Dork, August 2018

8 201 UST AU G COM RK. DDO REA

Pale Waves.

The debut album.

Exclusive.

August 2018 Issue 24

Ed’s letter.

Index.

When Pale Waves got in touch and asked if we’d be interested in having the first proper, no holds barred chat about their debut album, we didn’t really have to think too hard about it. One of - if not the - most exciting new bands on the planet, you can blame them for your monthly Dork being a few days late. We’re pretty confident it’s worth the wait, though.

See, Heather Baron-Gracie isn’t holding back. She knows her band are better than simply good. She’s heard ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ - a record that doesn’t so much deliver on a promise as order in ten times what we asked for and still wonders if we’d like more. A genuine icon before her first record is even on the shelves, she’s aiming for Planet Pop’s shiniest throne and is apologising to nobody.

Quite right too.

UPDATE 4. MAGGIE ROGERS 6. MATT MALTESE 8. TEN TONNES 10. DEAF HAVANA 12. KATE NASH 14. BANGERS

S tephen

BACK PAGE 62. PEACE

“It’s the right time for us”

HYPE 16. NO ROME 18. AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS 19. ZUZU 20. JOAN 21. ALASKALASKA

PALE WAVES P.22

FEATURES 22. PALE WAVES 30. BANGERS OF THE YEAR (SO FAR) 41. BODEGA 44. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE 48. BEN KHAN REVIEWS 50. SOPHIE 52. MIKAELA DAVIS GET OUT 54. CHARLI XCX 55. HAIM 56. ALL POINTS EAST 58. FESTIVALS

Editor / @stephenackroyd

DORK

Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Events Liam James Ward Scribblers Abigail Firth, Alice Mortimer, Ashley Morris, Dan Harrison, Dillon Eastoe, Dominic Allum, Jake Hawkes, Janessa Williams, Josh Williams, Liam Konemann, Sam Daly, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin Snappers Jennifer McCord, Niall Lea, Patrick Gunning, Sarah Louise Bennett Doodlers Russell Taysom Cover photo: Niall Lea P U B L I S H E D F RO M

W E LCO M E TOT H E B U N K E R.CO M U N I T 10, 23 G RA N G E RO A D, H A S T I N G S, T N34 2R L

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

On The Stereo lifting spirits and challenging expectations. Now, they’re ready to drop their debut album, and it’s as great as we’d ever dared hope. Nice one, boys.

Bad Sounds Get Better

We’ve got a special place in our rainbow glitter hearts for Bad Sounds. For what feels like ages, they’ve been dropping oddball bangers, each one

Black Honey Black Honey

If we’re talking about much anticipated debuts, it’s hard 3

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to ignore the incoming first full-length from Black Honey.

Not afraid to play with our expectations, the band’s singular vision becomes less a world of their own, and more a universe.

Pale Waves My Mind Makes Noises Oh. Mate. We’re not sure

you’re ready for this. The hottest new band on Planet Pop haven’t just gone for it - they’ve hired a big red race car and driven it full pelt through the front door.

Less a debut album, more a declaration of intent - if you thought they were going places already, prepare for Waveymania.

Update.

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

Incoming!

Planet Pop,

Maggie

will see you now Already one of our brightest talents, Maggie Rogers is preparing for an album that could take her right to the very top.

Words: Abigail Firth.

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“N

o please, we’re on a date, ask me anything.”

We’re chatting about astrology in Shoreditch’s Ace Hotel, where Maggie has accidentally become a regular.

“Zodiac just says I’m stubborn, which is true, but I think that’s a good quality. And creative and loyal. That’s good, right? Everyone wants loyalty.

And it was interesting when I found out I had some Gemini in me, but that makes a lot of sense for what my life looks like, considering I’m like on stage and then like, my life has a lot of dualities – private vs public life.”

She’s just been on tour with Haim, her first ever opening slot on a tour.

“I got really lucky and got to skip a couple of steps,” she says. “But I am so, so glad I’m doing it because I just feel like I’m in performance boot camp, in the best way, because I feel like I’ve got so much to learn, especially watching those guys every night.

“They’re such powerful musicians and have such powerful presence on stage, and they’ve been playing together for so long that their set is so so tight, and it feels effortless. When I’m on stage, I feel like I’ve spent the last year trying to figure out just like what to do with all of that adrenaline.”

She’s still figuring a lot out, by the sounds of it. Unsurprising, considering she’s only properly been in this game for about two years. “I have this vision of getting on stage one day and being totally commanding and not moving and letting the music do the work. Just like, doing a slight sway. I’m like, this time okay I’m gonna just do it. Then I get on stage, and I have so much adrenaline that I’m just like bouncing off the walls.

“I see videos of myself back and I like don’t sit still ever but it’s because I love the music so much and I feel it so powerfully that I’m going that way but I think it’s just like, finding a sense of normalcy in it is like a whole different ballgame, and I’m starting to figure out what that looks like.”

In fact, Maggie can – and does – count all of her UK headline shows to date on one hand. Last year, she played Omera in February, Brixton Electric in June, Glastonbury and Citadel. Those, plus her support slot with Haim and two upcoming headline shows at KOKO in August, complete the list. For someone who has only been touring properly for the past year and a half, she definitely performs with the demeanour of someone far more established.

“Everything happened so quickly that just having my first shows sell out was so amazing. It’s really special to now be in rooms where I’m getting the chance to introduce myself, and that might like sound crazy but I didn’t have the opportunity to introduce myself in the beginning, it sort of happened for me.”

Of course, she’s referring to that

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video with Pharrell, but now it’s time for the world to see Maggie as an artist in her own right. “I’m so grateful for that because it’s allowed me to do all these other things in my work, but there is something really nice, really calming, really energising about getting on stage every night and getting to introduce myself fresh.”

“It’s cool to see comments or people writing me after the show being like, ‘Totally didn’t realise it was the same person and at the end, I Googled you and realised that that video I saw a long time ago is now that same person’. Obviously, that video was essential to how my private life became public, and it’s sort of a cornerstone of my story, but I’m so excited for there to be more than that.”

For her first headline shows, she didn’t even have enough songs to fill the set. Now there’s an album on the way, she’s having less trouble. “I mean I’m playing like most of the record live. I don’t have enough songs! It’s all from the record.”

It’s impossible not to name-drop when it comes to Maggie Rogers. On her debut album, she’s working with Greg Kurstin, Rostam, and Ricky Reed. She says, “I learned so much working with these people, that I just feel so lucky to have had collaborators like that for this record.” No biggie.

She’s also doing whatever the bloody hell she wants when it comes to releasing singles and the record.

“I’m just like, making decisions when I have decisions to make. Right now I don’t need to know what the third single is. I know what the second is. I feel in the flow; I feel good.

“There are two songs – ‘Fallingwater’ being one – that I’ve slowly been toiling with over the last two-ish years, but the majority of the record I made over the course of about four months, between my home studio in Maryland and studios of friends in Los Angeles. There’s probably four or five versions of every song, so we’re just getting to refining the last couple of sounds and frequencies, should wrap it up soon.”

The record is nearly done, but we’ve got no idea when we’ll be able to hear it. Maggie has no idea, either.

“The record label set arbitrary dates, but we’ve actually taken them all away recently. I think we have a lot to unlearn about how we release records.

There’s a lot that’s evolving. You know it used to be three songs over the course of three to four months, then you get a record.

“People are much more single based these days, which I actually think it’s totally in my favour because if you make a record you’re proud of, you love every song. Every song gets to be a moment; it’s like taking a bath, slow, song by song, getting to really sink in.”

And it’s (kind of) up to you what comes next. She’s keeping a close eye on social media for what and when people want to hear new stuff.

“People seem to be really digging ‘Fallingwater’, which is awesome. I

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“We have a lot to unlearn about how we release records” feel like that’s fine for now. Then when I put another song out people will still be discovering ‘Fallingwater’.

It’s a process.

“The record will come sometime between September and January.

It’s a big window, but I would rather trust my instincts than like try and fit into a system that says I need to tell everyone a date. It’s pretty awesome that I like saddled up to my record label and was like, ‘I just wanna trust my instincts’, and they were like, ‘Yeah, sure’.”

Maggie’s totally rewriting the rules for this album release. Going with the flow and trusting her instincts seem to be her mantras for the process. “When you really settle, you already know the answers to all the questions. Just takes a little time. And trusting it, I think that’s the thing I’ve learned over the last two years.

When everything’s so new, it’s hard to figure out what your instinct’s saying.

Especially when it’s not always the convenient answer.

“Having my first single for this record be a down-tempo four-anda-half-minute long song is not the convenient answer, but it was sort of the only answer. Every time I thought about the record, ‘Fallingwater’ had to be the first song. It’s where I wanted to start telling the story.”

The story she’s referring to picks up exactly where we left off. “I feel like records are a record of a period of time. The EP tells the story of my last months of college, the record is everything since, but if I had the choice, I never would’ve made the EP. I like to speak in complete sentences.

“This record is a lot about change and transition and how powerful that can be and how exciting that can be but also like how terrifying it can be and anxiety-inducing. It feels like everywhere I look things are changing these days. Whether it’s social, political, personal. Its just kind of something that, as personal as it feels and as much change as there’s been in my life, it also feels like a greater narrative.”

You can totally add Maggie Rogers to the list of terribly nice pop stars too. Before we leave, she gives us some Sudafed; then she taps ‘save’ on our voice memos app. “Sorry, I do everything on voice memos, I just wanna make sure it’s saved.” P

Top Tweeps What have your faves been up to on ‘social media’ this month? And why are we printing bits of ‘the internet’ on paper weeks after it happened?

Tonight I paid $40 to attend, with a friend, a meditation and blessing from a high priestess who traveled from a long way away. She got stuck in traffic and someone tried to sage my hair. We got wine instead.

Maggie Rogers (@maggierogers) Me: You know Mbappé is only 4 days older than me Dad: He didn’t write Brazil though Declan McKenna (@DeclanMcKenna) He’s probably quicker over 30 meters, though, Dec. Finding that perfect pub in the ‘not too UKIP but also not too craft beer + beards sweet spot’ is actually quite a skill in itself ennit.

Swim Deep (@SWIM_DEEP) people tell me i’m difficult because i struggle with compromise and i have a very specific way i want to execute my vision, but i’d rather be difficult than average Charli XCX (@charl_xcx) This is 100% our excuse too.

The latest news. Ish.

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

This is happening.

That was easily the best world cup of my life time. An England team with no ego unifying a country that could do with some positivity and togetherness. Thank you Gareth, thank you lads. That was mega.

Theo Ellis, Wolf Alice (@SteadyTheo)

A day in the life of...

