Issuu

THIS MONTH...

EDITOR’S LETTER HIYA!

“THIS ALBUM’S A BURGER” P26 HINDS

“WE WANTED TO BE A BIT MORE HONEST AND OPEN UP” P44 SUNFLOWER BEAN

“THIS BAND IS NOT AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS” P20 FICKLE FRIENDS

“FUCK I’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A DECADE NOW!” P38 KATE NASH

“IT WAS SAFELY THE BEST GIG WE’VE EVER DONE” P54 SEA GIRLS

“YOU GET THIS SENSE OF MILD-CELEBRITY...” P4 GEORGE EZRA

“SOMETIMES I’M LIKE, ‘WHAT AM I DOING?’”

“I FEEL LIKE I’VE BEEN PREGNANT FOR FIVE YEARS”

P14 NILUFER YANYA

P16 FENNE LILLY

CONTENTS

“RAGE IS ALWAYS A PART OF ME” P8 BLACK FOXXES

“JUST GOOD VIBES. THAT’S WHAT THE MESSAGE IS” P40 THE MAGIC GANG

P4 UPDATE P12 BANGERS P14 HYPE P20 FEATURES P46 REVIEWS P51 GET OUT P54 DORK LIVE! P62 ANY OTHER QUESTIONS

EVERYONE LOVES A BANGER. No, not the ones you eat. The ones you listen to. The prime currency of all mind-blowingly, exciting music. While the guy in the cardigan - probably trying to impress you about how deep and sensitive he really is - might want to go on about those snoozy acts with their ‘challenging’ sound, we know better. The real fun is to be had when it all goes off. And, Dear Reader, Fickle Friends know how to make it all go off. Their road to their first Dork cover has been long, but it’s also been littered with the kind of songs that set pulses raising, arms aloft, and klaxons honking. Now they’re finally dropping their debut album, and it’s absolutely bloody glorious. They’re not the only long term band crush delivering their first full-length this month, though. The Magic Gang are coming of age with the kind of timeless classic we’ve long been hoping for. Add to that second efforts from our mate George Ezra, the madcap Hinds and the impossibly ace Sunflower Bean, and we’re in for a treat. We’re also bringing you something new this issue. Flick towards the back of the mag, and you’ll find our new live section, ‘Get Out’. It’s packed with the latest live reviews, news, festival updates and gig listings, so you never need miss your favourite bands passing through your hometown again. Aren’t we great? STEPHEN ACKROYD Editor / @stephenackroyd

DORK

Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Events Liam James Ward Additional Design: Martin Crandon Scribblers Alex Bradley, Alex Thorp, Alice Mortimer, Ben Jolley, Cal Cashin, Chris Taylor, Dillon Eastoe, Jack Press, Jake Hawkes, Jasleen Dhindsa, Jenessa Williams, Jessica Goodman, Josh Williams, Lily Beckett, Rob Mair, Rob Mesure, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin Snappers Hollie Fernando, Molly Daniel, Neelam Khan Vela, Roger Deckker, Sarah Louise Bennett, Patrick Gunning, Phil Smithies, Poppy Marriott, Warwick Baker Doodlers Russell Taysom P U B L I S H E D F RO M

THE BUNKER

W E LCO M E TOT H E B U N K E R.CO M

P O B OX 390, H A S T I N G S, T N34 9J P

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. DOWN WITH BORING

UPDATE IF IT’S NOT IN HERE, IT’S NOT HAPPENING. OR WE FORGOT ABOUT IT. ONE OR THE OTHER.

LOVE IS DEAD CHVRCHES HAVE ANNOUNCED THEIR THIRD ALBUM, AND THEY’VE BROUGHT A MATE ALONG FOR THE RIDE.

After a bit of teasing, in the form of last month’s banger ‘Get Out’, the Scottish trio have finally let us in on the follow up to 2015’s ‘Every Open Eye’. Titled ‘Love Is Dead’, the full-length is set to ’drop’ on 25th May, and sees the band teaming up with ‘outside influences’ rather than take their usual self-produced route. That means nine tracks working with 2017 and 2018 GRAMMY Producer of the Year Greg Kurstin - who basically has worked on 72.3% of all big pop projects over recent years (think Adele, Sia and, erm, Liam Gallagher) - and one with BRIT Award Producer of the Year 2018 Steve Mac. Speaking about the album, the band’s Iain Cook explains: “We’re fucked, the world is fucked. But there’s an ellipses at the end. It’s Love Is Dead. Like, how did we get to this point? And how do we move on from this point? It’s Love Is Dead, we’re fucked, what’s next?” One of the songs Chvrches self-produced - new single ‘My Enemy’ - also has some help, in the form of The National’s Matt Berninger. “We’ve all been huge fans of The National for a long time,” says Lauren Mayberry. “We had played a few festivals together but really got to know Matt when we were involved in 7 Inches For Planned Parenthood, a fundraising and awareness campaign that he spearheaded. It’s really inspiring and reassuring to meet other artists you admire and realise that they are trying to do some good in the world. We kept in touch after that and, when it came time to record My Enemy, Iain and Martin suggested I email Matt to see if he’d like to sing on it. We never realistically thought he’d have time to do it but he replied right away and recorded the track at his house the next day.” P

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STOP PRESS! (and also moustaches)

a e dreamy Declan McKenn Why - WHY - does our mat le used to Bea Ian one the like have a moustache ironic? Is his lip cold? have on Eatenders? Is it

PRETTY SHINY PERSON T H E TO P STO RY

T H E N I C E S T G U Y I N P O P ( A N D F O R M E R D O R K C O V E R S TA R , N O L E S S ) , I T ’ S T I M E F O R O U R PA L G E O R G E E Z R A T O D R O P H I S B R A N D N E W A L B U M . H U R R AY ! WO RDS: JA M I E M U I R. PH OTOS: PH I L SM ITH I ES.

