Dork, May 2018

P EACE

BLOS S OM S

G OAT G I R L

G R A H A M C OXO N

JARVI S CO CK E R

I CE AGE

E VE RY THI NG EV ERY THING

Courtney Barnett.

Tell us how you really feel.

debut album 13th april “a poetic creature who channels a mysticism, haloing his sounds with a timeless quality� i-d

Index.

May 2018 Issue 21

Ed’s letter.

You noticed it yet? I’ll give you five minutes. Yep. Your monthly copy of Dork looks a bit different, eh? After celebrating twenty whole issues last month, we figured it was about time we had a change of scenery. We hope you like it.

That’s not all we’ve got to be excited about this month. You’ll have seen Courtney Barnett on the cover already. Her second album is due soon, and it’s really, really great.

Elsewhere this issue you’ll find the return of Peace, and hot new talents Goat Girl and Confidence Man. Blossoms stop scrapping for long enough to tell us about their new record, Graham Coxon talks soundtracking the buzziest new TV series on the planet, plus loads, loads more.

And if that’s not enough, if you keep your eyes open you could well find a copy of Dork’s 2018 Festival Guide. It’s out now, available from all good record stores, venues, retail outlets and ‘that sort of thing’.

Grab one if you can.

UPDATE 5. BLOSSOMS 8. ARCTIC MONKEYS 10. ICEAGE 12. LILY ALLEN 16 A DAY IN THE LIFE 18. GRAHAM COXON 20. GET A HOBBY 22. BANGERS HYPE 24. MIDDLE KIDS 26. WHENYOUNG 27. POST ANIMAL 28. HER’S 29. SO YOU WANNA BE A POP STAR? FEATURES 30. COURTNEY BARNETT 38. GOAT GIRL 42. PEACE 48. CONFIDENCE MAN REVIEWS 52. PEACE 53. BLOSSOMS 54. ICEAGE 55. SPEEDY ORTIZ 56. MIDDLE KIDS

S tephen Editor / @stephenackroyd

DORK

GET OUT 58. EVERYTHING EVERYTHING 60. JARVIS COCKER 62. ALEX LAHEY 64. LIVE AT LEEDS 65. THE GREAT ESCAPE 66. HANDMADE 68. THE GUIDE

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BACKPAGE 74. ISAAC GRACIE

On The Stereo Chvrches - Love Is Dead Oh blimey.

Everything you’ve read about this record is 100% correct, and yet you’re still not ready for what you’re about to hear. There’s one track that sounds unlike

anything Chvrches have ever done before, and it’s glorious.

George Ezra - Staying At Tamara’s The more we listen to Geoff’s second album, the more it feels like the ultimate expression of the summer to come. Sunny day moods all round.

Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel

She’s on the cover, so it’s pretty obvious we think our Court’s second full length is a spangly delight.

Peace - Kindness Is The New Rock and Roll Peace’s third album sees the band find a more singular

voice. It works, too. This will stick around a while.

The 1975 - I like it when you sleep...

We’re expecting an announce for ‘Music For Cars’ at some point soonish, so it’s important to do our homework. ‘Iliwys’ still sounds like ‘the future’, FYI.

Update.

IF IT’S NOT IN HERE, IT’S NOT HAPPENING.

The Top Story

Cool Thing Relationships can be a minefield, but Tom Ogden has put his to good use - as inspiration for Blossoms’ new album.

Words: Lily Beckett.

“I

t’s about two relationships, I suppose,” explains Tom Ogden over the phone. “One

that I had written about on our first album and then continued to write about, and then a new relationship, one that’s kind of - excuse the pun -

blossoming.”

The singer is talking about Blossoms’ second album; there’s a strong narrative in ‘Cool Like You’, and he’s happy to demystify it.

“If you look at the opening track, ‘There’s a Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls)’, that’s the first song I wrote for this album. It’s about the previous relationship, and also what a lot of that first album is about. The final song, ‘Love Talk’, is about being in another relationship, one that’s longdistance. It’s kind of stuff from the last two years of my life.”

A great deal has happened in the world of Blossoms

during that time, so there was a healthy selection of material to help fuel this new record. A particular highlight for the band was receiving the news that their debut, ‘Blossoms’, had been nominated for the 2017 Mercury Prize.

“I was at an airport, going on holiday, and I got a call letting me know. I was just like ‘Oh, get in!’ It was really unexpected. I mean, we were dead proud of the album. I think we deserved to be nominated, but I’m quite pessimistic, so I never thought we’d get nods.”

Pessimistic, or just a perfectionist? “Probably a bit DOWN WITH BORING

5

The anatomy of an in band scrap, Blossoms style...

Decide which members of the band are going to have a ‘disagreement’, and what it’s going to be about. Don’t make it too serious, or the fans might turn against you!

1

Make your play.

Twitter is a great place to swap light insults for maximum drama. Make sure the media notice - it’ll be good for column inches.

2

Surprise! It wasn’t real! It was actually for ‘a thing’, which is related to our new record, which happens to be out on... <sniiiiiiiiiiiip!>

3

“...and if I put my jacket over my shoulder like this, everyone will think we’re dead sophisticated.” S of both. Even if we sell out a gig and it’s raining on the day, I’ll just think, ‘Nobody’s gonna come’. Then the rest of the band will be like, ‘They’ve bought tickets, they’re gonna come!’

“But yeah, [the nomination] hasn’t moulded us in any way, hasn’t made us think differently about the band. It’s just made me appreciate that the album was acknowledged.”

If making the shortlist for one of the UK’s most distinguished music prizes hasn’t affected the Stockportborn band, what has?

“It’s a number of things; I don’t think you can put it down to one. It’s the musical heritage [of Manchester], which inspires band after band, and there’s just like a humbleness to that. From personal experiences, and from meeting people like Ian Brown, Noel and Liam 6

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Gallagher, there’s such a mixture. And then there’s the backdrop, which is always a bit grey and rainy. It’s a mixture of all those things, but mainly it’s the music heritage.”

The legacy of ‘Madchester’ prevails, and for the band, their relationship with the city’s illustrious musical past is an organic one.

“My mum and dad were at [The Stone Roses’ legendary 1990 concert] Spike Island; my mum was at Maine Road watching Oasis, she had also seen the Smiths. I just happened to grow up on it. My first gig was Oasis, and the rest is history, as they’d say.”

While Tom and the band spent their childhoods admiring Manchester’s heroes from afar, little did they realise that they’d be welcomed into the ranks themselves one day.

Contemplating what it means

to be a part of Manchester’s music scene, Ogden explains: “It’s like a close-knit family, they look after one and other. We played first with the Courteeners; then we supported The Stone Roses.

So yeah, I think it’s just like, Manchester as a city - it kind of takes to its bands, it really loves them. They just support the bands like they might a football team. It’s crazy, but we’re fortunate that we come from this neck of the woods, we seem to get a lot of support because of that.”

Getting back to the subject of their new album, Tom confirms that there was no colossal learning curve in their approaches to the development of the first album and the second.

“The first bunch of songs for the first album were written, rehearsed, and then recorded as singles - and this was before

we’d even got a record deal.

So we already had them ones ready, all the singles up until ‘Charlemagne’. We then went onto the second half of the album after all the singles had been done. I wrote songs pretty much whenever I was home from tour; then we’d go into the studio and just build the songs from there, so we had a taste of that process on the first album.

“In the end, we approached the second album in the same way as the first. I’d write in between touring, and over last summer we went into the studio and just built songs. It wasn’t like we were doing a second album with any extra insight into writing songs, since a lot of the songs just evolved anyway, and we felt comfortable moving forward with those.”

Lyrically, Blossoms are unafraid to dip into the obscure. Even ‘Charlemagne’ is a unique one, and fans will be forgiven for assuming that the band is made up of ardent intellectuals, or at the very least, history buffs.

On ‘Unfaithful’, which appears on the new album, Tom sings, “April is the

The latest news. Ish.

Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com

This is happening.

cruellest month”. All those English students out there should (hopefully) recognise this as a reference to T.S. Eliot’s poem, ‘The Waste Land’. But how did this line end up featuring in a Blossoms song?

“I think with ‘April is the cruellest month’, that was from one of my books I have with loads of quotes in. I look through a lot of quotes, and see if anything jumps out, and that was one of the ones that jumped out at me.

I’m not like an avid reader or anything. “‘Charlemagne’ came from my brother actually, he was studying history at the time, and he heard me writing the song. He heard the bit, ‘Science came, a kingdom reigned’, and he said, ‘Oh, have you heard of Charlemagne?’ So I thought ‘Oh, I’ll have that!’ and I sneaked it into the song.

“I don’t have to see the context of where the quotes come from; I like to take it to wherever I wanna take it to, add it to something I’m writing about. If it rolls off the tongue, and has a bit of snappiness to it, I suppose.

“But some of the time the lyrics come down from my own experience, like from films. ‘I Can’t Stand It’, the first single on the new album, that’s a reference inspired

by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, where he says ‘I’m booking myself for some amnesia’. It’s about how you can’t get over someone after the end of a relationship. Lyrics can come from anything, movies, literature, as well as just personal experience.”

Since the album narrates what it’s like to experience a deteriorating relationship in the first half, and then the embarkation of a new

“I guess it’s more the sort of thing Alex Turner would write” relationship in the second half, ‘Cool Like You’ is difficult to pigeon-hole as either a melancholic or optimistic album. Tom does admit that writing songs that are about unfortunate circumstances comes more easily to him than the typically happier subjects, though.

“A couple of songs on there are still drawing upon a failing relationship, but I wasn’t directly feeling like that at the time of writing, I just channelled it, I guess.

I think it’s easier to write honest lyrics about that subject, whereas if I wanna say I think someone’s great, or ‘I really love ya’, it’s harder to put that into words without it sounding cringey.

“There’s a track called ‘Between The Eyes’, which is about the beginnings of a relationship with someone, and the excitement, but I tried to be a bit more clever with that one. There’s this line that says, ‘You crept into my heart / There must’ve been a side door left unlocked’. I guess it’s more the sort of thing Alex Turner would write, but that one did

Foolin’ Around

The Lemon Twigs have shared a pair of new singles. Titled ‘Foolin’ Around’ and ‘Tailor Made’, they follow up on last year’s ‘Brothers of Destruction’ EP. Speaking about the tracks, the duo explain: “Here are two rockers that we worked up 5 or 6 months ago. We had the urge to make some plain Rock and Roll. We thought we’d made some, but what’s plain about Rock and Roll?” Check ‘em on readork.com now!

come out quite honest. On the whole, though, it’s easier to write lyrics about things that are unfortunate, but I try to do both on this album.

It’s about a 60:40 split.”

After the album’s released, it’s back to touring for the foreseeable future.

“I’m especially looking forward to seeing how the new stuff goes down; we haven’t played any of this stuff live yet. It’ll be great to do it in the next few months now.”

Thinking about whether he prefers touring over writing and developing the music, Tom declares that it’s a very tough choice to make.

“I’m torn because by the end of touring the first album for two years, we were gagging to get back into the studio. But now we’ve been off for a while, we can’t wait to tour again, so it goes in waves.

“It’s great being creative and writing songs, and in the studio, but once you’ve been off for a while, you’re just ready to tour again. I couldn’t really pick, you wouldn’t have one without the other.”

It’s a schedule that doesn’t offer much downtime.

“I’m just continuously writing,” Tom explains.

“Although, since the album’s been finished, I’ve been writing a little bit less. I’ve still been writing songs though. I know some people don’t write songs for months, but I’ll tend to write at least two songs a month, so I’ve not had proper time off. I’m always writing, really.”

In that case, there shouldn’t be too long to wait for album number three, right? P Blossoms’ album

Buzz-O-Meter As you know, Dear Reader, we’re prone to getting ‘quite excited’ about stuff - here’s what’s giving us a buzz this month.

Years & Years are back and it feels ‘Quite Important’ You’ll find our full thoughts on the brilliant ‘Sanctify’ later (p.23, to be exact - Ed), but beyond how great the music is, isn’t it absolutely bloody ace to have Years & Years back. What a band.

All our faves are ripping up the charts We don’t want to get you too excited, Dear Reader, but given - in the same week - Fickle Friends’ debut hit the Top 10 and The Magic Gang followed them in at 12, it feels like our little world might be about to explode. In a good way.

So Let’s Eat Grandma are legit the most exciting band on the planet now We’ll talk more about this later (p.12), but the two tracks ‘out there’ from LEG’s second album are absolutely mind blowing.

They’ve always been great, but who saw that coming?

‘Cool Like You’ is out 27th April.

Have a Lice time

Lice have signed a deal with Balley Records, Joe Talbot from IDLES’ label.

The band will release a two-part ‘early years’ EP collection called ‘It All Worked Out Great’ with Volume 1 due on 5th April and Volume 2 on 24th May. Unsurprisingly, the two bands are also heading out on tour together this April, with dates all over the country. Watch the video for new single ‘Stammering Bill’ on readdork.com now.

For God’s sake announce ‘Music For Cars’!

Have you noticed we’re a bit overexcited about the next album from The 1975? Do you want to know why? BECAUSE THEY WON’T STOP TEASING US. Seriously, lads, stop dropping bits of info and give us some music. Please?

6 of the best

Arctic Monkeys They’re on their way back with a brand new album - here’s six of the very best from Arctic Monkeys’ back catalogue.

#1 I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor The one that started it all is still, almost certainly, right at the top of the pile. From it’s revved up intro to the very first line, dripping in sardonic Sheffield wit, it still sounds as vital and exciting now as it did 12 years ago. If the other indie bangers could elect an emperor, there’s every chance ‘Dancefloor’ would take the crown. Taken from

‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ (2006)

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#2 Brianstorm

If ‘Dancefloor’ showed the potential, ‘Brianstorm’ heralded the steel. Strobing atmospherics descend as Matt Helders rides the high hat, Alex Turner delivering some of his finest lines. The heavy weaponry in the Arctic Monkeys arsenal, toe to toe it takes on all comers. Taken

from ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ (2007)

#3 505

While ‘Brianstorm’ showed the Monkeys could deliver the devastating blow, ‘505’ showed they could take the other route too. A moody, atmospheric cut that tones down the attitude for a more sedate, considered attack, it remains one of the strongest tracks in the band’s back catalogue. An underrated gem. Taken from ‘Favourite

Worst Nightmare’ (2007)

#4 When The Sun Goes Down

Proof if needed that Alex Turner is as much poet as popster, ‘When The Sun Goes Down’ matches iconic indie disco chorus with a verse that offers up a killer Police reference. That it came so early in the band’s ascent only goes to show the raw talent within.

Taken from ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ (2006)

#5 Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair The ridiculously titled, oddball cousin in the Arctic Monkeys catalogue, ‘Don’t Sit Down...’ sits at the heart of fourth album ‘Suck It And See’, backbone set straight

and firm. With hints of the teddyboy revolutionary that would follow on ‘AM’, it’s a track firm of stance but light of touch, robust in the challenge but thinking on its feet. While other tracks may be more showy, this is proof of just how high Arctic Monkeys’ bar is set.

Taken from ‘Suck It And See’ (2011)

#6 R U Mine?

Sure ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ is ‘AM’’s iconic calling card, ‘R U Mine?’ is the getaway car - from it’s opening line, all stringed puppets and Thunderbirds ahoy, it’s the swaggering rock’n’roll enfant terrible made read. All mic drops and leather jackets, it’s proof that Arctic Monkeys’ imperial period might just be getting started

Taken from ‘AM’ (2013)

APR 20

INDIAN QUEENS HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN, LONDON ----MAY 22

ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER ELECTRIC BALLROOM, LONDON ----MAY

GANG OF YOUTHS UK TOUR ----MAY 16

STEREO HONEY

JUN

INDIGO HUSK UK TOUR ----JUN 12

MULLALLY OSLO, LONDON ----JUL

THE NAKED AND FAMOUS UK TOUR -----

ELECTROWERKZ, LONDON ----MAY 21

JUL 16

SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS, LONDON

livenation.co.uk/source

DIDIRRI

BOMBA ESTEREO XOYO, LONDON

Beyondless The latest news. Ish.

Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com

This is happening.

Ice, ice, agey

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Some time in August, The 1975?

By the time you read this, there’s a chance that The 1975 might have announced ‘Music For Cars’, We might even be listening to a new banger. But they might still be teasing us too. Fresh after deleting a bunch of social messages back to the night they headlined Latitude, manager Jamie Oborne told a fan “We won’t be releasing tour news until the summer, I would say around August.” Oo-err!

Super Superorganism

The weird and wonderful of Superorganism can make everything better, so when attached to a legit pop megabanger, the results are always going to be exciting. So news that the collective have taken on Camila Cabello’s chart buster ‘Havana’ as part of a new Spotify Singles session has our pulses raising. And for good reason too. It’s bloody fantastic.

Check it out on readdork.com now.

Confront your demo/ns

Sorry have released a new ‘visual’ mixtape. Titled ‘Home Demo/ns Vol II’, the release features nine tracks and follows on from recent smash single, ‘2 Down 2 Dance’. “We try and just make scenarios around what we have and it’s fun to film your friends - they are strong characters in themselves to watch,” says Asha Lorenz. Sorry are on tour with Sunflower Bean this spring.

Copenhagen’s Iceage are broaching new depths - from an album title that means, well, whatever they want, to their first ever collab.

Words: Steven Loftin.

“W

here does anything come from?

It’s a good

question.” Iceage frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt has always been someone who asks the kind of questions many would be afraid to.

Having been in the spotlight since the Danish band formed in 2008, when their average age was just 17 years old, Elias has always felt like a voice that was born for the wrong era.

For his audience though, it’s perfect timing. After all, who else is asking questions like that?

Four years since the last Iceage release, rather fittingly they’re poised to return with their fourth album ‘Beyondless’. Though for many, 2014’s ‘Plowing Into The Field of Love’ heralded the most ambitious, and together, album Iceage had made to date.

So how do they one-up the album that’s near enough come to define them? Well, they’ve created a record based on the idea of a word that actually doesn’t exist. Just to, you know, keep us on our toes.

“I mean… it’s a word that doesn’t exist in a dictionary, but, still suggests a perfect meaning itself,” Elias starts.

“I didn’t invent the word myself. I was reading a book

by Samuel Beckett called ‘Worstward Ho’, and it plays around a lot with language and breaks up words and conjoins them in ways.”

It’s this that sets Iceage apart; they have the understanding that the world isn’t something you should take at face value, and nor should you kill yourself to try to develop it further when there are paving stones set around you.

In the same form Samuel Beckett conjoined words, Iceage marry musical ideas

“You can’t write with the opinions of fucking people in the back of your head” to create an apocalyptic postpunk world that you actually wouldn’t mind inhabiting.

He delves further into the inspiration by this non-word.

“Beyondless struck me, because if you were to say ‘beyond-less’ that would be something that is ‘beyond less’.

But conjoin the two words, and it becomes about something that doesn’t have a beyond.

So, the meaning of that word for me is something that’s without beyond, something that doesn’t go any further.

Or something that doesn’t have something that can be a surface without a backside.”

Trying to keep up with a mind that can delve deep into literary history, pull out a word and then create its own immersive piece, can be hard work. But the basis for the push and pull of intelligence over human nature stems from a much more natural background.

“We’re...” he starts. “Trying to change something that is as wholesome as a human might be - and that involves a lot of contradictions and grey areas.”

Between his pauses and considered answers, Elias really doesn’t let anyone in on the whys and hows. Rather, the presented truth is one that neatly falls next to the

complexities they use as a he says, dismissing this idea. flourisher.

“Apparently there was “Perhaps something a little something to write about more complicated than the there, and… I believe enough boxes that people urge to in what we do to deem it a put you in. I think it’s always worthwhile pursuit and if been loaded with a lot of stuff. some people… whoever they Feelings combating each other may be, identifies with it, then and a lot of catharses and an that’s great.” inner storm…

To pigeonhole Iceage is “So yeah, if you say it’s almost impossible. They’re something that’s not purveyors of grandiose lyrics, necessarily easy to grasp onto menacing music and ideas way then for me that’s a good thing. above any station that can be Not that we invented the understood by any bystanders. fucking wheel either, it’s not The ‘why’ of this, though, is exactly innovative.” something that’s stumped As brutal and harsh as their Elias. sound can be, Elias is also “It beats me. But we do try unafraid of laying his cards on and create something out the table. They’ve always been of a space and a gut feeling a force to be reckoned with. that takes its own course and “To me, the very traditional feels... I mean, we don’t act constraints of a rock band are upon an idea that doesn’t feel something that you can inject vivid, or like, it has a sense of a certain amount of soul into,” direction to it.”

Elias considers.

Which brings us back to On this search for new the initial question. Where horizons, the band enlisted does anything come from? the help of Sky Ferreira on For Iceage, it reads almost like recent single ‘Pain Killer’, their own folklore. simply “It’s just because “she something The Sky’s the limit immediately that we started Sky Ferreira came to mind.” doing. Maybe makes an As much of it was just a appearance a buzz as that way to kill on the new collaboration Iceage album, boredom? caused, they Maybe it was a for single ‘Pain Killer’. As aren’t ones to way to create exciting as that is, we’re dwell upon something still waiting for news on praise or that spoke to her forthcoming album criticism. For itself, because ‘Masochism’. Sky’s been them, it’s all nothing else hinting at stuff in recent noise that can weeks, even playing some was?” dilute the core It’s not a music on Instagram. aspect - the art. bad result for Maybe it’s finally “You can’t something happening! write with the drawn out of opinions of combating fucking people in the back boredom. of your head, you know? It’s Elias continues, musing this a process that we hold with thought. “I think it’s just taken great importance and that we a course that’s continued want… [to] not [be] disturbed to be something that’s by anything.” tremendously interesting for The fact means that the us to do. album was introduced with “Exploring what making an essay penned by punkrecords and dabbling in lifer Richard Hell, who wove songwriting is just something allegory and prose around that keeps on feeding some what Iceage, and ‘Beyondless’, sort of need… I personally must surely add weight to the think.” album for listeners, right?

Hitting more introspective “I think weight is a bad word depth, he ends. “In songs there. It’s flattering that there - in my mind - my brain is are these people who are wired like that, so I keep on willing to reflect and write doing it.” P Iceage’s album something about this record,” ‘Beyondless’ is out 4th May. DOWN WITH BORING

11

Live report

If you like yr pop arty...

Tickled Pink

Let’s Eat Grandma have a new album on the way, and from the sound of the first two tracks, it’s one of the most exciting prospects of 2018.

L

et’s Eat Grandma have announced their second album. Titled

‘I’m All Ears’, Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingsworth will drop the follow up to 2016’s ‘I, Gemini’ on 29th June via Transgressive.

“It’s about getting to know someone and getting over your fears about feeling insecure,” Walton explains.

“Some of the lyrics reference being in control as a woman in a romantic relationship, and being the one to initiate,” Hollingsworth adds. “It’s the importance of if you feel something, tell them. Because you don’t know what’s going to happen in life, you might as well just do it.” P

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Bangers!

Hot Pink

If you’re looking for musical power moves in 2018, then teaming up with PC Music mastermind and general pop genius SOPHIE might well be one of the strongest. Let’s Eat Grandma’s first track back is a shock to the system, and one of the freshest slices of fizzbanging energy in ages.

Falling Into Me

And if you’re daft enough to think that’s a one off, ‘Falling Into Me’ is here to prove that wrong. A slice under six minutes in length, it never drops the pace, ebbing and flowing with constant immediacy. Achingly now in the best possible way, it’s both an evolution and revolution away from the duo’s debut album ‘I, Gemini’. Exciting doesn’t come close.

It’s Lily!

