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Index. Issue 64 | April 2022 | readdork.com | Down With Boring

WHAT'S ON THE STEREO? FONTAINES D.C.

Skinty Fia They’re on the cover of the issue of Dork, and our spell check wants to change their album title to Skinny Fiat. Sounds like a radically different album to us.

SUNFLOWER BEAN

Headful Of Sugar Honestly it’s surprising anything else has elbowed its way onto the stereo this month, we’ve been hammering this one so hard. New York trio Sunflower Bean are one of those bands that always hits it out of the park, and their new record’s no exception.

MALLRAT

Rockstar ‘Rockstar’ was a very early taster from Mallrat’s debut album ‘Butterfly Blue’, which has just been announced for May, and one of the very best singles of 2020. Wistful romance with an irresistible bite, “[it] reminds me of a mix between Lana Del Rey, Kacey Musgraves and Violent Soho,” she explained at the time.

CHARLI XCX

Crash The title track from Charli’s new album sounds like a more poptastic take on The 1975’s ‘i like it when you sleep...’ era bops. We knew hanging around with George would bring good things. If only it was a bit longer, we wouldn’t have to keep looping it so much.

EDITOR'S LETTER

WE’RE NOT DUE to review Fontaines D.C.’s new album ‘Skinty Fia’ until next issue - still, you can probably gather some kind of impression from their appearance on the cover of the magazine you hold in your hands. It’s a rare experience, but there’s something uniquely magical about listening to an album for the first time, and feeling that creeping suspicion it’s something special. It’s fair to say nobody would argue if you were to suggest it’s the band’s best work to date. That’s why we’re delighted to have them on the front of Dork for the very first time. It’s taken a while, but the best things come to those who wait. Elsewhere this month, there’s a cast of Dork favourites at every turn. Walt Disco drop a debut album that’s worth a whole galaxy of stars, such is its bombastic excellence. Wallows, The Regrettes and Sea Girls are all back (! Back!! Back!!!) too - we catch up with them all this issue. Flick a few pages and you’ll find our old muckers Thomas Headon, Chloe Moriondo, Confidence Man and Pillow Queens, while in Hype, we’re introducing Daine, Dora Jar and Sprints, amongst others. Oh, and someone called Charli XCX has dropped a new album full of pop superhits? Might be alright. Worth checking out. On an uncharacteristically serious note, it’s been a few weeks where, frankly, music has served as an escape from the world around us. Big, scary and awful things. Our hope is that being able to appreciate the ridiculousness, excitement and release contained within these pages might provide a bit of relief from what’s going on elsewhere - but in no way does it take away from what’s going on outside those doors. Granted, we don’t distribute a whole load of copies to Ukraine, but our thoughts are with them nonetheless.

BAND INDEX.

Aldous Harding Alfie Templeman alt-J Bodega Charli XCX

Wet Leg The most exciting new band on the planet have made the most exciting new album on the planet. Who would have thought it? Yeah, all of us. Go figure.

The Ninth 53 Wave

Editor Stephen Ackroyd

55 Pale Waves

Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden

3, 52 Phoebe Green

Pillow Queens

18, 56

10 Priestgate

53 PUP

Confidence Man

The Queen’s 14, 55 Head

Crows

56 The Regrettes 22 Remi Wolf 25 renforshort 12, 55 Rex Orange 20 County

Daine Dora Jar Drug Church ELIO Enumclaw

24 Sea Girls

Florence + The Machine

Foals

Folly Group

Fontaines D.C. GAYLE HAIM Inhaler Joesef King Princess

LCD Soundsystem

readdork.com

Nilüfer Yanya 7

CMAT

The Lazy Eyes

‘Editor’ @stephenackroyd

Chloe Moriondo

Krush Puppies

Wet Leg

The 57 Mysterines

SEB Sports Team Sprints Swim Deep

24 40 11 16 56 44, 57 20 7 24, 55 57

Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Scribblers Abigail Firth, Alex Bradley, Connor Fenton, Dan Harrison, Edie McQueen, Finlay Holden, Jake Hawkes, Laura Freyaldenhoven, Neive McCarthy, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin Snappers Anthony Pham, Danielle Parsons, Dillon Matthew, Jamie MacMillan, Jimmy Fontaine, Jordan Curtis Hughes, Lissyelle Laricchia, Neema Sadeghi, Patrick Gunning, Rich Gilligan, Sarah Louise Bennett