“N

ow right here,” pouts George Ezra, putting on a distinctive Louisiana drawl. “It’s insaaaaaneeee!” Nope, this isn’t a shocking new twist on the next chapter of his already humongous career, but the result of George spending the previous weekend wrapped in S-Town, the revered podcast that took the world by storm. It’s indicative of George Ezra in 2018, a man who can balance the staggering heights of stardom that surround him with the ability to take a moment, poke your head out of the whirlwind and soak in simply being alive. “You know what, it’s just so nice to be busy again,” explains George, a glint in his eye now that he’s back on the trail and gearing up for a blooming massive year. “It’s shit when you can’t contribute in some way, y’know? It feels nice that I’m doing my thing again. Someone said to me the other day, I was doing some promo in Germany, and this dude said, ‘You’re always happy. Whenever I see you, you’re always happy.’ And I was like, mate… I’m in Germany talking about music. It’s brilliant!” For the huge stages and millions singing along to his words across ‘Wanted On

THIS IS HAPPENING THE LATEST NEWS. ISH.

G ET M O RE AS I T H A P P E N S AT RE A D D O RK .C O M .

Voyage’, its following years have been a journey of discovery for George, coming down from a schedule of continuous touring, commitments and appearances, selling more records than most of the acts laid out in these pages combined. What came next though, was a myriad of different moments that shaped where he sits today. “My biggest fear on the first record was what effect it was going to have on my personal life,” notes George, reflecting on how he felt as things truly kicked off. “When you’re building up through a record and what comes with it, you get this sense of mild-celebrity almost, but you’re never in the same place long enough for it to affect you, and then you’re not home either. “That’s what I was most worried about, and it was fine. The fact of the matter is, you’re not a criminal,” he laughs. “Nobody’s going to pull you aside and say, ‘Hey, what the fuck are you doing?’ They’re either going to say I love what you do, they’re not gonna have a clue who you are, or they’re gonna know who you are and won’t come up to you because they don’t like what you do - I had nothing to worry about, really.” Coming off the road did have its effects

though. Suddenly with a blank diary for the first time in two and bit years, adjusting to the real world again was a challenge. For the first time in his life, George sensed a feeling of anxiety, even if he didn’t know exactly how to describe it. “I was extremely fortunate in the sense that my experience with it, I detected it quite early on and was aware of it. That combination of not having commitments anymore, or a reason, and just different things going on around me like all of us in the world. I thought I don’t know what this is, why I feel the way I do - part of me is probably decompressing from coming off tour and putting that first record to bed, but there was definitely something more to it than that.” It’s a moment that feels encapsulated in a track like ‘Get Away’, a glistening number that sits pride of place on new album ‘Staying At Tamara’s’. ‘It’s never been this way before / shut down by anxiety / it’s never been this way before / you better get away’ it rolls, and it’s exactly what George did. Decamping to Barcelona was a vital move, and a decision that not only shaped the album to come but the next step in George’s life.

MUNA HAVE A NEW EP OUT, SORT OF

HAIM ARE ON A NEW TWIN SHADOW TRACK

It’s called ‘Saturday’ and you can stream it now on readdork.com. It’s from Twin Shadow’s new album ‘Caer’ (pronounced kaair), that’s out on 27th April.

“It was really important that I did that. The good thing about spending time on your own and taking yourself out of your comfort zone is that you force yourself to think in a way you wouldn’t normally think. You slow down, so I was having adventures still, but going slowly. When you’re around the people you know and love, you actually can feel less present because you’re so comfortable. When you’re surrounded by people that are new to you and new sounds, even silly things like currency and language and climate - it helps you to be a bit more aware of what you’re doing, and that really helped me,” George explains. Scribbling notes down onto paper that pulled together lyrics, observations, drawings and more - “It’s part teenage diary, part sixth form poetry, part song names, both fiction and real accounts - if anyone read it, it’d be embarrassing.” - he made an active choice to live those words, taking himself into new terrain and leading him to the front door of a woman named Tamara. “On the first record, I would write and stay at promoter’s houses or at a student’s house after I’d play, but I’d never done it properly,” recalls George, “and there was a lot less need for me to do it this time. I

Yep, it’s really a year since Muna released their brilliant album ‘About U’, and they’re celebrating in style. Not with a flashy party and a big cake (well, not that we know of - Ed), but with a new EP ‘One Year On’, featuring ‘acoustic’ takes on three of the songs from the record.

SPECTOR FIBBED, BUT IT’S ALL OKAY NOW

Remember that Spector EP we told you about at the start of the year?. The one that was supposed to be out back in January? Well, it wasn’t. It wasn’t out in February, either. It is out now though, dropping back on 9th March. There are some tour dates, too. We’re sure Spector are very, very sorry. DOWN WITH BORING

HYPE ESSENTIAL NEW BANDS

NILÜFER YANYA L O N D O N U P-A N D - C O M E R

N I L Ü F E R YA N YA

H AS B E E N F I Z Z I N G W ITH P OTE NTI A L

F O R A W H I L E N O W : 2 0 1 8 W I L L F I N A L LY S E E H E R E X P L O D E .

W O R D S : S T E V E N L O F T I N . P H O T O : M O L LY D A N I E L .

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Having been slowly releasing singles and EPs over the last couple of years, making it on to the coveted BBC Sound of 2018 list, and starting to tour like it’s nobodies business, it’s now all leading to a fulllength effort - though it’s slightly different to how she’s used to working. Especially considering some of those previous tracks were written a couple of years before ever being released. “There’s lots I’ve already written before that I think would be good on the album, but I just haven’t had the time to rework,” Nilüfer begins. “It’s weird writing - I don’t want to say to a brief, but it’s kind of like that. Everything I’m writing now could be on the album, as opposed to just a release - it’s a relief though, it’s nice.” The relief in her voice is evident and no surprise really. It was only last year that she was able to quit her job, and even now her calendar is filling up mighty quickly. There’s an upcoming headline tour in May, a potential second trip across the pond after her first couple of shows over there in September of last year - as well as festival season. But, going back to her newly discovered freedom of working, she continues. “It’s really exciting. It feels like the natural to way to want to work, so it’s nice that I’ve got to this point now where I can do that.” Building herself up to this point, especially as a solo artist, was, she says “daunting”. But the idea that the pressure is on even more now that she has something to fight for hasn’t escaped her. In fact, it’s made her more aware of the gift that comes from being a new artist discovering yourself away from prying eyes.