Lily Allen has finally announced details of her new album. It’s called ‘No Shame’ and it’ll be with us on 8th June. To get us warmed up, she played a special, low-key show at London’s Dome. We headed down to see what to expect.

Words: Liam Konemann Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett.

L

ily Allen has been through a rough patch.

In the four years since her last album ‘Sheezus’, she has been publicly scoffed at for her political comments and - as usual - had her personal life splashed across the red tops.

Professionally, too, there were obstacles. In speaking about her upcoming record ‘No Shame’, Lily has said that she struggled to relate to her last album, and the persona was too much like somebody else.

So, tonight we’re pretending that ‘Sheezus’ never existed.

Throughout Lily’s set at The Dome there isn’t so much as a hint of its snarling bravado. Instead, we get a tender, vulnerable collection of songs about love, loss, and parenthood.

New tracks off ‘No Shame’ like ‘Lost My Mind’ and

‘Three’ hint at loneliness and guilt, while ‘Apples’ muses on the pain of falling at the same hurdles your parents did.

It isn’t all sad, though.

Pop eras come and go but dickheads are forever, and over a decade on from its release ‘Knock ‘Em Out’ packs just as much of a punch as it did back then. ‘Smile’ is an obvious hit but ‘No Shame’ track ‘Waste’ is just as eviscerating, as Lily calls out former friends with the repeated line ‘who the fuck are you, though?’

When we get to the end of the main set, Lily takes a moment to note “I wrote this song about a decade ago about a very particular arsehole, and now a different arsehole has the same job.

But it could also be dedicated to our very own arsehole Theresa.” After that, ‘Fuck You’ is joyfully vicious.

This is London, so when Giggs swaggers out to open the encore with ‘Trigger Bang’ he gets a heroes welcome.

The affection between the two of them is clear, and makes the atmosphere for satirical closers ‘The Fear’ and ‘Not Fair’ all the sweeter.

With that hard run well and truly behind her, tonight at the Dome Lily Allen comes out on top. P

Find more live reviews, news, listings and more in Get Out, on p.58. S

Top Tweeps What have your faves been up to on ‘social media’ this month? And why are we printing bits of ‘the internet’ on paper weeks after it happened? ”There’s been an interesting development for the band haircut wise” Shame (@shamebanduk) It’s mullets. Three of them got mullets. That’s one more than Hoddle and Waddle (ask your parents - Ed). ”Announcement for those who are excited for the new @creepercultuk album: it is going to be ska and I am the new singer and Will has been relegated to the one that skanks in a banana outfit with a trumpet” Nervus (@nervusmusic) Sounds believable. ”Anyone: hi how are yMe: i just feel so grateful to be alive during such a fertile and fruitful period of creative visionary Charli XCX’s career” Muna (@whereisMUNA) Basically this.

I will not speak further without the presence of my lawyer ;) Christine and the Queens (@ QueensChristine)

Why is Charli XCX dressed as Ed Sheeran, and what is that beard.

All good questions, Dear Reader.

Our Charli hasn’t suddenly decided she wants to embrace her inner Groundskeeper Willie - she’s dressed as Ed to ‘do’ ‘Shape Of You’ on ‘popular’ TV show Lip Sync Battle, where she faced off against her pal Rita Ora. If you want to watch the full thing, y’know. Internet.

WTAF?!!!

Doing Ed (feat. Rita Ora)

Praise be!

DOWN WITH BORING

13

What if...?

Avengers, Assemble!

The latest big Marvel flick Avengers: Infinity War is out shortly. But superheroes are so passé these days. What if we had to recast the film using only musicians. We reckon this lot would work.

Sigrid as Thor

the fact he curated a killer soundtrack and demanded inclusion in the sequel, if we didn’t give Kendrick the job, he’d probably be quite angry with us.

The Norse God of thunder isn’t too dissimilar to the Norwegian queen of bangers, right? Right.

Lana Del Rey as Scarlet Witch Josh Homme as Hulk Kanye West as Iron Man

One is a multi-millionaire genius, prone to flights of fancy who’s constantly designing new outfits and has a slightly troubling attraction to right wing authority figures who want to constrain our rights. The other is Iron Man.

Hulk is always smashing things up, but is rarely held to account for his actions because, y’know, he’s big and would probably react very badly. Join the dots.

Dave Grohl as Captain America

The “nicest man in music”, apparently, he has quite a lovely beard and has been around for ages. Frozen in time, we’re not sure we want to call Cap’ a HIV truther here, but it’s the sort of stupid nonsense we’d expect from someone who really needs to wake up and realise it’s 2018.

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We’ve all seen the video for Taylor Swift’s ‘Bad Blood’. The Crimson Curse has even gone blonde. Fits the bill perfectly.

Declan McKenna as Spider-Man

Top pop fact - while putting together this issue we discovered that our Harry from Peace is actually pretty damn good at archery. No, really. Long bow, apparently.

Let’s be honest here, given

Wise cracking Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider, and is now able to leap up tall buildings and sense danger. Wise cracking Declan McKenna saw a squirrel eat a pizza last year, and we’re not sure he can’t do the same.

Pitbull as Thanos Matt Bellamy as Star Lord

Kendrick Lamar as Black Panther

Weird British dude with a dodgy beard, who likes turning back the clock to a simpler time. We’re not sure if Alex has a cloak, but we’d not bet against it.

Don’t fuck with her, she knows witchcraft, and is more than willing to use it to bring down a world leader, if required.

Harrison Koisser as Hawkeye

Hayley Williams as Black Widow

Alex Turner as Doctor Strange

Flying about with a sort of jet pack, happier in space than on planet Earth, and with a deep distrust of The Man, we can’t think of a better fit.

Featuring in small ways in countless creative efforts by other heroes, racking up the IMDB credits as he goes, when he finally shows up it’s all about shiny gems and gathering power. Are you seriously trying to tell us Pitbull isn’t doing it too? P

“Holy Doom is full to the brim with the best hooks the trio have come up with to date, and rock is still at the core” Dork

demobhappy.lnk.to/HolyDoom

“Their astonishing third album... what a fabulous piece of work” Planet Rock

smarturl.it/TheFreeLife

A day in the life of...

Have you seen...?

Laura Hayden out of Anteros Have a nosy behindthe-scenes with Anteros vocalist, Laura Hayden - and her lovely dog, Frida, too.

09:00 Pros to not having a

9-5: waking up late. I feel so lucky I get to wake up when it’s light outside and skip rush hour in London.

Cons to not having a 9-5: lack of discipline and balance.

Because every day can be so different it has taken a long time to establish, but my morning routine consists of three things: coffee, Frida and exercise.

Waking up to my dog Frida is the best start to my day. She looks a little like Yoda, she’s needy, and a little bit clumsy.

She makes my heart explode one tail wag at a time.

Once I feel a little more alive, I drag myself to the gym, or if I’m on tour I try and squeeze in about 20 minutes of yoga. It sounds silly, but this routine makes a big

difference on the rest of my day.

12:00 Banana pancakes

and emails. I’m trying to cut down how long I spend on my phone. Waking up to emails or checking social media is not a great way to start the day, so, unless it’s urgent, I save them for midday.

Confession: I’m really bad at eating breakfast in the mornings. I don’t do it on purpose; time just slips away.

So I’ve resorted to combining breakfast and lunch in one go - and my go-to lately is banana pancakes. The only ingredients you need are: one banana and one egg. It’s that simple.

14:00 If we are on tour, then

we’re likely to be travelling in the van around this time of the day. It is the only downtime, so I like to take the chance to read, listen to a new album or podcast.

My favourite books tend to be autobiographical, but I’m going through somewhat of a post-apocalyptic / sci-fi phase: I’m currently reading The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. My favourite

podcasts at the moment are Invisibilia, WTF with Marc Maron, and Song Exploder.

If I’m home or at the studio, I’m usually in the thick of writing, demoing or recording. I’m learning how to use the mini studio set-up at home, and it feels so good to be able to demo ideas on the go. There’s still a LOT I need to learn, so I won’t be getting bored anytime soon.

There are some, um, interesting decor choices in Matt Maltese’s new vid Matt Maltese has released a new video for his track ‘Greatest Comedian’. “I wanted to create, with Jak [Payne, director], a kind of comically unsettling household scenario where seemingly loveless relationships are carrying on as normal whilst one of the family is performing a love song erratically amongst them,” he says.

20:00 If we’re on tour, it’s

my favourite time of the day.

Promo has usually finished, and we’re getting ready to go on stage. We don’t have a pre-show ritual - it’s just good to hang out.

If I’m in the studio, I’ll venture out to find something for dinner, as recording tends to go on until late.

If I’m home, then London is my oyster. There’s always something to do: gigs, friends, events, plays… and if all of those fail, I turn to ye olde faithful Netflix. With a sleepy Frida by my side, of course. P

Heather from Pale Waves looks like a proper pop star in their new video Specifically, a Backstreet Boy in bondage, or an extreme version of Girls Aloud in the clip for ‘Sexy (No, No, No)’.

It’s for latest banger ‘Heavenly’, obv.

Sigrid has released a new clip for ‘Raw’, and she performed the whole thing live Sigrid has released a new video for her track ‘Raw’, performed completely live. “I was on tour with my band in Australia/NZ when our creative team and I talked about what we wanted to do visually with Raw. We came up with the idea of shooting a live version, with a slight twist to it,” she explains of the concept. “I got on the phone with Ivana (who we also did ‘Strangers’ with), and she came up with the idea of showing the everyday magic on tour. The rest is basically just us plotting/laughing/ creating this video together with our teams. and it’s finally out!!!”

“Yes, it’s live vocals,” she adds.

Watch all these and more right now on readdork.com 16

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Royal command

Christine and the Queens is back!

Christine and the Queens is back! Back!!

Back!!! Or at least, that’s what’s happening later this year, with a bunch of new shows announced around the globe.

S

ome pop stars just feel more important than others. It

The latest news. Ish.

Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com

This is happening.

may not be a permanent thing - tastes ebb and flow, everything happens in the moment - but right now feels like the perfect time for the dancing genius of Christine and the Queens.

Which is lucky, because one of the most anticipated comebacks of 2018 is on its way.

Announcing four new shows - in Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris with a striking poster, the Christine and the Queens moniker was scribbled over in luminous green, leaving just Chris uncovered. Alongside the dates was the message

Deep, deep, deeper in June?

Swim Deep have briefly popped back up on Twitter to tease their upcoming return.

The band have been squirrelled away working on the follow-up to 2013 debut ‘Where the Heaven Are We’ and 2015’s ‘Mothers’. “A lot has happened,” they reveal on Twitter. “We’ve been turned upside down and twisted around but now we’re better than ever and makin bigger plans than eva. Talk in June.”

Snailed it

Exciting newcomer Snail Mail has announced details of her debut album.

Baltimore-based Lindsey Jordan will drop first full-length ‘Lush’ on 8th June via Matador Records. She’ll hit the UK in May, where she’ll play dates in London, Leeds, Manchester and Bristol. You can check out ‘Pristine’ from the record, as well as the tracklisting and live dates, on readdork.com now.

‘girlfriend don’t feel like a girlfriend but lover damn, I’d be your lover.’

Since then, the London date - set for Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo on 20th November - has sold out, with a second show on 21st November added.

The follow-up to breakthrough record ‘Chaleur Humaine’ is expected to land at some point this year, building on the back of smash hit ‘Tilted’, which saw Christine and the Queens becoming almost omnipresent on mainstream radio.

In interviews, Héloïse Letissier has described the forthcoming album as “sweaty, more sexual and tougher”.

“I know where I want to make Christine go,” the singer told NME. “I know where she’s going to be, who she’s going to be, who she’s going to be in love with and what she will be angry for. I can’t really tell much, because then that would spoil the fun.”

Looks like that fun is about to arrive. P

Let us pray

Panic! At The Disco are officially back, with two new songs, a new video, a new album and a new tour. ‘Say Amen (Saturday Night)’ and ‘(Fuck A) Silver Lining’ are both streaming now ahead of the release of new record ‘Pray For The Wicked’, which is set to arrive on 22nd June. You can check out all the details, and stream those new bangers, on readdork.com now.

DOWN WITH BORING

17

Golden Graham

F**k the world

Netflix hit The End Of The F***ing World is a coming-of-age tale full of mischief and murder, soundtracked by none other than Graham Coxon.

“I

Words: Jessica Goodman.

’m James, I’m 17, and I’m pretty sure I’m a psychopath.” So

introduces Alex Lawther’s character in the opening scene of The End Of The F***ing World. What follows is a coming of age tale encompassing adventure, amusement, murder, romance, and more besides that’s as human as it is surreal. With a sense of humour, striking imagery, and a soundtrack by Graham Coxon, the Channel 4/Netflix series has been met with rave reviews across the board.

“After the first episode I don’t think either of the characters are particularly charming,” Graham Coxon chuckles, reflecting on his first impression of the show’s protagonists. “They’re like a couple of spoilt brats,” he laughs. “But then by episode two or three their characters really start to blossom, and they become quite funny.”

Over the duration of eight episodes, viewers are invited to join James (Alex Lawther) and Alyssa (Jessica Barden) on their quest to escape from their homes and find their place in the increasingly messed up world that surrounds them.

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“I kind of started accepting them a little bit, and loving the characters more, so the songs became more sympathetic as well,” Graham reflects. From the romance of ‘Walking All Day’ through the disconnection of ‘Angry Me’, and beyond, it’s the relatable nature of these songs – and the world they paint themselves a part of – that makes them so endearing. “Anyone who knows my songs, it’s not a very untypical statement,” Graham comments. “It seemed to fit the characters.”

Learning about the characters and their story through his writing, Graham Coxon set about creating a soundtrack that could truly feel like a part of the world these individuals are navigating. “When I started working on the music, all the episodes weren’t finished, so I didn’t know what was going to happen,” the musician states.

“I didn’t want to know.” As such, the soundtrack is one that changes episode to episode, evolving and growing – much like the characters – before your eyes.

“I’d never done it, so I didn’t know how things were done,” Graham comments of his first venture into soundtracking.

“Mostly I was just getting a little bit of the situation in my head and then writing songs – not directly to action, but as if they were being used like the other songs from the 50s and 60s.” Fitting alongside the likes of Hank Williams and The Spencer Davis Group might seem like a tall order, but it’s something Graham Coxon

manages to achieve with an energy that feels nothing short of natural.

“My idea was to write these songs as if they had already been around and then they’d been picked to put into the soundtrack,” he describes. “I was trying to be an actor myself, really, within the music.

I was trying to not be Graham Coxon. I was trying to perform as different people.” Writing for the setting rather than for himself gave the musician the opportunity to turn his hand to his own unique form of time travel.

“I wanted to be someone who sang songs from 1968, and then I wanted to be someone who sang sloppy acoustic music from the early 90s,” he explains. “I wanted to be someone who was a bit art pop from the late 70s, and then I wanted to be someone creating big soundscapes with slide guitars and things like that.” The influence might be era-spanning, but everything on the soundtrack still feels

3 more ‘people from bands who’ve done soundtracks’ Jonny Greenwood

Radiohead’s genius guitarist has made a success of the film scoring game, winning plaudits for his work on There Will Be Blood and getting an Oscar nod for his score to last year’s Phantom Thread.

Karen O

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs firebrand worked on the soundtrack to 2009’s Where The Wild Things Are, including ‘All is Love’, which was nominated for a Grammy.

Trent Reznor

Kicking off with producing the soundtrack for Natural Born Killers back in 1994, Reznor has been involved in the likes of The Social Network, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl, much of it alongside fellow Nine Inch Nails member Atticus Ross.

The Maccy-Ds at The End Of The F**king World are suitably dystopian. S

The latest news. Ish.

Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com

This is happening.

distinctly a part of the world the show has created.

“I wanted to have that element of Americana, but one of those happy diners you get in Essex, you know?” Graham offers, laughing. “I think I kind of liked a certain amount of detachment from the music and the action,” he details. “If it’s too literal, or too narrative, the music, I think it gets a bit cluttered. I think vagueness is a friend when it comes to that, really.” While the songs don’t tell a story themselves, each one was purpose-built to fit the scenes it accompanies.

“I discovered I quite like working to a brief,” Graham

enthuses. “There’s less pressure,” he explains. “It’s like if someone says ‘what shall I draw?’ and they’re told ‘draw anything you like’. But if someone says ‘draw a cat,’ or ‘draw something that has four legs,’ then I suppose it’s a bit easier.” Written to scripts and rough edits of episodes, the soundtrack is a perfect compliment to the settings and situations the series creates.

“I was amazed when I actually sat down and watched it when it was on Channel 4 the first time around,” Graham expresses. “It was really nice to watch it like that, to try and divorce myself from it a little bit and just watch it like I watch normal TV. It was just odd hearing my voice here and there.” An entirely new experience for the musician, all the work involved certainly paid off as the show has been met with critical and commercial success across the board. “I didn’t know what to think,” Graham laughs. “I just thought it’d be a kind of strange and funny and dark humoured drama series that a bunch of people might like. I didn’t really know or expect it to be that popular.”

Having been met with such adulation, speculation about a second series of The

Sigrid is dropping bangers every week Not content with being the hottest pop star on the block right now, Sigrid is delivering a new track every week. She kicked off the run with brand new banger ‘Raw’, following up with the more sedate ‘I Don’t Want To Know’. There are five tracks to come from the project in total - head to readdork.com for the latest right now.

“I was amazed when I actually sat down and watched it” End Of The F***ing World has long been rife. But with such an iconic ending to the first series, the form a second would take remains impossible to predict. “Who knows what it would be about if there was one?” Graham questions.

“It might not even be the same characters. It might be something completely different,” he poses. “If there was to be something like that, yeah, of course, I’d like to be involved with it,” he enthuses, though he’s quick to add that (as of yet) “there’s been no talk of it.”

Regardless, The End Of The F***ing World stands as

River deep, album nigh

Jack River has announced details for her debut album, due this summer.

‘Sugar Mountain’ will be released on 22nd June, following the singles ‘Fool’s Gold’, ‘Fault Line’ and ‘Ballroom’ and performances at The Great Escape and Dot To Dot. “It’s my self-written bible of crawling toward the light amidst one of the darkest times a family could ever endure,” explains the Aussie popster.

one of the brightest British TV gems in recent years. For Graham, working on the production acted as its own reward. “I’m still, after all these years, completely amazed by recording processes,” he marvels. “I think it’s a miracle that I can come up to my little room, and then after an afternoon or a day’s work, there are these three or four new pieces of music. I was just creating music every day.”

More than another mode of creativity, working on this soundtrack saw Graham Coxon at his most creative yet.

“When I haven’t got anything that’s really pressing like that, I just learn more about what I want to do,” he details. “I try things out, and I research stuff that I want to do, learning how to use certain bits of equipment or whatever.” With a second series of the show still just speculation, what follows from here is still unwritten.

“Maybe I should get two screens and make silly little movies and put music to them so I can practice,” Graham laughs.

And why not? As Alyssa poses on the characters’ first drive together, “we can literally do anything, James. Anything we want.” P The End of the

F***ing World soundtrack score is out now.

Totally Tube-ular

Tubelord are teaming up with Alcopop!

Records to reissue their debut album, ‘Our First American Friends’. Due on 13th April, it will be available on transparent yellow vinyl, with a further special version containing a smashed up piece of a test pressing from the original 2009 release.

“Our First American Friends is still a huge part of my life,” says bassist Sean Bamberger.

DOWN WITH BORING

19

Get a hobby

Amateur Zookeeping with The Ninth Wave Who hasn’t dreamed of a house full of pets?

For The Ninth Wave’s drummer Lewis Tollan, it’s a reality.

Hey Lewis, we hear you have a big collection of animals introduce your pets.

I sure do, it’s been dwindling down the older I get, but I currently have; Wroofus - my black labrador that I also own with my girlfriend Louise [MacLennan], who is the synth player in the band. Next up we have Jaffa - my seven-year-old hypo rainbow leatherback bearded dragon, then we have Big Tam - my panther chameleon. I just got him a few months ago, so he is new to the

.Wroofus. Good boy. S. gang. Then we have mine and Louise’s leopard geckos - Big Boi and Wee Boi (they were temporary names that stuck).

Last we have Barney - my pinstripe royal python which I’ve had for eight years.

How did you come to have so many, did you grow up with lots of animals around?

I don’t really know, I had the usual dogs and cats growing up, but I saved up my paper round money and got a redfooted tortoise when I was 11 or 12, then it became an addiction.

Do they all live together harmoniously?

.Jaffa. Piece of cake. S.

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The only ones who don’t get along currently are Wroofus and Tam. Wroofus tends to put his nose right in his face, to

“If the band doesn’t make it, I’d love to open an exotic pet shop”

which Tam makes high pitched hissing noises. Working on it, though.

them, he needs humidity kept at a certain percentage and plants that are in his vivarium to be maintained.

Is a career with animals something you’d like to do?

If the band doesn’t make it, I would love to open up an exotic pet shop, but it’s sadly a dying industry. Well, at least physical shops are.

Have you trained any of your pets yourself?

I trained Tam to come down off his branch and eat worms from my hand, then other than that Wroofus can high five! I’m not very good at training. P

The Ninth Wave’s EP ‘Never Crave Attention’ is out 20th April.

Who takes care of them all when you’re on tour?

Luckily I have a flatmate who works locally and likes animals, but my mum usually takes Wroofus if it’s for a long time.

What’s a typical day like looking after them?

Well, with the advances of technology and plug timers everything is kind of set. Tam, the chameleon, has the most advanced set up out of all of

.Barney. S.

Brand New! hungover sort of way, as if its the morning after a big night and you’re trying to sort your life out but you can even bring yourself to open the curtains.

You know? It’s exactly like that, but with an excellent, shredding riff at the end of it.

The good news is that this kind of downbeat introspection is healthy, especially when it comes packaged with Courtney’s gentle vocal.

We feel better already, don’t you? Never underestimate the restorative power of a little time out. P Liam Konemann

Dead on

Chvrches

Bangers Track of the Month

Thyla

I Was Biting

Fans of grunge bangers rejoice – Thyla have got your back.

Their latest single ‘I Was Biting’ sees the band taking shelter in a world of their own creation, as they declare they “only want to live in a place that I read about”.

If only life could be so sweet.

Of course, this is Thyla we’re talking about, so it’s not all happiness and light. They’ve still got their fangs. After all, the reason they want to move to this fantasy world in the first place is because the real one sucks. So ‘I Was Biting’ doesn’t hold back on the scuzzy riffs and hammering percussion, and Millie Duthie’s vocal is as sharp and strong-hearted as ever. This alternate private reality is a fortress.

On ‘I Was Biting’ Thyla are putting up walls made from guitar riffs and echoing 22

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feedback, and ramping up the distortion on reality to keep it at bay. We’re thinking of joining ‘em, Reader. P Liam

Konemann

Thyla play Dork Live! shows at Reading’s Purple Turtle on 19th April, and Norwich Arts Centre on 12th May. Find more details at readdork.com now.

Raw Talent

Sigrid Raw

We’re gonna go out on a limb here. Sigrid is the current Queen of Pop Bangers. That’s it - bring out the crown. Bring out the sceptre. Let the people celebrate in the streets as Sigrid takes her rightful place on the throne of Pop. In true Sigrid style, ‘Raw’ is bright and bold, with searingly honest lyrics. Here is a delicate balance of power and vulnerability, with that cheerful, box-stepping riff on one side of the scales

and lines like “you know I’m terrible at putting up a show” on the other. ‘Raw’ celebrates stark honesty and strength of character, as Sigrid shuts down the people who ask her to be something that she’s not. And let that be a lesson to us all; if she won’t settle for being anything less than the purest version of herself, why should the rest of us? P Liam

Konemann

Time lord

Courtney Barnett Need A Little Time

D’you ever want to have a little break? Maybe just from yourself. And from other people. Well good news, because there’s a song for that.

