party. “The whole experience has been crazy, and I think we’d go mad without each other,” Lizzie explains. “The band is somewhere to put all the pride without it feeling egotistical. It’s also just fun to share these experiences.” “We just keep being offered opportunities that we never would have thought to dream of. And we keep saying yes to them because it’s unbelievable,” they continue. “We’re just riding this wave of

“IT’S QUITE OV E R W H E L M I N G TO HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE SO EXCITED ABOUT SOMETHING” AURORA

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NISHEVCI

people being very interested.” “I’m looking forward to the day where we’re not a hype, buzz band,” says Abigail. “Hopefully, by the time we get to album three or four, we’ll be more established and respected, so things will feel calmer. We’ll just be able to do our own thing without there being this hype, which I don’t think is particularly useful or interesting.” “It can’t last, either,” adds Lizzie. “If we have continued success, we can ask for things like writing time, and we can hopefully have more of a hand in shaping our own career, rather than just saying yes to everything and hoping for the best.” “Maybe we’ll be free to not worry about silly things as well,” says Aurora, apologising for just how ambiguous that sounds. The first step towards longevity comes with debut album ‘Prelude

THE LAST DINNER PARTY

To Ecstasy’. A lush, elegant record that isn’t afraid of drama or getting rowdy, it brings together orchestral flourishes, twinkling folk and menacing rock to create something that practically vibrates with excitement. Recorded over a year ago with Arctic Monkeys’ go-to producer James Ford (“A genius who made the whole process fun and so rewarding”), ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ sees The Last Dinner Party “push into every avenue that we wanted to” as they lay the foundations for whatever comes next. It was created before The Last Dinner Party had released a single song because it felt like the smart thing to do, says Abigail. “No one expected anything from us so we could make what we wanted to make, instead of pushing out one song then scrambling to keep up. It meant we had something to stand behind as well.” “We wanted to make a debut

“I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DAY WHERE WE’RE NOT A HYPE, BUZZ BAND” ABIGAIL

album,” Abigail continues. “There wasn’t one specific sound or vision we were after. We just…followed the garden path of each song and planted roses along the way,” she says with a faux grandiosity that earns playful groans from the rest of the band. “We wanted it to be a mission statement. The opening of

MORRIS

in jazz and was in a Queen tribute band, so everyone has their own thing they bring to the table,” says Emily Roberts. “We obviously have bands we all love, but it’s the fact we’re five individuals that makes us special, rather than a collective vision.” As for the lyrics, Abigail trawled her diaries for inspiration because “it’s good to write about what you know. There’s no clear goal when I’m writing songs, and I don’t think about how people are going to connect to it. It just comes out I guess,” she continues. “You explore your own experience and the extremes of emotion,” adds Aurora, sensing her friend is starting to tie herself in knots.

what we’re going to do.” “We all have such individual influences as well. Aurora did classical composition. I did a degree

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THE LAST DINNER PARTY

“THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN CRAZY, AND I THINK WE’D GO MAD WITHOUT EACH OTHER” LIZZIE

MAYLAND

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“THERE WASN’T ONE SPECIFIC SOUND WE WERE AFTER. WE JUST FOLLOWED THE GARDEN PATH OF EACH SONG AND PLANTED ROSES ALONG THE WAY” ABIGAIL

MORRIS

Abigail is also quick to point out that she isn’t the only person who’s written songs for ‘Prelude’. Aurora wrote the Albanian-language track ‘Gjuha’ about the shame she felt for not being able to speak her mother tongue, while Lizzie wrestles with self-acceptance, guilt and anger on ‘Sinner’. Throughout the album, the band explores belonging, wanting it, not having it and trying to create it for yourself. “That’s probably our age,” says Lizzie. “Something I’ve been thinking about a lot this year is trying to find that sense of belonging in yourself rather than externally.” Elsewhere, ‘Feminine Urge’ was written “very specifically about a woman’s relationship to her mother,” says Abigail. “It’s about feminine generational trauma, my feelings about being a woman and that beautiful, horrible realisation that your mother is also a human who’s mortal, fallible and in pain,” while closing track ‘Mirror’ is the oldest song on the record. Originally written when Abigail was 17, it started off about romance but soon became about the relationship between an artist and their audience. “You know that speech from Chicago, ‘I’m a star, and the audience loves me. And I love them. And they love me for loving them, and I love them for loving me. And we love each other, and that’s because none of us got enough love in our childhoods. And that’s showbiz, kid’? That’s that song, just with a guitar solo from Emily.” As celebratory as it sounds, “There is a lot of pain in the album,” Abigail admits. “It’s about the extremes of ecstasy, so there’s euphoria, joy, love and celebration, but it’s also about the extreme pain and suffering people go through, and it never shies away from either.”

Speaking to the BBC after handing The Last Dinner Party the crown for Sound Of 2024, Florence Welch

said: “I think the nuances of femininity almost always get lost in rock, but when I saw The Last Dinner Party playing in their dresses and their chiffon while being so fierce and ferocious, I was like, ‘This is it’.” “We didn’t sit down and say how cool it would be to wear dresses and play guitar. It’s just natural,” explains Abigail. “It’s a natural extension of who we are as people rather than a conscious tactic. Rock’n’roll is pink, anyway.” “Dressing like this just feels right to me. In other bands I’ve been in, I felt like I had to dress a certain way as a woman playing guitar, but with The Last Dinner Party, I’ve realised that I don’t. I can do whatever I want,” says Emily. Wanting to add to the sense of theatre, early Last Dinner Party shows came with a voluntary dress code, from Greek myths and fairytales to the language of flowers. “The gigs that had the biggest impact on us were always the ones that had a sense of occasion

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“WE WANTED OUR DEBUT ALBUM TO BE A MISSION STATEMENT” ABIGAIL

and created that nice, communal feeling. Giving fans a dress code for our gigs was designed to encourage that.,” says Abigail. “When we first moved to London, I loved dressing up just to go to the Windmill. There’s nothing like sitting in a dive bar in a ballgown, and we wanted to continue that tradition of ‘why the fuck not’ basically,” adds Georgia.

MORRIS

However, the band are going to retire those specific dress codes. “Quite beautifully, our fans have embraced it and made it their own. It’s amazing we’ve created a space where people feel safe to wear whatever they want and experiment with self-expression,” says Abigail. Most of The Last Dinner Party have been in bands before, but nothing with any sense of

ambition or ownership. “Doing this has been my dream for pretty much forever,” said Abigail, with this group coming together through “sheer persistence” and mutual excitement. “As soon as I heard the first demo that Abi sent over, I fell in love. It wasn’t like anything I’d heard before, and I knew I wanted to be involved,” Lizzie explains. “It always felt like The Last Dinner Party was going to go somewhere, and I wanted to see where that was.” Still, the five-piece had to do battle with uncooperative schedules, the cost of rehearsal spaces and the endless possibilities that being a band presented them with. “For ages, we’d be at rehearsal but not really know where to start or where to go,” says Aurora. The answer was to book a gig. “That forced us to get ready,” says Lizzie. The band’s earliest ambition was to play The Windmill in Brixton because “it was this glorious space that had birthed so many iconic bands, and it just seemed like an amazing world we wanted to be part of. We played it as our second gig,” Abigail grins, with The Last Dinner Party overachievers from the off. From there, the band have taken in Moth Club, The Roundhouse and venues across Europe and North America. As dizzying as things have got with their career and the noise around them, the band have always had that live show to fall back on. “There’s no comparison, really. Winning awards is nice, and we’re very lucky and honoured, but it’s not what drives us or gives us meaning. Writing songs together, then playing them live, that’s the heart of this band,” says Abigail. “It would be really sad if all you wanted was awards,” adds Aurora. “The awards just mean that, hopefully, the crowds will be bigger,” says Lizzie, who sees them as the best possible marketing. “The likes of The BRITs and the BBC Sound Of have thrust us onto this massive stage,” they continue, with The Last Dinner Party confident in their ability to shine in that spotlight. “It means more people will hear

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THE LAST DINNER PARTY

“I DID A DEGREE IN JAZZ AND WAS IN A QUEEN TRIBUTE BAND’ EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN THING THEY BRING TO THE TABLE” EMILY

ROBERTS

the music, come to the shows and have that shared experience with us. Standing on a stage, looking people in the eye and knowing I see them and they see me, that’s still the only thing that feels tangible,” they continue. As Abigail told the crowd at The Roundhouse the evening before ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ was released, “We’re so proud we filled this room with people like you.” In chorus, every member of The Last Dinner Party except one replies with a defiant “no” when asked if they have anything to prove with this album. “Maybe it’d be nice to prove that our boyfriends don’t play our instruments,” Aurora says with a smirk. “We were very lucky to be able to record it before any of this scrutiny was on us,” says Lizzie. “It would feel very different if we were trying to retroactively live up to the expectations that have been set, but we love this album. I’m maybe a little bit nervous about it coming out, but I’m mostly just excited for people to come to the shows and know all the words.” “We’d love for this band to represent a sense of community, and I just hope ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ impacts people in the way that we all know music can,” says Georgia. “Seeing female and non-binary musicians on stage is not something that was super common when we were growing up, so we wanted to be that band for others,” she continues. “It would be nice to prove to others that you don’t have to be the token non-man in a band; you can be all of it. The accolades are nice, but hearing from fans that a song has inspired them to pick up a bass or learn piano makes me so much more emotional than anything else.” “It’s also important for young men to see a band like this,” says Abigail. Last summer, after playing a festival, she was approached by two little boys who were so stoked after watching Emily and Lizzie play guitars onstage. “It was the first time I realised that it was really important for us to not only be role models for female and non-binary people who want to see themselves onstage and be inspired to do their own thing, but also for young men to see women and non-binary people in a position of power and success and not be angry about it. Instead of misogyny and resentment, we want to help raise a new generation of men who are just excited about bands like us.” For those on the outside, though, the question remains: ‘Why this band?’ “It’s not something we think about,” says Abi. “We didn’t start The Last Dinner Party thinking about what we could do to make people like us. A lot of it is luck and very good timing. We’ve come along during a renaissance of live music, at a time where there’s a real excitement around female and non-binary-led bands and theatrical, maximalist expression. We’ve always just done what we loved and made sense to us; it just happened to coincide with this cultural turn. There’s no magic formula. It’s just luck,” she adds before smirking. “And good music.” P The Last Dinner Party’s debut album ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ is out now.

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FEE G

ELING GLOOMY? IDKHOW

I Dont Know How But They Found Me’s Dallon Weekes is casting off the carefully curated concept of previous projects with ‘Gloom Division’, a deeply personal and defiant record that flips genres, challenges expectations and embraces the unexpected. by ALI SHUTLER. photography by MANICPROJECT

“I

’ve always felt like an outsider, but music has allowed me to connect with other people,” says Dallon Weekes. At first, there was his power-pop group, The Brobecks, who existed on the edge of the 00s emo explosion but never had their breakout moment. Then, Dallon joined Panic! At The Disco as a touring guitarist in 2009 before becoming a fully-fledged member for 2013’s ‘Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die’ while also working on his own music. At first, I Dont Know How But They Found Me performed in secret, with Dallon not wanting to take advantage of his glitzy connections before he quit Panic! and released his debut EP ‘1981’ in 2018. Debut album ‘Razzmatazz’ followed in 2020, with both the jaunty horror of ‘Choke’ and the flamboyant defiance of ‘Leave Me Alone’ becoming crossover hits. “It was fantastic to be validated in the public arena. I mean, what artist wouldn’t love to have a hit song?” he asks. “That’s been checked off the list, though. Now it’s time to get weird,” he grins. ‘Gloom Division’ does away with the carefully curated concept of previous iDKHOW projects, with the record unfurling to embrace glam, garage and indie rock with flourishes of goth for good measure. It proudly wears influences from The Strokes, Elvis Costello, Phantom Planets, Ben Folds Five and Weezer on its sleeve but never stays on the same path for long. “There’s a lot going on. I hope it’s not overwhelming,” he says. “But I’m a fan of songs more than I am of genres.” Working with Dave Fridmann also helped Dallon embrace these different corners. “Of my ten favourite records, he’s made at least four of them. He’s worked with Tame Impala, MGMT and Flaming Lips, who are artists I’ve idolised forever.

