MØ.
Finding Neverland.
REA DDO RK. COM OCT OBE
R 20 18
YOU SAY I’M TOO MUCH I SAY YOU’RE NOT ENOUGH
THE DEBUT ALBUM 5TH OCTOBER ESTRONS.COM
October 2018 Issue 26
Ed’s letter.
Welcome to the final stretch. It may only feel like five minutes ago we were welcoming in 2018, but now Reading & Leeds has heralded the end of our summer festival season, it’s full steam ahead to Christmas from here. That means the big beasts are roaming - no more ferocious than this month’s poppermost coverstar, MØ. With a second album due imminently, she’s not alone in planning something big as the nights draw in. Elsewhere this month we’ve finally got our hands on Black Honey’s debut album, which they’re only too happy to delve deep into. Estrons have an equally fizz-popping first record to show, while Interpol provide a bit of experience. And then there’s Sports Team, dragging us all to Margate for a good old dance on one of the hottest days of the years. In some ways, summer never dies.
S tephen
Editor / @stephenackroyd
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Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Events Liam James Ward Scribblers Abigail Firth, Ciaran Stweard, Dan Harrison, Dillon Eastoe, Jamie MacMillan, Jasleen Dhindsa, Jessie Atkinson, Jess Goodman, Josh Williams, Katie Pilbeam, Rob Mair, Steven Loftin Snappers Corinne Cumming, Frances Beach, Jamie MacMillan, Jennifer McCord, Lewis Robinson, Niall Lea, Patrick Gunning, Ryan Johnston, Sarah Louise Bennett Doodlers Russell Taysom Cover photo: Sarah Louise Bennett P U B L I S H E D F RO M
W E LCO M E TOT H E B U N K E R.CO M U N I T 10, 23 G RA N G E RO A D, H A S T I N G S, T N34 2R L
All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of The Bunker Publishing Ltd. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which The Bunker Publishing Ltd holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of Dork or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally.
Index. UPDATE 4 READING 2018 5 BROCKHAMPTON 6 DUA LIPA 8 FALL OUT BOY 10 YONAKA 12 PANIC! AT THE DISCO 14 WOLF ALICE 16 THE WOMBATS 18 HIPPO CAMPUS 20 JOYCE MANOR 21 VILLAGERS 22 BLACK PEAKS 24 THE JOY FORMIDABLE 25 FATHERSON 26 AURORA HYPE 28 THE CANDESCENTS 31 GRAND PAX 32 THE ACES 33 LLOVERS 33 BAD SOUNDS FEATURES 34 MØ 40 BLACK HONEY 44 INTERPOL 46 SPORTS TEAM 50 ESTRONS INCOMING 54 PALE WAVES 56 JUNGLE 57 CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS 58 SUEDE 60 ALT-J GET OUT 64 GREEN MAN 2018 65 NEVERWORLD 2018 66 THE GUIDE BACK PAGE 70 KING NUN
On The Stereo few others could ever sound as fresh and essential as this.
MØ Forever Neverland
Cloud Nothings Last Building Burning
Given she’s on the cover of this month’s issue, you can guess what we think about MØ’s longanticipated second album. Pop perfection is a given, but
Previously, Cloud Nothings have always been in our favour for matching a glorious din with a genuine ear for a hook-filled banger. On their latest full-length, 3
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they’re turning the former up to full blast. That burning building may collapse under the weight before it goes out.
The 1975 That playlist we’ve made of all the songs from ‘A Brief Inquiry’ on a loop Come on, guys. You know what we’re like by now.
Turns out, if you loop ‘Give Yourself A Try’, ‘Love It If We Made It’ and ‘TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME’ several hundred times, it almost certainly results in The 1975 dropping a new track. Seriously. Have a go. Give it a month or so and we’ll sure it’ll happen. What do you mean ‘coincidence’?
If it’s not in here, it’s not happening. Or we forgot. One or the other.
Reading & Leeds aren’t simply music festivals - they’re the official end of the summer. A place where we can take the temperature of ‘the bands’ as they finish up on months of weekend shows in dusty fields, we pitched up to Reading to catch all the action. Over the next few pages, we’ll show you the very best of what we saw. And Kings of Leon.
Down THE ESSENTIAL REVIEW
with
Reading & Leeds isn’t about your tired old music tastes anymore, Grandad.
Boring
Words: Ali Shutler, Dillon Eastoe, Stephen Ackroyd, Steven Loftin. Photos: Corinne Cumming, Frances Beach, Jamie MacMillan, Ryan Johnston.
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INTRODUCING...
Brockhampton
BBC RADIO 1 STAGE, SATURDAY, 3:25PM
Brockhampton
The World’s Greatest Boyband N KEVIN ABSTRACT
N DOM MCLENNON
prove Reading will never be the same again
The leader of the group, Kevin Abstract created Brockhampton by asking if anyone wanted to start a band on fan forum KanyeToThe back in 2010. Kevin handles most of the hooks and the catchy chorus-y bits, but raps as well – a standout verse of his being on ‘JUNKY’. Best verse: ‘JUNKY’, ‘BOOGIE’
Arguably the best rapper in Brockhampton, Dom McLennon is a technical powerhouse. He’s super clever with his verses and is fantastically skilled – so much so that it’s nearly impossible to pick a highlight. His standout moment comes on ‘GOLD’. Best verse: ‘GOLD’, ‘BOOGIE’, ‘SWEET’
N MATT CHAMPION
N MERLYN WOOD
Probably the most consistent member of the group, Matt Champion opens a good portion of Brockhampton’s discography. He’s got a really unique voice when rapping, but also takes on some of the band’s softest moments – see: his lil’ singing part on ‘RENTAL’. Best Verse: ‘RENTAL’, ‘GOLD’, ‘JUNKY’
And in case you’re confused, that’s a Very Good Thing Indeed.
T
here’s been much said about the musical evolution of Reading Festival - some of it looking at the event like it should live in some kind of cultural vacuum, refusing to acknowledge the ebb and flow of styles and genres. Reading is a rock festival, the mantra goes, like it’s a viable or relevant concern to keep catering exclusively to hairy men and people who willingly wear bucket hats.
Merlyn Wood delivers some of Brockhampton’s most memorable lines (hello ‘SWEET’). He’s so much fun to listen to (and watch), but of course, he has a softer side too, taking a really emotional opening verse on ‘MILK’. Best verse: SWEET, MILK
Out in the real world, it’s not like that. Categories, cliques and musical subcultures are far from dead, but those that stay in their lane and refuse to cross the streams seem dated and stale. It’s no surprise that the biggest crowds of Reading 2018 seem to have been reserved for the acts that don’t fit the festival’s traditional template. None of them, though, can match the reaction to Brockhampton. Be clear. This is a moment. A cultural shift in the attitude one of the most important events on the planet that will carry forwards. For a few years, now, there’s been a drive to diversify the acts playing the event beyond a token dance tent and the odd outlier in a Main Stage afternoon slot. More than most, the BBC Radio 1 tent has pushed in directions that better reflect the musical landscape, but the self-proclaimed “world’s greatest boyband” are far more than just a bit of fiddling around the edges. They’re the most exciting act of the weekend. That’s not us slapping an unwanted tag on them - though we
N BEARFACE
N JOBA
Brockhampton bangers
JOBA is extremely versatile. He raps in a million different styles, and generally looks a bit mental when he’ doing it (the best example is in ‘SWEET’). Much like Matt, JOBA sings a few hooks, most notably the really sweet chorus on ‘FACE’. Best verse: ‘SWEET’, ‘FACE’
Bearface isn’t a rapper. He sings bits here and there, and takes the final track on each ‘Saturation’ album, and it’ll all make you a bit weepy. Best song: ‘SUMMER’
Catch up with everything Brockhampton via our beginner’s guide on readdork.com now! S
BOOGIE Listen to this one first. This track is literally so much fun. Like, I dare you to not boogie to it. This song never ever drops off.
JUNKY No song better
OFFICIAL EMOJI RATING
The Big Moment
exemplifies Brockhampton’s whole ethos than ‘JUNKY’. Kevin’s verse about being gay and Matt’s verse about rape culture are possibly two of the most important verses in hip hop this side of the 5
millennium.
GOLD One of the first singles from the ‘Saturation’ trilogy, ‘GOLD’ is another one that showcases ‘best’ ‘bits’ from Dom and Matt, as well as the
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will if asked twice. It’s the reaction of the massed crowd that demands such billings. From the second they hit the stage, it’s madness. Opener ‘1998 TRUMAN’ starts an avalanche that refuses to come down throughout the extended set - all for an act that are hardly regular daytime fodder for the kind of radio station from which the stage takes its name. What follows is the kind of set that stops passers-by in their tracks. Each and every song results in deafening sing-a-longs, chants and whoops. The whole centre of the cacophonous tent, from front to back, is heaving - jumping, waving arms, responding to every command. Bigger, more established acts have played the same stage this weekend and not come close to the reaction Brockhampton command - all their sales figures, bill topping slots and so-called-status counting for nothing in the face of good oldfashioned hysteria. As older or more traditional acts play other stages, it feels like the energy a festival needs to thrive is focused directly on Brockhampton. Whether it’s them emitting it, their fans feeding it to them, or a mixture of the two - it’s honestly hard to tell, but it’s a wake-up call to a legion of tired traditionalists. The program has changed. Reading has evolved. Get with it, or die - it’s their choice. P
catchiest hook in the world.
chorus.
SWEET
If you want a taste of Brockhampton’s softer side, but don’t want to lose out on the catchiness, have a listen to ‘BLEACH’.
Another really fun track, ‘SWEET’ has highlights from a bunch of the members, and a dead catchy instrumental and
BLEACH
READING 2018 THE ESSENTIAL REVIEW
Dua gets the whole of Reading dancing to her beat
N BLOXX
is top of the pops
Bloxx’s Ophelia Booth apologises for losing her voice singing along to another band’s set the previous night, but she needn’t bother, she’s sounding great. Her bandmates anchor their fuzzy toe-tappers with guitars that let Booth’s dreamlike melodies float along on the midday breeze. N LIZZO
OFFICIAL EMOJI RATING
Smash Hits!
MAIN STAGE, SATURDAY, 5:15PM
Minnesota artist Lizzo is all kinds of everything. Dancing between, gospel, funk and trip-hop, her presence and voice turn the Saturday afternoon of Reading into a carnival. With a homemade outfit, and her dancers The Big GRRRLS emulating every firing line that she conjures. Lizzo has the antidote to all your woes. N SUNFLOWER BEAN
Bringing a little taste of their New York style to Reading, Sunflower Bean own every inch of the Festival Republic stage. As bassist Julia Cumming and guitarist Jacob Faber both split the singing duties, the band bounce and thrive off each other, each moment studiously crafted but also charmingly organic.
Dua Lipa
sets Reading’s new rules on the Main Stage It’s pop hits central on the Main Stage, with a festival exclusive set.
R
eading has had eclectic lineups before, but the past few years have seen that evolution supercharged. Everything has always been welcome at Reading & Leeds but for whatever reason, true pop music hasn’t always fit at the top table.
It only seems right that Dua Lipa be the artist to change that. She’s broken records, provided a soundtrack for the past two years and become one of the biggest artists in the world, with songs about self-belief, self-love and standing up for yourself. Today she 6
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kicks down the door to the Main Stage. “I want you to be yourself. Be your authentic and true self. Lose all your inhibitions. Be your most unapologetic you and never listen to anyone who tells you otherwise,” promises the introduction. From the moment Dua sprints onto the stage and blows the festival a kiss, she lives that message. ‘Blow Your Mind’ is confident and assured, full of swagger with no time for the doubt, ‘Dreams/No Lie’ sparkles with synchronicity and ‘One Kiss’ instigates dancing mosh pits. The forty-five minutes fly by with hit after hit landing true. ‘Be The One’ and ‘Hotter Than Hell’ overflow with jubilance and
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BBC RADIO 1 STAGE, SATURDAY, 4:35PM Big things can come in small packages, and there’s a wistful, cinematic quality to everything Sigrid touches; her dreamy, pop banger soundtrack all part of the scene setting. Thunderous applause greets her as she bounces about the Reading stage, having an enviable amount of fun. Her ascension to this moment itself is remarkable, but as soon as turbo banger ‘Strangers’ kicks into gear it all makes perfect sense. P
sparkle, ‘Scared To Be Lonely’ flashes quiet and vulnerable before thrashing through. A final one-two of ‘IDGAF’ and ‘New Rules’ underline this as a moment. In years to come it’ll been heralded as ground-breaking. Right now, Dua will have to make do with ground-shaking as she gets the whole of Reading dancing to her beat. P
READING 2018 THE ESSENTIAL REVIEW Save rock ‘n’ roll
MAIN STAGE, FRIDAY, 9:45PM
N STARCRAWLER
Fall Out Boy are
the headlining glue that holds Reading & Leeds together Starcrawler’s Arrow de Wilde has been going through Justin Hawkins’ bins and found some of his old catsuits. The good news is that their glammed up retro punk has a sight more snarl and attitude. OFFICIAL EMOJI RATING
N BLACK PEAKS
No band better reflects the two contrasting sides of Reading than Fall Out Boy.
F
Black Peaks are an ever-evolving band. With their upcoming second album looking set to propel them to Main Stage contenders, the future of Reading Festival’s rock contingency is safe in their capable hands. Black Peaks feel as exciting as they do ready to take on the world.
all Out Boy didn’t become Reading’s new unofficial house band by default. Sure, My Chemical Romance’s departure right before they could inherit the throne left a vacancy, but in an era where Foo Fighters’ meat and potato FM radio rock no longer plays to anyone under the age of 30, the usual parade of one-dimensional pretenders were never going to fit.
N DEAF HAVANA
Deaf Havana have gone through different forms, and arrive at Reading having released ‘Rituals’, a well-executed pop reinvention. Backed today by a choir as on the new record, the Hunstanton rockers take nothing for granted. N SPRING KING
Spring King’s new album promises ‘A Better Life’ - it’s something the four piece are offering in spades at Reading 2018, dishing out rocket charged bangers like they’re going out of style. They’re not. They’re great.
Oi Pete, what do you want Fall Out Boy to mean to people in 2018? “Man, I remember going to school when [Metallica’s] ‘Enter Sandman’ was big and being like, damn, my band is on the radio - this isn’t you guys’ fucking band, you guys listen to MC Hammer or whatever. This one is mine. I wanna be that band for kids. There’s so much music out there, and it wouldn’t have been for me, and I want to fit that sweet spot for those kids.”
8
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Since returning from their early grave, they’re a band who have constantly played with expectation. Their pop-punk roots have given fruit to albums that draw just as much influence from a mainstream landscape where rock has receded, giving way to hip-hop and electronic music. It’s an experiment that doesn’t always sit comfortably - but crucially refuses to stay still and rest on the expected. That said, the fact the band quite happily drop their biggest payload four songs into their set still feels like a surprise. ‘Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down’ may be an echo to Fall Out Boy’s old world, but it’s part of the foundations on which Reading is built upon. While more timid bands would take that energy and feed it with a parade of ‘classic’ greatest hits, they instead push down the accelerator and blast through a run largely consisting of v2.0 bombast. From the triumphant ‘Immortals’ to the batshit ‘Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea’, the pulp fiction of ‘Uma Thurman’ and the epic ‘Save Rock and Roll’, it shows an understanding of where alternative music really stands in 2018. That’s not to say they’re a band denying the classics. From the zombie disco of ‘Dance, Dance’ to ‘This Ain’t A Scene…’, each song feels like a commandment from on high. Whether they’re leading the way or following the trends, Reading’s biggest slot is where Fall Out Boy belong. P
“N
MAIN STAGE, FRIDAY, 12:55PM
o regrets”, sang Robbie Williams, “they don’t work”. Robbie Williams isn’t at Reading Festival trying to make laboured introductions to so-buzzyright-now pop rockers The Regrettes (see what we did there?! - Ed), though, so what does he know?
N KATE NASH
Combining her back catalogue of preppy indie tunes with a homage to her Netflix show GLOW, Kate Nash’s set on the Festival Republic stage sees WWE star Jetta appear out of nowhere, launching into a tirade at our Kate. As fast as lightning, Pro Wrestling EVE’s Erin Angel comes to her defence, with Kate then body slamming Jetta. Given this rush of excitement, it’s quite something to then be renditioned with Kate’s beautiful, jagged tunings. She’s a survivor of an era that’s chewed up and spat out many an artist, but Kate Nash is still out here doing whatever the fuck she wants. P
The
Regrettes come through The buzzy upstarts grasp their early Main Stage slot with both hands, then shake it into submission.
Bollocks all, it turns out. From the opening blast of ‘I Don’t Like You’, The Regrettes are a band undeterred by the sheer scale of Reading’s biggest platform. Early slots to sparse crowds have sunk far more experienced bands in the past, but with basement punk rattle in full flow, they’re more than capable of turning a huge field into a tiny dive bar. That is until ‘Come Through’ takes hold. Spinning on a wave of raw energy, there’s band claps and dancing aplenty. The kind of legit banger that a set turns on, The Regrettes are suddenly a different proposition. In your face, they’re the antidote to a male dominated Main Stage bill. As the audience grows, so does the momentum. Soon there’s a request for “an all lady pit” for ‘A Living Human Girl’, followed by the high kicking frenzy of ‘Red Light’. There’s even the confidence to try out new material in the form of fresh cut ‘California Friend’, all call and response and high flying handclaps. A quick proclamation that Reading is “the best”, a thrash through a cover of ‘Ballroom Blitz’, and they’re away. Those Regrettes might just work after all, Rob. P
How was that for you? Natti: It was super fun. Can you unwind now for a bit, or is it party time tomorrow after Leeds? Natti: It’s party time tonight! Are you staying over? Natti: We’re leaving at 1am. Sam: We’re gonna be hanging at the Lock Up stage. Jack: Underoath! Sam: And The Used, as well. Natti: I’m gonna see Bad Sounds, that’ll be super fun. What have you got planned after tomorrow, then? Sam: The following weekend is our bass player [Harry]’s wedding. Are you the wedding band? Natti: No. [Jack’s] the best man, [Sam’s] the groomsman. We can’t play. We’re gonna be drunk. Jack: He’s doing a Silent Disco instead. Natti: And a bouncy castle. After the wedding? Natti: After the honeymoon, we’re touring America for three weeks and then another couple of weeks touring the UK. The new EP is coming out over the course of those shows. And then, we are onto Album two, baby! P
With a debut album now in tow, Fickle Friends are the real pop deal.
A
year ago, Fickle Friends took on the BBC Radio 1 Stage at Reading without so much as a full-length to their name. Now they’re back - twelve months older, wiser and packing that all important album.
Life’s a beach for
It’s not that the 2017 vintage had any holes to fill - they were doubtlessly one of the festival’s highlights - but the extra confidence that comes with a Top 10 record is easy to see. Potential fulfilled, they fizz with raw pop energy. Stalking around the palms littering the stage, Natty refuses to stand still for even a second, yet remains note perfect at all times. From the bubbling swagger of ‘Glue’ to the raw honesty of ‘Hard To Be Myself’, they might be following a surprise set from one of 2019’s potential headliners, but it’s Fickle Friends who feel like the real deal. P 9
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BBC RADIO 1 STAGE, FRIDAY, 3:25PM
Fickle Friends OFFICIAL EMOJI RATING
READING 2018 THE ESSENTIAL REVIEW
Yonaka are excited ... and they’re bloody well right to be, too.
I
t’s early doors at Reading Festival but Yonaka are already excited, and they’ve got every reason to be. This summer they’ve played a whole bunch of festivals, visited loads of countries and released a brand new EP. They’re not stopping there though. There’s that big ol’ London headline show on the horizon, alongside the promise of new music. We caught up with the gang ahead of their set for a little chat.
Hello everyone. How has your festival season been so far? Theresa: It’s been the best summer ever. We’ve moved onto that point now where we get to mix travelling with the music. It feels good. Rob: The novelty is still there. It’s
really exciting still, but it also becomes natural.
And your ‘Teach Me To Fight’ EP came out the other week, people seem to properly love it. Theresa: We’re really happy with
this one. It feels right for us. We’ve just been writing loads and said ‘Ok these songs feel good so let’s just put our favourite songs on it’. We recorded most of it ourselves, we only did ‘Fired Up’ with a producer, and we had a lot more creative control over it. I love listening to it, which is a good feeling because normally I’m just like, ‘Ergh, turn it off’.
What do you want people to take from this EP? What’s the message? Theresa: Just to be a fucking
badass. I want people to feel like no one can tell you no. I want people to feel like no one can tell you what to do. I just want you to feel strong and like you can take on anything.
Do you know what’s next? Alex: We’re straight back in the studio.
Rob: We’re nearly done with our third EP. We’re basically finished. We’re three-quarters of the way done. Theresa: We want to put out an album but we’re so small, we don’t want to put it out and have nothing happen with it. We want something to happen. We want it to be special. We know what we’re doing though. We’re just going to keep releasing music. George: It feels really good to have this momentum as well. As soon as one EP comes out, we’re straight back in the studio doing the next one, just to keep it going. It’s not just for other people; it’s for our benefit as well. We feel so good when new music is coming out all the time. Theresa: We’re going away for the whole of September to write. Normally we’re just in Brighton, we write, then go home and chill or whatever and you get distracted by whatever’s there. We’ve got this really nice house in the middle of nowhere, we’ve got it for the month, and we’re just going to write a shitload of songs. Rob: It’s going to get weird. P
FESTIVAL REPUBLIC STAGE, FRIDAY, 3:50PM With the wind outside whipping up a slight chill, Brighton’s Yonaka bring the temperature up. Singer Theresa Jarvis and guitarist George Edwards grapple with each other as they howl out vocals and attack their guitars with a vengeance. With an ear for a hook and the feel for a groove, Yonaka are headed places, and it won’t be long before a tent like Reading’s Festival Republic won’t be able to contain them. P
N SALTWATER SUN
Local Reading six-piece Saltwater Sun battle through the drizzle on the Introducing Stage with some feel-good indie pop. Describing their sound as ‘sun-drenched’, this isn’t exactly the ideal climate to judge them in, but there’s promise in their garage rock guitars and bouncing bass lines. Get them in a tent or control the weather next year, Reading. N LET’S EAT GRANDMA
Let’s Eat Grandma’s startling reinvention hasn’t just delivered one of the most exciting albums of 2018 - at Reading they prove that levelling up also applies to the live arena too. Bewitching, urgent and intoxicating, they’re a highlight of a packed weekend. N SHAME
In truth, nothing has been more Shame than their answer to the demands of a Reading Main Stage slot. Rather than pyros, smoke machines and light shows, they’re shelled out on a pair of £300 wavy armed clowns. There’s nothing comedic about the band’s full frontal assault. One of the most essential bands on the planet.
N FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES Continuing the secret set revelations, Sunday’s empty slot on The Pit Stage is snagged up by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes who, just under four years ago, unveiled themselves here. Now, they’ve returned to tear it down. 10
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N DMA’S DMA’s bring their Aussie interpretation of Britpop to the BBC Radio 1 Stage for half an hour of acoustic guitars, tambourines and 90s-indebted tunes. As the band open with ‘Too Soon’ a legion of bucket hats bob their way into the front of the tent and get to work. D OWN WI T H BO RI N G
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READING 2018 THE ESSENTIAL REVIEW
N GENGHAR
Booked in for an early slot on the Radio 1 Dance Stage, Gengahr apologise to anyone expecting a different kind of vibe. By the end of the set some young muckers have even started themselves a mosh pit of all things. Gengahr are now strident performers. Reading sees them standing tall. N RAE MORRIS
Panic stations
MAIN STAGE, SATURDAY, 8:05PM
Brendon Urie gets the last
Panic! At The Disco headline Reading laugh, as
Emo-pop’s last great showman is ready to sparkle on the biggest stage.
E
veryone has heard the story by now. How, minutes into their first appearance at Reading Festival, Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie was sent sparko by a bottle lobbed from a crowd seemingly unready to accept emo-pop’s next great icons.
What was once a right of passage for a band playing an event previously unafraid to voice its opinion may have gradually retreated to the comment sections and angry tweets of the internet, but it’s fair to say that tonight, Brendon is getting the last laugh. Co-headlining the second night of Reading 2018, his band mates may have gradually
departed, but the last great showman of his generation remains. Trademark sparkly jacket and golden microphone in place, Panic! At The Disco may now swim between one man, a band and a vague illusion of a ‘project’, but its success is inarguable. Now a genuine chart-topper, able to leap across the mainstream with a flashed smile and a cheeky wink, it’s an attitude that makes friends easily. Bursting into life with recent single ‘(Fuck A) Silver Lining’, even when spewing a potty mouth across Reading’s biggest stage, Brendon still feels like the nicest man in town. A set that draws heavily on Panic!’s more recent endeavours is punctuated by genuine moments from down the years - not least ‘Nine In The Afternoon’, a track that - like Brendon himself - continually proves to be more than meets the eye. ‘Girls/Girls/Boys’ may not be Panic!’s biggest hit, but it’s often the
most fitting - its story of “acceptance and pride” ringing out loud. It’s good enough to let that now obligatory cover of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ through, too. While on one hand it’s a trick we’ve all seen before, when played under moonlight from one of the biggest stages on the planet, its energy is undeniable. That said, this is Reading. While there’s no denying Queen’s anthemic power, ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’ is the kind of song that twists in the blood of the assembled masses. Required listening - a legend passed down from generations - there are those in the crowd young enough to have been singing it back since they first started to succumb to music’s undeniable charms. It shows, too. A building block in the foundations upon which the modern festival is built, tonight it gets its dues. You might knock Panic! At The Disco down, but you’ll never stop them coming back for more. P
N THE KOOKS It’s a while before any Kook-bangers make an appearance, but once they do hit through the staying power of their early big hitters is obvious. The Kooks of 2018 may not be what everyone wants, but it does keep us singing along to ‘Naive’ like it’s 2006. 12
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Treating the BBC Radio 1 tent to her vibrant songwriting chops, Rae Morris never fails to bring heaps of enthusiasm, and it’s infectious. While ‘Someone Loves You’, may anchor itself upon a base of melancholy, the rest of what Rae has to offer falls neatly under eternal-optimism and eyeing up the brighter side of life. N SWMRS
SWMRS are certainly not ones for fucking about. Three songs in, and they’ve already dropped three absolute bangers. ‘Drive North’ and ‘BRB’ blow the doors off, before ‘Miley’ provokes the first group sing-a-long of the weekend. In and out in a ball of flaming energy, SWMRS show no signs of sinking yet.