Courtney Barnett has delivered the goods once again, this time with ‘Need a Little Time’.

To be honest with you, it’s not exactly a cheery tune. ‘Need A Little Time’ is hazy in a

Never Say Die

There’s no doubt that the tracks we’ve heard so far from ‘Love Is Dead’ are definitively Chvrches - no other band can replicate the salted sweetness of their signature sound in quite the same way. But, in the same breath, they’re packing an exciting new dimension.

‘Never Say Die’ matches aching cool with a heightened pop sensibility, its chorus echoing with sticky-as-velcro hooks. Bathed in neon, the potential for Chvrches latest evolution is limitless. P

Stephen Ackroyd

Hallelujah!

Panic! At The Disco Say Amen (Saturday Night)

If music - all of it, en mass, had to nominate a showman, it’d be Brendon Urie. All sparkly jackets and smooth moves, the brains behind Panic! At The Disco has it all.

Note perfect and never less than fabulous, the first taster of new album ‘Pray For The Wicked’ doesn’t miss a step.

Polished to a shiny finish, it comes packed with a video nasty featuring baked potato based violence. If he hits that high note during this summer’s Reading & Leeds headline sets, expect the ground to set alight.

P Stephen Ackroyd

Banger-tastic

Years & Years have returned with a big ol’ banger, obv It’s all-go in camp Years & Years, as the trio - led by Olly Alexander - gear up to release their second album. First though? Why it’s a new pop hit, of course.

T

Words: Martyn Young.

here comes a point in ever pop group’s ascension to greatness,

where they reach that one moment, an undeniable peak of excellence, where you sit back and go, right.

This lot are truly special.

You could argue Years & Years already reached that level long ago but ‘Sanctify’, the first single from their long-awaited second album, is the clearest evidence yet. This is a statement; this is Years & Years marking their territory as pop kings.

The secret of Years & Years’ success is in the little details, the moments that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and those feelings are

all over ‘Sanctify’ from the rippling, yearning desire of the verses to the huge, ecstatic chorus.

Lots of bands can attempt to sound like Years & Years, mining the same electronic path, but the band are blessed with something magical that makes them transcendent.

A large part of that magic is in their frontman Olly Alexander, a contemporary pop icon.

Expanding on the debut album’s themes of sexual desire as a religious awakening, ‘Sanctify’ ramps up the subversion and tension, making the chorus all the more potent. It’s full of knowing lyrics and compelling touchstones. “I breathe the rituals of the dancer’s dance,” sings Olly, and you’re right there with him; you’re breathing it too.

Perhaps the best thing about ‘Sanctify’ is the fact it suggests more. It doesn’t give you everything all at once. That’s all to come.

For now, though, we can revel in its glory. P Years

& Years’ second album is due later this year.

DOWN WITH BORING

23

Hype.

ESSENTIAL NEW MUSIC.

Middle Kids Heartfelt indie-rock with a sunny, Aussie twist.

Words: Sam Taylor Photo: Maclay Heriot.

.Middle Kids. Ready .for work. S.

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A

ustralian trio Middle Kids have a knack for making rich, hook-filled, down-to-earth pop tunes with a magic that evokes nostalgic adventures with mates and lazy summer afternoons. It’s a wonderful, intimate quality, and now we’ve all the more of it, with their debut album ‘Lost Friends’ about to land via Lucky Number - home to Sunflower Bean, Dream Wife, Hinds and all kinds of good stuff.

Hannah Joy, Harry Day and Tim Fitz introduce their band.

You guys must be crazy excited to have your debut out soon, does it feel like it’s been a long time coming?

Some of the album tracks have been in our set for almost a year now so it’ll be cool to play the songs live when we know people have actually heard them. I guess we’re also just excited to put out our first album, it’s kind of a mythic moment for a band.

The Facts + From “Sydney, Australia” + What musical pigeonhole can we shoehorn you into: “A lo-fi producer, an indie-loving songwriter and a 90s-loving drummer walk into an alt-country bar.

Ouch.” + What track would we embed below, if this were online and not on paper: “‘Edge of Town’, or ‘Mistake’”

We’re pumped! It really does feel like a long time coming. We recorded it ourselves and with our friend Phan last year and got it mixed with Peter Katis about six months ago.

Check out...

How did you come to sign with Lucky Number? Was the album all done and dusted at that point?

We met the great people from Lucky Number on our first trip to the UK, they came to our show, and we had a nice chat. By the time we signed with them the album was essentially in the final stages of mixing. We really liked the way they interpreted what the songs and the band were about, and we couldn’t be happier about teaming up with them.

What lyrical themes do you cover across the record, have they changed much since you first started out?

The lyrical themes of Hannah’s songwriting have been pretty consistent; they really are just a reflection of her personality. She likes to deal in story-based imagery, and the songs are very relational. The lyrics often deal with pain or regret or confusion, but there is often an underlying hopefulness.

What’s it like being an up-and-coming band in Australia?

The scene is quite friendly and supportive, and it’s pretty small compared to what goes on over in Europe or the USA. It’s amazing after a while because we see the same Aussie musicians out on the road or at festivals and now we’re all friends and allies. Kinda special.

What’s been the highlight of your time in Middle Kids so far?

Wow, so many. The last year has been mental.

Playing sold-out shows around Australia has been a highlight. We love playing to Australian crowds, it means a lot to us, and there’s always a rebellious and fun energy in the room. We’ve supported some of our heroes like Ryan Adams and The War on Drugs, which have been special experiences. Playing festivals like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits were also incredible experiences.

Are you guys creative in non-musical ways too?

Hannah is an amazing cook and loves to work in the garden, Harry loves to write in his little book of thoughts, Tim has recently taken to putting his clothes in a scanner and photocopying the fabric, but we’re not sure if that’s creative or just pointless. P

Middle Kids’ debut album ‘Lost Friends’ is out 4th May.

The Glitter Shop The best sound to come from rural Suffolk since, well, any Sheeran fans in?

The fresh-faced trio only have a couple of tracks to their name but they’ve already proved they can do infectious indie (‘Fizz’) and downbeat, folky shoegaze (‘Sleep’) without a hitch, and played venues as far from home as Birmingham’s Sunflower Lounge. See them opening for Thyla at our Dork Live! show in Norwich on May 12th.

Listen to: ‘Fizz’

Penelope Isles A lo-fi four piece from Brighton, Penelope Isles are a mix of woozy harmonies and distorted fuzz. They somehow combine the feeling of a hazy summer’s day with a vague sense of unease, a bit like spending a day at the beach when you’re not sure if you remember how to swim.

Listen to: ‘Cut Your Hair’

Theia New Zealand singer EmHaley Walker is all about that buzz. With a couple of top-notch bangers and a debut EP already under her belt, plus a stadium tour with Sia and Charli XCX no less, the up-and-comer has just dropped her new single ‘Bye Bye’ - an attitude-packed masterclass in glitterpop. “It’s written from the perspective of the underdog.

It’s a big finger up at the doubters and the haters,” she says.

Listen to: ‘Bye Bye’ DOWN WITH BORING

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whenyoung Irish trio whenyoung have some of the best new band bangers around, and with words of advice from Bono no less, who knows what’s next?

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Words: Ben Jolley.

espite having just a handful of songs to their name, Irish Londonbased trio whenyoung are already gearing up for three massive tours supporting Dork favourites Dream Wife, Declan McKenna and Peace.

Made up of Aoife Power on vocals and bass, guitarist Niall Burns and drummer Andrew Flood, the three Limerick-born teenagers bonded over a love of The Strokes, The Ramones and The Clash.

After moving to Dublin with city aspirations, they all relocated to London at different times, and that’s when whenyoung was formed. “We’ve known each other since we were 15,” Aoife remembers. “We moved from Limerick to Dublin because it was so small. Dublin was great, but you always want to go to a bigger, more exciting city.”

With a DIY approach to fusing pop hooks and melodies with punky guitars, they began playing shows together and learning from each other. “We try to

.whenyoung will turn .your world upside .down. S.

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create raw, punky sounds, but we love Sinead O’Connor made a guest pop and catchy melodies like The Beatles performance, and Bono was there. “I and Motown,” adds Niall. “That’s what was saying how nervous I’d been and he comes easy to us because it’s what we said that nerves never go away,” Aoife listen to.” remembers of his advice; In terms of Aofie’s “he just said concentrate The Facts songwriting process, the on the music and forget + From Limerick tracks usually come everyone else.” + For fans of Fickle from her just humming As well as that Friends, Dream Wife, The a melody. “When she’s completely unexpected Big Moon drunk!” Niall is quick to evening, whenyoung + Check out ‘Pretty Pure’ add, laughing down the count The Maccabees’ + Social phone. “Yeah, we have Felix White as a fan too. @whenyoungband written stuff when drunk,” Playing a gig where he + See them live They Aoife jokes. “Then we was in the crowd, Felix play Ally Pally with The make the music happen was so impressed that Vaccines on 14th April, and he offered to release around it. It’s pretty are supporting Peace on organic, nothing special...” whenyoung’s single tour from 8th May. That humble ‘nothing ‘Pretty Pure’ on his label special’ has gained them Yala! Records. “He had some big-name fans though. The trio played ‘Actor’ on his radio show, and recently found themselves performing at we got talking after that gig. He really Shane McGowan of The Pogues birthday champions new music and new bands,” in Dublin thanks to their cover of Niall says. “He was immediately really ‘Fairytale Of New York’. “We sent it to his supportive.” manager, and apparently Shane loved it.”

With twenty shows scheduled for While at the party they even had dinner May alone, a dozen festivals booked with Nick Cave and Bobby Gillespie. “We throughout the summer and some were so starstruck, like, ‘What the hell yet-to-be-announced headline shows, are we doing here?’ We could barely even they’re surprisingly not feeling too speak!” Niall gushes. “Andrew got really pressured. “We’re really excited, but we drunk and knocked over two chairs near feel prepared,” Aoife suggests. “We’ve to Nick Cave,” Aoife recalls. been in the studio a lot, and obviously it’s It was definitely a night to remember; a big jump, but we feel ready.” P

Check out...

Common Holly Montreal-via-NYC’s Brigitte Naggar is touring pals with Phoebe Bridgers, Snail Mail, Ought and Julien Baker, and now she’s finally making her way to the UK, new album in tow. Her debut, ‘Playing House’ is a heartfelt, folky reflection on everyday troubles. “[It’s] an expression of how I want to begin my adult life,” she says. “The beginning of my journey of thoughtful action.” Catch Common Holly live this May. Listen to: ‘If After All’

Mallrat One of the hottest new names at SXSW this year, Mallrat is another upstart from a land far, far away who’s just made her London debut. The Aussie artist excels with her clever, fresh take on life, and bangers that get better with every new release - keep an eye out for her second EP, ‘In The Sky’.

Listen to: ‘UFO (ft. Allday)’

colouring This Leicester-born, London-based quartet have spent recent months polishing off their debut album, due later this year via Interscope / Polydor.

They’ve just previewed the release with ‘Time’, a fine dose of indie-pop born from frontman Jack Kenworthy’s struggles with writer’s block. Oh, did we mention they toured with The 1975 and Pale Waves in the US last year, too?

Listen to: ‘Time’

.Post Animal, post .Steve. Sorry. Joe. S.

Post Animal It’s all fun and games until your guitarist joins the cast of smash hit Netflix sensation Stranger Things...

as he’s known in the real world – who remains an inactive member of the band), chances are the show’s scheduling is going to carry some weight.

“We didn’t know that it was going to turn into the massive hit that it was, but we figured that it Words: Jessica Goodman. would probably hinder us playing,” Wes chuckles. here are stranger things indeed Rather than packing it in, the group decided than those dreamt of by a psychto pack up together, and relocated to a house rock sextet from Chicago. Interby Lake Paw Paw, near Watervliet in Michigan, dimensional mind flayers, for where they set about recording their debut album. example, or demogorgon dogs with The sun-kissed setting radiates through every an affinity for nougat. But when it comes to freewheeling moment of the record. “It definitely taking a walk on the wilder side, there are few influenced the carefree tone of the album,” Wes bands who bring that energy to life with such a enthuses. The band saw the change in scenery as vivid and freewheeling nature as Post Animal. a chance to regroup, but the lake Scaling a kaleidoscope of sonics house made its presence known somewhere between Tame Impala more than any of them could The Facts and King Gizzard And The Lizard have predicted... “Apparently the + From Chicago Wizard, the outfit are a force to be + For fans of Tame Impala, lake house was haunted,” Wes reckoned with. hints. “Obviously, we don’t know King Gizzard and the “Oh man, I wish we’d have if that’s actually true,” he laughs.

Lizard Wizard ventured into the death metal Varied and vibrant, the record + Check out ‘Ralphie’ genre,” drummer Wes Toledo is hard to pin down. “Lake house + Social laughs. “We kind of started as a fever dream is what I mean,” @postanimalmusic country-psych project.” Listening the drummer carefully and + See them live Well, to debut album ‘When I Think cryptically portrays. Much like they’ve loads of US tour Of You In A Castle’ it’s instantly that description, ‘When I Think dates. That’s probs not evident how far the outfit have Of You In A Castle’ is whatever much use to you though, come since they first started you choose to make of it. “If it just is it? playing music together to “have stands out to a few people then some fun.” Looking at the band now it’s all we will have done a job well done,” Wes enthuses. systems go: they’re signed to Polyvinyl Records, With live dates carrying the band through their first record is about to see release, and their the summer, the possibility of a UK tour in the tour dates stretch out well into the summer. But offing (“we’re all itching to get over there”), and rewind two years, and the group almost ended the hopes to “record another record really soon,” before they really had chance to begin. it might have taken them the best part of two “When we wrote the record it was right before years to reach this point, but Post Animal aren’t the TV show, Stranger Things, came out,” Wes slowing down – the only thing left to do is hold states. Sure, a Netflix series wouldn’t usually on for the ride. P Post Animal’s debut album have such an impact on a band’s future, but when ‘When I Think Of You In A Castle’ is out 20th your guitarist is Steve Harrington (or Joe Keery, April.

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Check out...

Boy Azooga Unless you’ve had your head under a Brand New Banger rock for the past couple of months, you’ll have caught a blast of Boy Azooga’s ‘Loner Boogie’. A slice of frenetic basement rock, it’s the most infectious fun we’ve had since the first time we heard arch-banger merchants Spring King. There’s a debut album ‘1, 2’ Kung Fu’ coming this summer.

Listen to: ‘Loner Boogie’

Dizzy Canada brings us many good things, and new upstarts Dizzy aren’t stopping that trend any time soon. The three piece, just signed to Communion Records, have dropped a new single ‘Pretty Thing’.

A tribute to a high school life that wasn’t entirely rubbish, the quartet will be hitting the UK soon to play a London headline show and The Great Escape.

Listen to: ‘Cut Your Hair’

joan joan (all lowercase, thanks), are, obviously, two boys from Arkansas making infectious alt-pop. Made up of Alan Thomas and Steven Rutherford, they’ve just dropped their fourth song ‘i loved you first’ (seriously, all lowercase mate), keeping up a ludicrously high bar for quality. Apparently, it’s about an unrequited crush on a girl who, actually, preferred a guy called Brandon. Flowers, we presume, in which case understandable.

Listen to: ‘i loved you first’ 28

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Her’s Merseyside duo Audun Laading and Stephen Fitzpatrick – aka Her’s – make off-kilter tonguein-cheek guitar pop full of irresistible hooks and a cheeky smile.

Words: Sam Taylor.

Hey Stephen, Audun, how’s it going?

It’s going very good, we’re currently sweating in the studio, it makes for happy boys.

When did you first realise you wanted to make music?

We both experienced ‘the music spark’ as kids. That spark of realisation you get after hearing a banger for the first time. Audun’s was ‘Ce Matin La’ by Air, it entered his life at the tender age of six and he learnt to whistle so he could follow the brass section. Ste’s spark was an early encounter with ‘Up Town Girl’

by Billy Joel, he attempted to learn the words on the back of the sleeve, so some artist freedoms were probably taken in the interpretation.

What music were you into when you were a teenager? Who was your fave act?

Audun was expressing his teenage angst by being heavily invested in the mid-2000’s French electronica scene (the whole Ed Banger shebang) ‘Cross’ by Justice made a lasting impression, to say the least. Ste (although he had no Gothic tendencies) was avidly into The Cure, making it his mission to know the catalogue inside and out.

What’s your favourite thing about being a musician?

Making music is a privilege all on its own, but a perk we’ve been enjoying, in particular, is seeing all kinds of places and cultures. We recently got invited to play with Beach Fossils in Bangkok, it was our first time visiting Thailand, although short we came home feeling enriched.

How did you guys get together?

What do you most enjoy writing songs about?

It’s all about putting this puzzle together, everybody involved has got their piece of it. Once it’s all together, this picture becomes a magical sight.

We hear you’re not far from finishing your debut album, how’s it going?

It’s going pretty splendid however the sweats are starting to set in as the deadline is nearing (which is always the case, isn’t it?). We’re super excited to cast it out for people to get their paws on. We’re very happy with how it’s coming together, but that’s all we’ll tell for now.

The Facts

+ Who’s in the band “Audun Laading and Stephen Fitzpatrick.” + How long have you been together ”Going on three years strong.” + Where are you from “Audun is from Kristiansand, Norway and Ste’s from Barrow-inFurness, but we both feel adopted by Liverpool.” + What musical pigeonhole can we shoehorn you into “The jangly dreamy stuff.”

The stars aligned as we were given the exact same schedule in the first year of Uni and quickly discovered we were kindred spirits. It was a trick of destiny, and we’ve been together ever since.

What do you do for fun?

(hide tinnie in jacket to avoid looking anti-social) strolling by Tesco on the way back from the park.

Meal Deals are a subculture now.

Long walks in the park, tinnies on the bench,

What can you tell us about your new single, ‘Love on the Line (Call Now)’?

It tells the tale of a desperate romantic soul, who foolishly falls in love with a seductive sex line hostess over the phone, it’s in the 80’s as well. Take this cautionary tale to avoid falling for a bad egg.

What are you guys up to over the summer? You’ve a big tour, right?

Yes, the biggest of tours!

Hopefully some sleeping in and lazy badminton afternoons in between the myriad of shows we have lined up in the UK and Europe (and hopefully the US if we can bear the burden of the VISAs). P

Her’s new single ‘Love on the Line (Call Now)’ is out now.

So you wanna be a pop star?

Matthew ‘Cale’ McHale,

Marsicans Being a pop star is a serious job. You can’t just walk through the door and get started.

You need to have a proper interview first.

This month’s applicant is Marsicans drummer Matthew ‘Cale’ McHale. The board will see you now.

What can you tell us about yourself?

Hi, I’m Cale. I drum. I named my dog “Hendrix” after the guitarist and recently waxed my shoulders, which is the most painful thing I’ve done.

Why do you want to be a pop star?

So that one day I can follow in Britney’s footsteps and shave my head bald. Also, to own a Boeing 747 like Iron Maiden.

How would your bandmates describe you?

Weird, out there, spontaneous, devilishly beautiful, a liar, the hairiest in the band, weird.

What are your best and worst qualities?

Best: Confident and driven.

.Drummers. Will work .for cider. S.

Worst: I occasionally like chilling by myself, which can seem anti-social. Also, swearing (the ‘C’ word).

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I’ve made some pretty good beer pong shots, scored a hat trick on my debut, lost my virginity... but I suppose the proudest is getting a shit load of kids down to our shows, jumping to our music.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Me and *insert best-looking actress in five years’ time here* have just had a date, looking over *insert best view in five years’ time here*, drinking the finest can of special brew a Yorkshireman can buy from *insert cheapest shop in five years’ time here*.

What is your salary expectation?

Some bloody ciders. You’ve no idea how hard it is to get bloody ciders on the bloody gig rider. I know way more people drink beer but, c’mon, I want my salary to start and end in cider. CIDERRRRRRR. So... when do I start being a pop star? P

Catch Marsicans on Dork’s stage at The Great Escape.

In the know

Alcopop! Records boss Jack Clothier There are always more bands - the biggest question is who do you listen to when it comes to recommendations?

Obviously Dork, your new music bible, should be your first port of call, but there are others too. This month, Jack Clothier, the brains behind the most inventive (and fun) label on the planet, Alcopop! Records.

Hello Dork. Your redesign is looking super fly. I’m into it.

I’ve been listening to a lot of music recently, which is always a good thing.

Top of the pile absolutely must be Nervus, who are about the loveliest people in the world, and spend most of the time decorating my ears with awesome sounds from their new record. I’ve found they segue really well with Frauds when I want some power in the headphones.

Imagine a McClusky meets Lenman powerhouse of intelligently put together buzzsawn angular rock and you’re somewhere close.

Meanwhile on a gentler tip I’ve gone all head over heels for Kississippi, and

for some reason I’ve taken a leap back several years and keep listening to Sam Isaac’s Bears album. It was out (hang on – just checking Wikipedia) back in 2009, but that was a great year for music all told.

Tubelord’s seminal debut came out around then and we’ve just reissued that on vinyl with the original test pressing crumbled into the record [already sold out and probably up for a stack on Discogs] – so perhaps we should do the same with this record?

I’m duty bound of course to remind you that this year we’ve released absolutely next level albums from The Spook School (Body), Happy Accidents (Wait it Out) and DZ Deathrays (Shred For Summer) so have, for your delight and convenience, picked an absolute standout track on each album for you to have a listen to (in the brackets). Please check them out, because they’re genuinely all glorious.

Final thoughts must go to Pink Kink (‘Bubblebutt’ is a delightfully OTT piece of glitter strewn pop genius), Indoor Pets (because every song they write is a fucking hit, and we like fucking hits) – and Kero Kero Bonito who you can’t help but love. There new stuff is a bit of a departure to what you’d expect and it’s ace. P DOWN WITH BORING

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Cover story

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With her first album, Courtney Barnett captured a spirit that took her round the world. With follow-up ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’, she’s heading for a whole new planet.

Words: Ali Shutler.

Photo: Jennifer McCord.

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ourtney Barnett’s ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ is a record at war. Even

bigger than it is. Lots of people ask me about it as if it’s this life-changing thing, and I’ve become a different person, but it doesn’t feel like that to me.”

Playing her music to people always felt tangible. Being nominated for a Grammy, “that was just another world.”

Not that she’s now dreaming of another planet. “I’m not like, ‘Fuck, I can’t believe I didn’t fucking win that award’.

It’s just a funny thing that happened,” she grins. “I don’t feel like this record is too different, but I feel like it’s a nice progression of musicality.

I feel a bit more confident as a guitar player and having done a couple of different projects for other people and playing so much for two years, to me it feels like the next thing. It’s hard to guess how different it is to other people. It’s not that crazy but it feels like a natural progression.”

Courtney Barnett is always busy. One week we’re talking in a London pub, surrounded by snow. The next, she’s in Melbourne, preparing for the release of her new album by playing guitar on tour with Jen Cloher. “The record is all done,” she reasons. “There’s nothing to focus on really, I’m just doing interviews here and there, but I don’t know what I’m talking about anyway, so there’s no work I can put into that. I just hope for the best.”

“I’m always kinda busy,” she says with a shrug that

Courtney Barnett, London. March 2018.

S

the static title is constantly on the move. “It’s a bit of a floating statement; it could be earnest, sarcastic, a question or a statement directed at me or you or anyone,” she considers. In some lights, it’s a plea. In others, a challenge.