“IF I DON’T INSPIRE MYSELF THEN THERE’S NO POINT” “You get the sense that no one’s expecting or watching what you’re doing. You can just do whatever. You can’t make a mistake because, you know, no one’s listening or telling you to put out whatever. That’s quite freeing, I think.” Quickly reneging this idea though, she muses with laughter: “But then also if no one’s listening to you, it’s like, what’s the point?” While her quiet answers occasionally betray this uncertainty, but there’s also confidence as she continues her thought. “I never [actually] felt like oh what’s the point, but you put all of your energy into this one thing, and if it doesn’t work at some point you have to change tactic.” Having to analyse what you’re doing, especially as a new artist, is scary - but it’s something Nilüfer is hyper-aware of. “If I don’t inspire myself then I won’t be able to write anything, and then there’s no point - I may as well do something else. A big fear I have is not going anywhere - it’s just going to stay the same, or just slowly get worse,” she says earnestly. Nilüfer needn’t worry, though, she has the hype machine well and truly moving, especially after support slots with the likes of Broken Social Scene, The xx and Mitski. “Sometimes I feel like I’m going backwards, and getting worse - and sometimes I can be like, ‘Oh wow, this is really developed!’ “I hope I’m developing, but I think right now my focus is a lot more on songwriting itself. I’d like to also weave that in with more musical aspects, and the live show and the live setup. That’s something I’ve always

been interested in; I don’t feel like that’s my strongest point.” “It’s a long process,” explains Nilüfer. “I don’t really know what I want. Actually,” she pauses. “I do know what I want it to sound like. I want it to sound raw and simple stripped back and quite clean in some parts, but it’s quite hard to get that across to the audience because the audience has seen so many things before.” While Nilüfer sees her live set as needing a bit of fine-tuning, her recorded work is a different story. Having amassed over five million Spotify plays - and counting - she’s certainly doing something right. “I don’t want it to sound like a highly produced, highly finished product because a lot of music sounds so finished and very perfect. Nice round edges and everything,” she asserts. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘What am I doing, why don’t I just make it sound better?’ But it doesn’t mean that it is [actually] better.” It’s statements like these that give Nilüfer the real upper hand; it also gives her music more heart. “That’s what you want from music, so it inspires you somehow. Just to get your mind working, and [so] you understand the feeling.” “I’m still very much on the journey of trying to move forward,” she concludes. “Obviously, getting to thinking about an album stage, that’s a point - but that’s not an endpoint. That’s just kind of where I’m at the moment. I haven’t finished. I haven’t even started the journey… it’s kind of like I’m still at the beginning.” P Nilüfer Yanya tours the UK from 18th May.

RECOMMENDED NEW NAMES

SPIELBERGS

Noisy Oslo trio Spielbergs are gearing up for their debut EP. ‘Distant Star’ is due for release on 27th April via new British label, By The Time It Gets Dark on CD and download, and as an extremely limited edition blue and gold glitter cassette. It’s preceded by alt-rock banger ‘We Are All Going To Die’, which is a lot more fun than it sounds. You can hear it now on readdork.com.

PEGGY GOU

If you’ve been keeping even the most clogged up ear to the underground you’ll have struggled not to hear Peggy Gou’s name mentioned in hushed tones. The South Korean-born, Berlin-based producer has been making music for a couple of years, but more recently has crossed the lips of tastemakers across every shade of the spectrum. New EP ‘Once’ is her first release in nearly a year and a half. Check out ‘It Makes You Forget (Itgehane)’ and prepare to fall hard.

KIM PETRAS

If you’re looking for prime pop markers, Kim Petras has them coming out of her ears. Already hooking up with HRH Queen Charli XCX for ‘Unlock It’ - the gloriously repetitive banger at the heart of her recent ‘Pop 2’ mixtape - recent single ‘Faded’ scored praise from all corners, both achingly cool and decidedly mainstream. Following it up with the equally fantastic ‘Heart To Break’, this is no one hit wonder. That next big thing label could just stick.

Photo: Warwick Baker

reating a fusion of soulful tunes with jazz influences and using space as an important component, Nilüfer Yanya is distinctly different to everyone else making their way up the musical ladder. She doesn’t want to be one of those who throws everything at you in the hope it’ll stick. Every note is planned out to create intricately woven, delicate instrumentation to pair with her nonchalant, yet crushingly beautiful, vocals.

ROLLING ROLLING BLACKOUTS BLACKOUTS COASTAL COASTAL FEVER FEVER Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are paying the UK a visit this May, and with a debut album ‘on the way’, it’s set to be a tip-top year, says vocalist Fran Keaney. Words: Sam Taylor

