DOWN WITH BORING.
aespa
ISSUE 80 · SEPTEMBER 2023 · READDORK.COM
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Issue 80 | September 2023 | readdork.com | Down With Boring
Hiya, Dear Reader. How long have we been waiting for Baby Queen’s debut album, eh? Well, it’s finally coming - so obviously Bella is on the cover of this month’s Dork. It’s a crowning glory for a future-and-alsosorta-present pop icon who very much knows how to find her voice. She’s one of three cover stars for our September 2023 edition that fizz with excitement. Take Reneé Rapp. A multi-hyphenate that doesn’t let her many talents distract from her huge potential, new album ‘Snow Angel’ is attitude-packed and then some. Or aespa - global superstars, they’re the first K-pop act to appear on the front of our monthly print edition, and they’ve more than earned it. New English-language single ‘Better Times’ is huge. We can’t ask Finn Wolfhard about the acting stuff - he’s on strike - but we can quiz him on The Aubreys’ new single. Dylan continues her rise, teaming up with Dan from Bastille for a massive track, plus there’s international megastar songster Hozier, bop-merchants Jungle, the magnificent Claud, a bouncy Willie J Healey and loads, loads more. We’ve also just packed down on the second annual Dork’s Day Out. Bigger and better than last year, it was a whole load of fun. While we plot for 2024, we’re back on the road this month in London and Manchester with Home & Away two cities, two shows, and some of the buzziest new bands on the planet. It never stops.
‘Editor’ @stephenackroyd
readdork.com Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Scribblers Abigail Firth, Alex Bradley, Alex Ingle, Ciaran Picker, Dan Harrison, Dillon Eastoe, Emma Quin, Finlay Holden, Melissa Darragh, Minty Slater Mearns, Neive McCarthy, Rebecca Kesteven, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin Snappers Arthur Williams, Dave Hogan, Em Marcovecchio, Frances Beach, Jennifer McCord, Patrick Gunning, Phoebe Fox, Sarah Louise Bennett, Siyoung-Song PUBLISHED FROM WELCOMETOTHEBUNKER.COM
Intro. 04 06 08 09 10 12 14 15
THE AUBREYS ENGLISH TEACHER EGYPTIAN BLUE A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... CHARLI ADAMS HOT MILK DYLAN HOME & AWAY EMPIRE STATE BASTARD
Hype. 16
MILITARIE GUN
17 18
LIP FILLER TROUT
Features.
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BLUR LANA DEL REY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN THE WEEKND SPIRITBOX STANDON CALLING TRUCK FESTIVAL LATITUDE FESTIVAL
20 28 36 44 46 50 52
RENEÉ RAPP BABY QUEEN AESPA HOZIER WILLIE J HEALEY JUNGLE CLAUD
Incoming.
Backpage.
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REVIEWS
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UNIT 10, 23 GRANGE ROAD, HASTINGS, TN34 2RL
All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of The Bunker Publishing Ltd. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which The Bunker Publishing Ltd holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of Dork or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally.
INTRO. THE BEATING HEART OF POP NONSENSE.
With their new track ‘Kato’, THE AUBREYS aren’t making music for anyone but themselves. Finn Wolfhard explains it’s all about the move of the music. Words: Ali Shutler.
4. DORK
→ “IF I WANTED ANOTHER AVENUE OF FAME, I’D TRY AND SIGN TO A MAJOR LABEL, PUT OUT A POP RECORD AND TOUR IT AROUND,” explains Finn Wolfhard. You probably know him from Netflix’s love letter to the 80s Stranger Things, the terrifying remake of It, or the rebooted Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The return of his indie-rock band The Aubreys? “It’s just for the love of doing it.” Finn’s first foray into music was with alternative rock band Calpurnia, which was formed in 2017 before releasing debut EP ‘Scout’ in 2018. The four-piece toured extensively, released a bunch of covers and starred as a young Weezer in the video for their A-Ha cover ‘Take On Me’, but things quickly became less about the music and more about the money. The band broke up in 2019, but it wasn’t long before Finn and Calpurnia drummer Malcolm Craig started playing together again. “It just felt really good to not play music for anyone else,” he explains, with The Aubreys staying independent to release a string of singles ahead of 2021’s debut album ‘Karaoke Alone’. “It’s been really free, and we’ve just had a good time. It’s been really liberating to do it for ourselves.” Last month, The Aubreys returned with their first new music in over two years and now, they’ve shared a 3D video for the reflective ‘Kato’. Directed by their friend Marcus Jordan, the Fantastic Planetinspired video leans into the fantastical, fairytale feel of the track. “Since the first album, I feel like both me and Malcolm have done a lot of living and growing,” Finn tells Dork from his home in Vancouver. They decided to come back with ‘Kato’ because the vulnerable track does the best job of explaining how the past few years have been. “A lot of it is about growing up, thinking that you have it all figured out and then it blowing up in your face,” says Finn, though it was also inspired by the impending end of Stranger Things, a show Finn’s been involved with for the past eight years. ‘Kato’ taps into those feelings of uncertainty and change. “There’s a lot of not knowing. I’ve spent a lot of my life on that set, so it’ll be crazy to see what happens after,” Finn starts. “I still want to keep acting, but there are lots of questions about what music is going to feel like afterwards. I’ll have more time to do stuff like record an album or tour, which is nuts,” he grins. He’s excited to get back to work but isn’t thinking about the end too much. “I don’t want to have another existential crisis,” he
explains. Despite the very specific starting point, ‘Kato’ captures a “generational feeling,” says Finn. “Being 20 is incredibly fun, and you have an insane amount of confidence, but it’s also the first time you start asking yourself all the existential dread questions. This song was a deep dive into that.” For a little while, Finn wasn’t sure he wanted to release ‘Kato’ because it felt so revealing. Soon those nerves gave way to excitement, though. “It’s liberating to release something that’s so personal, but I try not to think about how vulnerable it is as a way to protect myself,” he explains, though adds that none of the songs he writes are 100% true. “That just wouldn’t be as fun.” Pulling from the worlds of quiet alt-rock and folk, Finn lists Alex G, Sufjan Stevens and Sparklehorse as the biggest inspirations for the song. It’s seemingly a world away from the raucous punk of PUP that first inspired Finn’s rock star dreams after he starred in two music videos for the Canadian group. “That was my first window into indie-rock and alternative music,” he explains, having previously been really into classic rock. “The reason I love PUP so much is because their songs are so melodic and intimate. They’re relentless and chaotic, but they’re really catchy as well.” He says that sense of melody is still a driving factor behind everything he writes. The Aubreys have always twisted melancholy around pretty music, but ‘Kato’ is deliberately positive. After flicking through moments of dread and anxiety, Finn sings: “Maybe I’ll just have to be okay”. “Some of my favourite songs are sweet and sad but have that message of hope,” he starts. “That’s important ‘cos otherwise you just end up
I’m able to express myself exactly how I want to" F I N N WO L F H A R D
feeling lost. Obviously, no one has the answers to being truly happy and comfortable in your own skin, but it’s more about being okay with not knowing.” Sure, Finn has days where he listens to gnarly emo, but he knows that optimism in music feels more important than ever nowadays. “There seems to be this extra pressure that’s put on my generation and the generations that follow. I don’t know exactly where it’s come from, but mental health issues are at an all-time high, so it felt important to make something that is relatable but also offers that glimmer of hope.” ‘Kato’ is a “toe in the water” for The Aubreys in terms of releasing more vulnerable music and just generally being a band again. They have a lot more written, with the new stuff seeing the band “not being afraid to really lean into the weird sounds” with the pair experimenting with synths and production. “’Kato’ was the first track we mixed and produced on our own. We’ve learned a lot over the past couple of years, and we want to take advantage of that,” says Finn. The pair are also working on solo side-projects. “Malcolm is writing these incredible, sweeping electronic arrangements, and I’m writing a lot of folky stuff that isn’t a world away from what I’m doing
with The Aubreys.” The pair typically met up in the studio with a demo and straight away knew if it would make a good track for The Aubreys. “Whether it’s for this project or something else, it’s great to be making music together again,” says Finn. Right now, The Aubreys are driven by a sense of freedom and doing what feels right, which is a world away from how Finn felt while he was with Calpurnia. Back then, he was driven by a desire to prove himself to people. Not easy when a lot of those early shows were full of kids shouting Stranger Things references at him. “I was really focused on trying to show people that I was a serious musician,” he explains, wrestling with imposter syndrome at the same time. “But if you’re focused on being a serious person, making serious music and telling people about all the hard work you’ve done, where’s the fun?” he asks. Instead, The Aubreys is “all about the music and less about impressing people”. Later this year, The Aubreys have plans to play some small shows in Vancouver, which will act as another toe back in the water of being a band. “We have ambitions to play more shows, and we’ve got a bunch of ideas about new music,” says Finn. He can’t talk about any of his upcoming acting projects due to the strike but does say that music gives him a sense of “control” that his day job doesn’t. “I’m able to express myself exactly how I want to,” he continues. “I’m lucky to have a few outlets, but there’s just something very personal about music. I’ve always loved that time to reflect. I love the tribe of people I’ve met. I don’t really see a world in which music isn’t a part of my life.” ■ The Aubreys’ single ‘Kato’ is out now. READDORK.COM 5.
INTRO
One of the UK’s best new bands, ENGLISH TEACHER excel in infusing everyday mundanity - the washing up, for example, or a particularly large paving slab - with magic. Now, they’re at the start of a whole new era.
6. DORK
chance,” Lily explains. “It’s always been a special song for us.” Originally ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ took influence from King Gizzard And The Wizard Lizard but has evolved alongside the band. “It’s very weird to go back to old music when you’re writing new stuff, but it’s definitely a different version now.” While the music has been stretched, reshaped and polished, the lyrics to ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ have remained unchanged. “On the surface, it’s
about me moving from a small village near Burnley to Leeds and reflecting on this weird little place where I grew up. It was full of interesting people, with some interesting political views that I’ve found myself in contention with, but set again this extremely beautiful rural setting.” That contrast has inspired a lot of the new music English Teacher have been writing in recent months, with ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ also exploring delusions of grandeur, feelings of inferiority and a false sense of celebrity.
Recently, the rest of Lily’s family moved away from the village, so re-releasing the track now allows her to say goodbye to a chunk of her childhood, but she hopes the song speaks to others. “A lot of people are from small towns and villages that you never really hear about. Maybe people will be able to relate to the idea that their story is interesting, regardless of where they’re from.” Originally, Lily, alongside English Teacher drummer Douglas Frost and bassist Nicholas Eden, played together
in a dream-pop band pre-COVID, but when gigging stopped, their guitarist left, and they reached a “real low point with it”. They reset, changed their name and teamed up with Lewis. “The main aim was just to do something,” says Lily. After causing a lot of online buzz during lockdown, they played as many gigs as soon as they were able, too. “We felt like we had to take advantage of the attention,” admits Lewis. “I’m not sure what we had to prove, but it felt like we had to prove something. I suppose there was a little bit of imposter syndrome.” English Teacher can’t confirm where their new era is leading, but Lewis does tease that the band have “plenty of songs that we’ve been spending a lot of time on”, which should be ready “soon”. “The whole process was us figuring out a lot of things,” he continues, with the resulting collection “going to different extremes quite quickly. It was a matter of expanding on things we’ve already touched upon and exploring different avenues.” “It did feel like we went to the extremes,” adds Lily. “A lot of the songs I’ve written are because I felt like I had to write them to help process something. If I’m feeling a negative emotion, I write a song to convert it into something positive. It’s my therapy, in a way.” Still, English Teacher aren’t trading in their sense of humour. “I don’t think I’m funny, but I enjoy music with witty lyrics, and I’m inspired by that,” explains Lily. “Humour is a good way of getting across those more serious topics,” she reasons. “I’d like it if people thought about things after listening to the songs, and maybe our music could enact some sort of change.” “It’s mostly us trying to make sense of how ridiculous this all is, though,” Lewis grins. ■
Words: Ali Shutler. Photo: Em Marcovecchio
→ “THE PAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEEN A COMPLETE WHIRLWIND,” says English Teacher guitarist Lewis Whiting. The band announced their arrival in 2021 with ‘R&B’, a wonky, fuzzy guitar-driven anthem that tackled racial identity, selflove and imposter syndrome. A string of equally compelling, surreal and pointed tracks followed, leading to debut EP ‘Polyawkward’ in 2022. They were rightly championed as one of the most exciting new bands in indierock. “At first, everything felt overwhelming,” continues Lewis. “I found it both really motivating but equally terrifying.” Following the release of their EP, the band toured extensively before going on a deep dive of writing that helped them make sense of this strange new normal. “I’m happy with where the band is right now, and I’m proud of what’s to come,” explains vocalist Lily Fontaine. “We’re definitely in deeper with the project. It’s basically our whole lives.” Standalone single ‘Song About Love’ was released earlier this year via Speedy Wunderground. “It’s a pop song about doing chores instead of doing someone else and how even songs with social or political themes that analyse contemporary discourse, rather than lyricism about tired themes like romantic love, still come from a place of love, or lack thereof,” explained Lily at the time. Now the band are launching a new era with ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’. “It’s a strange first taste of what’s to come because it’s an old song,” says Lewis, with the track originally written by Lily for her university course and released under the English Teacher name before the band had been fully realised. “It’s nice to give a song that had so much meaning a real
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS
JEALOUS NOSTRIL
OCTOBER ‘23 TOUR Wed 04 GLASGOW St Lukes Thu 05 NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms Fri 06 LONDON EartH Theatre Sat 07 NORTHAMPTON Black Pince Sun 08 BRIGHTON Concorde 2 Tue 10 CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach Thu 12 NEWCASTLE Northumbria Uni (Reds Bar) Fri 13 MANCHESTER Academy 2 Sat 14 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute2 Sun 15 SHEFFIELD Leadmill A Crosstown Concerts & Academy Events presentation by arrangement with ATC Live
NOVEMBER 03 BATH KOMEDIA 04 BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 05 SOUTHAMPTON ENGINE ROOMS 07 LEEDS STYLUS
08 GLASGOW ORAN MOR 09 NEWCASTLE WYLAM BREWERY 10 SHEFFIELD FOUNDRY 11 MANCHESTER NEW CENTURY HALL 14 LONDON HEAVEN
A CROSSTOWN CONCERTS, FKP SCORPIO & FRIENDS PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH PURE
plus special guests ▲
plus special guests
CIEL
PLAYING SONGS OFF THE NEW ALBUM & ALL THE HITS “Thank goodness they’re back… positively perky and very optimistic” Jo Whiley BBC Radio2
uk tour
28 Sep BRISTOL, Thekla ▲ 29 Sep LEEDS, Brudenell Social Club ▲ 30 Sep SHEFFIELD, Leadmill 01 Oct NEWCASTLE, Boilershop 02 Oct GLASGOW, St Lukes ▲ 03 Oct MANCHESTER, Gorilla 05 Oct LONDON, Koko
LOW TICKETS LOW TICKETS
november 2023
02 Hertford Corn Exchange 03 Southampton Joiners 04 Leeds Belgrave Music Hall 05 Penrith Brunswick Yard 07 Newcastle The Cluny 09 Edinburgh Mash House 10 Glasgow Broadcast
11 Nottingham Bodega 12 Sheffield Foundry 13 Oxford Bullingdon 15 Birmingham Hare & Hounds 16 London Village Underground 17 Bristol Strange Brew 18 Manchester Deaf Institute 19 Brighton Patterns
a Crosstown Concerts & Friends presentation by arrangement with ATC Live the new album This House out 01 Sep on Full Time Hobby
A CROSSTOWN CONCERTS & DF PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH X-RAY
T I C K E T S
A V A I L A B L E
SEETICKETS.COM ALTTICKETS.COM @CROSSTOWN_LIVE
F R O M
GIGANTIC.COM TICKETEK.CO.UK
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@CROSSTOWNCONCERTS
INTRO
Words: Sam Taylor. Photos: Jennifer McCord.
With a pair of brilliant EPs under their belts, EGYPTIAN BLUE are ready to unleash their debut album, ‘A Living Commodity’.
→ OF ALL THE DEBUT ALBUMS whose trajectory was thrown
off course due to the events of 2020 and beyond, Egyptian Blue’s is one of the most anticipated. ‘A Living Commodity’ saw the Brighton-based band bouncing around Sussex sketching out idea after idea for a record that’s both bigger and more meticulous than anyone could have expected. And now, with two buzzy EPs already under their belts - 2019’s ‘Collateral Damage’ and then ‘Body of Itch’ the following year - its time has finally arrived. Vocalist/guitarist Andy Buss and co-frontman Leith Ambrose tell us more about the record and early teaser single ‘Skin’.
You’ve reached debut album time, congratulations! How long have you been working on the record? Was there a defined starting point? In a sense, there is no defined beginning, really. I think any band that forms always envisions their debut right from the very beginning. I feel like we’ve written out the track listing 100 different times with 100 different songs throughout the years. There are early songs on this record that people will recognise, which we’ve always intended to be included on the debut, but then there’s the appearance of songs written only weeks before recording, like the title-track. When you boil it all down, it has evolved and matured with us. Obviously, you were starting to get attention before the pandemic hit with a couple of Really Very Good EPs. Did having that forced time away result in you rethinking anything about the band’s sound or impact the making of the album? Or was it more of a case of building on what you were already doing? I don’t think there’s a conscious approach. Creativity is a broad, broad thing - sometimes, you just need to let what’s happening around you show you the way. You obviously evolve as musicians and songwriters, and that has an effect, but what I could say is this record is actively based on emotion: every song dials into feeling. I had a moment of clarity, realising every song I adore in this world makes me feel something - anger, love, joy, hate - they all do something, and that’s what makes them special. On this record, we really tried to accentuate that through every song. We made sure that every song can stand on its own, creating a much more powerful body that reflects a spectrum of feelings. Your new single is ‘Skin’ - what can you tell us about it? Where did it come from? I wrote the riff to ‘Skin’ on my balcony when we lived in the Sussex countryside. It was played on a beginner’s classical guitar we found on the street. I recorded it later that day, obsessing over the idea of having a shaker in it - the whole song, for me, became about the shaker. Lyrically, I was reminded recently that I read an article about a surgeon who got stuck with an injury on a South Pole expedition and ended up needing to operate on himself. I took this idea and twisted it: being uncomfortable in your own skin, yet being unable to escape from it. We took it into the studio, where it took on this new shape. Every extremity was thought about. I remember Leith was obsessing over the late great Keith Levine, circa his PiL days which played a big part in his thinking during this song. What other themes does the record touch on? Were there any particular topics you found yourselves returning to?
8. DORK
Every song can stand on its own" Lyrically, I felt kind of unable to comment on anything other than the emotions I was feeling or what was in front of me at any given time. I couldn’t sit here and say it came from a particularly positive place, either. There are themes of longing: for love, but also for release from bedlam, the kind that lives in your home. I think our lyrics comment on every part of life, whether that’s the things people hold dearest to them or the parts that make you feel like you’re being pulled through the trenches. Are there any places you frequent for creative inspiration or a refresh at the moment? Alone time is important. It gives you the opportunity to reflect and look. The location doesn’t always matter: if the idea is there, then nothing that’s going on around you makes a difference. I feel like listening to what’s going on internally helps, and when we all come back together, these thoughts can become projected on a bigger scale. I remember when we shot a music video in Sicily recently. I was listening to a song we wrote in soundcheck at a show, watching the waves crash against the golden cliffs. This illuminated everything, made everything bolder and more fearsome - I wish I could go back there. Did you hit upon any unexpected challenges during the album’s creation? For sure. It’s by no means an easy ride. For example, we rewrote the record two or three times. There’s a whole other album’s worth of songs that never made it, some of them we thought the entire record would be centred around. We ended up setting so much aside and starting again. This gave the record a sense of cohesion and left us with a sense of freshness, not allowing us to feel like we had a stale record we’d been sitting on for far too long. What’s top of your bucket list for what you’d like to achieve with the album? We wouldn’t want to jinx it! But I think a big one for us is to have an emotional connection with our fans. To make someone feel something is the highest form of gratitude you can take from anybody listening to your music. Another huge ambition for this record is we would love to tour it across North and South America, Asia and the corners of the world we haven’t been to yet - that would be a big dream for us. When can we hear some more new material? I’m sure you will be hearing parts of the record, or the record in full, very soon. We’ve also got some sessions for you to look forward to, as well. Is there anything else we should know? We’ll be touring this record back to front in November/ December in the UK and France. They’re gonna be the greatest Egyptian Blue shows to date. See you there, and we hope you enjoy the record! ■ Egyptian Blue’s debut album, ‘A Living Commodity,’ is out 27th October.