“THERE IS A DEFINITE KID IN A CANDY STORE VIBE TO THIS ALBUM” DALLON

WEEKES

Being in the same studio as those records were made felt almost spiritual. There is a definite kid in a candy store vibe to this album.” ‘Gloom Division’ is also decadently defiant. “After that first record, there was expectation, and expectation is the thing I’ve never had to deal with before,” he says. Because of Dallon’s past with Panic!, people were quick to assume iDKHOW fit under the same banner when they heard vibrant, hook-driven choruses. “I understand the irony, but I was never really into pop-punk,” he admits. “I was always more into Britpop or alternative indie,” so he deliberately pushed that to the forefront with album two. “It’s great that people like what I did, but I’m not going to do it again. Part of my approach for this record was demand avoidance.

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“I WAS NEVER REALLY INTO POP-PUNK; I WAS ALWAYS MORE INTO BRITPOP OR ALTERNATIVE INDIE” DALLON 48. DORK

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You think I’m going to do one thing, so I’m going to do something else.” Evolution is risky at the best of times, but deliberately pulling away from a scene that’s having such a resurgence feels practically dangerous. “Oh, it’s absolutely a risk, but I would always rather take a chance artistically than play it safe,” says Dallon. He’s not shy about it either, with first single ‘What Love?’ inspired by 90s R&B and delivered with a smirking tongue-in-cheek abandon. “I just wanted to do something wildly different to what I’d done before. I knew it was going to frighten fans, but I wanted to see what would happen,” he explains. The first era of I Dont Know How But They Found Me was based around the idea of a mysterious band lost in time, only for their music to be rediscovered decades later. It was fantastical, with the songs flecked with nuggets of truth. By contrast, ‘Gloom Division’ is almost entirely autobiographical. “There’s still a line or two of fiction in there,” he adds. “The concept stuff is still there for those who wish to dig for it, but I’m leaning less heavily on it,” says Dallon. He got burnt out constantly trying to make everything match a carefully curated aesthetic and wanted to concentrate more on music than story this time around. “Plus, I don’t ever want to have to do something. As soon as I’m expected to do the same thing, I’m absolutely not going to.” The songs on ‘Gloom Division’ are inspired by Dallon’s recent diagnosis of ADHD and Autism. “I started learning about it as a way to connect with my son, who is on the spectrum, but then TikTok started to send me videos that resonated with me.” So he went to his doctor, who diagnosed him with AuDHD. “Before that, my own neurodivergence had been a mystery to me, but I ended up looking back over my entire life and unpacking it with this new understanding.” The result is a record that’s rich in romance, sin, and Satan, as Dallon started asking questions about the beliefs he’d grown up with and where he was today. “Everyone has to find their own values and their own reasons for why you do or don’t do something,” he offers. “As for the sin and sexual themes, it was written during lockdown, and there wasn’t a lot else to do.” ‘Infatuation’ looks at religious guilt, ‘Downside’ is about being blinded by love, while

IDKHOW

“YOU THINK I’M GOING TO DO ONE THING, SO I’M GOING TO DO SOMETHING ELSE” DALLON

WEEKES

politics and the structuring of power. It’s the same thing driving current politics, and it’s why trans people’s right to exist has been turned into a political issue,” he says, with certain corners of the world trying to whip up another moral panic. “Part of the deconstruction that I’ve been doing over the past few years has led me to the realisation that any time you have a system in place that tries to take power away from a group that’s marginalised, that’s a problem. It’s something we all need to start being more aware of,” he explains, looking to Gen Z for guidance. “It’s very cool to see young people have access to a level of empathy I never had growing up in the 80s and 90s where things like homophobic language and fat shaming were very much part of our everyday culture,” says Dallon. “I didn’t realise you couldn’t talk a certain way until it was pointed out to me on Twitter, which I’m thankful for. I don’t think ignorance is necessarily a bad thing if you’re willing to listen and learn. Problems come when people get defensive.”

‘Gloom Town Brats’ reflects on privilege. “I grew up working class, so I always had a chip on my shoulder,” says Dallon. “When you’re pursuing arts, your biggest hurdle is rich kids that are handed everything while you’ve got to find a way to pursue your career with a second-hand guitar held together with duct tape and keep the lights on at home.” Even during those first few years touring with Panic!, he needed to work day jobs between tours. “It’s easy to go through life with that chip on your shoulder, but as you get older, you start to become aware of what privileges you do have. It’s a song about learning to treat those privileges with care and responsibility.” The posi-pop of ‘Sunnyside’ was a deliberate attempt at optimism, something iDKHOW has always shied away from before. “There needed to be an answer to all the other gloom and doom that’s on the record,” says Dallon, while closing track ‘Idiots Of Oz’ provides the stamp at the end of the record. “Thematically, the whole record can be captured in that very last line, ‘It doesn’t matter what you think of us’. It’s a lesson I learnt way too late, but the best way to live a healthy life is to stop caring about what people think of you. The opinions of other people don’t have to affect you.” It’s an outlook Dallon takes into his music, but it goes beyond that. “If you live authentically, people will see it, and you’ll find that community.” ‘Satanic Panic’ approaches the same destination from a more combative point of view. Written about the satanic panic in the 1980s that saw a young Dallon forbidden from playing with Garbage Pail Kids trading cards, joke cigarettes and certain brands of bubble gum due to the fear they were evil and would warp his young mind, iDKHOW mock the outrage. “That sense of playfulness is important to me. Even if I’m tackling serious subjects, I like to do it with a sense of humour. It’s a way of disarming the thing you’re talking about.” “The satanic panic was really to do with identity READDORK.COM 49.

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“I’VE SPENT A LARGE PORTION OF MY LIFE FEELING LIKE AN ALIEN OBSERVING A WORLD THAT I’M NOT A PART OF” DALLON

WEEKES

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“THE BEST WAY TO LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE IS TO STOP CARING ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF YOU” DALLON

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From the moment I Dont Know How But They Found Me released their first single in 2017, there’s been sustained excitement around the world that Dallon has built. “I could not tell you why the music is connecting, though,” he explains. “It’s one of those mysteries that I think a lot about. When I started this project, it was all in secret, and it was just for me. I had no goals whatsoever; I just wanted to get the music out of my head. But then people really got on board with it. It was wonderful, but that was never my intention,” he says. “I’ve spent a large portion of my life feeling like an alien observing a world that I’m not a part of, and it’s strange to think that there are others that have had that experience as well because it certainly doesn’t feel like it. Once you find those people, though, it’s really encouraging,” he explains. “I used to be very guarded with my art, but seeing the response that this band got once it started to become public, that let me know it was alright to take the mask off. That’s what I’m doing with this record. It’s a little scary, but it feels right.” Getting into the recording studio for ‘Gloom Division’ was the only difficult part of this second album, with the drummer Ryan Seaman removed from the band after “a series of broken trusts”. The actual music came together incredibly easily, says Dallon, but it does mean that iDKHOW is now very much a solo project after fighting against it for so long. “That was part of me being guarded,” says Dallon, who’s always written the music and created the world surrounding the band. “When it’s a group effort, there’s a cushion if something fails, and you get to share your successes with a group of friends. When you’re a solo artist, you’re very exposed, so I went to great lengths my entire life to avoid that. It’s gotten to the point where I just don’t believe in bands anymore, though. It’s sad in a way because it was never on my bucket list to be a frontman or solo artist, but these are the cards that I’ve been dealt, so I’m going to play them as best I can.” Presenting iDKHOW as a solo project has allowed Dallon to open up, though. He’s set to release the most personal record he’s ever written, and it was created through collaboration rather than the secretive isolation of ‘Razzmatazz’. “I would just send ideas to friends, and if they were inspired to add something, brilliant. If they weren’t, that was cool. No managers were involved; it was just friends making music together. It’s the most collaborative I’ve been in decades,” he explains. Will Joseph Cook (“A wonderful artist who has a real knack for making upbeat songs”) and TikTok bossa nova artist Noah Bobrow helped create ‘Sunnyside’ with Joywave’s Daniel Armbruster, Louis XIV’s Jason Hill and Miniature Tiger members Charlie Brand and Rick Alvin also helping shape ‘Gloom Division’. After the focused world of that first album, iDKHOW’s new record makes it seem like anything is possible in the future. “’How do I scare the fans next’ is something that’s always on my mind,” grins Dallon. He already has a

record and a half’s worth of ideas sitting on a hard drive, but “they’re not all good. I’ve still got some work to do, but I’m already rolling on what comes next.” With a series of behind-the-scenes issues sorted, the wait between albums should be shorter going forward, but still, Dallon isn’t going to rush anything. “I tend to wait for inspiration to strike rather than forcing an idea to happen,” he explains. “Music always has to mean something. I never just want to manufacture art.” As well as looking ahead, though, Dallon has also been forced to glance at the past, with The Brobecks having a surprise resurgence on platforms like TikTok and Spotify. “It’s so great to have a project you’ve spent so much time on finally receive some kind of validation, even if it’s 20 years later,” says Dallon, with The Brobecks’ story echoing the fictional narrative of the first iDKHOW album. “I wonder where that idea came from?” he grins. “When I was doing Brobecks, I was working horrible jobs during the day and struggling to find ways to record. We were doing pretty well with regional tours, but we hit a plateau, and that next step just never came. It seemed like the band would just collect dust, but to see it have a moment has been incredible. I’ve always felt like an underdog, but I’m such a fan of underdogs anyway.” As it stands, only 2009’s ‘Violent Things’ is available to stream, but there’s more stuff Dallon wants to put online. “There’s just a bunch of hurdles to jump over and bureaucratic red tape to wade through, so it’s a matter of finding the time,” he explains. “I’ll always play a Brobeck song or two on tour because that project still does mean something to me, and there’s probably a handful of old Brobeck songs that feel like they never really got a proper chance, so I still might rerecord them and put them on an iDKHOW record at some point. It’s not really the priority, but it’s something I haven’t discounted,” he explains. Across iDKHOW’s catalogue, Dallon has used music for catharsis. “It’s how I connect myself to the world. It’s how I try to process the things I don’t understand as well as the things I do but think are horrible. Before there was any kind of diagnoses or therapies for me, there was music,” he explains. “Playing shows is the antithesis of working through those dark things, though,” he explains, with iDKHOW set to spend a chunk of 2024 on the road. “You’re in a room with a bunch of strangers who may not share a single thing in common with anybody around them except for the song that’s currently being played. That’s where that spiritual community feeling comes from,” says Dallon. “It’s a lot like church; it’s just a little more rowdy, and there are more swears. Being that one thing that unites people is an incredible honour, but it comes with a responsibility,” he adds, with iDKHOW, ‘Gloom Division’ and the upcoming run of shows all built around the same idea. “It’s all about ways to bring people together rather than divide.” P iDKHOW’s album ‘Gloom Division’ is out 23rd February.