Hey Fran, how are you all at the mo? Having a good 2018 so far? Having a good time thanks. We just finished an album, which should see the light of day soon. We also just finished up Laneway, a really great festival that tours through Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. It was hot and relentless and fun. We saw bands like POND and Anderson Paak and Cable Ties blow our heads off, a few different times. Back home again and eating vegetables. You’re based in Melbourne, right? What’s it like over there for up-and-coming bands? Melbourne is a perfect little incubator for bands and gig-goers. We have heaps of dedicated venues putting bands on most nights of the week, a community of punters who support the bands, independent labels and independent record stores working to put the music out, and a few really strong community radio stations run by volunteers and funded by listeners that keep the whole thing pumping along. What do you most enjoy writing songs about? Absurd little melodramas. Stories that are big deals for the tiny characters. You’re touring the UK soon, have you spent much time here before? Is there anywhere you’re especially looking forward to visiting? We went over to the UK in September last year and had a ball. Our friend Grant tried to put us onto the Scotch Egg. It was very dry. I couldn’t get beyond the outer layer to the egg. Is there a sauce you’re supposed to use with it? Do you dunk it in milk or something? But everything other than that was great. We had a really great time in London, especially at Moth Club and at Rough Trade. We also really enjoyed Manchester but were in and out in a few hours. Heaps of our favourite bands are from there. I’d like to have a proper look around next time. What else have you got coming up this year? We’ve got some headline shows in Sydney and in Melbourne on 6th-7th April before we head overseas for Coachella and a bunch of shows around the US in April and May. Then we’re heading to the UK, then Europe in May and June. More shows to come too. Just teeing all that up now. We’re wanting to get back in the studio as well, hope to fit that in in the middle of the year... P Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever tour the UK from 18th May. DOWN WITH BORING

FICKLE FRIENDS

H AV E N ’ T

TA K E N T H E S H O R T R O U T E T O THEIR DEBUT ALBUM, BUT NOW THEY’RE HERE, THEY’RE PAC K I N G T H E B A N G E R S T O BLOW UP BIG TIME. WORDS: JAMIE MUIR. P H O T O S : S A R A H L O U I S E B E N N E T T.

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DOWN WITH BORING

cheer goes up. One look around the open floors of the East London brewery and it’s clear where it’s coming from. Around one of the long benches making up the room, pitchers of lager are here, and they’re here for Fickle Friends. It’s a matter of days before the band head off on another extensive headline tour, something that’s become second nature to them, and spirits are understandably high. “I said to our manager jokingly to get a pitcher in, and literally one has come up,” points out Jack Wilson, as the rest of the band - Harry Herrington, Chris Hall and Sam Morris - begin to pour away. “Don’t worry,” jumps in lead singer Natti Shiner, “we’ll get on that later”. They’ve definitely earned their moment for a few beers. For nearly five years, Fickle Friends have been leading their own charge, one of sun-soaked pop hooks and an ability to take everyday moments and amplify them to sizzling new directions. Searing with ambition, they’re dazzling in their anthems and unabashed in all their technicolour moves. A story that’s undeniably modern yet a throwback to doing things ‘the old fashioned way’, they were born to be a special band. Even if that does mean beauty sleep is hard to get.

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Take Jack having a quick nap earlier today in the rehearsal room the band have in Brighton (“I drifted off, when I woke up where I had no idea what time it was”), or Natti nodding off on the train. There’s plenty of time for dreaming, and Fickle Friends are dreaming big. “My mind likes to wander and fantasise,” explains Natti, turning to Jack as they chat away. “Imagine if our album came out and we just became really fucking successful? Like people fucking loved it and then suddenly everything went crazy. That’s what I daydreamed about when I was having my nap on the train, but you’ve got to be realistic. We’re an indie band, and we’ve done things the old school way - we’re a slow burner. “It’s kinda weird right now going from feeling so much pressure to write songs for an album, to now feeling the pressure of just waiting for it to come out and hoping people will like it. It’s been a long time coming.”

HE STORY OF FICKLE FRIENDS IS ONE OF TIME AND DETERMINATION, a coming together of mates down on the coast of Brighton and a

never-relenting passion to be something more. There never was a proper game plan. “I never thought I would be in a band,” points out Natti. “I wanted to be Ellie Goulding really, do it all by myself. Then there was this realisation of like, I’m not good enough by myself to do this, and I was just terrified. So I started to pick people, saying I wanted to start a band and basically just asking around.” As becomes clear when spending time in Fickle Friends’ company, this is a gang of mates who bounce off one another. Whether it’s laughing away at quickfire jokes, snapping polaroids or bringing up tales from the countless days, weeks and months on the road - it’s a puzzle that could only work with each of them in place. “I think I fell into this band,” offers Jack, remembering the moment he joined the fray. “I genuinely would never have pictured me being in this band when I was younger, but I’d always wanted to do music. I kinda wasn’t doing anything, so went to Uni to try and work out what I wanted to do and meet people.” “I remember being at a party, and we were both really drunk,” continues Jack, prompting laughs from Natti. “At the time I was doing this solo project just as an idea, and Natti was doing Fickle Friends which looked really different to what it is now. I was looking for a keyboard player and

someone to do backing vocals, and we were both there, and we were so very drunk. I remember we were talking, and we were just like ‘please be in my band’, and we agreed that I would be in Natti’s band and Natti would be in my band.” “Oh yeah, I remember being really jealous because he got a song on When The Gramophone Rings,” picks up Natti, “which was my favourite blog at the time. I was so fucking jealous.” While Jack’s solo project may not have lit up the world, Fickle Friends were here to stay - using any spare second they could to practice and write together. The excitement that comes from finding like-minded mates is a flame that set fire to Fickle Friends’ burgeoning ambitions - bolstered by a city where they were free to see shows every night, write whenever possible and work out who they wanted to be not just as a band, but as people too. Finding that clear path to what Fickle Friends would be, their influences came to the fore and soon they had the backbone they needed. “It was a mess when we started,” notes Jack. “We were into different stuff, and we didn’t

agree what a clear vision was of what we were doing. We just started playing together, and slowly it happened. We reigned things in and worked out exactly what we wanted to do and what band we wanted to be.” “We would write a song acoustically and would just throw ideas at it,” details Natti. “Then we started getting into a routine where it would be me, Jack and Harry coming away from playing together and writing in a bedroom - and we all have very similar tastes in music, so things started to get a bit more consistent.” “We started listening to a few more similar bands like Friendly Fires, Two Door Cinema Club and Phoenix and that was where it started off,” continues Jack. “At that point it was like, yeah - this is what we want to do.” Quickly, things exploded. For many bands, the mad rush of acclaim and eyes on what you’re doing comes a few years down the line. For Fickle Friends, it was their first offering into the world that took off. ‘Swim’, full