INTRO
A
DAY
IN THE LIFE OF...
CHARLI ADAMS You know what’s easier than following around your fave pop stars, day in, day out, to see what they’re up to right that minute? Asking them. This month, Charli Adams lets us in on what she’s up to. 9:00AM → I wake up regrettably at 9am, usually with the intention of waking up before that. So after dismissing a couple snooze alarms, I head straight for the coffee maker. I grew up with an old-fashioned drip pot and started drinking coffee when I was 7, so I require at least half a pot to function. So I load in whichever discount coffee bag I have; most often, it’s Trader Joe’s brand. Before my brain starts up, I usually play a game on my phone, usually online Spades, because I love a good card game. 10:30AM → This is usually when I put my phone down and get on my rug and stretch to wake up my body. I do hip opener stretches to release whatever pent-up stress or emotions, and sometimes a little tear or two will come out. I highly recommend hip openers for that reason. 11:00AM → I cook breakfast, which usually consists of avocado toast with hot honey, and over breakfast, I try and plan out my day. As an artist with raging ADHD, every single day looks different, especially when I’m working a side job to afford to live in LA… Before I start making music, I’ll usually listen to this podcast I’m absolutely obsessed with called Bandsplain to get inspired by the stories of bands that I love. Shoutout Yasi Salek for carrying 90s music history on her back. 1:00PM → On days when I’m working in the studio with my collaborator Andy Seltzer, I’ll head to his place around 1. We’re working on a lot at the moment. We’re pretty deep into making the second album while simultaneously finishing up and releasing the first EP we made together
called ‘nothing to be scared of’. I felt like we unlocked something special with this project, and I’m super excited that we’re starting to share it all. When I’m not working on my own music, I spend session days writing for other artists and friends (Valley, Abby Holliday, Chloe Moriondo, Nightly, etc.). The opportunity to be creative on another artist’s vision is really fun to me and helpful to get outside myself for a moment. 8:30PM → I’ll grab dinner with Andy, and sometimes it’s our second meal of the day, so we throw down on some sushi in Burbank and then hit the local pool hall to practice. We’re determined to become pool sharks, so we get our hours in while I take over the jukebox and cue up whatever soundtrack I find fitting for the day. Some nights it’s Shania Twain, and some nights it’s dad rock. 10:30PM → I find the softest pair of pyjamas and do my skincare routine. I spend most of the day looking forward to this part because I love to get cosy. I try to journal about the day and sage myself of any negative thought spirals that might surface later. I usually wind down by watching Criminal Minds because I’m in love with Agent Spencer Reid, and also it’s a bit of an interactive experience for me. I think if I hadn’t been a musician, I would be an FBI agent for the profiling unit, catching bad guys and reading people’s vibes. 1:00AM → This is usually when I fall into a deep slumber and probably astral project. Charli Adams’ EP ‘Nothing To Be Scared Of’ is out 30th August. READDORK.COM 9.
HOT STUFF INTRO
HOT MILK have been bubbling away as a must-see name in rock. With their debut album finally here, now’s their time to explode.
Words: Steven Loftin.
→ THE BURNING SUPERNOVA Hot Milk are pulling in whatever genre they see fit with their exploding gravitational pull. Bolstering their bellowing jams of depression and darkness, the band have been threatening to explode throughout their three EPs, including last year’s ‘The King and Queen of Gasoline’. Now, with their debut album, ‘A Call To The Void’, locked and loaded, the flare is well and truly lit. The choruses are louder, the sentiments run deeper, and it feels like an impenetrable fortress of their design. That doesn’t mean there aren’t concerns that plague the pair: “Sometimes I’m like, have we like left it too late?” vocalist Han Mee starts. Passionately earnest, Han, along with guitarist Jim Shaw have built themselves a fine standing that speaks as much to their give-a-fuck attitude as it does their sincerity. Confirming this, Han readily admits that “Hot Milk isn’t really a rock band or whatever. I just say it’s an emotion. Hot Milk is an emotion. It’s just what we feel.” Likening it to a “conduit to express drama and emotion has drama and tragedy,” they unpack everything, lopping it on the table, in the hopes of being able to sort through it all: “It’s just our thing to go, ‘Well, we’ve got these feelings, we’ll release it under Hot Milk’.” Their journey from ambitious upstarts to newcomer heavyweights is down to their all-or-nothing attitude. Since forming in 2018 in Manchester, Han explains that to get to this major career milestone, they’ve had to make sacrifices. “You know, the normal things that people do: buy houses, get married,” she recites. “Our friends are starting to have holidays, and we can’t do any of those things because we have Hot Milk, and that’s what we’ve chosen for our life.” It’s a heavy load to unpack, but also precisely what they want. No situation proves this more than when playing live. Their shows are an explosive romp through the visceral reality they channel. “It’s real; I’m there giving my heart on a plate,” Han implores. “That’s what the beauty of being in this band is, being so open and vulnerable and then people being open and vulnerable back.” She likens it to “giving a diary to someone else to listen to and judge… we needed to write [these songs] for us. They’re not just songs to me; they’re little bits of my soul.” Hot Milk are a ferocious team. Their band is a blend of Han and Jim’s attitude and like-minded tastes, even when things might not be as straightforward as they may seem. “We’re so indecisive. But I feel like that is kind of the beauty of Hot Milk,” Jim reckons. “It’s just Han and mine’s vision, and whatever we’re feeling,
10. DORK
They’re not just songs to me; they’re little bits of my soul" HAN MEE
we’re not pigeonholed.” This is why their album feels so focused. Driving like a ten-tonne truck towards the future, Hot Milk simply aren’t a band that glances back to the road they’ve chewed up already. They’re focused on the mission ahead, and in the case of ‘A Call To The Void’, that meant they wanted to hit the target first time: “We didn’t write a single song on that album that didn’t make the record,” he beams. It’s littered with archetypal Hot Milk journalistic unloading, including Jim dealing with the loss of his grandfather on album closer ‘Forget Me Not’. But sparking up around these are moments of joy (including Han’s laughter and
in-studio sounds throughout) along with, erm, shroom-indebted fantasies. ‘Alice Cooper’s Pool House’ is a vivid depiction of a night gone awry, concluding with the titular event. The man himself even makes an appearance in the closing skit. “I would say it’s the mushroom trip that never ended,” Han laughs. “Because that happened as well. It was like, ‘Okay, am I still on mushrooms?’ Because it’s so weird how this song flew out, and then suddenly now Alice Cooper is on it.” He decided to jump on the track after someone close to the band managed to sneak the track out to him. Han and Jim had no idea what was coming back. “We were blown
away by it,” Jim adds, “because it really ties the whole idea of the song together.” As a result of their handwork and dedication, ‘A Call To The Void’ is a monument to Hot Milk. Not just that, but it’s also a testament to the selfreliance of a pair who have had a vision since 2018 and have followed that unrelentingly through thick and thin. Jim, who also helms production duties, proudly admits, “I’m a perfectionist, and I don’t have an ego, but I am super proud of what we’ve achieved against all the odds for this album to come out. It has no right to be as good as it is.” ■ Hot Milk’s debut album ‘A Call To The Void’ is out 25th August.
F
MAX COOP ER3D/AV
BUNNY TOUR 2023
29.09.23 BRIGHTON Chalk 30.09.23 BIRMINGHAM The Mill 06.10.23 MANCHESTER New Century Hall 08.10.23 CARDIFF Tramshed SOLD OUT 13.10.23 GLASGOW St Lukes NEWCASTLE Boilershop 14.10.23
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BEXHILL De La Warr Pavilion BRISTOL Marble Factory NOTTINGHAM Rock City GLASGOW Barrowland LEEDS Beckett Students Union NEWCASTLE NX DUBLIN The Academy MANCHESTER O2 Ritz LONDON O2 Forum Kentish Town by arrangement with x-ray
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OH GOD, WHAT IF PEOPLE HATE IT...? INTRO
She’s the pop megastar in waiting that’s kinda a rock star too, and she’s kicking off a brand new era with a bit of a hand from Bastille’s Dan Smith – but what comes next from DYLAN is apparently going to surprise us all.
What comes post-‘Liar Liar’ will be even more surprising" DY L A N
12. DORK
wrote ‘Liar Liar’,” explains Dylan. “I don’t want to feel like I can’t do big pop songs, as well as my big rock ones.” “But I’m so scared to put it out,” she admits. It’ll be the first track she’s released since ‘Every Heart But Mine’ back in February, and a lot has changed for Dylan since then. “I don’t know if I know how to deal with releasing new music,” she laughs. There’s added pressure as well, though. “It’s the first taste of this new era, and oh god, what if people hate it?” she asks, her laughter quickly fading. She’s been teasing the track across socials over the past few weeks, and she’s also played it live at a string of
Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Frances Beach.
→ “YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE THE BIG POP MOMENT,” grins Dylan. Growing up on AC/DC and Guns’n’Roses, she’s always described herself as a “wannabe rock star” with her polished guitar anthems comfortably blending the snarl of rock’n’roll with the glitzy stomp of stadium pop. There’s no hopping between worlds on new single ‘Liar Liar’ though, which is comfortably and fearlessly a massive pop song. Inspired by Taylor Swift’s ‘Karma’, which Dylan describes as “the best damn pop song I’ve ever heard”, ‘Liar Liar’ was written just two months ago. “I’d been writing a lot of music, and everything suddenly took a different turn when we
festivals. “It’s gone down amazingly,” Dylan admits. “See, imposter syndrome.” Dylan first supported Bastille last year, and since then, vocalist Dan Smith has been “an absolute rock”. Still, ‘Liar Liar’ was never meant to feature Dan’s vocals. The track came about from a writing session, with the pair having such a blast that it felt right for Dan to sing on it. “He’s got one of my favourite voices ever; it’s just mesmerising,” says Dylan. “It’s also very cool to say that you have a song with Bastille. I can still remember where I was when I first heard ‘Bad Blood’.” “We spent the day just trading ideas, and it was such an organic, wholesome experience. It was such a collaboration,” she continues, with Dan telling us the exact same thing. “The whole process was really fun,” he says. “Sometimes the best songs are the ones you don’t have to try for, and this tune came to life insanely quickly. We were all dancing round the studio and really excited by it. And that’s coming from me - I’m not a massive dancing round the studio kind of writer. I think Dylan’s resonating with people because she’s incredibly honest both in her music and in real life. She’s a brilliant writer, and her voice is really impressive. It’s been so much fun working with her in the studio and sharing some stages,” he adds. With her first collab in the bag, Dylan’s next targets are The Black Keys and Flume. “I’ve messaged Flume maybe once a year for the past five years trying to set something up, though,” she admits. “It’s getting embarrassing now.” For ‘Liar Liar’, Dylan drew from a lot of different experiences. “I have serious trust issues that stem from abandonment issues,” she explains. “People can walk into your life and paint you a picture of forever. When that idea of safeness is torn away, though, that really hurts.”
She hopes fans can “release some anger” while listening to the song but isn’t here to preach the idea that you can’t trust anyone. “It’s so much better to love than not love,” she reasons. It’s the latest in a long line of tracks from Dylan that take sadness, anger or frustration and twists it into a moment of empowerment. “I don’t think it’s deliberate, but I write songs to make me feel better about situations, and that’s something that’s become more clear as we’ve been writing for this next era”. Take ‘Girl Of Your Dreams’ from the ‘The Greatest Thing I’ll Never Learn’ mixtape. “I would never, ever say to someone in real life that ‘I can be the girl of your dreams’, but it’s about giving myself that sense of confidence. I just can’t let a situation be the shittiest thing ever. There’s manifestation in all the songs.” This new era for Dylan comes after a year that’s been “a massive, chaotic, wonderful whirlwind of ups, downs and all the in-betweens. I think I’ve changed a lot as a person,” she adds, with a much clearer idea of where she fits in the world. Dylan returned to stadiums as part of Ed Sheeran’s North American tour and played a string of her own headline shows while she was over there. She didn’t know if anyone was going to turn up, but of course, plenty of people did. “They had all these stories about my music and what it meant to them. It was crazy because I was such a long way from home.” Then there was the release of ‘The Greatest Thing I’ll Never Learn’, which ended up breaking into the UK Albums Chart at Number 19. “I spent a lot of time trying to be anyone but myself prior to that,” says Dylan. “The mixtape was the first time I knew where I wanted to be and where I wanted to go, which has been such a nice stepping stone to the music I’m making now.” The mixtape didn’t just inspire commercial success, but it solidified Dylan’s fanbase. “You can see it live, the fans are there for every song, and they care about the whole story,” she beams. “They’re there to be part of a family.” The release of ‘Liar Liar’ is the first taste of a lot of new music from Dylan. “It’s going to be a really big era for me. What comes post-‘Liar Liar’ will be even more surprising to people,” she says with a grin. “All the new songs feel so perfect to me. It’s pop, it’s rock, it’s all my favourite things, and it’s everything that I’ve been wanting to create. It all fits into the same world, though, because it’s my world I’m building.” Knowing that there’s a group of people waiting to explore it with her, though, “that feels incredibly special.” ■
F BOYGENIUS SUN 20 AUGSOLD OUT GUNNERSBURY PARK CAT CLYDE TUE 22 AUG THE OLD CHURCH STOKE NEWINGTON
HAND HABITS MON 16 OCT OMEARA DESIRE MAREA TUE 17 OCT HOXTON HALL
MARTHA SKYE MURPHY 28 AUG THE OLD CHURCH STOKE NEWINGTON
BONNY DOON TUE 24 OCT THE LEXINGTON
LAURA JEAN MON 4 SEP ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
MANSUR BROWN SAT 28 OCT LAFAYETTE
ROUGH TRADE RECORDS PRESENTS 15 YEARS OF THE QUIETUS TUE 5 SEPT ELECTRIC BRIXTON
COUCOU CHLOE MON 30 OCT VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
FAT WHITE FAMILY SAT 9 SEP ELECTRIC BRIXTON THE NATIONAL TUE 26 SEPSOLD OUT WED 27 SEP ALEXANDRA PALACE
BLONDSHELL WED 1 NOV LAFAYETTE ART SCHOOL GIRLFRIEND THU 2 NOV ICA DOG RACE THU 9 NOV THE WAITING ROOM
LSDXOXO THU 5 OCT ICA
EGYPTIAN BLUE THU 9 NOV 100 CLUB
SKINNY PELEMBE WED 11 OCT SCALA
KETY FUSCO SAT 11 NOV ICA
WTRGRL WED 11 OCT THE WAITING ROOM
DEVENDRA BANHART WED 15 NOV TROXY
PARALLELLINESPROMOTIONS.COM
FRANCIS OF DELIRIUM WED 15 NOV THE LEXINGTON SODA BLONDE WED 22 NOV THE LEXINGTON BC CAMPLIGHT THU 23 NOV O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE MOIN WED 29 NOV STUDIO 9294 YVES TUMOR WED 29 NOV O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN GEORGIA THU 30 NOV THE COLOUR FACTORY GILLA BAND MON 4 DEC FABRIC YEULE MON 11 DEC OUTERNET LAURA MISCH TU 12 DEC HACKNEY EARTH LANKUM WED 13 DEC ROUNDHOUSE JOCKSTRAP WED 13 DEC T THU 14 DECSOLD OU BARBICAN
INTRO
'FYI' THE
NEWS
INTRODUCING OUR NEW PODCAST, CHART ATTACK
DORK’S NIGHT OUT IS GOING HOME AND AWAY We’re heading to the musical powerhouses of London and Manchester with some of the buzziest new bands on the planet in tow.
→ DORK’S NIGHT OUT IS HEADING HOME AND AWAY THIS SEPTEMBER, WITH A PAIR OF SPECIAL SHOWS. Two days, two cities, and some of the most exciting new bands around, we’ll be at London’s Colours Hoxton on 13th September, then Manchester’s Deaf Institute a day later on 14th September. As for ‘the bands’ - we’ll be joined on both dates by Hastings’ hypehogging trio Hot Wax. Gathering up column inches and playlist placements at the sort of pace that screams ‘big 2024 ahead’, they’re a raw, rambunctious gang who know how to make a show go off. Their debut EP ‘A Thousand Times’ showed huge promise, and live they’re even better. Promise. The Rills are no slouches, either. The up-and-coming-and-also-brilliant indie legends in waiting will be joining us on both shows, arms full of future anthems. The bill will be rounded off with yet more fresh talent - in London by Automotion, and in Manchester with Bandit. Tickets for the shows are on sale now, priced at just £9 plus booking fee. You can grab London tickets via Dice, and Manchester tickets via Fatsoma. Head to readdork.com for more details.
14. DORK
→ What makes a number 1? That’s what we’re exploring on Dork’s new podcast Chart Attack, where we jump in our big pop time machine and revisit number ones from the turn of the millennium onwards. Exploring the highs and lows of the 21stcentury UK chart, we’ll be dissecting cultural milestones, iconic pop stars, telling classic pop stories, and taking a trip down memory lane ourselves. Most importantly, we’ll be asking the crucial pop question: is this a good song? You’ll be able to download a new edition of season one of Chart Attack every Wednesday via all the usual podcast providers, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more. It will also be broadcast each Sunday on Dork Radio at 6pm BST. You can tune in via the Dork Radio app. The first episode, on Arctic Monkeys’ ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’, is available now.
MITSKI
IS
BACK
→ Mitski has properly announced her new album, ‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We’. Set for release on 15th September via Dead Oceans, it comes alongside its lead single, ‘Bug Like an Angel’. “This is my most American album,” Mitski explains. “The best thing I ever did in my life was to love people. I wish I could leave behind all the love I have, after I die, so that I can shine all this goodness, all this good love that I’ve created onto other people.”
GO WITH THE FLO → Flo Milli has announced her second studio album, ‘Fine Ho, Stay’. Following on from Milli’s debut mixtape ‘Ho, why is you here?’ (2020) and debut album, ‘You Still Here, Ho?’ (2022), the new fulllength will arrive later this summer.
E M
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
INTRO
From a chance encounter to a seismic tribute: EMPIRE STATE BASTARD’s debut album ‘Rivers Of Heresy’ unleashes cathartic chaos in metal form.
His wife. His Mum. Hate mail on Christmas Day. So much for Christmas cheer, right? The match that was struck in that coincidental meeting didn’t just spark up for the far-right trolls, though. It ignited Vennart too. In his words, he was “mortally angry”. Pissed off to “a colossal degree”. He only had one outlet for that fury. “It was in the middle of the night. I couldn’t sleep because I was so fucked off,” he relives. “Being terrorised by far-right trolls on the internet and various other places, and I just had this
Every few years I need to embrace the chaos and the nihilism" SIMON NEIL
Empire State Bastard. It took right-wing extremists to get the sound of ESB and then the pandemic to make the album. Maybe two wrongs do make a right. Five years on, and Empire State Bastard are poised and ready to welcome anyone brave enough to step into their world of twisted metal. They’re a supergroup of sorts, but these are more the anti-hero alteregos complete with a villainous sound. Simon Neil and Mike Vennart lead the line together, with their moustaches perfected and their respective Scottish and Yorkshire inflexions in sync, while Bitch Falcon’s Naomi Macleod and legendary drummer Dave Lombardo back them as fully-fledged “Bastards” in their own right. You might know these names, but you’ve never heard them sound like this. “Heavy and vital” were the instructions from Simon to Mike on how Empire State Bastard should sound. Vennart tried making something electronically infused and then some warped pop-sounding music, too, but it didn’t stick. And then Christmas 2018 happened, and it became about channelling his rage, fear and aggression, and everything started to click. The ideas and riffs began to pour out. His knowledge of metal bands like Napalm Death, Sleep, High On Fire, Rolo Tomassi and more psychedelic music like Cardiacs were an inspiration. Add to that his love of Faith No More and pretty much everything Mike Patton does, Mr. Bungle and the more avantgarde, slightly zany, Fantômas too. They were the jumping-off point for making riffs that are “vaguely ridiculous”, according to Vennart. As for Simon, the instruction for “heavy and vital” music came from a completely different perspective. Biffy had been through a purple patch for many years. Chart-topping albums. World tours. Festival headlining. He had already done the whole side-project thing, too, with the indie-pop stylings of Marmaduke Duke, so Empire State Bastard needed to be drastically different.