“It could be any of that. It’s just me not being aware of my emotions, mostly. It is said earnestly I think, but it could be anything.”

And that freedom rages throughout Courtney’s second album like it’s raged through her story so far. Her debut ‘Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit’ built on a sideways glance at the world that was crafted in early EPs ‘I’ve Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris’ and ‘How To Carve A Carrot Into A Rose’. This time out though, its message kept spreading. Courtney was telling simple, heartfelt stories of the everyday, of posters in kitchens and of existential crises wrapped around the desire for control, and people saw themselves within. It wasn’t long before Courtney was being labelled a voice of generation, though she’d only scoff at the idea.

What followed was two years of near continuous shows around the world. “There were moments of burnout and general ups and downs of touring, but that always happens. I would normally approach each day feeling like I am so lucky to be doing this. People don’t realise how privileged it is to be able to travel and play your songs to people onstage…

It’s incredible. I never really thought I’d make it around the world, but that was a nice bonus. I’ve got to go to some pretty incredible places.”

And while Courtney’s music has reached more and more people in the past few years, things haven’t changed as much as you might imagine.

“Things have changed a little bit, obviously, but I feel like everyone else thinks it’s

“I’m always trying to avoid thinking about how I feel”

comes from knowing nothing else. “I like keeping myself busy. When I’m doing nothing, I don’t like it. I like having something to work towards and to aim for and to keep me flexing my creative muscles. I don’t talk about it all the time, but I like doing it. I’m never doing nothing because there’s always something happening or there’s some little project I’ve got going. If there’s totally nothing, I’ve got Milk Records which I help run. I’m always here working on the store.

There’s always something fun going on.”

It’s the sort of full-tilt approach that comes from “trying to look at everything as being a possible inspiration.

Even relaxing and reading, that feeds something eventually. I’m pretty lazy with reading, but I’m trying to get back into it,” she notes. “There’s always some idea that it can spark, some way you can feed it into everyday life. I try and look at everything as a positive inspiration.”

Since finishing the album,

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Courtney hasn’t written another song, but she has played with poems and little bits of writing. Her desire to be constantly on the move doesn’t stop just because she’s sat on an album. “Keep learning is my biggest thing. There’s so much to learn and so many new things that I have no idea about. That’s pretty amazing. I just keep writing songs and see what they turn into, that’s always a bit of a mystery.”

Courtney Barnett takes fleeting moments and makes them shine. ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ is made up of personal reflection, raw emotion and “little stories, but they’re integral to the point or whatever it is I’m talking and dealing with. Most of it’s very truthful.”

Finished in the studio last year after two years of on again, off again work, ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ was as difficult as the tales promise, not that you’d know from listening. “Just the sitting down and facing it by myself every day was difficult.” It was a stark contrast to Courtney’s constantly on the go pace of previous years, “but that’s just me in general. I’m always trying to avoid thinking about how I feel, I normally just try and do something else.”

This time out though, “I was trying to feel things and focus on them. I really sat down and wrote. For a lot of it, I was just writing endless pages with no real direction or meaning, then I went through them and extracted meaning.

“I never felt like I had a really solid idea of what I was saying, but it made sense over time. I was writing really personally, and a lot of the time, I was writing a lot of letters to people, trying to express how I felt. I was doing this thing where I’d write letters to friends and not send them. It’s that thing where you try and understand what you’re thinking so you can express it. If people that I knew upset me, or frustrated me or if they were upset, it’s an exercise I do to lay it down. It doesn’t always work though; sometimes it just goes around in circles.

Difficult, yes. Pressure? No chance.

“It was just a real study of myself. I kept working on it, and I told everyone I didn’t have any songs, so they expected nothing from me. I try and trick myself sometimes, just try and trick my brain into what I can do. There was no pressure from anyone but myself. I’m pretty hard on myself, so that was pretty intense but that’s just my problem to deal with,” she shrugs.

‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ does a lot of things well. It soothes broken hearts, it stokes raging fires, and it holds mirrors up to dusty, forgotten worlds. It feels familiar throughout. Not because Courtney is treading well-worn

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“I told everyone I didn’t have any songs, so they expected nothing from me” paths or echoing tales already told, but there’s something in the way she sees things that feels comforting. She treats the audience like an old friend, that connection is instant and unbreakable.

“I know that feeling,” she smiles. “I love that feeling in music; it’s like it’s been there.” That feeling of friends in strangers and strangers in friends dances through ‘City Looks Pretty’ as it sings, “Sometimes I get sad, it’s not all that bad.

One day maybe never, I’ll come around.”

“That song is kinda weird,” warns Courtney. “I started writing it in my early twenties, and it didn’t get anywhere, so I put it away. I always liked it, so I tried to revisit it, and I realised that some of the lyrics were quite adaptable to my current state of mind, where I’ve been and what I’ve done. I wrote it in a period of my life where I was on anti-depressants and didn’t leave my room for a while. I’d go out, walk around the city, I’d come home and my girlfriend at the time would ask, ‘Where have you been?’ Then it jumps forward to the present moment, but it still feels like it crosses over.”

Those feelings of alienation, loneliness and being a burden never disappearing as fully as you’d like.

“You should be grateful,” it grapples.

“Pull yourself together and just calm down.”

There’s a lot of that tough love throughout the record, some of it sincere, some of it sarcastic. All of it directed at Courtney. All of it directed at you.

“Yeah, that’s just everyday. A lot of it was me trying to alter behavioural patterns, recognising when you go to a negative place and how to redirect your brain to somewhere else. I can never quite figure out if I’m negative or positive. I think I’m an optimistic pessimist, that’s the best way I’ve ever

thought to describe it. My go-to thought pattern is negative, but I’m always trying to flip it around. It’s a constant battle I guess, and that’s what comes through in the songs, that scolding of myself.”

That war is there from the opening lurch of ‘Hopefulessness’. Direct in its inspiration, “take your broken heart, turn it into art”, powerful as it strips away the metaphor. “It’s getting louder now,” sings Courtney as the song starts tearing down walls.

“It’s about trying to turn a negative into a positive, playing on the idea of feeling incredible hopeless but trying so hard to feel hopeful. That’s the whole album. That song, it’s pretty morose, but that’s the struggle. All of the songs are trying to flip those behavioural patterns that go negative automatically. It’s okay to be sad, and to feel it. Just let it be sad.”

Throughout the record, Courtney takes the time to explore these emotions, gives them space to exist but never dwells or shoulders their weight. There’s also a scattergun excitement. From the freespirited wordplay of the opening track, through its whistling kettle climax and out across the rest of the record, there’s a bubbling, adventurous energy in everything.

“I tried to find different sounds to keep it interesting. We were on a quest to find weird sounds. That’s the fun thing about the studio; you can take the time to go and do it differently. My music changes so much over time, as you grow and you learn more and try different things. I still just make the music I want to hear, that’s all it is. It’s fun to play, and it’s fun to see myself playing, and that’s all.”

Of all the new additions, the boldest is the anger that drives everything. “I don’t think I could help it.” That fury snakes its way across the whole record, but on ‘Nameless/Faceless’, it erupts.

“Previously in my life, I felt like it wasn’t okay to be angry. You shouldn’t do it because it scares people or it upsets friends. It’s like when you’re sad, and your friends are like, ‘What’s the matter, how can I fix you?’ or when you’re angry, people take it personally. I’m not angry at you; there’s other stuff going on. A couple of people have quite aggressively asked me why the song is so angry. I’m allowed to be angry. You’re allowed to be angry. I’m allowed to be fucking angry about stuff, let me be angry.”

‘Nameless/Faceless’ builds itself around the very real concept that “Men are scared that women will laugh at them, women are scared that men will kill them.” It’s broken up by the simple want to walk through the park in the dark.

“It was just unavoidable. It was everywhere, and it is everywhere.

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It’s recognising the anger. It’s one of those things that kept coming up in conversations with friends. I had maybe been a bit, not ignorant; I’d always just accepted it as a thing we all had to exist next to. There was a lot of stuff happening in my periphery, and that song was me trying to work through it.

It wasn’t meant to be a bold statement; it was just me thinking about it, and being angry and upset.”

“People who already understand it show support,” she continues. “I haven’t kept my ears that open to it, but I’d be interested to know if it’s made anyone stop and think about negative behaviour.

I somehow doubt it, but I like to keep optimistic about seeing both sides. At the end of the day, it’s just like that. Why can’t you just be nice to people? It’s just the desperation of wishing it would all end.”

Courtney Barnett talks of fears, frustration, anger and the need for something better. ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ is a record about understanding and reason. It’s about both sides of the story, while not giving anyone a free pass. Through it all though, she never talks down to or for anyone else.

“A lot of it is me trying to comfort friends. It’s about seeing people go through so much pain lately and trying to understand how to comfort it. Or maybe you don’t have to comfort it, maybe you just feel it and move on,” she says, still working things out in real time. “It’s about trying not to tell people how to feel, or telling myself how to feel.

It’s about just acknowledging the feeling, then understanding it, and then moving on from it.”

In this horrible, divisive world, “that’s the only conclusion I’ve come up with,” she says. “I thought the record was for me, and all about me, but I ended up writing so much about other people. In that, there’s a reflection of myself, so it ended up helping me in a roundabout way, but it was for people I knew who were suffering and were having troubling times.”

‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ is conflicted and wants peace. “I’m always trying to understand this anger,” she explains. “It’s the same as hating ourselves. Obviously, that’s about outwards hate towards other people but that inward hate we also learn somehow.”

The record doesn’t find answers, but perhaps that’s the point. Tracks like ‘Sunday Roast’ feel resiliently hopeful.

“I know you’re doing your best,” it sings.

“I think you’re doing just fine,” and that feels important. That line, that idea

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“You’re always crueller to yourself because no one can hear what you’re saying” keeps coming back and round and round in circles in the whole album.

“That relates to everything. I relate that to everyone around me, and it relates back to me. I’m sure people close to me have said a similar thing to me in some way, every day for the last year.

It’s a positive thing I think. The idea that nothing really matters, but it does matter to be kind. It’s just the smaller things that are important.”

And in those small moments of care, hope and being kind, Courtney and her audience find themselves.

“For the majority of the time, we’re so good at stretching any song to be about our own thing that we’re going through at that given moment. I do it all the time.

Love songs depend on if you’re in love or heartbroken. Normally, you can stretch a song to mean whatever you want it to mean and I love that, that personal interpretation is so flexible. Sometimes it’s just said better by other people in one line.

“When I started touring, the first places I went were New York and London for some random showcase things. Then people started turning up to shows knowing who I was. When people buy a ticket on the other side of the world and turn up, that’s was like, wow. You’re singing the words together and talking to people afterwards, and they’re telling me what connections they’ve made to stories and why they could relate, I never really thought about the fact other people could have gone through the same things I have. It feels a bit more normal now because I have that same reaction to music.

“When I realised that I was making music and people were having that reaction to it, it made sense, but it’s one of those weird, self-esteem things. ‘No

one cares what I think’. ‘Oh, wait, yeah they do’. Other people have felt what I felt. I love the feeling of when a song becomes someone else’s. That final, decisive finality of it is kinda scary. You wonder if you had more to say or if you said it right the first time but yeah, It’s quite a relaxing feeling, knowing that it’s moved on and you don’t have to own it anymore because everyone owns it.”

There’s a song on ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ called ‘Crippling Self Doubt And A General Lack Of Confidence’ which is unsurprising really when you consider ‘Pedestrian At Best’. Those fears about self-worth bob to the surface numerous times on record and in conversation, but Courtney really does believe that what she does is important.

Today, anyway.

“I have so many moments of not thinking that, but on a good day, I think that it is important. If I was talking to another songwriter friend of mine and they were full of self-doubt, of course I’d say ‘It’s so important because people connect to what you’re saying and it helps them. It can save peoples lives’. I have friends who I truly believe that of their songs, but it’s hard to tell yourself that. Like anything, you can always be more caring to your friends or someone else. You’re always crueller to yourself because no one can hear what you’re saying, but yeah, I think it is. I think it’s important. I think art is important.”

Throughout the struggles, the conflict, the indecisive conversations and just letting things be, ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ carries “that reoccurring message that everyone is suffering in some way or another. It’s not just you.

“How do you tap into that and support it in some way or back it up?” Courtney asks. “I always hope that people can find some level of connection in my music, however, and whatever it means, and it helps them somehow. That’s the only thing I’ve got from music, that feeling of relating and of not feeling alone. When you hear someone else say that one line and that’s exactly how you feel, in that small moment you feel less alone, and it makes sense, and it’s comforting. That’s all I can ever hope my songs would ever provide someone.”

“Hope and love and all that stuff, it’s incredible,” she considers. “It’s so much easier to be negative, to hate things, to hate people and to feel hopeless. It takes a bit of effort to be positive and to try to be positive to people around you when you’re feeling the opposite. I have faith that people have more love in them than hate.” P Courtney Barnett’s album

‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ is out 18th May.

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The Greatest

One by one, Goat Girl’s peers have started to break through. Now, with a debut album fizzing with potential, it’s their turn to make a noise.

Words: Jamie Muir.

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R

osy Bones, is spending the day at home. It’s a Saturday

like a completely different identity to who they were when first writing and crafting in those early sessions. Goat afternoon, and for most, that Girl thrive off that core purpose and might seem like the norm, individual spirit that was there from day right? Not if you’re about one, even if they weren’t aware of it at to spend the next few weeks blistering the time. across SXSW and then preparing for Coming together as friends from a the sort of year where anything and young age - primarily to do “something everything will come thick and fast. productive with our time” - it was For Goat Girl, it’s that reality that sits only when Rosy joined the band that knocking at the door right now. If you’d they clicked into another gear, finding told them what would happen at the a connection with each other and beginning, they wouldn’t have believed discovering a new world within the DIY it in a million years. shows and gigs popping up across South “It was always a fun thing, something London and beyond. we just really enjoyed doing,” Rosy “That’s how I met them,” explains explains. “We never saw this all Rosy. “It was from going to those happening, we never talked about it, Trashmouth Records gigs, Meatraffle and it’s kinda taken us a while to realise shows, Primordial Soup that we’re actually quite shows and loads more. We good.” were kinda spectators for Bristling with the sort THINKING ABOUT those shows and nights, of immediate presence ‘DOING’ SOME ‘SHOWS’ and then we became part usually restored for YRSELF? IT’S A BLAST. of it.” steely-eyed punk bands “It was really fun, that Appearing on bills playing upstairs and period of doing our own across the capital, Goat in the back rooms of shows. I kinda miss it.

Girl could soon be found boozers, Goat Girl’s Putting on shows with opening up for the bands sound is a whole ‘nother our mates, having BBQs, they’d once gathered to beast. Razor-sharp cuts making posters for it watch, making a name for build and build into and going around town themselves and working ramshackle runaways putting them up. out what worked along that spiral yet always “There was one we did the way. feel fully formed and at The Ivy House that we Rosy recalls the gigs controlled - and it’s in must have done about two with a laugh. “The first those unique moments years ago, maybe more. shows were pretty empty. where it feels like Goat It was a nice summer’s The only people that were Girl are one of only day where we had a BBQ there were like our mums a handful of bands as it was an all-day kinda and dads and some of our truly pushing at the thing - we had like eight friends - there were those boundaries and walls bands playing, and we had circles around the stage around being a guitar picked out our favourites, where nobody wanted to band in 2018. so it was Milk Disco, The be too close and nobody Now, after the many Honey Hahs, The Rebel, would be moving or nights up and down the Jerkcurb and more. clapping. It was pretty country, tucked into the “We didn’t know any of funny; it was a bit like, late-night shows and these people, but that was ‘Are you enjoying this? Or pint-stained floorboards the first show where we shall we stop?’” they’ve tread over to get got to know people who Thankfully, that to where they are today would go on to play a big wasn’t the end - Goat - Goat Girl are ready to part in our life now. It was Girl made sure they were unveil their cohesive first a really fun experience.” everywhere, jumping at statement to the world. every opportunity to play “It’s surreal,” cracks and building the sort of word of mouth Rosy, pointing out the platform she and response to their shows that ensured bandmates Lottie (known as Clottie that they’d be there to play at every key Cream), Ellie (L.E.D) and Naima (Naima moment. The rise of a community of Jelly) now find themselves holding as like-minded musicians and artists, it they sit on the verge of having a debut became an insatiable diary of shows at album out in the world.

The Windmill in Brixton and support “I guess we did maybe think of this slots with the likes of Phobophobes, moment, especially when like label Parquet Courts and more, with their feet interest and stuff started happening firmly on the ground as friends doing but we thought of the album as, well, something to fill the time that was both that’s a long, long way away.” creative and fun.

With most bands, who they are when “We didn’t really think about it as they release their debut album can feel

Goat Party

“We were spectators, and then we became part of it” being something we’d be able to do full time,” Rosy continues. “We were at school or had jobs. We never set out to make it a thing, we just started playing gigs and got better each time and were finding out what people thought of it.”

Even when a manager came along, they thought “what’s a manager? He brought down loads of sweets and beer, and we were like, who’s this guy?”

Independence and artistic integrity are two vital pillars for Goat Girl. They’d put on shows with mates, organise BBQ all-dayers and do it all for themselves, fiercely loyal and dedicated to the scene they’d first bonded over all those years ago. This was all without a single track out in the world, labels queuing up to book a time to come and see the band rehearse as the swelling force around them continued to pull people in, and after one show, everyone would want more.

“That whole time was pretty crazy.

It was like the beginning of a year, and we were rehearsing in a practice room in Waterloo, and our manager was just bringing in all these people who’d come down to watch us practice. It was so intense, just us playing and people there nodding their heads - but it was a very long process, a bit of a game where you don’t want to give away too much.”

Goat Girl signed to Rough Trade before a single track was released. In the almost two years since, they’ve morphed and evolved their creative juices, all while retaining that visceral feeling you get when witnessing them step on stage.

Dropping tasters every few months, Goat Girl’s rise has never felt forced, but a measured and confident game of push and pull that raptures up more than just any old guitar band could.

“When we started releasing material, and people started to know it, then things started to change,” Rosie remembers. “We had our first mosh-pit, and we were looking at each other and not knowing why this was happening.

“I guess there was maybe a bit of pressure ever since we got signed with the record deal, and with producers that

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39

we worked with in the past who wanted to start doing the album like two years ago.

The thing is, we just weren’t ready at that point, if it had gone that way then it’d be so different. We really wanted to take it slow, and I don’t think it could have…”

Rosy pauses.

“I dunno, quite a lot has happened to us emotionally and we’ve grown as people over the years.”

Taking everything they’d felt from growing up as a young person in London, their self-titled debut album manages to capture that all - you can hear the spirit they made it in ring through from track one to track nineteen.

“When we did record it, I don’t think there could have been any other time that we could have done it like that. We didn’t really feel pressure to be what people thought we should be, we kinda really wanted to make an album that felt right and interesting to us.”

Recording with Dan Carey, whose resume boasts the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Kate Tempest and Bloc Party,

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“You can’t just keep playing the same chords over and over and expecting people to still be interested”

in his South London studio, it’s a record that echoes the scrappy, scatter box and glorious sounds that vibrate out of London - and an album that refuses to sit still for too long before jumping to its next fizzing avenue.

More in common with a hip-hop mixtape than the standard construct of an album, it’s a record that fits perfectly and delivers on the promise their unstoppable live shows have served up over the past few years.

“It’s kinda how we write I guess,” answers Rosy, tracing how the album has come into place. “We all write our own music, so that’s where it comes from really, those little interludes are just little snippets of ideas too that we have and it puts our music into a different world too.

We’re not just a basic four-piece chart band, so it goes out of that world. The thing is we don’t listen to that music.

Growing up we’d listen to loads of punk and stuff, but it doesn’t thrill me anymore.

I don’t find it that interesting to listen to. We all kinda listen to a lot of different

things, and we wanted to show that.”

“There are songs there that have been around since we were 15, some are really old,” lays out Rosy, “which is why we kinda wanted the album to be as long as it is. It’s like every song we have right now and very much a reflection on our lives so far. It all feels like one thing so we wanted to put it all in one place because they all live within the same world.”

“To be fair, it was pretty easy for us doing the album and recording,” points out Rosy, thinking back to the time where it all came into place. “Not easy I suppose, but within the two weeks we had a pretty chilled approach to it all. The second to last day of recording we had a gig with Dan actually playing too, and he had a party back at his studio afterwards - so we all went back there and everyone started picking up instruments.

“It was actually quite embarrassing because we wanted everyone to listen to the album because we were so proud of it, so we were like, ‘Everyone, everyone - sit down and listen to this album’. Then we

started it, and I had this moment where I looked at these people listening to it and thinking ‘this is my favourite bit’ so we actually put a lot of pressure on ourselves there!”

Building a mesmerising world of gritty haze out of startling realities, Goat Girl trade upon modern life in a manner that never feels forced-upon, it’s a natural reaction to the world around them - and in that essence, their message becomes more powerful than most.

“It wasn’t really intentional to make it all about that, but it’s hard to not comment on what’s around you,” elaborates Rosy. “It’s almost your duty as a songwriter to bring those issues up and bring them to the norm and show people that we don’t all feel the same way and start a conversation.

“I don’t even know what the next album will be like, it’ll probably be about being on the road,” she laughs.

What Goat Girl symbolise more than anything, is a new approach to guitar music - something bursting into

technicolour across their debut album.

It’s in those moments that the South Londoners become something altogether more special, a band representing a new generation. A fightback against the idea of ‘general norms’, Goat Girl flow with the sort of forward-thinking drive that makes you wonder where they go next.

“You can’t just keep playing the same chords over and over and expecting people to still be interested,” states Rosy.

“It’s so overdone and boring now, having that - and not wanting to generalise - that idea of the general all-male four-piece of guitar, guitar, bass and drums playing generic chords. Fair enough if you want to do that, but I don’t think there should be room for that anymore really. I think it should be open for people to do more interesting things.”

Goat Girl are many things, but guaranteed soon they’ll be something altogether more exciting again. Always moving, always growing, you’d be a fool to try and box them in. P Goat Girl’s self-

titled debut album is out now.

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Be kind,

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, rewind.

The boys from Brum are back - make way for a new, bolder Peace. “If you don’t take risks, what can you take?” ponders frontman Harry Koisser.

Words: Jessica Goodman.

Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett.

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“Y

ou know, people say on your third album you either go electronic or go back to the start,” Harry Koisser contemplates. “I’ll let you decide which one we’ve done.”

It’s been a long three years since Peace last released a record. The band might have been keeping themselves quiet for a while, but rest assured, their time away has done nothing to subdue their effervescent energy. If anything, it’s the opposite.

Encountering the group now is to be treated to a band at their most addictively excessive yet. “This is the most Peace moment of Peace since conceptualising Peace,” Harry conveys. “It was a really, really Peace moment when we started and we were like, ‘We’re gonna be called Peace, and this is what we’re gonna do...’” he enthuses.

“This is kind of the most Peace moment since.”

Readying to release a new record, tour venues across the UK, and headline festivals throughout the summer, it’s all systems go for the Birmingham outfit – a momentum they always intended to hold on to. When touring for second album ‘Happy People’ started to wind down, the group were ready to dive headfirst into whatever came next. “We got a farmhouse in a clearing in a forest,” Harry recalls. “We moved all of our stuff in the middle of the tour, and I went straight there the day after the tour finished, just to start afresh and start writing. I think we wanted to keep our foot on the gas somehow, or not end up disappearing for three years.”

While that intention didn’t quite go to plan, Peace have always been a band to take every situation in their stride.