IDKHOW

“I JUST DON’T BELIEVE IN BANDS ANYMORE” DALLON

WEEKES

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FEATURES

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MASTER PEACE

“I How to make a Master Peace: inside the bold evolution of a new indie-pop maverick. by Martyn Young.

genuinely believe this is probably going to be the best body of work to come out of 2024.” Indie-pop dreamer turned incendiary rabble-rousing party starter Master Peace is bursting with confidence and energy as he prepares to release his whip-smart and cocksure debut album ‘How To Make A Master Peace’. The album is the culmination of three years in which Peace has established himself as a genre-defying maverick capable of bouncing across different sounds, all tied together with his boundless enthusiasm and playful desire to shake things up and rattle a few cages. The album was the logical next step after years of building hype, yet, for Peace himself, things weren’t always going so swimmingly, “I put out three EPs, and in my head, I thought I couldn’t put out another EP. You kind of get bored,” he admits. “I was like, let’s go for the big boys. We don’t have all day in terms of being an artist. You just need to crack on with it and get it out right now. I want to crack on with it and get it out right now. You have artists that drop their debut album when they’re 18/19, and I’m just like, alright, cool, I just want to get it out. Enough time has passed, and I hope people understand what Master Peace is by now.” That sense of fevered impatience and drive is what propels his work, and with this record, it seems that Master Peace himself has finally figured out what he is, or at least what he wants to be. “I understand music a bit more. I came into music a bit blindsided because I knew what I liked, but I didn’t really understand why I liked it,” he ponders. “There was that element of not really understanding why I was drawn to those songs when I was younger or why this or that person influenced me. As I grew into myself, I’d go back and find songs I used to like. Now that I’m older, I understand why I liked those songs. For me, as a person, I’ve seen a lot. More than I had three years ago. Three years ago, I only knew this one thing, and I was only writing about this one thing, and then Covid happened. I hadn’t really experienced life as much. I’m not a baby anymore. I’m not shielded, and there’s no guard. I’ve experienced what I need to experience to write an album.” In conversation with Peace, you can’t help but be carried along with his infectious energy as he talks a mile a minute, eager to just put every last thought and idea out into the world, an impetus mirrored in the melting pot of influences that make up the sound of his debut album that contains more than enough retro nostalgia for the halcyon days of mid-noughties indie sleaze mixed with a fresh electro-pop sound for 2024, with all manner of detours in between. A true student of pop, Peace began looking a bit deeper into what made his favourite music so thrilling. “I feel like it was a lot of early stuff from artists that I’m into,” he explains. “Artists like early Calvin Harris. LCD Soundsystem and a lot of Libertines and Bloc Party. Another part of it was MIA and Phil Collins. There were a lot of

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FEATURES

I released that EP, things began to do my thing, and everybody would elements of different things. I spent actually work, and people were like, underplay it. It would be ‘rapper the whole of 2022 listening to debut ‘I see him a little bit and understand Master Peace’. Yes, I’ve rapped in the albums, and then, at the beginning him a bit more’.” past when I was in a crew, and yes, I of 2023, I wrote my debut. I would be The partnership with Schwartz do rap a bit on indie songs, but I do going on the internet and looking for has certainly been a fruitful one. sing as well, and people would always reviews as to why their album stood “Meeting Matty changed my whole underplay it. It used to really upset the test of time and why people liked mindset, and I’m so grateful now that me. I was trying to aim for pop star it at the time. Even if they didn’t I’m back to myself, loving making and be the pop and indie guy for the like it at the time, like Calvin Harris’ music, and feeling like I’ve got a alternative Black kids and people like ‘I Created Disco’ at the beginning, purpose,” says Peace. “Someone me. I felt so frustrated.” people didn’t get it, but as the years else can get a fast track, and that’s For around a year, the frustration have gone on, people have realised sweet, but I’m still here getting the and anger swirling around Peace it’s actually a great album. I wanted to leftovers when I should be understand why nobody getting the main meal like got it at the beginning.” everyone else.” The desire to Now, rather than confound and shake letting it get him down, things up resulted in Peace uses the injustices an album more diverse he feels to drive him on, and dynamic than any comfortable in his own work he has previously force of personality and released. “My vision artistry. “It wasn’t like and goal was to make fans weren’t coming. It an album to stand the was working,” he says. test of time rather than “The industry, in terms something a bit obvious of the gatekeepers, were and basic where people like, yeah, let’s just keep are like, ‘Yeah, I knew this over there and push that was going to come that person while I’m just from Master Peace’,” he on the sidelines waiting to proclaims confidently. get on.” “Nobody would have In the face of all this expected where I went industry turmoil, it might with it.” have been easy for Master The end result is a Peace to make a sanitised fearless turbo-charged and careful indie-pop step up and a genuine album free from any riskevolution of the Master taking. Master Peace Peace sound. “It’s is never ever going to both fearlessness and play it safe, though, and honesty,” he says. “With instead, his thrilling debut my album, I tried to make revels in ugliness and something that people discordance. “I don’t want who are teenagers could it to sound too pretty. relate to and see and understand. This is how it MASTER PEACE It’s like medium ugly,” he laughs. “You can hear feels to be a young person me a bit off key or taking in London at this time the mickey a little bit or laughing in made him question his whole and in this current moment. Like the background. I like to keep that existence as an artist. “After my soldThe Streets did with ‘Original Pirate real element. I made this album in out tour, I had got to that point where Material’ about being on the dole and two weeks. I had no old songs and I didn’t know if I wanted to make not having a lot of money.” made them. Because I made the music anymore,” he remembers. “In The album is also powered by songs fresh, there was no emotional my head, I was like, ‘Fuck this, I just anger or at least a spirit of frustration attachment to them; I kept that can’t be arsed. I’m done. I don’t want as Peace channels his experiences energy when I was recording them. to do it any more’. I got in a session with all the myriad roadblocks and I try never to make it too serious. It’s with Matty Schwartz who produced setbacks of the modern-day music never that deep. Art shouldn’t be my album and my last EP. He noticed industry into invigorating and explained. If you hear me coughing that I wasn’t myself. He said, what’s nihilistic Gen-Z anthems. In short, or laughing in a song, then I left it in going on? It feels like you don’t even Peace feels success is a long time there for a reason. I make music for want to be here? I said If I’m totally coming, and if people were going to the kids who don’t care. I want people honest, I don’t. I’m a bit over this continually try to put him in boxes, to be like, ‘He’s having a bit of fun’.” music thing. I think it’s stupid, and then the only way forward was to Despite the in-your-face quality of it’s a popularity contest. It’s who you try to blast out of them. “I was on a the most hyper tracks on the record, know, not actual talent. Matty told major label and putting out EPs. I there are still a few lovely moments me, why don’t you put it into your was selling tickets and selling out my that harken back to that wide-eyed music and say how you really feel? shows, but I wasn’t getting the same romantic dreamer of a few years ago. “That’s how the ‘Peace of Mind’ EP love that other artists were getting “I needed those songs to cater for the came, and that gave me a new sense that had done less than me, not even old Master Peace,” he laughs. “The of life by not caring anymore whether in a stuck-up way but generally,” he old fans like the emotional side. The I’d get that love and just doing it, fuck argues. “Another artist will come and new Master Peace indie sleaze fans it, whether they like it or not, I’m be fast-tracked through the industry, love the LCD gnarly electronic record going to do what I’m doing. When whereas my biggest thing was I’d

“I hope people understand what Master Peace is by now”

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MASTER PEACE

“I don’t want it to sound too pretty. It’s like medium ugly” MASTER

PEACE

of taking drugs and getting fucked. I’ve got to cater to both parties on the album but still do something that I would listen to.” Peace acknowledges that he’s now firmly an indie artist working in a long lineage of acts, but he’s still determined to do things a bit differently and rage against the establishment. “Yes, I’m an indie artist, but I don’t want to make that obvious indie album,” he says. “There are so many elements of indie music. You’ve got to be a bit spicy. I know the 6 Music Dads and the Rough Trade heads are going to be like, ‘OMG, this isn’t traditional indie’, but I know that this record will stand the test of time in terms of being indie music that is a bit leftfield and more forward-thinking than traditionally getting a few guitars out and singing a couple of ballads. I didn’t want to do that. There are elements, but then you’ve got songs like ‘Los Narcos’ that sounds like something out of a movie, hits you in the face, wake up LCD Soundsystem vibe. Then you’ve got ‘I Might Be Fake’ with Georgia, which is a very noughties Princess Superstar vibe. I’m just trying to keep it fresh and interesting.” He diplomatically doesn’t name any names, but it’s clear Peace is frustrated with some of the more, shall we say, beige side of the current indie scene and sees himself as a fiery interloper making the sort of statement he wants to hear. “There are a lot of bands in the current climate that play it safe,” he says. “They get praised for doing something that isn’t rocket science. When’s someone going to do something where I’m like, ‘Oh shit! That was insane; what the hell was that?’ I want to go into an album and think, ‘Fuck, I haven’t ever heard anything like this’. The best place you want to be is you either hate it and think it’s shit, or you LOVE IT. That’s what I was going for.” ‘How To Make A Master Peace’ is the sound of an artist cutting loose and revelling in freedom and a huge sense of confidence and ambition. It’s an ambition that drives Master Peace to aim for a Mercury Prize this year. “I’m manifesting it,” he laughs. He’s also planning to do lots of festivals and bring his raucous live show to tear up as many venues as he can find. After three years of patiently waiting in the wings Master Peace is here to firmly make his presence felt. It’s a mission statement encapsulated in the opening track ‘Los Narcos’. “It’s everything I wanted to say and more about this game that we play,” he explains. “I’ve never really openly said anything. I’ve always been the guy that plays the game, keeps my mouth shut, and doesn’t complain. ‘Los Narcos’ is like Queen’s ‘Another One Bites The Dust’. It’s very ‘wake the fuck up’. That’s the vibe.” P Master Peace’s debut album ‘How To Make A Master Peace’ is out 1st March.

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SIMPLY ZEST FEATURES

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THE LIME GARDEN

Lime Garden have grown into their skin with their debut album, ‘One More Thing’.

by CIARAN PICKER. photography by SAL REDPATH, JONO WHITE.

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FEATURES

t’s a Tuesday evening in South London. It’s dark, it’s cold, and it’s January – the holy trinity of seasonal depression are out in full force. But in this tiny rehearsal room in Peckham, you’d never know. Hailing from Brighton (via Guildford), Lime Garden are brimming with joy, having spent their day preparing for their upcoming album release shows and their biggest tour to date. “Tuesday is the best day of the week,” exclaims singer Chloe Howard. “It’s band day!” Lime Garden, completed by guitarist Leila Deeley, bassist Tippi Morgan, and drummer Annabel Whittle, spend the rest of their week saving money and working multiple jobs so that they can keep their musical dreams afloat. Whether it’s in coffee shops, behind the scenes at Brighton’s Green Door Store, or as an extra on TV, they channel all their work-related angst into their Tuesday night jam sessions, and with exceptional results. “We work really fucking hard for this,” Chloe states. “We finally feel like a ‘real band’ and like we are gonna make it.” Lime Garden are proof of what can happen if you take all of life’s misfires and use them to make art, with their debut album ‘One More Thing’ being a case in point. A ten-song exploration of everyday-lifeturned-magical, the record opens with the indie-sleaze ‘Love Song’, takes a brief detour into hyper-pop in ‘Floor’, and bares all in Paramoreesque rock ballad ‘It’ and folky closer ‘Looking’. “We played around more than we have in the past,” Annabel recalls, “but we definitely wanted to keep an overall sound that tied all the songs together.” Compared to previous singles, ‘One More Thing’ represents a departure from their guitar-rock roots. As well as the aforementioned genres, the lyrically marvellous ‘Mother’ channels noughties indie-pop, while ‘Pine’ brings in ethereal, almost cinematic tones that highlight a band in constant progress. Having just two weeks to record the album, Lime Garden couldn’t afford to be too indecisive and used the overwhelming lack of time to their advantage. “We definitely felt the pressure,” says guitarist Leila, “but to be honest, it probably helped us. We wanted the record to be hard and fast, just banger after banger, so it sort of worked perfectly.” To be able to create an album of such diversity - influences range from The Strokes to Charli XCX to Bon Iver - and still create a clear sonic atmosphere that is identifiably Lime Garden sets them on a very exciting path. The band show a level of maturity on a debut that is likely the envy of bands across the scene, keeping the album tight by only including the songs that felt right. “We probably had about twenty songs, but we didn’t want any filler,” Annabel remembers. “There was one in particular that we cut last minute because we just couldn’t figure out where it lay, and I’m so glad we did.” The quartet are another wonderful export of So Young Records, who kept the recording process in check while not keeping things on too tight a leash. “Shout out to [producer] Ali Chant,” Chloe says. “He gave us complete creative control but also could go, ‘Guys, what the fuck is going on?’ when we got a bit silly!” This sets off a chorus of laughter, giving the impression that this probably happened fairly