Words: Alex Bradley.
→ A FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2018, a chance encounter occurred between Mike Vennart, former Oceansize singer, touring Biffy Clyro guitarist, and Stephen YaxleyLennon (aka Tommy Robinson). Mike called the English Defence League leader “a Nazi”, and the anti-Islam activist recorded that and posted the encounter to his thousands of followers online. A deluge of vitriol followed in the coming days for Mike and his entire family. Death threats. Threats to burn down his house. They targeted his son.
tune by this band called Siege going through my head. It’s a tune called ‘Cold War’, and I just had this “feel” in my head and there, and then I put down a voice memo of how a song should go, and I said, ‘Just write an entire fucking album that sounds like that’,” he explains. That voice memo was enough to finally kick-start Empire State Bastard. Simon Neil, his Biffy bandmate, had been floating the idea of “ESB” in interviews since as early as 2011, but it was a name and not much else. The music wasn’t quite right yet. “It was a blessing and a curse, to be honest,” Simon smiles. “I wish Mike hadn’t gone through all that because of all the trauma his family went through, but, my God, he just had something on his chest,” he remembers. That voice recording eventually became ‘Tired, Aye’, which features on ‘Rivers Of Heresy’, the debut album from
“Biffy is my DNA. We’re quite an eclectic band, Biffy, and that kind of encapsulates everything about who I am as a person. When it came to Marmaduke Duke, that was about embracing the most eccentric parts almost everything I don’t get to do with Biffy, and there is very little I don’t get to do with Biffy. “I feel quite privileged that our band have somehow ended up in this place where we can make really heavy music and make something that’s as pop as fucking the charts. “So, it is finding those things, things that I don’t get to do in Biffy, and that’s maybe why it took a little longer for Empire State Bastard to come to fruition. I didn’t want the circles to meet. I didn’t want any kind of crosspollination. “It’s hard to know whether it’s something of my personality or just something that every few years I need to embrace the chaos and the nihilism.” It’s catharsis; it’s relief in metal form. The best example of that is in Simon’s howling mad live performance. He is conscious of the consequences of screaming like a banshee for 30-something minutes, but in the moment, that’s the last thing on his mind. ”I love screaming, but I know I will want to come back and sing. I don’t want to kill my voice forever with this,” he admits. He goes into every performance thinking of the damage limitation he could do for his voice, but then something else takes over. “But the excitement is so pure and true, and that’s what music should fucking be. I should be carried away. I don’t want to think about what we’re doing next. That moment is all that matters,” he surmises. There are no such worries for Vennart, however, who is revelling in the catharsis, playing his riffs and channelling his anger. “Everything is just a lot of fun,” he smiles. “I feel like, for a good few years now, I’ve been looking for the answer, and this is the fucking answer.” ■ Read the full interview in the September 2023 issue of Upset. Empire State Bastard’s debut album ‘Rivers Of Heresy’ is out 1st September. READDORK.COM 15.
YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE BEST NEW NAMES.
16. DORK
MILITARIE GUN THIS
MONTH
IN
NEW It’s hard to tell MUSIC what reality
With their debut album already a hit, and a UK tour on the way, Los Angeles’ MILITARIE GUN are new favourites in hardcore. forced to hit the pause button, but Ian kept writing, releasing ‘My ALBUM ‘Life Under The Gun’ Life Is Over’ and 2021’s two-parter sees the American hardcore ‘All Roads Lead To The Gun’ as band blend aggression and Militarie Gun before the group, vulnerability with absolutely rounded out by guitarists William massive hooks. “We wanted to Acuña and Nick Cogan, bassist make catchy songs that said something,” explains vocalist Ian Waylon Trim and drummer Vince Nguyen, had even played a show. Shelton. “Everything that has happened Tracks like ‘Do It Faster’ has already surpassed what I channel the frantic energy of thought the peak of the band DIY basement shows, while the would have been,” explains Ian, dreamy ‘See You Around’ makes on a brief stopover at home in nods to The Beatles and the between tours. Later this year, ominous ‘Return Policy’ takes influence from The Rolling Stones. the band are heading out across North America supporting fellow There’s a snarling urgency to the breakout hardcore stars Scowl whole album, which clocks in at before they’ll return to the UK just over 27 minutes in length, and Europe for a string of their but songs like ‘Sway Too’ and own headline shows. ‘Life Under ‘My Friends Are Having A Hard The Gun’ has been praised across Time’ are driven by ever-shifting the board, while footage of Post dynamics. Malone singing ‘Do It Faster’ It’s little surprise that since backstage with Ian went viral releasing their debut EP ‘My Life earlier this year. “I’ve been doing Is Over’ in 2020, Militarie Gun have gone from scene champions DIY bands for so long and never got anywhere near the feedback to breakout stars. The band never set out to blur and the reception that this has gotten,” says Ian. genre lines or cause debates He’s not letting the success about hardcore, punk and its go to his head, though. “It’s still position in the mainstream, though. “It was just about chasing very hypothetical,” he explains. “I’m not cynical, but I am sceptical the music we like,” Ian says. because it’s hard to tell what “Whatever felt inspiring that day, reality is when everything that’s what we went with.” Ian was first drawn to hardcore happens online. I can see our monthly listeners on Spotify go as a kid because of “the anger, the catharsis and the community” up, we’re getting more followers on Instagram, but I’d be a fool to the genre offered. Growing up in think that means anything super a small town, without much of a important. Playing shows, seeing support network at home or at school, he found “this freak circus who turns up, that’s the actual test for it,” he says, with the whole where people jump on each band excited to dive back into other, but it’s this positive thing” touring and see what happens absolutely incredible. Of course, next. he spent hours on YouTube Despite a clutch of adored watching countless videos of EPs to their name, Militarie Gun’s hardcore greats, wanting to get approach to ‘Life Under The Gun’ involved. was to keep evolving as a band. After putting on shows and “It’s the record we’ve wanted to playing in various local bands, make the entire time, but we Ian’s Regional Justice Center, a snarling hardcore group weren’t competent enough to who used music to pick apart do it until now,” says Ian, with America’s for-profit prison system, the group stepping back from started gathering steam. When the grind of writing and playing lockdown hit, the band were shows to really focus on every
Words: Ali Shutler. Photo: Jennifer McCord.
→ MILITARIE GUN’S DEBUT
is when everything happens online"
detail of the record. “We wanted I A N S H E LTO N to make it as great as possible.” “The equation for the album final moment.” It’s a surprisingly was making things that are not uncynical stance. aggressive, feel a little more “Cynicism, specifically within aggressive and then taking punk music, is very tired and aggressive things and leaning has led to a lack of true art, for towards vulnerability,” he the most part,” he explains. “It’s continues. Pulling from those different moods and genres never easy to hold something between yourself and reality. Cynicism felt like a risk for the hardcore is often that little piece of glass band. “I didn’t really have time that comes between good art and to consider it,” Ian starts before adding, “I don’t really care either. great art.” He admits he can still be It’s just about what feels inspiring.” cynical, but is trying to let that With a broader canvas go. “At the end of the day, when with ‘Life Under The Gun’, Ian you’re saying the things that I’m wanted to talk about “regret, the inevitable cycle of abuse and how trying to say in the songs, you can’t be cynical. You have to that intersects with this moment in culture where people make bad be hopeful because it is about the progression of life and the decisions, and it becomes their embracing of the idea that you entire identity without hope of could feel differently about forgiveness.” something tomorrow without that These complex, sometimes invalidating how you feel today. confrontational ideas are It’s meant to be very positive.” explored in tightly wound Militarie Gun’s success comes two-minute songs. “I have a really as hardcore is having a main short attention span anyway,” character moment. Turnstile’s starts Ian, who wanted to be third album ‘Glow On’ saw the direct but still say something American mob flirt with melodic meaningful. “You can project alt-rock, Knocked Loose had a lot of what is happening in Billie Eilish vibing side of stage your home life but still make it universal,” he offers. ‘Very High’ is at their massive Coachella slot, while footage of chaotic hardcore about taking drugs but in doing shows has regularly been blowing so, talks about embarrassment and feeling disdain towards your up on TikTok. “The songs are just better than ever,” says Ian of why past self. “That’s something the genre is having a moment in everyone goes through.” the spotlight. “Pre-pandemic, it At times, it’s incredibly raw, felt like the scene was getting but Ian “wanted to talk about my stale, but when shows went away, own shortcomings. Right now, people had to start writing songs everyone wants to point the that were good enough to listen finger at other people instead of to at home.” looking at themselves. I thought “On top of that, the world being accountable would result in better art than trying to blame seems more fucked up every day. People are upset. People others.” are angry. People need an outlet, Despite the subject matter, so the mainstream is leaning ‘Life Under The Gun’ channels towards music that speaks to empathy and hope. “Ultimately, aggression,” he continues. the record is asking that if all “I can’t control any of that, the things holding you back though. I’m just excited that are in your rearview mirror, can people are listening.” ■ Militarie you keep moving forward with Gun’s debut album’ Life Under your life,” says Ian. “It’s meant The Gun’ is out now. to feel hopeful, especially in its
PRINCESS
DIARIES
→ Chappell Roan has announced the details of her debut album. Titled ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess’, it’s set to arrive on 22nd September. “After 4 years in the making comes my 14-song album holding stories of unearthing my true self and fearlessly embracing queerness,” Chappell says. “With the contrast of my Midwestern upbringing and living in one of the biggest cities in the U.S., ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess’ mirrors the rollercoaster of becoming the popstar I always wanted to be.”
MITCH ROWLAND HAS ANNOUNCED HIS DEBUT ALBUM... → Mitch Rowland has announced his debut album, ‘Come June’, set to be released on 6th October. Known for his collabs with Harry Styles - as well as touring as part of his band, Mitch is credited on hits like like ‘Meet Me In The Hallway’, ‘Watermelon Sugar’, and ‘Golden’- the news comes alongside the album’s title-track, which is streaming now.
...AND SO HAS VIJI → Viji has announced her debut album, ‘So Vanilla’. Following on from recent drops ‘Anything’ and ‘Down’, the news arrives alongside teaser single ‘Sedative’, with the full record set to arrive on 27th October via Speedy Wunderground. READDORK.COM 17.
LIP FILLER
Words: Sam Taylor. Photo: Jennifer McCord.
THIS
MONTH
IN
NEW MUSIC
Following what will likely be one of the standout debut EPs of the year, LIP FILLER are just getting started.
→ NEWLY MOVED TO LONDON
and signed to Chess Club Records, Lip Filler are straight out of the gate with a debut EP that takes many of the best bits of 00s dance-punk and throws them into contemporary indie-rock with an air of chaos and joyful abandon, while confronting ever more pressing issues such as the cost of living. It’s a combination that makes them undeniably compelling. Drummer Nate Wicks and George Tucker tell us more.
Hello! How’s it going? What are you up to today? Nate: We’re doing great!! Feeling really good right now after
Community Festival! Was a bit of a chaotic morning recovering from George [Tucker]’s birthday the night before but felt like a really good set in the end. Finished the day off with a bit of Two Door, so can’t complain. Today we will be stewing over whether or not sleigh bells in music can ever escape the connotations of Christmas. Introduce your band - who are you all, and what are your roles within the group? Nate: We have Jude [Scholefield] and Verity [Hughes] on guitar, Theo [Pasmore] on bass, George on keys and vocals and Nate [Wicks] on drums. Our roles,
If we put our all into it, we How long have you guys been can make making music together? Nate: The band started up in late something 2021 and was just born out of a mutual love of all types of music, great" really. Naturally, we gravitated
respectively, are the Martyr, the Femme Fatale, the Anti-hero, the Trickster and Villager 6.
towards indie-rock because it’s something we all grew up on, so there’s a lot to draw from there.
Did it take much experimenting to find your sound? Nate: Not really; I think the experimenting is still yet to come, to be honest. When we started
N AT E W I C K S
to make music together, it wasn’t necessarily a case of finding our sound, more just jamming for fun and seeing what we came up with. I think a lot of our individual influences come through pretty subconsciously, and that’s what makes Lip Filler what it is. Most of us would argue that we still haven’t found it yet. We have a lot of influences that we want to throw into a larger piece of work that’s yet to come, like an album. Or a commemorative monument. What do you most enjoy writing songs about? Are there any themes you’re particularly drawn to? George: The lyrics from the first EP centred on adapting to the city lifestyle and its social climate, with the exception of ‘Monster Truck’. That one’s a tad more conceptual. I don’t wanna say too much about our next set of songs, but the lyrics definitely come from a more personal space. You’ve not long released a new EP - how’d it go? How are you feeling about it a few months later? Nate: It feels really good; as our first kind of message we’ve put out to the world, it feels totally right. We’re all super proud of the songs and how they sound, still loving playing them to new and different audiences. That doesn’t mean we’re not excited for the bigger and better tunes we’re already working on for the next release, though. What did you learn from the process? Nate: Hmm. There have been many lessons, really; I guess the most important one is an affirmation. That if we keep it up and put our all into something, we can make something great that we’re all proud of. ■ Lip Filler’s self-titled debut EP is out now. They play Live At Leeds on 14th October.
18. DORK
LET BE
THERE CARNAGE!
→ Wargasm have announced their debut album, ‘Venom’. The full-length is set for release on 27th October. The duo comment: “For the last 16 months we’ve spent every moment off the road in the studio creating the perfect debut album for Wargasm. Heavy, melodic, disgusting, honest, sexy, everything this band has experimented with since our inception has been pinned down on the anvil and hammered into shape, thrown at the wall, beaten into a more fucked up shape and gone back onto the anvil.”
SOPHIE MAY HAS ANNOUNCED HER SECOND EP → Sophie May has announced her second EP, ‘Worst Thoughts In The World’. Set for release on 16th August, it follows on from her biggest headline show to date at a sold-out London’s Omeara on in May. She’s also shared the record’s title-track, which was cowritten with Matt Maltese.
LET
US
PRAY
→ SIPHO. has announced his debut album, ‘PRAYERS & PARANOIA’. The full-length is set for release on 27th October via Dirty Hit, with the news accompanied by teaser single ‘SOBER’. “I’m always drawn to these badass characters, like Action Bronson, or Jet Li – these people that are almost like, unreal. I kind of based this on that,” SIPHO. says of the track. “The lyrics are painting the picture of a badman, but it’s over the top – he’s in a suit, he drives a big Lexus. Someone that’s both feared and respected. But it shows their vulnerabilities. Some people end up in these places and they don’t know how they got there. And then you’re just lost and confused, left isolated by your power.”
TROUT
Full-on to the point of – direct quote – being “a little creepy”, TROUT is an artist unafraid to let the real emotions ride free. Words: Sam Taylor. Photo: Jennifer McCord.
The inspiration Can you tell us a bit about writing and recording the EP? for the song How did you pull it together? I wrote it across a few places I was from lived in Liverpool and my family home in Wales. The initial couple falling in of songs took a while to write, as I was coming out of a writing love with block, but songs like ‘gutter’ and ‘words’ happened really quickly. someone” At the time, I wasn’t writing for pondering over the things in my head.
anything in particular, so I had no time constraints and, therefore, a lot of freedom creatively. This also meant I had time to reflect on whatever I was writing about as the songs were being created, which I think meant that they could be developed as far as they needed to be. I recorded everything as I went along, as I like getting it all down straight away. Then the production of it all was my favourite part; so much fun, and I learnt a lot from it.
TROUT
What do you most like writing songs about? Are there any themes you find yourself drawn to? I’m often drawn to writing about how I feel about the people who are/have been in my life and how they’ve made me feel about myself. I think this is where most of my emotion lies, so that’s probably what’s itching to come out.
Is it a good place to be for upand-coming musicians? It is a good city for up-andcoming musicians. Most people here love music and want to support the local scene. It’s hard to keep independent local venues alive at the moment, but the people here are very passionate about doing so.
How did you come to work with Chess Club Records? I was introduced to them through someone on an A&R team who found my song ‘bugs’ online. They introduced me to Pete, and I was put in touch with Will too, and we started to speak about working together after hearing more of the music I was making at the time and coming to see a live show. It was our second-ever gig as Trout, so I was grateful that they could see past all of the rookie errors we made!
→ GROWING UP IN
COPENHAGEN before moving on to Wales and now Liverpool, where they study music at LIPA, 23-year-old Cesca has a wealth of inspiration to draw on for their new musical project, Trout. Their debut EP, ‘Colourpicker’ - named in honour of their synesthesia is coming this summer through Chess Club Records. The introspective six-song project sees them explore the rabbit holes their mind goes down when they’re on their own, via eminently charming, grungy
guitar-pop. Along with recent singles ‘gutter’ and ‘garden’, the release features new drop ‘in my room’, a fun-but-creepy ode to falling in love and the slightly out-of-control feeling of obsession that can come with it. You’ve just dropped your new single, ‘In My Room’ - what was the inspiration behind the song? Where did it come from? The inspiration for the song was from falling in love with someone, and that initial stage where the feelings are all pretty intense,
in a good way. But I wanted to write it from the perspective of someone who is really obsessive, and so the lyrics come across as a little creepy in that sense. How does the song fit into your new EP? This was the last song I wrote for my EP, and so naturally, it’s the closest to where my writing style is now. It’s also more positive, I’d say, than the narratives of the other songs; however, it slots in nicely with the overarching theme of being stuck in my room
Did you grow up in a musical household? No, not really. My parents do appreciate music, though - my dad listened to Pavarotti and Madonna… so I was surrounded by great taste. My mum introduced me to music that became big influences to me when I was younger, like The Eagles, Katie Melua, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and The Cranberries. All my family are quite creative people in other ways, though, so that was inspiring to be around. Are you creative in nonmusical ways too? Yeah, I think I’m quite creative in the way I approach things in general. I love drawing, making clothes, knitting, and just making anything; it’s the most relaxing thing to me.
How have you found your time in Liverpool so far? It’s been really wonderful to live in. I feel lucky that I found somewhere that felt like home straight after I moved out of my parents’ house, as I know that can take a while. But I’m now definitely ready to find somewhere new to live, and I am excited about that.
Who else from the Liverpool scene should we be keeping an eye on? Our drummer Ollie has an amazing project on the go called Gladness. It really is a special project, so keep an eye out; they’ll be releasing some new music very soon. Other bands I love from the local scene at the moment are A Lesser Version and Spouses, both making beautiful music! What else are you working on at the moment? Do you have big plans for the rest of the year? We have the EP release in August and some exciting shows around that, which we’re really looking forward to, including a Liverpool headline. I’m currently working on some new music too, which feels exciting, and hopefully not too long before people can hear that too! Finally - tell us about your room; what’s it like? It changes fairly often, but right now, I’m in a basement room of an old Georgian house, and I love it. It has everything I need in it and also lots of stuff I really do not need, plus too many spiders for my liking. But it’s cosy, and maybe I’ll write a song about this one too. ■ Trout’s EP ‘Colourpicker’ is out 31st August. READDORK.COM 19.
SNOW COVER STORY
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Reneé Rapp unveils her unfiltered and unapologetic debut album ‘Snow Angel’, a raw and compelling journey into her life and experiences that leaves no emotion untouched. By Neive McCarthy. Photography by Jennifer McCord.