“It’s kind of what everyone wants to do at some point in time: ‘Fuck it, I’m just going to go!’” Harry proclaims. “How many times have you said that to yourself?” he asks. “Well, I had.” Describing the move from tour life to farmhouse as being “probably a little bit like running a hot glass under cold water,” it was this stark contrast that led to the band starting anew. “If you don’t take risks, what can you take?”

Harry questions.

Retreating from the bright lights and wild nights of city life, these six months of self-imposed solitude led to the band writing their “most Peace” album to date. “It was really binary between super inspiring and super beautiful, waking up every morning and seeing the majesty of nature in full force, seeing the cold of winter like never before, and then, on the other hand, extremely isolating,” Harry portrays. “I didn’t see anyone for over six months.” While the other members of the band dipped in and out of the farmhouse, Harry stayed, fully focused on improving his songwriting. “I went from probably having 150 friends to having 3,” he laughs. “It was probably for the best, to be honest,” he adds. “No one needs that many friends.”

It was in the rural wilderness of Herefordshire that the band began to tap into the energy to create something new. “I think there’s a clarity which comes from nature – even though I’m not writing about nature,” Harry distils. “[The album] is not very... What’s the word I’m looking for?” he pauses. “Let’s go with elvish,” he laughs. “It’s

Is three the magic number?

All these records were third album in their author’s catalogue, but are they any good?

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not very elvish, like what you might think from being in the woods for that long. But there’s definitely a clarity that comes with isolation and space that I think is in the music.” With the songs written, the group returned to the city ready to bring their new creativity to life.

RADIOHEAD OK COMPUTER

Widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, Radiohead’s third record built on the evolution of previous full-length ‘The Bends’ and set the foundations for everything that followed.

“The countryside was refreshing, and I loved it.

Coming back to the city, that’s when my head just fell apart,” Harry expresses. “There were people and distractions, and parties and things going on and all the stuff which I’d escaped was there waiting, completely the same,” he

BLUR PARKLIFE

While second album ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’ formed the blueprint for Britpop, ‘Parklife’ was the crowning glory that proved the formula. Some of the 90s greatest hits lie within.

Taking three years between albums, Peace dedicated themselves to their creativity in a way they have never done before.

T These spiky. customers are. no dummies..

Also Harry has a. sword..

states. “I probably should’ve stayed in the countryside, to be honest.” It was while adjusting back to city life that the group got in touch with esteemed producer Simone Felice. “We sent him the songs, and he was calling me like ‘I don’t know fucking anything about your band, but I love

OASIS BE HERE NOW

The buzz around Oasis’ third album was deafening from radio specials to event TV. Regarded widely as a flop, the merits of ‘Be Here Now’ are still up for debate, but as a lesson in hype, it’s unmatched.

Wanting to be the best they could be, frontman Harry Koisser took this to the next level, and fabricated himself some studies to help hone his craft. “While I was in the farmhouse I kind of got a guilt for never doing a degree or going into higher education,” Harry states. “I had a lot of time on my hands, so I was like, ‘I’m going to study songwriting.’” Creating what he casually refers to as “just a masterclass” for himself, the frontman set about honing his skills to a new degree. “I imagined that you would analyse stuff at uni,” he summarises. “I started to get Burt Bacharach lyrics up and read them and underline them, and look at some other songs that I really like and start analysing the lyrics a little bit.”

“I started thinking like, ‘Oh wait, you have to be a little bit clearer,’ or ‘I’m not very good at describing...

Things,’” he laughs. “I had that sort of millennial complacency before, where I just thought that because this song had fallen out of me, it was better than everything else in the world.” As such, the songwriting on ‘Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll’ is perhaps Peace at their most meticulous yet. “I’ve definitely taken a tiny bit more concern into the level of songwriting I was doing, and learning - not just being complacent.”

ARCTIC MONKEYS HUMBUG

For a band born onto the biggest stages, Arctic Monkeys’ third album is - relatively - an undervalued gem that saw Alex Turner mature from cheeky tyke to a more rounded voice.

“This is the most Peace moment of Peace since conceptualising Peace” this music, and I want to make it happen,’” Harry enthuses.

And so the group set about relocating again, this time to spend a month in the spirited setting of Woodstock.

“Woodstock is one of the first things that you associate with peace and with all of that imagery and everything that it stands for. It’s the kind of home of it and the centre of it in a certain way,” Harry illustrates. “When [Simone] got in touch and was like, ‘Do you want to come and do some music?’ We were like, ‘This is correct,’” he laughs.

Packing up for four weeks in New York state might’ve been one of the band’s most impractical decisions yet, and it might’ve taken them months of planning to get there, but in the latter half

ARCADE FIRE THE SUBURBS

A complex album, ‘The Suburbs’ actually contains many of Arcade Fire’s most ambitious moments - chief amongst them the startling ‘Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)’.

of 2017 it finally paid off, and the group found themselves arriving in a new spiritual home. “It’s beautiful. It’s kind of...” Harry trails off, looking for the right way to describe it. “Piney?” he offers, laughing.

“There were lots of deer, and snakes, and skunks, and stars, and this big massive river, and mountains. It’s the real deal.”

“It’s a real magical place,” he continues. “There’s some kind of sacred energy there, is I believe what people say – but I truly believe that now. After going there, you experience the magic; you inhale it, you taste it.” It wasn’t just the setting that offered a sense of magic, but something the band rediscovered within themselves. “We went back to having everyone in the room together, which was

THE KILLERS DAY & AGE

After the barnstorming ‘Hot Fuss’ and ‘Sam’s Town’, ‘Day & Age’ is a juxtaposition - an underdog that also contains some of The Killers’ biggest bangers including the iconic ‘Human’.

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45

interesting and effortless and fun,” Harry expresses. “Just the four of us recording all at the same time, then adding bits and bobs.” Under the guidance of producer Simone Felice, the band set out “to unlock a really, really deep and dense power in the music.”

“We’d sit and play the songs by a campfire,” Harry reminisces. “Simone would take me into the woods with a guitar and say ‘play me the song,’ and he’d be like, ‘What do these lyrics mean? Why’ve you got that there? Take that lyric out’. It was the full experience.” Unlocking their capabilities while being rooted in history was the perfect backdrop for Peace to give shape to their third album. As inspiring and reenergising as their setting was, it wasn’t all plain sailing. Two weeks into their recording time, drummer Dominic Boyce was injured in a road accident.

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Harry recalls. “It was the worst thing that could’ve happened at that point.”

Facing half an album left to record with a broken arm, any other band might’ve faltered, but the Birmingham outfit simply learned to adapt.

“In very classic Peace fashion, no one flinched,” Harry laughs.

“Simone was like, ‘You’ve got to work with your limitations and let the limitations breed their own sort of form of creativity,’” he states. “Which we did. Half the album the drumming’s a lot more simple than the other half,” he grins, “but I quite like that.”

Even when working with limitations, ‘Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll’ showcases Peace at their boldest, most thrilling, and most outright ridiculous yet. Never have Peace been more, well, Peace, than on the album’s title-track. Clocking in at a little over two and a half minutes, the song takes in a one-handed drum

performance, a stadium-sized rock chorus, a choir, and vocals from Bruce Springsteen backing singer Cindy Mizelle.

“I love ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ by Meat Loaf,” Harry states, “but it’s ten minutes long,” he gripes. “I thought if we could do that theatre in two and a half minutes, we’re going to be really cooking.”

Described as “the ‘everything we’re about’ track,” ‘Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll’ is a theatrical high point on an album where everything is turned up to eleven. “I think it’s an energy that we’ve always withheld,” Harry contemplates. “On record, we’d always sort of attempt to be a little more refined. Not unleashing 100%,” he states. “I think the thing that Simone sort of pointed out was, ‘Let Dom play the drums as loud as he fucking

wants. In fact, tell him to play them harder. Get Sam to really unleash all the funk he wants on the bass, all the grooves, whatever he wants to do, let him do it. Let Doug do the biggest guitar sounds he can do’.” So that’s exactly what the band did.

Of course, it’s not all highoctane thrills. The album also showcases the band at their most open and emotionally candid yet. “I think the ease of doing that was probably a product of the isolation that I put myself through before,” Harry reflects. “I’ve seen so many great bands do okay stuff worried about what their friends would think of them,” he expresses. “But then when you remove having any mates from the situation, you’re completely open to sing about whatever you want,” he laughs.

From the strut-in-your-

T Blinded by. the lights: Peace,.

Hot Dog Studios,.

London, March.

2018..

“We got a bit carried away; I will not apologise for it” stride swagger of opening track ‘Power’, through the strident determination of ‘Magnificent’, to the resplendent manifesto that is ‘Choose Love’, and everything in between, no holds are barred, not even for a moment. “We got a bit carried away,” Harry laughs. “I have no justification for that, but I will not apologise for it either.” Not that anyone’s been complaining. Quite the opposite, in fact. Excitement surrounding the band on the run-up to their new album release has been just as vibrant as ever. As for the band, they’ve never been

prouder.

“It was full on the most emotional moment I think of my life so far,” Harry comments of hearing the record for the first time, “and I’ve been through some shit,” he laughs. Not ones to do anything by half, the band first listened to the album in their studio control room, with the lights turned down low, surrounded by management and friends who’d flown to them especially for the occasion. “I think there was a tear or two,” Harry recalls.

“There definitely was. I feel emotional just thinking about it.”

With the album release now just around the corner, Peace are ready to take the world by storm, sharing music they poured their hearts into along with a message they truly believe in. “’Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll’ is just what I’ve seen happening,” Harry comments. “It really is that simple. It is fucking so basic, but so true.” Born out of the shared belief that you can make the world a better place by just being a little kinder, with the release of their third album, that’s exactly what Peace are hoping to present. “There’s these aquarian tectonics at play, and this shift in the world,” Harry details. “There’s less of this rock and roll bravado. People are waking up a little bit and being like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna treat people a little bit better.

I’m gonna do things to make

everything a little bit better.’”

That’s exactly what Peace are all about. Spreading a little bit of positivity and offering a little sense of relatability through the music they create, their only hope is that maybe, just maybe, in their own way they can make their own world a little bit of a better place. “My housemate said to me, ‘Shit, kindness actually is the new rock and roll,’” Harry beams. “I was like, ‘Dude; I think it actually might be.’” As the band themselves sing on ‘Choose Love’, “any idiot can sing it in a song, so sing it.” If all it takes to make the world a little better is a little kindness, then what are you waiting for?

P Peace’s album ‘Kindness

Is The new Rock And Roll’ is out 4th May. Read more in the Dork Festival Guide, out now.

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“W

e’re kinda a big mess,” admits Janet Planet. It’s

an apt name to have when you’re in a band who could easily throwdown a party at any location, at any time. She’s joined leading the charge with Sugar Bones, alongside Clarence McGuffie and Reggie Goodchild - and if there were ever names more suited to Confidence Man then, well - someone needs to raise attention to it.

“Like…” continues Janet, “if you’re cooking good food, a lot of the time it doesn’t really look good, but it tastes great. That’s what we are. We’re made up of a bunch of good things that shouldn’t necessarily go together, but somehow it kinda works.”

A lot can happen in a year, and Confidence Man are a shining example of that very fact. In the space of twelve months, they’ve gone from spending their time playing in multiple bands and hanging out together in a shared house in Brisbane, to the sort of onthe-cusp level of hysteria that feels like its ready to bubble over into one glorious disco celebration.

“A lot of the past year has been finalising and working out exactly what the band was,” details Janet, taking a moment at home before Confidence Man unleash their defining next steps.

“At the time we released ‘Boyfriend (Repeat)’, we still didn’t know what we wanted to do or who the characters were in the band or how we wanted to portray ourselves live, so it’s been a slow process of adding things as we go. It’s been a big collage of all these little mistakes.”

Not like you would have known.

What Confidence Man represent and do may be something that seems quite easy to pinpoint, but its importance in 2018 is something to behold. Born out of life down under, its origins don’t lie with four friends discovering music for the first time, but a natural voyage into the unknown with only the thought

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of having fun - and the result might well be the most joyous record of the year so far.

Playing in their own bands separately (across the likes of Aussie favourites Jungle Giants, Moses Dunn Collective and The Belligerents), Confidence Man are that moment when you first meet someone and let them flow into your life, pulling boundaries down and jumping into the bliss of living.

“I think why we ended up doing what we did was because we didn’t feel like there was anything out there that was exactly what we wanted to do or see when we went out and got drunk,” confesses Janet, drawing back to the path that’s led them here. “We decided that we’ll just make it ourselves then, if it’s not there.

“Everyone was writing music already in this shared house but were doing it in their rooms, and I think one day, Reggie was just jamming on a bassline and a few of us were in there and it ended up just being the four of us in a room thinking, holy shit this is awesome.

“We started doing it more and more and then it became a routine, twice a week before escalating from there.”

“At the start, it was just my girlfriends who liked the tracks we were making,” points out Janet, “and then we released ‘Boyfriend’ and we were like, actually, maybe we should write some more songs.

Maybe we need more songs because people are starting to listen to us and maybe these are songs people would like.”

When ‘Boyfriend’ landed in the world, the world took notice. Within months, Confidence Man were storming packed out festival stages and becoming the sort of word of mouth phenomenon that meant, even if you haven’t heard of them you’ll need to see them live.

At last year’s Great Escape, the hub of breakthrough bands, their shows grew and grew over the three days, going from a room of ten people at their first show - to their final one seeing crowds gathered down the street.

“People had this expectation that we knew what we were doing, but we actually had no idea” It was a long way from their initial plan for Reggie and Clarence to tour their songs as a DJ set while they saved enough money to get everyone out on the road, something that seems unthinkable now Confidence Man pack the feel-good live show of the year in their back pocket. A glitter-soaked coming together of everything they represent, it’s the big night out coming straight for everyone and anyone.

“We did this one show within the first week of releasing a song at this tiny venue in Brisbane,” recalls Janet, thinking back to those early days and the unfiltered live show they brought to the table from day one.

“My Mum had made our costumes and everything. I was in this gold sequin mini-dress, and Sugar was in a matching gold suit. We did moves that were ABBA-inspired and smiling really big and just super happy. Our friends were watching, and we asked them what they thought. They were like, ‘You went like deep ABBA’ and I was like, dude - ABBA are pretty good.”

Their reputation began to grow, within months being dubbed ‘the best up-and-coming live band in Australia’ and feeding off immediate reactions to their inviting fun-filled frolics. For Confidence Man though, it was just

DON’T YOU KNOW THEY’RE IN A BAND?

Feeling a bit down? Get Confidence Man on your stereo, pronto. If anyone knows how to have a good time, it’s definitely these guys.

Words: Jamie Muir.

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49

another natural step of four mates simply throwing the party they wanted to be at, because nobody else would do it.

“I wasn’t surprised because that’s what I want to see. I would want to see people doing synchronised dancing, the hot guy with the six-pack who can’t dance and a girl running around trying to twerk, and I thought there must be other people like us,” laughs Janet. “There has to be people who like something a bit silly.

“The more shows we played, the more we realised. There would be people dressed in tragedy gear after work who were having a beer and then would gravitate towards the stage at our shows. We thought, maybe this is good? Maybe people are going to like it.”

After seeing the world on a whirlwind twelve months, their debut album ‘Confident Music For Confident People’ delivers on a manifesto for some serious partying.

A glorious reinvention of early 00s electroclash morphed with sugarsweet pop hooks that immediately has hips moving, hands shaking and eyes wider than most revellers show leaving Fabric every weekend - it’s a record bound with optimism, hope and untouchable highs that continues to evolve and move at every step.

Pulled together from those nights together in their shared house in Brisbane (and now in a new house in Melbourne after they decided to move out together), it takes their organic steps and builds it into a bountiful shape.

“I think people

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had this expectation that we knew what we were doing, but we actually had no idea,” states Janet. “We would just go, I think this is good this is gonna work.”

In line with everything that makes Confidence Man well, Confidence Man - they’d work on tracks with a key rule. If you aren’t yelling at each other in excitement and are beginning to stroll piecing it all together, then let it go. In the moment, Confidence Man are about the unfiltered sugar hit storming into your brain.

From standout heavyweight bangers like ‘Better Sit Down Boy’, ‘Bubblegum’ and ‘Don’t You Know I’m In A Band’ to the unravelling blossom of the Screamedelica-esque ‘Out The Window’ and ‘Fascination’,

it’s a record basking in the innocent joys of electronic pop. Tongue firmly in cheek, they glimpse at the ridiculous events going on around them - laughing their heads off and recalling adolescent dreaming as the unmistakable master of it all.

Take ‘C.O.O.L Party’ for example, a shuffling LCD Soundsystem jammer that brings in cowbells and grooving licks for a storied run-down of the indisputable party of the year.

“I think ‘C.O.O.L Party’ has some really funny bits in it and the most hilarious chorus,” smiles Janet. “We already know the dance moves we’re going to do for it - like a total YMCA on that chorus.”

Don’t believe that their lives can involve some of the many events they talk about?

“Half of those things talked about we do - we did actually see a guy shoving a lightbulb up his arse.”

That’s that answered then.

It’s a joy of lightning energy sorely needed, a band who bathe in the outlandish and have the soundtrack to back it all up. It’s a potent mixture that in the face of all your naff news going on in the world, represents something more.

“The reason I like doing this so much is, of course, making music.

I love music so much, but it’s also good to be on stage and dancing crazy. Though people confuse the effort and confidence with actually being good at something,” continues Janet.

“There’s so much difficulty and hardship around, that I think

actually, maybe, happiness is more important than focusing on negatives. There’s nothing wrong with that and a lot of benefits in trying to be positive. I think people can look down on happy music as being easy to write or shallow, but I don’t think that’s right at all.”

Ask Confidence Man about where they go next and what they want to achieve, and they’re completely open about it. The plan for getting an album together and out into the world born out of a desire of “wanting the audience to know more of our songs and be a part of it all to get involved” or “so we didn’t have to play to a crowd who didn’t know our songs anymore!”

After all, the best parties can come from knowing every single

“People can look down on happy music, but I don’t think that’s right at all” word like it’s a tattoo on the chest of the person in front of you, and if anybody can claim their place as 2018’s defining party-masters, then it’s Confidence Man. They’re not worried about what you think of them, or what you think about their music or whether you think you’ve heard it all before - they just want you to join in, head to the dance floor and throw your worries out of the window. Even if just for 45 minutes.

A lot can happen in a year.

Confidence Man were the underground party; now they’re bursting out. If you want to find them, follow the glitter - because times like these need some love and (f)understanding. P Confidence

Man’s album ‘Confident Music For Confident People’ is out now.

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Reviews.

THE OFFICIAL VERDICT ON EVERYTHING.

The Big One

Peace Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll Peace have been the glue to hold a universe of exciting British indie bands together. Back with a third album and a bolder, more singular swagger, they’re out to get their dues.

P

eeeee LABEL: IGNITION RECORDS RELEASED: 4TH MAY 2018 LISTEN TO: KINDNESS IS THE NEW ROCK AND ROLL, YOU DON’T WALK AWAY FROM LOVE, FROM UNDER LIQUID GLASS 52

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eace are an important band.

While their first two albums have fizzed with the day-glo energy of a band drawing influence from the past before warping it into their own acid washed, tie-dye world, that vitality doesn’t simply come from their own output. Their arrival - and the scene from which they grew - paved the way for so many of the impossibly exciting underground-slashmainstream bothering bands that pepper 2018. Without them, the groundwork for Wolf

Alice, Shame or countless others simply wouldn’t be there. They may still have broken through, but it wouldn’t have been easy.

That’s because Peace have always felt to be more than just a band. A force of personality, infectious but unforced, they’ve never allowed themselves to become the last gang in town. Open, inclusive and charged with the wide eyed hope of youth, even as they grow older, they still feel a million miles from the grumpy claws of the ‘seen it all before’ moaners, so eager to ruin the kids’ fun. If anything, they’re pulling away.

If anything, ‘Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll’ is Peace at their most positive. Even in its darkest moments - such as

T “Do you like my. sword? We’ll have at. least four stars,. thanks.”.

the hauntingly effective ‘From Under Liquid Glass’ - there’s a sense of undeniable hope.

In part, that’s down to a new, bolder outlook. This is still Peace, but delivered in a purer form than ever before.

‘You Don’t Walk Away From Love’ is packed with bombast - strutting on a singular guitar line, cocksure and proud while the title-track takes hippieish sentiment and turns it into starry-eyed possibility.

It’s a theme that turns what could have been a desperate throw of the dice into a manifesto to believe in. Closer ‘Choose Love’ swells the heart, while ‘Magnificent’ pleads “don’t give up on me just yet”.

There’s no chance of that. Give Peace a chance, and they’ll save us all. P Stephen Ackroyd

Alexis Taylor

Beautiful Thing

eeeee Four solo albums in, Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor gets nice and snug with a record that’ll keep your ears nicely toasted.

Opener ‘Dreaming Another Life’ is particularly dark, blending hints of Taylor’s electronic background with warped guitars that linger before synths bring a welcome cosiness that allows you to settle in for a long, luxurious ride. ‘Beautiful Thing’ glows throughout; inviting you in to prop your head up on your forearms and gaze lovingly at Taylor as if he is telling you the most engaging tales you’ve ever heard. Irreverent perfectionism from an artist not afraid to be a little strange. P Ciarán Steward

Confidence Man

Confident Music For Confident People

eeeee When was the last time you threw yourself into a party? That exact feeling, of leaving your inhibitions at the door, is what makes Confidence Man such a special band - and ‘Confident Music For Confident People’ such an essential album for a time where being afraid and stepping back may seem like the easiest thing to do.

A glorious eruption of party culture and unabashed Skittle-pop, it’s Confidence Man distilling the ‘give no fucks’ attitude of clubland with mesmerising melodies and the sort of immediate hit that pulls you right into their world. We’ll see you under the disco ball. P Jamie Muir

Cosmo Sheldrake

The Much Much How How And Ice

eeeee Old Vic composer, maverick producer and ‘found-sound’ expert, Cosmo Sheldrake is both weirder and more wonderful than your average pop star. Raised by a biologist and Mongolian overtone chanter, his unorthodox musical education comes to startling fruition on his first full-length, an epic reflection on life as an artist constantly flirting with theatricality. One to file next to Alt-J and Glass Animals, ‘The Much Much...’ is an example of pretentious pop done well, and there is plenty to discover within his world. Just don’t forget to pack your penny whistle… P Jenessa Williams

Bryde

Like An Island

eeeee Otherworldly and ethereal, Bryde’s soundscapes reach boiling point with debut record ‘Like An Island’. Dripping with mysticism and transcendental sounds and images, she invokes the aesthetics of her native Wales throughout.

Over the course of the record, Bryde juggles her mystical soundscapes and unapologetic guitars with pristine skill. There are moments of infectious beats and danceable choruses, of soft vocals and wisps of electronica. The mystic and turbulent atmospheres Bryde creates over the eleven tracks conjure powerful snapshots of relatable struggles. The heady combination of dreamlike stories and dense instrumentals makes ‘Like An Island’ a personable, evocative, and impressive record.

P Erin Bashford

Recommended

Hey, Cosmo Sheldrake, recommend us some stuff...

Favourite ever book: The Glass Bead Game by Herman Hesse.

TV show you couldn’t live without: I don’t really watch many TV shows, but I just watched Twin Peaks and loved it.

Best purchase of this year: I have just got into embroidery, maybe my embroidery hoop and darning needle!

Anything else you’d recommend: Fermenting foods.

#indieamnesty

Blossoms Cool Like You eeeee From chart bothering Number 1 heroes, to fabricated in-band scraps, Blossoms find themselves sat atop the indie throne of the North.