“I WANTED TO BE ELLIE GOULDING REALLY, DO IT ALL BY MYSELF” -NATTI

of effortlessly suave pushes and pulls, was met with the sort of reaction only a band on the cusp of a mammoth breakthrough could ignite, pulling Fickle Friends from the small bedroom sessions to one of the most talked about new bands on the web. “We put that out, and people got really excited about us, but we had just started out as a band,” elaborates Natti, thinking back to that moment and how such a height had met with their early moves. “It was really, really weird. It was our first proper song, and it was on Billboard and shit - it was mental. From our side, we had just written another song, and we couldn’t understand why everyone was blown away by it.” The wave of adulation catapulted them to a stage that, looking back, they weren’t prepared for. “We were really excited about things going on, and you don’t really think at that moment ‘we’re not ready’,” recalls Natti. “Our manager at the time was showing us all these industry names who wanted to come to our gigs, and we would be saying to each other ‘OH MY GOD, Virgin are coming - Island are coming!’

“Your mouth starts watering a bit, but then if you actually think about it, there was no fucking way in hell any decent A&R person would sign our band at that moment. It was just one big mess with one good song. They came to the show, and we just fucked it up. Big time. They then left us alone, and then we kind started, y’know what I mean?” Fickle Friends needed that moment, that point to stop and evaluate, to think clearly of what they wanted to do next and where they needed to get to. Clearing the slate yet building on the foundations ‘Swim’ had laid out, they cranked things up a notch. Unsigned, and with only the money they had in their back pocket, Fickle Friends were going to have to do things by themselves - jumping at every opportunity and working their way up and down the country whenever they could to build what they had. “It was definitely a lot easier in our last year of Uni when they would let us go off and play all of these gigs, but we slowly stopped going with everything we had going on,” remembers Jack. “We would jump at every opportunity,” continues Natti. “There was this gig in Dalston where our friend’s band was meant to be playing, and they had to drop out, so put up an ad on Facebook asking for a support

DOWN WITH BORING

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New You to

H I N DS A RE BAC K W I T H T H E I R

SECOND ALBUM, AND IT SEES THEIR UNIQUE BRAND OF

R A M BU N CTI OUS C H A RM A N D

E NTH USI ASM TU RN E D U P TO 11. WORDS: ALI SHUTLER. PH OTOS: N E E L A M KH A N VE L A.

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s. t n e om

FEELS LI KE IT’S B EEN A LO COMING, NG TIME RIGHT? W ELL, T H E M AG IC GANG ’S DEBU ALBUM IS T F I N A L LY HERE, AN E V E RY T H D IT’S I N G YO U ’ D WA N T AND MOR IT TO B E E.

WORDS: J ESS I CA GOODMA PH OTO: R N. OGER DE CKKER.

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REVIEWS THE OFFICIAL VERDICT ON BASICALLY EVERYTHING.

ALBERT HAMMOND JR

FRANCIS TROUBLE

eeeee While his output up until this point has been hit and miss, with his fourth album, ‘Francis Trouble’, everything aligns for The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr to strike hard and fully present himself as his own entity. Opener ‘DvsL’ screams echoes of The Beatles’ experimental opus ‘Sgt Pepper’s’, while ‘Muted Beatings’ lustrous imagery of “waitresses to good to forget”, proves that Albert isn’t just a master of the axe, but also one hell of a wordsmith. It’s this M.O. that follows ‘Francis Trouble’ throughout - and considering it’s inspired by Albert’s search for identity through his knowledge of the loss of his twin in utero, it’s rather spectacular. Each song presents itself as a cinematic journey on this search for who he really is, while most importantly, crafting a musical canvas that has never sounded so good. Steven Loftin

BLACK FOXXES

REIÐI

FICKLE FRIENDS YOU ARE SOMEONE ELSE eeeee TH E RE ’S N O S UC H TH I N G AS TO O M A N Y BANG ERS.

ickle Friends feel like childhood mates. Ever since they dropped ‘Swim’ into the world, they’ve dazzled brighter than most - combining unabashed freedom with doe-eyed innocence that has had us following their every move. ‘You Are Someone Else’ revels in letting off party poppers in life’s

most confusing and heartbreaking moments. The sheer size of cuts like ‘Hello Hello’, ‘Swim’, ‘Say No More’, ‘Wake Me Up’ and ‘Brooklyn’ is jaw-dropping, delivering the sort of big-time pop licks that come from years spent honing their live craft before spearing it straight into the anthems they’re blaring. Calling upon lost love, first loves, friendship and simply not knowing what the future holds, the vulnerability under the glossy hooks shines brightest on ‘Heartbroken’ and the chilling ‘In My Head’, while ‘Bite’, ‘Rotation’

and ‘Midnight’ show off their electro-leading sense of adventure, fusing those lush singalongs with throbbing bass and cutting lines to splendid effect. Fickle Friends have always dared for more. It’s why ‘You Are Someone Else’ is such a barnstorming success, a soundtrack of youthful dreaming from a band in prime position to become a generation’s most beloved soundtrack. Sugary sweet, it’s a force that practically signs Fickle Friends as gatekeepers for where indie-pop goes next, and in their hands - it’s going to be mesmerising. Jamie Muir

eeeee Black Foxxes’ debut ‘I’m Not Well’ found them raging, cranking their instruments to eleven and battling through. ‘REIðI’ sees the trio branch out, bust lose and find some clarity. Informed and inspired by an extended trip to Iceland, singer Mark Holley sounds more reflective than he did, and this comes through not just in the band’s lyrics but Holley’s more diverse vocal delivery. Never abandoning their sound, Black Foxxes are able to push the boat out and find their place, with the final howl of “Now I understand rage” encompassing the confidence and acceptance on show. Having toured for years and climbing festival bills, ‘REIðI’ finds Black Foxxes ready to step out on their own. Dillon Eastoe