N HIPPO CAMPUS With a second album on the way imminently, Hippo Campus are a band who have something to say, but a deeply personal way of expressing it. Still packing enough buzz to feel like the next exciting move is on the horizon, their Festival Republic slot promises much more to come.
2018’s buzziest band take top billing in Reading’s smallest tent.
Find more hair raisingly good stuff from Pale Waves on p54 S
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N EASY LIFE
FESTIVAL REPUBLIC STAGE Easy Life are horns aplenty as they groove through a midafternoon slot. A vibrant welcome greets the band, and their hip-hop laced infectiously smooth indie bops soon reward it. With a lively crowd in front of them, Easy Life make easy work of their set. N MAGGIE ROGERS
Maggie Rogers already has that aura of something special. By the time latest single ‘Give A Little arrives’, she’s sliding across the stage in a state of constant movement. Fresh but with genuine depth, it may still be relatively early days, but that path to the top feels already firmly set. N DREAM WIFE
As a drizzle settles over Reading there are far worse places to take shelter than the Festival Republic, where Dream Wife exhibit their frenetic brand of punked up indie rock. A mosh pit forms on demand, the energy permeating from within hinting at the myriad possibilities ahead for Dream Wife.
SATURDAY, 5:00PM
Pale Waves make noises
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f you’re lucky, you’ll get to see a band play the gig of their lives. The one where everything clicks on stage, and that connection to the crowd fires. If you’re especially fortunate, you’ll see this rare occurrence happen at a festival, away from an audience full of already converted fans, where the good vibes extend outside of the usual bubble.
his is the last time we’ll see Pale Waves play a festival tent so small. Just about hanging on to the illusion they’re a band about to arrive rather than one setting up stall in indie’s A list, with debut album ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ imminent, Reading 2018 is a full stop on the first paragraph of the band’s unstoppable ascent, and they’re playing it perfectly.
Then again, how could they not? With a collection of tracks already dropped strong enough to overpower most established peers’ greatest hits sets, they might be billed on the festival’s most intimate tent, but they’re
by bodies, but by genuine warmth from that packed centre. Crushed together, jumping, signing, waving their arms in the air they’re each locked in an emotional feedback loop with Callum and Ewan Merrett, the brothers that form the heart of Bad Sounds. During each song they go wild, to be greeted by wide grins and disbelieving expressions that this is really happening. It’s a situation helped by the fact that Bad Sounds only write bangers. Tonight, they sound like they should be headlining the whole shebang. Big, brassy and determined to please, they pack an energy that’s more than a match for any other act on the bill. As the stabs of ‘Wages’ send those clustered masses into a state of euphoria, they’re not the only ones; everyone’s getting lucky tonight. P
That’s exactly the charmed life Bad Sounds live at Reading 2018. A week to the day since they released their debut album ‘Get Better’, and they’re riding a wave that threatens to turn into a tsunami. The Festival Republic tent isn’t overflowing, but it’s definitely packed at a time when the rest of the festival is preparing for Fall Out Boy to take on the Main Stage. Even those sparser edges feel full - not
N SPECTOR While their path in the past few years hasn’t always been straightforward, Londoners Spector will always find a home at Reading Festival. That’s partly due to ‘Chevy Thunder’, an enduring proto-indie banger that gets people rowdy six years after release. 13
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playing it as if they’re headlining the whole damn thing. Just how far Heather Baron-Gracie has progressed since the band’s appearance twelve months ago on the BBC Introducing stage is nothing short of staggering. Stalking the stage like a pop icon in waiting, ’Television Romance’ and ‘There’s A Honey’ already sound like the classics they’re assured to be, while the raw honesty of ‘Noises’ translates perfectly in the live arena. At a point where Reading & Leeds feel to be evolving, Pale Waves are one of the few acts with nothing to worry about. Whatever way the ebb and flow of popular music heads next, some things are simply undeniable. With an ear for perfect pop and an ability ride the wave of buzz, they’ll smash it no matter what. P
FESTIVAL REPUBLIC STAGE, FRIDAY, 8:50PM
Bad Sounds play
the
of
their
gig lives
N THE VACCINES The Vaccines ascent to the higher reaches of Reading & Leeds’ Main Stage continues at a steady pace, but there’s nothing sedate about what they’re offering. One of those rare bands that improve with age, they’ve ticked another box on their route to the very top. RE AD D O RK. CO M
READING 2018 THE ESSENTIAL REVIEW BBC RADIO 1 STAGE, FRIDAY, 10:30PM
Wolf Alice are a band N SPORTS TEAM
to believe in One small step for Wolf Alice, one giant leap for having a good time.
The final act to take to the BBC Introducing Stage this weekend, Sports Team arrive like a lightning bolt through a darkened sky. Frontman Alex Rice surveys his crowd, gesturing wildly to the heavens above and further. Sports Team have a vital energy that hooks in every passerby. N HINDS
The sound at festivals can often go awry. For Hinds, and their billing on the Festival Republic Stage, something doesn’t quite translate. The heart of their songs is all there, but indeterminable from the brash onslaught of their attitudeladen jams. It doesn’t stop anyone having a good time, though. And this is the most important takeaway. From the eager crowd to the joyous looks upon Hinds’ faces - sound issues aside, it’s a veritable feast of what festivals are all about - forgetting about any outside world troubles, and just getting lost in a moment. N SLAVES
The phrase “a moment” is thrown around a lot at festivals, especially Reading & Leeds. For Slaves, however, there’s nothing else to call their headline set on the Radio 1 Stage. The scrappy duo have been on a hell of an ascension over the last few years, and seem just about unstoppable since the release of their third album, ‘Acts of Fear & Love’.
W
olf Alice have always been a band comfortable flickering between light and dark. Dialling it up between loud and quiet, they’ve always been an unpredictable beast, but after a summer bouncing from huge stadium shows to countless festivals around the world, tonight anything goes.
Wolf Alice making the step up to headline the Radio One stage at Reading Festival is something that’s been on the cards pretty much since the word go. They’ve always been pegged as Future Headliners by other people and since the release of ‘Visions Of A Life’, they’ve carried themselves with a similar, if unspoken, belief. Still, from the dream haze introduction and the fact the gang is lit up one by one, tonight still has that smirking, unpredictable edge. ‘Your Loves Whore’ is deep-rooted and beautiful, and standing on the shoulders of giants, poise and intimacy before the strobe-attack of ‘Yuk Foo’ charges with a renewed, unforgiving roar upon which the modern festival is built, tonight it gets its dues. You might knock Panic! At The Disco down, but you’ll never stop them coming back for more. Drawing lines in the muck, Wolf Alice spend the rest of the set dancing to their own rules. ‘You’re A Germ’ sneers and chuckles, ‘St. Purple & Green’ looks up to the heavens and questions more while the rolling shapeshift of ‘Visions Of A Life’ bellows, whispers and talks truth. An Epic under any other band, Wolf Alice are charged with too much energy, excitement and frustration to be bogged down in slowly unfurling cinema. Their set still has plenty of blockbuster moments though. ‘Bros’ continues to capture a special sort of adoration, simple but forever green. It’s the sort of track that soundtracks those moments you’ll remember forever, whether alone and through headphones or surrounded by friends and strangers in a field and tonight, it’s a firework that 14
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burns on and on. ‘Giant Peach’ trembles with a last-chance-saloon recklessness and ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’ is a slow dance of escape and understanding. It’s the glitterball explosion of ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’ that really steals the show though. Already an anthem of love, hope and fearless surrender, tonight it starts with a proposal. When she says yes, the band erupt. It’s genuine, wholehearted joy that doesn’t care if anybody is watching. Losing themselves for a moment inspires the same from the crowd. “We’ve all been fifteen years old and standing in this tent so playing this slot means the world to us,” grins Theo a moment later. You believe it. And not just because Wolf Alice are a band you know on a first names basis. They inspire this connection, tonight and always. They’re a band to trust, a band to rely on, a band that curate belief. This evening is a powerful showing of how much they can do, how far they can go. It’s an intimate celebration between four friends played out on one of the biggest stages. Over a year into a touring cycle that just hasn’t stopped, tonight’s show is still treated with care, love and affection because Wolf Alice don’t know any different. It’s why, one day, they’re going to headline this whole thing. P
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Howdy, Wolf Alice. How do you feel about headlining this stage? Joel: It’s mad. This was always my festival; I spent so many hours at this tent, so to get the offer to headline; it’s crazy. What’s the rest of the year got in store for you? Ellie: We’ve got no free time until the end of the year. Lots of shows, then hopefully round off the [‘Visions of a Life’ album] campaign in a fun way and get writing. Do you know how you’re going to round things off? Ellie: Yeah, we’ve just not announced it yet. P
READING 2018 THE ESSENTIAL REVIEW
MAIN STAGE, SUNDAY, 9:30PM
Kings of Leon waste their moment Compared to the weekend’s other headliners, they fall flat.
B
illed alongside poppunk shape-shifters Fall Out Boy and rap megastar Kendrick Lamar, booking Kings of Leon to close Sunday night at Reading feels not so much ‘safe’ as ‘haven’t we been through this already?’ When Kings of Leon headlined in 2009, Fall Out Boy played lower down the bill in their last UK performance before hiatus. While that was a fond farewell complete with the biggest hits, a Journey cover and a chance to say goodbye - Kings of Leon grumbled at the crowd’s levels of enthusiasm before Caleb smashed up his guitar and flounced off. Where their fellow 2018 headliners have constantly evolved, the best moments of Kings of Leon’s set tonight could
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all have been drawn from their 2007 outing. An opening suite from ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ is a sad reminder of how exciting the Kings were when they first burst out of Tennessee, ‘Taper Jean Girl’ getting the audience grooving. The intensity drops once the Followills start dipping into their later releases, and never picks up again. ‘Crawl’ and ‘Find Me’ are rare suggestions that the old fire must still be burning somewhere deep down, but ‘Notion’ and ‘Over’ demonstrate it’s suffocating under layers of U2-aping bluster. From their first three records, we know Kings of Leon are capable of something special, but they need a total reboot to revive that spirit. On tonight’s evidence, they don’t seem like the kind of group to tear up the rulebook and start over. P
PRESENTS
T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E AT M Y T I C K E T. C O . U K
OFFICIAL EMOJI RATING
The Wombats are
What have
exactly where they’re supposed to be On Reading’s main stage, with arena dates next year The Wombats are still on the top of their game. Hello, The Wombats. You’ve just done a secret set on the BBC Introducing Stage; you’re playing the Main Stage in a few hours. How are you doing? Dan: I got bitten by something, I
think it was a wasp, in the middle of the palm right before we started playing and my hand is killing. Tord: The show was fun, though. We did a bunch of first album songs because all our gear is on the Main Stage, so it was stripped down and punk rocky.
How’s your 2018 been so far? Dan: It’s been full on. It was gig
you’ve just announced your biggest ever headline shows. Dan: We’ve never played Wembley
before, so it’s going to be fun. It feels like there’s momentum. You always want to move forward in whatever you’re doing. We’re just as happy playing to a hundred people on the BBC Introducing Stage, though. Just get us on a stage, and we’ll fucking go. Murph: Hashtag grateful. Tord: Hashtag humble and kind.
Why do you think your music still connects? Murph: We have the vessels of
number 100 on Wednesday, which is good for half a year. Tord: When it’s an album year, it’s always hectic. This is our fourth time around, and we know what to expect, but it is full on.
mid-thirties men, but the souls of fourteen-year-old kids. Maybe that’s why? Tord: We’re extremely childish.
And you’re not slowing down,
Wembley Stadium. Actually, why
So, what’s next? Murph: Whatever it takes to get to
MAIN STAGE, FRIDAY, 5:25PM The Wombats are riding higher than ever before. With the big room of Wembley Arena in their sights, first up is the Main Stage of Reading, and the mass fever-pitch crowd that greets the Scouse trio grows by the second. Everything from ‘Beautiful People...’, back to ‘A Guide To Love...’ feels equally fresh; and even troublesome tech issues fail to stop Murph and co. from blowing away the grey clouds. P stop there? Five nights at Wembley Stadium. Tord: You’ve got The O2 in the middle as well. If we could do that one day, that’d be awesome.
Have your ambitions for the band changed? Dan: I’d like to get bitten by wasps
less.
Murph: We just want to keep doing what we’re doing. We do want to play massive shows, but we wouldn’t want to sacrifice being who we are to get there. What do you want people to take away from a The Wombats show? Dan: Hopefully they lose a
shoe, or a t-shirt. Or get a few bruises. Things like that. I’ve still got memories of being sixteen/ seventeen and going to gigs and someone holding my shoe up in a mosh pit, then crowd surfing my way to get it. I remember crowd surfing to RATM at Leeds Festival in 2000. It’s all just good memories. Tord: If we can be that band for that younger generation, that’d be awesome. P
NO, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO GET TO HEAR BASTILLE’S NEW ALBUM. The lads announced from “the stage” that their third full-length will be called ‘Doom Days’, but beyond that, we’ve got nothing. Zilch. Nada. But rejoice, Dear Reader, because we do have new music from Bastille! Sort of. The band have teamed up with old sweetienoggin Marshmello to release a brand new track, ‘Happier’. “Last year we wrote a song called “Happier” which we thought would be great as a collaboration,” Dan said on Twitter. “It’s always good to step into somebody else’s world for a minute.”
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**TOOT TOOT**
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The 1975
been up to this month?
I
t’s the same pattern, every month. We put together a carefully crafted magazine, full of our favourite bands. We send it off to “the printers”, and then The 19-bloody-75 send us a note in the post to say a track is about to drop. They did it in July with ‘Love It If We Made It’, and they did it again in August with ‘TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME’. We fully expect by the time you pick up this magazine, they’ll have done it a third time - but still, at the time of press, this is what’s been going on with the most hype-snogging band in pop. N THEY PUT OUT A TROPICAL BANGER The third track (and second single, apparently - Ed) from the band’s “forthcoming” album ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships’ is not what we expected. It sounds a little bit like OMI’s ‘Cheerleader’. No, really. It’s streaming online now. N THEY MADE A CUTE SPOTIFY VIDEO ‘TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME’ also came with a lovely little clip which featured the Matty mucking about with fans. N THEY TOLD US WHEN WE’RE GETTING ‘A BRIEF INQUIRY...’ 30th November, FYI. You can pre-order it now on ‘the internet’. N THEY ANNOUNCED A BLOODY TOUR, TOO Or they will have by the time you read this. It’s happening between this magazine going to the printers and hitting the streets. Cheeky buggers. P
“MY HAIR IS SORT OF TURQUOISE NOW, TOO. LOOK ON TWITTER OR SOMETHING.”
THE NEW ALBUM
In Stores 12 October Featuring Disconnect and Stigmata CD • Digital • LIMItEd edition coloured vinyl
Available to pre-order now
Catch Basement on tour • November 2018 16 NOV – Manchester, Club Academy 17 NOV – Leeds, Stylus • 18 NOV – Glasgow, Garage 20 NOV – Birmingham, O2 Institute 2 • 21 NOV – Southampton, 1865 22 NOV – London, O2 Forum Kentish Town 23 NOV – Bristol, SWX
BasementUK.COM
Hungry hungry
Hippo Campus With second album ‘Bambi’ due, Hippo Campus are back and ready to take on big issues in a personal way.
T
Words: Martyn Young.
here comes a point in every band’s existence when the youthful exuberance and playfulness of their early days gives way to something more refined. The very
best bands though retain both, and as buzzy Minnesota five-piece Hippo Campus ready their second album ‘Bambi’, they’re showing you can have fun while focusing on the big issues. ‘Bambi’ is a significant step forward for the band and arrives into a world drastically different five years since they formed in 2013. Their debut album ‘Landmark’ was full of bouncy enthusiasm and boyish charm, but this time they
felt compelled to do something a bit different and go that little bit deeper. “There’s a lyric in the new song ‘Bubbles’ that goes, ‘Burn the room’,” begins singer Jake Luppen. “This album is basically us burning what we did on ‘Landmark’. That’s a mantra for this record.” The fuel provided for their symbolic torching took some different forms. Primarily it involved a change in working methods. “Our process changed quite a bit,” explains Jake. “In the past, we’d always written songs as a full band in the room. We made three records - the two EPs and ‘Landmark’ utilising one facet of the band where we were able to all jam together. For this album, we each wrote songs and brought them in. We were able to spend more time crafting chord progressions and melodies.” ‘Bambi’ is the product of a period of self-reflection where Hippo Campus examined who they were, where they were going and the people they wanted to be. It was a tough process. 18
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“Nathan’s grandpa said in order to make great music, you have to be a good person first” “We talk about mental health a lot more than we did in the past,” reveals Jake. “That’s down to how personal and vulnerable we felt when writing these songs. There are themes of anxiety and depression. In addition to that, I felt more confident personally to be able to write about my relationship and how mental health has impacted that. How being in a band and
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touring has affected us. We wrote about friendships, and how they’ve changed as we’ve grown up.” The band were also conscious of social and cultural changes. “The Me Too Movement was something that came up right when we were writing and recording this record,” says Jake. “It made us think about our place as white men, which is largely the problem in the world right now. We had to interrogate our purpose and how as five guys we can be better for the world right now. “We went to a talk on toxic masculinity, and it was very revealing how much that had played a part in everything we do, including writing. It forced us to be more vulnerable on this record and not be afraid to talk about mental health issues.” The band found solace in their wherewithal to be better socially conscious people close to home. “Nathan [guitar] talked to his grandpa, and his grandpa said: ‘In order to make great music, you have to be a good person first’. That’s something that stuck with us, especially over the past few years when we’ve been focused on bettering ourselves as people.” Buoyed by a desire to look deeper into themselves, ‘Bambi’ is a more honest reflection of Hippo Campus. “There was a strong emphasis on the lyrics for this album. There have been songs where I’ve gone back three months later and wished I had spent more time on the lyrics. As far as this record goes, there’s nothing yet, but I’m sure there’ll be something that will stick out in a couple of months.” The real magic in the album though, is how darkness can be tempered with light and lucidity. “It’s that juxtaposition of melodies that are major,” explains Jake. “We typically write melodies in a major key. Our lyrics are always a bit darker, especially on this record. The lyrics reflect the darkness while the melodies have this light and fluffy feel to them. It creates this weird, uneasy space.” The album fluctuates from blissful calm to chaos and disorder, much like our ever-changing world. That desire to shake things up has always been present, and ‘Bambi’ is a progressive, experimental yet hugely accessible realisation of this. “It comes from a desire to be better,” explains Jake. “It should be massive, I hope!” The band are only just getting started. “We have a desire to push things; every record should sound different. I already know what the next record should sound like, and it’s so different from this one. You should always be challenging yourself.” There’s certain to be lots of challenges ahead, and the Hippo Campus of 2018 seem in a good place to meet them. P Hippo
Campus’s album ‘Bambi’ is out 28th September.
AUT 2018 8 AU TUM U M N TOU TO U R 201
18/10 Bristol - HY Brasil 18/10 Bristol - HY Brasil 19/10 Manchester - Jimmys 19/10 Manchester - Jimmys 20/10 Liverpool - Sound Basement 20/10 Liverpool - Sound Basement 23/10 Southampton - Heartbreakers 23/1024/10 Southampton - Heartbreakers London - Moth Club 24/10 London - Moth 25/10 Brighton - The Hope Club and Ruin 25/10 Brighton The Hope and Lounge Ruin 26/10 Birmingham - The Sunflower 26/10 - The Tank Sunflower Lounge 29/10 Birmingham Newcastle - Think Underground 29/10 Newcastle - Think- Tank Underground 30/10 Glasgow Broadcast 30/10 Glasgow - Broadcast 01/11 Leeds - Headrow House 01/11 Leeds Headrow House 2/11 Sheffield - Picture house social 2/11 Sheffield - Picture house social
DEBUT ALBUM Giving In OUT NOW DEBUT ALBUM Giving In OUT NOW Tickets available from seetickets.com Tickets available from seetickets.com
A Bird On The Wire & Friends presentation in association with UTA 19
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Joyce Manor are back with their fifth album, ‘Million Dollars To Kill Me’ - and there’s no sign of age dulling the edges of some of California’s finest pop-punks. Words: Rob Mair.
“O
n Apple Music right now, it says our new record is ten songs in seven minutes. It’s not, but fuck, I wish it was,” laughs Joyce Manor’s Barry Johnson.
This is happening.
The latest news. Ish.
Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com
Joyce Manor revel in the shortform, providing fully realised pop songs that gallop past in the blink of an eye. At their most extreme this is seen in their riotous second album ‘Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired’ – a turbo-charged nine songs in 13 frantic minutes. You could, in fact, listen to their first four full-lengths back-to-back and still have enough time to catch the end of a 90-minute film or the conclusion of a football match. Album number five, ‘Million Dollars To Kill Me’, changes little from this established blueprint; short, sharp and succinct, it’s Joyce Manor at their devil-maycare best. And even though the group now finds themselves the other side of 30, they show little sign of slowing down. “I very much don’t want to fall into a lot of the tropes of being that pop-punk guy who turns thirty,” says Barry. “I’m trying not to bust out the acoustic guitar too much, or whatever. “But in a lot of ways, I feel like it’s happening against my will. Sometimes, I’ll write something I really like, and I’ll be like ‘Argh!’ because it doesn’t really kick ass. “I still want Joyce Manor to be fun and exciting, and I don’t wanna get too middle-aged. I don’t wanna mellow out too much.” Fans old and new will be relieved that there’s little mellowing going on in ‘Million Dollars…’ though, which picks up seamlessly from where previous full-length ‘Cody’ left off and completes a near faultless trio of records alongside breakout ‘Never Hungover Again’. Yet the genesis for ‘Million Dollars’ doesn’t actually lie with Joyce Manor, but more with an ill-
Can’t
slow down fated collaboration between Barry and The Impossibles’ Rory Phillips. Hailing from Texas, The Impossibles remain a cult band, having called it quits in 2012. They started life as a ska-punk act before morphing into a more expressive and nuanced indie/ alt-rock band at the turn of the century. Their output may be modest, but their influence looms large in many of today’s pop-punk acts, such as Joyce Manor and Seattle’s Dead Bars. Initially, Barry reached out to Rory with the hope that he’d produce the new Joyce Manor record. When it became apparent that he wouldn’t have the time, the duo instead started working on some songs together over email – songs that would become ‘Friends We Met Online’ and ‘Silly Games’ off the new album. “There was something a little uncanny valley about it,” laughs Barry. “But it wasn’t like ‘pop-
Hinds are curating their own London all-dayer Hinds are coming to the UK later this year. The band who’ve just released new album ‘I Don’t Run’ - will play loads of shows, including a one-day Hinds-curated mini-festival at Hackney Arts Centre in London on Saturday 1st December.
punk guy does serious side project thing’, and also I wasn’t unhappy creatively in Joyce Manor. “But, once we had a couple of tunes, I actually didn’t think they were drastically different from the direction Joyce Manor was heading, so I just asked him if it would be okay to use them for Joyce Manor, and he’d be a producer or collaborator on these songs. “It was like a hip-hop record where there’s just so many different collaborators; I don’t think that’s too weird in this day and age – like ‘Oh look, a behindthe-scenes guy came in’. It just so happens that our behind-thescenes-guy is relatively obscure, but to me, he’s a genius.” Although the door is closed on working with Rory for the time being, it’s not something Barry would like to rule out in the future - and with Joyce Manor’s work ethic, the chance might pop
Bring Me The Horizon have announced their new album
Titled ‘amo’, the new fulllength from Bring Me The Horizon is set to arrive on 11th January. It’s “a love album that explores every aspect of that most powerful emotion,” says frontman Oli Sykes. 20
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“It was like a hip-hop record where there’s just so many different collaborators” up again sooner rather than later. Formed in 2008, the band has hit a comfortable groove since their self-titled debut. Writing, however, can be challenging, with Barry equating it to “going to the gym”. Once he starts, though… “Once I’m in that mode, I can be pretty prolific,” he says. “And I feel
The Wombats are playing Wembley Arena
The Wombats have announced their largest ever UK headline tour, calling at Glasgow (25th January), Leeds (26th), Newport (28th), Bournemouth (29th), Birmingham (31st) and London’s Wembley Arena (1st February). That’s big, innit?