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"I LO FEELING TH I HAVE DO EVERYTHIN I CAN. I G REALLY AFRAID REGRET THING RENEÉ RAPP
eneé Rapp is extremely tired. Maybe it’s the jetlag that has thus far defined her London trip [This is before the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, ‘FYI’ - Ed], or perhaps it’s the fact she’s had probably the busiest year of her life – more likely, both. Either way, if there was an award for the most tired
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woman in music right now, Reneé would probably win it. It’s unsurprising she’s teetering on the exhausted side of life, considering she’s been balancing more than most would in an entire career in just the last six months. A main role in a sitcom, another lead role in a cult musical movie adaptation, plus the whole task of writing and recording and releasing your debut album all adds up to quite the ordeal. For Reneé, though, hopping from set to studio, from city to city, soon became the norm. That hundred-mile-per-hour lifestyle is showing no signs of leaving either – ‘Snow Angel’ is just arriving, and Reneé’s own blizzard continues to rage on. “I love and hate doing both at the same time,” Reneé ponders, sleepyeyed in South London. “I get so tired, but I would just go from set and go to the studio, and it would be really hard, but it would also be the best thing sometimes. It does just make me so tired. I definitely run myself into the ground without thinking. There wasn’t really a balance; it was just like, ‘Fuck it all’.” Throwing every single piece of herself into the making of ‘Snow Angel’, Reneé seemed to reach towards the deepest part of both her emotions and her resolve to create her debut. Late nights spent retreading gut-wrenching, furyinducing situations it was a real case of tearing your heart out for the sake of your art. The road to the album’s release has by no means been smooth, but somewhere in those bleary-eyed twilight hours, Reneé found some kind of comfort. “I love that feeling of exhaustion,” Reneé admits. “It sucks, but I really do love it. I think one day I’ll grow from it, but right now, I love the burnout and exhaustion and the feeling that I have done everything I can. I get really
afraid to regret things. What the fuck else am I supposed to do?” You might think, then, that with the album completed, Reneé had found a kind of calm and stillness – an end to the restless urge to push herself to the very limit. Unfortunately, relaxing just isn’t in her nature. “I don’t feel at peace, just exhausted. I wake up, and I’ll be going back and forwards on whether I like a song. All I do is overthink.” That doubt consumed the titular track on the album, the first glimpse of what ‘Snow Angel’ might be. It’s an unconventional choice: a heartfelt power ballad that came after the album was all but wrapped. Despite the uncertainty, Reneé leant into the track’s rising vulnerability and ‘Snow Angel’ became immediate proof of exactly what she was capable of. Otherworldly vocals and a dramatic swell of piano transform the track into an absolute snowstorm. “It’s a representation of who I am and my influences,” Reneé explains. “But it also just felt like it was a bleeding song, like bleeding out. That was something I felt like I needed to have for this cycle.” An outpouring of her innermost, darkest feelings and experiences, the track immediately established how Reneé manages to delicately toe the line of powerfully in control and total transparency. A previous, wildly popular single, ‘Too Well’, from 2022’s ‘Everything to Everyone’ EP, was a laughing, breezy pop banger recollection of grudges and frustrating exes. The mantric, painful power of ‘Snow Angel’ feels miles away from that – a new side of the singer for all to see. “I just wanted to make sure that everything was super artist-forward, as opposed to what is going to appease the most people. That’s not to say that ballads inherently don’t
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appease the most people because sometimes they do. I think they’re the best songs. I think if you can make a ballad a smash, then that’s a good song.” The stripped-open quality of a ballad allows Reneé to take a glance further inside herself, something that becomes increasingly important throughout the album. There’s a surety and willingness to trudge through the very thick of things that seems a fundamental part of Reneé’s journey here. To truly create the art she has wanted to make for so long, she had to become okay with revisiting some darker moments and baring her soul for all to see. Walking into a room every day and reliving everything she has gone through was rough but ultimately rewarding. “It’s a feeling of ‘I’m going to trudge through the shit; I’m not going to let that shit get in my way’,” Reneé explains. “It was this very broken resilience. I’d been feeling like bad things were happening in my life, but really good things were happening too. My personal life was going to hell, but my work life was amazing. It was maddening but also really fun.” No inch of that personal life was spared, either. As Reneé acknowledges on the album’s opening track, ‘Talk Too Much’, she doesn’t hesitate to overshare in great detail. Yet, it never feels like oversharing: it’s the confessional, scathing jokes of a good friend. “Okay, having said all that, do you still wanna be with me?” she asks mid-song before every other thought comes tumbling out of her mouth. There’s no filter – instead, brutally honest truths, laughing remarks and no-holding-back is the name of the game. “It feels like a more full version of myself rather than how I’d like to be perceived,” Reneé explains. “Don’t get me wrong, though; I’m still very particular about how I’m perceived!” She may stress over others’ perception of her, but even when it’s terrifying, she doesn’t hold back from releasing her full, authentic self into the light on ‘Snow Angel’, more now than she ever has before. “It’s not as
much my outward how I feel about other people. This is more internal, even in the ways I might not like to be perceived. It’s less a middle finger to everybody and more a mirror to myself. That was more intimidating for me.” With a long history of acting across stage and screen, Reneé has spent much of her life transforming into different people and characters. Perhaps, then, the desire to be fully herself in her music became more important. Most recently, Reneé has gained legions of fans for her portrayal of Leighton in Sex Lives of College Girls, a college student attempting to come to terms with her sexuality. Elsewhere, she has returned to the role of Regina George in Mean Girls: The Musical as it gears up for a movie adaptation. Disappearing into such vastly different characters has undoubtedly meant Reneé’s own character has grown under those costumes, coming out stronger and louder than ever before. “Playing other characters made me love my music so much more,” Reneé says. “I realised I don’t love this in the same way. It’s so different, and I’m so happy that I’ve done it because I feel so much surer of myself and so much better about my own shit now.” It’s this, then, that allows Reneé to display every passing thought and feeling with such refreshing honesty. ‘Poison Poison’ opens by announcing someone is “so fucking annoying”, and yet in the very next song, ‘Gemini Moon’, Reneé professes “really, I should just be better to you”. Every multitude of her, good and bad, is on full display. Chasing authenticity became absolutely crucial. “It drives everything,” she stresses. “I don’t think there’s a moment in my life where I’m not panicking about that. It’s all I constantly do. Am I making a good enough example of myself? Am I doing enough internal work to get myself across? It sits in my brain 24/7.” Luckily, the making of ‘Snow Angel’ provided Reneé with an environment where she was able to put those worries to bed. Working alongside
Alexander 23, they curated a creative sphere where trust was imperative. “We understand each other so well, in a very unspoken way,” Reneé reflects. “I don’t have to overexplain myself for him to understand me and vice versa. We just get each other
"MY PERSONAL LIFE WAS GOING TO HELL, BUT MY WORK LIFE WAS AMAZING" RENEÉ RAPP
and are equally comfortable together, which I think made a big difference. It made me feel so much better about myself as a writer because I don’t have to worry about ten thousand opinions that I can add to myself in my head because I know the other person in the room really trusts me and has good taste. I don’t want to be blindly trusted either.” Alexander proved to be an encouraging voice in Reneé’s corner, pushing her to take risks she might’ve been insecure about or unsure of and ensuring her vision came to life. “I was so tired of listening to older male producers tell me what they thought was good. If I’m telling you it’s bad, I know it’s bad, and it doesn’t mean that you are bad, but it just means it’s not good for me. They don’t listen. I don’t care what, ideally, is the best, either. I’m not trying to go into sessions thinking, ‘What does this producer think is the best version of me?’ I didn’t ask that at all.” READDORK.COM 25.
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With a creative partner she trusted at last and a firm knowledge of what was best for her and what she wanted to do, ‘Snow Angel’ became about control. There’s no appeasing anyone here – instead, it’s the songs that needed to be made. The emotions that needed to be released, the anger that needed to be articulated. Whether that’s through a heavy dose of ballads that highlight Reneé’s endlessly gorgeous vocals or upbeat R&B style beats that disguise lyrics that could completely shatter you otherwise. Asking herself ‘W.W.F.D?’ (‘What Would Frank Do?’, after her beloved Frank Ocean), Reneé was in pursuit of feeling above all else – that whatever she made felt good and right for her, regardless of anything other than that. ‘Pretty Girls’ chased that sensation and came into being as one of the album’s strongest tracks – at first glance, a pop-tinged, light track, up close, it is smartly delivered with an eye roll and underlying frustration at a sexualisation of bi women that quickly becomes repetitive. It’s a hook that’ll bounce around your head incessantly, but it bristles with a quiet anger. “I really wanted to have something that feels super up, but the lyrics are really down. It felt like that was the only way to do that song. If you understand it, you understand it. If you don’t, you’d still like it. I just knew it would be exactly what it needed to be, and I didn’t want to put any pressure on it.” It’s a track that will no doubt feel familiar for many – her raw, to-thepoint lyricism has become a source of comfort for many of her fans who have had identical experiences, and it’s led to a fanbase so dedicated they bring baguettes to her shows, flood the streets to sing her songs postgig and revel in her laugh-out-loud moments mid-set. It’s a special kind of kinship. “They’re crazy!” Reneé laughs. “It feels like a big community of a bunch of people who are kind of assholes to each other, but in a very loving way, which is how I am with the people around me. I’m very sarcastic, and I’m very loving. We’re very down for each other. We would take a knife for somebody. They’re an amazing group of people.” After Reneé teased a snippet of a track called ‘23’ a few months back, that amazing group of people clamoured for it. A cut-open piano track that sees her on the eve of her 23rd birthday, pondering if she’ll ever learn to calm down or if she’ll ever stop thinking everyone hates her and be completely free, the track is absolutely full of sentiments that will speak to so many of her listeners. It’s a snapshot of that age – the façade of being an adult and having everything together whilst secretly simmering under the surface. That ability is 26. DORK
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"PLAYING OTHER CHARACTERS MADE ME LOVE MY MUSIC SO MUCH MORE" RENEÉ RAPP
truly a highlight of the album; she dilutes an array of experiences into these twelve tracks, capturing such specificities but with such distinctive humour and tone that it could almost be any of her listeners’ inner thoughts. Part of that returns to her need for honesty, for confrontation within herself and for the chance to turn to the studio to unleash all these feelings. Whilst everything may have felt like an avalanche at the time of making it, it has become something positive. It’s a vehicle for connection, for resonance and for release. “It’s the moment I look forward to constantly,” Reneé admits. “Every relationship, every experience I have, even right now, I just think that this ultimately is going to be something really good for me. That’s true to life but specific to my career. The bad things that happen to me, I’m literally just going to turn them into something good, which is really, really nice.” It does make for a somewhat boundary-less experience at the time being, but this is only the beginning of a long learning curve. As Reneé chronicles her every thought and experience to song, there’s little room for keeping things under lock and key, something she may (or may not) want to change down the line. “I’m trying so hard to establish myself as a new artist and be taken seriously that I don’t really think I’m even there. I don’t have the wherewithal to be like, ‘Here is what I’m going to share; here’s what I won’t’. It’s whatever is going to be the best representation of me and myself. I think I might always just be like that, though.” Reneé makes it clear that there is no doing things by halves for her or restraining herself in any way. Though she may be able to close away parts of herself in her acting career, her musical career at the moment sees her become completely transparent. It’s that transparency, however daunting it may be, that makes Reneé and her music so likeable, though. It comes from such a genuine place that it’s hard not to live every beat of ‘Snow Angel’ alongside Reneé – that perseverance and the desperate need
to crack a quick joke through the pain is all too familiar and makes it all the more compelling. There’s a sense that Reneé is still shifting, still learning and still becoming okay with owning who she
is. ‘Snow Angel’ has no doubt allowed the 23-year-old to discover a great deal about her ability to cope, to heal and to unlock that inner strength. A mammoth debut album, it has a core that is permanently entangled and
attached to who Reneé is, with no smoke and mirrors. Just pure Reneé and her quest to navigate this chapter of her life. For her first full-length project, Reneé refuses to hide any part of it. With her unfiltered, unapologetic take on her life and experiences up until this point now ready to be unleashed on the world, Reneé is ready to take a backseat from here on out – and hopefully get some rest. She may live for that feeling of burnt-out exhaustion, but it’s safe to say she’s accomplished what she set out to do here. ‘Snow Angel’ is the album Reneé had to make, and she has thrown every last piece of herself into the making of it. Now, it’s time for Reneé Rapp to catch up on sleep before she does it all over again. ■ Reneé Rapp’s album ‘Snow Angel’ is out 18th August.
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COVER STORY
Embracing her ‘Quarter Life Crisis’, Baby Queen’s debut album is a poignant journey of self-discovery, blending catchy cynicism with heartfelt reflection and unapologetic honesty. By Finlay Holden. Photography by Jennifer McCord. Styling by Amy Stephenson. Hair by Bjorn Krischker. Make-up by Phoebe Walters.
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y existential crisis began about five years ago.” Bella Latham has been through a lot since her ambitious relocation from South Africa to the UK. She now sits atop a mountain of successful releases under the Baby Queen moniker, but it’s perhaps the darker moments she’s experienced that have been the most formative. “I was in a really bad place,” she recalls. “I would smoke a zoot and then just sit back and think and think and think. I believed that if I thought hard enough, I could discover the purpose of my life.” The name of her just-announced debut album, ‘Quarter Life Crisis’, was
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"ALL YOU CAN DO IN YOUR SHORT LIFE IS BE HAPPY" B E L L A L AT H A M inspired by this period of intense soulsearching; the realisations from this time changing the now London-based artist’s attitude entirely. Her recent single ‘We Can Be Anything’ is a bold example of this, twisting a complete meltdown into an embrace of infinite opportunity. “I realised that I’m never going to get the answer that I want, so all you can do in your short life is be happy, be nice to other people and live your truth,” Bella explains of the song’s central message, which she sings joyfully over a wall of synths: ‘We can be anything; that’s awesome, don’t you think?’. “The great thing about that chorus is that it could be about anything – your sexuality, your ambitions and dreams, your very freedom to exist. It can be whatever you want it to be and whatever you need it to be.” This might sound a million miles away from the biting irreverence of early Baby Queen cuts (‘Flaws don’t make you special, they just make you flawed’, declares 2020’s ‘Buzzkill’), but that jaded tone has never really dissipated; it’s just been refined. If you want to understand what defines Baby Queen in 2023, it’s catchy cynicism with a pinch of self-reflection. “I love it when there are two opposite things that have creative tension,” she confirms. “That’s what Baby Queen is, really; this dichotomy of two very different things. This innocent naivety and the grit of real experience.” That succinct description could quite accurately describe many people’s early twenties. Still, that brutal hit of blunt realisation strikes even harder when you’re mining self-aware material for your first fulllength project. “It became really obvious to me that, thematically, I was talking about all these difficult things you feel at 25 the inability to grow up, loneliness, suffocating levels of ambition - and it seemed very much like I was singing about having one foot in my past and one foot in the future,” she shares.
That uncomfortable position she found herself stuck in - aware of her issues but having no idea how to deal with them – has enabled the mindset of ‘Quarter Life Crisis’, one that will resonate with like-minded listeners. Balancing that vulnerability with Baby Queen’s larger-than-life persona has been something of a learning curve for Bella. “It has been difficult trying to merge the idea of Baby Queen in my head with allowing myself to be completely transparent, totally raw and honest,” she considers. “Even though Baby Queen is all about honesty, there are strict parameters I’ve essentially set for myself as a songwriter. “I always knew this alter ego as a specific character with a specific way of communicating - with satire, humour, sarcasm and negativity – but then Bella wrote some sincere songs that ended up on a Baby Queen album. I’m not hiding behind humour anymore.” In fact, Bella isn’t really hiding anything these days. Having already explored body image (‘Pretty Girl Lie’), unrequited love (‘Want Me’), narcissism (‘Narcisisst’) and selfdestruction (‘These Drugs’), it may have appeared that all her cards were on the table, face-up for all to see. However, the first track revealed from her full-length debut showed there was plenty more to come. ‘Dream Girl’ plays with the classic girl-meets-guy trope, instead spinning a tale of girl-meets-guy-but-actuallyfancies-his-girlfriend. A simplistic but self-aware fantasy, the track was the first time Bella had explicitly referenced her bisexual identity. “I didn’t want to bring my sexuality too directly into the spotlight because I didn’t want it to become my defining quality,” she says. “I don’t want to be referred to as ‘the bi-musician’ or ‘the LGBT artist’; I want to be described as a great lyricist. My sexuality is not who I am. It’s actually a very small facet of me as a person; I don’t ever date anyone or have sex because I’m too busy working
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the whole time.” “I had a lot of shame around my sexuality and wasn’t at that accepting place for a long time,” she adds. “I am now; I really don’t give a fuck anymore.” It wasn’t a smooth road to reach this point, but it did become easier to navigate when Baby Queen met Heartstopper. The British rom-com and queer TV triumph achieved instant success last year with its charming coming-of-age story and carefully selected soundtrack, including Baby Queen’s ‘Colours Of You’, which itself follows the gradual acceptance of a non-heterosexual identity. Her close involvement with the show, its themes and its cast inspired her to address topics that “would make me want to actually die two years ago.” “Heartstopper created such a safe space and community and brought a very accepting group of people to my music, all of which made it more natural to become more confident with who I am. I’ve still got work to do in terms of self-acceptance, I’m not 100% there, but I’ve come a long way. It is all a journey, and it’s one the fans are going on with me. I don’t mind my sexuality being part of the conversation; I just don’t want it to be the conversation.” Self-discovery is intrinsic to ‘Quarter Life Crisis’. One song, in particular, took even Bella by surprise when it was born from a remorseful breakdown; the minimalistic ‘Obvious’ shows the everevolving artist stopping to acknowledge her roots. “I am always, always looking forwards, but while making this album, I looked backwards for the first time, for the very first time in the whole life of Baby Queen,” she recalls. Since uprooting her life and moving to London to chase her dream of becoming a successful musician, Bella has considered herself an entirely new person. Immersing herself in a new culture that felt exciting and freeing, she left her hometown of Durban without much thought for what she was leaving behind. “For so long, I really was just running,” she confesses. “I did turn my back on where I came from, and there is that sense of guilt, that sense of sadness with me all the time that I try to block out. I had to block it out to cope with the fact that I couldn’t be there, and at the time of writing this song, I finally stopped to acknowledge that I abandoned people that I loved to chase something new.” “I went four years without seeing my dad and only went home for the first time in five years after I delivered this album,” she shares. She returned after finally completing what seemed to be the culmination of a life’s work. Touching down in that plane with a stomach full of anxiety, she soon discovered that nothing was the same. “I lost everything, but I never had a chance to grieve because I couldn’t bring my mind back to that place,” she explains.
“I started writing, and this all came out of me; it was like opening a floodgate of emotion that I’d been holding back for so long.” That tearful process speaks for the whole creation of this LP; a painful, strenuous challenge that was endured with difficulty, but that also spawned the most healing and authentic art in her discography. As Bella explains, “I couldn’t have an album called ‘Quarter Life Crisis’ without broaching this topic, but it was a difficult one to get out of my system and unlocked a lot of pent-up emotion. The whole process has been incredibly healing, and going back home at that moment was incredibly poetic.” These homesick revelations stuck like lightning at the exact time they were needed. Similarly, much of the material on this record would not have worked if it was any other version of Baby Queen putting it together, thanks in part to Bella’s sharp instinct for what the Baby Kingdom needs to hear.
Take social media; it’s something that debut single ‘Internet Religion’ touched on immediately, beginning a streak of releases commenting on the dismal tendencies of our time. As well as being a certified bop, ‘Kid Genius’ reignites that past snark while noting current trends and looking into a bleak future. ‘Try not to communicate because the kids we’ve given a voice to have nothing to say’, the song declares. “We have these vapid voices and all this influence on us, but the people in power on these platforms don’t have the vernacular to responsibly sit in that position,” Bella explains. “It’s not something I couldn’t have accurately
expressed a few years ago, and that’s becoming more real every day; any one person can have an opinion heard by millions.” At the other end of the LP, we have ‘Get High’, about trying to numb yourself to avoid life’s complications. “You can abuse anything. It truly is everything in moderation,” she says, revealing that this track was actually the first one she ever started writing as Baby Queen. “It’s never good to lean too far into something that you’re using to escape something else, which is obviously what I’m doing; trying to escape one feeling and find another. I think I probably need to go to therapy about that too.”
"I’M NOT HIDING BEHIND HUMOUR ANYMORE" B E L L A L AT H A M
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"MAKING AN ALBUM MAKES YOU QUESTION EVERY TINY THING ABOUT YOURSELF" B E L L A L AT H A M 34. DORK
Old habits die hard, and it would seem that new patterns of behaviour are born hard as well. Pulling them all together is King Ed, the producer with whom Bella has collaborated on all Baby Queen projects to date, including the name itself. “If I’m going to come out with a debut album, it’d be weird to make it differ from the fundamentals of Baby Queen,” Bella explains, “and my fundamental sound is one that I created with King Ed. We nurtured and grew it together in the same four walls that I recorded this album in. He understands every intention because he helped create this; his instincts, paired with my instincts, are what people have come to know as Baby Queen.”