Matt Maltese What does Matt Maltese get up to on his average day? Well... this!

9:00 If all is well and normal,

I will get up and cook eggs - maybe even go for a run beforehand - but that is sadly a rarity. I always have a cup of coffee, and I’ll watch either interviews or strange lectures of some kind on my laptop while I have breakfast. Lectures on the Super-Ego or the future of AI. Or if I’m feeling that way inclined, then I’ll watch something like Curb Your Enthusiasm or Arrested Development.

10:00 If I don’t have any set

things in my morning, I will scour my mind for a plan of some sort... which will usually be writing/trying to write. I’ll sit down at my desk and start a demo - either an idea I’ve already had or just try something completely new. I like to try, and a do a verse and chorus with full instrumentation (i.e. crappy Logic sounds), and then usually see if I like the song enough to finish it.

accompany said meal.

11:00 Often I don’t and will move

on to another idea and another. I have a lot of unfinished songs on my laptop – rest in peace. I try and listen to new music around all of this too. Usually, a band that my flat-mates suggest as they have some impeccable music taste, or just a band whose name has been floating around. This week I’ve listened to a lot of Snail Mail and The Moldy Peaches.

13:00 For lunch, I’ll either cook

some pasta up or get a falafel wrap from this place in Camberwell where all your dreams come true for £3.50. If it’s bearable outside, I’ll sit in the park and eat it, or retreat back to my desk. Again I will choose between lectures and tv shows to

It’s ‘let’s announce our album for autumn’ time, starting with TOP

Twenty One Pilots are on the move with two new tracks ‘Jumpsuit’ and ‘Nico And The Niners’ - and a new album, ‘Trench’, arriving on 5th October.

They’ll be in the UK for a tour early next year, too.

14:00 For a few months in the lead

up to recording my first album, I worked a lot at my friend Alex Burey’s house in Purley. He has this great studio shed in his back garden, and we usually start in the afternoon and then go on making music till the evening. He’s a great person to scope out a soundscape with, and he’s one of those darn brilliant multi-instrumentalist types that can play anything, so that helps a lot too. We’ll also listen to a lot of other music together.

He has introduced to a lot of great music - thanks, Alex.

20:00 I’ll usually try and go to a

show if it’s during the week, which will usually be somewhere in South London. There’s usually always something good at The Windmill.

The Lemon Twigs have also confirmed their second album The Lemon Twigs recently shared a pair of new singles, and now they’ve followed up with some album deets. The follow-up to 2016’s debut ‘Do Hollywood’, ‘Go To School’ will land on 24th August.

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Slaves are getting in on the action, too

Slaves’ third album. ‘Acts of Fear and Love’ will be released on 17th August. “We decided to put ourselves on the front cover of it,” the band explain.

Snapped by Juergen Teller, the image features Isaac in the bath and Laurie on the loo. Lovely.

I’ve seen a couple shows at The Five Bells this week that So Young put on. The Rhythm Method and Our Girl. Very good bands. I also saw Dinosaur Jr with my flatmates recently which was a very good show. The frontman and bassist supposedly hate each other, and it was surprisingly enjoyable to try and see that invisible tension in the air. If I don’t go to a gig, I’ll try and watch a film or keep making demos or just hang out with friends in my house, or at my favourite pub ‘Fox on the Hill’ in Camberwell. I sometimes have a Guinness, or if nobody’s watching, I’ll have a Shandy.

00:00 This is when I try to go to sleep. Sometimes successfully, sometimes unsuccessfully.

Goodnight. P Matt Maltese’s

debut album ‘Bad Contestant’ is out now.

And Christine and the Queens, obvs

Christine and the Queens’ new album ‘Chris’ will be arriving on 21st September. “It gets to be a bit more exhilarating, because I get to say, okay, I’ve been introduced now,” she says of her second full-length. “I get to be more confident.”

Incoming!

“The same old

boring wanker” Ten Tonnes is all-go all summer, but that’s not stopped him working on his debut album, which if we’re very lucky, might just be out later this year.

Words: Jamie Muir.

Photos: Patrick Gunning.

What’s going on in the world of Ten Tonnes? That’s a question we wanted the answer to, so we thought well, let’s just do the smart thing and corner him for a chat. That’s the best way of doing things, right? Aside from storming stages up and down the land, it’s starting to look like 2018 is a pretty bloody important year for Mr Tonnes - ready for those huge moments and looking ahead to an album that’s not just all ‘dadadadadadas’. We’ll let him explain…

Hey Ethan! How are things at the moment, feels like there’s loads going on in your world?

Yeah, it’s been really good. Last year it was nice to have that time putting out releases when we wanted to and doing little shows here and there, and doing a bit of festival season or whatever. It feels like this year we’re ramping up a little bit. We started off the year with a massive chunk of touring, which I was so pleased for because I’ve never done a big amount of touring and you want to earn your stripes, doing two months solid.

When all those tours came through, we did three tours back to back, and it was like, yes, this is exactly what I’ve been wanting to do. It was great.

Nice, so loads of big nights all over the place right? Any memorable

runs in particular? You’ve done some pretty big rooms supporting Rat Boy…

Yeah - the Rat Boy tour was just nuts, because his crowd’s a lot of like, 16 and under. It’s a lot of their first gigs, and they just go absolutely mental. It was so nuts; massive mosh pits for every single song. You’re like, what the fuck?!

It’s so cool though. We didn’t really know what to expect, then the first gig we were like, oh my god.

I got a new guitarist at the start of this year, so his first gig was on the Rat Boy tour, and he was like, ‘Mate is this what all your gigs are like?!’

And I was like, yeah yeah yeah… not at all.

Don’t worry, we won’t tell him.

Must be amazing to see that reaction and people really getting into what you do though?

When you see songs like that reacting well, more upbeat songs, you just want to do a whole set of that. That’s the fucking stuff! I think that’s one area where maybe gigs and the album need to meet in a nice way, but you also can’t have a whole album of dadadadadadada, you need to have a few breaks in there.

We’ve just heard the A word - are you working towards that at the moment?

I had a bit of time off after the tour ended, then it was just doing loads of writing. I’ve been in writing sessions since then, like a month, two months, just a lot of writing.

We’re finishing off the album, I feel like we’re pretty much there now, but we’ve just started recording the rest of it.

Well, that’s pretty bloody exciting! Have you been taking influences from those support shows and certain bands in particular?

Your tracks always sound ready to be anthems.

Yeah definitely.

I’m always one for a big chorus, but then you see a band like Stereophonics playing their hits, and it’s like, what the hell?! These

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“We’re finishing off the album; we’re pretty much there now” are massive songs. I knew all the hits, and I knew a few album tunes or whatever, but then you’re sitting there like, fuck, I know all of these tunes. I didn’t know I knew them!

Seeing a band like that absolutely smash it, it’s amazing.

It’s weird because the more gigs you play in front of people, it can be easier to think about - I always imagine what a certain person might think of this song, like someone I went to school with ten years ago. I’m like; I wonder what that kid in my maths class would think if he heard this? It doesn’t matter. You’ve just gotta write good tunes for yourself I guess. I try and write songs that I would want to hear, that’s the best way to do it.

We’ll have a look to see if we can find that kid, can report back when we get his verdict. It must feel like life has changed quite a bit then?

Slightly. When you’re sitting at home you’re still the same old boring wanker; I’m still me. I guess it just happens. It’s like when you don’t see someone for ages, and they’re like, ‘Oh you look so different now’, and I’m like, do I?! You don’t see it when you see yourself every day. When it’s just every day you’re doing it, it’s like cool. The weirdest thing is if someone’s like, ‘Ten Tonnes!’ and you’re like, what? Oh shit, that’s me! That’s always weird. I always feel weird when people go like, oh hello Ten Tonnes. Please call me Ethan.

It’s changed definitely though. Just starting to do what I love to do as a job for the minute is fucking nuts.

I’m happy as Larry.

We’ve heard Larry is usually quite happy, so that is definitely a good thing. Have you had to change your mindset a bit as you gear towards creating an album?

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I think the closer you get to an album; you realise that it is a body of work. I know not everyone listens to albums back to front, but you become more aware of what your voice is, to use a wanky term.

You’ve got an opportunity to say whatever you want. I’ve become more aware of what sort of artist I want to be, I guess.

Your confidence must be growing as a songwriter?

Yeah, and the more writing sessions I do, you maybe write a song, and you’re like, okay that’s completely not right for what I’m going for. I think that’s an easier way to see what you don’t want.

There are people now; it’s not just me - I’m not just making songs for myself. Well, I still am, but there are other people who like it.

There’s a bit of reassurance; I’m not just going mental. The fact people like this a little bit, I can then explore different ideas.

Sounding swell! And now the next few months must be extra busy with the work happening with the album too alongside loads of festival shows?

It’s funny cos festival season is a very, very busy time, but only ever at the weekends really because you’re only ever playing a Saturday or Sunday, maybe a Friday, so the rest of the time - you’ve got most weekdays off. That’s when I’m doing it; I’ve got the weekdays for recording and writing, then weekends doing a show.

Perfect diary management there Ethan, so hopefully once the summer is done and dusted there should be a Ten Tonnes album mostly together?

Yeah exactly. There’s a label involved now, management involved. Everybody has a say and rightly so, but at the end of the day it’s my tunes, it’s not them releasing it, so I get the final say, but that’s the beauty of it - you’ve got other sets of ears that can be like, ‘Maybe you should try this…’.

So I’ve written loads and loads of tunes, you just get those standout ones that would be such a cool moment on the album, and we’re just writing until we get those last few layers, so it’s a really, really great record instead of a good record. P Ten Tonnes will play

Neverworld, 110 Above, Rize and Reading & Leeds this summer.

Need to know

Deaf Havana’s new album isn’t what you’re expecting from the previously rock focused five piece. Determined to go where their creative muse takes them, their new album ‘Rituals’ is an explosion of pop colour. Here, frontman James Veck-Gilodi tells us five things we need to know about the band’s brave new era.

Words: Dillon Eastoe.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

‘Rituals’ was deliberately a quick follow up to previous album ‘All Those Countless Nights’ “It came together really quickly,” explains frontman James VeckGilodi, “because previously we’d taken four years between ‘Old Souls’ and ‘All These Countless Nights’, and I just did not want to risk that again. Everything’s so fast-paced now, I didn’t want to leave people waiting.”

It could be a shock to fans “I understand why fans might be taken aback by it,” James confesses. “The only thing that’s changed is the instrumentation.

I’ve always written songs in a pop format, verse chorus verse chorus middle eight chorus. It’s still got the same miserable lyrics; it’s still got the same lift in the choruses as I’ve always had. I think the only thing that’s different is that there’s more electronics. I’ve realised we have a keyboard player and we’ve never really utilised it.”