Have you heard the four new Razorlight songs?
The follow-up to 2008’s ‘Slipway Fires’, Razorlight’s new album, ‘Olympus Sleeping’ is due on 26th October, with the announce accompanied by four new songs: check ‘em out on readdork.com now. They’ll also tour throughout December.
It’s all back to mime with Villagers Get a hobby
Not gonna lie, in our unexpected hobby league table, Villagers band leader Conor O’Brien being ‘into’ mime is pretty high up there. Who says mime doesn’t pay? Hey Conor, we hear you’re into mime. What does being ‘into’ mime entail?
Between the ages of 12 and 17, I would often dress as a Pierrot and perform various optical illusions on the streets of Dublin,
more often Grafton Street than anywhere else. It was my main source of income from age 12 to 15.
Has mime been a long-time passion of yours?
When I was very young, my sister had a beautiful poster of a Pierrot in her bedroom, and I used to sneak in to look at it as often as I could. I found something simultaneously graceful and terrifying in it. I loved the sense of endless sadness underneath the neutral blank facade.
Do you own any mime props?
No visible ones.
Have you ever painted yourself
T “Do the press photo so it looks like one of us has parped. It’ll be ‘hilarious’!”
like I could stay in that mode if I wanted to, but I kind of like to turn it off. It’s exhausting. “I can be hanging out with somebody, and I’ll have this blank look on my face and they’ll be like ‘What’s up man?’ and I’ll be like ‘Oh, I’m figuring out this song, and it’s driving me crazy.’ So I try not to be in that boat all year round. “For ‘Cody’, I wrote three of those songs in one day; I also wrote a lot of bad songs, but I was like ‘Shit, this is fucking crazy. Imagine if I stay in this zone?!’” The good news for us is that ‘Million Dollars To Kill Me’ is very much a continuation of this hot streak. Few songwriters can build worlds that are as realistic and as vivid as Johnson’s, and Joyce Manor have hit the sweet spot of heartfelt pop-punk nirvana once again. P Joyce Manor’s album
metallic silver?
No, I was more into white facepaint.
Do you have any mime tricks or routines you like to crack out at parties?
I enjoy “discovering the fourth wall” and subsequently breaking through it. You can find evidence of this on my Instagram account, posted on 9th July. I wish I had my Pierrot outfit that day.
What’s the most complicated thing you’ve ever successfully mimed?
The hardest things to mime are the abstract ideas which have no relation to the physical world. Quite often I employ mime techniques when I’m in the process of writing a song. For example, when I was writing ‘Fool’ last year, I spent about six hours developing a mime act which symbolically represented the invocation of artistic flow. It involved a lot of tricep work, and I could barely lift my kitten for days.
Why don’t you showcase your mime skills more often?
Mime, for me, has gradually mutated into something which I use in order to lubricate the inner workings of my writer’s mind. I no longer see it as a demonstrative practice; for me, it has become a form of creative-orientated therapy.
Has being into mime ever got you out of a sticky situation?
In a general sense, you could say that mime saved me from the clutches of teenage depression and oblivion.
Have you ever had a mime-off with someone else?
I don’t enjoy competitive sports and I see mime as an antidote to this way of thinking.
‘Million Dollars to Kill Me’ is out 21st September.
If you’re feeling hungry, does eating a mimed banana help?
Yak are coming back
Only if I was miming feeling hungry. Mime is a way of life.
Yak have signed a new record deal with Virgin EMI for the release of their second album. There’s not much more info about the follow-up to 2016 debut ‘Alas Salvation’ at the mo, but there is a new track and a new UK tour - find out more on readdork.com.
Have you ever had to mime being interested in an interview?
No; I always enjoy talking to
people. P Villagers’ album ‘The
Art Of Pretending To Swim’ is out 21st September. 21
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Olly and Mikey from Years & Years have gone on their hols to Disneyland Paris
T Olly and Mikey arrive at Disneyland Paris, via the private jet they obviously own. Given Emre’s not about, there’s no compelling evidence to suggest they’re not looking to sack him off for a Disney superstar, Olly is a big fan of giving Mickey a try. “I basically only have to remember one name this way,” he probably explains. “We could have two true pop culture icons in the band!” S
But wait, where’s Emre? Are they really trying to find a replacement?!!
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Back in Black
Across the great divide Black Peaks’ debut album created a stir in the UK’s rock community, but its follow up could change everything. Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Jennifer McCord.
B
lack Peaks had it all figured out. After an
initial stop as a threepiece instrumental band, Joe, Liam and Andrew teamed up with Will, changed their name from Shrine and set to work writing a debut album. Their aims were simple. They wanted to make music like their favourite bands. They wanted to hit the road like their favourite bands. If they dared to dream, it would be to one day share stages with their favourite bands. Black Peaks were still a secret when Zane Lowe heard ‘Glass Built Castles’, fell in love and played it on Radio 1 as his Hottest Record. Savage, sincere and sparkling, the track instantly caused a fuss.
Interesting but accessible, it shoulders a darkness but makes room for light. It felt exciting, dangerous, and fresh all at the same time. From that moment on, plans quickly fell apart, and the group felt their way forward. “Everything was a guess,” starts Joe. In the years that followed, Black Peaks didn’t stop. ‘Statues’ was released, a hulking, brooding fairytale of a debut record, and the band toured relentlessly. They played Wembley Arena with Deftones, toured Europe with System Of A Down and turned heads at festivals all over. It was everything they ever wanted. “But it left us in a weird place,” admits Joe. “Instead of winding it down, it got more and more intense until it just finished. A couple of us went home ready to write. A couple of us went home maybe not wanting to do the band anymore.” “It was to do with pressures, things going on at home and having not stopped properly for a very long time,” continues Will, unafraid to admit things got too much. “I was exhausted. There was so much going on; I couldn’t sleep.
T Mikey’s not having that. He wants Darth Vader. “I’ve got experience with megalomaniacs,” he doesn’t say.
T There’s only one way to solve this! Lightsaber fight! Mikey’s interpretation of ‘the force’ is slightly woozy, though.”
“I was exhausted. There was so much going on; I couldn’t sleep” “Mentally I was in a very bad way at the end of it. All of us weren’t in the strongest position financially, individually or mentally. There was so much going on behind the scenes; I don’t know if I’d be able to describe it to people in a million years. “It was such a battle the last two or three weeks of that European tour. We were doing the most amazing things, supporting [childhood heroes and constant sources of inspiration] System of a Down and Mastodon, but some of those days I just couldn’t handle it. “We had no idea how to; we’d
A brief negotiation with Disney HQ about licencing rights later, Team Y&Y decide Emre is okay after all. It’s for the best. S
Read more from Black Peaks in the new issue of our sister mag, Upset! Grab a copy in record shops and venues nationwide, or online at upsetmagazine.com never done it before. I wasn’t present or able to enjoy it, because I was so tired and needed to spend time with my family.” “It was a crazy, unique situation coming off the back of it,” adds Joe, “because you realise the fragility of it, the fragility of everything the band is. I got home, I was tired, but I’d just had the most incredible time. “I was ready, and I wanted to go out and make more music, but you realise, all the amazing things that happened were because there were four of us making that thing work. In an instant, if all four people aren’t totally invested, then it’s no more.” Andrew left the band to pursue other dreams as a guitar builder, Dave joined, and the group endured. Now Black Peaks are back with second album ‘All That Divides’. They’re hungry, determined and more connected than ever before. “We have more of an idea of how we want to do things this time,” smiles Joe. “We’ve learnt how to look after each other.” There’s always been a camaraderie within Black Peaks, but ‘All That Divides’ wants to spread that connection around. Perhaps that unity is inspired by their years on the road. Maybe that need for common ground is a reaction to a world determined to tear itself apart. Or it might just be that Black Peaks know how important friends are, now and always. Whatever the reason, ‘All That Divides’ is a fiercely united celebration of bridges over walls. Uncompromising, it finds the band comfortable in their own skin and determined to stand tall. “This is the thing we wanted to make,” promises Will. “It’s heavier in some places; it’s catchier in others. Some of it is more accessible,” he laughs, “and some of it is probably less accessible.”
P Black Peaks’ album ‘All That Divides’ is out 5th October.
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Top Tweeps
the
A day in the life of...
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?
Joy Formidable
Friends is the most overrated TV show. Debate. Shame (@shamebanduk) Oh gawd. Are we gonna have to cancel Shame now? @shamebanduk fucking millenials. get fucked. you know fuck all about telly. The Rhythm Method (@thrhythmmthd) Never mind. The Rhythm Method have this. BLOOM is a masterpiece for our generation! @ troyesivan i’ve listened to it on loop and you have inspired me so much. I am so happy for you and for this album. I’m excited to see where this will take you Dua Lipa (@DUALIPA) That’ll do for a review! Sorry lads but the marketing for the new 1975 record has completely lost me. Drenge (@drenge) A Brief Inquiry Into Traffic Regulation Orders - coming to you in Q4 2019.
What does Ritzy from The Joy Formidable get up to on her average day on tour? Well... this! 7:00 The process of waking up
depends a lot on the night before. Sometimes civilised, more often a bluster of showering, stuffing clothes in bags and trying to work out how the coffee machine works and whether there are free biscuits in the room. Chances of free biscuits are higher in Belgium and Switzerland (from my experience). I like some background noise when I’m getting ready, I generally throw on the news or listen to a podcast. Clean clothes are a plus, hot water is awesome, and then we meet for “lobby call”. Tour jargon for a bunch of bewildered, coffee hunting musicians waiting in the foyer for a ride.
11:00 This is where the driving
This is happening.
The latest news. Ish.
Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com
begins. Length and destination depending, there will be stops for peeing, food and more peeing. Drummers (on average) need to pee at least every 1.5 hours (science). People ask how you pass the time
Peace are heading out on a world tour
Peace have planned out an intense world tour. Packing their suitcases for a long haul, the band will play, er, Birmingham (24th) and Manchester (25th) this November. ”We would love to be hitting other places,” says our Harry, “but we can’t commit.”
when travelling: I listen to a lot of music, and read. I also do a lot of thinking and scribbling; lyrics, set ideas, song titles. Make that van time count. If the day allows, we like to dip a toe into being tourists. Drop into a gallery or a visitor centre, or something that’s been recommended to us. I like the outdoors, getting time to take a walk and see the trees is important. We normally get lost when we reach the city. Lots of one way systems and figuring out where we load in.
13:00 One o’clock and all’s well and
fucking heavy. We carry gear and set up and do a soundcheck. I’m not that fond of soundchecks unless we get the time to jam and try things out. When things are running smooth, it’s a perfect time to try out ideas. We like to turn the dressing room into a mini studio, a lot of our recording stuff is mobile, and we’ve done a lot of recording and demoing over the years in hotels and venues. On this tour, we’re busy finishing material for our new TJF Music Club, grabbing moments of time when it’s quiet and inspiration hits.
Muse are releasing their new album in November Muse will release ‘Simulation Theory’ on 9th November. The news arrives with another new track - the follow-up to ‘Something Human’, as well as ‘Thought Contagion’ and ‘Dig Down’ - called ‘The Dark Side’. Check it out on readdork.com. 24
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The final bands for 2Q Festival are here
2Q Festival has confirmed its final set of bands for 2018, including Gengahr, Honeyblood and Black Foxxes. Also new to the bill, are Pins, Jamie Lenman, Husky Loops, and loads more. 2Q takes place across in Lincoln City Centre on 3rd November.
19:00 This is the moment of the night where I start to focus on the show. I like to socialise and enjoy time with the fellas. We usually start quipping a lot when it goes dark, tuck into the rider and spend time together. I’m usually balancing this abandonment with some pre-show rituals. I like to stretch, steam and warm my voice up. We went through a stage where we’d wrestle quite a bit, but we’ve toned that down since the “accident”. Last year we warmed up to 90s dance hits, non-stop Haddaway and Urban Cookie Collective. Okay, let’s do a show.
23:00 Markedly sweatier than we were two hours ago, we retire to the dressing room and then a taxi to the hotel. Unless we get a better invite. There’s usually some cold food in my life around this time. There might be dancing, maybe a movie. I find it hard to sleep, so I’ll listen to a podcast, Sleep with Me often saves my ass. Nos Da, see you tomorrow (dreams about something seriously weird). P The Joy
Formidable’s album ‘AAARTH’ is out 29th September.
Jamie T has released a new b-sides album
Jamie T has dropped an unexpected b-sides album, which covers loads of tracks from 2006 to 2017. “I hope this collection of tracks will satisfy those who want a more comprehensive set of songs available digitally,” he says.
The
sum of all their
parts Fatherson are fighting against their Brit-rock label of old, with a third album that sees them inspired by Frank Ocean. Hey Ross, how’s it going?
Hey Dork! Yeah, it’s going pretty well. It’s my birthday today, so I’ve been eating cake and hanging out all day with family and friends!
Happy birthday! What’ve you lot been up to since ‘Open Book’?
Since the end of ‘Open Book’, we spent a year making ‘Sum of All Your Parts’ between Glasgow and Castleford which was cool. Marc just bought a flat, and I’ve been travelling a lot and writing with some cool new artists.
a bang up job of making music at the moment? There’s a band called Blue Americans from Northern Ireland that I love. I also think that pretty much everything that SZA has touched so far has been incredible.
You’ve been trying to move yourselves away from the ‘British rock’ pigeonhole, haven’t you? What’s that about? We got categorised into it pretty early on and regressed a bit because of that. We were always a band with guitars from the UK that were more interested in making music that emulated the rock bands we loved from the US. That’s not to say there aren’t British rock bands that we love: Marmozets, Black Peaks and Lower Than Atlantis to mention just a few; it’s just not the kind of music we make.
“We’re just emo kids that grew up listening to Death Cab for Cutie” Are you the sorts who think genre is meaningless these days?
Genre has its good points and bad points. On the one hand, it sort of points you in the direction of the rough sound you’re looking for, but I also think it ends up curtailing people because it builds a wall and stops people being more creative.
Do you think your expansion in sound will open any new doors?
This album is the kind of music we’ve been trying to make for years; hopefully it will break down some of the preconceptions of what this band really is. We’re
You’ve said ‘Sum Of All Your Parts’ was inspired by Frank Ocean’s songwriting style - do you spend a lot of time analysing music?
just emo kids that grew up listening to Death Cab for Cutie and Manchester Orchestra before falling in love with Radiohead and Bon Iver, so we’ll need to wait and see if that translates.
‘Charm School’ is in part about manners, or a lack thereof - was it inspired by anyone in particular? It’s actually about being too nice to everyone and in turn doing yourself a disservice. Life is better when everyone is sound with each other, however as you grow up and try to navigate the landscape of being an adult, you end up having to compromise from time to time.
Have you ever had someone ask you if a song was about them?
Yeah, haha, there have been a few…
P Fatherson’s album ‘Sum Of All
Your Parts’ is out now.
“HIYA! JULIEN BAKER, PHOEBE BRIDGERS AND LUCY DACUS HERE! You probably know us from being super cool, super acclaimed solo “artists”, but we’ve formed a sort of band. It’s called boygenius, and we’re putting out an EP that’s also called ‘boygenius’ because thinking up names is hard. You can hear some songs from it “online” now. We’re also off on tour together, but that’s all happening in the “US” of “A” so not much use to most of you reading this. And yes, we do need to carry a guitar with us everywhere, just in case. You never know, eh? Okay, bye!”
This past year or so I’ve definitely fallen in love with more of a “found sound” approach. It cements you in a time-frame and can remind you of where you were when that song happened; it’s another way of establishing your own personality in the music. Also, ‘Blond’ by Frank Ocean and ‘22, a million’ by Bon Iver are a masterclass into intricate personal production.
Who else do you reckon’s doing 25
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Aurora takes inspiration from nature to offer up a masterclass in otherworldly pop. Words: Jessie Atkinson. Photos: Lewis Robinson.
W
e don’t want you to think of Aurora as some sort of transcendent being send down to guide and comfort us, but here’s your warning: you’ll find it hard not to.
This is happening.
The latest news. Ish.
Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com
A seminal artist and figurative thinker, to meet Aurora Aksnes is to be bathed in an ethereal lightness both in speech and in aura. As she proudly attests, her music “sounds like it comes from a different planet,” and in many of the things she says, so does Aurora. It’s fortunate that she’s so honest and relaxed with her realness because it’s these details that make her genius approachable and her company not intimidating, but enjoyable. Her sprawling 2016 odyssey ‘All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend’ glows from within with a radiant energy which, we’re pleased to report, continues in her imminent new and as-yet-unnamed second LP. Her otherworldly demeanour must in part stem from her place of birth: Norway. Of her current residence, Aurora says: “I live in a fjord. A light fjord. If I look out of my window, I can see the mountains and the woods; you could work naked in your garden without anyone knowing.” On the beauty of Nordic countries (birthplace of Björk, Lykke Li and MØ), Aurora is spectacularly eloquent:
“Scandinavia has a lot of history with Viking and Norse mythology: you have the Northern Lights and the snow. People get inspired when you live in a place that’s surrounded by mountains like that… “It’s like when a place is warm and tropical like Rio: you get people who are happy, vivid, and there’s music in the streets all the time. The music from there is like sparkling wine. Maybe nature gets into the pores of the music?” And indeed it’s easy to hear towering wedding cake peaks, whorls of blue and green lights, and dense forest in the music that Aurora makes. Sounds soar and tumble in imitation of nature’s awesome contrasts, imitating the views that Aurora can see through the glass wall of her home studio. On her first album, Aurora encouraged her producers towards figurative ends: “Can you make this sound like a person dying? This like a belly ache? And this like the ocean?” In her new songs, Aurora has taken over much of that production wizardry, and continues to channel the magnificence of nature through her art. On nature, for which she uses female pronouns, she is at her most articulate. “I love her; I think of her as Mother Number Two. It’s amazing how she’s so full of life, and she gives us everything we need to survive and create things, but she can also kill. She can be poisonous and venomous, and she’s dangerous and warm and cold, and she’s being born, and she’s dying at the same time.” Aurora also sees these harsh contrasts in the human condition; in suffering, perseverance and inner strength. Indeed, ‘All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend’ “is about being good to yourself and becoming human again”, and was inspired in part by the personal agonies she herself suffered at the age of fifteen, and the chunk of time spent “rebuilding” in its wake. On her approaching second project, the healing is done, and nature’s force can be blown a new way: towards an army of warriors who,
Stormzy has launched a student scholarship Stormzy has announced a new studentship scheme for University of Cambridge students. ‘The Stormzy Scholarship’ will see four British black students provided with financial support during their degree courses. Nice one.
“It’s about becoming a warrior for the people who are still working on themselves” now emotionally stronger, have the capacity to “actually care about other people, animals and the planet.” At this juncture, Aurora’s extraordinary capacity for empathy comes to the fore: “I wish for this album to be empowering for people: I want them to listen to the songs and feel fierce because I think we need that. It’s about becoming a warrior for the people who are still working on themselves.” Much of Aurora’s motivation comes from this need to help those people “who are lonely or heartbroken or in grief”, as she once was. “We are all from the same seed, you know? And it makes sense that trying to find happiness is so you can be of help to others. I want to make people feel special: I have to meet my fans and hold their hands and be there for them as much as I can.” In her twinkling, dream-like anthems with their enormous production, harps and choirs, Aurora reaches out not just to the typical masses that her music rightly appeals to, but to everyone. “There is something for everyone in my world and that’s very important for me because I love everyone. I’m passionate about creating more of an adaptive world that can fit more than extroverts and loud people into it. It’s such a narrow world, but I think there’s so much potential in strange and quiet people.” To this end, she lists “underdogs” as her “lions” and the “silent ones” as her “choir’ in ethereal pop anthem ‘Queendom’. On ‘Gentle Earthquakes’, with its frosty effects and wintery vocals, she’s enthusiastic about both “the ugly and the flawless.” This particular track came to Aurora in a dream during her time
alt-J have their own beer, the Absolutely No Worries IPA
Alt-J have teamed up with Signature Brew for their own beer. “[It’s] a brut IPA inspired both by our cocktail of choice” the gin and tonic, FYI - “and our very choice sound engineer,” explains Gus Unger-Hamilton. 26
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Empress Of is going to release her new album ‘Us’ this October
in the studio at La Fabrique in the South of France. While hidden away in a studio that “looks like the house they found Narnia in,” Aurora “didn’t go anywhere else,” either physically or mentally. “The whole song is inspired by the dream I had the night before I woke up that morning. I dreamt about walking in the same halls and about making music: I couldn’t leave in any way before I finished my work.” Even in her sleep, our singersongwriter, producer and revolutionary is thinking of those who are struggling, and of ways to encourage them through art. With her finished LP, Aurora is ready to bring a new swathe of songs to the world so that her music and the empathy it inspires can continue to bring comfort, strength and delight to millions. With her second LP, Aurora’s gentle words and fiercely unique production are likely to reach a billion people, thanks in part to her first album which include that John Lewis Christmas advert cover of Oasis’ ‘Half The World Away.’ April single ‘Queendom’ alone is already in its millions. Of course, the music Aurora makes is spectral, moving and textured, and yet it’s this diminutive pop star’s thoughts on life, and the ways in which people can help one another that is so powerful to behold. It’s clear that this determination to help the heartbroken and displaced is the real rocket engine beneath Aurora’s output. Written, performed and produced in great part, by herself, Aurora’s music has her character running through it like a ring on a tree trunk. In these new songs, more so than in her first album, her reverence of nature, and sympathy and hope for the human condition come through as strongly as in our one-on-one chat. Her songs say so much, and so does she. From speech through to song, Aurora’s transcendent aura shines through with this beautiful ethos. “I really believe in the world right now, and I believe in all the people that live in it. I don’t think it’s too late ever in your life to discover new potential or learn something new, because we don’t really get old before we die… I hope my second album makes you want to get up and do things.” P Aurora’s new
Empress Of has announced her new album, ‘Us’. The LAbased singer will release the follow-up to 2015 debut ‘Me’ on 19th October. She’s also shared ‘When I’m With Him’; check it out on readdork.com.
album is ‘on the way’. She tours the UK from 10th October.
Liars have announced a 17-track sequel to latest album ‘TFCF’
Liars have a new release on the cards: ‘Titles With The Word Fountain’ was recorded during the album sessions, and will be available packaged with ‘TFCF’ digitally on 21st September, then on vinyl in November.
Queen of the
troubled teens. 27
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Hype. ESSENTIAL NEW MUSIC.
New Dirty Hit signings The Candescents only have a handful of songs ‘out there’, but their infectious, sugary pop hits will have you hooked from the very first listen. Words: Jamie Muir.
T
he Strokes. Paul McCartney. Daniel Caesar. Put those influences together, and you have a band not content with playing it safe, but going straight to the heartstrings as all great bands should. It’s about big-time
The
Candescents are new
your favourite band
hooks, sugar sweet singalongs and all the fun you can throw at it - and it’s why The Candescents are about to be a whole lot of people’s new favourite band. “Y’know,” starts frontman Alex Harris, “you have all these expectations of what it’s going to be like, from watching documentaries or whatever, but I’m just a big fan of people liking what we do. It’s confirmation that we haven’t been wasting these past four years.” Through determination, passion and an insatiable knack for writing the sort of choruses primed to be bellowed back in fields and venues all over the world, The Candescents have built on the first strings struck in an Ohio dorm room. “I was going to another college at the time,” Alex recalls, “but I was visiting a friend one weekend who was like, ‘Hey, you should meet this guy I know also called Alex’, and I was like, sure! “We met and chatted, we sat down, and I played him two songs on an electric guitar, and he played me this mixtape of all these instrumental beats. I was in a band at the time, but slowly he stole me away from them.” The rest is well, now. The Candescents did things the storybook way. We’re not talking about lucky breaks here and there, no cheeky talent show wins or anything like that. It was countless hours playing, recording and growing up together - evolving into the sort of band who have their fingers firmly locked on the pule of high school life and the ups and downs that come with it. “I mostly write about love,” explains Alex, “and I feel like a lot of people don’t write about it really well.” It’s quite the step from a childhood playing marching drums and plucking away on acoustic guitars, with the stars aligning when the fabled Alex (Von Lehmden) he met happened to have a brother, Cory, who played bass. Along with drummer Miguel Alfredo Acero III, The Candescents emerged as a band that wasn’t just
The Facts + From Ohio, USA + For fans of Super fun pop tunes + Check out ‘Boyfriend’ + Social @thecandescents + See them live: They’re touring North America until midDecember there for the fuck about but with ambitions larger than that. A level of serious in the midst of the good times. “It’s funny,” recalls Alex. “You use the word serious, and that initially was one of the big things that drew me towards Alex, and in turn The Candescents - how much he had his shit together and how willing he was to do the not-fun things that the other bands I’d been in hadn’t wanted to do. You need someone to do that if you want to be successful.” Life at college is fun (trust us, it is), and as a band, they absorbed that feeling - something that shines through on their statement EP ‘Riverside Dr.’ - spending countless hours playing in dodgy weather conditions and dorm rooms to get a foundation of who they exactly were. They admit that at the start they were a “Strokes rip-off” before evolving, bottling that stir in the gut and confident swagger that comes with being young and on the cusp of the world. That stir that anything is possible, an indestructibility that life is there for the taking and that love is the only real kryptonite in sight. “I think we were always, from the beginning, wanting to be as big as possible,” states Alex, a crackle of a laugh ringing through. “If you’re going to do something then you might as well try and be the best at it! At first, it was like - let’s write some great songs, find a way to cheaply record them and then let’s get them on the internet. That’s how it works. “We had a friend who could get into a studio, like a basement studio, and the only time people weren’t using it was two weekend slots from 9pm-9am, so we tracked everything and got it down in the bitter cold. “We’d leave at 9am, walking out to this harsh morning light with snow on the ground, light shining up in your face, just looking at each other saying, ‘Are you going to try and get some sleep?’ ’I dunno’. ‘Alright, see you later’”. For songs and tracks that first came out of the bitter cold, ‘Riverside Dr.’ is a sunshine shot of an EP. Never sitting in one lane, it’s an opening welcome to the world of The Candescents that proves rightfully why thousands are about to flock to the front of their stages. It’s all about being nothing else but yourself, a statement that rings out in a way that’s important now more than ever.