‘Quarter Life Crisis’ is no star-studded affair. It doesn’t offer any features, not one co-write and certainly no one else touching the music – no one but Bella and Ed. “It was important for the record to be an amalgamation of both our creative minds. He’s someone that I can always trust to get right, and I don’t trust anybody with my music.” The pair have been on quite a rollercoaster over the past two years, specifically. Following the release of her mixtape, ‘The Yearbook’, Bella started to rebel against the pop overtones her music was starting to radiate. Having found that image restrictive on stage, a series of deliberately boundary-pushing singles followed; the laidback and moody ‘Wannabe’ directly addressed external observations on her output, ‘Nobody Really Cares’ dismissed them entirely and ‘Lazy’ (thematically) sacked it in altogether. Behind the scenes, Baby Queen was quietly realising that you can’t put anyone’s expectations on your art, even your own. “When I set out to write this album, I was like: ‘I wanna make an album in this genre, and I want it to be sonically cohesive with this specific type of sound’. It took me a while to realise that you cannot pre-empt the music that you’re going to write,” she states matter-of-factly. “I cannot turn my back on the fact that every single time I sit down to write a song, it is pop melodies that are coming out; I’m very much a pop songwriter. It’s never a question of genre; it’s just - which songs are best?” This self-fulfilled confidence allowed Baby Queen to evolve; fresh directions were permitted as long as the core groundwork was firmly in place. There are some surprises left in store, but ‘Die Alone’, ‘Love Killer’ and ‘Dream Girl’ are the kind of tracks that remind you who it is making this record. “I feel that that’s where the bulk of the work had to be,” Bella agrees, “in that space where there’s absolutely no one else in the world who could write or sing those songs. It would be really weird if anyone else did.” So, it seems like this journey has established some touchpoints amongst the existentialism after all. Bella squirms at this suggestion, “Making art is so complex and intricate; there’s so much back and forth and confusion. You go through waves; you never know who you are. There’s no point where you can sit back and think, now I finally know. That’s never going to happen. Making an album makes you question every tiny thing about yourself. I lost that confidence but eventually reclaimed it. Going back into any form of creative process, I’m sure that will happen all again.” Before that conversation begins, she will first conclude this chapter with a reminder of everything achieved to date, an epilogue to the person she is in this moment and has been. Bella Lathum takes a second to think about all this life means to her past selves, and the final message she has already come up with reads: “Try to be happy; you might be if only you knew your wildest dreams came true.” ■ Baby Queen’s debut album ‘Quarter Life Crisis’ is out 6th October.
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HARDER COVER STORY
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BETTER AESPA
With their new English-language single ‘Better Things’ imminent, aespa are set to take over the world - both real and virtual. By Abigail Firth. Photography by Siyoung-Song.
Styling by Anna-Park. Hair by Seo-Ha Yoon. Make-up by Eun-Bee Jo.
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here’s trouble in KWANGYA. Under attack from the BLACK MAMBA who’s hacked into SYNK, the platform where REAL WORLD citizens connect with their ae selves, disconnecting aespa from their virtual counterparts. With the help of Naevis, they must band together to defeat the BLACK MAMBA and reconnect with ae-aespa before returning to the REAL WORLD. Does this sound like gibberish? It’s the complex storyline with which aespa, the K-pop girl group who’ve rocketed to the top in just a few short years, were introduced to the world. Made up of four members, KARINA, GISELLE, WINTER and NINGNING, aespa made their debut in late 2020 amidst a global pandemic and have since hit endless milestones in record time, both in the online realm and when they broke out into the real world. It makes sense then that today we meet the girls in the virtual world (read: online) where they’re filming some sitcom-style promo videos to go with their latest single ‘Better Things’ over in Seoul, a shoot scheduled in-between rehearsals for their first world tour. “Lately, I’ve been very busy recording new songs, shooting music videos, and practising choreography, all while
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"I WAS CURIOUS AND INTRIGUED BY THE IDEA OF TRYING SOMETHING THAT NO ONE HAD ATTEMPTED BEFORE" KARINA eagerly anticipating meeting our fans!” Usually the most introverted member, WINTER is the first to talk. “As this is our first global tour, I feel both nervous and excited at the same time, and I’m putting all my effort into preparing a flawless performance.” Leader of the group KARINA echoes those sentiments, noting she’s excited to meet US, South American and European fans for the first time, while youngest NINGNING adds, “Even though we’ve met our fans through many shows before, I’m so thrilled to have the opportunity to perform in front of even more on this tour. We’ll be able to show new sides of ourselves and performances that they haven’t seen before.” It’s clear from the word go that their ‘SYNK: HYPER LINE’ tour is at the front of their minds. Currently wrapping up a lengthy Asian leg, impressing their fans – or MYs as the official name – is paramount. “I think many fans may have high expectations, so we’ve been preparing a lot to live up to them,” says GISELLE, the most fluent English speaker of the four. “I hope they look forward to what we’ve been working on! It’s nervewracking and worrying as we plan to show new stages during our tour. It’ll be a special time spent solely with MYs, so I want to enjoy our moment together. If there is anyone in the audience who is listening to our songs for the first time, I hope they become our fans after the concert and leave the show with aespa in their hearts.” For most K-pop groups, their global tours are years in the making. Of course, the growing popularity of the genre in the West has helped newer groups tick off their bucket lists faster than ever before, but few have achieved what aespa have in such a short space of time. Their knockout debut, ‘Black Mamba’, put them on the
map, garnering 21 million views in just 24 hours, hitting the highest view count in the shortest amount of time for a group’s debut. They’ve since gone on to become the first K-pop girl group to perform on Coachella’s main stage at Governors Ball and Outside Lands festival; come September, they’ll be the third K-pop girl group to headline London’s O2 Arena, following superstars BLACKPINK and TWICE. “It’s been about three years since our debut, and although it has felt like a busy journey, we’ve been lucky to have had so many people love and enjoy our music,” says NINGNING. WINTER adds, “There was a time after our debut when we could only meet our fans online, but even then, we were grateful for their interest and support. There are aespa’s milestones that still feel surreal to me, and I believe it’s a result we’ve achieved together with our fans.” aespa aren’t taking any of their success for granted, though. Throughout our chat, they consistently express their gratitude towards the fanbase that has helped them grow. Only in their early twenties – KARINA the eldest at 23, NINGNING the youngest at 20, GISELLE and WINTER both 22 – they aren’t much older than most of their supporters and have achieved a hell of a lot. “Many moments come to my mind, but personally, I’m so proud that we’ve become the first international artist to perform at Tokyo Dome in the shortest period soon after debut,” says GISELLE, who’s half-Japanese, and playing the enormous venue in her birth country has clearly struck a chord with her. “The moment we were invited to the Cannes Film Festival and walked the red carpet as the first-ever K-pop group was the proudest moment for me,” says NINGNING. “It was like a
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dream because I could not believe that we were attending such a prestigious international film festival. Being with world-renowned stars was truly an honour.” “I also have many memorable moments, but breaking the firstweek sales record among K-pop girl groups with ‘MY WORLD’ makes me proud,” says WINTER, flexing their fan devotion. “I think repaying fans with great performances and music is most important because I know that these achievements did not come easy, so we’ll continue to work hard to make more proud moments.” The elaborate group concept, accompanied by a Marvel-esque YouTube series that expands on the stories told in the songs, follows fictionalised versions of the girls as they battle with a virus named BLACK MAMBA that’s threatening the online platform they use to connect with their aes (idealised avatars of the members), immediately set them apart from their peers. It’s quite a lot to grasp, even for the most diligent K-pop followers, but thankfully you won’t need a degree in it to enjoy the bangers, which have so far been quite the standout on their own. “When I first heard about the concept, I was curious and intrigued by the idea of trying something that no one had attempted before,” says KARINA. “I wondered how it would unfold and develop in the long run. It was unfamiliar at the time, but we’ve since worked together to build the concepts into aespa’s distinct image and concept.” aespa were the first K-pop group to properly embrace the hyperpop genre too. Although their company, SM Entertainment, is no stranger to experimental soundscapes and concepts, having played host to boy group NCT’s polarising signature sound and the iconic Girls Generation’s K-pop ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ of ‘I Got A Boy’, but with aespa, it was quite literally next level. Their second single, ‘Next Level’ divided opinions over its mid-track beat switch-up but ultimately came out on top when it went viral. ‘Savage’, the lead track from their debut EP, brought in SOPHIE-lite thwacks, clanks and wobbles in place of drums; it took a little convincing, even for the girls themselves. “At first, it wasn’t a genre I enjoyed listening to!” says NINGNING, surprisingly, as her playlist includes experimental artists like Grimes and Shygirl. “Although I was not a fan of hyperpop, I think the genre blends with aespa’s style extremely well, and it has now become one of my favourites. I believe our own take on hyperpop has evolved naturally along the way as the sound was able to really harmoniously mould with our identity and complement our concept.” KARINA agrees, adding, “I feel the same way. While I wasn’t initially a big
“WE’VE BEEN LUCKY TO HAVE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE LOVE AND ENJOY OUR MUSIC” NINGNING fan of this genre, witnessing the love from the fans who embraced it filled me with pride and joy, so in time, it naturally has grown on me as well. As we mature and delve deeper into the genre, it feels like hyperpop has now become seamlessly integrated into aespa’s style.” Their story begins at ‘Black Mamba’, which introduces the girls and the titular villain, and follows their battle through follow-up singles ‘Next Level’ and ‘Savage’, before defeating the villain in ‘Girls’. The first phase of their story was sonically striking thanks to its heavy electronic instrumentals and the girls’ powerhouse vocals and attitudeladen talk-rap verses. “We anticipated that it would take some time for the public to fully grasp our concept as we were the first group to combine idols and AI avatars,” GISELLE says. “It was personally very challenging yet exciting to deliver our unique visual elements and music to
the audience in an unprecedented way.” NINGNING adds, “I think the concept is at the core of aespa’s identity. I think it’s good to have a clear identity that makes us stand out and be distinctive. Although it was something different, that freshness has allowed us to differentiate ourselves.” The concept naturally thrived online. Where the pandemic and inability to connect with an audience in person may have hindered some artists, aespa leaned into it. An online debut performance meant the ae-aespa avatars could appear on stage with the real girls, intricate camera work enhanced ‘Savage’’s already swirling dynamism, some choreography, like the ‘Girls’ chorus, worked perfectly with TikTok’s zoom filter. When it came to bringing it to life in person, the audiences were big, and expectations high. “I was so nervous that I couldn’t sleep well the night before our first
Seoul concert,” says KARINA. “It was a rollercoaster since I’d be worried about whether we’d be able to meet the fans’ expectations one minute and get excited about performing for our fans the next. Nevertheless, I was happy that we were able to show what we have prepared and planned, and we were so thrilled that the fans enjoyed it as much as we did.” “The expectations that we had of ourselves were naturally high,” says GISELLE. “I believe that the more we performed, the more we gained more experience to show more presence on stage. Since it was our first Seoul concert, there might have been things we felt could have been better, but we will always continue to bring better performances and music than our last.” Despite the nervousness, the girls were still excited to finally perform in front of fans live, with each of them describing the experience as a dream come true, WINTER particularly READDORK.COM 41.
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wishing it could’ve been this way all along. “I worked hard to learn how to play the electric guitar for the concert, and I just couldn’t wait to show a new side of me,” she says, referring to the solo she performs in opener ‘Girls’. “It was such a thrill that I got to play an instrument on stage, which is why the concerts during the tour can be so nerve-racking and fun at the same time for me!” “ We s h o w c a s e d o u r s o l o performances and performed b-sides from ‘MY WORLD’ for the first time at the concert,” adds NINGNING. “We thought about how we could surprise our fans and also wondered how many fans would be waiting for us. Once we saw the actual audience, we were so surprised and really grateful that so many people came to see us.” The transition from online to offline was made easier thanks to the second chapter of aespa’s story centring on their move from the virtual world to the real one. Their third EP ‘MY WORLD’ introduced ‘a strange phenomena’, where the girls have returned to their everyday lives, but something isn’t quite right. The single ‘Welcome to MY World’ featured Naevis, the AI they’d worshipped in ‘Savage’, while the overall sound became less intense. Their latest single, ‘Better Things’, follows suit as a breezy summer bop about shaking off an ex. Where aespa’s music was once grounded in its aggression, it isn’t tied down by its storyline. ‘Better Things’ brings out the best of aespa’s vocals and harmonies, which up until now, have been sprinkled throughout their discography in tracks like B-side ‘Thirsty’ and their first English single ‘Life’s Too Short’. The girls say, “Our music and style are continuously evolving, and in that
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"WE WILL ALWAYS CONTINUE TO BRING BETTER PERFORMANCES AND MUSIC THAN OUR LAST" GISELLE
sense, many might have felt that we have taken a different approach in style compared to the ones we have explored before. However, we believe that aespa’s unique identity is still embedded in the music. We hope fans could discover and enjoy having aespa interpreting and presenting new music styles that are unique to aespa rather than having us confined to a single style.” The diversity in the group’s sound is reflected in the girls’ personal tastes, which vary from pop superstars like Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter to indie legends Oasis and the Northern pop-punk of YUNGBLUD, left-field pop stars like Charli XCX and ROSALÍA and the modern R&B of H.E.R.. “Between all of us members, we have quite an eclectic taste in music, and it also really depends on the mood we’re in,” the girls say. “We’re inspired by not only the artists’ concepts and sounds but also how nostalgic sounds from different genres can be mixed together to create something new and interesting. We are constantly inspired by the artists we come across, and it motivates us to keep pushing forward.” When it comes to the artists they’d like to work with, there’s a clear indication they’re pursuing something more organic. “I’ve been a devoted fan of Harry Styles and Jason Mraz for a long time, and I hope to collaborate with them someday,” says WINTER. “Their vocals and performances leave me completely mesmerised, and their stage presence truly blows me away.” “Ever since I was young, I’ve always been a big fan of Travis Barker, and I hold tremendous respect for his drumming skills,” GISELLE says, praising the Blink-182 drummer. “His on-stage performances are just incredible, and I’m speechless watching him on stage. It’s truly inspiring to see how he has this unique ability to
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interpret songs in his distinct style. There’s so much to learn from him, and I hope that I could have that opportunity to work with him to learn.” ‘Better Things’ marks aespa’s third English-language single (the second being ‘Hold On Tight’ featured on the Tetris soundtrack) and was written by British hitmaker Raye (also not their first time working with a Brit, as ‘Life’s Too Short’ was penned by dance legend Becky Hill). The decision to record in English again was prompted by a successful run of festival and TV appearances in the US and will land just in time for the second leg of their global tour, planning to preview it at their LA show on the 13th August. “It’s definitely meaningful that we are able to perform at festivals because we’re introducing our music to audiences who may not be familiar with aespa and our music,” says NINGNING. “In comparison to festivals, concerts feel more like a party, and they feel more intimate because there are MYs who are coming specifically to see us.” “It feels like we’re creating a world of our own through our tours and concerts,” adds KARINA. “It becomes a place where we can perform and showcase our songs directly in front of our fans’ eyes. I hope that we create a memorable concert for our fans since we feel that it’ll become one of the moments that we all will cherish together as we connect with our fans on a deeper level.” UK MYs – 20,000 of them at that – will have the chance to experience the show this September as aespa perform at the O2 Arena in London. One of the final stops on the tour, it’s also one of the biggest. “It’ll only hit us once we’re actually on stage at The O2,” the girls say. “This will be our first time performing in London, so we’re incredibly excited! We still can’t believe that we’ll be taking the stage at such a large venue in the UK.” It’s quite the journey aespa have been on so far. With an ever-evolving discography that can be enjoyed from a distance or pored over if you fancy getting into the lore, they strike the right balance between all levels of the fandom. Embracing change and fearlessly exploring new musical territories has paid off, and then some, aespa are doing everything right as the modern girl group. The futuristic outlook they debuted with has never wavered; literally and sonically, the future of aespa is bright. “We had confidence in our debut album, but we never in a million years expected to receive so much love and attention so fast this early on,” WINTER says. “It has indeed been like a whirlwind, and we can’t believe how fast time has flown by. We’re still processing everything; we know there’s still a lot of room for us to grow. There’s so much more we could do, so please look forward to what’s to come!” ■ aespa’s single ‘Better Things’ is out 18th August. READDORK.COM 43.
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→ SOULFUL MUSIC, rebellious lyrics, and a
phenomenal head of hair – Hozier has long been a household name. Despite billions of streams, hundreds of thousands of tickets sold and a global audience, he’s still keen to mix things up; four years on from his last album, the Irish singer returns with ‘Unreal Unearth’, an epic 16-tracker only broadening the artist’s formidable scope. Where 2019’s ‘Wasteland, Baby!’ toyed with the idea of apocalypse, this record lives in the world of what happens next. Bold artwork depicts gritted teeth only just exposed from beneath a mountain of dirt, a flower tightly clutched between those final human elements; there are a handful of associations that could be made here, but surprisingly the most relevant is 700-year-old poem, Dante’s Divine Comedy. In this tale, “Dante walks through each of the circles of hell and is met in each space with a new voice in the darkness, a new mouth that speaks to him about their strife, trouble and embitteredness,” Hozier recaps. We’re hardly off to an optimistic start, then. “There is stuff here that’s a little bit darker, looks a little closer at things which are uncomfortable to acknowledge,” he explains, “but there’s also an element of intimacy. Much of the record leans into coldness and darkness, but it also remains hopeful; it’s all done with sympathy, and there is this humanity, this balancing of the scales. There’s a connectedness throughout that is the silver lining.” Weaving a record into classic literature is a complex ambition, but not one that Hozier rigidly sticks to because “it’s important that these songs exist away from that.” Instead of tying his own narrative into a journey of entering formidable darkness and coming back into the light, ‘Unreal Unearth’ takes mild inspiration from events that are familiar to us all. “We found ourselves in a moment where things changed; a lot of people were at risk of losing a great deal and had to contend with a great deal of new circumstances,” he recalls of 2020. “Contexts changed; old circumstances maybe didn’t work for us anymore. We all found ourselves out the other side of it... so the Divine Comedy became a device to structure the album as that same journey into something unfamiliar and out the other side.” Leading the album campaign with ‘Francesca’, new colours are immediately explored in terms of production elements as grungy, rocky stylings make an immediate impression. On the other hand, the swagger of recent single ‘De Selby (Part 2)’ contrasts this with pop-fuelled momentum; it seems like the acclaimed
"I FEEL LIKE A DIFFERENT PERSON YEAR ON YEAR" HOZIER singer is pushing his own boundaries further than ever before. Hozier is not burdened by his history, however. “I try not to consider what the expectations are because sometimes the song just has to go where it wants to even while you’re trying to make it,” he shares. “This album sits in various eras and styles and is a little retrospective as well. Each circle, each song feels like it’s something new, something different.” We’re not necessarily entering a new era of the artist’s output, but a revitalised approach is evident. While it is well known that early tracks were demoed in his parents’ attic, this time, a group of professional musicians helped him jam ideas in LA to kick off the writing process with a big and brave backdrop. “It was so freeing to just jam these exciting soundscapes and get into a groove, and as a result, we created a huge amount of work very quickly,” he recalls. “We ended up with a lot of material to play with, and it opened up this new way to begin a song for me. I’d always sat down at an instrument or found something in my head in the past, but to be in a space and just be excited again, especially after the pandemic, was really energising.” The true identity in this discography is the lyric, though, and the political stance that started all the way back with ‘Take Me To Church’ has never once wavered. However, it’s not in service of any greater mission: “I don’t look to do anything other than what interests me. The issues that find their way into the music are ones that I find interesting. It’s what activates or annoys me in my day-to-day, what pisses me off, or what I find interesting and important. Sometimes I would love to keep stuff a little bit more frivolous, a little less concerned;
part of me is envious of music that goes unburdened by certain questions.” One song that probes with many such queries is ‘Butchered Tongue’, which uses the Wexford Rebellion of 1798 as a rather specific lens through which to observe irreparable destruction. “It’s reflecting on the tragedy of cultures who have lost the meaning of their own words,” Hozier explains. “We’re very fortunate in Ireland that we have a solid written history; there’s so much there to be learned and build back from. That’s not always the case in indigenous destinations around the world; there are many people that do not have that luxury. No one can say for certain what these places now mean; there will never be a translator.” Misgivings of our modern world are explored throughout ‘Unreal Unearth’ – ‘Eat Your Young’, in particular, embodies the absolute gluttony of hierarchical capitalism, demonstrating greed and desperation in a story that all too closely mirrors our governmental leadership in 2023. When discussing the idea of change and whether we can learn from past mistakes, Hozier answers that “we all have the capacity. Like anybody, I myself fall into repeating patterns myself, and I’m sure there are things I wish I had learned faster, but I feel like a different person year on year. I feel like a totally different person than I did on the last album, and that is definitely a good thing.” “Do I think we can envision the same for human society as a whole? I’m not that optimistic,” he laughs, “truly. When we talk about the ways in which we cultivate and perpetuate systems of power, you’re stepping far away from conversations of morality, stuff that concerns human experience and the value of human
It’s time to brush up on your 14th-century poetry, as HOZIER takes a tour through Dante’s nine circles of Hell. By Finlay Holden.