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frequently. Clearly, Lime Garden are obsessed with what they do, which is probably why they’re able to dig through the misery to find joy and hope, which is scattered across ‘One More Thing’. The title of the album comes from a short story by Raymond Carver, who had a real influence on what the band created. Annabel puts it that, “He just describes really mundane things in such an obscure way, making it absurd but also so normal.” Leila agrees, adding, “It just has a lingering feeling, and obviously, we want this album to stick with you.” For a record to ‘stick with you’, there needs to be something that brings you back time and again. In Lime Garden’s case, it’s the infectious personality that is built into the very fabric of the record. Chloe’s lyrical talent is endless, being able to take spin yarns that are both relatable and real. Her satirical takes on ‘Nepotism (Baby)’, self-doubt on ‘Fears’, and questioning her normality on ‘Pop Star’ (“Is this what it’s like for you or is it just what it’s like for me?”) place Lime Garden bang on trend, bringing together their 20th Century sound and 21st Century problems. “These are all things that have happened to us, so it’s just easy,” she says nonchalantly. “Like, writing ‘Looking’ was so different for us, but also so natural.” The band are getting ready for a string of album release shows in record stores across the UK, giving them the chance to put together different arrangements for the tracks. “There was one point today where we looked at each other and went, ‘Oh, these songs are actually super sad’,’’ Chloe laughs, “but oh well!” Sure, the album is pretty bleak contentwise, being centred around all the stuff that has made the band a bit miserable in past lives. By no means is this a band wallowing in selfpity though, quite the opposite. To find a band relatively new to major label support that are so confident in their ability and their journey is as refreshing as it is warranted. Post-record store shows, the band take on the world, starting with a UK tour that sees them play both London’s Lafayette and Brighton’s Chalk. “We haven’t played a show in three months,”

“WE FINALLY FEEL LIKE A ‘REAL BAND’ AND LIKE WE ARE GONNA MAKE IT” CHLOE

HOWARD

LIME GARDEN

“WE PROBABLY HAD ABOUT TWENTY SONGS, BUT WE DIDN’T WANT ANY FILLER” ANNABEL

WHITTLE

Annabel states, “which is the longest we haven’t been on stage since Covid.” As you can imagine, they’re absolutely gagging to get back out on the road, and this time, they’re taking their unwavering confidence with them. Leila candidly admits that, “usually we have, or I do anyway, imposter syndrome about touring, but we’re just so ready this time.” “We’ve put more effort into this tour than anything we’ve done before,” Tippi adds, which is greeted by a knowing agreement from the rest of the band that hints at a whole load of tricks up Lime Garden’s collective sleeves. Basically, Lime Garden are ready for the big time, and they’re not shy about admitting it. When asked about their hopes for both their album and the coming year more generally, the first words out of Chloe’s mouth are “Lime Garden World Domination”. “What’s the point in being humble about it? We spent so long being polite little girls, but frankly, if anyone deserves [success] it’s us.” The other manifestations for this year include a superyacht, a BRIT Award, meeting Hayley Williams, and winning the Mercury Prize, “and everything we’ve manifested so far has happened”, Annabel assuredly states. From the rash decision to pick up some instruments and form a band in 2017 to being signed at the start of a global pandemic, it’s fair to say that Lime Garden haven’t had the easiest or most conventional road thus far. “It’s an absolute slog,” Leila says, “but it’s just the best thing in the world.” Very few bands are as adept at growing through resistance, and there’s no doubt that it’s made them the band they are today: fearless, ferocious, and finally where they’re meant to be. To quote Annabel, 2024 is the “Year of the Lime”. P Lime Garden’s album ‘One More Thing’ is out 16th February.

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THE BLINDERS

BLINDING

Doncaster-via-Manchester four-piece THE BLINDERS are beating the odds, breaking boundaries and fighting expectations with their third album, ‘Beholder’. by STEVEN LOFTIN.

LIGHTS I

t’s taken three albums, but The Blinders are finally free. The Doncaster band have been working hard at chasing the dream, but sometimes the dream comes to you. Releasing their 2018 debut ‘Columbia’ and its 2020 follow-up ‘Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath’ on independent label Modern Sky – which saw them tour with vocalist and guitarist Thomas Haywood adorning his literal warpaint – the hard work paid off. Now signed to EMI for album three, they’re throwing everything – including the kitchen sink – at it. Taking themselves away from their new homestead of Manchester to LA to get the bulk of the album together, living the rock and roll dream was always going to be the way for The Blinders boys. Getting into a room and hashing the tracks out together, showcasing the live essence that’s become synonymous with The Blinders’ name was key. “For this one, it felt really important to capture whatever was going on,” Thomas says. “And you play to your strengths as well. We’ve been known for a long time as a pretty good live band. So to then not recognise that would be foolish on our part.” With 2022’s ‘Electric Kool-Aid’ EP bridging the gap into this era for The Blinders, particularly honing in further on keen psychedelic elements, ‘Beholder’ is a romp through Thomas’ learned introspective writing that occurred during the lockdowns. It’s chockfull of turmoil and angst, poised with a riotous grace, wrapping guitardriven fury around gazing grooves while Thomas howls his howliest howls about growing older, wiser, and all that comes with it. Ever the realist, Thomas knows the band’s position is still one of burgeoning success, but, as he profoundly declares, “if you stop, you might as well be dead - stagnation is death, that’s not living. I want to live. Sometimes, that attitude gets you into quite dubious situations, but that’s the sacrifice you make.” With changes in their ranks also - new drummer Thomas ‘Cass’ Castrey and keyboardist Johnny James joining Thomas and fellow Blinders-founder bassist Charlie McGough The Blinders are primed and ready for round three.

Hi Thomas, How’s your day been? Busy; it’s been a busy week.

How are you feeling about this new era?

It’s different because this, in a way, feels like a third bite of the apple. We definitely change

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“IF YOU STOP, YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD” THOMAS

HAYWOOD

things every record, whether that’s down to our own doing or outside influences that you can’t avoid, but you work with it because you want to do it, and you have to do it. With the record label that we’re with at the moment - for a band that’s been around without any major commercial success - it’s always lifting in a way that people are willing to give you those opportunities. So that’s what this record is: we got given the opportunity to make this thing, and we really went for it.

It feels like you guys are pushing yourselves forward and exploring a lot of areas, new and old.

I think emotionally, it’s definitely charged in that way. It was important going into recording it that as much of that was kept as was humanly possible. A big part of it also is the human side of it. I like to listen to records where there are people behind the instruments, so going into recording this, I insisted that we track it live, and although that caused a little bit of nervousness from the band, we got there.

What kicked off the album?

A lot was written for this record - we’re talking into double figures, 20-30 songs. Everyone was coming out of lockdown with the dreaded COVID shit that was going on, and in terms of my contribution to the record, I’d gotten used to writing alone, and that was something that was a revelation. From that perspective, perhaps you are a little more inclined to explore areas that you wouldn’t usually explore or even discuss with people like bandmates because it is personal, right? With this one, it’s being older and moving into a form of adulthood and recognising the things that come along with that, things that everyone is expected to deal with. I don’t think I’m being vague in saying that; death of loved ones and learning to deal with separation in a way because separation comes to all of us in various forms. That’s what a lot of the record is talking

about; it’s someone who is coming to terms with those things.

It sounds like it gave you a chance to process your own experiences using ‘Beholder’ as a mask.

I used to wear fucking face paint playing on stage [laughs], that was the first record, and I’ve never really thought or discussed that with myself or with anyone - that was just something that I did. But looking back, maybe I was wearing a mask; maybe there was a reason behind that. I don’t think I ever write about myself, I don’t think I ever could, but I’ll always write what you know, that way you’re allowed to exaggerate and it can be idyllic, but also you can go further in the opposite direction. There is a darkness to a lot of things, and I’ve always been drawn to that side of stuff anyway because I don’t know, maybe I’ll get a kick out of it. Maybe I’m a sadist.

Is the album hopeful?

Forwards is the only way. The first song on the record opens with the chorus, “I am the man I think I am” (‘Brakelights’) - I think that is a very hopeful statement. A lot of it is self-explanatory to me, but it’s interesting because some of the lads were asking me what’s the record actually about; I thought that was pretty fucking obvious!

What do you see as the place of a band in 2024?

I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about those things, so I’m not set up to have an opinion - maybe one of the other lads would. I don’t know; it’s not something that I worry about or fix ourselves on. You can be influenced by contemporary music - and we definitely are; there are some great bands out there that I’ve listened to recently, especially while making this record - and I think those influences are obvious. And you’re like, ‘Wow, this is fucking great. I would like to tap into something like this’, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried to shift things to a particular place. I think bands will always exist. It’s just a matter of the fickleness of music listeners.

What has been the best part of being in a band so far?

Probably making this record. When we got told that we were signing this deal - and that in itself was a feeling of euphoria, when people are serious

THE BLINDERS

about you and are genuinely interested in putting in money behind you, that’s not a small deal. Naturally, being the people that we are, we threw every single penny into making a record. There was no, ‘Let’s pay ourselves for fucking three years off’, absolutely no way. We don’t think like that. So we put it all into spending six weeks over there, and that’s something that you never think could be possible, especially where me and Charlie come from. But then, I think if anyone were in our position and saw the things we saw and did the things we did, they’d come back with the same amount of appreciation.

With the line-up change going into this record, does it feel like a fresh start for the band?

Every record feels like there’s been some sort of change. We had to change our management, for example, on the second record, and that was a big deal to us. I don’t know how much people know outside of music about management, but it’s incredibly instrumental in the decisions you make and the people that you work with. It’s the same with anything, right; if you hate your colleagues, you get another job. But yeah, it did feel fresh when we were making it, to answer your question. It felt very fresh, and I think we got a photograph of that time. I’m really glad we did because the lads are great musicians, and they were wonderful to work with; the record wouldn’t have been done without them.

It sounds like you can have that fresh take on everything now; there’s never that threat of getting stale.

Yeah, it also means you get to sack people as well! [Laughs] I’m only joking. Yeah, it’s more of a positive thing than a negative thing, and someone who likes to change things so much which is where I fall into - that to me is quite a promising prospect. I’m sure there are a lot of people who also feel that way as well. Constant change and constant progression and sense of becoming, I think Bob Dylan described it as, right?

How have the ambitions of the band changed?

We stopped thinking about ambition in that way quite a long time ago. When you’re on that debut album, you realise whether you’re going to be the next fucking Arctic Monkeys or not, don’t you? The ambitions of the band just don’t feel important. If it comes, it comes, but I don’t think we’ll change for anything; I have no interest in pandering to any audience or idea or philosophy. We used to be pretty political - we still are, but we don’t talk about it in the songs anymore. That’s just because we said everything that we needed to say about that. One thing’s for sure: I don’t think we’ll ever stop.

Do you feel freer now?