B

lossoms fans, please breathe a sigh of relief. ‘Cool Like You’ is here, and it delivers everything one might want from a second album. Critically, there’s a healthy smattering of tracks that - at the bare minimum - equal the anthemic-might of earlier releases, such as ’Charlemagne’ and ‘Honey Sweet’, that appeared on the band’s debut.

A single listen is all it takes for tracks on the new record to latch onto the subconscious. Even the most stubborn music fans will catch themselves murmuring the formidable chorus in ‘Giving Up The Ghost’ during a quiet moment. Who knows, you might even start welling up inexplicably to Tom Ogden lamenting, “I hate leaving the town that owns me…”, on ‘Love Talk’, unearthing some unknown, deep-set emotional baggage that could probably do with some acknowledgment.

One thing’s for certain, much of the album’s power lies in the way that Blossoms harness nostalgia, both in their lyrics and the music

itself. Synthesisers have been promoted to take a front-seat, with intros on many of the tracks wielding some ultra-spacey riffs, reminiscent of those 80s ballads your mum would have played too loudly in her room as a teenager, as she sat on her bed thinking about that boy she fancies (likely a ‘Mark’, or ‘Simon’).

The album is as cathartic as it is nostalgic, and although its sentiments are mainly retrospective, even regretful, Cool Like You manifests as a synthclad ‘purge’. On the first listen, the lyrics and tonal influences suggest that the album is a mere token of the past. Yet on the second or third listen, it becomes clear that Cool Like You exists as a very necessary expulsion, of sorts.

The album is a friendly gift, instructing its listeners on the way that acknowledging the past facilitates progression into the future.

An auspicious sentiment, especially coming from a band on their second album - it can only be hoped that there’ll be several more. P

Lily Beckett

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DMA’s

For Now

eeeee While being compared to Oasis has got to be a good thing on all counts, for DMA’s it’s fair to say it became a commonplace comparison for the Aussie trio. With debut album ‘Hills End’, DMA’s left a mark with their instantly infectious Britpop hooks, and knack for sun-kissed melodies abound - but where to go next?

‘For Now’ is their defiant next step, a record that bears the glorious heart of everything they beat with ‘Hills End’, but determined to make their own mark on the world around them. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but it’s excelling at a lost art that thousands will be clambering over from the very first listen. P Jamie Muir

Forth Wanderers

Coming up...

Here’s what to expect in the very near future!

11TH MAY Beach House - 7 Simian Mobile Disco Murmations The Sea and Cake - Any Day

Forth Wanderers

18TH MAY Charles Watson - Now That I’m A River Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel James Bay - Electric Light Parquet Courts - Wide Awake Quiet Slang - Everything Matters But No One Is Listening Ryley Walker - Deafman Glance

Frank Turner

Be More Kind

eeeee 2018 feels like a difficult point for Frank Turner. An era of polarised opinions, and definitive good and evil doesn’t lend itself to the grey, muddy hues of the real world. In spirit, ‘Be More Kind’ is a message of hope, but - as ever - it’s rarely that simple. Lyrically, the bombastic ‘1933’ and its jibes towards the “shower of bastards leading the charge” is correct, but at the same time feels to misread the mood of the room. Concentrating on firing shots across the ultra-right wing establishment rather than celebrating and lifting up the new, fresh voices who really could spearhead something better, it’ll be they who make the difference. P Dan Harrison 54

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Iceage

Beyondless eeeee

We could give loads of reasons to listen to the new Iceage album, but when one track can be described as a ‘sordid goblin strut’, we probably don’t have to.

eeeee Since forming in 2013, Forth Wanderers have released a couple of EPs and a debut album - 2014’s ‘Tough Love’ - but this self-titled second has all the confidence and assurance of a debut. If ’Tough Love’ suffered from a surfeit of self-contained, knotty instrumentals, with vocal lines wandering, lacking a little in the shape of hooks, here songs like the playfully needling ‘Company’ and ‘Taste’ are arresting and assertive, while ’Not For Me’ and ‘Temporary’ wed beauty and noise. Vocalist Ava Trilling’s songs are wistful but rarely self-pitying, and ‘Forth Wanderers’ sparkles with a pensive, but optimistic energy. P Rob Mesure

Showtime

25TH MAY Chvrches - Love Is Dead Snow Patrol - Wildness 1ST JUNE Ben Howard - Noonday Dream Natalie Prass - The Future And The Past Matt Maltese - Bad Contestant The 1975 - Music For Cars* 8TH JUNE Lily Allen - No Shame

* Look, we’re guessing, okay?

I

ceage’s fourth album ‘Beyondless’ sees the Copenhagen group refine and restrict the venom that made their early albums so pertinent.

However, as the vim and vigour makes up a much smaller aspect of the band’s music, Iceage plug that void with luscious instrumentation and masterful lyrics, which allows the band to express a spectrum of feelings and emotions throughout the record. Despite the fact that it is indeed a chaotic affair, ‘Beyondless’ is the band’s most accomplished work to date, a colourful affair that sounds beautiful, energetic, and above all, triumphant.

‘Beyondless’ is an album as chaotic and cathartic as the individual at the centre of it; Elias Bender Rønnenfelt, the band’s wiry frontman. His coarse vocal delivery on lead single ‘Catch It’ sees him spit out lyrics from the very back of his dry, dry throat, and on ‘Pain Killer’ these wry vocal flourishes are juxtaposed by the surly harmonies of Sky Ferreira. The lyrics are

pure poetry, too, evident as Rønnenfelt barks; “Praying at the altar of your legs and feet, your saliva is a drug so bittersweet/I’ll arrogate what’s there to take, in an evanescent embrace”.

‘Thieves Like Us’ sounds like a sea shanty on quaaludes, a wilting guitar line and higgledypiggledy vocal rasps and howls.

The song is carried to it’s boozy, euphoric climate by a vaudevillian piano line, and with it, Iceage have seemingly found a sound that is wholly their own.

There’s more to unpick with every listen, but standouts include the haze of ‘Catch It’, the sordid goblin strut of ‘Showtime’, and the feeling of absolute triumph of sax-laden opener ‘Hurrah’.

Iceage have always looked the part; the surly last gang in town with music that barely matched up to their aesthetic and reputation.

Now though, in the wake of ‘Beyondless’, it seems that if Iceage really were the last gang in town, that wouldn’t be a bad thing at all. P Cal

Cashin

A Quick Q&A

Speedy Ortiz

more honest and reflective of where our Sadie Dupuis is all-go basically all priorities are lately. of the time. Hot on the heels of her solo debut, her band How did you juggle working on this and your Speedy Ortiz are also solo record side by side?

Speedy Ortiz back with a new ‘un.

It must’ve been full on for Twerp Verse

Hey Sadie, how are you all at the mo? Have you had a busy year so far?

It hasn’t gotten too, too busy just yet - just the usual necessary evil preparations for putting out a new record.

Making music videos, finalizing the tour supports, getting together artwork for t-shirts and posters and all that fun stuff. Making the most of my Netflix subscription before I spend the rest of the year in a van.

Does ‘Twerp Verse’ feel to have been a long time in the making?

It’s the longest a record’s taken me, personally, only because we did it twice - we recorded it once in September 2016, and then again with new songs in February 2017. The first time we recorded it, we tracked some older songs - one of them dates back to 2006, even - so in that sense, it was a long time in the making. The second time we recorded it, we focused on a bunch of newer songs that paid respect to the political anxieties that lodge themselves in my brain every day. That felt

eeeee It’s “the year of the weird”, according to the first words of ‘Buck Me Off’, opening the third album

by Speedy Ortiz. After the last few, frankly we’d take a weird year in place of, y’know, all the Other Stuff. The result is Speedy Ortiz’ most pertinent, pointed and playful album to date, taking leads from their forthright and hooky second ’Foil Deer’ (key lyric: “I’m not bossy / I’m the boss”), along with Sadie Dupuis’ electropop solo project SAD13 whose ‘Slugger’ dealt explicitly with consent - but upping the ante with seriously oddball, hesitantly optimistic pop. Dupuis’ songs often draw comparisons with the near-perfect Pavement - she was at one time in the all-female covers band, Babement after all - and while there’s nothing derivative here, ‘Twerp Verse’ finds the band in a similar territory to Pavement’s ‘Brighten The Corners’: accessible, but still slanted, still enchanting.

P Rob Mesure

a while.

They weren’t really happening at the same time. I home recorded the Sad13 album in January 2016, and all the overdubs were finished by February.

We didn’t start working on ‘Twerp Verse’ until April of that year, and didn’t start tracking til September. So I had a bit of downtime to mix and master the record, do the album artwork and music videos. I might just be an unrepentant workaholic though.

Did the records influence each other at all?

The Sad13 record was a good education in synth and drum programming, both of which show up more on the Speedy record. Home recording the Sad13 album made me more confident in lifting things from my demos - all of the synths and most of the drum machines on ‘Twerp Verse’ were tracked in my basement or dining room.

What do you think is the most important message listeners can take from ‘Twerp Verse’?

Hang on to your optimism

T Speedy Ortiz’ new album isn’t at all pony. and do the work.

Did you try out any new tricks in the studio?

It’s the first time we’ve done a whole album with a different person mixing than recording. Mike Mogis (of Bright Eyes, Cursive, and Rilo Kiley fame - aka my holy trinity at age 15) mixed and did additional production at his studio in Omaha. He did some awesome processing that made guitars sound like synths and synths sound like outer space and backing vocals sound truly eerie. The original drum recordings didn’t come out especially clear or dynamic, and Mogis thickened them with some of his own drum machines now they sound huge.

You’ve moved to Philadephia since the last Speedy album, how’re you finding it there?

I moved to Philly in March 2016, so I just passed the two-year mark. It is really dangerous for me to live so close to such a good ice cream shop. I moved here to be closer to my friends, but I’m growing into more of a homebody than ever, and when I’m off tour, I don’t really leave the house!

Has recording the album sparked any ideas for the next?

In my fantasy world, the next Sad13 album will be pop country and the next Speedy album will be stoner metal. But I thought ‘Twerp Verse’ was gonna be Deftonesinfluence, and instead it’s Squeezeinfluenced, so I shouldn’t try to predict the future.

What are you up to over the summer?

I should probably know more about my own schedule than I do. P

Speedy Ortiz’s album ‘Twerp Verse’ is out 27th April.

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FOR NOW DORK

OUT 27TH APRIL

Isaac Gracie Isaac Gracie

eeeee Taking the vulnerability he perfectly executed on his EPs and translating it to a more polished platform was always going to be a tentative moment for the young London crooner, but Isaac Gracie manages to capture that innocence while finding new ways to prove he’s more than just a lad with a guitar. It’s a winding road that can leave you surprised, breathless and just downright vulnerable; but the real sparkle here lies in the times he steps outside of this comfort zone, like ‘Death of You & I’, a raging, blues howler that blows away the raw sound of his bedroom. For a debut, ‘Isaac Gracie’ doesn’t set a foot wrong. P Steven Loftin

King Tuff

The Other

eeeee King Tuff has moved on from youthful exuberance into introspective adulthood; but that’s not to say his righteous riffs are missing. While titular opener ‘The Other’ focuses on the gentle picking of acoustic strings, it’s on ‘Rainbowdrop Blue’ where the life kicks in showing an evolution rather than an abandonment. There’s a warped, psychedelic sound that bleeds through everything. The melodies have the feeling of having been through it all, like they’ve grown a snarl that only time can give them.

It’s a suitable step forward for King Tuff, while making sure one foot is still rooted from whence he came. P Steven Loftin

The Ninth Wave

Never Crave Attention EP

eeeee While The Ninth Wave’s previous EP was a mirage of different moves, ‘Never Crave Attention’ refuses to let up in their enticing blend of The Cure meets Interpol. Everything is delivered for unbridled adoration, pure in their ambition that rings out and crashes on to each other with ‘New Kind Of Ego’ as its flag-bearing high. A wall of sound crashing down with ease, these aren’t just short nuggets of bliss, but heavyweight tales that unravel and blossom into pogoing anthems. A step up from anything they’ve done before, ‘Never Crave Attention’ is the EP The Ninth Wave needed to make. P

Jamie Muir

Night Flowers

Wild Notion

eeeee Glimmering guitars and melt-in-themouth melodies let the sun seep into your mind as you find yourself humming along to Night Flowers’ thoughtfully placed harmonies and doo-wops. Riding a unique line between the effervescent dream-pop of Real Estate and the middle-class city-adoring indie-consciousness of Stars and Broken Social Scene, the band schmooze you with simmering shoegaze-like sheens. ‘Wild Notion’ is beautiful music for tranquil moments, a suite of hazy dream-pop left for rainy days. That’s where the illusion crumbles - when it isn’t a rainy day, and your mind doesn’t need taking away, these songs become more lack than lustre. Night Flowers’ refusal to conform to a set sound allows their dream-pop musings to flourish like the sun their sounds imagine, and if they can continue to hypnotise with harmonies, they’ll go far.

Jack Press

Teen Creeps

Birthmarks

eeeee Belgian trio Teen Creeps have created a collection of brash and fervent tracks that have an abundance of raw punk sensibilities, like they’re still in their bedroom revelling in 90s rock edges. Singer Bert Vliegen goes from lamenting the times and trials of life to a more subtle, controlled emotional outpouring; and it’s the moments where things slow down before returning to ear-splitting chaos that they really shine - such as the vulnerable ‘Good Intentions’ into ‘Thread’.

The pummelling brashness can wane at times, especially towards the end, but ultimately ‘Birthmarks’ is a perfectly fine debut.

Steven Loftin

Friends zone

Middle Kids Lost Friends eeeee You’ve read the interview, now here’s the album verdict. Spoiler alert: these Aussie newcomers sure know how to pen a tune.

W

hat happens when you take a Stevie Nicks-inspired vocalist with an alt-country croon and soak their vocals in glorious indiepop stripped straight from the burning suns of the Australian summer? Middle Kids happen, that’s what.

Coming a little over a year after their self-titled EP, the band’s full-length debut ‘Lost Friends’ is a cocktail of infectious indiepop and alt-country that packs a punch, with harmony-heavy hookladen choruses that linger long in your ears and wrap around your brain.

Shining the limelight directly on vocalist Hannah Joy, ‘Lost Friends’ is a collection of carefully curated narratives exploring the day-to-day lives of optimists living in a pessimistic world, wrapped up in layers of jangly riffs that roll off the tongue like a perfectly-timed pun, their hooks hitting you with authority. Joy’s Stevie Nickstinged indie-meets-country croon is a delightful breath

of fresh air in a genre as overflowing with the same sound as the internet is with trolls.

‘Lost Friends’ crux is its ability to bubble and build like a New Years’ fireworks display, simmering softly as each song starts before exploding into arenaready sing-a-longs seconds later, ending in extravagant finales.

Bookending the record are perhaps two of the more ambitious cuts, the jangle of opener ‘Bought It’ and the electro-fuzz of the post-disco ballad closer ‘So Long Farewell I’m Gone,’ which ultimately guide the record’s pace to and fro between soft reflection and raucous explosiveness.

Middle Kids’ hit you in the feels and make you dance with joy simultaneously, and it’s a pleasure to behold.

Alongside the likes of Tame Impala, Courtney Barnett, and The Temper Trap, with ‘Lost Friends’, Middle Kids join a pantheon of Australian exports who mess with indiepop in wonderful, colourful ways. P Jack Press

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Get Out.

The latest gig news.

Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com

Live + amplified.

IF IT’S ON STAGE, IT’S IN HERE.

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Black Honey are back with some warm-up dates Black Honey are kicking back into gear with a batch of live dates planned for spring. “Oh my god we’re finally hitting the road for a UK warm-up tour,” they reveal. “Our first official UK headline in over a year. Fuck yeeaahh!” They’ll start out in Hull on 9th May, and hit up Stoke, Sheffield, Cardiff, and Oxford, before winding up in Portsmouth on the 15th.

Celebrate Halloween with Dream Wife Dream Wife are cracking out the plastic spiders and witches hats for a new London show. The band – who are also on the road supporting The Vaccines at the mo, and have several summer festivals planned – will perform at KOKO on Halloween, 31st October. They’re performing in support of their recent debut album, ‘Dream Wife’.

Tom Misch is hitting the road, with an O2 Academy Brixton date

Tom Misch is heading out on another UK tour this winter. The nine-date run kicks off on 11th November at the O2 Academy in Newcastle, and includes a night at London’s O2 Academy Brixton – his biggest headline show to date. The tour is in support of the South Londoner’s debut album ‘Geography’, out now via his own Beyond The Groove label.

Fever pitch

Everything Everything triumph at London’s Alexandra Palace on their own terms Pumarosa? Check.

Sundara Karma? Check.

Everything Everything?

Check. What a bill.

Words: Jamie Muir.

Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett.

I

f you put it all down on paper, Everything Everything headlining a venue like Alexandra Palace may seem like a pipe-dream. Constantly looking forward with their genre-busting directions, it’s a testament to their unwavering commitment to what they do that they stand at this moment. Over the course of just over a decade, they’ve weaved, dipped and rolled in every direction possible – building the sort of following that remains loyal no matter which unpredictable path they choose to head down next. With last year’s ‘A Fever Dream’, they once again stood apart – a record of fizzing energy, chilling beauty and electric eccentricity that ushered in a new era for a band who’ve refused to stand still. It’s why tonight, on their biggest headline stage, there’s a feeling not just of celebration, but of achievement.

It’s an attitude reflected in those taking the stage before

them. Pumarosa don’t do things by half measures, and even though they step out on stage first tonight, they treat it like a headline moment of their own. In ‘The Witch’, they have a debut album full of majestic swoops and panoramic vision, slowly blossoming in the measured turns it takes. They’re followed by Sundara Karma, and they’re met with a heroes’ welcome, cuts like ‘Explore’ and ‘Olympia’ bellowed back from a crowd throwing themselves into every hit, while ‘Flame’ sees Oscar drowned out by thousands.

From the first note tonight, Everything Everything are in control. It’s no surprise, with a reputation for bringing their tracks to new levels every time they step on stage. Their crowning moment focuses heavily on the band’s latest work, with ‘A Fever Dream’ and previous album ‘Get To Heaven’ making up the bulk of their setlist, and it’s pretty clear why. Refusing to stick to the status quo and fusing experimental edges with a deep pop heart, it’s a ride that sees Alexandra Palace bowing to their every word.

What makes tonight so special, is that Everything Everything did this all without compromising on who they are. It’s reflected in a set that never sits in one place too long. It’s a rightful coronation for a band who’ve not just continued to grow, but that holds significance for so many. An encore that can go from their next bold step (the fizzing spins of ‘Breadwinner’ from their latest EP) to powerful art-rock (‘White Whale’) to clubland hedonism (‘Distant Past’) is a sure-fire sign that they’re unlike anyone else right now.

For most, Alexandra Palace is the culmination of everything they’ve done. For Everything Everything, it feels like the inevitable next step in their unstoppable rise to becoming one of this generation’s most important bands. A pipe-dream?

Everything Everything are much more than that. P

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Cocker-hoop

Jarv is...?

Jarvis Cocker is back, playing a run of tiny, mysterious shows around the UK. But, as he kicks off the run at Brighton’s impossibly small Patterns, we have no idea exactly what he’s up to. Time to find out.

Words + photos: Jamie MacMillan

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In short

Live bites Superorganism

The Haunt, Brighton

T Mirror, mirror.

F

irst things first.

Despite the name, Jarvis or Jarv Is (“We don’t really know what we’re called yet, it might be either?” Cocker explains), is very much a group rather than a solo project. Comprised of long-time collaborator Serafina Steer on harp and keyboard, Emma Smith (violin), Andrew McKinney (bass) and Adam Betts (drums), the sound takes in elements of classic Pulp but with added extras. Opener ‘Sometimes I Am Pharoah’ starts with an ambient roar rattling and shaking, before floating just out of reach like ‘Love Life’’s epic ‘Wickerman’.

Cocker stands for much of it with his back turned, eyeballing the crowd through a tiny hand mirror – but as Balearic beats slowly drop in and finally swell, he swivels and rushes into the faces of the front row. This is the all new Jarvis Cocker, just as good as you remembered but alive with inspiration again.

This is Jarvis.

Losing none of the showman magic that defined him, Cocker is all bumwiggles, extravagant hand gestures and eye rolls. At one point, he pauses to state how much he loved the lack of pits or barriers and the intimate setting. Leaning into the crowd, he gently strokes my arm for what feels like forever, cooing “It’s nice being able to get this close to you all…This is ok isn’t it?” With a laugh, he skips off to throw some miniChomp bars to obviously more deserving candidates.

Though much of the new material is described as

“unfinished”, there’s little to distinguish it as such. No two tracks sound the same, and it’s clear that being back in a band is inspiring digressions and meanderings. ‘Elvis Has Left The Building’ is a burst of straight forward indie rock, while ‘You’re In My Arms (Disco Song)’ incorporates jazz elements into an almost Shaftlike groove. ‘Must I Evolve?’ has ambitions of distilling the entire history of evolution into a thrilling five minutes of synthrock-meets-motorik punk, Cocker singing “I’m dragging my knuckles while listening to Frankie Knuckles” – though at points it’s hard to tell (or care) whether he is making the lyrics up on the spot. Elsewhere, ‘Chilled Ibiza’ comes on like early-90’s New Order, while ‘Swanky Modes’ has a swaggering dub rhythm driving it forwards in its tale of a pre-gentrification Camden.

Much of the new music seems to dwell on the bigger questions in life.

There are existentialist ponderings of the meaning of life filtered through one man’s meandering mind, transformed into lengthy nuggets of artrock and dance.

Finishing off a gratifying night with a glorious ‘Running The World’ (“It seems to still fit the situation” he notes), there’s even time for a lost Pulp gem to be aired in ‘His N Hers’. It’s easy to see how much this all means to Cocker. “This has been like a plunge in an icy ocean, and you’ve warmed us all up very nicely” he beams before ambling off. Jarvis is back, and that can only mean good things. P

Superorganism are the type of band that seem like they should only exist online.

The video for their song ‘Everybody Wants to be Famous’ even plays with the idea that lead singer Orono isn’t a real girl, she’s a hologram. After the band’s Brighton show we can confirm that Superorganism are very much real, and bloody brilliant to boot.

A mixture of 6musicloving dads and screaming megafans pack out the venue, and considering the album has only been out a week, a surprising amount of word for word singing along can be heard throughout.

Orono is the star of the show, casually bantering with the crowd from front of stage and providing a focal point for the bizarre vapourwavestyle images swimming around on screens behind her. At just 9 songs long it’s a short set, but with just one album under their belt that’s understandable. More importantly, every single song feels like a highlight, and everyone goes home with a grin on their face and closer ‘Something For Your M.I.N.D’ bouncing around the inside of their heads.P

Jake Hawkes

Sunflower Bean Open, Norwich

It’s a quiet Monday evening and Sunflower Bean’s world tour has wound its way to OPEN in Norwich.

Tour support Sorry have never been here before, but promptly make the packed and eager room their own, mixing scratchy indie with standoffish drum ‘n’ bass. Lies is grunge to its heart, the scream-sing chorus notably turning a few unsuspecting ears.

Sunflower Bean’s second

album ‘Twentytwo in Blue’ only landed three days ago, and the trio are on top form. The New Yorkers sound even more visceral in person than on record and know how to deliver a show, dishing out bangers in all directions, from the gnarly and psychedelic Human For to the stunningly serene Twentytwo. Locking axes repeatedly, Julia and guitarist Nick epitomise cool, while drummer Jacob flanks them through the smoke. The young rockstars wrap up a wild set with a mind-melting rendition of I Was Home before vanishing into the haze as coolly as they arrived. P Alex Cabré

Sports Team Soup Kitchen, Manchester

Alex Rice hops from the stage to thank the crowd for coming, shaking hands as he goes. But Rice is no politician, though you’d probably vote for him if he were. He’s the enigmatic frontman of Sports Team; a trickster Ian Curtis. With a small catalogue of oddball melodramas, Sports Team are here to put the fun back into music. And, in this small basement in Manchester, it’s intoxicating.