It’s sort of influenced by Justin Bieber. No, really.

“I understand why fans might be taken aback by it”

“I definitely wanted it to be became ridiculous.” different, but I didn’t realise it would be this different. In terms of the production, I remember listening to that Justin Bieber record when it came out.

Although it’s Coming soon...

Justin Bieber, As we enter ‘Q3’ and prepare for a busy ‘Q4’, we some of the want to be extra sure that everyone is prepared for sounds they’ve any incoming pop emergencies. That’s why we’ve got on this record made a special edition of Dork, full of previews are insane. A for all the amazing albums we’re expecting over lot of it was the rest of 2018. You can pick it up from our usual experimental; we stockists, or direct from readdork.com, from 3rd just sort of tested August. how weird we could go before it

Despite the title, it’s not a religious record,

Dork’s Big Album Guide!

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but rather focused on personal struggle “A lot of the lyrics are about, although I’m not religious, what could be perceived as sin. Some of its semi-fictional, I’ve elaborated a bit, but the way I’ve treated people in the past was a big subject matter on this record. I like playing with the idea of them being sins and the record was like a confession.”

You can maybe, if you fancy, have a dance to it.

Maybe.

“I think people can dance to the record, which couldn’t be said of our previous stuff. I think that’s part of the reason I wanted to get it out in the summer as well, that’s something that we’ve never done.

It’s always been winter records and misery. But even though the lyrics are miserable, some of the songs are quite upbeat, so I think it might be cool at festivals.” P

Deaf Havana’s new album ‘Rituals’ is out on 3rd August via So Recordings.

Get a hobby

mushrooming with Kate Nash Let’s all go Pop stars are supposed to have glam hobbies - stuff that would be out of the reach of us mere mortals. Pop stars that are also in worldwide smash Netflix series should be up to even more extravagant stuff. But Kate Nash?

Mushrooming. High on life, mate.

Words: Sam Taylor.

Hi Kate, how did you get into mushrooming then? Has it been a long-time interest?

I’ve always been interested in forest ecology in general and grew up going to the woods & hiking a lot with my family, whether locally or on holiday. Our holidays were always in Ireland or the Lake District/North of England.

My interest in mushrooms really spiked two years ago, I started studying Irish mythology, got into fairies and mushrooms from that perspective and then I just became drawn to fungi and started studying mycology specifically.

Do you get to go mushrooming often? Is it something you do in other countries as well as the UK? I live predominantly in Los

Angeles, and there’s a lot of beautiful nature to access. I’m back and forth to the UK a lot, and every time I’m home I research a particular woodland I want to visit and walk around. I’m in an identifying stage, so I’m not really foraging/picking right now. I really want to go to Oregon for it!

There’s amazing fungi there, my dream fungi experience would be Australia, some of the mushrooms there look like aliens. Also Brazil!

What’s your favourite type of mushroom?

The latest news. Ish.

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

This is happening.

To eat, I like the classic portobello mushrooms!

To look at, Campanella caesia are super cute, and Clathrus archeri looks like the most insane alien spawn you wouldn’t believe.

Superorganism vs Gorillaz

Just when you thought Superorganism couldn’t get any buzzier, they’ve got their mitts on Gorillaz’ track ‘Humility’ and given it the remix treatment. The original track features on Damon and co’s latest record, ‘The Now Now’.

Is it true you’re doing a college course on mycology?

Yes! Check out Radical Mycology!

There are a bunch of different online courses you can do; it’s really stimulating and challenging. Mycology is fucking amazing. You could also check out the book by Peter McCoy.

Do you think you’ll ever move into working with mushrooms or nature professionally?

It’s really inspired me to lean towards sciences in a way that at school I felt like I could never do.

I always wanted to be a marine biologist and considering my feelings towards human beings and how they treat the planet, I’m thinking about studying marine biology next, contemplating the idea of doing a degree. Who knows what the future holds?

What tips would you give novice mushroom fans?

I think there’s so much to learn and the great thing is you can find so much online! I would start with

MØ’s new record is coming in October

Queen of the pop hit, MØ has finally announced details of her second album. Titled ‘Forever Neverland’, the full-length will arrive on 19th October via Chess Club / RCA Victor. The news comes alongside a brand new single, ‘Sun In Our Eyes’.

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Get well soon, Joe from Glass Animals

Glass Animals’ Joe Seaward has taken a ‘bit of a knock’ while out on his bike. “Joe was hit by a truck while on his bike,” the band explain. “Miraculously and thankfully, he is alive. After a couple [of] long operations he is now on the road to recovery.”

“I just became drawn to fungi” Joe Rogan’s podcast interviewing Paul Stamets, a mycologist that says there are six ways mushrooms can save the world.

Finally, have you ever found a mushroom so large you could wear it as a hat?

Yes! Lol, this would actually be a giant hat. I found this in Savernake Forest in the UK which has ancient oak trees over 1,000 years old and is a point of scientific interest. I highly recommend. P Kate Nash’s

album ‘Yesterday Was Forever’ is out now.

Milk Teeth guitarist Chris Webb has left

Milk Teeth guitarist Chris Webb has parted ways with his bandmates. “Chris Webb will be leaving Milk Teeth with immediate effect,” reads a statement. “We need time to regroup as a band. This is not the end of Milk Teeth.”

Bangers Summer sizzlers!

The best new tracks.

off against the gloriously trashy vibe, the analogue and digital coming together in perfect harmony.

A turbo-banger built on a wave of pure, unfiltered hype, the next era of The 1975 has begun. Excited?

Thought so. P Stephen Ackroyd

Slaves

Cut And Run

‘Cut And Run’ marks a new chapter for Isaac and Laurie. They’re still living in a world of scrappy, scuzzy punk, but the undertones have changed. With both members providing vocals, they’ve morphed into something subtly but substantially different.

That constantly propelling beat - always Slaves’ strongest point - remains, but everything above it has blossomed. In truth, the deliberately repetitive refrain, constantly distorting guitar line and lazy day middle section could come straight from a relative of Damon Albarn’s late 90s Britpop revulsion.

A blend of brute force and deliberate action, it fits them well. P Stephen

Ackroyd

Pale Waves Eighteen

So much has been written about Pale Waves over the last year and a half. From the moment ‘There’s A Honey’ raised its head above the pop parapet, they’ve attracted as many Big Opinions as they have heart-eyed proclamations of desire.

Now, with a debut album on the slate, it’s time to put down new markers. ‘Eighteen’ is Pale Waves at their very, very best. Thumped up route one with an almighty heft, it’s threaded with the band’s greatest strength - an instantly recognisable signature of 80s prom glitter-ball and goth-pop wizardry.

Unashamedly going for the throat, it bears no comparison to their peers - label mates or others. Such lazy shorthand has never rung that true, and increasingly sounds more ignorant than anything else. Pale Waves are on their own road now, and it’s a fast one. P Stephen

Somehow ‘I Only Hurt The Ones I Love’ is the most Black Honey, Black Honey have ever sounded. This is where the past few years, all those questions and all that patience, have been leading. From the title, to that snarling dance that slinks throughout, ‘I Only Hurt The Ones I Love’ takes every thread the band have laid and brings them together in a neon-drenched tapestry of elsewhere. There are hints of what comes next. The future weaved into the known. Safety cut with recklessness. This world of theirs, The Bad Black Honey Club, isn’t setting itself any boundaries. P Ali

Shutler

The 1975

Give Yourself A Try

Truth be told, there’s no band

on the planet as exciting as The 1975 right now. While others may arguably be newer, fresher, more urgent or push the boundaries further, true excitement requires people to be excited. For the last few months, they’ve turned the crank on an international scale. Countless images, posters, countdowns and hints, even now nobody has known quite what to expect from the band’s big comeback.

It’s a feeling of giddy unease that fits perfectly. ‘Give Yourself A Try’ is a salty sugar rush - a single scratchy, distorted riff chiming out above electronic beats. Matty Healy’s vocal in comparison sound less urgent, more melancholy, clashing together like cut and glued pages in a photocopied ‘zine. Those introspective, often heavy lyrics mark another juxtaposition, playing

Ackroyd

Black Honey

I Only Hurt The Ones I Love

The world is scary, unpredictable and wild. The unexpected is quickly becoming the norm, and it’s almost impossible to be genuinely surprised anymore. But here we are, Black Honey have finally announced their debut album.

From the very start, they’re a band who’ve had a vision. It’s shifted and grown, but it’s always felt like it was heading in the same direction.

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Hype! Hype! Hype!

King Nun

Chinese Medicine

You put a band on the cover of a magazine, and what do they do?

We’ll be honest, Dear Reader, we were starting to get a bit anxious about King Nun’s absence from 2018’s musical tapestry. As the second half of the year came around, we’d had promises of something fresh - a new EP built on a period of growth and levelled up ambition - but we know what bands are like. All talk, no action, right?

Not where this lot are concerned.

‘Chinese Medicine’ isn’t so much a return for King Nun as an evolution and revolution rolled into one unstoppable boulder. Rattling down indie rock’s steepest incline, it sparkles in a way few dared hope. More concentrated, more direct, as the first taster of King Nun mk. 2, it’s enough to start measuring up the trophy cabinet and fitting the red carpet. A steely backbone keeps a lineage drawn from modern indie icons firmly upright. There’s a muscle to King Nun that feels more robust than ever before, but a glint in the eye that tells us it’s not so simple. It’s great to have them back. P Stephen Ackroyd

Hype.

No Rome ESSENTIAL NEW MUSIC.

There’s a new act on the buzz train - Manila-born singer and producer No Rome is already making friends in all the right places. The latest signee to Dirty Hit’s roster, he’s also a much-loved collaborator of The 1975’s Matty Healy - and this is just the beginning.

Words: Abigail Firth.

N

o Rome is a busy lad.

When he’s finished chatting with Dork, he’s off to Japan to shoot ‘a video’ – no word on what it’s for yet, it’s all top secret. As are most things surrounding Rome Gomez.

For an artist that has two tracks out in the world in total, there’s definitely an air of mystery around the guy, and a colossal amount of hype.

Rome has been making music since MySpace was around (crikey), and started taking it seriously about five years ago. He was an OG SoundCloud artist too, putting out demos on the platform and working with other artists he’d met on the internet. “I’d just upload them for the sake of it really, nothing more nothing less – and apparently you got people who like the way it sounded.”

Rome is an interesting character.

Hearing his music, you’d hardly expect the influences he lists as his own. “I guess the irony of getting influences from bands and a lot of music from the past especially, and me having the capability to time travel with the internet to hear songs from when I wasn’t even born yet, is I can get inspired from them.