Yeah, there is a freedom; there is a sense of liberty of not being shackled to something that maybe other bands and other artists potentially feel shackled to. We’ll probably get dropped if we don’t sell enough records, but who gives a fuck? We’ll find another label, and we’ll make more music - that’s fine. We got to make this record, and we’re proud of it. The Blinders’ album ‘Beholder’ is out 1st March.

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MILLeN -NIaL the

THE SNUTS shimmer with starry-eyed nostalgia on their new album, ‘Millennials’. by CIARAN PICKER.

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here’s an age-old debate in music: is success a blessing or a curse? Let’s use West Lothian’s The Snuts as a case study. After getting major label love in 2018, their 2021 debut album ‘W.L.’ went straight to Number 1 in the Official Albums Chart. They toured with Louis Tomlinson, The Kooks and Kings of Leon before the release of their second album, ‘Burn The Empire,’ flipped the script on the course that had been set out before them. “I just couldn’t physically promo [‘Burn The Empire’] in a way that got us to Number 1,” Jack Cochrane admits. “It’s an album that’s ultimately about how we should be collapsing massive companies. We had to stick to our principles and practice what we preach.” Just like that, the death knell had been hammered into The Snuts’ relationship with Parlophone, resulting in the band declining to extend their contract with the label. The quartet found themselves in the daunting position of being an independent band for the first time in four years. Where many would have cracked under pressure, though, The Snuts saw it as an opportunity to be the band they’d always wanted to be. “We were put in the ‘lad indie band’ bracket because we play guitar, but with bands that we just sound nothing like.” ‘Millennials’ is a further example of this, with the band shifting gear into a sunnier, indie-pop collection of “songs we forgot to write,” in Jack’s words. “We weren’t taking ourselves too seriously; we were just explaining and exploring what got us to this point. We dug into some older references, and it created these 90s and 00s sounds that were really cool, man.” The boys consciously adapted their sonic aims, ensuring that they were able to keep the album feeling current without it being too superficial, being careful not to jump on a trend that dies out in a few months. “There’s a lot of stuff out there that’s just aesthetic, really, but we felt like this album didn’t belong to a phase or craze; we wanted it to last and to be honest, I think it will.” This confidence in what they’re doing comes from their newfound ability to shape their own future and follow their own schedule. “I don’t want to slam major labels because they were great for us when we needed them,” Jack admits, “but there’s always so much noise around everything you make, it just adds pressure all the time. Like, if you have two weeks to record an album, you spend the first week getting to know the producer and explaining what you want to do. It’s nice to be able to take your time and just let things develop.” The boys brought long-time friend and sound engineer Scott Anderson in to produce their newest venture, which brought with it both more energy and forced Jack into cutting the fat from his writing. “Scott’s just great, man, he let us fuck around and see what happened, but he was also really good at going, ‘What are you trying to say here?’ and just getting me to use fewer words.” Trying to get more direct writing onto ‘Millennials’ was a key aim and one that could only happen because of the total freedom the lads gave themselves during recording. “I’d always put, like, a poetic fire blanket over everything I’d done, but I wanted this to be less open to interpretation,” allowing the record to be both accessible and an immediate hit with listeners.

Sustainability is central to the band’s new era, both musically and with regard to their new selfmade label, Happy Artist. As the name suggests, the idea is to have the artists’ needs front and centre, placing the onus on being able to craft work rather than have a conveyor belt of constant releases. For Jack, this is the secret to allowing bands to have long and illustrious careers. “It’s just about making artists feel valued and comfortable, like do you want to take three years before you release this track? Fine. You want a year off to get your head right? Not a problem.” Jack feels this especially personally, having always hated the commercial side of creativity. “The best bit of all this is not having to be on social media 24/7, or play ten shows at a train station. We’re unplugged from the algorithm and can actually connect with the fans more as a result.” Their upcoming album release shows at Glasgow’s iconic Barrowlands underlines this point, with the boys giving tickets to everyone on their Discord channel who bought a copy of ‘Millennials’. Clearly, sinking back into their younger days has allowed them to reconnect with their truest selves, seeing them draw together strands from their back catalogue whilst also becoming more adept musicians. “We kinda relearnt how to play, or at least to play in a different way. JACK There was always a feeling of luck on our previous records, but this being more of a collective process meant we really knew what we were doing and where we were going.” The direction was massively dictated by opening track ‘Gloria’, a high-BPM indie anthem that beckoned in the jangling guitars and emotive vocal that ultimately became ‘Millennials’ sonic backdrop. “It was actually the first track we demoed. It’s usually so hard to enjoy your own music, but after that, we actively tried to write ten ‘Gloria’s,” Jack laughs. This infectious energy is sewn into the fabric of the record, with even their ‘Burn The Empire’ throwback ‘NPC’ being peppered with indie-pop adlibs and powerful basslines. Elsewhere, their noughties nostalgia combines with their ability to twist the mundane into magic, most obviously through their Wetherspoons name

check in ‘Wunderkind’ or exploration of mental health in ‘Deep Diving’. The album artwork feeds into the beauty of the early-21st Century urban landscape that the boys emulate on the record, with a Gameboy, a Nokia 3310, and an iPod Classic all adorning the front cover. “The references helped to visualise the moments that felt like what it means to be millennials,” Jack explains. “Everything changes so much with every year, so it feels important for your soul that you keep looking back.” To look into the future, though, ‘Millennials’ is an album full of pace and velocity, keeping the songs short and sharp – perfect, in fact, for a live show. This isn’t really a surprise, with most of the album being finished off on the road. After a few weeks in the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands, the lads were back out with Louis Tomlinson in the USA, before embarking on a headline tour around Australia. “You just get so lost on the road, man,” Jack tiredly recalls, “but a lot of the franticness and intensity of tour bleeds into the music. People come to a show for the dopamine release, so these short, fast songs make sense.” The next few months see another hectic live schedule for the Whitburn quartet, getting to play New York’s Bowery Ballroom, the House of Blues in Dallas, and a festival season that starts a homecoming COCHRANE with at Glasgow’s TRNSMT. “We just want to bring people together, like our OGs and new fans, without over-analysing everything.” The weight of expectation that can often snap a band’s resolve has emboldened the band into a real force of nature, with happiness at its heart. Out on their own, they’ve found a maturity and confidence borne of self-sufficiency and freedom that means they can keep evolving without fear of label backlash. “You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t in music. You do the same thing, and people get bored but do something different, and people don’t like it. We’re just gonna please ourselves, and, honestly, man, I think this record is pretty fucking cool.” It might not have been easy, but in exploring their past, The Snuts have cemented their future. And it’s a very bright one indeed. P The Snuts’ album ‘Millennials’ is

“THE BEST BIT OF ALL THIS IS N OT H AV I N G TO BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA 24/7”

out 23rd February.

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INCOMING. THE NEW RELEASES YOU NEED TO KNOW

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

YARD ACT Where’s My Utopia?

★★★★★ Album one saw YARD ACT shoot into the stratosphere, but as they widen their horizons for its follow up, what comes next is even better.

→ A truly brilliant debut album can cause a seismic shift. Yard Act know that all too well. ‘The Overload’ was masterful, a scathing, razor-edged statement of a band on the verge of cementing themselves in a league of their own. It is an album that has afforded them a lot – crucially, the confidence and bravery to go on to make an album as good as their new release, ‘Where’s My Utopia?’. It is an abandoning of any previous guardedness, choosing rawness and intimacy from the get-go, in its self-analytical lyrics and in its clear tendency to follow instincts. This is Yard Act operating with unparalleled authenticity. Grappling with the ways in which their world has transformed post-debut album, Yard Act are empowered to seek answers and discovery in new ways. Sonically, ‘Where’s My Utopia?’ is a gloriously non-conforming exploration of what feels right. Lyrically, the band give space to a complex tapestry of emotions as they look to themselves, the world, the music industry and everything in between. There are trademark moments of Yard Act throughout, of course – that sardonic delivery is ever-present. Their sonic world expands with every track, though. Opening track ‘An Illusion’ is choral at points, whilst ‘The Undertow’ grapples with love and guilt at being caught in the tide of life to a soundscape of strings and a theatrical, dark build of guitars.

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The latter seems to completely pull you under, a recurring experience on the album – it’s hard not to get totally immersed in the expert storytelling and artfully layered instrumentation. They play with the listener’s attention, ensnaring you on tracks like ‘Grifter’s Grief’ where moments of pause take you away briefly from the tension, only for the fraught vocals and raucous guitars to hit even harder on their return. ‘We Make Hits’ may be on the cynical side, all neatly packaged with a wink and a nudge, but there’s a free-wheeling joy to it – the infectious, pop-tinged track seems to luxuriate in the fun and enjoyment of its making. A constantly experimenting album like this one can only have been born from that kind of freeing, passionate innovation that Yard Act revel in. There are moments that are filled with humour even amongst the album’s slightly grimmer musings, and it is transformative. The final two tracks are the icing on the cake for ‘Where’s My Utopia?’. ‘Blackpool Illuminations’ examines memory and reminiscence in a seven-minute spoken word musing on adoration, nostalgia and sincerity, and what we pass on. It’s unlike anything else. The final track, ‘A Vineyard in the North’, is nothing short of spectacular – its outrageously contagious beats shuffle throughout and end the album with a twisted piece of hope. It’s the closing chapter of a tale that acts as a meditation on change and how some things never will. One of those things is the sheer brilliance of Yard Act: it is something that will never wane, and ‘Where’s My Utopia?’ proves that.

NEIVE MCCARTHY

INCOMING

RECOMMENDED

RELEASES The albums out now you need to catch up on.

The Last Dinner Party

Prelude to Ecstasy ★★★★★

→ The Last Dinner Party were a buzzword long before their debut track graced the airwaves. Featured prominently in 2023’s music tip-lists and whispered about on London’s live circuit, they’ve stood tall, their flair for drama and occasion heralding a sky-high ambition. One of the most exciting new prospects in a decade or more, if this is just a prelude to ecstasy, what comes next could be epochdefining.

Laura Jane Grace

Hole In My Head ★★★★

→ From miserable birthdays spent getting a line tattooed through an ex’s name on ‘Tacos & Toast’, searching for love again in ‘Cuffing Season’ and even considering packing it all in on the closer ‘Giving Up The Ghost’, the outlook might not seem too bright on Laura Jane Grace’s latest album. Regardless, her genius remains whether it’s describing the magical qualities of a ‘Dysphoria Hoodie’ or in the snappy chorus and brutal honesty of ‘Hard Feelings’, which blames years of alcohol, weed, porn and cocaine as to why her brain is often her worst enemy. It’s an album that manages to capture the beauty of her own evolution and continued growth. ALEXANDER BRADLEY

Zara Larsson

Venus ★★★★

→ Zara Larsson has always been a pop magpie, cherrypicking the very best from what’s come before and twisting it into something new. ‘Venus’ takes that playfulness to new heights. Opening track ‘Can’t Tame Her’ channels the urgent disco of The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’, ‘On My Love’ is fuelled by euphoric EDM, while ‘End Of Time’ is a soaring, country stomper. Alongside the singles, there are plenty of big party tracks, as well as the soulful ‘Ammunition’, the slow-burning fury of ‘Nothing’ and the twinkling ‘Soundtrack’ showcasing a more reflective side. It’s an energetic playlist that Zara delivers with heart and a devilish sense of fun. ALI SHUTLER

Folly Group

Down There! ★★★★★

→ Whether through expertly crafted metaphor or starkly honest vulnerability, Folly Group have brought together threads that just shouldn’t work and made them into an Album of the Year contender. Perfect. Five stars. 10/10. No notes.