PUBLISHED FROM

3, 26

Sundara 57 Karma

20 Sunflower Bean 16 Superorganism 62 Tessa Violet 15 Thomas 24 Headon 53

Wallice

53 3, 20 20 20 6, 53 20

Wallows

48, 57

7 Walt Disco

34, 57

The Let Go

55 Warmduscher

LIFE

11 Wet Leg

Mallrat

3 Wolf Alice

55 3, 20

WELCOMETOTHEBUNKER.COM

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

All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of The Bunker Publishing Ltd. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which The Bunker Publishing Ltd holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of Dork or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally.

Mimi Webb

20 Yard Act

mxmtoon

20 YUNGBLUD

GET EARLY ACCESS, OUR DIGITAL LIBRARY, EVERY ISSUE OF THE MAGAZINE *AND* HELP SUPPORT OUR QUEST FOR MAXIMUM POP NONSENSE!

This Month. #64. APRIL 2022.

Intro. 06 THOMAS HEADON

Indie pop’s cheeky wonder gone Down Under (then back again), Thomas Headon’s new EP ‘Victoria’ sees him stepping up to the plate like never before. All of which seems a good reason for a catch up, if only we can get him to concentrate on the matter in hand...

CHLOE MORIONDO

Dogs are good. Chloe Moriondo is good. Chloe Moriondo has written a dog themed EP, ‘Puppy Luv’. It is good. Wag tail. Woof woof.

DRUG CHURCH

Not just a great band but one with something to say for themselves. Drug Church’s new album demands attention.

CONFIDENCE MAN

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented sounds. Confidence Man have been quietly working away in their chaotic Brisbane home, but now they’re more than ready to share their infectious dance moves with the globe and create a summer to remember.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... RENFORSHORT

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. Here’s what up-and-coming alt-popster renforshort‘s day looks like.

PILLOW QUEENS

Pillow Queens’ debut album made moves in all the right ways - quietly stacking up the kind of rave plaudits that bed in firm foundations for whatever comes next. with second album ‘Leave The Light On’ now here, it’s time to cash in on all that promise.

20 BANGERS

The best of the latest new tracks.

Hype. 22

Incoming. 52

DAINE

Bridging the gap between pop royalty, rock icons and everything in-between, Daine is a star from the modern school - genre-flipping, hyper energetic and fearsomely creative.

REVIEWS

The new releases you need to hear - and some you definitely don’t.

ARTIST’S GUIDE: PRIESTGATE

Get the lowdown on Driffield’s finest’s debut EP, direct from the mouth of frontman Rob Schofield.

24 SPRINTS

54 Q&A: THE NINTH WAVE

55 ARTIST’S GUIDE: THE LET GO

There’s no shortage of great new bands coming out of Ireland right now. Even for a country with a rich musical heritage, the production line is running hot. Right at the front of the queue are Sprints.

DORA JAR

Not everyone gets the call up to support Billie Eilish, but Dora Jar isn’t your average newcomer.

Features.

By the time their second album ‘Heavy Like A Headache’ lands, Ninth Wave have already decided to take a break. With hiatus looming, we caught up with the band’s Calum Stewart to get the details. Cole and Scout give us the full run down of their Really Very Good debut EP.

26 FONTAINES D.C.

Fontaines D.C.’s ascent has been nothing short of stratospheric, but their third album ‘Skinty Fia’ might very well be their best yet.

34 WALT DISCO

No one does a good time quite like Walt Disco, and now they’re pulling out all the stops for their debut album, ‘Unlearning’.

Get Out. 58 DECENT EXPOSURE

The best live photography from Wolf Alice, Pale Waves and Yard Act.

40 THE REGRETTES

Perpetually the coolest kids on the block, The Regrettes are preaching self-acceptance and playing by their own rules.

44 SEA GIRLS

Spending time at home has come to mean a whole new thing over the past few years, and for Sea Girls, it’s helped inspire a whole new record.

48 WALLOWS

Wallows are coming into their own with their new album ‘Tell Me That It’s Over’.