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empathy.” There is a brief pause before he highlights a hint of optimism in the rebellion against such systemic organisation. “I see growing signs that people are beginning to recognise that a lot of the systems we have just accepted for a long time don’t really have a long-term viability,” he states. “I’m encouraged to see people work towards greater sustainability, things like that provide much-needed hope.” While some of Hozier’s work can often offer a reassuring squeeze of the hand, the brutality of themes explored on his third album doesn’t always align in that way, and sometimes that is the natural and just way of things. “I wouldn’t say that I even try to be affirming in the work,” he admits, “at times you can’t possibly offer affirmation or any sort of comfort. In a song like ‘Who We Are’, it’s about simply sitting in and accepting that this undeniable terror is part of life on Earth. We bear witness to this experience of life with all of the light and shade; not one thing is ever perfectly terrible or perfectly great.” Be that as it may, we must be reminded that this is a journey through the darkness and back to the light. ‘First Light’ is the last offering on the record, with the protagonist ascending from the ninth and final circle of fell and showing fundamental transformation since the opener, ‘De Selby (Part 1)’. “If that first song is about the internal space you can reflect upon when you’re left alone in quiet and darkness, ‘First Light’ is the opposite of that,” Hozier reflects. “It is seeing the world for the first time. It is this little intimate moment of looking over and sharing a space with somebody else as morning comes. This sense of reconciliation and togetherness became a hopeful ascent to end the album with.” Regardless of the strife and turmoil he so loves to comment on, Andrew Hozier-Byrne emerges with the listener as a revitalised spirit by the end of ‘Unreal Unearth’. Ten years in the game and a world away from his first famous single, his ability to share complex, stunning and wellcrafted material is only heightening. “As time goes on, I absolutely feel more solid on my own two feet and in step with myself as an artist,” he concludes, and the deep scope of this effort provides ample evidence of his assured stride. “I feel more confident in the work that I make and less inclined to second guess what the work has to be, instead just trusting that things are what they are.” ■ Hozier’s album ‘Unreal Unearth’ is out 18th August.
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WILLIE J HEALEY
Three albums in, and WILLIE J HEALEY is embracing his “funky and weird” side with ‘Bunny’. By Steven Loftin. Photography by Jennifer McCord.
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→ INDIE UPSTART WILLIE J HEALEY is
finally, properly, listening to himself. Over the six years since his 2017 debut, ‘People And Their Dogs’, he has been toiling away. Though releasing its follow-up, ‘Twin Heavy’, in 2020, plotting his course hasn’t always been easy going. Between the world shutting down and then trying to pick up steam again, he’s been diligently scribbling away, and for that, 2023 is the year Willie J Healey comes out firing on all cylinders. After stints supporting the likes of Florence + The Machine and Arctic Monkeys, with his upcoming third album ‘Bunny’ in tow, the ambition sparkles brighter than ever. ‘Bunny’’s beginnings came courtesy of one Jamie T. Loaning Willie a drum machine played a big part in the album’s sound shift from his earlier acoustic-led indie. Now, he’s toting a funky, silky-smooth groove. It’s as lusciously decadent as a bar of Galaxy in the hot sun. Hi Willie. How is album three and growing into this moment treating you? From where I’m sitting, it feels like a very gradual thing. I haven’t taken the world by storm overnight; I’ve been at it a bit for a while now. I’m getting a feeling, which means nothing, but that things are accelerating in terms of more people seeing me, and bigger tours; more people seem to be engaged with what I’m doing. It’s like, I know, you can’t write this down, but if it were a graph, it would be like this and, and then that [Willie motions up and down]. And I think it depends on what day of the week it is, because I think you could ask me tomorrow, and I’d think everything feels exactly the same. Then you could ask me the next day, and I’d be like, everything feels like it’s really
moving nicely. What was your approach going into ‘Bunny’? I feel like I have a lot to prove still, and that I want to prove not just to people, but to myself. In this album, I just took everything that I had dipped my toe into before and really went for it and was really myself on it. From my experience, you never know what’s gonna happen, so the more albums I do, the more grateful I am to be doing them. This time around, I was writing this album - and it’s kind of funky and weird - the demos are strange and self-indulgent because when I wrote them, I just stuck to my guns more than ever musically. It’s scary and feels like deep water to me because it’s quite different to what I’ve done before. I sent some demos to the label, and they’re such an amazing, supportive label, but I could sense that people are a bit like, ‘What is this that he’s sent us?’ But I just embraced that this time around and was taking this risk. I don’t know how it’s gonna turn out. I let go more than on any of the other albums I’ve done. This one has a bit of a sonic shift; what was the starting point for that? One album goes out, and then you’ve got a year or two of writing that goes into the next one, and during that time, people change; wear different jeans, watch different films and listen to different music. For me, it didn’t feel like so much of a jump. I was starting to listen to this music, and I started to collaborate with musicians on the last album in a way that was leading me to make these types of recordings with the same producer. Twin Heavy, my last album, it sounds kind of different [to that], and songs are a bit
"I HAVE A LOT TO PROVE STILL - NOT JUST TO PEOPLE, BUT TO MYSELF" WILLIE J HEALEY
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WILLIE J HEALEY
" J A M I E T AND I F O U N D A LOT OF COMFORT IN BEING ABLE TO C H A T A B O U T ANY THING" WILLIE J HEALEY
different, but actually, I can see a lot of where we started with that one ended up where we are with this one. That all lends itself to the through line always being you, no matter the sound. Yes, you can’t really escape yourself. I can lean into stuff, but I have certain strengths and weaknesses that make me me, and they don’t go away. All of a sudden, I might go, ‘I want to play funky music’, and I think that’s quite nice. Some of my favourite artists that make these albums and maybe are a bit different or a bit left-field compared to the ones they have done before. But still, Paul McCartney is still Paul McCartney. Being a solo artist must make that easier, knowing you can follow your whims. You are left to your imagination, and the way you work, especially with recording things, is quite malleable. I haven’t been in a band for a very long time. But I would imagine it’s if I want to do a funky album, well, then everybody’s got to learn how to play a certain way. Whereas, my experience is that I want to do a funky album, well, my producer just goes, ‘I know this guy that’s really funky. He can come and help us’. You’re a lot more free in that in that way. Jamie T features on the album, who you’ve also supported. He also played a big part in ‘Bunny’; how is it having him as a confidant who is in a similar, solo situation?
It’s been lovely, just on a level as a genuine fan, yet somehow being a part of his life and his friendship with him. We are in a similar boat, and I think it can feel slightly lonely at times to be solo because when you’re not touring, if you’re writing music for the most part, you’re writing it on your own and doing a lot of stuff on your own; it’s quite solitary. I think Jamie and I found a lot of comfort in being able to chat about anything. I don’t know many other people I can call on a Tuesday morning at 10 o’clock who are also stressed about a song they can’t finish. Everyone else is at work, or everyone else is doing something fun. Or if I haven’t done much of it and Jamie sends me a demo inspires me. It sounds like you’re always cooking then, so have you started on album four? Yeah, I haven’t recorded it with a producer yet. But I’m writing all the time. I probably have an album’s worth of songs - make hay while the sun is shining! Is it quite different again? Yeah, I finished ‘Bunny’ over a year ago now, but you have all that time in between. I’ve definitely written five or six songs that sound more like the ones on ‘Bunny’. But going back to what we said earlier, it probably will be a bit different because I can’t escape myself too greatly. ■ Willie J Healey’s album ‘Bunny’ is out 25th August. READDORK.COM 49.
HOT 50. DORK
STUFF JUNGLE
With their new album ‘Volcano’ and a coveted headline spot at All Points East, this is the year London producer duo JUNGLE erupt. By Finlay Holden. Photography by Arthur Williams
→ Believe it or not, J Lloyd and Tom
"WHY LIMIT YOURSELF TO A GENRE? AS LONG AS IT SOUNDS GOOD, IT’S GOING ON THE RECORD"
McFarland have now been working together under the Jungle moniker for a decade. Having dropped their eponymous debut record in 2014 and following it up with ‘For Ever’ four years later, the electronic duo were already flying high, soaring above the field. Their third effort, ‘Loving In Stereo’, set a whole new wheel in motion, and that energy hasn’t stopped spinning since, setting global bests, hitting Number 3 in the UK and landing the pair support slots alongside household names like Billie Eilish. The game and Jungle’s place within it has never stood still for long. “It’s so hard to have any sort of perspective on these things,” Tom admits, struggling to summarise a ten-year journey in a few sentences but focusing on the latter of those as the most significant. “We definitely noticed that the third record connected more with people on a wider scale, and I think that’s reflective of what the music is and what we’re capable of delivering now. We’re in a place where we’re so confident with what we do, why we do it self-consciousness, no second guessing. much more electronic. The live shows are and how we do it, and that naturally has a That attitude shows in this album a lot. We going to start reflecting that; it’s really knock-on effect.” were starting to get somewhere with that exciting. We’re going to be able to achieve That comfort and assuredness resulted concept and mindset already, but ‘Volcano’ what we’ve always wanted to in that live in some dramatic creative choices; although really does feel like the cornerstone of that environment but haven’t previously had the off-white artwork of that last effort new vision.” the material to achieve it with.” revealed little, the world within bloomed With innovative choices and sparkling While listening through the new with luxurious auras, first-time guest ideas spinning around their heads, Jungle discography additions, it’s easy to see how appearances and a wondrous mash-up of didn’t hesitate to expunge all their diverse a space the band’s setlist is rapidly sonic styles. Opening the vibrant gates of excitement out into the world and quickly expanding into; you’ve got Brazilian club ‘Loving In Stereo’’s successor and Jungle’s compress that sizzling energy into a dense tracks (‘Coming Back’), soul ballads (‘Good fourth LP ‘Volcano’, it is immediately 14-tracker. “We got all the jigsaw pieces out At Breaking Hearts’), classic disco (‘Palm obvious that the duo’s brave approach has on the table and started to work out which Trees’) and hip-hop tinged cuts (‘I’ve Been only continued to unlock new pathways for ones fit together, which ones needed a bit In Love’, ‘Pretty Little Thing’) standing sidethe band. more painting,” Tom recalls. “It was a simple by-side. As Tom aptly proposes, “Why limit Although it’s hard to maintain an objective point of view on such an process because we had so much clarity in yourself to a genre? For us, as long as it unexplainable phenomenon as success, the our vision that when we were asking the sounds good, it’s going on the record. There guys find it much easier to reflect on their tough questions, we’d immediately know should never be any limitation as to what own personal evolution. “We were definitely the answers. We knew how to make each we can or can’t have on the album; that’s more nervous about everything, less track more finished and presentable to put walls up around you and will impact confident in ourselves and our own creative an audience. There was a lot less thinking, the creativity negatively. You should be ability; now we’re in a place where we’re basically, and that’s been a massive weight able to create anything you want without apologising for it.” so happy with what we do, and it seems off our minds.” Part of that ease might come from Now that Jungle are less self-conscious, to come to us much easier,” Tom explains. “When you’re younger and more naïve, you a focus shift from gospels and organic they’re also better equipped to embrace feel like you need to apologise for yourself instrumentation to self-created samples, the voices of others; their last record may a lot for some reason. It’s something to do darting between distorted textures and have featured the first guest appearance, with society, but being English never helps; upping the ante with their electronics – all but almost half of this new album benefits we’re always saying sorry for no apparent of this goes hand-in-hand with their live from the vocal contributions of various stars. “Working with other people is reason. There was something mildly experiences, too. “We’d been DJing a lot more, and eye-opening, educational even. We’ve apologetic about what we were doing - we were trying not to offend anyone, and it left naturally, we’d been exposed to a lot more always wanted to provide a platform for us stuck in this limbo land of toeing the line dance music,” he recalls of ‘Volcano’’s other people’s creativity.” These things inception. “Going to clubs was something I are easier said than done, but only when and not ruffling feathers. “ “We’re mature now, a bit longer in did before I went to gigs, so making tunes you witness the original motion picture the tooth,” he jokes, “and life’s too short, that are cut up and sampled feels like a paired with the ‘Volcano’ tracklist can you so fuck it. Go and make music that is natural state of being. We’re creating and appreciate the artistry enabled by these surprising and decisions that are bold both writing the loops, which we then mash up two guys from London. creatively and in life in general. No fear, no into our own songs, but the process feels That is exactly what the band strive to
TOM MCFARLAND
remain; just two blokes messing around with sounds to find something fresh. Jungle was initiated as an escape from ego, and, despite being able to headline events like All Points East, the duo remain mostly anonymous – and they love it. “Ultimately, the only thing we can present to people is the music, the art, the performance,” Tom shares. “That’s really freeing; we’re not having to waste our time engaging people in a way we’re not comfortable with. We know deep down as people, we don’t want to be cover stars or the face of anything; we just love sitting behind a computer and making music together - that’s it for us.” Although they may be less inclined to respond to event invites and public appearances, one email Jungle couldn’t resist was the opportunity to rework Taylor Swift’s material. “Remixing other people’s stuff is always exciting because you get a glimpse into their creative process, you get to see the bones of their work. With pop stuff, you’ve got to appreciate how wellmade and well-written it is. Taylor is at the top of her game, so being able to dig into that a little bit as producers and creators was certainly intriguing. Plus, we got to piss off some Swifties.” Jokes aside, Jungle aren’t at all afraid of a mainstream fan base, but they want to get there in the right way, not by forcing their sound into other people’s hands but by creating a world for those who follow the journey. Relating his own chance discovery of Tame Impala through their artwork alone, Tom relays a view of creation that stands against social media trends. “The weird catch-22 of the world at the moment is that the way art is given to people is dictated by the assumption that people’s attention spans have shrunk – I think it’s completely the opposite. If you give someone something ambitious that they can digest over a long period of time, they will form a much deeper emotional attachment to it. If you allow someone to unearth something naturally rather than forcing it down their throat, again, it creates a stronger bond.” Fans will forever keep discovering new stops on the Jungle journey, with ‘Volcano’ certainly manifesting the band’s upbeat dance era – but what comes next? As Tom concludes: “Our next album could be heavily electronic, or it could be complete minimalism, who fucking knows, but that’s the main thing that keeps us doing it, that’s why I get out of bed every morning – you don’t know what’s going to happen, you don’t know what you’re gonna create. We’re in a place where we can do anything we fucking want, and as long as it sounds good, it’s going to be released into the world.” ■ Jungle’s album ‘Volcano’ is out now.
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SUP FEATURES
silly, which matches the cover art Claud’s debut album, 2021’s more. If we’re comparing it to a idiosyncratic and endearingly supermodel, then this is more put bedroom pop-ish ‘Super together.” Ever since they emerged Monster’, features a bright and super fun cartoon picture, straight from their bedroom bold and exuberant but not making quirky indie pop in the giving too much away. In direct late 2010s, it’s been clear that contrast stands the image Claud is a significant songwriting accompanying their second talent. Their music is tinged with album, ‘Supermodels’. Stark and just the right amount of emotional up close, it’s a full-colour picture heft, melodic sensibility and of the artist against a plain white personal resonance to make them backdrop, looking incredible. an instantly relatable figure to a As a marker for the big leap new generation of youth eager Claud is undertaking on their to reject any established norms accomplished and richly detailed of ‘this is how you need to be a pop star’. For Claud, though, the follow-up, it’s illuminating. “I get embarrassed less and challenge has always been finding less as I get older,” they explain. deeper meaning within their own “I used to get embarrassed all the thoughts and feelings, and it time, and now I’m like nothing drives ‘Supermodels’ to take their phases me. They are completely artistry to a new level. “I’ve been doing a lot of opposite covers. I was really ready to try something new and reflection and re-reading through show something different. Not a lot of old journal entries,” they that there are any connecting explain. “My albums are a marker stories in the album, but I see of time in myself. I have songs ‘Supermodels’ as a sequel to on ‘Super Monster’ about being ‘Supermonster’ or like an older guarded and being unable to be brother. A little more clean, a vulnerable with people in my life. little more polished and a little That leads to having a difficult more straightforward. ‘Super time being vulnerable with my Monster’ is fizzy and young and songwriting. That really shifted → THE COVER ARTWORK for
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in the last couple of years. It had a lot to do with being more honest with myself. After I put out the song ‘Tommy’, it felt like a really vulnerable song, but it was received with open arms by the people who listen to my music. I felt a lot more comfortable being vulnerable in my writing after that. This record is really honest. It doesn’t reveal anything I’m uncomfortable revealing, but it is a deeper dive into my thoughts and life.” Reflecting on their first album and the whirlwind of attention that comes with both virality and trying to navigate being an actual working artist, Claud reminisces about the naivety of those earliest songwriting days. “I really admire the person who wrote that album,” they laugh. “My 19 and 20-yearold self. I really admire them because it was so earnest, and even two years later, I have so much more life experience. This person didn’t know what was coming to them.” What was coming to them was a burst of interest and passion around the world as people discovered and fell in love with Claud’s music. People like Phoebe
PER CLAUD
With new album ‘Supermodels’, CLAUD is taking flight. By Martyn Young
"I WANTED TO TRY AND FIND HUMOUR AND LIGHT IN SOME OF THE HARDER SITUATIONS" CLAUD Bridgers, who made Claud the first signing to her Saddest Factory record label, and people like Paramore, who have just taken Claud out on the road in the US where they got the chance to try out some of ‘Supermodels’’ rockier and harder-edged material in front of huge audiences.
Rather than be daunted by the increased interest, Claud used it to fuel a renewed focus on their writing. “I wanted to dig deeper. A lot of the album was written in private, whereas a lot of ‘Supermonster’ was written collaboratively. I was able to be more honest and real with
myself,” they say. “I think there’s way I feel”. It’s us, and it’s always songs that went down a storm a lot of humour in the record, been us, and this is how it has to at the Paramore shows was too,” they continue. “Once you’re be. I called it ‘Paul Rudd’ because album highlight ‘A Good Thing’. It real with yourself, you just have I imagined myself as a Paul Rudd- became a key song to encapsulate to laugh about it. Laugh at the like character that he’d play.” the whole record. “A lot of the ridiculousness of it. I didn’t want Are there any other famous album is me contemplating and to dwell on things, and I wanted people they might like to name wondering if I messed up or to try and find humour and light a song after? “Maybe Ice Spice,” regretting stuff and wanting to in some of the harder situations.” they laugh. “I have a crush on Ice go back in time,” they reflect. “’A It definitely takes humour to Spice. How could you not?” Good Thing’ is, y’know what, just name a song on the album ‘Paul Ice Spice, if you fancy a pivot leave it alone. It’s fine; everything’s Rudd’. In case you don’t know, into more of a rock lane, then going to be alright. Take a deep Paul Rudd is a funny man. A Claud might be your person. breath and leave it alone.” It’s sometimes a cliche to say very famous funny man. A very There’s certainly more of an handsome, famous, funny man. expansive, wide-ranging quality a second album is a step forward Using humour as an entry point to ‘Supermodels’ that saw Claud for an artist, but in Claud’s case, to perhaps their sweetest and embracing a side of themselves it feels real and profound. It’s the most lovely song yet, Claud’s ‘Paul that hadn’t always been obvious thrilling feeling of an artist truly Rudd’ is a beautiful thing. “I love to in their older music. A palpable taking flight. “I’m really proud talk about this song,” they laugh. sense of direct confidence. that I produced a big chunk of the “I wrote this song last winter. “I wanted to make an album that album myself,” they beam happily. Paul Rudd has been one of my felt like it could be sung in a coffee “There’s a newfound confidence favourite actors for a long time. If shop but also in a stadium,” they that I didn’t have before. If I were to start acting, I’d want to say. “I wanted something intimate ‘Supermodels’ is an extension of be like him. He brings such ease but a big statement at the same ‘Super Monster’, it’s a big step in and comfort to the screen. I was time. After picking all the songs, terms of finding my voice more. watching a ton of rom-coms at the I realised a lot of the songs are Even as I’m writing more music time, mostly with him in it. This is rock-esque. I listen to a lot of rock now, the things I learned from one of the songs on the album music and a lot of indie rock, and making this record are really that I completely did myself from in the past, I never really made informing my life and my writing start to finish. I wanted to capture music that was super guitar heavy and everything going forward. I that rom-com guy gets the girl at or indie, but now I feel like I’ve feel like I unlocked a new part of the end of the movie feeling. The leaned into it more in a cool way.” my artistry.” ■ Claud’s album lyrics are “The way I feel is just the One of the heavier-leaning ‘Supermodels’ is out now.