Sprints

Letter To Self ★★★★★

→ Sprints’ ‘Letter To Self’ is an important and unpretentious exploration of pain, trauma, and above all else, perseverance. Karla Chubb has an amazing ability to convey emotion through her voice, and the album as whole is a ferocious sonic force which shows defiance and determination. It’s a record to which many listeners will be able to relate their own experiences and find community in the catharsis it creates, as well as having a hell of a good time jumping to it in a mosh pit. A remarkable debut.

L Devine

Digital Heartifacts ★★★★

→ From pulsing, pulsating opener ‘Eaten Alive’ through the ice-cold cool of ‘Worship’ and the brilliant ‘If I Don’t Laugh I’ll Cry’ - a song that the reformed Girls Aloud would eat up - this is modern pop at its fizzy, fabulous best. The sound of an artist firmly rediscovering their vibe.

CRAWLERS

The Mess We Seem To Make

★★★★ Dork’s February 2024 cover stars deliver on their early promise with a no-holdsbarred debut.

→ It feels like ‘The Mess We Seem To Make’ can’t be the debut album from Liverpool pop-punk icons Crawlers, probably because since releasing their first single ‘So Tired’ in 2019, they’ve released two stonking EPs, played at basically every British festival going, and even supported arguably the biggest pop-punk band ever, My Chemical Romance, at their UK shows. No pressure then, eh? Luckily, ‘The Mess We Seem To Make’ is worth the wait. It brings you everything you’d expect from a Crawlers release, but with that bit more polish and panache. There are glam rock elements in ‘Hit It Again’, high-energy headbangers in ‘Would You Come To My Funeral’ and ‘What I Know Is What I Love’, and a vocal from singer Holly Minto that can slice through the noise and straight to the

most heartbreaking of revelations. The highlight of the record is actually the softest moment of all, ‘Golden Bridge’, showcasing Minto’s gut-wrenching lyricism, but also highlighting how far the group have come as songwriters since their self-titled first EP. The quartet dive head-first into what is essentially a concept album, that concept being an exploration of the many ways the pursuit of happiness can cause immeasurable pain. From opener ‘Meaningless Sex’ right through to closer ‘Nighttime Affair’, Crawlers give a no-holds-barred performance, with the music’s spiralling descent into snarling madness mirroring the album’s subject matter. Whether it’s the depiction of toxic relationships, neglect and loneliness, or the simple desire to just be loved, this is a very real album from a band with the very real potential to be one of the biggest rock bands on the planet. CIARAN PICKER

READDORK.COM 67.

INCOMING

Another Sky

Beach Day ★★★★

→ Another Sky’s debut album is dripping in slow, relaxing chords and ethereal vocals. The soft folk elements paired with brasher rock moments feels exciting and new as the group explore their sound throughout ‘Beach Day’. Catrin Vincent’s vocals are the moving force; her deep, caramel-like tones drench each track in deliciousness, paired with downbeat riffs and calm rhythmic drums that beautifully build and fold. The group flirt with their louder sound, with ‘The Pain’ a particular triumph; it’s decadent, equal parts quiet and raucous. The quartet have a soft touch, but their music is anything but passive. This is a band in their prime. EMMA QUIN

The Snuts

Millennials ★★★★

IDLES

TANGK

★★★★ IDLES prove that there’s nothing more punk than embracing love. → Looking for ways to fend off an impending sense of the void? Look no further than IDLES’ new album ‘TANGK’. Embracing hope, joy, and perseverance in the face of hardship, the band’s fifth offering is a fierce proclamation of the power of love and the importance of looking after each other. ‘IDEA 01’ makes for a dramatic and slightly eerie opening, and amongst the razor-sharp edges of tracks like the thunderous ‘Hall & Oates’ and ‘Jungle’, there are also some softer, more downtempo moments. ‘Grace’ is a beautiful song with the anthemic hook “No god, no king, I say love is the thing” drawing on the album’s central themes. ‘A Gospel’ is ballad-like with its tender piano,

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and so is ‘Roy’ - a bass-led track about losing yourself in feelings of infatuation. Indeed, the word ‘love’ is said 29 times over the course of the record, but you’d be sorely mistaken to think that IDLES’ notorious middle-fingerto-the-man energy was lost. It simply manifests itself in Talbot’s soulfully brazen lyrical hooks. ‘Gift Horse’’s fragmented guitar and stomping beat makes it the perfect street-strutting song, and scuzzy guitars ricochet over classic IDLES-sounding bass in the sweat-inducing ‘Dancer’, an exhilarating track featuring LCD Soundsystem. Whether it be through its mosh pit-inducing scuzz, its incendiary lyrics, or its more heartfelt and ballad-like moments, ‘TANGK’ is an album that will make you feel something, commanding attention be paid to the power of music to both bring us together and tear us apart. REBECCA KESTEVEN

→ Scottish group The Snuts return with a stellar record; ‘Millennials’ is vibrant, fun and fuzzy - a feelgood album with the rare combination of style and substance. Each track packs the band’s signature punch with endearing vocals, ear-wormish guitar riffs and a loveable kookiness. Playing through its entirety in less than 30 minutes, it’s no frills, just fun, and their playful, brash attitude is met with a sharp, vibrant production. Based on everyday relatable experiences like meeting someone at Tesco, each track is intensely packed with teen-like vibrancy and palpable energy. It’s a total crowd-pleaser. EMMA QUIN

Flight Mode

The Three Times ★★★★

→ Norway’s Flight Mode have found themselves as unexpected poster boys of the burgeoning fifth wave of emo. ‘The Three Times’ contains the group’s previous two EPs – ‘TX, ‘98’ and ‘Torshov ‘05’ - as well as new EP ‘Toyen, 13’, providing the perfect introduction to the highlylauded act across 12 spiky indie-rock tunes. The beauty of packaging three EPs together like this is that there’s simply no filler. Climbing on the shoulders of Superchunk, the Weakerthans, Death Cab For Cutie and the Mountain Goats, Flight Mode are reaching for greatness. Across these twelve songs, they’ve more than achieved such lofty aims. ROB MAIR

Talk Show

Effigy

★★★★★

→ Talk Show have released one of the most jawdropping albums of the year so far. ‘Effigy’ is raucous, sexy, explosive and intimate. Doubling as a soundtrack to a night of sweaty debauchery at a warehouse rave, while simultaneously transcending all meaning and experience, it’s just pure feeling. Wherever the enticing vocals of Harrison Swann lead, you obediently follow. Fuelled by equal parts desire and depravity, every emotion is heightened and multisensory. From the multi-layered opening and tech trippy intro of ‘Gold’, the record is immersed in industrial and electronic sound. It’s shimmering, abrasive and distorted, tickling every sense and sonic receptor at once. This is what music is all about. EMMA QUIN

INCOMING

COMING

SOON What’s out in the next few months you should have on your radar.

Blu DeTiger

All I Ever Want Is Everything

→ New York City-born Blu DeTiger is a longtime Dork fave who doesn’t do anything by halves. “This album is about really enjoying the high moments in life, but also learning how to talk yourself out of the low moments and become your own best friend,” she says. “I want to let people know that you can feel it all and do it all. Wherever you’re at is cool.” Released 29th March 2024

DECLAN MCKENNA

What Happened To The Beach?

★★★★★ DECLAN MCKENNA has another hit with a playful album full of charm. → In the near-decade since he emerged as a freshfaced songwriting prodigy with his iconic debut single ‘Brazil’, Declan McKenna has continued to evolve at a staggering pace to become one of the most dynamic and creative pop artists around. His debut ‘What Do You Think About The Car?’ was his incendiary and socially and politically charged opening statement, while 2020’s ‘Zeros’ was a dizzying collection of ambitious and theatrical art-pop that aimed firmly for the stars in its spacey sense of exploration. In 2024, Dec is firmly established and beautifully at peace with himself and his artistry, and he’s eager to explore all of his weird and wonderful musical flights of fancy on the evocative, surreal sonic dreamscapes of ‘What Happened To The Beach?’. It’s immediately clear this is a different kind of Declan album. It’s still rooted in his whipsmart song songwriting and lyrical wordplay but is instead working from a more varied and textured sonic palette encompassing found sounds, lo-fi weird electronics and subtle glitches, bloops, beeps and crackles to give it a very distinct vibe in his discography. The woozy, beatific glitch pop of opening track ‘Wobble’ is an alluring entry point into

Conan Gray

Found Heaven

→ Produced by legendary hit maker Max Martin, Conan Gray’s new record features his previous singles ‘Lonely Dancers’, ‘Killing Me’, ‘Winner’ and ‘Never Ending Song’ - and if those are anything to go by, we can safely say his five review stars are in the bag. Released 5th April 2024

Maggie Rogers

Don’t Forget Me

→ “I wanted to make an album that sounded like a Sunday afternoon,” Maggie Rogers says of her very (very) highly-anticipated third album. “Worn in denim. A drive in your favourite car. No make up, but the right amount of lipstick. Something classic. The mohair throw and bottle of Whiskey in Joan Didion’s motel room. An old corvette. Vintage, but not overly Americana. I wanted to make an album to belt at full volume alone in your car, a trusted friend who could ride shotgun and be there when you needed her.” Released 12th April 2024

Pillow Queens

Name Your Sorrow

→ Irish indierock foursome Pillow Queens are a band who always deliver, with a knack for turning even the darkest of topics into uplifting, affirming magic. Released 19th April 2024

Nadine Shah

Filthy Underneath ★★★★

→ Three, almost four years is a long time for anyone, especially when the world throws everything that could possibly go wrong at you. Nadine Shah gives listeners a rundown of sorts on her new album. The standout of her work has always been the huge instrumental arrangements, and ‘Filthy Underneath’ certainly does not lack them. Honesty appears to be at the record’s heart; there are some difficult moments that are handled with extreme care. The perfect measure of vulnerability and comedy, ‘Filthy Underneath’ is a testament to the idea that even when life crosses into rocky terrain, you can come out of the other side. MINTY SLATER-MEARNS

an album to really immerse yourself in. There are still plenty of rabble-rousing Declan bangers here, like on the headlong rush of single ‘Nothing Works’ and song of the summer 2023 ‘Sympathy’ as well as the discordant thrash of ‘The Phantom Buzz (Kick In)’, but these tracks largely exist alongside some of the most languid and blissful music Declan has created. There’s a conceptual quality to the album similar to ‘Zeros’, but, in contrast to the questing space exploring odysseys of that album, ‘What Happened To The Beach?’ is more abstract and diffuse in its intentions. It’s playful and loose. There’s no lyrical polemic here; you won’t find a ‘British Bombs’, but that makes it all the more compelling as you find different ways to enjoy its magpie-like sonic tapestry. Towards the end of the album is perhaps the best song Dec has ever written: penultimate ballad, ‘It’s An Act’. A heart-stopping piece of emotional vulnerability in the middle of an album that can be quite odd and surreal, it’s a landmark moment for an artist continuing to scale the greatest of heights. When Dork asked Declan to describe the album to us in three words back in our cover feature last year, he said it was ‘intimate, messy and wobbly’. A perfect way to encapsulate a record of quirky charms and sonic playfulness. We’ve got another three words we can use to define it, though. Really Very Good. MARTYN YOUNG

Everything Everything

Mountainhead ★★★★

→ It’s album seven for Everything Everything, and somehow they still manage to masterfully reinvent themselves. ‘Mountainhead’ welcomes listeners to an alternate society which is perhaps a dark, cautionary glimpse towards where our own might head. Conceptually, it’s a bid to get cogs turning – where isolation might lead, our meandering away from the environment, how the internet seems to lead us down a disconnected path. Nothing is out of bounds. At the surface level, it’s an ambitious and quirky series of tracks to find release in. Lean closer, though, and you’ll find a labyrinth of thought-provoking ideas. NEIVE MCCARTHY