“There’s not a clear goal, apart from being the biggest band in the world” From the slick chimes of ‘Boyfriend’ sounding like an American Pie soundtrack, to the Stone Roses-esque whirlwind of ‘Back Of Your Hand’ that is born for pogoing bodies in fields across the globe, to the ever-roaring build of ‘2am’ - its songs that have come from the past two or three years build on the best of assurances. If it sounds great at a party, then you can guarantee that it’s a bloody good track, especially if you’re a band. It was the glue that bound The Candescents together, of cupfilled nights and late-morning realisations. “House shows are such a good time,” remembers Alex, chuckling with the thought of the number of shows that they plugged into during their time, becoming somewhat of a legend amongst the Ohio scene. “One of the better ones we played was at this place called The Birdhouse, and it was called a GenderFuck party, so everyone was dressed up as the opposite gender they identified with so we were all wearing dresses. We were the first band to play, and we were in this
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basement, and it was totally packed - people were going a bit too crazy, and someone hits a couple of pipes in the ceiling, and they start coming down. “So we moved up to the living room, and I was singing in the middle of the crowd, just swallowed up in the middle of the audience, and at one point I look behind me and see the cymbals start to tilt in there were so many people moving that the floor started to give in. “We came close to breaking it; I talked to someone a year or two later - apparently one of the beams underneath had broken. We were the first band on, and they had to cut it for the rest of the night. Everyone had an amazing time though!” That sort of visceral reaction lives through what they do - and it’s something The Candescents are about to see a whole lot more of in the next year or so. After playing shows across the US supporting We Are Scientists, Yungblud and Pale Waves - their next moves involve another stellar run supporting the latter, now with a repertoire in their back pockets and an opening line in the sand to the world set and ready. They’ve had to wait, but The Candescents are ready for their grand reveal. “There’s not a clear goal apart from being the biggest band in the world,” lays out Alex. He’s not wrong there - The Candescents will be on your phone as the Most Played in a matter of weeks, and that sounds about right to us. College is alright after all. P The
Candescents’ new EP is out ‘soon’.
D OWN WI T H BO RI N G
SATNAV SAYS… RIVERSIDE DR.
All the sights and sounds of The Candescents’ debut EP.
Back Of Your Hand
A sweaty sweet Manchester-esque anthem in all but geographical origin, it’s the sort of bubbling concoction that we’re downing over and over especially that part where the guitars start getting well choppy and sugar sweet.
Boyfriend
The first taster of The Candescents razzmatazz to be debuted online, it’s a track that we’re pretty sure must have soundtracked a US teen flick by now, right?
Chinese New Year
A Malibu lollipop, it’s another left turn for The Candescents - filled with the sound of a great American band. We can practically feel the sand between our feet.
2am
Click play. Put your foot down and drive. Here’s the sunset anthem you’ve been waiting for. The sound of a thousand long-lost summer loves and day-dream days - when it gets to the swaying bit at the end, we’re practically doe-eyed.
Check out...
Grand
Clairo
19-year-old Clairo has been spinning her retro pop tunes for a year or so now, clocking up literally millions of ‘views’ and ‘streams’ on the ‘net. She’s opened for Tyler The Creator, toured with Dua Lipa and has just this minute played her (obvs rammed) debut UK show at London’s Heaven. Phew. Her EP, ‘diary 001’ is also out now. Listen to: ‘4ever’
Pax Emily Burns
Drag summer back into view with Emily Burns’ punchy, upbeat pop bangers. Signed to 37 Adventures, the 23-year-old has just dropped her new mini-album ‘Seven Scenes From The Same Summer’, full of cheeky, attitude-packed snark and frank observations. She’s not long returned from recording sessions in Sweden, too. Listen to: ‘Girlfriend At The Time’
Vinyl Staircase
New band news
Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com
On the grapevine
Guitar-filled feel-good indie tunes are the order of the day for Vinyl Staircase. The Dorking foursome’s new single ‘Feel It’ was produced by Superfood’s Dom Ganderton, and it’ll see them play their biggest London headline show yet, taking over The Lexington in London on 28th September. Listen To: ‘Feel It’
Multi-instrumentalist Londoner Grand Pax has ambition by the bucket load. “I want to shoot out tunes like a nerf gun,” she says.
“I
Words: Jamie Muir.
t’s the collateral poetry of the shit,” explains Grand Pax, chatting away on an August afternoon and delving into how and why writing is so important to her.
More than simply a nice hook here and there, Grand Pax’s music is the definition of cathartic - an expression of raw feeling that captures the moment where inhibited reaction morphs into something that can be observed by those around it. Which is exactly what it’s all about, right? “I mean, now I want to shoot out tunes like a nerf gun,” points Annie Pax, the voice, vision and creative force behind it all. Watch out; they’re flying out now. Creating the sort of ethereal soundscapes that’d have a whole nation swooped into its view, Grand Pax is a different type of artist. An amalgamation of times gone by blended into 2018 with an effortless
There’s a Pip Blom UK headline tour scheduled for November
The Facts + From London, UK + Check out ‘Phase’, ‘Comet’ + Social @GrandPaxCNTL + See them live: You can’t at the mo, sorry ease, it’s the sort of creative mark that makes Grand Pax an artist to keep an eye on - especially if her self-titled EP is anything to go by. “The way I see it,” lays out Annie, “it all has to have a home and a context to progress. I was writing for ages and was desperate to put it out. Once it’s out there it exists forever; anything can happen.” Never has a final line been so true. Annie’s songwriting has always been pivotal to her identity; she started performing at a young age, watching films and documentaries on what it was to be a musician. “I spent a lot of my early years drawn to people who seemed to have more than one element to their music. I’ll sound like a twat, but I like people who talk, people who write. “Don’t get me wrong though, I love a good cheesy pop song - love a banger, mate!” There’s a carefree approach to Annie Pax; an unstoppable
Sigrid is joining George Ezra on his upcoming tour
Pip Blom is bringing her band to the UK this November for a pretty long headline tour. The Amsterdam band will kick off in Leeds on the 14th, going on to play Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Brighton, London, Liverpool, Dublin, Leicester and Guildford. The shows are in support of new EP ‘Paycheck’, out soon.
George Ezra recently announced a massive arena tour for next March, and now he’s confirmed the support. Sigrid will be joining him for some huge shows next March, including a massive date at London’s O2 Arena (aka “The Millennium Dome” - thanks George). Find all the details later on in this very mag. 31
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freedom. The sort of spirit that naturally makes sense after crafting her debut EP in her Kentish Town flat in London, music becoming a go-between to those who turn the darkest moments of life into something undeniably powerful. “It’s crazy when you think about artists and where they started creating something out of an awful upbringing or surrounding. It’s quite a magical thing.” Turning the dark into light, Annie Pax is exactly what you’d want a creative force to be in 2018 - one that thrives in being prolific (it’s why hip-hop and folk music are such key touchpoints for her, a sign of their rolling nature) and one that’s not ashamed to be truly open. Across her self-titled debut, Grand Pax rolls across textured groundings - with a strippedraw sense of ambition ringing throughout and the clearest heir to the trip-hop crown in almost two decades, reinterpreting it for 2018 in an unsettling bliss. With only four tracks out, Grand Pax already has the potential to become one of the most individual artists of recent times - the perfect soundtrack to plug in after a tough day. After all, it’s exactly what Annie throws herself into. “Everyone has their perspective on the world,” she contemplates. “It’s a weird feeling, really. Say you’ve had a difficult month, and then you go and spend eight hours working on something, and it’s a true piece of art. That piece of art makes everything seem worth it. “If I can write a tune out of something awful, then I’m not completely worthless.” From the hypnotic pulls of ‘Destroyer’ to the skin-shuffling chimes of ‘Phase’ and highreaching ‘Comet’ - one EP has already shown a vast breadth of talent and a sound that captures modern life in a nutshell in UK cities. The sound of rain trickling and bouncing off sharp pavements, the pitter-patter of that rain hitting windows and that feeling of goosebumps rising as you open the door onto an Autumnal evening, there’s something distinctively British to what Grand Pax does. “I’m still figuring it out; you do along the way,” says Annie. “If this all takes me nowhere then so be it, but if it takes me somewhere, then that would be fucking great.” P
Grand Pax’s self-titled debut EP is out now.
Billie Eilish has confirmed a few UK shows, inc. Shepherd’s Bush
Following the release of her top new single ‘you should see me in a crown’, Billie Eilish has announced a short UK tour. She’ll play Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire early next year. Billie’s currently working on her debut album between US festival appearances this summer.
The
Aces
Utah band The Aces are about to bring their smart pop bangers to the UK. Words: Abigail Firth.
I
t’s taken The Aces nearly ten years to do their first headline tour. Okay, not quite.
New band news
Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com
On the grapevine
Not at all, actually. They’ve just been a band since they were about 12, and are about to embark on their first ever headline tour around the UK and Europe. “We’ll headline Europe before we headline the States, which is kinda crazy,” says frontwoman Cristal Ramirez. “The ticket sales are doing amazing, especially in the UK. London and England in general seems to be really into The Aces.” When Dork calls, the band – Cristal, plus guitarist Katie Henderson, bassist McKenna Petty,
“I think people think girl bands are a genre…”
The Facts + From Utah, USA + For fans of Fickle Friends, Maggie Rogers + Check out ‘Stuck’, ‘Volcanic Love’ + Social @theacesofficial + See them live: They tour the UK from 14th November
and drummer Alisa Ramirez – are prepping to go on tour across North America, supporting pop giants 5 Seconds Of Summer. “We’re in Utah at the minute. Then we go to New York for a weekend, then back to Utah to rehearse for a week, then take off on tour at the end of the month.” And it’s been non-stop since their debut album, ‘When My Heart Felt Volcanic’, was released back in April. They just did a whistle-stop press tour around the UK, visiting a bunch of small radio stations and having a lil road trip through the countryside.
Swimming Girls get caught up in a murder scandal in their new vid
Swimming Girls have dropped a video for ‘Asking For It’. “[It’s] a blunt break up song,” says frontwoman Vanessa, “written at the bitter end of a relationship.” The band are supporting Pale Waves on tour v. soon indeed.
Their debut album is back to back indie pop gold, with some R&B twangs. But make no mistake, their genre is not ‘girl band’. “I think people think girl bands are a genre, and that’s literally just our gender. It doesn’t have anything to do with the kind of music we make. “We’re big fans of Haim, we’re big fans of Muna, and loads of really awesome all-female bands but to say we sound like them just because we’re women is naïve. It’s like, are you actually listening to the music or are you just seeing that we’re women on stage and thinking ‘you’re the same’?”
whenyoung have shared a dreamy new video whenyoung have unleashed a new video for their studio cover of The Cranberries’ ‘Dreams’. The 4+ minutes of slow-mo and white suits (watch on readdork. com) precedes a London headliner at The Boston Arms on 11th October.
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Their influences are all over the place. From Paramore, The Cure, and Tame Impala, to Michael Jackson, The Weeknd and hip-hop, there’s no boxing in The Aces in. Cristal says, “We have like rockier influences and more R&B stuff, and you marry the two and get The Aces. “We just love so many different kinds of music, and we never wanna put ourselves in any box. If we feel like writing a song like, you know, whatever that day, we should just be allowed to do it. And our sound is our sound because it’s us, not necessarily because we stick to a status quo and a formula for a song. As an artist you have to have that leeway, you know?” Between tours, they’ve been putting the graft in for their visuals. Drummer (and youngest member) Alisa has directed three of the band’s videos now, including the freaky video for ‘Stay’, and it sounds like there’s more to come. Cristal says: “She’s really, really talented. She has such a vision for video, so she’s really fronted that part of our band and has done an awesome job. It’s like a little extra step into like painting the picture or telling that story, so we definitely will always be excited about making music videos, and hope that people like them, for sure.” Being huge Michael Jackson fans, the video was obviously inspired by ‘Thriller’, but there’s more to it. “When Alisa wrote the shoot, we really wanted to take ‘Last One’ in a more interesting way than a relationship. So she had this idea like, ‘I don’t wanna just show a relationship I want to take it almost literally and show that this is the last one, it’s almost like killing us off’. “We just thought it’d be left of centre and very different to have us like dying off and put this morbidness into the video that I don’t think you’d expect because the song is so sugary, and poppy. Alisa had the idea [for the gummy bears] because they’re very visually stimulating as well as a play on sugar addiction and addiction in general.” Fear not, this isn’t the last time you’ll catch The Aces – they kick off their first UK headline tour later this year. That’s why she has to dash off, to get back to rehearsing. P The Aces’ debut
album ‘When My Heart Felt Volcanic’ is out now.
Bloody Knees have released new tune ‘Reel’ Bloody Knees have shared new single ‘Reel’. Describing it as a “guaranteed body mover”, the band say it’s “gonna get you moving.” The foursome are playing their biggest London headline show so far at the Underworld on 18th October.
Yungblud is planning ahead - he’s announced a tour for March 2019 Yungblud has unveiled a new tour of the UK and Ireland, scheduled for next spring. Playing in support of recent debut album, ‘21st Century Liability’, he’ll set off on 6th March in Dublin.
So you wanna be a pop star?
In the know
Bad Llovers 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 applicants are Llovers’ Jack and David. The board will see you now. What can you tell us about yourself?
We are David and Jack from Teesside Pop sensations Llovers. We met while working at McDonald’s and bonded over a love of Hanson and Ronan Keating.
Why do you want to be a pop star? David: I’d quite like to one day
have the audacity to wear a headset microphone when I play guitar. Only pop stars can get away with that.
How would your bandmates describe you? Jack: Like a married couple,
always bickering but ultimately there’s a lot of love there really.
Maggie Rogers’ new video features her acting pal Camila Mendes
Maggie Rogers has a new video for ‘Give A Little’. “It was super special to have my two college pals, Rachel Matthews and Camila Mendes” - aka Veronica from Riverdale - “along for the ride,” she says. Watch the clip on readdork.com.
Sounds Sort of.
What are your best and worst qualities? Jack: Collectively, our best quality is our ability to sleep anywhere, which makes playing across the country dead easy. David sleepwalks sometimes though, that’s probably our worst quality.
What is your biggest failure? Jack: Hopefully not this band What accomplishment are you most proud of? David: We once got extra food
tokens at a festival we played for playing such a good set. That was nice.
Where do you see yourself in five years? David: Hopefully by bringing years and years of hurt to the country to an end. We’re going to bring it home. Eurovision 2023, watch out.
What is your salary expectation? David: Well obviously beers, crisps and hummus because that’s what all bands get paid in. P Llovers’
new single ‘Go Get Her, Go Getter’ is out now.
Yonaka have dropped a new four-track EP
Yonaka have released a new EP, ‘Teach Me To Fight’. The fourtracker features singles ‘Fired Up’ and ‘Waves’, and arrived in time for their sets at Reading & Leeds. The band have a London show coming up too, performing at Electric Ballroom on 11th October.
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 we ask Sam Hunt from the definitely not what they say on the tin Bad Sounds. All five members of the band discover new artists through different mediums, in both the physical and digital sense, from random streaming service playlists to 7” singles clubs (like Flying Vinyl), compilation cassettes and Soundcloud / Bandcamp mixtapes. The latter is how I stumbled upon Sorry, my favourite new band. Upon the first listen, I had the exact same surging feeling to when Nirvana’s ‘Bleach’ finally clicked in my head. It’s just natural and all them and no pressure. All their recordings are real and close, and you can hear the cracks and breaths, it’s honest. I love Sorry so much that I spent a whole van journey on Audacity cutting both Demo/ns mixtapes into separate songs and naming the files in iTunes etc. Long boy. Charlie [Pitt, guitar] is mega into the local musical wealth of the Bristol community. He’s particularly loving the output of Breakfast Records: Slonk, Langkamer, Nugget and Kate Stapley to name a few. Charles is real into the indie, DIY folky kinda stuff. Myself and Ewan [Merrett, co-
frontman] are digging Donny Benét; his first record came out recently. That whole community arising from Australasia is so fascinating for me, especially Alex Cameron, Kirin J. Callinan and Connan Mockasin. That kinda sound/vibe also stretches to Paris, where Infinite Bisous is creating the most wonderful washy slumber numbers. Callum [Merrett, cofrontman] and I supported him recently on one of his UK tour dates with a sultry Bad Sounds DJ set. He bloody loved it when I spun an obscure Haruomi Hosono instrumental. We’ve gotta mention Stoke’s Dylan Cartlidge, he’s only got a few tracks out so far, but they are cranked up, dirt-slick beaty bangerz. ’Love Spoons’ and ‘Scratch Sniff’ are jumping. He’s actually coming on the road with us in October - Dylan and his bandmates Matt and Jordan are the loveliest guys we’ve ever met. We’re also touring with another new band, which again, are one of the most kindhearted bunch of fellas we’ve had the pleasure of hanging with - Indoor Pets. We first saw them a little while back while they were performing under a different name, they’ve just got signed now, and are recording stuff which we can’t wait for. Their fey energy and jolty gnar-shredding set blows any live performance we’ve done outta the water. Witnessing the shrieking and poetic clamour of ‘Barbiturates’ is purified elation, you gotta hear/see it. They’re unlike any new band around; we’re too lucky to have them and Dylan touring with us. P Bad Sounds tour the UK from
24th October.
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K
aren Marie Ørsted doesn’t want to grow up. The debut
single from her upcoming album – titled ‘Forever Neverland’ – is called ‘Nostalgia’. It’s been four and a half years since her last record, 2014’s ‘No Mythologies to Follow’, so she’s done some considerable growing up since then - but the fear is still there. In that time, she’s also collaborated with Major Lazer, Justin Bieber, Snakehips and Charli XCX, cut all of her hair off, played some of her biggest shows ever, including a support slot on Sia’s (conveniently titled ‘Nostalgic for the Present’) Australian stadium tour, and released an EP and
numerous solo singles. With a history like that, there’s no wonder Karen can’t stop reminiscing about the past. But let it be known, she’s always thinking about the future too. “Notoriously all my life I’ve been scared of getting older,” she says. “I don’t know why. Probably because I feel so immature in my brain. And sometimes I see that that’s a really good thing because it’s good to have a childish optimism and a carefree feel, but at the same time, it’s… I don’t know.” ‘Forever Neverland’ may be an obvious nod to J. M. Barrie’s classic, but just to clarify: “I myself identify with, you know when you say people are Peter Panning? They don’t wanna grow up, they just like move to LA and they pretend they’re young forever.
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“I think ‘No Mythologies to Follow’ was so much me in the beginning of my 20s, feeling a bit lost and rootless, and that I felt like the environment I was in was in that no one really had any clue as to what path we were supposed to take. We didn’t feel like there was any guidance, and I feel like with this one, it’s the same but it’s the end of my 20s, and I’m shit scared of what’s next.” Approaching your 30s as a pop star can be a terrifying time. Unless you’re in the big, big leagues – Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Beyoncé, et al. – it can feel like pop stars have an expiry date. New ones cropping up every day, or hitting the big time before they’ve reached the end of
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their teens. The thing with MØ, is that she’s never gone fully stratospheric. Sure, she wrote and sang the most streamed song of all time (‘Lean On’), and hit that milestone before Ed Sheeran and Drake (who now occupy the Top 3 most streamed songs ever slots), but she retains some anonymity, and it works in her favour. “I feel like we live in a generation where – it’s probably been like this always, but – I feel like we glorify youth and being young. I think a lot of people, and a lot of my friends, even if we don’t say it out loud, sometimes there’s this weird unsaid understanding that once you reach the end of your 20s and
you get into the 30s that life stops, you know? And it’s so wrong, but it’s this weird anxiety that I feel for it all over social media, so it was on my mind when I wrote this record.” And where do you go to record an album about wanting to stay young forever? The land of eternal youth, Los Angeles, of course. “I’ve been a lot in LA, and I love Los Angeles so much, but at the same time I feel so alienated, and it’s again, me talking about this whole thing of being scared of becoming an adult because I feel so hopelessly immature, on a personal level it became my own sort of neverland a little bit. “But it’s like, it’s so bright and right on the outside, but actually the question is whether it’s good for you, and that’s for you to find out. It has a bit of a double meaning to me, personally.” It’s a widely-believed notion that in order to ‘make it’, creatives should move to LA, or London, or New York (one of ‘those’ places) but, ever the rulebreaker, Karen rejects that notion. “I never actually bought a place or rented a place because at this time I was also travelling all the time, but I feel like LA was a place where I came back, and I stayed for a long period because I was writing and all these things. “Everyone that I work with, almost all of them live in LA. I also wanted to move there because I felt like I have to move there and everyone says that I should move there, why am I not moving there? And I kept on pushing it, and again this relates to my fear of taking grown-up decisions sometimes, because I’ve always just postponed it. “It’s weird because there are parts of me that also would love to move for my own personal adventure. I fucking love LA, and I have lots of friends there, but I guess, to be honest, I’m so scared to lose my identity if I move there. It’s so stupid because it’s my responsibility to not lose my identity, but I think when I wrote the album, this is something I was thinking about a lot and I wanted to hold onto myself a lot.”
T
he carefully crafted identity of MØ has become muddled in recent years. When
she released her debut in 2014, she was heralded as a pop warrior; making electropop with a punk spirit. She grew up with parents who were a teacher and a psychologist, and her brother became a doctor – so instead she got involved with the Danish punk scene and released an EP called ‘Pussy In Your Face’. If you’d have been told that this was the artist who’d later
be picked up by Diplo and end up doing vocals for a bunch of club anthems (‘Cold Water’ with Major Lazer and Justin Bieber, ‘Beg For It’ with Iggy Azalea, ‘Don’t Leave’ with Snakehips), you’d be surprised. But it’s almost second nature for Karen to surprise us, and in the years that followed, a lot changed. As she became increasingly involved in features, most notably ‘Lean On’ with Major Lazer and DJ Snake, it started to feel like we’d never be getting a second solo record. It seems that one of the most crucial elements of creating ‘Finding Neverland’ was Karen finding herself again. “It took me a couple of years after the success of ‘Lean On’ to just find my voice again and find the sound and find the team of people that I wanted to work with and find my identity. “We go through life, and we change all the time, and obviously a lot of things happened that changed me a little bit as a person, so just finding your sound again and finding your style and finding everything again, you know.” This isn’t to say she regrets anything that happened in the years between records; things just got a little complicated. “I think already before I had the song with Major Lazer that became a big international hit, I was at a point where I was starting to experiment with a new sound, and again just trying to find myself. Because you know, obviously music is my biggest passion in life and it’s so dear to me, and it’s such a personal thing for me, so I really wanted the next album to be right. “I was already having a crisis at the beginning of 2015, only a year after the first album because I wanted it to elevate. But then with ‘Lean On’ happening, that was a dream come true, and all of these producers I wanted to work with, all of a sudden there was an interest. But then you know, in an ocean of opportunities, when you’re already a little bit in doubt about what your sound is going to be, sometimes all these opportunities don’t help.” What happens after you’ve been part of one of the only songs to ever hit 1 billion streams? Surely it ups the pressure to deliver an absolute smash of an album? Surely the expectation is there to capitalise on that one hit and push a record out as soon as possible? “Definitely in 2015 and 2016, and even halfway through 2017, I did feel a lot of pressure but not only from the world, even more so myself. Music means so much to me so having an identity in the music does mean a lot, but I’m just so happy that the album’s done and I’m myself on this record, and I love the sound of it. “No one knows how it’s gonna go. Maybe it’ll go well, maybe it’ll flop completely, like who knows? But the fact is that I’m just so happy that
“I’m shit scared of what’s next” it’s done and I feel good about it. So pressure or no pressure, there’s always pressure in this industry, you’re always under pressure, but I’m kind of used to that now. Not that I’m saying it doesn’t matter, but I’m just like well whatever, I chose this business myself.”