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INCOMING. THE NEW RELEASES YOU NEED TO KNOW
WHAT DO THE SCORES MEAN? ★ Rubbish ★★ Not Great ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Amazing
Willie J Healey Bunny
★★★★
→ Willie J Healey has always been a remarkable talent - his first two bodies of work, ‘People and Their Dogs’ and ‘Twin Heavy’, are testament to that - but there’s an undeniable charm to ‘Bunny’. Timeless, radiating warmth, and actually quite funky, it’s not just smooth, but drenched in rich, opulent vibes. From the brighteyed ‘Woke Up Smiling’ to the Jamie T collaboration ‘Thank You’ (which boasts an enunciation of the word ‘bus’ by its guest star that even Alex Turner would applaud), there’s a consistent high quality throughout. In an era where fleeting 30-second TikTok snippets dominate the musical landscape, it’s refreshing to discover an album so deeply devoted to its artistry rather than looking for a hook. Even its standout moment - the fantastic ‘Sure Feels Good’ - feels like a lost classic, transported from a simpler time. A record to stick on and bliss out to, Willie’s never had more style. DAN HARRISON
Genesis Owusu Struggler
★★★★★
Reneé Rapp Snow Angel
★★★★
→ Oh, so you’re an actor who dabbles in music, are you? Or perhaps a musician with a flair for acting? We’ve seen plenty of those. What’s so special about you, huh,
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Reneé Rapp? Well, quite a lot, as it turns out! Within the first few beats of the opener ‘Talk Too Much’, it becomes evident that ‘Snow Angel’ isn’t merely a vanity project or a superficial brand addition. Instead, it’s a record that bites back with genuine fervour. Raspy, rambunctious, and seamlessly blending both vulnerability and strength, it firmly establishes the tone, marking Rapp as an undeniable force to be reckoned with. The album’s mood may ebb and flow - transitioning from the
tropical undertones of ‘Poison Poison’ to the sassy, confident strides of ‘So What Now’ - but there’s a palpable authenticity to ‘Snow Angel’ that distinguishes it from the pack. It’s a deeply personal record that wears its journey with pride, showcasing a raw, unflinching honesty at every turn. ‘The Wedding Song’ delivers verses laden with plucked strings reminiscent of Panic! At The Disco’s iconic ‘I Write Sins...’ before erupting into a powerful, anthemic chorus, while ’Pretty Girls’ is a shimmering, high-definition megabop that even Carly Rae Jepsen
would approve of. It’s the album’s title-track that really stuns, though. A pianodriven slow-burner, it goes from heart-wrenching and crystal-sharp to a brash, bombastic hymn of defiance. “I tried so hard, I came so far,” Rapp asserts. Holding nothing back, it’s the perfect representation of both an artist and an album that puts real substance behind the shine. Reflective, audacious, deeply emotional, and relatable with it, Reneé’s got nothing left to prove. Clear a space in the A-list, Reneé Rapp has arrived. ALEX INGLE
→ If variety is the spice of life, Genesis Owusu remains a hot property. Second album ‘STRUGGLER’ takes inspiration from a close friend hitting the brink and coming out the other side, focused through the prism of questions prompted through readings of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Weighty stuff, then. Operating on a plane that’s willing to query the big stuff, it’s no surprise that the swings hit for the stands. What’s remarkable is how consistently they score with it. With a core identity that holds firm, a whole spectrum of mood lighting illuminates a remarkable talent. ‘Old Man’ runs a dark, synthy gauntlet, while ‘See Ya There’ offers up the other side of the coin, blissed out and soulful. ‘Balthazar’ is full-on stompy, rompy post-punk, hitting the beat hard, a counter point to ‘The Roach’ and its hypnotic undertones and piercing verses. ‘STRUGGLER’ is a triumph. DAN HARRISON
INCOMING
Miso Extra
Enola Gay
★★★★
★★★★
The Band CAMINO
The Hives
★★★
★★★★
MSG EP
Casement EP
→ Miso Extra’s music exists in a delicious world all of her own as she channels idiosyncratic lyrics and off kilter sounds into a supremely satisfying concoction. The ‘Misoverse’ is a beautiful thing. It all sounds so breezy and so very easy. There is a real step up though with more inventive sounds and an even more playful attitude as she develops both as a producer and as an all round pop maverick. The delights on her latest EP ‘MSG’ are plentiful but more insidious in how the bubbling funky grooves ‘Space Junk’ gently hypnotize you while a song like the simmering ‘Wise’ has an easy coolness to it. This is music to get lost in. A complete joy. MARTYN YOUNG
→ If debut EP ‘Gransha’ was a crash course in all that we thought we knew about Belfast’s Enola Gay, ‘Casement’ represents a complete reimagining of these exciting noise punks. The first half is traditional punk; perilous and impatient, the band give you no choice but to sit up and listen. What comes next is, at the very least, unexpected - the rage of the first half making way for a sense of resignation. Nothing short of audacious, ‘Casement’ punches you repeatedly in the face before stitching up the wounds and running you a hot bath. Confident and composed, snarling yet shimmering, this is punk dragged kicking and screaming into 2023. CIARAN PICKER
The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
The Dark
→ Produced with razor-sharp precision, The Band CAMINO have returned with their second album ‘The Dark’. With palpable excitement and spirit shaping each track, themes of love, relationships and intimacy persist throughout. Staying true to their style but with added refinement, Spencer Stewart’s soft yet punchy vocals are loaded with emotion. Despite some tracks like ‘Afraid Of The Dark’ and ‘Novocaine’ feeling marginally formulaic, standouts like ‘What Am I Missing’ and ‘Let It Happen’ create electrifying retellings of familiar angst, taking the band’s pop-rock sound to the next level. EMMA QUIN
Jungle Volcano
★★★★
→ As we arrive at the height of summer, there couldn’t be a more appropriate time for Jungle, the London producer duo whose sound feels like the sonic form of sunshine, to release their fourth album. Two
years on from previous cut ‘Loving In Stereo’, a landmark record which saw their highest domestic chart position at Number 3, it appears that with the coming of ‘Volcano’, the disco glitterball shimmers even brighter. As opener ‘Us Against the World’’s melodic bassline starts to groove, the sound of a cold beer cracking open can almost be heard in the distance. Warmth radiates from the soulful beats of harmony-filled ‘Back On 72’, while ‘You Ain’t No Celebrity’ is a much bassier, club-oriented track. The disco ball spins most vibrantly during ‘Don’t Play’ -
within which the fusion of 70s funk, hip-hop and soul can be heard in force, and ‘Holding On’ is unique with its fast-paced backbeat and spoken-word vocals. Each track offers something different, creating a listening experience both exciting and unpredictable. If there’s one thing a Jungle record is going to do, it’s make you feel good - and ‘Volcano’ is no exception. As laidback ‘Pretty Little Thing’ featuring Bas brings the album to a joyful yet sentimental close, one is left with the feeling that the project is, indeed, a summer success. REBECCA KESTEVEN
→ 11 years without a fulllength, and you’d perhaps expect most musicians to be out of the loop; not The Hives, though. Their new album ‘The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons’ sees them take on a slightly more ghoulish theme as the record explores what became of the band’s imaginary sixth member, founder and mentor Randy Fitzsimmons. With a whole backstory to it, including the discovery of a burial site that contained not remains but rather some demo tapes, new suits and an inscription of the album’s title. It’s certainly a dramatic way of coming up with a new era, but The Hives know exactly how to please. MINTY SLATER MEARNS
Bloxx
MAY-A
Hozier
Tribes
Hot Milk
★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
★★★
★★★★★
Modern Day EP → Since the release of their debut single in 2016, Londonbased Bloxx have been all about making catchy indie-pop tunes with a lot of meaning behind them. Their latest EP ‘Modern Day’ is perhaps their most relatable body of work to date. Put together at the end of lockdown and through 2022, lead singer Fee Booth bares all and leaves no stone unturned.’Weight in Gold’ is about not knowing your own self worth, while ‘Television Promises’ sounds upbeat until you really listen to its lyrics, and ‘Runaway’ feels like classic BLOXX. With ‘Modern Day’, they prove that indie-pop is very much still alive with creative sparkle. MINTY SLATER MEARNS
Analysis Paralysis EP → ‘Analysis Paralysis’, the new EP from breakout Aussie artist MAY-A, brings together a dreamy medley of indie pop, bitter heartbreak and familiar coming-ofage warm and fuzzies. With a clear evolution in sound, it draws influence from titans like Paramore and The Smashing Pumpkins, each track packing a powerful punch with a shoegazey feel. Focusing on themes of love and relationship breakdown, she builds a story of an intoxicating yet destructive relationship. Songs like ‘ifyoulikeitlikethat’ and ‘Guilty Conscience’ epitomise this, with a rich emotional pull. Fresh and exciting, MAY-A encapsulates the euphoric highs and lows of being young and in love. EMMA QUIN
Unreal Unearth → Immersive from the offset, Hozier’s latest offering is every bit as beautiful as you’d expect. Creating a listening experience akin to taking a warm bath, the Irish crooner offers comfort from the world. Bringing big and bold anthems, flawless production sees simple riffs ring loud as Hozier’s larger-than-life vocals take centre stage. Choral accompaniment accents his almighty anthems, contrasting with beautifully subtle guitar licks. From the danceable ‘Eat Your Young’ to the all-encompassing ‘Francesca’, ‘Unreal Unearth’ features some of his most soulful work to date, oozing with charm and catharsis. MELISSA DARRAGH
Rabbit Head → With ‘Rabbit Head’, Tribes have gone back to basics. The Americana experiments of ‘Wish to Scream’, which precipitated their split a decade ago, have largely been ditched in favour of revisiting the brash indie-rock of their early releases. ‘It’s All Borrowed’ harks back to their early Pixies-worship, while ‘Catwalk’ keeps up the pace with a hooky chorus, and ‘Medicine’ is a ramshackle love letter to a group of friends “still chasing the sound”. The biggest left turns are ‘Boy’, a loping spoken word state-of-the-nation, and ‘Dressing Gown’ with its epic Led Zepriffage, but largely ‘Rabbit Head’ is a familiar return to the fold. DILLON EASTOE
A Call To The Void → This is a band not afraid to play on the sharp side of the cutting edge. Inspired by the little voice in the back of your head that wonders what it’s like to jump from a tall building, ‘A Call To The Void’ is decidedly darker than Hot Milk’s previous work. Despite this, their cheeky Mancunian wit is still front and centre, allowing them to poke fun at their demons as they navigate modern life. This is pretty much the perfect debut album. It’s a clear statement of intent that still allows them to grow into their new, malevolent sound. Hot Milk are aiming for the top, and if this record is anything to go by, it is well within their reach. CIARAN PICKER
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GET OUT. LIVE MUSIC, FROM THE FRONT
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BLUR GO BIG
GET OUT
Wembley Stadium, London
One of the standout shows for one of our best-ever bands; they’ve still got it. Was there ever any doubt?
Photo: Phoebe Fox
→ “I didn’t expect it would be like this,” Damon Albarn ponders, a few songs into blur’s biggest headline show to date. It’s easy to think that, for a band as culturally significant, two nights at Wembley Stadium is just another appropriately big show, crowning their latest ‘mini-retirement’ comeback. They’ve headlined Glastonbury and multiple Hyde Park extravaganzas – this is almost the norm now, right? If it is, it certainly doesn’t feel it. On hallowed ground, under the arch, where the two twin towers used to stand, there’s magic in the air. It certainly means a lot to them. While anyone suggesting they couldn’t have done similar at the height of their first bash at superstardom might be underselling what a juggernaut blur were, there’s little question that better things come to those who wait. 30 years on from those early days of Britpop, they’re arguably the only one of those major league alumni who feel big enough to pull off a pair of shows like this, while also still creating right at the top of their game. Rather than compare them to their 90s peers, it’s time to start placing them firmly at the top end of the pantheon of the greatest British bands – a conversation that, over time, is becoming more and more favourable to Colchester’s finest export. One thing’s for sure – no other band of their vintage has a songbook suited for a huge London show that comes even close to the majesty of blur’s. Opening with the brash, tense blast of ‘St. Charles Square’ – one of only two nods to their new album ‘The Ballad of Darren’ – what follows is a show rammed to the rafters with genuine moments. ‘There’s No Other Way’, ‘Popscene’, ‘Tracey Jacks’ and ‘Beetlebum’ follow quickly, as blur’s core dynamics crank back into gear like they never went away. Even in their 50s, the archetypes remain. Damon Albarn prowling the stage (and beyond) like a particularly pesky child, Graham Coxon a whirring tornado of chaos, bending his guitar into all manner of shapes and sounds. Alex James is still determined to look cool, calm and mildly aloof at all times, while Dave Rowntree glues them all down long enough to get a song out, one of the most brilliant yet somehow underrated drummers of a generation. It’s not just the raw material that makes tonight feel special. For a stadium show, blur have less of the now-expected ‘fancy shit’ than most would. There’s no runway, no second stage, no pyros. That’s not to say it’s not an impressive show – they have a polar bear with an air siren for a gob – but the character from the band on stage is more potent than any light show. So much so that even songs never intended for stadiums – ‘Trimm Trabb’ might just be the least ‘stadium rock’ number ever performed at the home of English football – work brilliantly. ‘Under The Westway’, getting a first airing in approaching a decade, still sounds like the true standout of blur’s second age, while ‘Country House’ and Damon’s Deerstalker no longer feels like it has the albatross of chart battles past round its neck. That it’s followed by a particularly exuberant Phil Daniels on ‘Parklife’ and an emotional ‘To The End’ is enough to send the audience hoarse. Of course, ‘Song 2’ will always set an crowd off, such is its international fame, while main set closer ‘This Is A Low’ remains the best thing the band have done, Coxon’s wild, goosebumpson-goosebumps solo still sounding like it’s arrived from another planet. The encore, though, is something else entirely. After a first bash through ‘Lot 105’ in almost 30 years – with a Wembley sing-a-long in tow – the jugular is well and truly grasped. ‘Girls & Boys’, ‘For Tomorrow’, and a gigantic ‘Tender’ with the London Community Gospel Choir show the ever-shifting identity that has always kept blur fresh. While recent single ‘The Narcissist’ is yet to reach their iconic heights, it lives comfortably in that kind of company. As closer ‘The Universal’ echoes out, gigantic glitter balls casting Wembley in sparkling starlight, it’s hard to imagine any other band being able to pull a show like this off. “You’re properly mad, you lot, for sticking with us for so long,” Damon exclaims as the masses start approaching the exits. “Why?” He might be asking the question, but from the look on his face throughout, he’s already answered it. One of the standout shows for one of our best-ever bands; they’ve still got it. Was there ever any doubt? ■ STEPHEN ACKROYD
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BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN PROVES HE ISN’T JUST STILL GOING, HE’S STILL GOOD
Hyde Park, London
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→ When Bruce Springsteen last played Hyde Park, he misjudged the curfew so badly he got cut off while dueting with Paul McCartney. That was over a decade ago, but clearly the lesson has been learned, with The Boss’ set billed to start at an eye-wateringly early 7pm to avoid a similar fate this time around. As he steps on stage the whole of Hyde Park erupts with chants of his name. Opener ‘My Love Will Not Let You Down’ is a hint that the setlist has been completely reworked since Thursday’s Hyde Park show, showing he isn’t phoning anything in, even this deep into his career. Each song is as tight as it is on record, even the ones he seemingly dusts off on the spur of the moment. ‘Mary’s Place’, with its repeated refrain “Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain” kicks in just as the heavens open once more, causing Bruce to grin from ear to ear as he looks to the sky. Classics are peppered throughout the set to ensure the energy never flags. ‘Darlington County’ into ‘Working on the Highway’ pair as perfectly (and sound as good) as they did on ‘Born in the USA’ nearly 40 years ago, and if there’s a pause afterwards, it seems more to let the crowd catch their breath than for Bruce’s sake. Recent material also gets an airing, much of which sees The Boss grappling with his age and the mortality of those around him. ‘Ghosts’ and ‘Last Man Standing’, the latter prefaced by an emotional speech about George Theiss, a member of the first band Bruce was
in, are heartbreaking in their melancholy admittance that many of the people he came up with are no longer here. The encore is exactly as bonkers as expected, with ‘Born to Run’ straight into ‘Bobby Jean’ and ‘My Hometown’ showing just what a catalogue Bruce has to draw from, even after he’s already played over 20 tracks. “It’s time to go home,” he says with a grin “…but I don’t wanna!” ‘Dancing in the Dark’ kicks in, and a crowd ranging in age from five to eighty-five all sing their hearts out like it’s their first-ever gig. With a final flourish, the band kick into ‘Twist and Shout’, although McCartney doesn’t make an appearance this time around. A second encore sees Bruce play a solo acoustic rendition of ‘I’ll See You in My Dreams’, before wishing everyone a final farewell. It’s not a perfect night, and the setlist has some notable absences compared to Thursday’s show. Sure, he isn’t going to play all the hits every time, but no ‘Born in the USA’, ‘Thunder Road’, ‘Glory Days’ or ‘Jungleland’? It feels like an odd choice, especially when ‘Kitty’s Back’ is drawn out into an extended jam session. These are minor gripes though, and a reflection of just how many huge hits he has that he can play 30 songs and still not get to half of them. It’d be a fantastic set for a man half his age, but it’s even more incredible to see someone at the peak of their abilities even in their eighth decade. When you buy tickets to see a heritage act you’re normally just happy they’re still going. When you see Bruce Springsteen, the most joyous realisation is that he isn’t just still going, he’s still good. JAKE HAWKES
Photo: Dave Horgan.
→ Lana Del Rey doesn’t really tour. When she does, she’s late, she cancels, or in the case of Glastonbury, she’s cut off. In the week prior to tonight’s show at BST Hyde Park, there was speculation it wouldn’t go ahead at all. None of this has lessened the appetite for a Lana Del Rey show, though. Predictably, she is 20 minutes late to her headline slot tonight, the suspense for her arrival heightened by the ridiculously lengthy entrance of the band members, backing vocalists and dancers one by one; it’s a masterclass in theatricality and a campy double-down on Lana’s ethereal nonchalance. Realistically, Lana has turned out enough material to do her own ‘Eras’ tour at this point. Seven albums in, and the setlist choices are endless, but it just wouldn’t be Lana Del Rey if she did the obvious. Early singles are the ‘hits’ in question, stacked up beside obscure album tracks like ‘Bartender’ from 2019’s ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell!’, ‘Pretty When You Cry’ from 2014’s ‘Ultraviolence’, and fan favourites like ‘Cherry’ from 2017’s ‘Lust For Life’, her cult classic status only strengthened by the fans’ unflappable knowledge of every lyric. While the tour is in support of her recent album ‘Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd’, the set only pulls four tracks from it, instead favouring her earliest material, clocking up six tracks from her breakthrough debut ‘Born To Die’. She knows what the people want, and considering the scarcity of her live performances, there are plenty of fans here who’ve been waiting to hear these tracks live for over a decade. There’s also the continuous theme of age running through both Lana’s latest album and this show. ‘…Ocean Blvd’ laid bare worries about feeling like a shelved singer and internal conflicts about being unmarried in her thirties, and it’s interesting how those feelings are represented here. Playing mostly older material and displaying her early music videos featuring a younger Lana, the current one
sits on the floor and watches them wistfully, suggesting she too misses that era. No longer the mysterious, lovelorn artist that the ‘Born To Die’ visuals represent, when she sings 2013’s ‘Young and Beautiful’, the “I know you will” pleas now seem directed to the fans who’ve stuck by her all this time, rather than the hypothetical men who, if tonight’s additional revelatory lyrics to ‘Chemtrails Over The Country Club’ (“He was born in December and got married while we were still together,” she shades) are anything to go by, would leave her when the fantasy well ran dry. The thing about Lana Del Rey is you either get her or you don’t. The ones who do come out in their droves and revel in the ridiculousness of this show, from moments as simple as taking a drag from her vape as she gets her hair done on stage (a nod to the Glastonbury chaos or an intentional part of the show all along?) to acts as momentous as their God herself walking the front row, every bit of the show is received with wide-eyed wonder. Lana’s stardom is so often shrouded in controversy that her actual talent goes overlooked. But it’s undoubtedly there, tenfold. Behind all the aesthetics – which, BTW, are entirely earnest, never a ‘bit’ – are unmistakable delicate, moody vocals that can (and do, during ‘The Grants’) build into a powerful gospel belt, sincere lyricism merged with a deep dedication to the USA, brave and unconventional sonic landscapes; bizarrely she’s only gotten more popular the further she’s strayed from indie pop norms. That artistic transition is starkly represented in the final tracks tonight, first ‘Did you know there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd’, which sprawls out into a magnificent choir-backed affair, followed by the official introduction to Lana Del Rey, ‘Video Games’, that’s playful, poppier, familiar. Lana’s commitment to existing entirely in her own world is commendable, but it’s the effort she goes to to share that world with the ones who want in that makes her a truly magical artist. ABIGAIL FIRTH
Photo: Dave Hogan.