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CHARLIE BARNES

OCEANOGRAPHY

eeeee If you’ve done your required reading from our hallowed pages, you’ll already be more than familiar with Charlie Barnes. Found touring the world as the fifth member of really-bloody-massive arena botherers Bastille, our Charlie isn’t simply a hired gun, but a fine musician in his own right. And really, there are worse ways to spend your time than performing for one of the most rabid fanbases on planet indie. It’s a sideline that should see him well with second full-length ‘Oceanography’. Epic, sweeping anthems abound, the album’s title track setting a lofty bar early on. The subtle but effective ‘Will & Testament’ even finds room for a guest appearance from Dan Smith on backing vocals. Far more than someone else’s second fiddle, Charlie’s ready for the limelight. Stephen Ackroyd

COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS

MAY YOUR KINDNESS REMAIN

eeeee “Is that American dream dying?” Courtney Marie Andrews asks on ‘Two Cold Nights in Buffalo’. Where last year ‘Honest Life’ was largely

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informed by the barstool stories Andrews picked up working in a Brussels bar, the songs on ‘May Your Kindness Remain’ belong much closer to home. Across ten songs, Andrews ruminates on the disintegration of the American middle class as seen through her own eyes touring the country over the past year. Rather than snarl at the administration, she calls for community and civility through Springsteen-style tales of overcoming everyman struggles. Having left her days as a backing singer firmly behind her, ‘May Your Kindness Remain’ finds Courtney Marie Andrews stepping out more confidently than ever and serving up classic country with a modern message. Dillon Eastoe

MANIC STREET PREACHERS

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE

eeeee It’s clear from the opening onetwo of ‘People Give In’ with its circus-like stomp becoming a romantic swell, and ‘International Blue’ with its cliché Manics pomp, this is more than just another album from a band now almost 30 years old. Nicky Wire’s lyrical prowess continues to shine, which combined with James Dean Bradfield’s masterful Welsh vocals continues the band’s penchant for huge yet intimate moments. ‘Sequels of Forgotten Wars’ is traditional Manics with Sean Moore’s drumming underpinning

Bradfield’s riffs, while ‘In Eternity’ channels Berlin era Bowie. ‘The Left Behind’ sees Wire take the mic for a fitting end to an album which sees the old commie punks turn their attention to a more romantic vision. Josh Williams

EELS

THE DECONSTRUCTION

eeeee Breaking away from the contriving Americana-disguised-as-indierock tripe turned out on eleventh album ‘Cautionary Tales…’, Eels find themselves flourishing once again, with frontman E. looking outwards rather than inwards on ‘The Deconstruction’. The album looks back as much as it does forward, reuniting E. with Mickey Petralia in the production chair for the first time since 1998’s ‘ElectroShock Blues’, which is perhaps where ‘The Deconstruction’ sits closest to in terms of artistic exploration, albeit with the addition of sweeping orchestral movements that underlay and interplay with occasionallydistorted, often-jangly guitar licks and funk-driven basslines. ‘The Deconstruction’ is a creative sigh of relief for an artist who had driven his songwriting machine into a block-shaped coma and left it to lie in wait for a cure, despite its disastrous desire to stray from the pace at unnecessary times. Jack Press

TV show you couldn’t live without: Seinfeld is surely the greatest show ever made. I recently got a TV again after years without one. Adverts are so poisonous, man. Save your brain and mute that shit. Best purchase of this year: I try to avoid the gratuitous purchase of material goods, as wanky as that sounds. Retail therapy is a shallow and fruitless form of self-help. I’m guilty of it though. Bought a pretty sweet hat the other day and felt about 5% cooler for a bit. Anything else you’d recommend: I always thought sunglasses in the rain were underrated. Especially if it’s a drencher. Visibility - 1, fucks given - 0. P

THE MAGIC GANG

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here’s a glorious juxtaposition to the music of The Magic Gang. Both fresh and impossible exciting, but also classic and timeless, they’re a band delivered by DeLorean from a simpler, more wholesome time. From the opening tight harmonies of ‘Oh Saki’, the template is firmly set. Building on a back catalogue of sunshine-heavy standouts, the familiar bangers aren’t left out - ‘All This Way’ jangles with abandon, ‘Alright’ finally fully grown into the anthem it always threatened to be. There are still new gems to be found, though - prime amongst them the brilliant ‘I’ll Show You’.

FENNE LILLY

ON HOLD

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Last good record you heard: ‘Freedom’s Goblin’, Ty Segall’s new record came out at the end of January, and it’s rammed with bangers. He’s so prolific and can waver a bit, but when he’s on form, it’s golden. Favourite ever book: That’s so tough. Murakami’s books are my happy place, but maybe The Sea by Iris Murdoch takes it.

THE MAGIC GANG

DEMOB HAPPY HOLY DOOM eeee e

emob Happy have come a long way since their 2015 debut ‘Dream Soda’. That album was young and zealous; their follow up ‘Holy Doom’ is a strikingly matured effort that retains their infectious energy in poppy vocals and grungy fuzzed out guitars. ‘Holy Doom’ is full to the brim with the best hooks the trio have come up with to date, and rock is still at the core. The pairing of infectious beats on the candid ‘Loosen It’ before the sleazy surf rock echoes on ‘Fake Satan’ creates a sublime marriage that’s both retro feeling and itchingly cool. ‘Running Around’ acts as the nexus,

Gleaming shimmers of sunshine through the cracks in the curtains as birds softly chirp and your head rings out like an alarm-sized migraine. Your sheets are soaked in your tears, and your heart and your head aren’t on speaking terms. A beautiful morning in the wake of tragedy, the dawn of a new beginning brought on by the pain of the loss of love. Few singersongwriters capture the feeling of lying between hopefulness and hopelessness in their twilight years, let alone on their debut album, and yet at the age of 20, Fenne Lily commands this feeling through music and curates it like art in a museum to be understood in whatever way needed. If you’re looking for an album that’ll break your heart in the wake of unrequited love, look no further. Jack Press