“Growing up listening to like My things together, then a whole Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and album. But hopefully, by next year, then having electronic artists like I’d be able to be done with that one.”

Bjork and Aphex Twin coming up He hasn’t even toured yet – yep as well so, they kind of like made this is a properly millennial rise that sound. Those are the kind of to fame. “Live shows? Not at the bands I genuinely listen to, and you moment, not that I know of. I guess could say I get my inspiration from. trying to build a sort of stage set “But lyrically I guess it’s Frank up that I could bring along with O’Hara. He’s very interesting in me, then I’d be able to start doing the way that he’s shows. I just wanna very honest with his be a bit intricate poems but at the same with it before I start time it’s fake, so the + From London-via-Manila playing small venues honesty is there, but and have my visuals + For fans of The 1975, obvs at the same time you set up, just because it + Check out ‘Do It Again’ works both ways with question; ‘Yeah I get + Social @no_rome what he’s trying to say’. the music and stuff.” + See them live: You can’t, It’s there, but what So how does a soz does it really mean?

21-year-old from That’s kind of how I wanted to tell a Manila, end up getting signed to story with that EP.” the most exciting record label in The ‘wow they came out of the world, Dirty Hit and living with nowhere, and now they’re gonna The 1975’s Matty Healy? be a massive pop star’ is an age-old “I met Matty about last year – way of selling a new artist, but he found me through Samuel sometimes with good reason. “I [Burgess-Johnson], his roommate, guess it kind of made me work hard who I’m a huge fan of as well – he’s by force, you know?” Rome says. a graphic designer that just does “The DIY culture there [in Manila, amazing stuff, and I’d seen his where he was born and raised], a profile over the internet for a while.” lot of things aren’t as culturally Oh yeah, the internet. Rome and updated as it would be, but with Samuel spent a while emailing that kind of strive of getting what each other (<3 cute) about music you want made it a bit more extra. and art; then Matty heard his It was a drive. It was definitely a songs. “He wanted to fly me in, got drive.” me in touch with Dirty Hit, and we Aside from an EP - ‘RIP Indo kicked it off really.

Hisashi’, coming ‘soon’ - there’s not “I ended up living with Matty much else on the way from Rome. for quite some time and helped It’s really a drop in the ocean that’s him out with the album, and he made a bloody massive wave. “The was helping me out with my music, album has always been on the way, and it became like a very brotherly it keeps changing and changing thing. I think it’s pretty cool for a through time, and I just wanna young kid like me coming up from get to the point where I think this somewhere random and meeting is something worth listening to across the platform of the internet, as a fifteen track that’s gonna I guess makes a lot of sense.” come from me – or at least that I’m ‘Pretty cool’ is probably the saying right now. most understated way to describe “It’s just changing the place of the whole situation. Remember songs and having a theme to it as when Sean Parker put ‘Royals’ on well. So I just wanna hit that and his Spotify playlist and within a while doing that I guess making few months, Lorde was top of the EPs would be right to kind of place charts worldwide? That’s the level

The Facts

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“I ended up living with Matty for quite some time, it became a very brotherly thing” of hype anything associated with The 1975 can generate. Christ just look at our magazine if you need any evidence. P No Rome’s

debut EP ‘RIP Indo Hisashi’ is out ‘soon’.

Hype.

Amyl sniffers and the

Mullets from Melbourne never sounded so good.

Words: Jake Hawkes.

W

ho’d have thought one of the most hyped acts postGreat Escape would be an Australian punk band with mullets named after a recreational drug? Not Amyl

and the Sniffers, that’s for sure.

Catching up with them before their sold-out show at the Lexington, they seem as bewildered as they are excited by all of the attention.

“We’re pretty young as a band, we’ve only been touring for a couple of years,” starts Amy, lead singer and frontwoman, explaining how it feels to be selling out shows thousands of miles from home. “It’s been pretty hectic, there’s a lot going on, and it’s pretty full on. We’ve also done about six shows in five days, so that’s been pretty wild too.”

There’s a sense from Amy and Gus, the bassist, that they probably don’t sleep all that much. This is all but confirmed when they’re asked if they’ve had any time between shows to explore England on their first ever visit. “Oh, Gus has done heaps of culture vulture stuff,” laughs Amy, urging: “Tell them about the skulls!”

“Oh yeah, I went to this fucking bizarre museum under a pub, it had loads of taxidermy and skulls...

I saw all kinds of stuff,” Gus

album and Eric is sitting in on it as well, but touring America with explains, before reeling off a list: them will be wild.

“A jar of Russell Crowe’s piss, A box “I have been to America once filled with Russell Brand’s pubes, before. When I was 16, I went over oh, and a jar of Kylie Minogue’s as a nanny for three weeks, which shit, that was like a home away was fucking weird.” from home for me.”

“It’s our first time playing out Not exactly your average tourist there though,” says Gus. “We’re experience, but then it’s doubtful doing 22 shows in 24 days with whether the loud-mouthed Gizzard, and we’re just Australians who joke finishing six shows about each other’s across five nights in buttholes on stage the UK. I think we’re + From Melbourne, would fit in at the gonna die, but it’ll be Australia National Gallery, so + For fans of Deap Vally, worth it.” it’s probably for the Drenge, King Gizzard As it’s their first best. + Check out ‘I’m Not A time in the UK and So how is London Loser’ America, there are + Social facebook.com/ measuring up against some home comforts amylandthesniffers/ their hometowns? + See them live: They play the band wish they’d “Well, we’re all from brought along: London’s Moth Club on different places,” “Vegemite, I’m missing 25th September Amy says. “I’m from that shit already,” a small town called Mullumbimby, sighs Gus. “I gotta track some a little hippy town that my parents down soon. Mullets haven’t caught moved to when they were younger. on here either. Obviously, they Iggy Azalea’s from there though, I were global in the 1980s, but there went to her high school, and her is something quintessentially mum was my soccer coach,” she Australian about a mullet.” laughs, clearly aware that Azalea “There are some good pubs in and the Sniffers don’t have all that Australia too, if anyone’s ever over much in common. there,” Amy adds. “Balaclava Hotel The Sniffers are psyching in Balaclava, that’s a good ‘un.” themselves up for their biggest “Oh man if you’re in Melbourne tour yet: supporting King Gizzard you gotta go to the Tote,” Gus and the Lizard Wizard in the enthuses. “It’s a ripper pub, home States. of rock’n’roll. Going to the pub is “We’re on Flightless Records, pretty much my main hobby!” He which is run by King Gizzard, so grins and takes a swig from his can they’re basically our godfathers of Kronenbourg. “Going to the pub, now,” Amy explains. “Joey Walker, watching some bands, hanging out the guitarist, is recording our and talking shit.” P

The Facts

“Iggy Azalea’s mum was my soccer coach” Inspired by Australia’s finest purveyors of the mullet? Amy and Gus have some tips on good mullet practice. We’ve put together a list of some of the most majestic mullets from history too, in case you needed even more guidance.

Gus: “You need to maintain the top, keeping it nice and short at the sides.”

Amy: “There’s a lot of cunts walking around, and all they’ve got is short above their ears, and they just leave everything else the same. Bitch, that ain’t a mullet!

Tarek Musa of Spring King in the video for ‘City’ David Bowie in the 70s

ARTIST’S

IMPRESSION

Charlie Steen from Shame after their US tour

Tegan and Sara in 2007

And of course, Billy Ray Cyrus

planet Earth for a new life only to be a human somewhere else. More often than not it always comes down to the human condition, which we can’t avoid no matter where we are in the universe.

Also, I just love Ancient Aliens, and this is all a stepping stone to the true dream of appearing on the show.

Check out...

Gently Tender You should recognise some of these faces already - Gently Tender formed from the ashes of ramshackle London noisemakers Palma Violets, featuring Sam Fryer, Pete Mayhew and Will Doyle, along with The Big Moon’s Celia Archer on keys, and guitarist Adam Brow.

Interesting stuff, huh? They’ve just dropped their debut single ‘2 Chords Good’, and are going to play a headliner at The Lexington on 26th September.

Listen to: ‘2 Chords Good’

Lala Lala Newly signed to Hardly Art - also home to Chastity Belt, Hunx & His Punx, Tacocat and all that good stuff - Lala Lala is the Chicagobased project of 24-year-old songwriter and guitarist Lillie West. Much like her label buds, she puts the world to rights via brutally honest lo-fi-ish tunes about insecurity, and the pains of growing up. Her second album, ‘The Lamb’ is coming on 28th September.

Listen to: ‘Destroyer’

If aliens were to hear your EP, what do you think they’d take away from it?

Zuzu

She’s already played alongside Peace and Blossoms this year, and now Liverpudlian ZUZU will brighten up yr summer too with her super fun take on indie-pop.

Words: Sam Taylor.

Hey ZUZU, how’s it going? Been up to anything fun lately?

How did you first get into creating music, then?

Krush Puppies

New band news

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

On the grapevine

You’d think South London wouldn’t have any more room for new bands, right? But here we are, another offering for the Hype gods. Krush Puppies only have one single ‘out there’ at the mo, and they’re testing the water with retro vibes of the seductively lo-fi, grungy kind. It’s good stuff, and will see them perform a single launch party at The Windmill on 26th July.

Listen to: ‘Petalhead’

Tell us about Witches From Hell.

It was an early venture of mine, consisting of me and my best friend at the time singing about rising from the dead. This came to

King Nun are back in bizness with a tune and a new tour

What were the most important lessons you learnt from your early forays into music?

You’re about to release your debut EP, how did you go about putting it together?

+ Social @thisiszuzu + See them live: Find Zuzu on the road with Tom Grennan in Europe this September, and at Neighbourhood Festival on 6th October.

‘Made on Earth by Humans’ is a collection of old and new songs, I wanted to show people I can write a moody tune with ‘All Good’ which has turned out to be my favourite. I wanted the EP to sound tough and poppy at the same time.

Are you inspired by space travel and the like?

I’m obsessed with all things sci-fi. I love the idea of humans getting off

HMLTD have a new EP, ‘Hate Music Last Time Delete’. The release features previous 10/10 bangers, ‘Pictures Of You’ and ‘Proxy Love’, and it’s streaming in full online check it out at readdork.com. Find the band at Truck, Green Man, Reading & Leeds and more across the summer.

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Monkey Heaven is the name of the studio which is actually run by my guitarist Kurran Karbal and his engineer Harry Chalmers from Hooton Tennis Club. We have a lot of toys, books and weird instruments to keep us inspired.

Everyone is always giving me shit for not taking my figurines out of the boxes, but I just can’t cave into the peer pressure. THEY WILL REMAIN IN PERFECT CONDITION!