As the band careen through energetic tracks like “Stanton” and “Camel Crew”, it’s clear to see why word of their live shows has spread like wildfire. The show is briefly paused to check the England score, a bottle of chewing gum is used as a shaker and jokes are told so fast you can barely catch them.

Keyboardist Ben Mack even takes time out mid-song to roll a cigarette for when they’re done. It’s all part of the madcap appeal of Sports Team. A little shambolic but oh so entertaining. P Chris

Taylor

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DORK

WE’RE TAKING THE BEST BANDS ON THE ROAD, EVERY MONTH.

LIVE!

Every day’s the weekend

Alex Lahey is a firm fave here at Dork HQ. On her recent Dork Live! tour (sensing a theme yet?), we here at Dork (ahem) sat her down for a longawaited catch up.

Words: Sam Daly.

Photo: Jamie Cameron.

It’s different to last time we were here. The album had just come out, and it was amazing that people were so familiar with it even then, but it’s great to feel that people have now spent time with it. It’s really cool. It’s nice when songs that haven’t been singles find their own place; people have grabbed onto ‘Awkward Exchange’ and ‘Backpack’. ‘Backpack’ was my favourite B-side, but ‘Awkward Exchange’ has been a real surprise. There’s something quite different about it sonically.

S

ince supporting Tegan and Sara on their UK tour back in early 2017, Alex Lahey has become something of a must-see. She’s no difficulty

The latest gig news.

Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com

Live + amplified.

filling venues, bolstered by the release of her recent debut ‘I Love You Like A Brother’; it’s a record that flows together delightfully in one big fuzzpop package, complete with personal, direct lyricism.

The connection it fosters isn’t something that’s easy to replicate in a live setting, yet this is where Alex thrives - bursting into the title-track, she effortlessly brings it to life.

The steady, consistent barrage of glorious pop hooks make her set fly by, super tight performances of ‘Perth Traumatic Stress Disorder’ and ‘Ivy League’ see the energy in the room continue to rise, unleashing itself in an incredibly powerful performance of ‘Lotto In Reverse’. Echoes of gleeful voices from all around the room follow each and every chorus before a particularly energetic cheer signifies the end of the track before Alex launches into a cover of Avril Lavigne’s ‘Complicated’.

The songs are interspersed

with charming anecdotes from the Melbourne singer, from being dumped in Perth, to the struggle of employability when armed with an arts degree, before she ends the set with the double-whammy of ‘Every Day’s The Weekend’ and ‘I Haven’t Been Taking Care of Myself’. There’s not a face in sight that doesn’t look disappointed at the fact the set is over. A spectacularly immersive performance that definitely will not be forgotten.

Hey Alex, how’s tour life treating you?

Great, it’s been awesome. This is our third show in the UK. We did London and Liverpool, and now Birmingham. It’s great to be back here. Obviously, we always play London when we’re in the UK, but yesterday was our first time in Liverpool, and now we’re back here after not coming on the last run. We haven’t been here since our support tour for Tegan and Sara, and that was one of our favourite shows.

Yesterday was fun, you notice on tour the cities that are real music places, and Liverpool is definitely one of those places.

Have there been any mega differences this time around?

Wolf Alice are supporting Liam Gallagher at his big old Finsbury Park show

Wolf Alice are among the support acts for Liam Gallagher’s upcoming show at Finsbury Park. The date will take place on 29th June, with DMA’s, The Sherlocks, Dream Wife, Twisted Wheel, Easy Life, Belako, Trampolene and Hey Charlie also playing. Wolf Alice have not long released new album, ‘Visions of a Life’.

Have you managed to get in any sightseeing in between shows?

I’d never been to Liverpool before so I spent a little time going to the Beatles museum and stuff, then today I’ve had a walk around some parks.

Today was one of those days on tour in a group where it’s almost like an unspoken, ‘Alright, everyone’s going to do their own thing today’. I think two of the most important skills to deal with touring is spending time with other people and also spending time with yourself and allowing both of those things to happen.

It’s not long now ‘til you’ll have finished touring the album, what’ve you got lined up next?

After the Australian tour, we have a bit of a festival run over there and then we’re heading to the US to do a bunch of festivals there too. We’re going to Primavera, our first time playing Spain, which will be cool. But after that patch, I’m going to try and finish writing the next album and look to record it this year, which will be fun. I’m excited about that. I feel like I had a massive learning curve in the making of

Flight of the Conchords postponed their UK tour, so have some new dates Flight of the Conchords were due in the UK back in March, but they cancelled when Bret McKenzie injured himself.

“Unfortunately I’ve broken two bones in my hand,” he explained at the time.

They’ve now announced the rescheduled shows: the duo will be back from 15th June – 4th July.

‘I Love You Like A Brother’ and I can’t wait for that again.

Can you tell us anything about the new material?

I’m over halfway through writing it, and I’m excited about it. I want to challenge myself more; I want to push myself and be pushed by those I’m working with. My MO is just to be myself, so I’m not going to do anything differently in that regard. I think from what I’ve written so far, it’s still very personal type stuff and I’m no more interesting than I was before, and I imagine the things that have happened in my life since writing the last record are still very similar to things that other people have experienced too.

Festival season is fast approaching, are you looking forward to it?

I’m looking forward to Primavera, we’ve never done a festival in Europe, and I’ve never been to Spain before.

Other than that I’m very excited to do the big American ones like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo. P

DORK LIVE!

UPCOMING SHOWS APRIL 19 Thyla, Purple Turtle, Reading 28 Are You Listening?

Festival, Reading MAY 05 Live At Leeds, Leeds 05-06 Handmade Festival, Leicester 12 Thyla, Arts Centre, Norwich 17-19 The Great Escape, Brighton

Bloc Party are going on the road to play ‘Silent Alarm’ in full

Bloc Party have announced a run of tour dates this Autumn. They’ll be heading out to perform their debut album ‘Silent Alarm’ in full this October, starting off in Amsterdam on the 15th and wrapping up at London’s Alexandra Palace on the 24th.

The tour will also call in at Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Dublin. Bloc Party released ‘Silent Alarm’ in 2005.

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Festivals.

5th May 2018

Live At Leeds

Want to come see The Horrors in a church with us? Here are all the bands playing Dork’s Live At Leeds stage

L

Words: Sam Taylor.

ive At Leeds’ stage divvy up is here, and this year you’ll be able to find Dork in one of the fanciest venues going – The Church.

Heading up the bill are The Horrors, who released their fifth album ‘V’ last year. Pretty perfect, right?

Before them, we’ll also have London four-piece Stereo Honey, former Kaiser Chief Nick JD Hodgson, and local duo Krrum.

And as if that weren’t enough, there’s also Dork faves Bad Sounds and Ten Tonnes, and singer-songwriter 64

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Tom Walker.

It’s going to be loads of fun – as Tom from The Horrors can attest.

Hi Tom, have you guys enjoyed 2018 so far?

What’ve you been up to?

there.

Are you going to be hanging around all day, catching some other bands, treating yourselves to Greggs?

100% Greggs. Sausage rolls for days.

We had a couple of weeks to ourselves at the start of the year, Dork @ Live At Leeds but otherwise, 2018 we’ve been working on new CHURCH music at [North The Horrors London studio] Tom Walker The Church.

Bad Sounds

Have you played Live At Leeds before?

Ten Tonnes Krrum Nick J.D. Hodgson Stereo Honey

I don’t believe we’ve played it before, but sometimes it’s hard to remember all the festivals we’ve played over the last 13 years. It’s a lot. Leeds is always fun though. People know how to have a good time

It’s pretty cool to be playing in a church, are you looking forward to it?

We record in a church, so we’re quite used to it at this point.

Has it been deconsecrated?

No idea mate. Does a slightly different-from-thenorm environment change your set approach at all?

It’s all about energy – environment influences that

– but you can play the worst or best venues in the world, and the thing that makes it good or bad is the energy in the room.

You must’ve played some other unusual venues in your time, any particular highlights?

The tunnels under Edinburgh, on a beach in Italy, in castles, shops, forests, fields, apartments… we’ve conquered many environments.

What do you think is the key to putting on a good festival set?

If you find out can you let me know? As far as I’m aware there is no key. I wish it were that simple.

What else have you guys got coming up?

New music and a range of toiletries. P Live at Leeds

takes place on Saturday, 5th May in Leeds.

17-19th May 2018

The Great Escape It’s time to head down to the seaside for that annual celebration of all things new music, The Great Escape.

Dork will be there too, with a showcase of amazing acts.

stars Gaffa Tape Sandy, post-punk from Down Under with Yukon Era and French multi-instrumentalist Halo Maud.

There’s all sorts of other ace names righton is ready playing too across the event, for another year including (but not limited to) of amazing new ALMA, Bad Sounds, Benin music by the sea.

City, Black Futures, Bloxx, Yep, May really Boniface, Boy Azooga, Bruno is upon us, which means the Major, Børns, Canshaker Pi, first batch of festivals of the Crewel Intentions, Declan year. Alongside Live At Leeds, Welsh and the Decadent Handmade and more comes West, Dream spring’s big new State, Easy music showcase, Dork @ The Great Life, Feet, The Great Escape 2018 Freak, Escape, packed Gender STICKY MIKE’S with hundreds of Roles, Ginger FROG BAR the planets most Snaps, Goat Jack River exciting new Girl, Her’s, bands.

Marsicans Hero Fisher, You’ll find Gaffa Tape Sandy Hotel Lux, loads of them on Yukon Era Husky Loops, Dork’s own stage, Japanese Halo Maud located at Sticky Breakfast, Mike’s Frog Bar King Nun, on Thursday, 17th May. We’ve Let’s Eat Grandma, Lo got Aussie popster Jack River, Moon, Milk Teeth, Nelson the brilliant Marsicans, up-

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Need help sorting out your summer? We’ve got it sorted, with Peace, Chvrches and loads more.

There are so many festivals happening this summer, all

Festival shorts

Mike Shinoda’s ‘doing’ Reading & Leeds

T Marsicans.

T Jack River.

Can, Nervus, Nilufer Yanya, Pale Waves, Peaness, Phobophobes, Phoebe Bridges, Pip Blom, Puppy, Rina Sawayama, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Sea Girls, Self Esteem, Sports Team, Stella Donnelly, Stereo Honey, Superorganism, Suzi Wu, Swimming Girls, Team Picture, Teleman, Ten Tonnes, The Faim, The Night Cafe, The Ninth Wave, The Orielles, The Rhythm Method, The Spook School, whenyoung, White Room and loads, loads more.

Tickets are on sale now. Find out more at greatescapefestival.com and keep checking readdork.com for all the latest news. P The

Great Escape takes place between 17th and 19th May in Brighton.

filled with so many brilliant bands, it’s sometimes hard to work out where’s the best place to spend your hard earned cash.

If you’re after the buzziest new bands, that could well be a different deal to if you want to check out the biggest acts on the planet.

That’s why, for the second year, we’ve put together the Dork Festival Guide. Rather than split it over three smaller issues, we’ve condensed everything into

A new batch of bands has been announced for this year’s Reading & Leeds, including Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda, Spring King, Isaac Gracie and ALMA. Also new to the bill, are Marsicans, Rex Orange County, Metz, Maggie Rogers, Chase Atlantic, Black Futures, Black Peaks, Demob Happy, Royal Republic, Death From Above, Yxng Bane, Lady Leshurr, Easy Life, Dinosaur Pile-Up, The Used, Ecca Vandal, Sunflower Bean, Teenage Wrist, The Joy Formidable, Ten Tonnes, Spector, The Faim, The Xcerts, Rae Morris, Petrol Girls, and Yungblud.

More bands for 2000trees

A fresh batch of bands have been revealed for this year’s 2000trees festival.

The new acts include Frightened Rabbit, Blood Red Shoes and Black Honey. There’s also room for And So I Watch You From Afar, My Vitriol, Queen Kwong, Vukovi and Brutus.

They join a line-up headlined by Enter Shikari and At The Drive In, which also features the likes of Creeper, Basement, Black Foxxes, The Xcerts, Black Peaks, Bloody Knees and loads more.

2000trees takes place between 12th and 14th July at Cheltenham’s Upcote Farm.

one bumper edition, and you can pick it up, right now.

Fronted by the mighty Peace, you’ll find guides to the best festivals in the UK and beyond, tip lists of the hottest new bands you need to check out this summer, and festival stories from all your faves.

You can grab your copy of the Dork Festival Guide from record shops, venues and bars around the UK, or order a copy worldwide at readdork.com P DOWN WITH BORING

65

5-6th May 2018

Festival shorts

Handmade This early May Bank Holiday weekend, Leicester is packed with all our favourite bands for Handmade 2018.

Pale Waves and Tom Grennan have signed up for Barn on the Farm

BOTF has announced loads of names, including Pale Waves, Mystery Jets and headliner, Tom Grennan. Also playing are Gengahr, Bad Sounds, Anteros, Ten Tonnes, Marsicans, and more. The festival is located near Gloucester, from 5th-8th July.

T

here are loads of great festivals taking place over the first long weekend in May, but when it comes to Dork faves, Leicester’s Handmade is right up there.

Seriously - for a start, there’s the returning Drenge, who will headline the first night of the event as they kick off what we’re assuming will be the road to their much (much, much) anticipated third album later this year.

28th April 2018

Are You Listening?

Rock out in Reading in aid of a great cause.

T The Big Moon.

They’ll be joined by Future of the Left, The Wytches, The Big Moon, Spector, Girl Ray, Anteros, Indoor Pets and loads more on Saturday 5th May. The Sunday doesn’t let up, either, with headliners Circa Waves plus the likes of

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Handmade takes place on 5th and 6th May in Leicester.

Drenge, Fickle Friends and Milk Teeth are playing Truck Festival Drenge, Fickle Friends, Milk Teeth, Bad Sounds, Doe and more lead a new batch of names for Truck that also includes final headliners the Courteeners and Editors. Truck takes place at Hill Farm in Steventon, Oxfordshire from 19th-22nd July.

Coming up...

More festivals to check out in the very near future.

Hit The North Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK Date: 4th-6th May 2018 Line-up: Peace, The Horrors, Jungle, Circa Waves, Drenge, British Sea Power, Marmozets, Blaenavon, Pale Waves, The Magic Gang Sound City

Are You Listening? Festival has one of the most packed all-dayer line-ups going, and with the event having raised over £45,000 for Reading Mencap since launching in 2013, it’s for a jolly good cause, too.

This year’s bill is topped by Field Music and IDLES, with Yonaka, Her’s, The Surfing Magazines, The Lovely Eggs and loads more also signed up.

Are You Listening? takes place across loads of venues in Reading, on Saturday 28th April. Tickets are on sale now, from areyoulistening.org.uk

Gengahr, The Orielles, Easy Life, Idles, Phobophobes, Sports Team and more.

Tickets for Handmade 2018 are on sale now. You can find more details at handmadefestival.co.uk. P

Location: Liverpool, UK Date: 4th-6th May 2018 Line-up: DMA’s, Peace, The Night Cafe, Jaws, Superorganism, Black Honey, The Slow Readers Club, Sunset Sons, Baxter Dury, IDLES, Wye Oak, Dermot Kennedy, Yellow Days Stag and Dagger Location: Glasgow, UK Date: 6th May 2018 Line-up: Glasvegas, Protomartyr, Pulled Apart By Horses, Yak, Bloody Knees, Dama Scout, Fauves, Milk Disco, Warm Digits, Yassassin

Focus Wales Location: Wrexham, UK Date: 10th-12th May 2018 Line-up: This Is The Kit, Gengahr, Bill Ryder-Jones, Jane Weaver, 9Bach, Damo Suzuki, Gallops, Alpha Male Tea Party, Canshaker Pi, Peaness, Partner Dot To Dot

Latitude has confirmed more bands, plus some ‘other stuff’

Leading the new Latitude bands are Phobophobes, The Orielles, and Bloxx. On the ‘other stuff’ bill meanwhile, there’s Adam Buxton’s Bug X, and Ed Miliband’s Reasons to be Cheerful podcast. Latitude takes place from 12th-15th July in Suffolk.

Location: Manchester, Bristol, Nottingham, UK Date: 25th-27th May 2018 Line-up: The Horrors, Dermot Kennedy, Pale Waves, Marika Hackman, Bad Sounds, Gus Dapperton, The Regrettes, Our Girl All Points East Location: London, UK Date: 25th May - 3rd June 2018 Line-up: LCD Soundsystem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Phoenix, The xx, Lorde, Sampha, Bjork, Beck, Father John Misty, Glass Animals

Slam Dunk has booked As It Is and more More bands have been added to Slam Dunk, including As It Is, Dangerous Summer, and The Devil Wears Prada. They join PVRIS, Frank Carter, Creeper and loads more. Slam Dunk takes place in Leeds, Hatfield and Birmingham from 26th-28th May.

The Guide.

A L L T H E S H OW S YO U N E E D TO S E E T H I S M O N T H , A N D S O M E YO U P R O BA B LY D O N ’ T

Tuesday 1st May Birmingham, Noel

On Tour Q&A

Black Peaks

Back with a huge new single and a fresh label to boot, Black Peaks are getting back in the saddle for album two by supporting Marmozets and playing a few headline dates this May. We caught up with Will Gardner to find out what’s going down.

Welcome back - your new single ‘Can’t Sleep’ is great, how have you found the response?

Ah, thanks so much. We were so nervous as to how people would respond as it’s our first track out for a very long time. I think we were also kind of confident with ‘Can’t Sleep’ weirdly that it would do well as it’s such a strong song. Never the less it’s done really well, and our fans have said how much they love it.

I guess this is a great way to start album two!

How do you prepare for going on tour?

Are you looking forward to taking your new material on the road?

I’m really looking forward to playing Moles in Bath.

Last time we played there, we sold it out, and it was an absolute madhouse. There were so many people that they couldn’t actually fit in the room. Yeah, we’re looking forward to seeing those mad bastards again! P

Yes, oh my god, yes. We are hoping to play a few new songs on our next tour, and people are going to lose their minds.

What can you tell us about the new tracks you’ll be playing?

I don’t want to give too much away. However, I can tell you 68

if you come to the next tour, you will hear some very very exciting new songs.

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We rigorously practice once a week for months before the tour and then two weeks before we go into full production run-throughs where we sort out our sound for big venues, test lighting and things like that.

Is there anywhere on this upcoming run you’re especially keen to visit?

Black Peaks tour the UK with Marmozets from 4th May.

Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Arena Birmingham Glasgow, Bruno Major, Broadcast Llandudno, Manic Street Preachers, Venue Cymru London, Angel Olsen, Union Chapel London, DMA’s, O2 Forum London, Mastersystem, Oslo London, Bryde, Omeara London, Koyo, Sebright Arms Manchester, Ginger Snaps, Gullivers Southampton, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Guildhall St. Albans, Black Peaks, The Horn

Wednesdsy 2nd May Aldershot, Black Peaks,

West End Centre Birmingham, Her’s, Hare & Hounds Brighton, Sir Was, Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar Brighton, Gengahr, The Haunt Bristol, We Are Scientists, Thekla Bristol, Haggard Cat, The Mothers’ Ruin Leeds, Manic Street Preachers, first direct arena London, Ginger Snaps, The Waiting Room Manchester, Drenge, Gorilla Manchester, METZ, Soup Kitchen Southend-on-Sea, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Cliffs Pavilion

Thursday 3rd May Bath, Black Peaks, Moles Brighton, We Are

Scientists, Concorde 2 Brighton, Ginger Snaps, Bau Wow Club Bristol, Bruno Major, Exchange Glasgow, Drenge, The Art School Inverness, Declan Welsh & The Decadent West, The Ironworks

Leeds, Yo La Tengo,

Church Leeds Liverpool, The Spook School, The Shipping Forecast London, Gengahr, KOKO London, Wye Oak, Village Underground

Newcastle upon Tyne,

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Metro Radio Arena Nottingham, Her’s, Bodega Nottingham Oxford, Lower Than Atlantis, O2 Academy Oxford

Friday 4th May Birmingham, Bruno

Major, O2 Institute Blandford, Teddy Rocks 2018, Charisworth Farm Cardiff, DMA’s, Tramshed Cardiff, Gengahr, The Globe Guildford, Indoor Pets, The Boileroom Hull, Glasvegas, The Welly Club Kirkbymoorside, Stella Donnelly, The Band Room Leicester, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, O2 Academy Leicester Leicester, Ginger Snaps, The Cookie London, Yo La Tengo, Royal Festival Hall London, Manic Street Preachers, The SSE Arena, Wembley London, We Are Scientists, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire London, Swimming Tapes, Tooting Tram & Social London, Pulled Apart

By Horses, Hackney Arts Centre Manchester, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Manchester Arena Manchester, Wye Oak, The Deaf Institute Manchester, Asylums, Night People

Newcastle upon Tyne, Hit The North Opening Party: Circa Waves, O2 Academy Newcastle

Newcastle upon Tyne,

Hit The North Opening Party: Drenge, Riverside Newcastle Norwich, Marmozets, Waterfront

Nottingham, British Sea Power, Rock City Reading, Lower Than Atlantis, Sub89 & The Bowery District Sheffield, Boy Azooga, Cafe Totem Stockport, Blossoms, Stockport Plaza

Saturday 5th May Bristol, Vessels, Colston Hall

Cardiff, Manic Street

Preachers, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Hebden Bridge, Goat Girl, Trades Club Leeds, Live At Leeds 2018, Various Venues Liverpool, Marmozets, O2 Academy Liverpool London, Luke Haines, The Lexington Nottingham, We Are Scientists, The Rescue Rooms Oxford, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, O2 Academy Oxford Preston, Bo Ningen, University of Central Lancashire Stockport, Blossoms, Stockport Plaza Wrexham, Lower Than Atlantis, Central Station

Sunday 6th May Birmingham, We Are

Scientists, O2 Institute Cardiff, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Glasgow, Stag And Dagger 2018, Various Venues London, Luke Sital-Singh, Queen Elizabeth Hall Oxford, Mallory Knox, O2 Academy Oxford

Monday 7th May Bristol, Bloxx, The

Louisiana Bristol, Partner, The Crofters Rights Cambridge, DMA’s, Cambridge Junction Exeter, Marmozets, The Lemon Grove Leeds, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, first direct arena

Cardiff, Samoans, Clwb

Oxford, Sam Fender, The

Cheltenham, Bellevue

Sheffield, Lower Than

Ifor Bach

T HMLTD. Leeds, Blossoms, O2

Academy & Underground Liverpool, Lower Than Atlantis, Hangar 34 London, The Spook School, The Lexington Manchester, Stella Donnelly, Castle Hotel Nottingham, Bruno Major, Bodega Nottingham

Tuesday 8th May Aberdeen, Lower Than

Atlantis, Lemon Tree Birmingham, Radiator Hospital, Hare & Hounds Glasgow, Peace, Saint Luke’s Hull, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, City Hall Leeds, We Are Scientists, Church Leeds Leeds, The Spook School, Belgrave Music Hall London, HONNE, Village Underground London, Iceage, Scala London, Partner, The Victoria (Dalston) London, Stella Donnelly, The Lexington Manchester, Gang of Youths, Gorilla Manchester, Bruno Major, The Deaf Institute

Newcastle upon Tyne, Blossoms, O2 Academy Newcastle Norwich, DMA’s, Waterfront Nottingham, Bloxx, Bodega Nottingham

Wednesday 9 May th

Belfast, Noel Gallagher’s

High Flying Birds, SSE Arena, Belfast Birmingham, Fangclub, The Flapper Birmingham, Gang of Youths, O2 Institute Birmingham, Bully, Sunflower Lounge Brighton, Deerhoof, Brighton Dome Bristol, The Spook School, The Lanes Edinburgh, Lower Than

Atlantis, Liquid Rooms Exeter, Twisted Wheel, The Cavern Glasgow, Canshaker Pi, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut Hull, Black Honey, The Welly Club Leeds, DMA’s, Leeds University Union Leicester, Bloxx, The Cookie London, Her’s, MOTH Club London, Bruno Major, Village Underground Manchester, We Are Scientists, O2 Ritz

Oxford, DMA’s, O2

Northampton,

The Limelight Birmingham, Bloxx, The Castle & Falcon Bristol, Stella Donnelly, The Louisiana Bristol, HMLTD, The Station (The Old Fire Station) Coventry, Feet, Kasbah Exeter, Sam Fender, The Cavern Glasgow, Neon Waltz, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut Guildford, Fangclub, The Boileroom Liverpool, Bully, The Buyers Club London, Alberta Cross, St Pancras Old Church Manchester, Blossoms, O2 Apollo Manchester Manchester, Bellevue Days, Castle Hotel Middlesbrough, Lower Than Atlantis, The Middlesbrough Empire

Marmozets, Roadmender Norwich, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, UEA Sheffield, Peace, Leadmill

Thursdsy 10th May Aberdeen, The Ninth

Wave, Cafe Drummond Brighton, This Is The Kit, Brighton Dome Bristol, Gang of Youths, Thekla Cambridge, Sam Fender, The Portland Arms Coventry, Marmozets, Kasbah Dublin, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, 3Arena Dundee, Neon Waltz, Beat Generator Live!