‘F
orever Neverland’ has been in the works essentially since Karen wrapped ‘No Mythologies to Follow’. If you’ve been following
her since then, you’ll know there have been about fifty different incarnations of the ‘first single from MØ’s upcoming second album’, but none of them made it onto the record. (“I feel like [those tracks] already had their time,” she says. “With everything being as it is right now with the music industry, I don’t see why I would put it on the album.”) That finally changed with ‘Nostalgia’. “It’s been so long now since I put out a proper body of work, I’m just super, super excited to get it out there, no matter what people’s reaction is gonna be to it. The most important thing to do is be honest and true in the creative stuff you produce and not try to impress anyone with cheap tricks. It’s really important to try and be yourself, and I feel like I finally accomplished that. “I know this maybe sounds weird but I’m so excited for a new chapter of my life and to start working on a third album now. I’ve been saying to people for so long, ‘Oh yeah my second album is almost done, it’s coming up, it’s nearly there’. It’s been taking for fucking ever!” The process of creating the record has been as wide as it has long. And by wide, we mean worldwide. “In my mind I started the second record right after the first. Then a lot of things happened and all of the songs I had written in those years – well, I released an EP last year, and some of the songs from that period were actually on that – but then I think these songs are kind of a mix of songs that I started writing one and a half years ago. “The vocals were recorded all over the world. I travel with my little recording kit, so it’s in my basement, it’s in hotel rooms, it’s in Stint’s [her executive producer] studio, it’s in LA, it’s all over the place. The same
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goes for productions. A lot of it is Stint, some of it is Diplo, some of it is Illangelo, Hudson Mohawk. It’s been a big patchwork.” She’s keeping it in the family when it comes to collaborators too, working with long-time pals Diplo and Charli XCX, as well as finally getting to finish off a track with Empress Of. “With Charli, I’ve worked a lot with her, and she’s a friend of mine. I fucking love her, and so I just really wanted her on the album and lucky me she was up for it. “And Empress Of, I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time, and a couple of years ago we were collaborating on a track, but then we didn’t finish it. I love her music so much, and I love her as a person so much. Ever since then, I’ve been kinda eager to do something with her at some point, and I asked her if she wanted to jump on ‘Red Wine’. I was so happy when she said that she would.” There’s totally a reason she keeps going back to the same people time and time again, and it’s not because they eat bangers on toast for breakfast, it’s because she just loves her pals, man. “When I find someone I bond with then I won’t let them walk away. You know what I mean? I’m like that in relationships and with friends and those kinds of things. I don’t know if it’s so much feeling comfortable, it’s just that if I get attached to someone,
I want to keep working with them. “I like even on a personal level to care for each other and to develop a relationship because that makes you work even better together. It makes you feel much freer, and making music is all about being free and feeling like you can say what you wanna say and do what you wanna do and not being judged for it.” It’s important to Karen to keep thinking about the future as much as she’s thinking about the past. It’s the reason some of her older singles like ‘Final Song’ and ‘Nights With You’ didn’t end up making it onto the record, but it’s also the reason for choosing certain collaborators. “This is probably a total cliché, but it’s so nice to collaborate with people who are not only thinking about right now but also thinking about pushing the borders of music, like they’re thinking about the future of music and what it is to be an artist nowadays.”
T
he record itself has a pretty stark juxtaposition between its future-forward sound and the lyrical themes of nostalgia and the past. That’s
because she finds it hard to ‘live in
the present’. “That’s very much how I am. Obviously, as the songs tell you, I am a very nostalgic, dreamy person, but at the same time, I’m always thinking about what’s next, always thinking about the things to come. I’m never in the now. “I find a lot of creative people are like this actually. They keep on reminiscing about the past, but they’re constantly moving forward with the speed of time. It’s a weird relationship between the two.” The mark of a lot of great pop records though, is that they can draw from the past and spin it into something, not only forwardthinking, but that will stand the test of time. Karen has already proved she has the songwriting chops for that. Yes, we know we keep banging on about this streaming milestone, but ‘Lean On’ was the most streamed song of all time in 2015, and it hit the 1 billion mark two years later. It’s gained at least another 1.5 million streams since then. If you can write a proper floor filler that has longevity past a couple of months, you’re probably onto a winner. So with a new era comes a new sound. For MØ, that includes a bit of tribal instrumentation (reminiscent of early Major Lazer stuff) and showing off a more vulnerable side. Tracks on the second half of the record like ‘Hollywood’, ‘Mercy’, ‘Trying To Be Good’, and ‘Purple Like The Summer Rain’ lean more towards ballad than banger. “I’ve been working with this
producer, Stint, throughout most of the album. From the moment we started to work together I felt like I loved everything about his sound, and his influences were so right, and we would agree on things. He was fast and had his finger on the pulse. “I loved that contemporary feel for sure, and he loved pop music, but his background was like me in punk and hardcore. He likes to have a darker element in there, but at the same time, keeping it accessible to a certain level. That’s why I think I fell in love with his sound, and he 100% helped define the sound on this record.” It was clear from the start that this was going to be a more emotional record. Even the more banger-worthy tunes like ‘Blur’ have pretty heartfelt lyrics. “I love to sing about emotions and shit, so it felt nice to put those on. It felt right to me. “Some of the songs that I remember that were starting to define the album and the theme and what it actually was that I was singing about were songs like ‘Trying To Be Good’ and ‘Purple Like the Summer Rain’ because they are very personal and very much talk about the centre of the theme of the album. And ‘Blur’ is a defining track for me for the album, and ‘Nostalgia’, of course.” ‘Blur’ seems to be the track Karen is the most excited for us to hear. Funnily enough, it’s also one of our favourites on ‘Forever Neverland’ (the first half of the record is bangers
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dot com, you’re in for a treat). “I think my favourite song is ‘Blur’. But of course, they’re all my babies. It also depends on the day, but today I think my answer is gonna be ‘Blur’. “I like that it takes me back a little bit to the Pixies, it has that grungy vibe, but at the same time, it feels contemporary. I love the lyrics to it; they’re personal, and they’re kinda dark but also not dark. And I love the melodies in the pre; I’m happy with that song.” So how is Karen feeling about what the future holds? With festival season practically over, and long-postponed tour already done and dusted around the release of ‘Nostalgia’, what’s she up to for the next four years? “You know I daydream so much, and I have big dreams, many dreams, and this is not to sell you off, but I don’t wanna jinx things. I don’t wanna say what they are, because I have a list of things, shit that I really want to happen. I never really talk about it too much. It’s weird because I’m not very spiritual but with these kinds of things, I don’t wanna say it out loud.” Your guess is as good as ours. P
MØ’s album ‘Forever Neverland’ is out 19th October.
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With their much anticipated debut album finally here, Black Honey are set to show the world who they really are.
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Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Jamie MacMillan.
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B
lack Honey are a band built on daydreams, fairy dust and ambition.
From the very beginning, they’ve created a world you can reach out and touch. Carried by a belief that they could do it all, they’ve swaggered, swayed and shook their way through EPs, and tours that have carried them around the world. “I went from being some chick who works in a vintage store to touring the world in the space of ten seconds. I could be myself. I saw all of my ideas grow,” beams singer and guitarist Izzy B. Phillips. “I became a monster, this little demon that could fight through all of these ideas. I want to make this happen. I’m going to do all this. All of a sudden I was on
fire. I felt electric. Nothing could stop me because I had this burning in my guts to really go and live.” Their debut album has been a long time coming. Black Honey have always promised it’ll arrive when the time is right. Check your watches, cos that time is now. “The one thing I’ll never be able to do is experience Black Honey from the outside. That weirds me out. I always wonder what it’s like to watch us from the crowd, or listen to our music for the first time. Having this record and then sitting on it for a little while, I can listen to it with fresh ears. This is what it must feel like to hear us for the first time, and fucking hell.” ‘Black Honey’ isn’t a continuation of what Black Honey have done so far, though. It’s a fresh start and new beginnings. For the first time, they aren’t just saying they want to do it all.
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Their debut is the sound of a band realising that actually, anything is possible. All you have to do is believe. “For us, it was important to make something that felt like it said more than what we were initially babbling on about. I had more to say. I had more to give. I had more to explore. The time that we gave that really paid off in the record we made.” The album is full of purpose. Every song stands for something. There’s “a disco song, a driving at night song, an acoustic ballad, a song where you bring in a symphony orchestra,” Izzy explains. “It felt like it was a bold decision. I don’t know anyone else who makes albums like that, but that’s me. If I’m going to represent myself in music, yup it’s absolutely batshit crazy, but it all makes sense when you hear it.”
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From the opening hypercharge of ‘I Only Hurt The Ones I Love’, through the rampant disco stomp of ‘Midnight’, the drifting heartbeat of ‘Blue Romance’ and the stripped down, full throttle purge of ‘Baby’ until the slow burn burst and decay of ‘Wasting Time’, ‘Black Honey’ is adventuring. “That’s what I like about it,” Izzy continues. “That’s what’s so refreshing for me. I’m opening new books. I’m learning more about different genres and hopefully reaching more people through that, but still maintaining the sincerity, honesty and all the things I hold testament to. I hope I’ve retained that Black Honey DNA at the same time as exploring so many different avenues.” That change came about from a challenge. Their management asked them what would happen if Black Honey wrote a pop song.
“At first I said fuck this. I hate chart music,” she says, but Izzy, never one to give up on something, tried to find a way to make it work. Instead of bending around pop, the band bent pop music around them. And it felt good. Then they started asking questions of themselves. “My one rule was never to make a song with synths. But what if I make the most sincere song I can with synths? By giving myself a tug of war, it creates something more unique.” Things didn’t make sense straight away, though. “At first, it was horrible. We wrote so many bad songs. There were some cool ideas, but they were so badly convicted. It turns out if I try and write a pop song, it sounds like an insulting impression of Katy Perry. It doesn’t sound cool, or good, or like anything anyone wants to listen to.” That play came last year. The band were banging their heads against walls, trying to make it work but pressed pause to go on the road with Royal Blood. The size, the scale, the ambition of that tour affected the band. When they came home, they wrote five songs for the album in as many weeks. “It was a really weird time. We were doing all this stuff behind the scenes, but nobody had any idea. Knowing you have ‘Midnight’, this crazy disco banger in the pipeline but not being able to tell anyone about it until the following August was so hard. I just wanted to tell everyone about it. Going on that journey was so challenging, but also the most rewarding thing we’ve done.” ‘Black Honey’ doesn’t just sound different. Their bulging back-catalogue of bangers deals in fantasy escape, this album grapples with reality. Their oncemysterious approach has been slowly eroded away, revealing a very human, very relatable gang behind it all. “I’m conducting a series of experiments with myself, what can I can be comfortable with exposing. If I am going to show people sides of me, I want to show them some really honest stuff. “A big part of me learning how to write songs was because I had so many problems as a kid. Doctors said to draw out my dreams because it would help me deal with them. Songwriting is important for me coping with my existence. That’s something I’m thinking about a lot at the moment, putting out this record. I’m telling you everything. Everything about me is about to go on the internet. “The album is all over the place. I’d say it’s about as up and down as the changing states of my head.” “Someone once said to be an artist you have to have a certain
“It’s absolutely batshit crazy, but it all makes sense when you hear it” level of masochistic behaviour because you’re putting yourself raw in the firing line for people to love or hate you so that you can feel connected to the people you can connect to,” she continues. “That is the damage of being an artist. I created a universe that is escapism but the way I reject that is by telling people real stories about how I’m feeling.” Songs like ‘Blue Romance’ talk of golden palm trees and velvet worlds. It might sound like perfection with a filter, but it captures a feeling. “[It’s] a love story which honours love but acknowledges its fuckedup-ness, is set in swinging arms. Dancing all night long, drunk, beautiful and in love. When you escape with someone, when you’re in that dream state and that magical universe, that feeling is real even if the experience might not be. “All artists have the same worry: is it okay that all the things are so contradictory? What ties it together is the people who make it. If it’s your voice that’s saying it, if it’s your story and you’re telling the truth, if it is sincere, then that is the needle and thread that ties it all together. This album is for my younger self. It’s for every young person that wants to fight, fall in love, fuck and live.” The Black Honey of old would be pulled this way and that by lust, love and heartbreak, victims of circumstance and under the spell of others. ‘Black Honey’ sees the band more in control. “When we talk about this record, it’s about feeling like a villain, not a victim. [That empowerment] comes from a tortured place, though. It comes from the heartbreak. It’s like a phoenix rising, coming back harder after taking the hits.” Not all of the songs on Black Honey’s debut are brand new, however. “I wanted to give the fans that have supported us through all these years something that would feel familiar. ‘Hello Today’ is a really important song because it’s a fuck you to the past and hello to the future. It’s the most feminist, empowering commentary I was making, when I was really fucked 42
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up. Because it was so meaningful to that time, and even now I feel so empowered by it, it had to go on.” Elsewhere, ‘Wasting Away’ is a song years in the making. “It’s funny; I feel like I never wrote it. I’ve always just been saying it my whole life. There’s an element of coming of age that maybe I’ve not been aware of because I’ve been living it so hard. Every line is real to me. Every story is one I’ve been telling my whole life. “‘Baby’ is really tough. I tattooed the word baby onto my exboyfriend’s hand and then wrote the song ‘Baby’; he found the lyrics beside my bed. I broke up with him three weeks later.” That raw, barefaced honesty is deliberate and unafraid. “If someone told me that story, I’d be like fucking hell that’s real. I
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want to relate, and I want to share in that.” It’s painted on the walls across the album. “’What Happened To You’ is about looking at myself in the mirror and knowing you’re a mess. You’re hungover, and you don’t know what you’re doing, but at the same time, you’re powering through with all of the swag, all of the fire. The drums are huge, the pulse of your fucking heart. You’re a mess, but you’re a fiery, powerful mess that no one can stop. “Basically, the way I see it, I want to be Debbie Harry. I want to be Blondie. I want to be that female rock and roll icon for teenagers to stick on their walls. Do teenagers stick photos on their wall anymore?” Izzy asks, moving at a hundred miles an hour. “We want to take over the world, play gigs on the moon, travel. I want to go back to Japan; I want to write monsters. For me, writingwise, I feel like I’m just getting started. Let’s see how far this can go. I’ve been writing a poetry book of all the excess poems that didn’t make it into songs. I’ll put that out at some point. I’m hungry. I’m hungry to write and do everything. I want to do it all.”P Black
Honey’s self-titled debut album is out 21st September.
INCLUDES SINGLES MAKING WAVES & CHARM SCHOOL
P A R T Y ’ S O V E R Cult faves Interpol return with their sixth album. “It’s just the beginning for us,” says Daniel Kessler. Words: Jessica Goodman.
“W
e’ve been doing this for some time,” Daniel Kessler chuckles. True
to his words, Interpol are a band with a long-standing history. It’s been sixteen years since the group released their debut record. Five albums and a procession of world tour dates later, they remain a force to be reckoned with. Now, with album number six about to be released, Interpol’s acclaim is as strong as ever. “The fact that people have stayed loyal with us over the years, and that there are people discovering us still, it’s really a very unique experience,” the guitarist enthuses. “It’s something that doesn’t happen all the time and something that probably means more to me now than it did back in the early days.” Fans old and new were invited into the world of the band’s latest record via a set of coordinates that led to Mexico City, where the group held a press conference to announce the new album. “I really, really, really savour it,” Daniel comments of their audience’s interaction. “I know it’s a unique thing in this day and age. It’s hard for people to be that dedicated and thoughtful and loyal for this many years.” It might be uncommon, but such ardent admiration is something that’s surrounded Interpol for years. It’s a legacy the group are determined to do justice. When it comes to writing new music, their focus lies solely on what they’re working to create. “We just enjoy writing music. We don’t over think it,” Daniel affirms. Getting together in a practice space in New York, the trio – completed by frontman Paul Banks and drummer Sam
Fogarino – set about creating their rawest offering yet. “When we’re getting together to write new music we just don’t think too much on anything besides what’s happening in that room,” Daniel portrays. “Fortunately, we’ve always had new things to write,” he continues, laughing. “We’ve never run into too many writing blocks. It always feels like we just keep our minds on what’s happening in the room, and not thinking on the exterior too much.” Written in the rehearsal space they shared with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, ‘Marauder’ is Interpol at their rawest – a feat that made itself evident fairly early in the album making process, when the group were kicked out of their practice space for being too loud. “Unfortunately the cops had to come,” Daniel chuckled. “They warned us twice, and the second time we had to leave. It happens in New York sometimes.” The decision to create a record louder and rawer than any they’ve worked to create before was one that seemed to be born naturally out of their creativity. “I think as songwriters we’re just always trying to push ourselves forwards without even trying to do it,” Daniel contemplates. The restless energy that birthed the songs on ‘Marauder’ saw the band enjoy some of their most energetic recording sessions yet. “We always pretty much do everything as live. We play everything from start to finish,” Daniel details. “Those were very lively sessions.” Recording with Dave Fridmann in upstate New York, the group set about building up a brand new sound. “We all played live together and recorded the majority of it onto tape,” Daniel states. “It kept it very lively.” 45
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“The cops had to come. They warned us twice, and the second time we had to leave” “Tape sounds good,” the guitarist describes. “It has a rawness to it, and the songs have a rawness. It limited us maybe in a good way.” With the selfenforced limits of only having a few takes to choose from, the resulting record is as deliciously raw as the group hoped it would be. “I think it’s just a little bit of an evolution,” Daniel portrays of the album. ‘Marauder’ was helped shape, in no small part, by producer Dave Fridmann – marking the first time the group have worked with a producer on a record. “He was a great collaborator in this,” Daniel enthuses. “I think he understood the kind of record we were writing.” Entering into a new recording environment proved to be the spark the group needed to create something new. “He had some very specific ideas about how to record, and we were very excited and incentivised by that,” Daniel comments. The decision to work with a producer was one that seemed a natural step in the group’s evolution. “We wanted to do something a bit different, to challenge ourselves, to be open to new possibilities, and to maybe make a new discovery or something,” Daniel details. “It was a great experience.” “Just like most things in life, experience serves its purpose and makes you more comfortable, so
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you understand the situation a bit more, and hold the moment a little bit more,” he adds. “It was just a different time. Just like everything in life, you keep moving forward. For us, it’s hopefully that: moving forwards, making new discoveries, and becoming a better band, better at communicating with each other, and hopefully writing better songs too.” A natural step in Interpol’s evolution, ‘Marauder’ is the sound of a band flourishing in their prime. “I had no reason to go beyond hoping to make a first record,” Daniel reflects. “Beyond that, I never really hoped further than where we were. It’s a trip that we’re still doing this after all these years.” It’s a long established history the group have to live up to, and for the band, it’s one that there’s no intention to let run away from them any time soon. “It’s just the beginning for us,” the guitarist enthuses. “It’s an exciting time, developing how we’re going to live up to the release of the record. It’ll be great to just have it out there. I think we’re really looking forward to that.” Living by their enduring ethos of “keep your chin up going forward, and don’t over think it,” this is Interpol at their rawest yet, ready and raring to take the world by storm once more. P Interpol’s
album ‘Marauder’ is out now.
Welcome to
All aboard coach Sports Team. The band celebrate new single ‘Margate’ with a trip to, erm, Margate. Words and photos: Jamie MacMillan.
W
ith the temperature sitting somewhere in the mid-30s, a vehicle carrying the hopes and dreams of a new generation snakes through a ravaged wasteland. Also on board, a
group of survivors cling to each other as the oppressive heat begins to take hold, bringing with it a sense of madness and desperation. Ice packs are passed around; grateful faces plunged deep into them. This could be a scene taken from a Mad Max sequel. Instead, Dork is being whisked to the seaside for a day out with your new favourites Sports Team to celebrate the release of ‘Margate’, their latest banger of the highest order, as well as the chance to be right in the thick of a tiny show from one of the most exciting bands around. “Everyone says guitar music’s not cool nowadays, so we’ve put on a bus trip to Margate to prove them wrong,” announces frontman Alex Rice with an admirably straight face. A bus trip to the seaside is as quintessentially English as the band themselves, an idea as
gloriously silly as it is genius. Sitting amongst a group of ecstatic fans who volunteered to come along for the ride, sharing beers and swapping stories, it is a relaxed and happy vibe despite everyone sitting in the hottest temperature this side of Venus. “It’s good fun, isn’t it?” smiles songwriter Robb Knaggs, “That’s what music is meant to be, right?” The radio doesn’t work, the airconditioning doesn’t work, we’re stuck in dense motorway traffic, so we can’t play I-Spy, but Robb’s spot on. This IS fun. After an impromptu ice cream stop, the driver blasts ‘Margate’ out of his phone speakers. Only he’s found the Chas n’ Dave version. “Yeah, that’s probably better than our song though,” laughs Alex. The video for their ‘Margate’ (definitely not a cover) contains some of the most electrifying, hip-dislocating moves this side of an octopus on a dancefloor. Both the song and the video are an affectionate look at an England that now seems almost mythical, a land that is eternally sunny and upbeat. No surprise perhaps, as it was written at the beginning of a
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“Everyone says guitar music’s not cool nowadays, so we’ve put on a bus trip to Margate to prove them wrong” near-miraculous run in the World Cup and during one of the hottest summers on record. “You can either say things are crap and talk them down, or you can make it glorious, romanticise and glamorise things,” explains Alex, “For us, we want to send up the Britain in Bloom roundabouts, rather than slagging it all off.” These are exciting times for Sports Team, who have all jacked their jobs in over the days leading up to the Margate trip. With highprofile tours coming up with The Magic Gang and Hinds, as well as a slot on the BBC Introducing stage at Reading & Leeds. The latter is a massive deal in
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particular for Alex and bassist Oli Dewdney, who have been attending together as punters since they were fifteen. It’s all part of the long-game for Alex, who promises an album at some point in 2019 (“It will come when it’s ready,” is how he describes it.) At the moment, there is plenty of time just to enjoy the run of serious bangers that the Harlesden-based band have been producing. “It takes us a while to generate some of the tracks; it is a bit cleverer and more thoughtful than some of the new music about right now,” Rice states. “We can’t just get together and thrash out a beat.” Talking with Alex is like trying
to keep up with Road Runner. When asked about his dancing on the ‘Margate’ video, he moves onto his favourite subjects theatricality and putting on a performance. “You see kids at a bus stop; they’re all flossing now. And that new dance, I can’t even remember what it’s called. But when you put on a show, it’s got to be an event. Do a dance. DO SOMETHING! Music used to be an event, but now guitar music has gotten really lazy.” Warming to his subject, he states: “Something like Liam Gallagher playing at Finsbury Park, that kind of music is dead. Lazy and pale. It’s like the haemophiliac end-of-the-royal line.” The million-miles-an-hour pace of conversation, thought becoming word before it’s fully formed, shares a lot of similarities with one Matty Healy. Coming on the day after Healy’s “no big bands are doing anything as interesting as us” 1975 interview, Rice is delighted with the concept. “That kind of thing is great fun. Music SHOULD be polarising. It should be interesting; people should read about it, argue about it,
be excited about it.” As he places the band at an imaginary point where the literary genius of John Betjeman or Cyril Connolly meets the simple good times of AC/DC, there’s no disputing that Sports Team are one of the most interesting and exciting bands out there right now. At this point, the rest of the band gatecrash our chat and instantly puncture the mood. “Has he started talking about how performance is the highest form of art yet?” teases Robb. When asked about his dancing, they point out that it is “more something you can’t stop looking at, rather than strictly rhythmic.” Claiming that it is only because of his double-jointed ankles (one of which is immediately thrust in Dork’s face), the chat unravels further when a friend of the band drops in. “I’ve just had a really weird experience in the toilets,” he says breathlessly, before being warned by Robb that: “This is being recorded. None of your weird shit now, yeah?” Later, at the suitably tiny Tom Thumb Theatre, the show lives up to Alex’s promises of theatricality and putting on a performance. With the venue smaller than some front rooms, he is deep in the throng of the crowd for much of it. Robb, Oli and Henry bounce and collide into each other in a
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playing space the size of a small rug, while mute keyboardist Ben strolling silently backwards and forth, Sports Team are one of those thrilling bands that you don’t know who to watch the most. Even drummer Al gets into the action, leaving her drum kit mid-set for a quick crowd surf around the room. But it’s Alex of course who leads the crowd. “Does anyone famous come from Margate?” he asks at one point, the response leading him to announce: “This is a song we wrote about Tracy Emin, it’s called ‘Kutcher’.” The set feels like it only lasts the briefest of moments, but it packs more excitement into thirty minutes than many festival headliners and leaves the crowd elated as they wait for the bus driver to return from his bingo trip. Their ability to turn the banal and ordinary into something glamorous and exciting is more than enough to get us boarding the Sports Team bus again. Maybe on a slightly cooler day though next time yeah? P
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Estrons turn everyday troubles and heartache into invincible tunes ready to take on the world. Words: Ali Shutler.
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E
strons aren’t quite sure how they managed a debut album. “It’s hard to find common ground,” admits vocalist Tali Källström. They don’t listen to the same music.