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INCOMING

Mannequin Pussy

Glitterer

Rationale ★★★★

I Got Heaven ★★★★

Master Peace

Benjamin Francis Leftwich

★★★★★

→ Benjamin Francis Leftwich’s ‘Some Things Break’ is a tender journey through the heart of an artist who has gracefully matured. His fifth studio album, it’s a tentrack testament to the power of subtle reinvention and the beauty of honest songwriting. From the piano-led poignancy of the title-track to the folk-pop of ‘New York’ (a song label-mate Matty Healy performed a version of live in 2022) and ‘Spokane, Washington’, Leftwich navigates the complexities of the human condition. It’s a record that invites listeners to break just a little, in order to see the light that comes through the cracks.. DAN HARRISON

→ Master Peace’s debut album ‘How To Make A Master Peace’ is a riotous journey through all of the most fun, thrilling, gaudy and invigorating shades of the noughties indie scene filtered through the smart, cheeky and extremely confident voice of an indie-pop provocateur doing exactly what he wants and having an amazing time doing it. It’s been a long time coming for Master Peace to have the freedom and space to fulfil all his enigmatic potential, but on his striking debut, he’s positively bursting with infectious personality and hooks that promise to see him break out. MARTYN YOUNG

Real Estate

The Blinders

→ 2024 is Real Estate’s fifteenth year as a band. To mark the occasion, the New Jersey alt-pop outfit are back with their seventh album, ‘Daniel’. It carries all the calm confidence you would expect from such an experienced group, with the sunny sounds and up-tempo beats. The word to describe Real Estate’s newest offering is “timeless”. It’s feels like a real celebration of all the band have achieved, without feeling as if they’ve run out of ideas. A stalwart of American dream-pop, they continue to push the genre forward without losing their identity, making this yet another standout moment in Real Estate’s enviable career. CIARAN PICKER

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→ ‘Rationale’ is classic 2010s emo, seeing Ned Russin hark back to his days in heavyweights Title Fight. Full of vulnerability and uncontainable angst, the thrashy guitar and crashing drums are built for furious mosh pits in sweaty basement venues. The record’s lyrical content continues along the theme of Glitterer’s last three albums, with songs like ‘I Want To Be Invisible’, ‘Can’t Feel Anything’, and ‘No One There’ all showing his experience in the field. The songs are short and sharp, with only four songs clocking in at over two minutes, which makes it difficult to completely sink your teeth in, but it’s also impossible to get bored. CIARAN PICKER

How To Make A Master Peace

Some Things Break ★★★★

Daniel ★★★★

→ ‘I Got Heaven’ centres on the radical act of caring for others when the world simply doesn’t care for you back. Although reality can be disheartening, Mannequin Pussy’s feet are firmly set; they won’t just survive but thrive. The titular opening track kicks down the door and spits in the face of hypocrisy - specifically confronting followers of modern Christianity who use their religion as a justification to mistreat others. Its unwavering ferocity sets the stakes for the rest of the record; another stellar release from Mannequin Pussy. KELSEY MCCLURE

Beholder ★★★★

→ The Blinders’ latest album, ‘Beholder’, offers a darkly romantic odyssey that sees the Doncaster-born band, now sporting an expanded new line-up, reaching new heights. Capturing the raw energy of their debut, it takes that spark and sends it soaring. With a richer, more layered sound that still retains a punch, there’s a new-found unpredictability that adds an exhilarating edge. But it’s ‘Nocturnal Skies’ that stands out, a testament to the band’s ability to craft a powerful, emotive song that resonates. This is The Blinders at their most ambitious and confident, a band that has embraced their darkness and turned it into something truly captivating. DAN HARRISON

IDKHOW

GLOOM DIVISION

★★★★ Dallon Weekes’ second album as IDKHOW flips the script. → I Dont Know How But They Found Me brought more than a touch of ‘Razzmatazz’ to the world of rock with their 2020 debut album. Flickering between sneering menace and a neon-soaked sense of fun, it offered escapism and joy in equal measure. That energy carries over to second album ‘Gloom Division’, but that’s where the similarities end. While that debut told fantastical stories with a hint of reality, ‘Gloom Division’ flips the script as iDKHOW’s Dallon Weekes reflects on belonging, faith, and community following an AuDHD diagnosis. There’s also lust, romance and a twisting takedown of moral panic, all

delivered with a knowing wink. Sonically, the world of iDKHOW has also expanded to take in glam rock, 90s R&B and theatrical emo as it defiantly turns further away from sugar-soaked pop-punk. The result is a gloriously giddy ride. Gone is the cynicism of that first era of the band, too, as iDKHOW unfurls to embrace odd sonic corners and uncomfortable truths to create something charged with fierce optimism. Dancing between swaggering confidence (‘Sixft’), dark humour (‘Gloomtown Brats), cocksure rock’n’roll (‘Spkothdvl’), urgent pop (‘Sunnyside’) and chaotic art punk (‘A Letter’), iDKHOW’s ‘Gloom Division’ is a sprawling masterpiece that refuses to follow the easy path. It all leads to the same singular vision of championing yourself, though, as iDKHOW carves a space for living life under your own rules. ALI SHUTLER

INCOMING

Royel Otis

Pratts & Pain ★★★★

→ Aussie indie-duo Royal Otis are masters of the feeling of hazy, youthful days spent in the sun, with ‘Pratts & Pain’ effervescent and dreamy the perfect album to reminisce and anticipate summer, too. Coming off the back of three EPs, the full-length expands their sound, giving them more room to play with. As a result, it’s an absolute treat that feels nothing short of decadent. It is a pleasure to hear the intimacy and cosiness as Royel Otis embrace their playful, endearingly boyish spirit, creating a really beautiful meeting of sounds. Pair this with the group’s dreamy indie melodies, and ‘Pratts & Pain’ is full of sugary sweet deliciousness. EMMA QUIN

Chelsea Wolfe

She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She ★★★★

→ Chelsea Wolfe is not here to play. The artist’s new album ‘She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She’ is aptly named; it’s trippy, unpredictable and entrancing. Wolfe manipulates form, structure and tradition, creating something otherworldly and utterly unique. From the venomous opening track, it’s a body of work to be reckoned with. The power, punk-ishness and intensity that gives form to her music has been painstakingly crafted, evolving through her more than a decade-long career. This album feels like she has finally arrived at her destination. EMMA QUIN

MGMT

Loss Of Life ★★★★

→ MGMT are back (back!and-indeedBACK!!!) then. As you might expect, they’re not just dipping their toes into the waters of psych-pop they’re diving in headfirst with their latest album, ‘Loss Of Life’. It’s been a hot minute since 2018’s ‘Little Dark Age’, but if you were wondering whether they’ve still got it, the answer is a resounding ‘yes, and then some’. ‘Loss Of Life’ is a technicolour dream coat, tailormade for a generation that’s seen it all but still craves a taste of the extraordinary. It’s a triumph, taking the essence of what made MGMT a household name and distilling it into something even purer and more potent. A six year wait well spent. DAN HARRISON

LIME GARDEN One More Thing

★★★★★

LIME GARDEN’s longawaited debut proves what we’ve always known they’re a little bit special.

→ If music is a cocktail, then Lime Garden’s ‘One More Thing’ is the zesty twist that leaves the taste buds tingling for more. With their much anticipated first full-length, the Brighton-based foursome deliver a collection of tracks that are as catchy as they are confessional, blending the everyday with the extraordinary. The record kicks off with ‘Love Song’, setting a tone of urgency that’s both captivating and raw. ‘Mother,’ a standout, shifts gears into a more atmospheric shoegaze, painting a deeply moving picture of the complexities of familial relationships. Chloe Howard’s vocals soar with a poignant vulnerability, echoing the fears and uncertainties that come with adulthood and the passage of time. What makes ‘One More Thing’ stand out is its lyrical depth. Chloe has a knack for crafting verses that feel like personal anecdotes yet strike a universal chord. The album’s themes of ambition, self-doubt, and the pursuit of dreams against the backdrop of life’s mundane struggles are delivered with a sincerity that’s both comforting and invigorating. Lime Garden aren’t just ready for the big time — they’re already there, and they’re inviting everyone to join them on the ascent. DAN HARRISON

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GET OUT. LIVE MUSIC, FROM THE FRONT

O2 ARENA, LONDON, 21 JANUARY 2024

invited to share the stage with Bring Me (performing a vicious ‘Diamonds Aren’t Forever’ and a snooty ‘Antivist’ respectively) while Cassyette (who always been pushing back was forced to cancel due to illness) also gets a shout out. “We’ll be back against something. From those here one day supporting her,” grins Oli. early screamo days through the Rather than starting with a chaotic bang, Bring Me kick-off tonight’s reinvention on ‘Sempiternal’ and set with a flurry of confetti and the skipping, shimmering the genre-toying that Setlist ‘Darkside’ while ‘Empire (Let Them Sing)’ is more about would follow on ‘Amo’, the rebellious, fidgety Sheffield band bringing people together than encouraging them to tear each have never done what was expected of them. DArkSide other apart. Huge pop rock bangers ‘Mantra’ and ‘Teardrops’ In recent years, those gambles have paid off with their Empire (Let Them Sing) quickly follow, with Oli joining in with the dance routine ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’ EP signposting a glorious MANTRA performed by two backing dancers. fresh era for the band that led to celebrated, defiant headline Teardrops Even EVE, their menacing AI companion who’s given the sets at both Reading & Leeds and Download, while new AmEN! Kool-Aid live portion of Bring Me’s ‘Post Human’ era an apocalyptic single ‘Kool Aid’ crashed into the top half of the UK Singles Shadow Moses narrative, seems more interested in sarcastic comments than Chart. Obey the destruction of mankind. “What do you mean you haven’t Despite their many victories, though, Bring Me have DiE4u Kingslayer heard the new album yet?” she asks the crowd, poking fun at inspired another wave of questions about their imminent sTraNgeRs (acoustic) the ongoing delays before airing snippets of all the unreleased future following the abrupt departure of in-house producer Diamonds Aren’t tracks. and multi-instrumentalist Jordan Fish and the very delayed Forever (with Olli Appleyard) There’s still plenty of bone-crunching carnage as well, with ‘Post Human: Nex Gen’. Typically, Bring Me would answer Parasite Eve the likes of ‘Amen’, ‘Obey’ and ‘Shadow Moses’ instigating mosh the doubters with snarling defiance, but as they take to the Antivist (with Noah stage at London’s O2 Arena for the second of two sold-out pits. “Look after each other. We’re good, but we’re not worth Sebastian) Drown shows at the venue, it’s clear the band are here to play. dying for,” Oli explains. A closing run of ‘Drown’, ‘Can You Feel Can You Feel My That confidence extends to the supporting line-up, which My Heart’ and ‘Doomer’ dials up that vulnerability before the Heart features Bad Omens, the most buzzy metal band that isn’t cathartic release of sugar-soaked, rainbow-driven electro-punk Encore: Sleep Token, and the ferocious Static Dress, a band that feel number ‘Lost’. “We are living proof that anyone can do this shit,” Doomed like natural successors to Bring Me’s abrasive, arty crown. grins Oli before the urgent, victorious ‘Throne’. “And if anyone LosT Later, both Olli and Bad Omen’s Noah Sebastian are tells you differently, tell them to fuck off.” ALI SHUTLER Throne

“We are living proof that anyone can do this shit,” grins Oli Sykes.

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→ Bring Me The Horizon have

Photo: Frances Beach.

BRING ME THE HORIZON OFFER UP BONE-CRUNCHING CARNAGE

GET OUT

Photo: Patrick Gunning.