GOAT GIRL

GOAT GIRL as the latter half of the record explores the ‘Doom’ in the title: the dark and bubbling ‘Maker of Mine’, the head-spinning and straight up punk of ‘Spinning Out’, and the jagged ‘Gods I’ve Seen’. ‘Holy Doom’ is a testament to the journey it took to make it; an all-embracing encapsulation of the godly and ungodly. Jasleen Dhindsa

eeeee ‘Goat Girl’ is a maniacal record, a journey through muddied waters far from your homely idea of London’s concrete thoroughfare. The murky rockabilly of lead single ‘Cracker Drool’ and the slackjaw rock ‘n’ roll of ‘Country Sleaze’ only give away a small quotient of their sound. Tracks like the nightmarish

Showing a new, but still gloriously familiar side to The Magic Gang, it towers head and shoulders above all previous expectations. Just when we thought we knew what to expect from The Magic Gang, they prove they’ve still got that sparkle up their sleeve. Stephen Ackroyd

skit ‘A Swamp Dog’s Tale’ and the higgledy piggledy ‘The Man With No Heart or Brain’ indicate that this is a band with a broad sonic palette and interests far beyond just thrashing six stringed instruments to quell boredom, as they effortlessly create their own urban, dystopic spaghetti western throughout. The ease at which a whole other world is created, and the amount of catchy and effortlessly cool melodies on the way, ensure that Goat Girl’s debut is not only accomplished, but special. Cal Cashin

TOM MISCH

GEOGRAPHY

eeeee Every now and then an artist comes along and creates something which feels genuinely innovative. Tom Misch fits that bill and then some. The 22-year-old has received his fair share of hype since he first emerged from South London, but it’s the way in which he fuses genres with such ease, creating something altogether new and exciting enough to justify that hype. The 13 tracks on ‘Geography’, Misch’s debut album, bristle with soulful energy and bare the fruits of a craft he’s been honing ever since he began releasing music to SoundCloud at the age of 16. Contemporary jazz-inspired guitar music has seen something of a resurgence in recent years, but there’s few who can touch Misch on this showing. Alex Thorp DOWN WITH BORING

THE DECEMBERISTS

I’LL BE YOUR GIRL

HINDS I DON’T RUN

inds’ debut album ‘Leave Me Alone’ was a gloriously messy affair, a food fight of wondrous excitement, not much time and the want to do things their own way. Two years and one never-ending world tour later, the band have taken the very best of that forward to ‘I Don’t Run’.

‘New For You’ sparkles, all gang vocals and self-belief while ‘Tester’ stomps about the place, furious and razor sharp. Across ‘I Don’t Run’ the band play with movement. Fearless at one hundred miles an hour, unafraid to slow things right down to a quiet whisper, Hinds have learnt to wield their beaming charm. From the assured wink of ‘Finally Floating’ that promises to know what you’re dreaming about to the sunburst new beginnings of ‘I Feel Cold But I Feel More’, the band surprise and delight at every turn.

Opener ‘The Club’ is moody and melancholic - for all of eight seconds before the bouncing energy of Hinds crashes the sombre party, light pouring in through the four personsized holes in the wall, and transforms things. Restrained and flamboyant in equal measure, the song takes Hinds’ lo-fi approach and blows it wide open. This happens again and again throughout ‘I Don’t Run’ as the band finds new ways to shine and new methods of making you grin.

More deliberate, more considered, ‘I Don’t Run’ is bigger than Hinds have dared to tread before, but thankfully, they still haven’t painted over the cracks. Hinds are giving it their everything, flaws and all. Rather than take away from the precision, that direct route from a fire in the gut to flaming truths sees the passion untethered and the emotion magnified. It teeters on the edge of chaos more than once, but this time out, Hinds are in total control. Ali Shutler

SUNFLOWER BEAN

when the title ‘Twentytwo in Blue’ is taken into account: an acknowledgement that the trio all turn twenty-two this year. What’s special about the band and their latest album, is the continued commitment to embracing their standing as a guitar band, their authenticity permeates through every track on the album, but the instrumentals heard in ‘Puppet Strings’ stand out as sounding as though a good dose of pure, unadulterated fun went into its composition. Sunflower Bean have once again created an album that is unique and fresh, while still keeping to a tradition that evokes some of the greatest achievements is modern music history. Lily Beckett

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TWENTYTWO IN BLUE

eeeee Somehow, the comforting twangs of melody strummed up by an eclectic spread of guitars throughout ‘Twentytwo in Blue’ evoke a similar sense of nostalgia that underpins Sunflower Bean’s debut album, ‘Human Ceremony’. While certain tracks on the earlier album wouldn’t have seemed out of place backtracking an indie comingof-age film, the new album suggests a never-before-seen kind of maturity for the band, which is perhaps even more poignant

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HOP ALONG

BARK YOUR HEAD OFF, DOG

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If their last release ‘What a Beautiful World’ showcased their most accomplished songwriting, The Decemberists also found they were slipping into habits and getting too comfortable. Uprooting themselves from their usual studio in Portland, Oregon for their eighth full-length, The D’s are getting weird to keep themselves interested. Describing the album as a ‘party at the end of the world’, Meloy and co. sound like they’re having a lot of fun, despite the lyrics being replete with doom and despair. Who else would feature a chorus of children yelling “We all die young!” before a haphazard saxophone solo? Despite their dark subject material, they’ve never been a group to take themselves too seriously, and never has Meloy’s tongue been jammed so firmly in cheek as on this collection of apocalyptic tunes. Yes, everything is awful, but heaven knows we could all do with seeing the funny side once in a while. Dillon Eastoe