4. DORK

Q&A: THE MYSTERINES

It feels like the time is right for The Mysterines to deliver their debut album. Created during a pandemic, ready to arrive once it starts to subside (for now, at least - Ed), ‘Reeling’ is an album that confirms the Liverpudlian gang as bonefide talents. We caught up with Lia Metcalfe to catch up on how the album came together, and what to expect next.

Backpage. 62

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS... JOESEF

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 Joesef once bought a fake bulldog.

THE BEATING HEART OF POP.

6. DORK

‘FYI’

“NEW MUSIC BEFORE THE MONTH’S OUT” It looks like Sports Team are ready to start dropping new music. A post from the band’s Twitter account shows a screengrab of an email, titled ‘Sports Team – album masters from Randy’. Alongside it, they promise: “Hits only. New music before the month’s out.” Ooooo, etc.

LONDON, WE LOVE YOU...

PARKLIFE! A new batch of acts have been announced for this summer’s Live At Leeds: In The Park. The new all-day field-based festival from the people behind Live At Leeds, new names joining the bill include The Vaccines, The Snuts, Holly Humberstone, Sports Team, Dream Wife, Alfie Templeman, Lauran Hibberd, The Mysterines, Lime Garden and Coach Party. They join a bill that already featured Bombay Bicycle Club, Sea Girls, Easy Life, Arlo Parks, Confidence Man, Courting and loads more on 4th June in Leeds’ Temple Newsam Park.

LCD Soundsystem have announced a new London residency. Their first UK shows in over four years, the band will perform four shows at O2 Academy Brixton, from 29th June to 3rd July, in celebration of their platinum anniversary. The dates mark the twentieth anniversary year of the band’s first ever live shows which took place in London in 2002 at Arthur Baker’s “Return To New York” and Erol Alkan’s “Trash” parties.

Head(on’s) on W ﬁre. WORDS: ABIGAIL FIRTH. PHOTOS: JORDAN CURTIS HUGHES.

“I WENT THROUGH A BIT OF A CRISIS AFTER MY SECOND EP”

hat better way to spend Valentine’s evening than having a natter with indie heartthrob Thomas Headon? It takes about 20 minutes to get around to even mentioning his upcoming EP ‘Victoria’ because we’re deep T HO M AS HE AD ON in discussion about what we’re doing for Valentine’s Day and which bit of the UK was his favourite to visit on his recent tour. “Fuck that whole argument about North and South because I mean, I get it if you’re from here, but the North is really cool,” he says. Moving to London from just outside of Melbourne a little before the pandemic hit, he’s just about made his way around his adoptive home country. A Guinness in Ireland, and Irn-Bru in Scotland and 15 tour dates later – most of which sold out before he’d even played a live show at all – and it seems the excitement hasn’t died down yet for Thomas. “It got to even the day of every show, and I still wouldn’t believe that it was going to happen,” he says of the constant cycle

readdork.com 7.

COVER STORY

Big Fontaines D.C.’s ascent has been nothing short of stratospheric, but their third album ‘Skinty Fia’ might very well be their best yet. WORDS: JAKE HAWKES. PHOTOS: SARAH LOUISE BENNETT.

26. DORK

FONTAINES D.C.

shots. readdork.com 27.

FEATURES

34. DORK

WALT DISCO

isco inferno No one does a good time quite like Walt Disco, and now they’re pulling out all the stops for their debut album, ‘Unlearning’. WORDS: MARTYN YOUNG.

readdork.com 35.

FEATURES

Dance pain away the

Perpetually the coolest kids on the block, The Regrettes are preaching self-acceptance and playing by their own rules. WORDS: NEIVE MCCARTHY. PHOTOS: LISSYELLE LARICCHIA.

40. DORK

THE REGRETTES

readdork.com 41.

FEATURES

Sick of it Spending time at home has come to mean a whole new thing over the past few years, and for Sea Girls, it’s helped inspire a whole new record. WORDS: NEIVE MCCARTHY. PHOTOS: PATRICK GUNNING.

44. DORK

all.

SEA GIRLS

. readdork.com 45.

FEATURES

48. DORK

WALLOWS

Over + out Wallows are coming into their own with their new album ‘Tell Me That It’s Over’. WORDS: MARTYN YOUNG. PHOTOS: ANTHONY PHAM, DILLON MATTHEW.

readdork.com 49.