GRONINGEN HOSTS FOUR DAYS OF BUZZY NEW ARTISTS FOR EUROSONIC NOODERSLAAG 2024 VARIOUS VENUES, GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS, 1719 JANUARY 2024

It seems that guitar music isn’t going away any time soon. → Taking over the Dutch city of Groningen for four days of buzzy new artists and conference discussions about the state of the industry, Eurosonic Nooderslaag typically sets the tone for the year ahead. And it seems that guitar music isn’t going away any time soon. A number of artists vibrate against genre, offering a refreshed take on something familiar. Both Baitbait and Izzy And The Black Trees find space within the menacing confines of post-punk to create something vibrant and urgent. Viji blends glittering bedroom pop with scuzzy shoegaze, and Brockhoff twists fuzzy 90s alternative music into something far more lofty. At the more chaotic end of things, Meltheads channel the same wide-eyed recklessness that turned Green Day into global superstars with ‘Dookie’ and Master Peace singlehandedly brings about a nurave renaissance with giddy, freewheeling tracks like ‘I Might Be Fake’. Then there’s Get Jealous, whose twitching skater emo deals with rebellion, community and escapism with a wicked smirk. There are whispers of latterday Arctic Monkeys in Picture Parlour’s cinematic, swaggering rock’n’roll, but the Manchester four-piece are more up for a good time. There are plenty of artists using guitar music as a launch pad to explore something more. Pip Blom have evolved from indie rockers to masters of the rave with the art-punk of third album ‘Bobbie’, and their live show is just as euphoric, while Berry Galazka

proudly declares they have no reverence for genre. Meanwhile, Güner Künier bounces between guitar and synth to create a dark, electronic playground. It’s English Teacher who really steal the show, though. Celebrating the announcement of debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’, the band flirt with postpunk, math-rock, grunge and folk without ever sounding uncertain during their 40-minute set. It’s not all rock’n’roll at Eurosonic 2024, with the world of dance-inspired pop continuing to blossom. Jaolin feels like a pop superstar in waiting as she blends Latin vibes with Nordic sadness; Yunè Pinku twists hyperpop around garage to create something colourful and vibrant while C’est Karma puts on perhaps the most ambitious performance of the weekend. Intimate storytelling through absolutely massive pop songs, it’s the sort of show that could happily exist on festival main stages and still feel as powerful. Also ready to take on the world is Might Delete Later. The premise is simple enough: fans leave voicemails for the dance artist to turn into songs or delete later, but more than a gimmick, this communal approach to music gives every track a sense of empathy and warmth, similar to Fred Again…. And the results are absolutely massive. It’s impossible not to get caught up in Might Delete Later’s glitching wonderland, and there’s an undeniable sense of euphoria and freedom in the music. It feels like it’s going to be one hell of a year. ALI SHUTLER

GRETEL LEADS THE CHARGE FOR THE HYPE LIST 2024 100 CLUB, LONDON, 25 JANUARY 2024

You wanted Hype? Well, here it is. → New Year, New resolutions. New… stuff? One thing remains the same, Dear Reader: Dork’s Night Out serving up some of our favourite artists. Tonight at London’s famed 100 Club, it’s all about the blazing names ready to take over in 2024 and beyond. You need look no further than Gretel. Ushering in a bold new era while already boasting a mesmerising back catalogue, she creates her own world unlike any other, transforming the venue into her own personal playground. Ambition is front and centre, too, with Slaney Bay kicking off the evening with a roaring bang. They twist darkness-tinged bass lines with sky-high hooks in a manner that grabs from the gut and refuses to let go. Tearing apart the rulebook when it comes to the live stage, Shelf Lives meanwhile are a bubbling cocktail of excitement and riotous fun. Blending electroclash, alt-rock, crunching riffs and a sprinkling of indie-sleaze spirit, they’re an eruption of energy and attitude that’ll whip any crowd into beaming fun. With The 100 Club at feverpitch, Gretel walks onstage with that feeling of anticipation swirling in the air. With each release, another layer of what Gretel is all about is unveiled, straddling that line between mystery and openness in a way few artists can. It’s captured in the sheer excitement of tonight. Touching upon grunge, folk, electric hooks, fuzzy-indie and crunching US alt-rock, Gretel turns the darkness into empowering light with a grip on everyone gathered. A special cover of The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ (dedicated to those suffering in Gaza) sees a singalong that can be heard down Oxford Street. With ‘Drive’, ‘It’s The Future Baby’, a stunning ‘Today (can’t help but cry)’ and closer ‘Slugeye’ putting an exclamation point on tonight, it’s a superstar evening. JAMIE MUIR

THERE’SNOBETTER WAY TO START THE YEAR THAN ROCKAWAY BEACH

BUTLINS, BOGNOR REGIS, 5-7 JANUARY 2024

You’ll leave with your favourite new artist and maybe a huge soft toy... → Bright lights. Arcade machines. Pool party discos. Riot starting DJ sets. The Cribs. Rockaway Beach at Butlins, Bognor Regis has emerged as a festival that likes to do things differently. Kicking away the cobwebs of a new year, with each edition, it adds another dose of unbridled fun that can’t be found anywhere else. The feverish buzz kicks into gear on night one with M(h)aol draping the Reds venue with a darkly sticky embrace. Hypnotic and distinctly individual, it lays a marker for the weekend ahead. Coming on with an abrasive chainsaw blast of noise, Chalk have decided to treat 7pm like it’s the middle of the night. Danceable electronic backbeats drive the music forward as it alternates between spoken-word adjacent drawls and pill-punk screaming. 1am on a Friday night requires a certain shot of adrenaline to truly leave a mark, but when it comes to Hinds, they’ve been doing exactly that from day one. Fizzing with excitement from start to finish, it’s a late-night celebration that ushers in a new era. Signalling the perfect wake-up alarm at midday on Saturday is Trout, who may just sit as one of the most exciting new artists just waiting to be discovered. Frozemode power through a set of aggressive rap, airhorns and… barking like a dog. At times reminiscent of Hadouken, at other times straight hip-hop, it’s a blistering half an hour. It may be early to say this, but Heartworms is squaring up to make this year her own. With Reds packed to the brim, Rockaway Beach rightfully turns up in force to catch a glimpse of an artist in true command of her craft.

It’s 9.30pm in a hall at Butlins Bognor Regis, and the main stage is calling for Fat Dog. Dipping Rockaway Beach in a vat of dank electrodub served through punk megaphones, they turn the festival into their own personal playground. Three albums in, and Dream Wife know exactly how to get a crowd on side. It’s a headline slot that the band clearly deserve as they tear through a set of tight, pitch-perfect bangers that whip the crowd up into a frenzy. Taking to the stage halfway through the Sunday of a festival can be a tricky proposition, but Shelf Lives may just be the buzzing new favourites perfect to take on the responsibility of lighting up final day revelry. Deadletter also live up to the hype; opening with the shoutable choruses and disarmingly catchy sax lines of ‘Love Thy Neighbour’, it doesn’t slow down from there. For a weekend whose beating heart embraces artists who either have already soundtracked defining moments, or are set to in years to come, there may be no better closer than The Cribs. Over the past twenty-five years, their impact has been such that their DNA can be traced through bands and scenes in various forms – all while continuing to look forward and rail against the expected. Taking to the stage at Rockaway Beach, The Cribs in 2024 are a band born to revel in the glorious legacy they’ve created. As a rowdy closing party shuts down the famed on-shore bar and weekenders stagger for a final sleep in nearby chalets, there’s truly no better way to start the year. JAKE HAWKES, JAMIE MUIR

READDORK.COM 73.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH

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 BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH is always good for a hot sauce. What did you last dream about? I last dreamt that I bumped into a beautiful ex-girlfriend at a tennis tournament who was hanging out with her new brother-in-law. It was kind of crazy, and I was quite disturbed by it when I woke up. Which defunct band would you most like to reform? I’m going to say The Blue Nile. They are one of my all-time favourite bands, I think. I don’t know if they officially ever broke up, but I kind of wish they released songs more regularly… but maybe the magic is in the fact that they don’t; I don’t know. What have you got in your pockets right now? A pair of black cotton gloves from Uniqlo, a yellow mango ice vape from Sydney and a 171-millimetre guitar pick that I realised just now I accidentally took from King Ed’s studio. If you had to be on a TV gameshow, which would you choose? I’d love to be on Survivor because I know I’d probably get voted out after a day, but then be in a beautiful tropical location and just be able to swim around and eat and chill and watch Leeds games from the beach. What’s your breakfast of choice? If I’m in a savage mood, I’d say Eggy Bread and ketchup, and if I’m in a civilised mood, I’d say Greek yoghurt, berries and some kind of granola and perhaps some complementary seeds or something, maybe some protein powder or superfoods. Have you ever been banned from somewhere? When I was very sick many years ago, I tried to get into a fancy bar

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in Sydney that had a dress code, but I was wearing trainers, so I didn’t get in, and I’m ashamed to say I didn’t take it very well and I think I was banned from there.

of my parents at Christmas time at our first house in York, I remember the tree and the lights in the dark of winter in the living room.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? I tried chicken feet with my grandfather once at a Yum Cha Hall in Sydney; that was quite weird, I guess. I didn’t really like it, but I’m sure some people do.

What’s your most outlandish prediction for 2024? Leeds to be top of the Prem by next Christmas.

What was the last thing you broke? A ceramic bathroom cup that held toothbrushes at my uncle’s house in Sydney. I was rushing around out of the shower, and I clipped it with my towel. I offered to buy him a new one, but he was very chill, thankfully. Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? The blue lady from Avatar. What is your earliest memory? I think it is being held by one

What’s the sneakiest thing you’ve ever done? I remember when I was like 8 or something, me and my sister really wanted this little pool table for Christmas from our dad, and a few days before Christmas, I told my dad that my mum had told me that he had got it for me, to try and get him to tell me if he had. I kind of played them off each other. As a result, I was grounded for a day at my uncle’s house in London whilst everyone went to a Christmas party. What fashion would you most like to make a comeback? Emo/greebo circa 2005.

If you could learn one skill instantly without needing to practice, what would you pick? Becoming as good and emotionally assiduous on piano as my brother Jamie Squire, who I write with a lot.

What do you always have in your refrigerator? More hot sauces than I need. Have you ever been mistaken for someone else? I remember doing a gig somewhere in 2011, and a couple, for some reason, thought they were going to see Ed Sheeran and asked me to play ‘The A-Team’. I like him a lot personally, and I like that song, so it was okay. What’s the silliest thing you own? A starlight thing that spins around and makes it look like my ceiling has moving stars on it.

If you could be best friends with a celebrity you do not know, who would you choose? Daniel Day-Lewis, I think that guy’s amazing; what an actor. I’d love to pick his brains.

What’s your standard order from the fish and chip shop? Cod and chips large COVERED in salt and vinegar, and a cold can of coke. Potentially mushy peas if I’m feeling adventurous, but it’s unlikely. How punk are you out of ten? 7.5. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you? Probably when I shit myself in Nashville when I was really ill. If you were a snack, what would you be and why? I feel like I’d be a hot sauce because I feel like I can get on with a lot of things, but I’m always kind of intense. What strength Nandos sauce do you order? Hot. If you had to live as an animal for one year, which animal would you pick? A killer whale, so I could explore the whole ocean but feel no fear. Who was your favourite musician or band when you were 14? blink-182, what a band. What’s your favourite conspiracy theory, even if you don’t believe it? That the world is run by lizards, that would be kind of crazy! What’s your biggest fear? That I’m not good enough. What’s your worst habit? Midnight milkshakes. If you had to hide something so nobody ever found it, where would you hide it? In my heart. Have you ever lied in an interview? Yes. Why are you like this? Because I’m scared. Benjamin Francis Leftwich’s album ‘Some Things Break’ is out now.

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