Hop Along started life as a solo project, and for three albums Frances Quinlan’s lyrics and vocals have been the star of the show – ‘Bark Your Head Off, Dog’ sees the music take equal billing, and the result is a mixed bag that intrigues, excites and frustrates in equal measure. Naturally, Quinlan still sounds incredible, and the album moves Hop Along forward in a bold new direction, throwing up confident and striking arrangements along the way. To do so, however, it meant trading in the stripped back soul and raw emotion of their previous output. It’s a decision that just about pays off. Rob Mair

THE WONDER YEARS

SISTER CITIES

eeeee The Wonder Years have ensured these are the golden days with a sound that takes them to a whole new level in ‘Sister Cities’. After weeks of mysterious postcards, teaser videos and cryptic messages, no one would have expected the bold direction they’ve taken for their sixth album. Dan ‘Soupy’ Campbell still devastates with his vocals and his bleary-eyed worldview, but it’s delivered with a soundless sugar-coated way. The predecessor to this album, 2014’s ‘No Closer To Heaven’ felt transitional; a foot still in those pop-punk roots and one trying to be “more” and their return manages to dive headfirst into new, darker, territory. They may have come out swinging from a South Philly basement in their early days but now they are at home on huge stages, and they have songs to match that too. Alex Bradley

YOUNG FATHERS

COCOA SUGAR

eeeee One of Britain’s most intriguing bands, it’s difficult to pigeonhole Young Fathers. Previous records have seen them play with distorted disco (‘Get Up’), pacey art rock (‘Shame’) and wonky afropunk (‘Old Rock N Roll’) to bold effect. If there’s one thing that ties their work together, it’s that there is always darkness lurking in their stylish shadows. It’s a trick that hits real fruition on this, their third record. ‘Lord’ sees gentle lullaby melodies punctured by startling ripples of feedback, whereas ‘In My View’ carries a hefty dose of nostalgia to early 00s RnB, taking a step back from the political edge of their previous work in the name of self-preservation. Young Fathers deliver every track with an urgency that forces you to listen. The result? ‘Cocoa Sugar’ is a highly intoxicating blend. Jenessa Williams

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WITH THEIR SECOND ALBUM KICKING U P A S TO R M , YO R K S H I R E ’S F I N E S T A R E A F O R C E TO B E R E C KO N E D W I T H O N T H E ROA D.

PHOTO: SARAH LOUISE BENNETT

round the time of their debut album ‘The Weird And Wonderful Marmozets’, live shows used to be an intense blitz of sweat, frenzy and cramming as much movement as they could into those chaotic hunks of time. Only ‘Captivate You’ stood to the side as a promise that they were so much more than reckless abandon. New album ‘Knowing What You Know Now’ takes that candle and burns the place down. Now, anything goes for Marmozets. And they bloody love that freedom. Tonight at London’s ULU, it’s all systems go. From the cherry pie smile of ‘Play’ through the cracked black mirror of ‘Major System Error’ and the terrified electricity of ‘Insomnia’, the band takes ownership of every angle. They’re constantly teetering on the edge of control, but it doesn’t matter if it’s a kerb or a cliff-face, their arms are open, welcoming their fate. That grin is devilish. It’s a carefree declaration of war. None of that time away has dampened their rampant confidence and not one of their brand new moves, pulsating fury or heartfelt entertainment, ever dares to tread near tentative. From the opening chime of ‘New Religion’, crawling and colossal with its rolling eyes, tilted head and spotlight embrace, the band look like they belong. Every track from the new album seems to take Marmozets somewhere unexplored, yet each new burst of colour underlines their daring brilliance. The polish of their ambition is cut with their need to play. A wondrous sense of danger scratches in the shadows, but tonight, Marmozets are lit up. The mob have always been impossible to box in, taking everything and anything they fancied and making it their own. But tonight, with their new record behind them, Marmozets kick over the crates of expectations and stand on top of them. Welcome to the future. It already feels like home. Ali Shutler

THE LINE-UP FOR 110 ABOVE FESTIVAL IS RIDICULOUSLY GOOD

The line-up for 110 Above is out, and it features loads of our faves. Heading up the bill are Peace and Fickle Friends, who both have new albums, with ‘Kindness Is The New Rock and Roll’ due on 4th May, and ‘You Are Someone Else’ out now. They’ve also booked The Magic Gang, Marika Hackman, Blaenavon, Marsicans, Ten Tonnes, Bloxx, and loads more. 110 Above will take place from 3rd-5th August in Leicestershire.

THE XCERTS, BLACK PEAKS AND SLØTFACE ARE PLAYING 2000TREES

2000trees has announced lots more names, including The Xcerts, Black Peaks and Sløtface. Also new to the bill, are: Ho99O9, Hellions, Dream State, Press To Meco, Fangclub, Gallops, Nervus, Black Futures, Gender Roles, Bitch Falcon, Lady Bird, Sun Arcana, Haggard Cat and Sean Mcgowan. They join Enter Shikari, Creeper, At The Drive In and loads more. 2000trees will take place from 12th-14th July in Cheltenham.

DOT TO DOT HAS SIGNED UP THE HORRORS, PALE WAVES, MARIKA HACKMAN AND MORE

The first line-up announce for Dot to Dot is here, featuring The Horrors, Pale Waves and Marika Hackman. Also on the bill, are Dermot Kennedy, Mahalia, Turnover, Bad Sounds, Gus Dapperton, Bully, Easy Life, George Glew, Our Girl, Sports Team and loads more. The event will take place across three locations, Manchester on 25th May, Bristol on 26th May and Nottingham on 27th May. For more info, visit dottodotfestival.co.uk.

LONG DIVISION HAS ANNOUNCED SOME MORE BANDS

Wakey takeover Long Division has confirmed a few new additions: The Surfing Magazines, Fizzy Blood, Evil Blizzard, Life, ZoZo, Wiyaala and The Membranes. They’ve also announced some details for this year’s arts and culture programme, ‘A Manifesto For A New Wakefield’, including a panel with Billy Bragg. Long Division will take place from 1st-3rd June, across various venues in Wakefield. DOWN WITH BORING