Being happy with what you’re putting out is everything.

People’s opinions are important, but ultimately you have + From Liverpool, UK to be happy. I’m glad I + For fans of The Big learned that early on Moon, Superfood, Bad so have managed to Sounds avoid that so far. + Check out ‘All Good’

HMLTD’s new EP ‘Hate Music Last Time Delete’ is out now, and it’s so good

Fresh from dropping brand new banger ‘Chinese Medicine’, King Nun have announced a headline tour. With an EP of new material on the way, they’ll play nine shows between 13th and 22nd November, calling off in Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Glasgow, Leeds, Nottingham, Norwich, London and Bristol.

What’s your studio set up like?

The Facts

Hey Dork, yes been up to lots of cool stuff. Writing and recording a lot at the studio in Merseyside, Monkey Heaven. I just played a great hometown show with Blossoms, that was super fun.

I have always written stupid songs for as long as I can remember. I guess I first started to want to be in a band when my big brother got really into guitar music; I wanted to be him so copied everything he listened to, stole his Rise Against and Slipknot hoodies etc.

an abrupt end when the parents deemed it blasphemous! I think they just wanted us to stop screeching.

Hopefully, they take me away, could do with a change of scenery.

RE AD D O RK. CO M

You’ve tried your hand at a lot of things, with illustrating, acting and such. Do you have any other talents we should know about?

I’m not one to brag, but I’m scarily good at Tetris and Mortal Kombat.

What else have you got coming up? There’s a tour with Tom Grennan, right? Are you guys buds?

We are indeed! Heading off to mainland Europe with Mr Grennan in September. I consider us buds, so he doesn’t really have a say in it at this point. TOM WE ARE BEST FRIENDS DON’T FIGHT IT! P

ZUZU’s debut EP ‘Made on Earth

By Humans’ is out now.

Catch Self Esteem playing a show in LDN this September

Self Esteem - that’s Rebecca Taylor out of Slow Club, ‘FYI’ - has announced a new London headliner; she’ll perform at the Omeara on 19th September. The news is accompanied be her new track ‘Wrestling’, which you can hear at readdork.com now.

She’s not long(ish) released her EP ‘Your Wife’, too.

Joan

Hype.

Alan Thomas and Steven Rutherford - aka Arkansas duo joan - make chilled out, grooving retro synth-pop tunes that call back to the likes of 80s legends Pet Shop Boys in their sparkly heyday.

Words: Jamie Muir.

Check out...

Miss World Natalie Chahal spent her teens in scrappy punk bands, and that same confidence and defiant sense of fun shines through on her latest project, Miss World. Her lo-fi tunes are perfect for soundtracking any number of adventures - from road trips, to house parties - and her debut album, ‘Keeping Up With Miss World’, due 28th September, is def one for your ‘keep an eye on this’ list.

Listen to: ‘Put Me In A Movie’

BLANc Former Maccabees touring member Will White has launched his solo project with charming new tune, ‘Only One’. The wriggly little ear worm is part of a three-track EP that also features ‘In My TV Set’ and ‘Part Of Me’, and arrives with a few London headline shows across the summer. Catch him at The Social on 4th August, and Lion Coffee + Records on the 30th.

Listen to: ‘There’s Only One’

I

t’s a warm day in Brighton, but joan are savouring the UK climate. In the upstairs

apartment they’ve found themselves in, they’re finally taking a moment after rushing down to the seaside - and conversation has turned to the sounds that soundtracked their childhood.

There’s Prince. There’s Michael Jackson. There’s James Taylor.

“I’m a pop guy!” declares frontman Alan Thomas, sitting across from drummer Steve Rutherford as they call together a gambit of styles from singersongwriters to out and out pop giants.

“I loved it all. The thing is, the essence of pop is that it can be whatever you want it to be. You can play by a lot of different rules with that, but for us, let’s not corner ourselves in a sound so that then the next thing we put out has a different flair to it. It’s pop music, so we can. I’d hate to be pigeon-holed, or pigeon-hole ourselves.

“We’ll save that for when we move into hip-hop, and Steve comes out from behind the drums to rap,” he laughs. “Those will be the golden years…”

Knowing joan, there could be many golden years ahead. There may only be a scattering of tracks out in the world right now, but trading in mammoth 80s pop in all its styles and flavours is really the name of the game. An evolving lead of tracks with insatiable hooks and an effortless sugar-coated charm, it’s nothing short of unabashed fun.

The sort of combination that would 20

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“Pop can be whatever you want it to be”

naturally start when…

“Well, we actually got together for the first time to write for a licensing project” explains Alan. “We didn’t have a band in mind! And then we wrote ‘Take Me On’ and we were like, okay this is more than just a licensing thing. We put out ‘Take Me can take it.”

On’ and then we were playing live “I think the goal is connecting the month after.” with as many people as possible,” From the flicking grooves of picks up Steve, “and that really ‘tokyo’ and the choppy euphoria of means bigger stages, so that’s where wide-eyed banger ‘love somebody we want to be. Even the shows we’ve like you’ to the mountain-top had here have been small, but the emotions of ‘i loved you first’ crowd has been super into it, and everything joan does is dripped it’s been amazing. To think of that in unstoppable joy. energy, multiplied by There’s that ability to a crazy amount, that’s sound effortless but amazing.” also pristinely slick + From Arkansas, US They’ve already + For fans of Fickle in everything they made their home Friends, MUNA do, and that frothing across the globe, and + Check out ‘Tokyo’ sense of ambition the release of their + Social @songsbyjoan that could take over + See them live: The duo debut EP ‘Portra’ is the world - they’ve have a big old October tour only set to extend got the anthems to with Jeremy Zucker in the that. joan are the pop have thousands and US, but nowt in the UK at sensation that you thousands in awe. the mo. may not know about “Every kid, I yet, but rest assured they’ll be would think, who picks up guitars soundtracking lives and becoming or drums or sings at a young age ingrained in what modern pop is in is…” starts Alan, thinking how to no time. word what he says next. “For me, “We’re in a building phase, it started out as a little basketball putting out a track at a time and goal; I would dunk while Michael trying to get people to understand Jordan is on the screen and I would who we are and what we’re about be like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna dunk and our lives,” rounds out Alan. one day’. That growth spurt never “Every day we’re writing and happened, so I was like, okay, I’m working together - doing something. not going to do that. When I picked I think it’s really important, we’re up a guitar, I saw it - all those people being shaped right now.” when I’m looking out on stage, so I Dazzle in the lights, joan are don’t think I’ve lost sight of that. I ready to come out and play. P joan’s see joan as big as our team and us

D OWN WI T H BO RI N G

The Facts

EP ‘portra’ is out now.

So you wanna be a pop star?

Lucinda John-Duarte,

ALASKALASKA Being a pop star is a serious job. You can’t just walk through the door and get started. You need to have a proper interview first.

This month’s applicant is ALASKALASKA’s Lucinda John-Duarte. The board will see you now.

What can you tell us about yourself?

What is your biggest failure?

Not learning to speak proper Portuguese even though my dad is from there. I go every year (sometimes twice a year), and I definitely should know it by now, it’s a bit tragic.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

In the know

Finding true love.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I didn’t choose the pop star life; it chose me.

Knee deep in a seminal sophomore album/world tour/ making the flowers grow in my hubby and I’s newly purchased PRS funded house… wherever that might be.

How would your bandmates describe you?

What is your salary expectation?

I’m a lover, not a fighter.

Why do you want to be a pop star?

Kind, but also sassy.

What are your best and worst qualities?

I laugh a lot, I cry a lot, and sometimes I do both at the same time, and that can weird people out.

If I can quit my day job, play music and continue to make rent and occasionally go out for a tasty dinner, I’ll be happy. That’s not asking for much, is it? P

ALASKALASKA’s single ‘Meateater’ is out now.

Goat Girl There are always more bands the biggest question is who do you listen to when it comes to recommendations? Obviously Dork, your new music bible, should be your first port of call, but there are others too.

This month we ask Ellie and Rosie from Goat Girl - who are always on the look out for buzz.

Ellie : There is some great new

New band news

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

On the grapevine

music out there, stretching over an amazing array of genres and sounds. Firstly, Sneaks is one of my favourite new artists to have emerged from Washington DC. I was lucky enough to see her perform at South By South West in March.

Her set was full of energy, bold drum beats, hooky baselines and beautifully rigid simplicity. Her new album ‘It’s a Myth’ features more electronic sounds than her previous album (‘Gymnastics’), with a range of synth sounds and synthetic beats. Although I love both albums equally! Her vocals are passionate and quite percussive. In some ways, she reminds me of The Klang.

Sneaks merges the simplicity and minimalism of punk with durgey electronic noises. We are lucky

Stella Donnelly is going to play a few UK headliners later this year

Dizzy have announced their debut album, ‘Baby Teeth’

Stella Donnelly has announced a few UK headline shows. The dates will take place around the Aussie’s upcoming festival slots, which include Green Man and End of the Road. “I love the Northern Hemisphere so much that I’m just never going home” she says. Stella recently signed a brand new record deal with Secretly Canadian.

Canadian upstarts Dizzy have announced their debut album. Titled ‘Baby Teeth’, it’s set to arrive on 17th August via Communion Music. The band, who made a bit of a fuss when they played the Great Escape earlier this year, will return to the UK this Autumn where they’ll headline Omeara on 18th September.

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RE AD D O RK. CO M

enough to have her on our next UK tour in October, which we’re so chuffed about!

Crumb are another new band which excited me when I heard them. It’s fronted with a female vocalist whose voice is warm and sweeter than honey. The instrumentation is somewhat jazzy, with slick chord progressions, laidback drumming and insanely good, groove-driven bass parts.

There are also some psychedelic elements to Crumb when they let loose, and the synth comes in.

Worth a listen!

Rosie : Jockstrap are an amazing

new live and recorded band, fronted

by Georgia Ellery (our lovely violinist) alongside Taylor Skye.

Both members are very talented jazz and classical musicians, and this comes across in the music while remaining modern. Their latest release ‘Charlotte’ is eerily disjointed, using simplicity to its merit. It’s accompanied by an equally eerie video, directed by Enid Gunn. The video has a sort of uncanny valley feeling to it. Georgia has got an amazing voice, utilising her elevated range. Her lyrics are quite personal, and I like how free she is with expressing her sexuality.

The duo have got an EP coming out soon, so look out for that. P

Dream Wife are taking Queen Zee on the road with them

Dream Wife are playing a UK tour later this year, which culminates at KOKO in London on 31st October, and they’re taking along Queen Zee in support. The trio - who’ve not long released their self-titled debut album - also have dates in Birmingham, Glasgow, Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester, Coventry, Portsmouth and Brighton.