“There’s always a fight over the CD player in the van. I think Rhodri [Daniel, guitar]’s taste in music is terrible. He thinks my taste in music is terrible. I don’t know how we wrote the songs we did. They’re all these weird Frankenstein’s monsters.” But two years since ‘Make A Man’ made people sit up and take notice, Estrons are set to release ‘You Say I’m Too Much, I Say You’re Not Enough’. They’ve spent most of 2018 away for the spotlight, figuring things out and seeing where pull makes way for push. “We wanted to make sure everything was right. For us to make sure everything is right, that usually takes a long time.” Estrons have always done things on their own terms. The fact they’re releasing their debut full-length now is in part because Rhodri kept laughing, promising they couldn’t release an album
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with ‘Make A Man’ on it in 2019, but mainly it was just time. “We just wanted to shed that skin and start building. We were sick of EPs, and we wanted to create a body of work that represented us and represented the last few years that we’ve been together. We wanted to capture that, have it, celebrate it and then move onto the next thing.” Almost everything has changed for Estrons since they started. “We’ve grown up a lot as a band. It is still just a hobby for us, but we’re all completely obsessed with it, and it’s all we have time to do. We don’t feel like children. We’re not a baby band anymore. We’ve got a record coming out. It’s real.” One thing that hasn’t waned is that anger. The band first turned heads with a determined grit, balancing fury, frustration and tongue-in-cheek fun. “There’s a lot of that still in there, but the record’s a lot more pop that maybe people are expecting.” That fiery scarlet now shares space with tranquil blues, lush purples and sunburst yellow. “People will be surprised when they hear it, and that’s the fun of an album. You get to experiment
with EPs, this album is that statement moment. This is Estrons. This is what we are.” The scale of the record is because Tali has “changed a lot as a person,” she says. “I went through a really difficult two years where lots of bad stuff happened, and a lot of the lyrics were inspired by that. A lot of the songs come from deep, dark places and powerful moments. “It’s not just like ‘Make A Man’ anymore. That song was a sociopolitical comment, but it’s still a fun song, and people could laugh at it as a song about attraction but now, I delve into deeper parts of the soul, and I’ve spread them all out on this canvas.” ‘Killing Your Love’ strives out on its own. Inspired by a person Tali thought was a love addict, it was meant to be about shaking that love off before shifting and becoming more reflective. “I have this huge insecurity about how no one will ever love me sincerely. I wanted to get rid of this love because I didn’t believe it was real. It felt like some sort of projection. “As I was writing the lyrics, I realised we all do that. We’re all terrified of being alone, and when we get into relationships, it’s because we need that. We project a lot of ourselves onto the other person because it makes us feel whole in some way.” Elsewhere ‘Aliens’ came to life years ago, after a break up. “A guy did say to me, ‘You’re too much. You’re too intense’. I was really broken over it. I felt alienated from this person. I felt like this crazy thing that would never be accepted and striving to feel that acceptance; it’s a comment on societal pressures. I realised that maybe he’s just not the right person for me. Somebody else will think I’m great.” From that track, comes the title. “It’s a comment on how me and Rhodri are complete opposites. I’m fire, he’s water, but it’s also a comment on judgement. A lot of the themes on this record are about self-acceptance and acceptance of others. The title is saying let’s stop the judgement; let’s start accepting ourselves.” It’s also about change. “You’re always being told to change. Change your body, your outlook, your genre, your hair colour, your relationship. Just fuck off, stop telling people to change and start accepting people as they are. Change can be important, but for me, it’s other people trying to impose that change that really gets me annoyed.” “I just want our music to help people accept themselves,” continues Tali. “We go through life so miserable because we
always feel like we should be something better than we are. We’re always trying to obtain some unattainable paradigm of what a person should be. We feel like we should be more beautiful, thinner, stronger, funnier and fitter. “Hopefully, it’ll help people feel better about their own lives because I’ve definitely been struggling to feel good about mine for the past two years.” ‘You Say I’m Too Much, I Say You’re Not Enough’ is an album of physical emotions. Drawing from real life extremes and quiet moments that question everything, it’s exists on the edge. “’Strangers’ is the saddest song I’ve ever written, and it came from a time in my life where I felt like I was never going to be strong enough to give a good person what they deserved because I was damaged. We’ve all felt like that. The saddest thing is that you end up hurting yourself more than anyone else.” There’s a weight to Estrons. Live they demand this connection, a celebration of self and making it this far and on their debut record, they keep that fire burning. Tali hates the word cathartic - “it’s what everyone says” - and this album means far too much for those sort of wide brush strokes. “Without our music, I don’t know what I’d be doing. It saved me from myself. I went through a tough time, and I’ve felt such dark things but what I’ll do is pick up a pen, and start writing. It’s definitely a therapy. It’s great being able to get it out. Without it, I don’t know what I would have done.” P Estrons’ debut album
‘You Say I’m Too Much, I Say You’re Not Enough’ is out 5th October.
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THE DEBUT ALBUM 21 st SEPTEMBER PRE-ORDER NOW
LONDON-ELECTRIC BALLROOM 24 TH OCTOBER WWW.BLACKHONEYUK.COM
Incoming. Your New Music Fridays, sorted.
14th September - 5th October 2018
The Big One
Pale Waves My Mind
Makes Noises The most anticipated debut album of 2018 is here. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t disappoint.
eeeee LABEL: DIRTY HIT RELEASED: 14TH SEPTEMBER LISTEN TO: NOISES, DRIVE, RED, TELEVISION ROMANCE, KARL (I WONDER WHAT IT’S LIKE TO DIE)
The way we listen to music has changed. While we still love ‘the physical product’, new bangers are constantly arriving ‘online’, we can stream any record we want, on demand, and decades of past releases are available at the tap of a screen. That’s why we’ve changed up our reviews section. Split by the New Music Friday we’re expecting each release to arrive, Incoming is your guide to what to look out for, what to pre-save, and what to skip.
O
nce in a blue moon, a band takes off with such velocity that all doubts feel futile.
With less of a ‘will they, won’t they’ and more of a ‘clear the way’, the only risk in Pale Waves’ glorious ascent has long been that they might burn up as they smash through the planet’s atmosphere on their way to conquer the known universe. ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ doesn’t arrive with trepidation. It isn’t even a promise of potential for what’s to come. It’s a glorious coronation, plain and simple. Sure, there have been barbs thrown across Pale Waves’ path along the way. From accusations of samey songwriting to lazy comparisons with label mates and sort-of-once-mentors The 1975, in the cold light of their neon glow each fails to convincingly land. Indeed, it’s only those parallels with indie-pop’s most hypeworthy band which come close to the mark, if only because they’re 54
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heading for the same arenas. This isn’t a ticker tape parade based purely on industry sure-thing status, though. ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ is a record of such assured confidence it belies just how raw Pale Waves still are. That trademark sound - the shimmer, lilted vocal takes and glitter ball drama - is a fearsomely effective calling card. From the stop-start atmospherics of ‘Black’ to the runway take-off of opener ‘Eighteen’, fizzing with wide-eyed possibilities of what’s to come, the template shifts but the filter remains fixed. Far from a criticism, it’s what makes ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ as a body of work so unfathomably strong. Those initial tasters of what’s to come ‘There’s A Honey’ and ‘Television Romance’ feel as invincible as ever, already wearing the garbs of future classics well, while ‘Kiss’ is built on the fumes of 80s hairspray and sticky-floored indie clubs. For all the polished perfection,
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though, there are three tracks that underpin a debut with genuine emotion. Sort-of-title-track ‘Noises’ appears early, its honesty bringing barriers down. It plays spectacularly against the record’s true beating heart, ‘Drive’. ‘Karl (I Wonder What It’s Like To Die)’ will do the damage, though. Featuring frontwoman Heather BaronGracie and a single acoustic guitar, it’s so raw that - against the sheen of the album around it - it genuinely shocks. ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ isn’t a grand concept album. It’s not challenging the bleeding edge, or attempting to make huge statements about the world around it. It’s a personal document on a grand scale - a collection of doubts and dreams exploding onto the biggest possible stage. Staggeringly effective at what it sets out to achieve, its greatest strength comes in never trying to be something it isn’t. In understanding exactly who they are, Pale Waves just broke orbit. Next stop - anywhere. P Stephen
Ackroyd
Incoming Friday, 14th September 2018
Oh god, it’s a bit mental really. The album’s out so soon. It feels like it’s come around just so fast. It feels like I was waiting forever for it to come out and now it’s around the corner.
and I don’t know how to feel about it. It was about a time in my life when I was sixteen, and some of my friends said I was very cold. I think it’s ‘cos I didn’t give them what they wanted. They wanted me to love them, and I just didn’t. And I can’t hide my feelings, so they blamed it on me.
Any nerves, fears or waking up in the middle of the night thinking ‘oh God, we should have done this and not that’?
This record spans so many years of your life, why show that journey?
Words: Ali Shutler.
Hello Heather. How are you feeling?
To be honest, I’ve not had those thoughts at all. I just want to get it out to the world. I’m so excited. I feel like we made the right record for us.
How much writing did you do this summer?
We did a lot. Half the album was written in the studio, half over the years since we started Pale Waves. It was all over the place.
Tell us about ‘Eighteen’.
‘Eighteen’ is about when I met someone when I was eighteen and fell in love with them. I had an amazing time, they were a wicked person, and then it came to an end, but it was ready to end.
Why open the album with that song?
There’s something about that track. Everyone we showed it to said it was one of our biggest songs ever. I listened because I wanted a strong opening. And ‘Eighteen’ is the beginning of it. In my head, I see the start of an eighties coming-of-age movie with a car just driving around. That’s what I wanted people to picture.
What about ‘Loveless Girl’?
A few people have called me this,
Photos: Frances Beach, Niall Lea
Our pal Heather stops by for a chat and a metaphorical cup of tea and a biscuit.
It’s important for me to show my early years as a teenager because a lot of our fans are very young. I feel like they’re going to relate to it. And it’s our first record so I felt like it was going to be the strongest record if I talked about that time in my life and covered it on this wide spectrum.
Where did ‘Red’ and ‘Black’ come from, ‘cos they’re sorta your colours.
That was a happy coincidence. ‘Black’ was written about two and a half years ago but we couldn’t get it right. I started writing the verse: “You’re beginning to hate me, of who I’m becoming lately, two and a half years ago.” Ciara actually inspired that because there was a time where I was becoming a complete... well, a cold person. I could tell she was starting to hate me. I wrote that verse and didn’t write anything more of it for ages. I played it to Ciara though, and she has never let go of it. She kept on at me to finish it and eventually I did, and it turned into ‘Black’. And then ‘Red’, we wrote in the studio. It started out as the acoustic track that was going to close the album, but it just didn’t work. Ciara wanted it to be a pop song; she said ‘I’m going to take
“I want to go a bit more punk on the next thing we do. It’ll still be pop, though” this and see what I can do with it’, and it evolved from there.
What’s the song on the record that you think will be the basis for where you go next?
Maybe a combination of ‘Black’ and ‘One More Time’. I want to go a bit more punk on the next thing we do. It’ll still be pop though, ‘cos I love pop.
Just not pop-punk.
I love pop-punk. In my college years, I was in a pop-punk band at one point which we will not say the name of.
But we will scour the internet to find. [*cough* Killing Nancy *cough* - Ed]
Nooo, I looked horrendous, and it was not a good band. The songs were good, ‘cos I wrote them, but everything else around me was just lacking. It was fun though. I wanted to be Hayley Williams.
Have you written anything since finishing the record?
We’ve started writing new material. It’s exciting; we’ve written four or five new songs. I want to release new music next year. I want to do an EP. The album will come out, then a few months later, there’ll be this EP. People want more and more, and we have a lot to give. P 55
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Dilly Dally
Heaven
RELEASED: 14TH SEPTEMBER
eeeee In-between the release of debut album Sore and it’s box-fresh follow-up, ‘Heaven’, Dilly Dally nearly called it quits. Fittingly described by the band as the album they’d make if they “died and went to heaven”, opener ‘I Feel Fine’ definitely floats on a fluffy cloud. With understated grit and an iron fist, there’s a woozy, dream like edge that reflects frontwoman Katie Monks’ raw growl in all kinds of interesting directions. A vision of a life still to live, it’ll hopefully be a long time until Dilly Dally ascend yet. P Stephen Ackroyd
Fatherson
Sum Of All Your Parts RELEASED: 14TH SEPTEMBER
eeeee If there’s one thing Scotland is good at exporting, it’s melodic rock that’s good for the mind, body and soul. Thick, euphoric melodies ring out across the land that Fatherson inhabit on their third outing, ‘Sum of All Your Parts’. A solid instalment, they’ve wasted no time in building upward and onward, growing from strength to strength while proving that the sanctity of humanity and its complexities can be perfectly entombed in creatively approached tunings and a sense of yearning. P Steven Loftin
The Goon Sax
We’re Not Talking
RELEASED: 14TH SEPTEMBER
eeeee When The Goon Sax made their muchacclaimed debut album ‘Up To Anything’, they were still in high school. Two years on, and approaching their ripe old twenties, the Aussies are basically old hands. A ridiculous statement, perhaps, but one held up by ‘We’re Not Talking’ - a record that shows an assured edge that belies their relatively young years. Sweeping and swooning with the spirit of indie past, but never descending into generic laziness, The Goon Sax are the next wonders from Down Under. P Stephen Ackroyd
Incoming Friday, 14th September 2018
** PLUS ** Good Charlotte Generation Rx
Twenty years and seven albums in, Good Charlotte’s latest full-length is described as a ‘full-circle moment’.
Jungle For Ever
Low Double Negative
The twelfth full-length release for the indie rock trio was produced by B.J. Burton.
Orbital Monsters Exist
Their ninth studio album is also their first in six years, since they reformed for the second time in 2017.
Paul Weller True Meanings
The Modfather’s 14th solo effort is described as “an album characterised by grandiose-yet-delicate, lush orchestration… A dreamy, peaceful, pastoral set of songs to get lost in”.
The Dirty Nil Master Volume
The trio’s second full-length comes with big expectations for bigger riffs. Chances are, they’ll meet them with ease.
We Were Promised Jetpacks The More I Sleep The Less I Dream
“Sometimes you have to go back to basics in order to find yourself again,” the blurb accompanying WWPJ’s fourth full-length explains. Sometimes, you can just use Google Maps.
eeeee LABEL: XL RECORDINGS RELEASED: 14TH SEPTEMBER LISTEN TO: ‘HEAVY, CALIFORNIA’
I
t’s pretty hard to sound original in the 21st century. In some
form, you can argue that most of what we’re listening to can be traced back to here and there - to influences gone by and to the sound of parents in the kitchen recommending bands from the 80s that ‘might be something you’ll really like’. Nobody is knocking those neon heavyweights (trust us when we say we love ‘em - Ed), but for Jungle that ability to sound distinct and away from the
rest is exactly what catapulted them to a breakthrough that sits in its own field, something cemented by big-time bangers like ‘Busy Earnin’ and ‘Time’. Carving their own path, it leads them to what comes next - a band flourishing with creativity and thriving independence or a remaining stuck to their own hazy trend? Thankfully, the latter can be pushed back - ‘For Ever’ is a record that amplifies what Jungle nailed first time around, but takes it to a new swaggering level too. Practically dripping with summer vibes, it’s the sound of an extra-dry Martini falling on ice on a boiling hot summer’s day. ‘Heavy, California’, ‘Happy
Man’ and the hypnotic grooves of ‘Casio’ are immediately rich, but as a full package it manages to blend highs and lows effortlessly. The shuffling ‘Give Over’ and the tropical communion of ‘Beat 54 (All Good Now)’ offer life - diving deep into the realities of heartbreak and picking up the pieces. It feels like a record reaching into new terrain, yet wrapped in a gloss and style that Jungle excel at.. For that alone, ‘For Ever’ is a success - an invitation to fall in love with a band who don’t remain tied to the world around them, but creates their own orbit instead - ready to jump in? P Jamie Muir
The Watchlist. Keep your eyes on this lot this month, in case they drop something new...
Drenge
The Drenge boys are gearing up for a new EP, with ‘Autonomy’ due on 5th October. We don’t have it yet (hence no review), but assume it’s probs pretty good, right?!
Vampire Weekend
New Vampy Weekend could arrive any day now (if it’s not already, we’re writing this from the past, you know). Over the summer, the band’s new label Sony let slip they had a “noteworthy project” coming before 56
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the end of September. New album? New single? Who knows.
Dua Lipa
‘R Dua is soon to release a deluxe edition of her selftitled debut. ‘Complete Collection’ arrives on 19th October, featuring newish tracks ‘Electricity’, ‘Want To’, ‘Running’, and ‘Kiss and Make Up’. Keep an eye out for some of the new additions landing online.
Blaenavon
Blaeners are heading
out on tour this October, during which they’ll be performing new material from their upcoming second album; the followup to debut ‘That’s Your Lot’. The run kicks off on 3rd October in St Albans, taking in a whopping fourteen nights all over the country.
The 1975
This lot are probs going to sit here on this list for the next six months; at least until second new album, ‘Notes on a Conditional Form’ has arrived. P
Incoming Friday, 21st September 2018 The Big One
Christine and the Queens Chris
eeeee LABEL: BECAUSE MUSIC RELEASED: 21ST SEPTEMBER LISTEN TO: GIRLFRIEND, 5 DOLLARS
C
hristine and the Queen stands out. In a galaxy of pop stars,
she’s unique. It’s not just that French flair that marks her as something special. A true artist in all forms, she’s able to capture every eyeball - and never more than here, with new album ‘Chris’. Creating an ultra-confident persona only adds further fire to the flames. From the velvet slide of opener ‘Comme si’, it’s a construct that levels up on the already brilliant work of debut ‘Chaleur Humaine’. It’s that first track to arrive from the record ‘Girlfriend’ that really stands out - though. From its opening greeting to the stuttering swearing within, it audibly struts, its gigantic ego carefully walking the tightrope between brilliance and arrogance. With the scene set, others take their chance to shine, from the blue sky vibes of ‘5 dollars’ to the blooping electro-funk of ‘Damn (what must a woman do)’. Far more than just a concept for a record, it’s a successful artistic experiment that demands attention. All eyes on Chris. P Stephen Ackroyd
** PLUS ** Beak> >>>
Obviously, Beak>’s follow up to 2012’s ‘>>’ would be called ‘>>>’. By the time they get to album seventeen, we’re gonna have line break issues.
Brockhampton Iridescence
Can you spell hype? It starts with a ‘B’ and ends with an ‘ockhampton’. With the UK and Europe firmly tamed, the collective’s fourth fulllength is set to land today.
Metric Art Of Doubt
The consistantly ace Canadians are odds on to be, y’know, consistantly ace with their new offering.
Hypophora
Joyce Manor
RELEASED: 21ST SEPTEMBER
RELEASED: 21ST SEPTEMBER
Douse
Million Dollars To Kill Me
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Rock music isn’t ‘in’ right now. That’s what the running narrative of genre-shifting summer festivals and chart studying boffins claim. In truth, the UK’s heavier underground is in fine fettle - something which Hypophora show in winning style. Comparisons to Marmozets go way beyond the presence of a firebrand female vocalist - the four-piece pack the same short of essential, constantly fizzing energy which is sure to see them thrive. Some things never go out of style. P Dan Harrison
Joyce Manor’s last album ‘Cody’ focused on the struggles of growing up. Their new full-length, ‘Million Dollars To Kill Me’, deals with what comes next. From troubles in love, money and the muddled mind, it’s an identifiable list of complaints handled with aplomb. The bitter-sweet nostalgia of ‘Think I’m Still In Love With You’ stands out - a tale of good times gone flat. Like many of their peers, Joyce Manor have a tone that swells hearts and cracks a smile, no matter what the lyrical content might suggest. P Dan Harrison
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Mutual Benefit
Thunder Follows The Light RELEASED: 21ST SEPTEMBER
eeeee Multiinstrumentalist and producer Jordan Lee’s latest album under his Mutual Benefit moniker is one of the most chilled out things you’ll find outside of Iceland’s freezer section. ‘Come To Pass’ is particularly breathtaking and portrays the album’s simple yet powerful style perfectly, while the likes of ‘New History’ and ‘Stormcellar Heart’ have memorable, effortlessly suave refrains. Sheer bliss for anyone who needs to unwind. P
Ciaran Steward
Say Lou Lou
Immortelle
RELEASED: 21ST SEPTEMBER
eeeee Say Lou Lou have been an undiscovered gem for a while now. Trading in the sort of effortless style of pop that would make the Top 40 blush, their debut album ‘Lucid Dreaming’ received the sort of critical plaudits that should make them bonafide stars. While it may not have done exactly that, it pointed to a rich future - one that’s emboldened and dipped in noir magic with follow-up ‘Immortelle’. Rich, dark and packed to the brim with delights - this is the sort of record that will leave an undeniable mark. P Jamie Muir
Villagers
The Art Of Pretending To Swim RELEASED: 21ST SEPTEMBER
eeeee ‘A Trick of The Light’ might well be one of the best songs of 2018. It’s undoubtedly the stand out track on Villagers fourth record, though there’s plenty of joy to be had elsewhere too. This isn’t a batch of three-minute pop songs - it’s a more measured and patient approach to songwriting. O’Brien spins such luminous yarns it leaves mouths firmly agape. Four albums in and Villagers are still going strong, smoother than ever and with plenty of tricks up their sleeves. P Ciaran Steward
Incoming Friday, 21st September 2018
B L U E S U E D E Comebacks are tricky things. Lots of bands have tried it and attempted to recreate their former magic, but few have mastered it. Suede, however, have not only recaptured the fire of their golden years but gone on to create an equally special body of work. Words: Martyn Young.
S
uede’s eighth album ‘The Blue Hour’ is the final part of a trilogy that began when they reformed back in 2010 and has seen the band reach new levels of creativity, culminating in a strange, dark and alluring triumph.
As singer Brett Anderson explains, this is a different Suede experience. “We’re very proud of it,” he begins. “This whole period of our career is really exciting and quite unexpected in lots of ways. Most people assume that as bands get older, they become safer and churn out the same sorts of records over and over again, but I feel we’ve pushed what we do to somewhere else. We’re finding new ways to be Suede.” Brett freely admits it’s a challenging listen, but he feels the band have earned the freedom to push their audience and they do that on an album full of mystery and treasure. “‘The Blue Hour’ comes from the twilight between day and night. When the night is closing in, and there’s a sense of impending dread. It says something about the tone of the record for me.” That bleak tone comes from the band’s desire to channel their inner darkness and enter the
mind space Brett describes as “Suedeworld”. “It’s a place, but it’s an attitude as well,” he explains. “The records have to fit within Suedeworld somehow. When we’ve got it wrong in the past, the records haven’t fitted within Suedeworld. We’re trying to push the boundaries of Suedeworld a bit further out. It’s the duty of a band at this stage, 25 years down the line, to try and challenge their audience.” The album finds the band realising their experimental desires by including orchestra’s, operatic choirs, spoken word samples and field recordings to create a sense of uneasiness and dark grandeur that permeates the album. At its heart though remains the songwriting that has been Suede’s calling card. “Some of my favourite songs that we’ve written for many years are on here,” exclaims Brett. “Something like ‘Life is Golden’ is a classic Suede song.” Perhaps the most fulfilling thing about their comeback is not the countless sold out shows and the critical and commercial acclaim that greeted 2013’s ‘Bloodsports’ and 2016’s ‘Night Thoughts’ but it’s the band reaching a new audience. ‘The Blue Hour’ could very well be someone’s first Suede album. “That’s a lovely idea, it’s nice to think like that,” says Brett. “There was a nice moment at one of our Japanese gigs last year. A girl came to a signing session and said: ‘This is my second Suede gig, my first one was when I was in my mummy’s tummy when she was pregnant’. The mother was a Suede fan back in the 90s and now the daughter is as well. She’s discovered us through our contemporary stuff. They’re really nice stories.” The theme of youthful discovery carries on to the album in which Brett looked at his songwriting from a different perspective. “I started off writing from a child’s point of view. I find it 58
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“I don’t like jolly music; I don’t want Suede to be jolly”
increasingly necessary to have an entry point or motivation for writing. It’s a multi-layered idea. You’re talking about vulnerability, fear and hesitation; basic human emotions.” Despite the bleakness of the album, it’s tempered with hope and a beauty hidden in the grime. “It’s the ultimate quest of any songwriter getting the balance between the dark and the light,” says Brett. “I don’t like jolly music; I don’t want Suede to be jolly. We’re not a good time band. As I get older life in many ways gets darker but also gets lighter and simpler.” Brett rejects any notion that it’s a comment on the unstable times we’re living in. “I’ve never wanted to write overtly political songs,” he says. “I don’t see that as a musician’s job. For me, the artist’s job isn’t to give explanations; to deepen the mystery and hint at things.” The album is instead primarily a reflection of something purer. “As a parent, having a child is an act of optimism; to be a parent you have to believe that the world isn’t going to be a disastrous place. That’s where the light comes from on the record.” There’s a lot that goes into ‘The Blue Hour’, but it acts as possibly the most complete summation of Suede and where they are at this second golden period in their career. “I wanted this record to have a complexity and depth that is rewarding,” concludes Brett. “There are some songs that I’m very proud of that I think stand up with our best work.” P D OWN WI T H BO RI N G
Suede
The Blue Hour
RELEASED: 21ST SEPTEMBER
eeeee There’s every risk that, with their new album, ‘The Blue Hour’, veteran rockers Suede could have gone a bit too yer da. Luckily, they haven’t, delivering a record that stands the test against the best of their 90s work. Opener ‘As One’ sounds as if it’s been ripped straight from a Disney villain - the perfect storm of frontman Brett Anderson’s penchant for dramatic lyrical imagery and the band’s ability to give his words the musical backdrop they crave. The album drips with the potent imagery. ‘Cold Hands’ rips into life immediately while single ‘Don’t Be Afraid If Nobody Loves You’ is a whirl of emotion. The duo of ‘All the Wild Places’ and ‘The Invisibles’, with their string crescendos rising and falling, do cause the record to drag a little towards the end but closing track ‘Flytipping’ quickly dispels any thoughts of limping across the finish line. It’s clear that Suede have lost none of their power. P Josh Williams
THIS
Incoming Friday, 21st September 2018
Keeping your playlists fresh is a full-time job - but fear not, Dear Reader, we’re here to tell you which tracks from this month’s album you need to be adding to your carefully curated collections.