Edinburgh, The Spook School, Summerhall Glasgow, We Are Scientists, The Garage Leeds, Bellevue Days, The Library Leicester, Partner, The Cookie London, Bloxx, Camden Assembly London, Blossoms, O2 Forum London, Fangclub, The Garage London, Protomartyr, Scala London, A Place To Bury Strangers, The Garage London, Broken Records, The Borderline

Newcastle upon Tyne,

Canshaker Pi, Think Tank?

Underground

Academy Oxford Perth, Vistas, The Green Room Sheffield, Bully, Picture House Social Southampton, Her’s, Heartbreakers Stoke-on-Trent, Black Honey, The Sugarmill Wrexham, Gengahr, Central Station

Friday 11th May Belfast, We Are Scientists,

Newcastle-upon-Tyne,

The Spook School, Cumberland Arms Oxford, Marmozets, O2 Academy Oxford Sheffield, Black Honey, Leadmill Wrexham, Dream State, Wrexham Football Centenary Club York, Peace, Fibbers

Saturday 12th May Birmingham, Methods, Sunflower Lounge Brighton, Radiator Hospital, The Hope & Ruin

Days, The Frog And Fiddle Derby, Peace, The Venue Hull, Lower Than Atlantis, The Welly Club Inverness, Neon Waltz, The Ironworks Leeds, HMLTD, Belgrave Music Hall London, Gang of Youths, O2 Forum Manchester, Bloxx, Jimmy’s Manchester, Broken Records, Night People Norwich, Blossoms, UEA Oxford, Her’s, The Cellar Southampton, Fangclub, Heartbreakers Truro, Sam Fender, The Old Bakery Studios Wrexham, This Is The Kit, Central Station Wrexham, Canshaker Pi, Atomic (formerly Rewind)

Sunday 13th May

Cellar

Atlantis, The Plug

Tuesday 15th May Birmingham, Now Now,

Mama Roux’s Bristol, The Ninth Wave, The Louisiana Cambridge, Bully, The Portland Arms Glasgow, ISLAND, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut London, Japanese Breakfast, Islington Assembly Hall London, Sam Fender, Camden Assembly London, Snail Mail, Oslo Middlesbrough, Partner, Westgarth Social Club Norwich, Peace, Waterfront Oxford, Fangclub, The Cellar Portsmouth, Black Honey, The Wedgewood Rooms

Birmingham, Partner,

Sunflower Lounge Brighton, Gang of Youths, The Haunt Brighton, Ratboys, The Hope & Ruin Bristol, Artificial Pleasure, The Louisiana Cardiff, Black Honey, The Globe Cardiff, Bully, Clwb Ifor Bach Guildford, Bellevue Days, The Boileroom Hull, Peace, The Welly Club Leeds, Canshaker Pi, The Library London, Radiator Hospital, The Lexington Manchester, The Ninth Wave, Soup Kitchen Sheffield, Fangclub, Record Junkee Sheffield, We Are Scientists, O2 Academy Sheffield York, Lower Than Atlantis, Fibbers

Monday 14th May Birmingham, The Ninth

Wave, Hare & Hounds Brighton, Amber Run, The Green Door Store Bristol, Ratboys, The Louisiana Glasgow, Partner, Broadcast Leicester, Bully, The Cookie Liverpool, ISLAND, The Buyers Club London, Olafur Arnalds, Royal Albert Hall London, Now Now, The Dome London, Artificial Pleasure, Omeara Oxford, Black Honey, O2 Academy Oxford

Wednesday 16th May Belfast, Marmozets, The

Outlet Building (Oh Yeah Music Centre) Birmingham, Feet, Sunflower Lounge Bristol, Japanese Breakfast, Thekla Bristol, Now Now, Exchange Cardiff, Stella Donnelly, Clwb Ifor Bach Dublin, Car Seat Headrest, Olympia Theatre Glasgow, Ratboys, Broadcast Guildford, Sam Fender, The Boileroom Leicester, Fangclub, The Cookie London, Peace, O2 Forum London, Stereo Honey, Electrowerkz Manchester, Canshaker Pi, Jimmy’s Manchester, Artificial Pleasure, Night People

Newcastle upon Tyne, ISLAND, The Cluny Norwich, Employed To Serve, The Waterfront Studio

Booking Now. Tom Grennan

Newcastle Northumbria Institute (10th October), Leeds O2 Academy (11th), Manchester Academy (12th), Bristol O2 Academy (14th), Southampton O2 Guildhall (15th), Oxford O2 Academy (18th), Leicester O2 Academy (19th), Liverpool O2 Academy (20th), Norwich UEA (21st), Birmingham O2 Academy (23rd), Sheffield O2 Academy (24th), Margate Winter Gardens (25th), Dublin Academy (27th), Belfast Limelight (28th)

Tom Misch

Newcastle O2 Academy (11th November), Birmingham O2 Academy (12th), Manchester O2 Apollo (14th), London O2 Academy Brixton (15th)

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

London O2 Forum (26th July), Glasgow O2 Academy (30th)

Halsey

London Eventim Apollo (22nd November)

Julien Baker

Manchester Gorilla (24th September), Glasgow Saint Lukes (25th), Dublin Vicar Street (27th), London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire (29th)

Touche Amore

Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms (10th July), London Tufnell Park Done (11th), Nottingham Rescue Rooms (12th)

Metz Thursday 17 May th

Glasgow, Gaz Coombes,

The Garage London, BØRNS, KOKO London, Sohn, The Roundhouse Manchester, ISLAND, The Ruby Lounge Newport, Fangclub, Le Public Space Nottingham, Artificial Pleasure, Bodega Nottingham Sheffield, Alvarez Kings, Record Junkee

Nottingham Rescue Rooms (27th August), Cardiff Globe (28th)

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

Manchester Albert Hall (17th October), Glasgow SWG3 (18th), Dublin Vicar Street (19th), Birstol SWX (21st), Birmingham Asylum (22nd), London Hackney Arts Centre (24th), Brighton Concorde 2 (25th) DOWN WITH BORING

69

Booking Now.

Tunbridge Wells, The

St. Vincent

Birmingham, ISLAND,

Edinburgh Playhouse (26th August)

Thom Yorke

Edinburgh Usher Hall (7th June), London Roundhouse (8th), Manchester Palace Theatre (10th)

Bloc Party

Dublin 3Arena (22nd October), London Alexandra Palace (24th)

Franz Ferdinand

London Roundhouse (26th & 27th September)

Dream Wife

London Koko (31st October)

Iceage

Birmingham Hare and Hounds (3rd September), Leeds Brudenell Social Club (4th), Glasgow Great Eastern (6th), Dublin Workmans Club (7th), Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach (8th), Manchester Gorilla (9th), Brighton Haunt (10th)

George Ezra

Newcastle O2 Academy (8th November), Liverpool University Mountford Hall (9th), Hull Venue (10th), Glasgow Barrowland (12th & 13th), London SSE Arena Wembley (15th), Swindon Oasis Leisure Centre (16th)

ASH

Sheffield Leadmill (16th October); Glasgow O2 ABC (17th); Bristol SWX (19th); Birmingham O2 Institute (20th); Norwich Waterfront (21st); Manchester O2 Ritz (23rd); London O2 Forum (24th)

GARBAGE

Edinburgh Festival Theatre (4th September); Glasgow Barrowlands (5th); Bristol St Phillips Gate Arena (7th); Birmingham Digbeth Arena (8th); Manchester Academy (9th); Nottingham Rock City (11th); Newcastle Northumbria SU Institute (12th) 70

READDORK.COM

Faim, The Forum

Friday 18th May

The Castle & Falcon Dover, Artificial Pleasure, The Booking Hall Glasgow, Car Seat Headrest, The ABC Glasgow, Broken Records, Stereo Huddersfield, Employed To Serve, The Parish Liverpool, Gaz Coombes, Arts Club London, Avi Buffalo, St Pancras Old Church Manchester, Ratboys, The Whiskey Jar Nottingham, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, The Rescue Rooms Southampton, The Regrettes, Heartbreakers

Saturday 19th May Bedford, Avi Buffalo, Esquires

T Nilufer Yanya.

Manchester, Nilufer

Yanya, The Deaf Institute Manchester, Snail Mail, Gullivers Nottingham, Japanese Breakfast, Bodega Nottingham Sheffield, Spector, The Plug

Monday 21st May

Birmingham, Swedish

Death Candy, Sunflower Lounge Cardiff, Employed To Serve, Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff, Nilufer Yanya, Buffalo Bar Doncaster, Happy Mondays, Doncaster Racecourse Leeds, BØRNS, The Wardrobe Leeds, Gaz Coombes, Church Leeds Liverpool, Car Seat Headrest, The Invisible Wind Factory London, Alvarez Kings, Birthdays London, The Underground Youth, MOTH Club Manchester, Lo Moon, Night & Day Cafe Northwich, The Slow Readers Club, Northwich Library Norwich, Ben Folds, Theatre Royal Nottingham, ISLAND, Bodega Nottingham Southampton, Peace, Engine Rooms Southampton, The Regrettes, Heartbreakers

Sunday 20 May th

Bristol, Peace, SWX Bristol Glasgow, Phoebe Bridgers, Saint Luke’s Glasgow, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, CCA Glasgow, Lo Moon, Broadcast Leeds, Artificial Pleasure, Oporto Bar & Restaurant Liverpool, Avi Buffalo, 81 Renshaw (The Arts Cafe)

Belfast, The xx, Ulster Hall

Birmingham, Gaz

Coombes, O2 Institute Birmingham, Nilufer Yanya, Sunflower Lounge Bristol, ISLAND, Thekla Bristol, Anna Burch, The Crofters Rights Bristol, DMA’s, O2 Academy Bristol Bristol, Snail Mail, The Louisiana Cambridge, Charles Watson, The Portland Arms Cambridge, Car Seat Headrest, Cambridge Junction Glasgow, Gus Dapperton, Stereo Glasgow, Japanese Breakfast, Mono Glasgow, Bully, The Hug & Pint London, Susanne Sundfør, Barbican Centre London, Avi Buffalo, St Pancras Old Church London, Matthew And The Atlas, Village Underground Manchester, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Gorilla Manchester, Now Now, Night People Nottingham, Spector, Bodega Nottingham

Tuesday 22 May nd

Barrow in Furness,

Nilufer Yanya, Barrow Library Basingstoke, Ben Folds, Anvil Arts Birmingham, The Regrettes, Sunflower

Lounge

Bristol, Car Seat Headrest,

SWX Bristol Bristol, Charles Watson, The Louisiana Bristol, Gaz Coombes, Trinity Cardiff, ISLAND, Clwb Ifor Bach Edinburgh, Nina Nesbitt, Liquid Rooms Edinburgh, Bully, Sneaky Pete’s Glasgow, DMA’s, Barrowland Glasgow, Cosmo Sheldrake, The Hug & Pint Leeds, Gus Dapperton, Brudenell Social Club Liverpool, Phoebe Bridgers, Leaf On Bold Street London, Lo Moon, Omeara London, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Electric Ballroom London, Our Girl, MOTH Club Manchester, Japanese Breakfast, The Deaf Institute Reading, Peace, Sub89 & The Bowery District

Wednesday 23rd May Birmingham, Clap Your

Hands Say Yeah, Hare & Hounds Bristol, Avi Buffalo, The Grain Barge Cardiff, Charles Watson, Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff, Cosmo Sheldrake, The Globe Carlisle, Miles Kane, The Brickyard Dublin, Beck, 3Arena Dunfermline, DMA’s, Alhambra Theatre Glasgow, Nilufer Yanya, Broadcast Glasgow, Peach Pit, The Garage Leeds, Japanese Breakfast, Belgrave Music Hall Leicester, Peace, Dryden Street Social London, Phoebe Bridgers, Islington Assembly Hall

London, Ezra Furman, O2 Academy Brixton London, ISLAND, KOKO London, Ben Folds, Barbican Centre London, Lo Moon, Omeara London, Car Seat Headrest, The Roundhouse London, Gus Dapperton, The Garage London, Gaz Coombes, London Palladium Shrewsbury, Bryde, Henry Tudor House

Thursday 24th May Birmingham, Peace, O2

Academy Birmingham Birmingham, Lo Moon, Hare & Hounds Birmingham, Japanese Breakfast, Hare & Hounds Brighton, Malcolm Middleton, St Georges Church Bristol, Ezra Furman, Colston Hall Leeds, Feet, Oporto Bar & Restaurant Leeds, Nilufer Yanya, Brudenell Social Club London, Pale Waves, Heaven London, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Roundhouse London, Cigarettes After Sex, O2 Academy Brixton London, Sorry, The Courtyard Theatre London, Turnover, KOKO

Institute Bristol, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, SWX Bristol Bristol, The Lovely Eggs, Exchange Carmarthen, Bryde, The Parrot Coventry, Miles Kane, Kasbah Coventry, Ben Folds, Warwick Arts Centre Dover, Can’t Swim, The Booking Hall Dublin, Gaz Coombes, The Academy Falmouth, Part Chimp, The Fish Factory Glasgow, Belle & Sebastian, SWG3 Glasgow, Blanck Mass, Queen’s Cross Church Glasgow, Jake Bugg, Kelvingrove Park Glasgow, Beth Ditto, The ABC Glasgow, The Faim, Stereo London, Deerhunter, KOKO London, Field Music, Barbican Centre London, Lice, Sebright Arms London, The Slow Readers Club, Islington Assembly Hall London, Blackout, The Underworld Nottingham, Detroit Social Club, Bodega Nottingham

Saturday 26th May Brighton, Ezra Furman,

Newcastle upon Tyne,

Brighton Dome Dundee, The Dykeenies, Church Edinburgh, Sylvan Esso, Leith Theatre Guildford, The Lovely Eggs, The Boileroom Halifax, Father John Misty, The Piece Hall Leeds, Loyle Carner, Globe Road Car Park London, Charles Watson, LSO St Luke’s London, Detroit Social Club, Hoxton Bar & Grill Nottingham, The The, The Rescue Rooms Sheffield, DMA’s, The Plug Stoke-on-Trent, The Slow Readers Club, The Sugarmill

Newcastle upon Tyne,

Sunday 27th May

Twin Atlantic, Riverside Newcastle Bully, Think Tank?

Newport, Bryde, Le Public Space Sheffield, Cosmo Sheldrake, The Plug Stoke-on-Trent, Miles Kane, The Sugarmill

Friday 25th May Aberdeen, The

Dykeenies, The Tunnels Birmingham, DMA’s, O2

Brighton, Deerhunter,

Concorde 2 Bristol, Gallops, The Fleece Dublin, The Breeders, Vicar Street Edinburgh, The Dykeenies, The Mash House Glasgow, LCD Soundsystem, SWG3 Glasgow, Superchunk, Stereo

30 VENUES PLUS A BR AND NEW FESTIVAL SITE ON BRIGHTON BEACH

BAKAR

AMA LOU TELEMAN

AK /DK

ALMA

SAMM HENSHAW

DYL AN CARTLIDGE

KAMAAL WILLIAMS

TEN FÉ

HOCKEY DAD K TR AP

FREAK

RINA SAWAYAMA

GUS DAPPERTON

LET’S EAT GR ANDMA SONS OF KEMET

GAIKA

K YARY PAMY U PAMY U FRE YA RIDINGS IGUANA DE ATH CULT

MAHALIA

POPPY AJUDHA

LO MOON

NILÜFER YANYA

JOYCUT

LOUIS BAKER

GOAT GIRL

MILK TEETH

GAFFA TAPE SANDY

GIANT PART Y LOT TO BOYZZ

NAAZ

JACK RIVER

EROL ALKAN

KOJEY R ADICAL

HUSKY LOOPS

DERMOT KENNEDY

S H I N E R S

EVES K ARYDA S

O CTAVIAN

PALE WAVE S

DIDIRRI

MIK AEL A DAVIS

PIP BLOM

HER’S

HUNTER & THE BEAR

STELL A D ONNELLY

SASSY 009

TICKETS ON SALE

HIMAL AYA S

BØRNS

EASY LIFE

BAD SOUNDS

SLOWTHAI

MANU CROOKS

DREAM STATE

BILLY LO CKET T

NINA NESBIT T ROSS FROM FRIENDS (LIVE)

BRUNO MAJOR

PEACH PIT

SAM FENDER

ROLLING BL ACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER

BLOXX

BENNY MAILS

TOM GRENNAN

PROMISEL AND

THE GO! TEAM

MANSIONAIR

SUPERORGANISM

JIMOTHY L ACOSTE JAPANE SE BRE AKFA ST THE ORIELLES PHOEBE BRIDGERS

AND MANY MORE

Guildford, Bully, The

Tuesday 29th May

Boileroom Leeds, Courtney Barnett, O2 Academy & Underground Leeds, Charles Watson, Brudenell Social Club Leeds, The Breeders, Leeds University Union London, Miles Kane, MOTH Club London, James Bay, The Roundhouse London, Tracyanne & Danny, Oslo London, Francobollo, Omeara London, Peach Pit, Scala London, Superchunk, ULU Live at Student Central London, Nilufer Yanya, Village Underground Manchester, Anderson East, Night & Day Cafe

Birmingham, RedFaces,

Wednesday 30th May

Cambridge, The Lovely

Birmingham, The Lovely

T The Regrettes.

Hastings, The Lovely Eggs, The Printworks

Leeds, The The, LMUSU (Calverly St)

London, Ben Folds, Barbican Centre

Manchester, Ezra

Furman, Albert Hall

Middlesbrough, Charles

Watson, Westgarth Social Club

Monday 28th May Bournemouth, Beck, The BIC

Bristol, Tracyanne & Danny, Colston Hall

Canterbury, Ben Folds,

Marlowe Theatre Edinburgh, The Breeders, Liquid Rooms Glasgow, LCD Soundsystem, SWG3 Glasgow, Ezra Furman, The ABC Glasgow, Avi Buffalo, The Hug & Pint Leeds, Superchunk, Brudenell Social Club London, Miles Kane, MOTH Club Manchester, Crows, Jimmy’s Manchester, Frankie Cosmos, Gorilla Ramsgate, The Lovely Eggs, Ramsgate Music

Hall

Hare & Hounds

Eggs, The Portland Arms

Cambridge, Beth Ditto, Cambridge Junction

Edinburgh, Crows, Sneaky Pete’s

Glasgow, Frankie Cosmos, The Art School

Glasgow, Broken Social Scene, The Garage

Glasgow, The Regrettes, Broadcast

Eggs, Hare & Hounds Birmingham, Charles Watson, Hare & Hounds Bristol, Frankie Cosmos, The Fleece Glasgow, Crows, The Priory Leeds, Broken Social Scene, Belgrave Music Hall Liverpool, The Regrettes,

Sound Food And Drink London, The Breeders, The Roundhouse London, Yungblud, Dingwalls London, Confidence Man, Village Underground London, Bully, MOTH Club London, Beth Ditto, Electric Brixton Manchester, James Bay, Albert Hall Norwich, Twin Atlantic, Waterfront Sheffield, Miles Kane, Leadmill

Thursday 31st May Brighton, Beth Ditto,

Concorde 2 Bristol, Crows, Rough Trade Bristol, The Hunna, SWX Derby, The Lovely Eggs, The Hairy Dog Glasgow, Tracyanne & Danny, Saint Luke’s Hebden Bride, The Magic Numbers, Trades Club Liverpool, Charles Howl, The Shipping Forecast London, Frankie Cosmos, Scala Manchester, Charles Watson, Soup Kitchen Tunbridge Wells, The Districts, The Forum

Booking Now. Animal Collective

London Troxy (12th June)

Let’s Eat Grandma London Heaven (27th September)

Kacey Musgraves

Bristol Hippodrome (23rd October), York Barbican (24th), Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (26th), London SSE Arena Wembley (27th), Birmingham O2 Academy (28th), Manchester O2 Apollo (30th), Gateshead Sage (1st November), Glasgow SSE Armadillo (2nd), Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (3rd), Belfast Waterfront Hall (4th), Dublin Olympia Theatre (6th)

Fidlar

London O2 Forum (18th July), Manchester O2 Ritz (19th)

Frightened Rabbit

Glasgow SWG3 (1st June)

DOWN WITH BORING

73

Any other questions?

Isaac Gracie Asking about the usual stuff is so boring. Why would you want to do that, when you could ask about Nandos sauce and falling over?

Hello. How are you?

I’m alright thanks, very tired.

Tell us a secret about yourself.

I actually like Mondays!

What’s your favourite thing about being a musician?

I love playing shows. I love mixing it up too. Sometimes I’m on my own, and other times I’m with my band.

Which defunct band would you most like to reform?

A band called The Middle East, they broke up just as I found them, which sucked...

What’s your biggest accomplishment?

What was the first record you bought?

Spiders.

Probably my crucifix. I got given it when I finished my time with the choir, and I’ve never taken it off since.

What strength Nandos sauce do you order?

How punk are you out of ten?

Last time I consulted it I was a solid 6.3 on the punk’ometer.

I’d try renting out Wembley just so I can say I’ve played there.

When’s your birthday?

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

What was the last thing you broke?

Have you ever fallen over onstage?

What is your most treasured possession?

28th October 1994.

How tall are you?

Six foot one, six four in heels.

74

READDORK.COM

Doing this interview, probably.

I’ve progressed from mild to medium!

Capos probably, they always go missing!

Pretty sure it was ‘The Eminem Show’. Great record, that.

My 1965 mustang at a show in Amsterdam, fool that I am...

What’s your biggest fear?

If you won the lottery, what would you spend the cash on?

Yeah, multiple times. P

Isaac Gracie’s self-titled debut album is out now.

NEXT ISSVE 11.05.2018

27 APRIL