My Mind

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In the past year and a half, Pale Waves have quickly established themselves as the de-facto buzziest band on the planet. Now, they’re announcing their debut album, ‘My Mind Makes Noises’. Due this September, we grabbed an exclusive word with the group’s biggest fan, frontwoman Heather BaronGracie. Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Niall Lea.

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P

ale Waves want to be the biggest band in the world, but you probably already knew that. Their

“We wanted to dive into different aspects of our sound,” Heather continues. “We wanted to show different personalities to our writing,” but none of that came from simply wanting to prove people wrong. Their world expanding at each twist and turn, every song still sounds like Pale Waves. “You shouldn’t listen to those people. We write pop music, and we want to sound like the same band. I’m sorry if that offends anyone. We have the same writers. We’re going to have a consistent sound. And I think that’s a good thing to do. We want to be recognisable. I wouldn’t want to throw some jazz number on the album... not yet anyway,” she smiles.

“We’ve got a lot of groundwork to settle in before we start throwing those crazy shapes.” “‘My Mind Makes Noises’ tells their story so far. You’ll recognise ‘Kiss’ as well as slightly reworked versions of ‘There’s A Honey’ and ‘Television Romance’, but apart from that, it’s all shiny and new. It’s looking towards a future where the name Pale Waves is up in lights. There are hints of what’s to come; whispers of a world bigger than even they could imagine.

“With this record, it’s going to display what we’re going to do on the next album and in the future,” says Heather. “We’re always growing as artists, growing as people, and that’s going to influence our writing.” The band are also ever-growing. “It’s going to be even more different on the second album, but it’s still going to sound like Pale Waves,” she promises. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves…

P

Pale Waves. London, July 2018.

S

ambition has been clear since the opening shimmer of their signature banger ‘There’s A Honey’ dazzled into view back in February 2017.

Their drive has been constant, from fearlessly supporting stablemates The 1975 on their trek across American academies and arenas with only one song to their name, through to releasing a steady stream of stone-cold pop classics, doused in red, black and blue. At every turn, they’ve commanded the spotlight and asked for more. They’ve been relentless, uncompromising and constant in their need to be heard.

It’s why they’ve spent the past six months almost always on the road. It’s why their name is on the bill for pretty much every festival happening this summer.

All that, though, was leading to this - their debut album. Titled ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ and released on 14th September, the fourteen tracks come just a year and a half after that debut single, but the difference is huge. Pale Waves don’t just dream of being the biggest band in the world; they’re doing everything in their power to make it their reality.

“It feels crazy,” starts vocalist Heather Baron-Gracie. “Even when I’m listening to it on my phone, it’s still so odd to picture us with a full-length album of Pale Waves music. We’ve worked so hard for this to happen and now it’s actually, finally here,” she grins. Excited and nervous, but not in equal measures, you can tell the next few months are going to be tough for them, but the record is done, and now, they just have to wait.

Pale Waves have constantly been writing, eager to make sure they got their biggest, best and brightest ideas onto ‘My Mind Makes Noises’.

A lot of songs were started “but we haven’t finished most of them,” Heather admits. “We’ve got loads of ideas, but we were strict. We knew what vibe we wanted to go with, so it was easy to figure out which songs were going to work and which ones weren’t.”

“People have got this idea of us writing the same song but with a different title, which I think is funny,” she muses. “It’s just that we love major chords. We love pop music.” No song on ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ sounds like another. Not really. Sure, they’re all massive, immediate gems in pop’s crown jewels, shaped with that same magical Pale Waves toolkit, but each one has its own glimmering charm.

“At the end of the day, we could do whatever,” she continues. “As long as it’s got my voice on it, then I guess it is Pale Waves, isn’t it?”

“We’ve worked so hard for this to happen and now it’s actually, finally here”

ale Waves had a pencilsketch plan for what their debut album should be before they started. The

reality “is better”, says Heather, and not just because it actually exists.

“We got to the studio, and I had a mini breakdown because I didn’t think we had enough songs that were good enough. Pressure really helped me. I needed the pressure.

We got to that mental state where we all started to go a bit insane. We’d been in the same building for over a month, every day from 10 am to 11 pm, and as you can imagine, we were

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all going a bit mental.

“At times it was really hard. Not just hard on me, but I could see it taking its effect on Ciara [Doran, drums].

We all heavily depend on her. She essentially writes the music, and she helped produce the album [alongside Jon Gilmore]. I was feeling stressed, and I could see it in her eyes as well, but you know what? It’s just so worth it now. That’s all part of making an album. We knew it was going to be stressful, but I never expected it to be as stressful as it was.”

No matter how hard it got, the band never thought about tapping the brakes. They’ve been hurtling forward since day one, always been in control of their ridiculous pace.

“We knew our album had to come out around September or we’d be leaving it too late. I see a lot of bands doing that nowadays, and I think it’s a big mistake. You need to push yourself.

At times, when we were recording the album and things got tough, I had to take myself aside, walk around outside and ask myself, am I really going to push myself this far? And I did. Every time. Because it’s the right time for us.”

Every song on ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ is vital. Lyrically, musically, cinematically, they all have something to add to this evergrowing always-exciting world. If one was to be the record’s beating heart, though, sort-of-title-track

‘Noises’ shimmers with extra weight. “That’s such an important song to me,” offers Heather. “I wrote it when I was going through a difficult time. I was struggling with how I looked and how my body was. A lot of our fans are young, they’re growing up, and they’re figuring out who they want to be. It was important for me to write a song on self-esteem and mental health issues because I know people struggle with that.

They need a reason to escape that nightmare in their head. They need someone else to say, ‘You know what? It’s okay ‘cos I’m feeling the same’.

“I know how some people see me onstage,” she continues. “They see how I dress and how I am sometimes, and I know they think ‘You know what, she’s confident and believes in herself’, but I think the people that try and present themselves as the most confident are always the ones that lack that assurance and self-esteem. I’ve struggled with that growing up and still do to this day. It’s slowly getting better, but I wish I had somebody to say,” she pauses. “I wish I had ‘Noises’ as a song in my life when I was seventeen. It would have helped me.”

Heather wrestles with selfdoubt throughout the album.

There’s uncertainty. There’s confusion. There’s loss, and feeling lost. One track, ‘Drive’, she describes as “part two of ‘Noises’”.

“That’s where I am right now,” she explains. “I’m twenty-three, I don’t feel quite as sad, but I still feel the same. I needed to make that bold step because it’s going to serve my songwriting in the future. I do believe that the older you get and the more songs you write, you allow yourself to open up more.

The easy thing to do is write about love. I feel it’s a lot more difficult for me to write about myself, how I feel, what I struggle with, what my flaws are and what my insecurities are, rather than talking about another person and how I feel about them.”

That soul-baring honesty lets

people latch onto Pale Waves as they head to the stratosphere. It’s never been success at any cost, though.

“I’ve had so many messages, and I’ve seen so many people online really thanking us for ‘Noises’.

That absolutely melts my heart because I write these songs because I need to express myself, but I also want to be there for other people.”

It’s the most personal song Pale Waves have released to date, and it comes at a time where they’re going to new places, playing to fields full of people who are basically strangers to them. Rather than hide it on the album, they’ve put it front and centre so the world can find it. Fearless but also coming from the gut, “it just really felt like the right time to release it,” says Heather. “We’d previously released a lot of songs that were about romantic relationships and I wanted to release a song that wasn’t just about that.”

And obviously, having learnt all the words, you know the title of the record comes from the song. “Ciara got ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ tattooed on her arm and to me, that put the nail in the coffin.

The album had to be called that; it means so many different things to me. There are so many things going on inside my head, good and bad. My head just constantly feels like it’s a train that’s going full speed ahead. Sometimes that can be bad, sometimes that can be good, but that sentence just summed up the album. ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ is basically my world, my diary that you’re stepping inside. It’s all the noises that my mind has made.”

quite a small town. I felt like an outsider. I always felt like I stuck out because I didn’t dress how they dressed. In college, I didn’t want to socialise with loads of people. I didn’t want to exchange awkward conversations because I was so tired of that. I’d done all that in high school, so I took myself off to the music department and played piano for the whole thing. For most of the time, I was alone. That comes back to ‘Drive’ and the line ‘I like to be alone most of the time, talking to myself’.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love company, but I choose my company so wisely. To be a close friend of mine, I do put people through hell. A typical Capricorn. I don’t trust a lot of people.”

She wasn’t even going to be in a band. Sure, she’s been playing guitar since she was a kid.

Encouraged by her dad who also played, she had lessons, took the exams, wrote her first songs on it and uploaded covers to YouTube.

She always intended to do it by herself and believed that she’d be a lone star. Then she met Ciara.

“I’d met so many people that let me down with music; I felt like Ciara was going to let me down again. I didn’t want to get my hopes up and get them shattered. She proved me wrong, though. She

T

he record starts with ‘Eighteen’. A pulsing,

heart racing megahit in waiting, it opens with the line “this city depresses me.”

A lot of this album, this band and their journey so far started with Heather wanting to escape her surroundings.

“I grew up in Preston, and that’s

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made me start a band with her.

She’s the reason Pale Waves exists now. Without Ciara or Charlie [Wood, bass] or Hugo [Silvani, guitar], I couldn’t have done this.

It would have just been me on my acoustic.”

But there’s one song on ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ that sees Heather all alone with that guitar. ‘Karl (I Wonder What It’s Like To Die)’ will break your heart again and again.

“Everyone kept coming up to me and saying you need to write an acoustic song for the album,” starts Heather. “And I knew I did; I just needed to finish the album first. I had an acoustic track ready to go, but I didn’t believe in it, so I ditched it and started again. I wrote ‘Karl’ in a day, and recorded it the next. Karl is my Grandad. He had a very traumatic life and well, I don’t like to say he killed himself because I’m in two minds about whether he did it on purpose or not, but he went too soon. Just seeing the effect it took on my mum’s life, her sister, her brother, and everyone around us... You know when you lose someone so close to you, and you feel like the world’s ending, and everyone is collapsing around you? That’s how it felt.”

The closing track of the record, it’s one of those stop-in-your-tracks moments that would fit nowhere

“We’re ready to take over the world” else.

“You catch me at my most vulnerable on that song, so for me, I had to show you the other tracks for you to get to this point and see me at my breaking point.”

Pretty much everyone Heather has shown it to - Ciara, Heather’s mum (“It’s about her dad, so I felt like I had to get permission to use it”), her brother, Hugo, Charlie, her managers Mark Hayton and Jamie Oborne - cried when they heard it.

“I remember Jamie sitting down, stopping the track, looking at me and saying, ‘Heather, that’s a pretty fucking traumatic song’.” Her response was just what you’d expect.