Pale Waves Red
Black Honey
** THE EDIT **
These are the best five songs on Black Honey’s debut album. No arguments.
Black Honey eeeee LABEL: FOXFIVE RECORDS RELEASED: 21ST SEPTEMBER LISTEN TO: HELLO TODAY, I ONLY HURT THE ONES I LOVE, BLUE ROMANCE
B
y Black Honey’s own admission, their selftitled debut album is a ‘Frankenstein’s Monster’ of a record.
After years of anticipation, peers have come and gone as the Brighton crew continued to find their identity before committing it to record. Rather than set on a singular vision, though, their first-full length does quite the opposite - as it turns out, they’re quite the chameleons. That cinematic widescreen perspective that runs through all Black Honey’s work remains, but inside those black bars, a whole plethora of individual worlds blossom and thrive. ‘I Only Hurt The Ones I Love’ kicks things off by playing to
Hello Today
The heart of ‘Black Honey’, it’s still the band’s undeniable calling card, all swagger and spirit. strengths, all six-shooter western rattle and femme fatal drama, but it’s a sharp hand break turn into the disco fever of ‘Midnight’, strutting in like Travolta’s got nothing on them. ‘Whatever Happened To You’ drips in 90s grunge, while ‘Bad Friends’ glitches with digital sheen - and that’s just the first four tracks. ‘Blue Romance’ vamps like Lana Del Rey at her woozy best, sitting at the opposite end of the table to the horror-pop of ‘Into The Nightmare’, a cabaret of flashing lights and crushed velvet glamour. It’s a familiar friend that anchors the weird and wonderful show, though. ‘Hello Today’ remains Black Honey’s calling card. From it’s Francophile intro to it’s swaggering, hip shaking chorus, it’s the central point where every frame hits focus - the team up to top the blockbuster chart. Black Honey can be whatever they want, but in that one moment, they’re positively iconic. P Stephen
I Only Hurt The Ones I Love
The opening track and lead single, it’s Black Honey at their desperado best.
Blue Romance
Dripping in promise, ‘Blue Romance’ is all summer haze and breathy tension. Lana would kill for this one.
Crowded City
High definition pop, ‘Crowded City’ loses nothing from Black Honeys trademark style, but adds a whole new edge too.
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Wasting Time
The closing promise of more to come, ‘Wasting Time’ ascends like a free spirit, showing there’s always more still to come.
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While ‘Drive’ and ‘Noises’ may be the anchor points on Pale Waves’ debut album, it’s ‘Red’ that will hit the mark when thrown into the dog-eat-dog world of playlist warfare. Matching pop perfection with a beat that might just thump right through the floorboards, it’s the quartet’s most immediate moment yet.
Villagers A Trick Of The Light
If you’re after some laidback vibes without falling off into the vapourwave end of boring, Villagers have you sorted. Blissful brilliance.
Christine and the Queens 5 dollars
There’s something about Chris. Melodic perfection with a groove that demands a shuffle, she’s an artist at the top of her game.
Black Peaks Can’t Sleep
Fast filling their boots as British rock’s great hopes, the opener for Black Peaks’ exceptional ‘All That Divides’ isn’t so much a battering ram as a suitcase-sized nuclear device. Set it off and watch ‘em vaporise.
Incoming Friday, 28th September 2018 Amber Arcades
European Heartbreak RELEASED: 28TH SEPTEMBER
eeeee Political music, by its nature, is specific to the artist making it; there is no one form it should take, or rules as to how it should sound. Amber Arcades’ second album ‘European Heartbreak’ is a testament to this, a heartfelt confession birthed from uncertain times. “Goodnight Europe, no one really got you I suppose, it’s hardly a protest but I’m sad to see you go,” laments Dutch-born Annelotte De Graaf on the album’s lead single. Her identity, as European and as a musician has never been stronger. P Katie Pilbeam
Doe
Grow Into It
RELEASED: 28TH SEPTEMBER
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alt-J The Big One
Reduxer eeeee
artists and producers. For many, it would feel like a radical departure. For alt-J, it simply works. energised ‘3WW’ through to Pusha T’s contribution to a Twin Shadow rework of ‘In Cold Blood’, the
f any band was going to play about with their own music to this degree, it was always going to be alt-J. An act who
of childhood domestic violence that
refuse to paint within the lines, ‘REDUXER’ is a collection of 11 new interpretations of songs from most recent record ‘RELAXER’, featuring some of the planet’s hottest hip-hop
** PLUS ** Against The Current Past Lives
Planet rock’s shiniest trio are back with their second full-length. Expect it to sparkle.
Cypress Hill Elephants On Acid
AAARTH
RELEASED: 28TH SEPTEMBER
From Little Simz verses on a re-
LABEL: INFECTIOUS RECORDS RELEASED: 28TH SEPTEMBER LISTEN TO: HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN (FEAT. TUKA), IN COLD BLOOD (FEAT. PUSHA T) (TWIN SHADOW VERSION)
I
The Joy Formidable
highlights are plentiful, dovetailing effortlessly with the trio’s textured musical landscapes. Aussie Tuka’s take on ‘House of the Rising Sun’ especially stands out, winding a tale adds new depth to a track already dripping with gritty realism. Far from a lazy collection designed to shift units, ‘REDUXER’ is a fascinating project in its own right - proof that ripping up the rule book works. P Stephen Ackroyd
It could be Cypress Hill’s latest full-length, or it could be a really bad idea for a BBC nature documentary. One or the other.
GØGGS Pre Strike Sweep
Because Ty Segall doesn’t have enough on, the most prolific man in rock is back with another of his various projects for a second fulllength. 60
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eeeee Welsh trio The Joy Formidable have cooked up something intriguing with new album ‘AAARTH’. Opener ‘Y Bluen Eira’ (which translates to ‘The Snowflake’) sees a spoken word Welsh monologue brought to life over a hulking metal riff in an impressive fashion. The record winds and weaves its way through a collection of songs which suggest that the trio have found their form again with single ‘The Wrong Side’ amongst the band’s best work. ‘Cicada (Land On Your Back)’ is an interesting track underpinned by a picked acoustic guitar at odds with the song’s otherwise heavy groove to great effect, while ‘Dance of the Lotus’ is ethereal in its psychedelic roots. However where ‘AAARTH’ really shines is the more tender moments revealed on ‘All in All’, ‘Absence’, and ‘You Can’t Give Me’ with the latter’s soaring chorus the key to unlocking the emotional core of the entire record. P Josh Williams
D OWN WI T H BO RI N G
Growing up is hard to do. In a world dominated by boys attempting to stay young forever, Doe aim to highlight something different. A record about “finding light and freedom in age”, ‘Grow into it’ is far from your stereotypical perpetual wasted student. From the rejection of hanging on to toxic relationships (‘Labour Like I Do’) to frustration that your favourite author is direct quote - “a bit shit at writing women” (‘Even Fiction’), it’s a take that shouldn’t be anywhere near as refreshing as it is. P Dan Harrison
Hippo Campus
Bambi
RELEASED: 28TH SEPTEMBER
eeeee For a band that just wanted to make us dance, Hippo Campus have come a long way. As the world keeps turning bad, their outlook could only shift with it. On their second album ‘Bambi’, they tackle those modern conditions head-on. From the constructs of toxic masculinity to their own mental health, and with titles like ‘Mistakes’, ‘Doubt’ and ‘Anxious’, the content is clear - but it’s the winning, layered pop charm that shines through. In opening up, Hippo Campus have become stronger than ever before. P Stephen Ackroyd
Incoming Friday, 5th October 2018 Cat Power
Wanderer
RELEASED: 5TH OCTOBER
eeeee
Hey, Doe!
Recommend us some stuff...
Last good record you heard: Nicola: ‘All Nerve’ by The Breeders, how are they still so good? Jake: I’m really into that Phoebe Bridgers record at the moment. FFO: weird stomach feelings. Dean: 1998 Truman by Brockhampton is the most exciting thing I’ve heard all year. Favourite ever book: Nicola: Favourite EVER is too hard but recent - Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, it’s so sad yet beautifully written. Jake: One that I keep going back to is the Chris Morris biography ‘Disgusting Bliss’ by Lucian Randall. Dean: I don’t think I have one. I’ve been enjoying the short fiction of Shirley Jackson lately. (Nicola and I have started a cute book club too!) TV show you couldn’t live without: Nicola: The Walking Dead (but it’s gotten a bit rubbish lately). Jake: Beavis and Butthead. Dean: Basic answer but Twin Peaks. I like to think of The Return as the antithesis of Netflix and binge culture. Embrace the slow burn people! Best purchase of this year: Nicola: I just bought a Swiss Army knife which I’m excited about. Jake: I got a new bass, don’t tell anyone. Dean: The Weird and the Eerie by Mark Fisher. He writes about love being a mysterious force – an eerie agent – “with its own occult powers and capacities”, which is beautiful. Anything else you’d recommend? Nicola: Drinking plenty of water and always taking your makeup off before bed.
It’s been six years since the release of Chan Marshall’s last full-length, 2012’s ‘Sun’ - quite the gap for an artist now releasing her 10th studio album. In between, she’s been living life through “a period of profound upheaval and radical change” that’s provoked “the reorganisation of both her life priorities and her understanding of herself”. Whatever that rejig means, it’s certainly not blunted her ability to make statements. Direct but never obvious, ‘Wanderer’ is a collection of the highest quality. P Dan Harrison
Fucked Up
Dose Your Dreams RELEASED: 5TH OCTOBER
eeeee Fucked Up’s latest requires some back story. Titled ‘Dose Your Dreams’, it hooks up with the characters introduced in 2011’s ‘David Comes To Life’. Now, the titular Dave is not exactly rocking a desk job, before embarking on a metaphysical odyssey. Standard stuff. Narratives cast aside, it’s still Fucked Up’s visceral blast that breaks through. Pushing boundaries with a cast of guests including everyone from Miya Folick and J Mascis to strings from Owen Pallet, it’s a dose of righteous truth to enrich the soul. P Dan Harrison
Swearin’
Fall Into The Sun
RELEASED: 5TH OCTOBER
eeeee About to drop their first full-length since 2013’s ‘Surfing Strange’, Swearin’s latest isn’t trying to hold back on the passage of time. Described by Allison Crutchfield as “the adult Swearin’ album, ‘Fall Into The Sun’ is a record that’s maturing gracefully. From the raw honesty of Dogpile (“by pure dumb luck I’ve gotten where I’m going”) to the stomp of the first track to be unveiled from the record ‘Grow Into A Ghost’, 2018’s Swearin’ is a more assured, better-adjusted vintage. Respect your elders. P Stephen Ackroyd 61
DORK
The Big One
Estrons You Say I’m Too Much, I Say You’re Not Enough eeeee LABEL: GOFOD RECORDS RELEASED: 5TH OCTOBER LISTEN TO: MAKE A MAN, LILAC
E
strons are a band who know exactly what they are good at, and deliver it in spades here on their debut album. A ferocious guitar sound, drumming that feels like a galaxysized sledgehammer and vocals from Tali Källström that manages to cut through all of the noise to hit you deep in the gut (and heart). If the Welsh band are renowned for their legendary live shows, well here is the perfect representation of that.
RE AD D O RK. CO M
Going in for the kill straight away with the hard-hitting ‘Lilac’, this is an album that chucks you deep into a mosh pit within seconds and refuses to let you out for 33 riotous minutes. The sheer intensity that slams out of the speakers from Rhodri Daniel (guitar) and Steffan Pringle (bass) on this and the following ‘Killing Your Love’ is exhilarating. Throw in Källström’s empowering lyrics about female sexual dominance on tracks like the supreme banger ‘Make A Man’, or the raw honesty of ‘Cameras’ (a track about and for her young son), and it soon becomes an album of perfectly matched opposites, each aspect striving for dominance but always resulting in a perfect balance. This is one of those albums where every track will be a live favourite, each bringing together a thrilling clash of sounds and styles. Best played as loud as you can possibly manage, by the time the closing trio of ‘Jesus…’, ‘Aliens’ and ‘Drop’ are finished in all their shredding intensity, you can almost feel the sweat dripping down your face. This will be the soundtrack to the best, and messiest, nights out that you’re going to have all year. P Jamie
MacMillan
Incoming Friday, 5th October 2018
** PLUS ** Cursive Vitriola
Following their longest period of downtime so far, the band return with their eighth fulllength.
Drenge Autonomy EP
We’re still waiting for a third album from Sheffield’s noisiest brothers, but until then, this EP will do us nicely.
mewithoutYou [UNTITLED]
Following a stint alongside Paramore, mewithoutYou are promising their heaviest record yet with this Wil Yip produced record.
Twenty One Pilots Trench
We’d love to tell you what we thought of this, but we’ve not been sent it to listen to yet. The tracks we’ve heard are good, though.
Black Peaks All That Divides eeeee LABEL: RISE RECORDS RELEASED: 5TH OCTOBER LISTEN TO: CAN’T SLEEP, AETHER, HOME
O
n their debut ‘Statues’, Brighton’s Black Peaks seemed to arrive from nowhere, using a hard-edged alternative rock sound as a starting point before leaping off into a dazzling world of post-hardcore, prog riffs and math rock. All That Divides continues that journey, ramping up the intensity in such a way that you may find your fists subconsciously clenched tightly shut by its fiery finale. The opening moments of ‘Can’t Sleep’ feels like the musical equivalent of Godzilla waking up in a particularly foul mood, a bestial sound from the band emerging, rarely letting up for the duration of the album. With Will Gardner’s voice shifting once more between smoother vocals and his distinctive roar against a pulsequickening, chest-crushing devastating rush of guitar from Joe Gosney, it is a phenomenal start. Largely written at a period of intense political change within Europe, a sense of paranoia lies over everything with lyrics describing “black boots on the streets, can you hear them as the tide turns red once
more”. The collision of styles makes for a gloriously unpredictable listen, each track surging into a new, unexpected form, sledgehammer riffs meeting prog tendencies head-on with stunning results. A tonal shift midway through ‘Aether’ sucks the air out of a room, while ‘Eternal Light’ could only be made more intense if listened to whilst holding a long metal pole aloft in a thunderstorm. All the while, evocative themes abound from a band who were travelling through Europe at the time of the EU referendum, seeing their nation’s political landscape shifting suddenly from afar. The sheer despair and frustration that drips through Gardner’s vocals during ‘Home’ are worth a thousand words on the subject. It all results in a record that avoids becoming grounded as yet another political album in an ever-increasing field of them. Instead, it takes flight to become a serious contender for big rock album of the year. P Jamie MacMillan
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DORK
You Me At Six VI
RELEASED: 5TH OCTOBER
eeeee You Me At Six have come a long way since the naive beginnings of ‘Take Off Your Colours’. In what is their most genre-defying release yet, ‘VI’ shakes things up considerably, playing on the band’s distinctive ability to write unforgettable pop hooks, presented in a new territory of indie swagger and dance-driven synths. A refreshing take after five full-lengths, ‘VI’ sets the bar high and leaves the door wide open for a whole host of possibilities in the band’s next musical voyage. P Jasleen
Dhindsa
LIVE
D OWN WI T H BO RI N G
Check out more: readdork.com/shows
Academy Events present
22nd September Birmingham O2 Institute 26th September London O2 Forum Kentish Town 1st October Bristol O2 Academy 3rd October Bournemouth O2 Academy 3rd October Liverpool O2 Academy 5th October Oxford O2 Academy
ACADEMY EVENTS BY ARRANGEMENT WITH ITB PRESENTS
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS
themagicgang.co
THURSDAY 18th OCTOBER 2018 SHEFFIELD O2 ACADEMY FRIDAY 26th OCTOBER 2018 LIVERPOOL O2 ACADEMY
NEW ALBUM ‘DARKEST DARKS, LIGHTEST LIGHTS’ OUT NOW
THEWHITEBUFFALO.COM ACADEMY EVENTS presents
plus special guests
NOVEMBER 2018 08 HULL The Welly 09 STOCKTON ON TEES KU Bar 10 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute 15 NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms 17 BRIGHTON Concorde 2 22 PORTSMOUTH The Wedgwood Rooms 23 CAMBRIDGE Junction 24 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz MARCH 2019 21 GLASGOW The Garage FACEBOOK.COM/SLEEPEROFFICIALLY
An ACADEMY EVENTS & Friends presentation by arrangement with ATC LIVE
(15th & 21st only)
(20th & 22nd only)
Sat 15th Dec BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Thu 20th Dec MANCHESTER O2 Ritz Fri 21st Dec LONDON O2 Forum Kentish Town Sat 22nd Dec GLASGOW O2 Academy THETWANG.CO.UK
the
MEGAPLEXPEDITION continues!!
SUN 7TH OCTOBER GLASGOW KING TUT’S SUN 14 TH OCTOBER BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY3 MON 15TH OCTOBER OXFORD O2 ACADEMY2
Sat 20th October 2018 Liverpool Arts Club Sat 27th October 2018 Bournemouth O2 Academy
AN ACADEMY EVENTS & FRIENDS PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH SOLO
TICKETMASTER.CO.UK & ALL USUAL AGENTS
Get Out. If it’s on stage, it’s in here.
Feat. HMLTD, Fleet Foxes, Snail Mail, The War on Drugs, Phoebe Bridgers and more.
N
estled deep in the Welsh Brecon Beacons under a near-permanent shroud of mist, these days Green Man is less a well-kept secret and more a carefully guarded sanctuary from the commercialism, litter and claustrophobia that can plague larger festivals.
The line-up is typically eclectic, with indie, folk and world music all well represented by a diverse cast of performers. It’s a slight shame that the three headliners are decidedly white and male, but elsewhere on the bill, there’s a lot to like. The main stage is one of the best on the circuit, set at the foot of a mountain and opening onto a natural amphitheatre, and flanked by cladding that doubles as part of the light show. The evening sets here are something to behold, none more so than a triumphant set from Aussie
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard bring a triumphant first headline set to Green Man 2018
rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, who bring their acid rock riffs crashing into the Welsh valleys. With the screens set up on a two-hour psychedelic digital peyote trip, the seven-piece rattle out jams from their impressive 13 albums, five of which came out in 2017 alone. The band are heads down, rock out performers, so the effort put into the visual art is a smart move, dazzling the crowd and providing a mindbending backdrop to their guitar acrobatics. Borne of the harsh, vast Australian outback, their lightning guitar wizardry tonight feels like it could crack Ayers Rock straight down the middle. Earlier in the day, retro rockers The Lemon Twigs give a taste of what to expect on their Arctic Monkeys support run, dishing out a series of confident 60s-indebted jams. Over on the Walled Garden stage 64
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(in a garden that is surrounded by walls, surprisingly), Snail Mail aka Lindsey Jordan shows exactly why we here at Dork are so enamoured with her debut album, aptly titled ‘Lush’. Booked for an after-hours slot in the Walled Garden, HMLTD battle through technical difficulties and an incessant patch of rain, playing a set that does their theatrical, sleazy pop a disservice; it’s a shame they’re hemmed in the concrete courtyard. Cardiff’s own Boy Azooga get Saturday off to a raucous start; expect to see them moving up to the upper heights of the main stage within a few years. Phoebe Bridgers captivates a packed courtyard with her songs of love, life and death. The reverential hush from the gathered crowd is a testament to Bridgers’ ability to leave her audience hanging on her every word. D OWN WI T H BO RI N G
Fleet Foxes could have picked better ways to open their set than to declare it their “only show in England this year!” The crowd either don’t notice or don’t mind. The Seattle five-piece deliver their songs with vigour but its hard to escape the feeling that they lack a certain gravitas needed to headline a festival of this size. A fantastic band, but just a fine headliner. Stella Donnelly eases an increasingly dishevelled audience into their Sunday afternoon with her chipper sense of humour complimenting her wry songs about relationships gone wrong. Sacred Paws’ brand of West African influenced indie bops is infectious and gets even stubborn punters clapping along within a few songs. They’ve got the tunes; they’ve their own style and a fantastic live energy that should take them many larger festival stages in summers to
Here are the 5 best bands we saw at
Neverworld 2018
Hidden away in a magical kingdom in deepest Kent, Neverworld plays host to some of the best new bands and some big hitters too. Here’s five of the best we saw at this year’s edition. BASTILLE
come. Winning the award for Coolest Person at Green Man and indeed in Wales, Anna Calvi demonstrates just how far she’s come since those early support slots with Arctic Monkeys thrust her into the limelight. A virtuoso guitarist, her sonorous voice fills the valley, with her hour-long set culminating in her Telecaster screeching with feedback. Fenne Lily has to tell a few boorish blokes to pipe down during her set, but otherwise, it’s all good vibes; a set on the lakeside Rising Stage finds the Bristol singer ready to burst out onto bigger things. At this stage veterans of the indie scene, Grizzly Bear are well placed for a sundown session of keys, chiming guitars and a fantastic light show. The easy feel to their music is the perfect Sunday evening wind down for those sprawled on the grassy
banks nursing hangovers with boujee wraps. Closing us out for Green Man 2018, The War on Drugs are another example of a worthy band handed a headline slot they don’t quite own. The five-piece have a fantastic sound, marrying the best bits of American heartland rock in a performance that earns favourable comparisons with The Boss’ own backing band. The set rarely lags but rather fails to reach the heights that the individual pieces of the puzzle hint at. The real finale at this festival is the annual burning of the Green Man himself. There’s something primal and oddly purifying about watching a massive wooden effigy be consumed by flames and spit embers into the night sky. With fireworks exploding through the smoke, it’s a transformative experience. P
We might not know exactly when we’re going to get Bastille’s much anticipated third album, but we do know they’ll be on fine form when they finally get round to dropping it. A band primed to headline festivals, tonight is proof they’re more than up to the task. The big festivals should take note.
WHENYOUNG
whenyoung’s rise may not have gone fully stratospheric just yet, but it will - and soon too. With a salted sugar spun vibe, their take on The Cranberries’ ‘Dreams’ is
one of the highlights of 2018’s festival season full stop. A must see wherever they pop up.
LUCIA
Fresh from Dork’s own etc. festival, Glasgow’s Lucia have attitude in spades, and the songs to match. Revving up for a big charge, every sign suggests that this lot is about to break - and soon.
ESTRONS
Cloistered away in one of Neverworld’s sweatiest corners, Estrons aren’t about to let a summer sizzler quieten their thunder. With a debut album about to drop, they’re quite probably the most vital, essential racket we’ll hear all summer.
DECLAN MCKENNA
We already know what we think about the car, but as our Dec surely prepares to go away to work on album two, he’s still proving he’s amongst the most charismatic live performers on planet indie pop. A force of true positivity, we’re not entirely sure he’s not made that summer sunshine a little bit brighter. P
The Guide. All the shows you need to see this month, and some you probably don’t.
Deez, Bodega
1st October
Nottingham, Editors,
Rock City York, Blaenavon, Crescent
Brighton, Lily Moore,
Komedia Bristol, The Magic Gang, O2 Academy Leeds, The Night Cafe, The Wardrobe London, Darwin Deez, Village Underground London, Mikaela Davis, Omeara London, Muncie Girls, The Borderline Manchester, Anna Calvi, O2 Ritz Nottingham, Pale Waves, Rock City
10th October Birmingham, Boy Azooga,
2nd October Belfast, Fatherson, Voodoo
Birmingham, Teleman,
The Castle & Falcon Bournemouth, The Magic Gang, O2 Academy Brighton, Darwin Deez, Komedia Brighton, Kero Kero Bonito, Patterns Brighton, Stereo Honey, Green Door Store Bristol, Virginia Wing, Rough Trade London, Charles Watson, The Lexington London, Ider, Village Underground Manchester, Mikaela Davis, Soup Kitchen Norwich, Muncie Girls, The Waterfront Studio Southampton, Pale Waves, Guildhall
3 October rd
Brighton, Virginia Wing,
Green Door Store Bristol, Darwin Deez, Thekla Bristol, Pale Waves, O2 Academy Dublin, Fatherson, Whelan’s Edinburgh, Husky Loops, Sneaky Pete’s Guildford, whenyoung, Boileroom Leeds, Folly Rae, Key Club Leeds, Mikaela Davis, Brudenell Social Club Liverpool, The Magic Gang, O2 Academy London, Stereo Honey, The Borderline Newcastle, Anna Calvi, Boiler Shop Newcastle, The Coral, Riverside Sheffield, Teleman, The
.Blaenavon are on tour this month. S. Plug
Sheffield, The Night Cafe, O2 Academy
Southampton, Muncie Girls, Joiners St. Albans, Blaenavon, The Horn
4 October th
Birmingham, Anna Calvi, Town Hall
Birmingham, Virginia
Wing, Hare & Hounds Bournemouth, Indoor Pets, The Anvil Bristol, Stereo Honey, Rough Trade Cambridge, Blaenavon, Storey’s Field Centre Glasgow, Teleman, The Hug & Pint Glasgow, The Night Cafe, Saint Luke’s Leeds, Fatherson, Hyde Park Book Club Leeds, Husky Loops, HiFi Club Leeds, Teleman, Brudenell Social Club Manchester, Kero Kero Bonito, Yes Newcastle, The Magic Gang, Keele University Norwich, Jorja Smith, UEA Nottingham, Sea Girls, Bodega
5th October Belfast, Pale Waves,
Elmwood Hall Birmingham, Stereo Honey, Sunflower Lounge Birmingham, The Coral,
O2 Institute Bristol, Jorja Smith, O2 Academy Bristol, Mikaela Davis, Louisiana Glasgow, Darwin Deez, Oran Mor Glasgow, Kero Kero Bonito, Broadcast Glasgow, Sea Girls, King Tut’s Gloucester, Blaenavon, Guildhall Hove, Anna Calvi, All Saints Church Leicester, whenyoung, The Cookie Liverpool, Teleman, Hangar 34 Liverpool, The Night Cafe, O2 Academy London, Black Peaks, Omeara London, Rex Orange County, Eventim Apollo Manchester, Fatherson, Night People Manchester, Rae Morris, O2 Ritz Oxford, The Magic Gang, O2 Academy Reading, Her’s, South Street Arts Centre
Voodoo
Academy
Hobos
SWG3
Bridgend, Blaenavon, Edinburgh, Virginia Wing, Sneaky Pete’s Leeds, Stereo Honey, Oporto Bar Limerick, Pale Waves, Dolans Newcastle, Jorja Smith, O2 Academy Sheffield, The Coral, Leadmill Southampton, Editors, Guildhall
8th October Bristol, Editors, Motion & The Marble Factory Cardiff, Childcare, Moon Club Dublin, Pale Waves, Academy Glasgow, Jorja Smith, O2
6th October Birmingham, Fatherson,
Sunflower Lounge Bristol, Anna Calvi, SWX Leeds, The Coral, LMUSU Newcastle, Virginia Wing, The Cluny
7th October Belfast, Boy Azooga, 66
DORK
.Our Girl. S.