LANA DEL REY OFFERS A MASTERCLASS IN THEATRICALITY
Hyde Park, London
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THERE MAY BE NO FINER SHOW THAN THE WEEKND’S
London Stadium, London
→ London Stadium is as far from The Weeknd’s humble but iconic beginnings as you can get. Drenched in mystery and underground buzz, those initial mixtapes over a decade ago were a lightning rod for what became the sound of the years to follow. Fast forward, and you have one of the defining figures in modern culture. It’s why tonight, as The Weeknd’s global stadium tour rolls into the capital, there’s a sense of anticipation for how he will exceed expectations. The show feels set up to showcase The Weeknd’s catalogue in the most cinematic of settings. Dancers are clad in uniforms of white, accompanied by flames bursting into the sky to the likes of ‘The Hills’ and the bouncing ‘Can’t Feel My Face’. Sheer pandemonium greets openers ‘Take My Breath’, ‘Sacrifice’ and ‘How Can I Make You Love Me’. It’s a breathless run that thrives on the adrenaline of hit after hit after hit. The broken metropolis the show creates puts us firmly into The Weeknd’s mind, an underbelly of seediness and danger that becomes the biggest show around. ‘Kiss Land’, ‘Often’ and ‘Crew Love’ see singalongs ring throughout the crowd. The Weeknd’s DNA can be
felt across every fibre of the music while still feeling trail-blazing and fresh. More than anything, tonight doesn’t feel like a victory lap with the sole purpose of celebrating how successful he’s become. Last playing in London nearly six years ago, he leaves no stone unturned. Whether it’s ‘I Feel It Coming’, ‘Call Out My Name’, ‘Out Of Time’, ‘Starboy’ or the pounding ‘In Your Eyes’ – it’s a show that manages to generate the visceral energy of a club and translate it into a stadium show. There’s an added dose of something special when early cuts like ‘Wicked Games’, ‘High For This’ and ‘The Morning’ are served up in widescreen joy – a far cry from those early days of blog nods and underground whispers. It stands out as the blockbuster vision of an artist truly in their prime. When it lands, ‘Blinding Lights’ is mayhem – the biggest pop song in recent memory met with a cinematic flair that makes tonight feel more like a movie than a regular gig. From the staging to the setlist, to his command of every person gathered, it is a flawless performance. That he’s done this while refusing to compromise makes it all the more worthy of note. It’s a Hollywood show from an artist who has changed modern culture. JAMIE MUIR
METAL’S NEWEST SUPERSTARS
Photo: Phoebe Fox.
The Roundhouse, London
→ A new wave of heavy music is currently having A Moment. Bring Me The Horizon have headlined both Download and Reading & Leeds while Architects’ stadium support stint with Metallica has been a passing of the heavy torch. Elsewhere Sleep Token’s poptastic take on the genre has swelled beyond their cult status, with the band selling out Wembley Arena, while “satanic” metalheads Ghost are now as comfortable playing before Slipknot as they are Halsey and Blur. At the other end of the scale, buzzy acts like Static Dress, Heriot, Pupil Slicer, Scowl and Militarie Gun are continuing to push the genre forward, bringing a new generation into the world of heavy music. Then there’s Spiritbox who, despite only having one album to their name, already feel like icons of the new order. On Friday night, the Canadian four-piece finish off their very sold-out UK tour with the
second of two shows at London’s Roundhouse. As you’d expect, the impressive show is driven by moments of sheer ferocity. The first pit breaks out before vocalist Courtney LaPlante even takes to the stage for a hammering ‘Rules Of Nine’ while swaggering, unifying metalcore anthem ‘Yellowjackets’ sees the band joined by Architects’ Sam Carter. Then it’s straight into new standalone single ‘The Void’, which is as aggressive as they come and seemingly designed to whip mammoth crowds into an absolute frenzy. From the tightly wound ‘Silk In The Strings’ to the horror-inspired ‘The Mara Effect, Pt 3’, Spiritbox deliver an uncompromising display of fury and brutality. As white confetti covers every inch of London’s Roundhouse and the band launch into one final celebratory breakdown, it’s easy to see why Spiritbox have connected with so many people. But with such ambition behind every moment of their 70-minute set, this feels like the start of something much bigger.
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Photo: Frances Beach.
STANDON CALLING IS A FAMILY-FRIENDLY WEEKENDER THAT CHAMPIONS IT ALL, AS LONG AS IT’S EXCITING
Standon, Hertfordshire
→ Standon Calling is a quirky festival. The Saturday afternoon sees a huge crowd of people decked to the nines in fancy dress trudging through the mud as part of its annual costume parade, while the following morning, there’s a full-blown dog show. Head to the main stage afterwards, and witness a glitzy karaoke contest with punters living out their rock star dreams. Across the weekend, kids can learn to skateboard while adults can sample everything from bushcraft to yoga, and there’s a range of educational talks on the likes of climate change and gender identity held on The Lawn. Nestled at the top of a hill is a community-focused fine-dining experience hosted by Woodfired Canteen, while the festival also boasts a swimming pool, eco-friendly hot tubs and a champagne bar for those who like a more luxurious festival experience. At the other end of the scale, the Cowshed is an industrial complex that comes alive at night with the best in electronic music, while tucked away in the woodland is the Groove Garden, which leans towards funk and disco. Yes, this familyfriendly weekend does its best to be all things to all people, but the result is a gloriously chaotic good time with Standon Calling an inclusive, exciting wonderland. Leaning into that, the 2023 line-up is a carefully curated celebration of pop outsiders, breaking new talent and
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genre-defying stars. Somehow, Self-Esteem has never headlined a festival before, but their Saturday night set is the stuff of absolute wonder. Her ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ tour has been a juggernaut of ambition, emotion and empowerment for two years now and tonight, that magic still reigns. Years & Years’ Friday night headline set is just as joyous, as Olly Alexander delivers a giddy, theatrical performance that would be just at home on the West End. He starts the gig inside a phone booth, and three songs in, he’s riding a heely-wearing policeman like a motorbike. It’s ridiculous, but it works perfectly with the lush material from ‘Night Call’, which is an unwavering celebration of excess. A constantly rotating cast of dancers keeps the career-spanning set agile, and it’s impossible to argue with poptastic hits like ‘Desire’ and ‘King’. Across the weekend, that colourful world of pop is really given a chance to shine. There’s a powerhouse performance from living legend Anastacia, who fully leans into the camp chaos of the festival, while Mel C’s energetic, dance-driven set is a relentless good time. Shiny newcomers like Ellie Dixon look comfortable on Standon Calling’s biggest stage, Lynks continues to inspire utter joy while buzzy superstars like ShyGirl put on a dominating, otherworldly experience that’s as brilliant as it is bold. At Standon Calling, there’s space for everyone to play. ALI SHUTLER
TRUCK FESTIVAL OFFERS UP BOTH EXCITING NAMES AND A DECENT SLICE OF DELIGHTFUL NONSENSE
Steventon, Oxfordshire
→ Roll up, roll up, the UK’s biggest indie jamboree is back. Yes, we do mean Truck Festival – Oxfordshire’s annual offering of Mr Motivator fitness sessions and the chance to see a mosh pit while the Oxford Symphony Orchestra play the Indiana Jones theme tune (no, really). Alongside fitness and violins, there’s also a load of great bands playing. Most festivals don’t have much to do on Thursday beyond setting up your tent and struggling to get into the silent disco. Truck has Swim Deep belting out timeless bangers and The Wombats giving a main stage headline performance spanning five stellar albums. Not exactly a bad way to kick things off. Friday sees Derry natives Cherym opening The Nest stage with a blistering performance that shakes off any early afternoon cobwebs. Crowd singalongs and call-and-response melodies see a busy tent only get more packed as the set goes on. Later on, Lambrini Girls manage to ramp up the energy even more, with shouts of “Fuck J.K Rowling” underlining their pro LGBTQ+ stance while they throw a brick through the metaphorical window with enough ridiculous punk bangers to have anyone reeling. Kate Nash is in the crowd from the second she starts singing and doesn’t leave it for most of the first three songs. The audience give as good as they get throughout, but of course it’s
during ‘Foundations’ that everything reaches boiling point, with everyone screaming along as if their lives depend on it. The passion sticks around for The Vaccines, with newer track ‘Headphones Baby’ sparking as loud a singalong as old classic ‘Wreckin’ Bar’ and cementing their status as far more than just a nostalgia act. Over at The Nest stage, Spector are thanking people for picking them over The Vaccines before jokingly castigating the flood of “fair weather fans” who pour in halfway through. People are on shoulders for every single song, but of course it’s ‘Chevy Thunder’ and ‘All the Sad Young Men’ which get the most deafening response. Closing out the day are Two Door Cinema Club, flinging out indie hits with abandon to a crowd who seem to know every word of every song. It’s hard to argue with bangers like ‘I Can Talk’, even if the show feels a bit light on spectacle for a headline set. On Saturday, it rains. And rains. And rains some more. Not that the weather seems to dampen spirits too much, with festivalgoers mud-surfing, building mud-men and just generally doing things that aren’t advisable without an easy way to get clean afterwards. Deadletter embrace the chaos, frontman Zac Lawrence stripping to the waist and pulling off the kind of dance moves that look set to dislocate a limb. The singalong chorus of ‘Binge’ get’s the most raucous reaction, turning most of
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LATITUDE 2023 IS BRIMMING WITH ICONS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Photos: Patrick Gunning.
Henham Park, Suffolk
the crowd into one huge, swirling mosh pit. It’s a tough act to follow, but Courting are up to the task. Bursting straight into the one-two of ‘Grand National’ and ‘Tennis’, they’re a band at the stage where their set isn’t filler dotted with hits, but bangers all the way through. An auto-tuned final ten minutes hypes the crowd up even more and proves (if it ever needed proving) that they’ve got far more in the tank than indie anthems. Circa Waves battle through the downpour and manage to get the crowd going enough to churn up the already muddy main stage arena even more. ‘T-Shirt Weather’ feels particularly on-the-nose considering the circumstances, but there’s no denying it’s an all time indie classic. Crawlers have shot up the running order since last year and the legions of dedicated fans crammed into The Nest show exactly why. turbocharged pop-rock anthems and a dynamic stage presence have fans headbanging at the barriers throughout, and even those at the back are leaping around by the end of the set. Alt-J close out the main stage with slightly less energy. The band are tight, the lightshow
Arena. For the Certified Music Nerd, the smaller stages at Latitude are places to uncover gold, so when the heavens open over the rest of the weekend, they are the place to take shelter and do just that. New Yorker Miss Grit is one such discovery, their intricate sci-fi guitar tracks reminiscent of St. Vincent and Mitski. Norwegian-American Okay Kaya showcases her brilliantly charming songs, including 2020’s cult bop ‘Mother Nature’s Bitch’. On Sunday, London’s bar italia prove rattle off cuts from this year’s ‘Tracey Denim’ with enthralling mystique; they don’t address the audience once, letting their riveting alt-rock speak for itself. Up on the BBC Introducing stage, Heartworms delivers a definite ‘I was there’ moment, her bombastic goth-rock taking on an almost nu-rave energy in the live setting. And for good measure, a surprise late-night appearance by ray of sunshine personified Rachel Chinouriri is enough to dispel the rain, if only for a half hour. And just as Pulp were a tick off the bucket list for countless fans who never thought they’d hear ‘Disco 2000’ straight from the horse’s mouth, the high priestess of goth, Siouxsie (of palefaced 80s upstarts The Banshees), is a don’t-believe-until-you-see-it close to the weekend. Creeping from the wings in a silver space-age cloak and hood, the show – one of her first in 15 years – is as enigmatic as they come. Accompanied by a razor sharp backing band, she revisits Banshees hits to the delight of a crowd; the roar of appreciation is deafening. Her techy 2007 solo track ‘Into A Swan’ is a final chance to dance in the dark. Then, as nonchalantly as she appeared, the heavyweight hero of British rock skulks back to the shadows she presumably lives in. ALEX CABRÉ
Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett.
is impressive and songs like set-closer ‘Breezeblocks’ need no introduction, but unfortunately for them the relaxed melodies fail to make a headline-level impact on the drenched and exhausted crowd. Sunday sees Prima Queen’s folk-flecked pop soothing the aching heads of the exhausted festival goers sprawled out on the still muddy ground by the main stage. It’s the perfect booking for the festival’s intermittently sunny final afternoon. Pale Waves follow, raising the energy and managing to get people moving with a barrage of hits from across their back catalogue. Lead singer Heather BaronGracie has the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout, even pausing to put down a presumptuous crowd member holding a sign which says ‘I can fix you’. The whole set gets a huge response, but even two albums further down the line, it’s early megahit ‘There’s a Honey’ which gets the whole crowd jumping in the sticky mud. FEET use their late afternoon slot to debut some new material to a packed out tent. The crowd receive it well, but it’s when ‘Dog Walking’ kicks in that things really get going, with at least one pint thrown within the first ten seconds. From there the hits keep rolling, and by the time a meteorologically appropriate rendition of ‘English Weather’ sees us home, the whole of the mudsplattered tent is heaving with people. Self Esteem is fresh off the back of her Standon Calling headline slot and two years into her ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ tour. The stage show is as slick as you’d expect with that level of practice, a genuine pop masterclass that’s like nothing else across the weekend. Nobody deserves success more than Rebecca Lucy Taylor and it’s truly a joy to see thousands of people sing along to every word of her set. Last but not least, Royal Blood close out the weekend with driving riffs and more noise than you’d think was possible for a two-piece. A huge firework display punctuates the end of their set and both the band and the crowd are grinning from ear to ear by the time they walk off the stage. Truck is always good fun, managing to perfectly walk the tightrope, being big enough to book genuinely exciting acts, but small enough to maintain its sense of quirky nonsense. This year’s festival is no different, with as many people there to watch a headline set as there are to go and watch a Beatles cover band or heavy metal covers of pop songs. It takes all sorts, and we’ll happily sing the praises of any event where you can get out of the rain by watching a mass midnight screening of Shrek in a disused cow barn. JAKE HAWKES
→ Punks, poets, and pink sheep assemble: Latitude is here, and the East of England’s jolliest knees-up is brimming with icons of British pop history, as well as countless new gems waiting to be discovered. As weekends go, it’s a soggy one, but with a vast array of music and culture to get stuck into, there’s to be no raining on Dork’s parade. Well, maybe a little. Friday’s chock-full programme is a chance to get the step count up, bouncing from stage to stage to catch a bit of everything. Where better to start than with Do Nothing? Hot from releasing their debut album ‘Snake Sideways’, the Nottingham bunch are on top form as they rattle the cobwebs off of the BBC Music tent. New Zealanders The Beths bound along soon after, staking their claim as a perfect festival band with their zesty pop-rock cuts and charming humour, before a hop over to the Obelisk Arena finds Aussie party-starters Confidence Man pumping up the jams like their lives depend on it. Metronomy usher in the sunset with a hit-packed performance, Joe Mount hinting that “this is our last UK festival… maybe for a while”, making it all the sweeter when the iconic opening synths of ‘The Look’ ring out over Henham Park. And then… Pulp. Pulp! It’s the moment the packed-in-like-sardines crowd have been waiting for, so when a silhouetted Jarvis emerges in front of that enormous full moon, the energy hits electrostatic heights. The 90s heroes are on top form as they churn out hit after hit, servicing their iconic songs gloriously with a string section in tow. Where do you go after that? Well, into the woods of course, where Peace serve up dessert with an equally iconic midnight slot in the Sunrise
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ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CMAT Yes, Dear Reader. We enjoy those ‘in depth’ interviews as
much as anyone else. But - BUT - we also enjoy the lighter side of music, too. We simply cannot go on any longer
without knowing that CMAT owns a “sexy green M&M’s Christmas ornament”. Not shocked.
What did you last dream about? Had a dream that me and Sparks (the band) were going around taking pictures with secondary school teachers who had really poor ratings on ratemyteacher.com to highlight how stupid teenagers are.
What is your favourite time of day? 6am. Because I rarely see it and what’s seldom is wonderful! How far could you run if your life depended on it? No longer than 4 minutes. I am wildly bad at running.
Which defunct band would you most like to reform? XTC!
What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you? Life in general.
What was the last thing you broke? My golden CMAT necklace :(.
You’re picking a 5-item breakfast. What’s in it? Croissant, Scrambled eggs, fried tomatoes, veggie sausage, earl grey tea.
Have you ever won anything? The Choice Music Prize for album of the year, lol. If you could be best friends with a celebrity you do not know, who would you choose? Off the top of my head? Lena Dunham. Because she’s really smart and people have been really mean to her, which makes me think she would be good craic.
Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Anakin Skywalker from the Star Wars prequels. He may have killed all those children, but I could save him. If you had to live as an animal for one year, which animal would you pick? A ring-necked parakeet!
What is the most irrational superstition you have? That if I buy my own purse, I will lose all my money
What’s the stupidest lie you’ve ever told? That I am Emma Thompson’s niece.
What’s the best way to cook a potato? Slightly problematic question to ask an Irish woman, however - MASHED.
What is the strangest food combination you enjoy? Banana and bacon!!! On a slice of toast or pancake
If you had to get a tattoo today, what would it be? Queen Medb. What have you got in your pockets right now? A little vial of Jo Malone perfume, my keys, and Vagisil. What was your favourite subject at school? History. What strength Nandos sauce do you order? Medium.
What’s your biggest fear? Nuclear warfare.
Compares 2 U’ by Sinead O’Connor <3. How punk are you out of ten? Solid 4.2. Have you ever been to a showbiz party? No.
If you had a pet elephant, what would you call it? Orson Wellephant.
How many hats do you own? I would say about 45 (mostly cowboy hats given to me on stage).
What was the first record you bought? A 7” single of ‘Nothing
What is your earliest memory? A space hopper on Halloween.
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If you could have a superpower of your choosing, what would it be? Invisibility. Who’s your favourite pop star? CMAT. If you had to be on a TV game show, which would you choose? Pointless. Have you ever seen a ghost? No, but I think that Judy Garland tried to communicate with me after I visited her grave.
What’s the silliest thing you own? Sexy green M&M’s Christmas ornament, ceramic beetroot, moneybox that chews money… these are all things just on my mantlepiece right now. Have you ever had a nickname? CMAT. If you could learn one skill instantly without needing to practice, what would you pick? Playing the guitar properly, lmao.
If you won the lottery, what would you spend the cash on? A gorgeous, leopard print carpeted bomb shelter for my family and friends. What do you always have in your refrigerator? Norwegian mayonnaise. It’s different. How long can you hold a grudge? A lifetime. Why are you like this? Catholic. CMAT’s album ‘Crazymad, For Me’ is out 13th October.