No fear, no hesitation. “Well, you’ve got to be real, especially with those sorta songs. It’s the most honest song I’ve ever written. I feel like I’ve been building up to it for the past seven years.”

There’s not a moment of ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ where the band pause, retrace or look around with uncertainty. Your favourite song could be any of them. Even then, it’ll probably change. The most surprising? Again, there’s a lot to choose from. Heather lists: “’Karl’, ‘Drive’, because it sounds so The Naked and Famous with the distorted guitars, ‘Loveless Girl’ because it’s so RnB, ‘Red’ because that’s so electronic pop, but it’s also really weird. The chorus sounds like it could be a club track but then it goes and explores this electronic influence.”

There’s also the shimmering daydream of ‘When Did I Lose It All’, the restrained haunt and wicked snarl of ‘She’ and the fizzing self-belief of ‘Black’. Once upon a time known as ‘You Don’t Love Us Anymore’, it growls: “I’m not changing, I’m just waiting to figure myself out.”

“There are a few tracks people won’t expect,” grins Heather, but as always, ”it’s still us. It’s still pop.”

It’s still gigantic.

At this exact moment, jetlagged and off the back of a weekend that’s seen her band support The Cure at Hyde Park, play Belgium’s biggest

festival Rock Werchter and take three flights to end up in Australia, the song that Heather is most excited by is ‘One More Time’.

“It’s a really assertive track. The song knows what’s it doing; it knows what it’s there for. We knew straight away what we wanted to say, how we wanted to say it, and how we wanted people to feel when we heard it.”

But even that only lasts for a second.

“It depends what sort of vibe you’re going for. If you asked me, what’s you’re biggest pop banger? I’d say ‘One More Time’ or ‘Eighteen’. If you asked me what the most reflective song that explores me as a person? It’s ‘Noises’ or ‘Drive’. What’s your most personal song? ‘Karl (I Wonder What It’s Like To Die)’.”

G

oing into this record, there’s a lot of pressure on Pale Waves. There’s

expectation from every angle and Heather feels it more than most.

“I do feel like there’s a lot of pressure on the singer in any band to be the sole character, to be this person shouting, ‘Give me all the attention’. Don’t get me wrong; I am like that sometimes. Seriously, give me all the attention you’ve got. But sometimes it’s like, don’t even look at me for a second, please, because I can’t handle it. Sometimes I don’t understand myself. But then again, most people don’t, do they? That’s what music is for. That’s what art is for.”

‘My Mind Makes Noises’ is Heather’s life so far. “It’s a journey of my life, up until now.” The ambition has been a constant, unflinching partner in crime. “I’ve always had that ambition since I was a young child, not just since I joined Pale Waves. I’m Pale Waves’ biggest fan but when I was a young child, my family members, they would always ask me what I wanted to do when I was older. Did I want to follow in my mum’s footsteps, did I want to become a nurse? No, I want to be a musician. And a lot of the time, people would laugh at me. ‘There she is, dreaming again’, but I kept a steady faith. No, I’m serious. This is what I want to do, and this is what I’m going to be. And now look at me. I’m doing it. I’m living it. These days, you have to have ambition. You’ve got to believe in what you’re doing. It is tough sometimes.”

The band’s sudden rise has attracted criticism, an easy target for people who just see their super shiny exterior and nothing more, but there’s always been more to them than that. ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ takes that heart, that passion, that desire to be something new and something important, and makes it supersized.

The record exceeds every

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expectation. It reaches higher, digs deeper and uncovers shapes you didn’t even know Pale Waves could pull. It’s the sound of a band comfortable with everything that’s happened so far, ready for whatever comes next.

“I feel like we’ve been slowly preparing ourselves for it. I can feel it getting busier and busier because I can feel myself getting more tired,” she laughs. “We’re ready. We’re definitely ready to take over the world. I want everyone to listen to us. And you know what? If they don’t like us, that’s absolutely fine. You can’t please everyone.”

For Heather, the record is about her life. Her doubts, her dreams, her nightmares. For those on the outside, it’s about finding the things that make them feel alive, even if that’s painful at times.

“A lot of the time I do things, and I’ll say things just to feel something, just to feel excitement or something different. Sometimes I want to scream, but everyone wants to do that at some point.

Sometimes I feel dull all the time, and that’s why I have to make music.”

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“I want people to have this record. I want it to make them feel better,” she continues. “I want them to grow up with it, I want them to find comfort in it.

That’s what I do. I find comfort in music. I find comfort in hearing other people say that they feel the same way as me.

I want it to help them, and I want them to enjoy it.”

Pale Waves have achieved so much so soon, but really, everything starts here. It’s the first look we’ve had at just how big this band can be. It sees them pushing at the walls, bracing against the ceiling and hurtling towards the horizon. It’s full of spotlight superstardom, gleaming ambition and quiet moments of heartbreaking truth. It goes all in, all the time, just like Pale Waves. And they’re not stopping now.

“Hopefully it never ends.

Never, ever ever. Hopefully more people join our world, hopefully they feel safe in it and have a great time, and hopefully, the world of Pale Waves just gets bigger and bigger and bigger.” P Pale

Waves’ debut album ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ is out 14th September.

Bangers Pop Emergency!!

of the year

(so far)

We’re more than half way through the 2018 auditing period, Dear Reader. That means it’s time to pull down the shutters, call in the staff, and do a stock check on the only thing that counts. Cold, hard Bangers.

We’ve run the sums, calculated the co-efficients, and come up with our definitive top 50 tracks of the year so far. If you’re our chum online, you’ve also sent us your take via readdork.com. Over the next few pages, you’ll find out the results. Ready?

Bring on the bangers!

“Guitar-wise, it’s inspired by Pantera.

Not that it sounds anything like it. I was really getting back into heavy music,” explains Pete Darlington, who set out to write 100 riffs for this record.

#46 The Wombats Black Flamingo

They’ve beaten the landfill to become indie’s veteran kings.

#50 Black Honey Bad Friends

Think you know Black Honey?

Think again.

In the world of bangers, it’s important to never sit still. There’s no danger of Bad Honey doing that, finding an evolution on their trademark sound which challenges expectation and throws the fourpiece head first into a world of possibilities. As a taster of a debut full-length to come, it’s the palette cleanser every band strives to deliver.

P Stephen Ackroyd What they say...

“Bad Friends is a still in time - when you feel just as lost in a moment as you are lost in an internal conflict between your ever-changing feelings for the wrong people. It’s about ultimately craving something that makes you alive. Sonically we wanted to create our own Frankenstein’s monster of pop music that felt equally wrong as it is right” - Izzy B Phillips

#49 MGMT

Me And Michael

The weirdo wonders are back on top pop form.

It takes a lot of guts to discover the perfect formula for making a chart-topping track, then proceed to ignore it completely from then on. It wouldn’t have worked for everyone, but it did for MGMT. ‘Me and Michael’ sees a band that are comfortable in their psychedelic niche, but still know how to write a chorus or two. P Jake Hawkes

output. More assertive, direct and packing an indiefied edge, ‘Lay It On Me’ is more in the lineage of Sundara Karma and the Maccabees before them. Shorthand for ‘it’s brilliant’, then. P Stephen Ackroyd

What they say...

“Lay It On Me’ is telling someone if they need you, you’ll be there,” says Ethan. “You’ve been away and distant, but now you’re back.”

#47 Spring King Animal

The kings of the indie banger are back.

Kings of the indie rock banger, Spring King are established hands at this game. Their debut album was filled from front to back with the kind of incendiary energy that raises pulses and sends pint glasses flying. The first offering from their second full-length showed they’d not lost their vicious touch, either.

This animal has teeth. P Stephen

Ackroyd

What they say... “’Animal’ takes you two hundred miles an hour, and by the end of it, you’ve got rid of all the demons. You’ve shaken them all out,” starts Tarek Musa before adding a smile. “It’s a workout.”

Born of an era committed to the ‘indie landfill’, to many the fact the Wombats have delivered one of the best alt-pop records of 2018 so far may make for a difficult narrative, but it shouldn’t. In truth, any number of shiny, polished gems from the trio’s fourth album could have made its way into this list, but with its desert rock swagger, takes the prize. P Stephen Ackroyd

#45 Chvrches Miracle

Beware the drop.

‘Love Is Dead’ saw Chvrches inhabit a more overtly pop persona, working with outside influence to find their best selves, but it’s on ‘Miracle’ that the trio really step into new territory.

Shimmering, crystal clear vocals clash headfirst into bassy, brash drops to create the sort of stadiumfilling moment that opens up whole new worlds. A chart-levelling WMD, deploy it with care. P Stephen

Ackroyd

What they say...

The song was produced by Steve Mac (Ed Sheeran / ‘Shape Of You’). On working with the mega-producer, the band says: “‘Miracle’ is the only song from ‘Love Is Dead’ that we didn’t write and record in the States, instead producing it in London with Steve Mac. Steve is such an intuitive writer with such a killer ear for melody and working with him felt very easy and natural. He makes space for everyone in the room and really pushes people to try things and go outside of their comfort zone, in a good way.”

#48 Ten Tonnes Lay It On Me

Laying down the bangers, right?

THE RULES Like all important scientific surveys, there need to be rules to our Bangers of the Year (So Far) list. Here’s the criteria we’re working off.

All tracks must be from the first half of 2018 That means anything released up to and including 1st June 2018 is allowed. Everything else will have to wait for our end of year round up.

All types of banger are permitted When we say banger, we don’t just mean your traditional track that ‘goes off’. We’re happy to accept all forms of standout tracks, from sad-bangers to turbo-bangers, emoti-bangers and nuclear-popbangers. Yes, we do think if you add any word to the front of banger it makes ‘a thing’. Want to make something of it?

There are no limits Artists can have more than one track in our run down - because the banger is a singular entity, independent of those who create it.

This is all from a ‘Dork perspective’ We really shouldn’t have to say this - but no, this isn’t a bland, opinionfree, oh-let’s-all-be-objective run down of the de-facto tracks of the year across all styles, genres, sub-genres and sub-sub-genres.

It’s one filtered through the Dork prism. There are some amazing bangers that aren’t on this list, but we don’t have to all be everything to everybody, now do we?

We reserve the right to change our minds later Authority is great. Let’s be clear, this list is absolutely authoritative.

For now. We might change our mind next week. Or next month.

Or come December when we’re putting together our end of year lists. We might decide something that missed our 50 all together is our Banger of the Year. Music evolves even after it comes kicking and screaming into the world.

Opinions form, re-form and 180 on themselves all over again. Our word is law, until we change those laws.

Deal with it.