D OWN WI T H BO RI N G
Glasgow, Lily Moore, London, LANY, O2 Forum Nottingham, Fatherson, Rock City
Portsmouth, Teleman, Wedgewood Rooms
9th October Birmingham, Childcare,
Sunflower Lounge Brighton, Husky Loops, Patterns Bristol, Boy Azooga, Thekla Bristol, The Coral, SWX Glasgow, Tom Grennan, Barrowland London, Dilly Dally, Sebright Arms Manchester, MNEK, Gorilla Nottingham, Darwin
Castle & Falcom Birmingham, MNEK, O2 Institute Brighton, Anteros, Sticky Mike’s Brighton, Gaffa Tape Sandy, The Albert Brighton, whenyoung, Komedia Glasgow, Tom Walker, QMU Leeds, Darwin Deez, Belgrave Music Hall Liverpool, Glasvegas, Arts Club London, Teleman, Oval Space Manchester, Aurora, Academy Manchester, Childcare, Jimmy’s Manchester, Jorja Smith, Albert Hall
Middlesborough,
Blaenavon, Reesside Uni SU Newcastle, Tom Grennan, Northumbria Uni SU Norwich, Fatherson, Waterfront Studio Southampton, Husky Loops, Joiners
11th October Belfast, Black Peaks, Empire Bar
Birmingham, Darwin
Deez, O2 Institute Birmingham, Sea Girls, Mama Roux’s Brighton, Fatherson, Patterns Glasgow, Boy Azooga, King Tut’s
Leeds, Childcare, Hyde
Leeds, Rolling Blackouts
Coastal Fever, University Union Liverpool, Our Girl, Sound Food and Drink Manchester, Black Honey, Academy Manchester, Tellison, Star & Garter Norwich, Tom Grennan, UEA Sheffield, Superorganism, Leadmill Worthing, Black Peaks, FortyTwo York, We Are Scientists, Fibbers
Park Book Club Leeds, Tom Grennan, O2 Academy Lodon, Aurora, O2 Forum London, Anteros, Garage London, MNEK, Scala London, Paul Weller, Royal Festival Hall London, The Coral, KOKO London, Virginia Wing, Oslo London, whenyoung, Boston Music Room London, Yonaka, Electric Ballroom Manchester, Jorja Smith, Albert Hall Newcastle, Editors, Northumbria Uni SU Plymouth, Husky Loops, Underground
22nd October Birmingham, Girli, Castle & Falcon
Cambridge, Goat Girl,
12 October th
Aberdeen, Editors, Beach
.alt-J S.
Ballroom
Birmingham, Our Girl,
Sunflower Lounge Bristol, Anteros, Rough Trade Cambridge, Bloody Knees, Portland Arms Coventry, whenyoung, Kasbah Edinburgh, Blaenavon, Mash House Liverpool, The Coral, Guild of Students London, Suede, Eventim Apollo Manchester, Boy Azooga, YES Manchester, Tom Grennan, Academy Newcastle, Teleman, Riverside Sheffield, Sea Girls, Leadmill
13th October
Concorde 2 Bristol, Our Girl, Louisiana Bristol, Tom Grennan, O2 Academy Chester, Blaenavon, The Live Rooms Glasgow, Black Peaks, King Tut’s Leeds, Boy Azooga, Brudenell Social Club Llanelli, Estrons, Public Library Manchester, Anteros, Soup Kitchen Manchester, Tom Walker, O2 Ritz Nottingham, Jorja Smith, Rock City
O2 Academy Bristol, Black Honey, Thekla Bristol, Hookworms, SWX Bristol, Husky Loops, Louisiana Glasgow, Editors, Barrowland Glasgow, Teleman, Oran Mor Hull, Blaenavon, The Welly Club Leeds, Tom Walker, University Union London, Lonely the Brave, Omeara London, Los Campesinos!, O2 Forum London, Suede, Eventim Apollo Manchester, The Coral, Albert Hall Manchester, Virginia Wing, YES Newcastle, Black Peaks, The Cluny Newcastle, Boy Azooga, Cobalt Studios Newcastle, Sea Girls, Think Tank?
Southampton, whenyoung, Heartbreakers
14th October Brighton, Black Honey,
SEPTEMBER 26 Leeds, Indoor
05 Reading, Her’s,
Pets, Key Club
South Street Arts Centre
OCTOBER 03 Leeds, Folly
NOVEMBER 03 Lincoln, 2Q
Rae + Lucia, Key Club
Festival
Manchester, Low,
London, Beach House,
Norwich, Husky Loops,
London, Bloody Knees,
Cathedral
Waterfront Studio Nottingham, Boy Azooga, Bodega
15th October
17th October
Belfast, Editors, Ulster
Belfast, Superorganism,
Hall
Birmingham, Jorja Smith,
DORK
LIVE! FORTHCOMING SHOWS
Birmingham, Black
Honey, O2 Academy Bristol, Superorganism, SWX Dublin, alt-J, Olympia Theatre Glasgow, Anteros, King Tut’s Leicester, Our Girl, The Cookie London, Swimming Girls, Hoxton Bar & Grill Nottingham, Childcare, Rescue Rooms Sheffield, Tom Walker, Leadmill Southampton, Tom Grennan, Guildhall Worcester, Blaenavon, Marrs Bar
16th October Coventry, Blaenavon,
Arches Venue Dublin, Editors, Vicar Street Leeds, Anteros, Wardrobe Leeds, Black Peaks, Key Club Leeds, Our Girl, Oporto Bar
Liverpool,
Superorganism, Arts Club London, Childcare, Omeara London, Tom Grennan, O2 Academy Brixton
Limelight Dublin, Low, Vicar Street Liverpool, Her’s, Art’s Club London, Beach House, Troxy London, Boy Azooga, Scala London, Jorja Smith, O2 Academy Brixton London, Speedy Ortiz, The Garage London, Tom Walker, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire Manchester, Black Peaks, Academy Nottingham, Anteros, Rough Trade Reading, We Are Scientists, Sub89
18th October Birmingham, Black Peaks,
Hare & Hounds Birmingham, Tom Walker, O2 Institute Brighton, Boy Azooga, Green Door Store Bristol, Childcare, Louisiana Bristol, Fickle Friends, SWX Cardiff, SWN Festival, Various Venues Cardiff, We Are Scientists, The Globe Leeds, Black Honey, Church 67
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Troxy
Underworld London, Husky Loops, Corsica Studios London, Jorja Smith, O2 Academy Brixton London, Sea Girls, Scala Manchester, Editors, O2 Apollo Norwich, Blaenavon, Arts Centre Nottingham, Speedy Ortiz, Rough Trade Oxford, Tom Grennan, O2 Academy Reading, Her’s, South Street Arts Centre Sheffield, Our Girl, Picture House Social
19th October Birmingham, Editors, O2 Academy
Brighton, Her’s, Sticky
Mike’s Frog Bar Brighton, Sea Girls, The Haunt Bristol, Tellison, Exchange Bristol, Willie J Healey, Rough Trade Clitheroe, We Are Scientists, The Grand Guildford, Blaenavon, Boileroom Hastings, Husky Loops, BlackmarketVIP Leeds, Speedy Ortiz, Belgrave Music Hall Leicester, Tom Grennan, O2 Academy London, Black Peaks, Underworld London, Fickle Friends, Shepherd’s Bush Empire London, Marmozets, O2 Forum RE AD D O RK. CO M
Manchester, Beach
House, Albert Hall Manchester, Idles, O2 Ritz Manchester, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Academy Manchester, The Orielles, Night & Day Cafe Newcastle, Black Honey, Riverside Southampton, Childcare, Talking Heads
20th October Birmingham, The Orielles, Hare & Hounds Cambridge, Fickle Friends, Junction Edinburgh, Girli, Mash House Exeter, Boy Azooga, Cavern Exeter, Tom Walker, Lemon Grove Glasgow, Black Honey, Stereo Glasgow, Idles, QMU Glasgow, Our Girl, The Garage Glasgow, Superorganism, SWG3 Leeds, Editors, O2 Academy Liverpool, Sophie, 24 Kitchen Street Liverpool, Tom Grennan, O2 Academy Liverpool, We Are Scientists, Arts Club London, Willie J Healey, Moth Club Southampton, Sea Girls, Joiners Stoke-on-Trent, Goat Girl, Sugarmill Worcester, Tellison, Marrs Bar
21st October Birmingham, Bloody
Knees, The Flapper Birmingham, Dream Wife, Hare & Hounds Bristol, Sea Girls, Thekla Cardiff, Tom Walker, Trashed Glasgow, alt-J, SECC Leeds, Girli, Brudenell Social Club
Portland Arms Dublin, Bloc Party, 3Arena Glasgow, Dream Wife, SWG3 Glasgow, Menace Beach, Broadcast Glasgow, Speedy Ortiz, Stereo Hull, Bloody Knees, Polar Bear Leeds, Snail Mail, Brudenell Social Club Leeds, Superoganism, University Union Manchester, Baywaves, Eagle Inn Manchester, Glasvegas, Gorilla Newcastle, We Are Scientists, Riverside Norwich, Editors, UEA Nottingham, Fickle Friends, Trent SU Oxford, Villagers, O2 Academy Portsmouth, Tom Walker, Pyramid Centre
23rd October Birmingham, Tom
Grennan, O2 Academy Brighton, Editors, Dome Brighton, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Concorde 2 Cardiff, Our Girl, Clwb Ifor Bach Glasgow, Snail Mail, SWG3 Leeds, alt-J, Town Hall Leicester, Husky Loops, Cookie London, Cat Power, Roundhouse London, Girli, Heaven London, Hayley Kiyoko, O2 Academy Islington London, Sophie, Fabric London, Villagers, EartH Manchester, Goat Girl, Gorilla Manchester, Speedy Ortiz, YES Newcastle, Idles, Riverside Newcastle, Menace Beach, The Cluny Nottingham, Black Honey, Rescue Rooms Sheffield, Glasvegas, The Plug York, Yak, The Crescent
24th October Belfast, Sea Girls,
Booking Now.
KOKO
Manchester, Tove Styrke, Night & Day Norwich, Goat Girl, Arts Centre Nottingham, Snail Mail, Bodega Oxford, Idles, O2 Academy Portsmouth, Dream Wife, Wedgewood Rooms
WOLF ALICE Manchester Victoria Warehouse (18th December); London O2 Academy Brixton (19th)
30th October
HALFNOISE Manchester Night And Day (5th November); London Moth Club (7th)
Bath, Father John Misty,
ESTRONS London Scala (7th February)
PANIC! AT THE DISCO Glasgow Sse Hydro (24th March); Cardiff Motorpoint Arena (25th); Birmingham Arena (26th); London O2 Arena (28th, 29th); Manchester Arena (30th)
BRING ME THE HORIZON Birmingham Arena (23rd November); Leeds First Direct Arena (24th); Glasgow Sse Hydro (25th); Cardiff Motorpoint Arena (27th); London Alexandra Palace (29th, 30th)
BILLIE EILISH Manchester Academy (27th February); Glasgow Swg3 (28th); Birmingham O2 Institute (2nd March); London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire (4th, 5th, 6th)
SPRING KING London O2 Forum (19th January); Manchester O2 Ritz (26th)
GEORGE EZRA Newcastle Upon Tyne Metro Radio Arena (7th March); Leeds First Direct Arena (8th); Liverpool Echo Arena (9th); Brighton Centre (11th); Nottingham Motorpoint Arena (12th); Cardiff Motorpoint Arena (13th); Glasgow Sse Hydro (15th); Manchester Arena (16th); Birmingham Genting Arena (17th); London O2 Arena (19th, 20th); Sheffield Flydsa Arena (22nd); Manchester Arena (23rd)
.Superorganism. S. Limelight
Wardrobe
Patterns
The Cookie London, Bad Sounds, Heaven London, Menace Beach, Oslo London, Our Girl, Garage London, Snail Mail, The Dome
Brighton, Speedy Ortiz, Cambridge, We Are
Scientists, Portland Arms Glasgow, Fickle Friends, The Garage Leeds, Idles, University Union Leicester, alt-J, De Montfort Hall Liverpool, First Aid Kit, Guild of Students Liverpool, Husky Loops, Heebie Jeebies London, Black Honey, Electric Ballroom London, Bloc Party, Alexandria Palace London, Editors, O2 Academy Brixton London, Her’s, The Dome London, Sophie, Fabric London, Superorganism, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire Manchester, Bloody Knees, Gullivers Manchester, Hayley Kiyoko, Academy Manchester, Menace Beach, Deaf Institute Manchester, Snail Mail, YES Newcastle, Glasvegas, Boiler Shop Newcastle, Yak, Think Tank? Norwich, Bad Sounds, Waterfront Studio Nottingham, Dream Wife, Rescue Rooms Portsmouth, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Wedgewood Rooms Sheffield, Tom Grennan, O2 Academy
25th October Brighton, Club Kuru,
Hope & Ruin Brighton, Girli, Patterns Bristol, Speedy Ortiz, Louisiana Cambridge, Her’s, Portland Arms Edinburgh, Yak, Sneaky Pete’s Gateshead, alt-J, The Sage Leeds, Dream Wife, The
Leicester, Lucy Dacus,
Manchester,
Superorganism, O2 Ritz Margate, Tom Grennan, Winter Gardens Newcastle, Fickle Friends, Northumbia University SU Nottingham, Goat Girl, Rescue Rooms Nottingham, Idles, Rock City Oxford, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, O2 Academy Southend-on-Sea, We Are Scientists, Chinnerys
26th October
Friends, O2 Academy Birmingham, Idles, O2 Institute Brighton, Our Girl, The Haunt Bristol, Bad Sounds, SWX Bristol, Menace Beach, Rough Trade Superorganism, Junction Dublin, The Voidz, Vicar Street Gateshead, Father John Misty, The Sage Glasgow, Goat Girl, Stereo Glasgow, Lucy Dacus, Mono Leicester, Her’s, Cookie London, Hayley Kiyoko, O2 Academy Islington Manchester, Dream Wife, Gorilla Portsmouth, We Are Scientists, Wedgewood Rooms Sheffield, Husky Loops, Record Junkee Sheffield, Yak, Picture House Social Southampton, Girli, The Loft 68
DORK
Knees, Sussex Arms
27th October Birmingham, The Voidz, The Mill
Bournemouth, We Are
Scientists, O2 Academy Brighton, Idles, Concorde 2 Bristol, Bloody Knees, Crofters Rights Coventry, Dream Wife, Central Library Dublin, Tom Grennan, The Academy Leicester, Bad Sounds, The Cookie Liverpool, Father John Misty, Eventim Apollo Manchester, Fickle Friends, Academy Manchester, Lucy Dacus, YES Manchester, Yak, Deaf Institute
Portsmouth,
Birmingham, Fickle
Cambridge,
Tunbridge Wells, Bloody
Superorganism, Pyramid Centre Sheffield, Menace Beach, Picture House Social York, Goat Girl, Fulford Arms
28th October Belfast, Tom Grennan, Limelight
.Bad Sounds. S.
D OWN WI T H BO RI N G
Brighton, Superorganism, Concorde 2 Bristol, Tove Styrke, Fleece Manchester, alt-J, Bridgewater Hall Manchester, Bad Sounds, Gorilla Newcastle, Fatherson, University Student Union Norwich, Bloxx, Waterfront Studio Oxford, We Are Scientists, The Bullingdon Portsmouth, Father John Misty, Guildhall
29th October Belfast, Mac DeMarco,
The Forum Brighton, Dream Wife, Concorde 2 Brighton, First Aid Kit, Dome Brighton, Snail Mail, Sticky Mike’s Brighton, Tove Styrke, Patterns Bristol, Goat Girl, Thekla Bristol, Villagers, Trinity Glasgow, Bad Sounds, King Tut’s London, alt-J, Royal Albert Hall London, John Grant, O2 Academy Brixton Manchester, Boy Pablo, Academy Manchester, Mac DeMarco, O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester, Raye, Gorilla Newcastle, Bloxx, Think Tank? Newcastle, Her’s, Think Tank? Oxford, Superorganism, O2 Academy York, Sam Fender, Fibbers
31st October
Limelight
Birmingham, Bloxx,
Sunflower Lounge Brighton, John Grant, Dome Brighton, Lucy Dacus, The Haunt Edinburgh, Sam Fender, Mash House Leeds, Boy Pablo, Belgrave Music Hall Leicester, Father John Misty, De Montford Hall London, alt-J, Royal Albert Hall London, Blood Orange, Shepherd’s Bush Empire London, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever,
Bath, John Grant, Forum Bristol, Boy Pablo,
Fiddlers Bristol, Snail Mail, Thekla Bristol, Yak, Exchange Glasgow, Sam Fender, King Tut’s Leeds, Bad Sounds, Wardrobe London, Dream Wife, KOKO London, Lucy Dacus, Islington Assembly Hall Portsmouth, Goat Girl, Wedgewood Rooms Southampton, Mac DeMarco, Guildhall
LOW ISLAND O2 Academy2 Oxford | 21.09.18
CASSIA The Cookie Leicester | 13.10.18
LUCY DACUS The Cookie Leicester | 25.10.18
PAUL DRAPER The Cookie Leicester | 17.11.18
THE NIGHT CAFE O2 Academy2 Oxford | 25.09.18
DERMOT KENNEDY O2 Academy OUT SOLD| 14.10.18 Oxford
ROLLING BLACKOUTS C.F O2 Academy Oxfo Oxford | 25.10.18
BLOXX The Bullingdon Oxford | 20.11.18
NIGH CAFE THE NIGHT Dryden Street Social Leicester | 26.09.18
GIR OUR GIRL The Cookie Leicester | 15.10.18
HER’S The Cookie Leicester | 26.10.18
HINDS The Bullingdon Oxford | 19.11.18
SEAFRET The Cookie UT SOLD O| 28.09.18 Leicester
CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH The Bullingdon Oxford | 16.10.18
BAD SOUNDS The Cookie T U SOLD O Leicester | 27.10.18
EASY LIFE Dryden Street Social Leicester | 22.11.18
TELEMAN O2 Academy2 OUT SOLD| 29.09.18 Oxford
TOM GRENNAN O2 Academy OUT Oxford SOLD| 18.10.18
WE ARE SCIENTISTS The Bullingdon Oxford | 28.10.18
SUNFLOWER BEAN Dryden Street Social Leicester | 23.11.18
WHENYOUNG The Cookie Leicester | 05.10.18
TOM GRENNAN O2 Academy T SOLD O Leicester |U 19.10.18
IDLES O2 Academy Oxford | 29.10.18
HINDS Dryden Street Social Leicester | 24.11.18
THE MAGIC GANG O2 Academy Oxfo Oxford | 05.10.18
SAM EVIAN The Cookie Leicester | 21.10.18
SHEAFS The Cookie Leicester | 02.11.18
EASY LIFE The Jericho Tavern Oxfo Oxford | 24.11.18
MAHALIA Newhampton Arts Centre Wolverhampton | 10.10.18
PUMA BLUE The Jericho Tavern Oxford | 22.10.18
THE BLINDERS The Bullingdon Oxford | 05.11.18
SUNFLOWER BEAN The Bullingdon Oxford | 25.11.18
GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY. The Cookie Leicester | 11.10.18
KIRAN LEONARD The Cookie Leicester | 22.10.18
COURTNEY BARNETT O2 Academy Oxfo Oxford | 15.11.18
SHAME O2 Academy Oxford | 27.11.18
HOLLIE COOK O2 Academy Oxford | 12.10.18
YELLOW DAYS The Bullingdon Oxford | 23.10.18
SHAME O2 Academy Leicester | 17.11.18
AMUSEMEN AMUSEMENT PARKS ON FIRE The Cookie Leicester | 07.12.18
FUTURE PERFECT
@FUTUREPERFECTT @FUTUREPERFECTT FUTUREPERFECTLIVE THEFUTUREISPERFECT.CO.UK INFO@THEFUTUREISPERFECT.CO.UK TICKETS FROM SEETICKETS.COM
Any other questions?
King Nun Asking about the usual stuff is so boring. Why would you want to do that, when you could ask about underage drinking and, erm, crows? How punk are you out of ten?
That depends on how hard I need to reject the question to get a full ten.
What did you last dream about? I was in place I kind of knew with people I kind of recognised, but I think you had to be there.
What strength Nandos sauce do you order? The last time I was at Nandos the strongest sauce they had was really weak which was a little disappointing.
Have you ever been thrown out of anywhere?
Who is your favourite member of One Direction? I very much do not have one.
The last place I got thrown out of was the Windmill in Brixton a few years ago. I was below drinking age and had no fake ID.
What was the first record you bought?
What was the last thing you broke?
I think it was ‘Get It On: The Collection’ which is a compilation of T. Rex (and each of their incarnations) songs. I bought it for ‘20th Century Boy’, but I ended up loving it for the melodies in songs like ‘Jeepster’, ‘Summer Deep’, ‘Stacey Grove’, ‘Life’s a Gas’ and ‘The Travelling Tragition’. Lovely, lovely, lovely album, very cool choice from me - 4 punk points.
Tell us a secret about yourself.
Do you believe in aliens?
There are only so many known elements that the infinite universe is composed out of so at some point things have to start repeating, including the genetic makeup of any kind of life you could imagine. Yeah.
What’s your biggest fear?
When’s your birthday?
What’s your most treasured possession?
27th August 1892.
How tall are you?
I don’t have a ruler big enough to properly check yet.
What compliment would you most like to receive? Wow, you did it.
If you won the lottery what would you spend the ca$h on?
I’m a bit of a hypochondriac and generally quite paranoid, so I think I have random and occasional across the board fears.
I’m a very sentimental person. All of my guitars, bits and pieces I’ve been given by ex-girlfriends, a Zippo my mother bought me with a beautiful inscription on it, a
70
DORK
If you could bring something extinct back to life what would it be?
HMV, and CDs as a necessity to listen to music. After school, I’d spend my late afternoons in the rock and metal section of HMV, and I want that part my childhood to be available for all the people of the world.
I tried making this guitar pedal I had do a thing, but it didn’t and decided to not do anything again.
When I was a kid I had an imaginary world I lived in, and one of my favourite pastimes was trying to convince people it was real.
battered green coat I’ve had since I was very young that’s taken me through almost everything. Lots of things.
I was absolutely twisted drunk one night after a Superfood gig. I remember buying a lottery ticket and doing a little promise to myself that if I won I’d buy some real nice clothes and go see Superfood again in them. I won a fiver with that ticket. So I’d hold true to that drunk promise, and go ahead with that plan. After that, it’d all be the regular stuff. A house, a car, ninety million 1p sweets, that kind of thing.
D OWN WI T H BO RI N G
Who would you most like to be stuck in a lift with? A lift repairman.
What have you got in your pockets right now?
Cigarette rolling equipment, a Zippo lighter, a used tissue, my keys, a Post-it note.
If you were on Mastermind, what would your specialist subject be? Crows. I’ve been obsessed with them as a species for a long time. They’re beautiful, intelligent and emotional. Crows hold funerals for their dead and investigate the cause of death. That’s sick.
What’s your fave TV show?
I love this show called Love by Judd Apatow. It follows two Americans as they go living out the different stages of a relationship with each other. The way it’s written and the tiny little character moments they give the leads just broke my heart. It’s uncomfortable and familiar and sad and funny and happy as anything. I love it.
Why are you like this?
Heck, I’m just giving it a good go over here. P
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OXFORD COWLEY ROAD SATURDAY 20TH OCTOBER 14 + . £30ADV
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