We’re making it all up as we go along

While big brother George Ezra is ripping up the charts, younger sibling Ethan is not so quietly crafting his own line in turbobangers. Really, apart from the pop heritage, those family comparisons mean little to Ten Tonnes’ musical

All that stuff up there? It’s a list of 50 great tracks from the first half of 2018. Stop overthinking things, Barry.

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nobody needed. Fizzing with ice cold energy, it’s the introduction to one of 2018’s standout collections of pop perfection. If you were hoping to grab 40 winks, you’re out of luck.

Bangers

of the year (so far)

P Dan Harrison What they say...

#44 The Vaccines

I was desperate to say to somebody but obviously didn’t have the courage.”

Neither can we, lads.

#41 Years & Years

I Can’t Quit

The Vaccines might not have fulfilled their destiny as the future of UK music, but ‘I Can’t Quit’ shows they still know how to craft a perfect indie-punk banger. It isn’t exactly a step into unknown territory, but really - what did you expect from The Vaccines? P Jake Hawkes

#43 Pale Waves

The Tide

The tide is high (in our list of bangers of the year so far).

Bristling in house-coloured neon, Pale Waves’ command of aesthetic is their greatest strength - each new cut fortifying those around it. ‘The Tide’ has all the tricks - that magpied 80s sheen, a nonchalant goth-pop shrug in the face of sugarsweet hooks - but crucially breezes with the confidence of a band who increasingly know exactly who they need to be. P Stephen Ackroyd

#42 Peace

You Don’t Walk Away From Love You leave in an ambulance?

Peace’s latest album ‘Kindness is the New Rock and Roll’ was absolutely chock full of bangers, but ‘You Don’t Walk Away from Love’ might just be the cream of the crop. A stonker of a chorus and more jangly guitars than you can shake a stick at. It’s dead good. P Jake Hawkes

“We loved writing this song. It seemed to fall into place so easily and was our last effort for the record. I think I’d watched something on TV that just sparked the lyrical idea of people doing everything they can to make a relationship work because they love that other person…but they know deep down that it needs to end for the good of them both.

Sometimes acceptance is the hardest thing.” - Natti Shiner

What they say...

“I want to take people on a wild and wonderful adventure through my dreams to a world that’s very different from our own. I’ve been thinking about this place for a long time, a place to tell stories from; about identity, sexuality, celebrity and performance.” - Olly Alexander.

#40 Fickle Friends Wake Me Up

You’re unlikely to nod off listening to this, tbf.

The opening track to Fickle Friends’ debut album ‘You Are Someone Else’, ‘Wake Me Up’ is the alarm request

Hey Rob, hey Alex. ‘Kutcher’’s good, isn’t it? What’s your favourite thing about the track?

Henry has a good guitar solo at the end. It sounds a bit Tony Hawk Pro Skater, but he just about pulls it off.

Ashton Kutcher’s name has a nice rhythm to it. It’s four evenly spaced syllables, which makes it very easy to work into a song. Kimora Lee Simmons was much harder to write around.

Sanctify

P Martyn Young

Sports Team

Why Ashton Kutcher? Were there other mid-00s celebs in contention for the role?

Track one on the most bangerrific album of the year.

Olly Alexander and co. are ready to take you to an altogether higher plane, and there’s nothing you can do about it except give yourself up to ‘Sanctify’s’ smouldering desire.

Oozing with the confidence that comes from ascending to British pop’s highest peak, Years & Years’ return is big, bold and transcendent.

BANGER Q+A

#39 Our Girl

I Really Like It

We do, too.

The thing about a track called ‘I Really Like It’ is, predictably, it writes its own reviews. Proving what at first felt like Soph Nathan’s ‘other band’, Our Girl are far, far more than simply a Big Moon side project for the guitarist. Showcasing her songwriting talent, like is too mild. This is a full on crush. P Dan

Harrison

What they say...

The track was written by frontwoman Soph Nathan, who says: “It’s one of our newest songs.

I was initially quite nervous to share it because it feels quite different to the others. I’d never written about love in this way before. It has the inevitable moments of craziness and longing that can come with falling in love, but mainly it’s just a really happy song.”

What’s your fave Ashton Kutcher film or TV series? That ‘70s Show is probs ours.

Punk’d is the one for me. It’s pretty incredible it got made, he’s really cruel. There’s one with Justin Timberlake which is particularly upsetting. Kutcher spends a day tearing his life apart. They take his dogs away from him. Someone smashes his guitars. At the end, there’s a scene where Justin finds out all his friends and family were in on this big plan to crush him. It’s good TV though.

If you could Punk someone famous or otherwise, who would you pick and what would you do?

One of Rick Stein’s pet hates is the abuse of EU Fishery Policy. People are openly flouting the law by catching fish too small. I’d probably serve him a simply grilled bowl of ‘sardines’ before revealing to him that they were baby herring.

Do you think Ashton has heard the song yet?

I’d imagine he has a PR team who give him some sort of daily briefing.

I hope it’s come up. I don’t know whether he’ll have got through to the solo though. That’s the bit I really think he’d like.

What else have you lot got coming up? You’re playing Scala soon, right?

We’ve just come off a week in the studio, so there should be some new songs. We’re just in the mixing phase, but all going well those should be coming soon. And then Scala. We’re doing a site inspection in the next few weeks, so will be finding out how plausible some of our ideas are. Robbie Williams at Knebworth is the mood. P

What they say...

“This song is about the colours of the heart that live under the cool pastels and monochrome chequers,” says frontman Harry Koisser. “It’s about the bright primary stubbornness and unsophisticated optimism that won’t stop squirming toward true love. It’s a 100% real life true human emotional time capsule being unearthed for me. It was something 32

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about politics and more about the power of us, the young people in this country.”

#33 Nilufer Yanya

Thanks 4 Nothing Cooler than you. Or us.

#35 Troye Sivan Bloom

Bloom-in’ marvellous.

Troye Sivan makes pop that’s both playful and dirty on ‘Bloom’. He’s been careful with the metaphors, but we all know what this song’s about – and it’s oh so sweet. As far as we’re concerned, the more catchy queer songs, the better. Especially when they come with a chorus this danceable. P Liam Konemann

#37 Sports Team Kutcher

Punk’d rock.

#38 Drenge

This Dance

You dancin’? Cos they’re askin’.

Don’t worry, we’ve felt a bit empty since 2015, too. We weren’t sure why, but it turns out it was the absence of new Drenge songs that did it. ‘This Dance’ fixes that issue, and fills the empty space with thundering riffs that have us more than a little bit excited to see what they do next. Welcome back, guys. P Jake

Hawkes

What they say...

“Could Drenge write a dance number?” asks Eoin Loveless.

“We sat in a tiny bedroom with a fizzing guitar line, programming some beats into a computer. It was different to how we usually worked.

We went to a wedding, and like all weddings, we ended up on the dance floor, belting out 80s chart hits like we were on the barrier at a Slayer concert. Our arms and legs collided with each others, with our friends and with complete strangers. Dance like nobody’s watching and then hope they don’t call the police. I watched The Thing and thought about what would happen if Kurt Russell’s MacReady spent the movie fighting off the extraterrestrial organisms with tunes instead of guns. I thought about all the nightclubs I’d never be allowed to go in or would be too

If we’d told you at the start of the year that our 37th most favourite banger of the first half of 2018 would be (sort of) concerned with Ashton Kutcher, you’d probably have asked more questions about the band writing it than you would our decision making skills. ‘Kutcher’, though, isn’t any novelty hit. It’s a stone cold banger from one of the most promising bands in the country.

P Dan Harrison

scared to enter. I let it manifest into the lyrics of the song, like the monsters in The Thing.”

#36 Sunflower Bean

#34 Bastille

Quarter Past Midnight Less hair, more bang.

Maybe, in years to come, we’ll look back at ‘Quarter Past Midnight’ as the key point in Bastille’s story. Not so much because of its musical value, but rather the loss of Dan Smith’s iconic quiff. If you don’t subscribe to our theory that Dan’s barnet co-wrote the songs (prove it didn’t - Ed), the fact that the lead single from the quartet’s fourth album is up there with their most anthemic would probably help your case. We still think there’s something in it though. P Stephen

Ackroyd

What they say...

Crisis Fest Indie magic.

Sunflower Bean’s latest album ‘Twentytwo in Bue’ was a clear evolution from their debut. The jagged edges had been sanded off, and all in all, it was a tighter, more fully realised project. ‘Crisis Fest’ showcases this perfectly, it’s got all the driving riffs and effortless New York cool that we’ve come to expect, with just a little added ‘oomph’ to nudge it into full-blown banger territory. P Jake Hawkes

“It’s just about trying to capture that Sliding Doors moment on a night out. Some people are gonna go home; for some, this is just the beginning. It became about being in someone’s car, driving through the city, and I wanted to try and capture that sense of excitement, and that rush.” - Dan Smith

What they say...

“This last year was extremely alarming, traumatic, and politically volatile,” explains the band about the track. “While writing this album, we often reflected back on the people we met while on tour.

We felt a strong kinship with the audiences that came to see us all over the country, and we wanted to write a song for them - something to capture the anxieties of an uncertain future. ‘Crisis Fest’ is less 33

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There’s something magical about Nilufer Yanya’s voice. Warm and comforting, yet fresh and exciting in the same breath, it’s an instrument that lift’s ‘Thanks 4 Nothing’ up to the highest levels.

Finding bite in her velvet tones, it’s full of promise for what’s still to come. One of the very hottest talents. P Dan Harrison

#32 Goat Girl

The Man G.O.A.T.

When Goat Girl have a go, they really put their all into it. That’s the take-home we’re lifting from ‘The Man’ - a building, driving banger that finally explodes like the engine on a runaway steam train hurtling down the tracks. Fizzing with adrenaline, it never attempts to hide its excitement with itself. A potential festival anthem in waiting, expect this one to grow and grow. P

Dan Harrison

#31 whenyoung

Heaven On Earth

The sound of indie to come.

A ray of sunshine in band-form, Whenyoung are even more bright eyed and bushy tailed than usual on ‘Heaven on Earth’. The subject matter may feature mentions of ‘icy hell’, but anyone that doesn’t grin like an idiot and start dancing when this banger comes on is no friend of ours. P Jake Hawkes

What they say...

“It’s our first release on Virgin EMI, which is exciting for us. The first one came out on Hate Hate Hate, then we did Yala! with Felix from the Maccabees, which was exciting for us, and then now this. It feels like… a lot of pressure.” - Andrew Flood

#29 Blossoms

There’s a Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls) It’s because they have caller ID, isn’t it?

It takes a special song to instantly get in your head AND make you feel ‘feelings’, and ‘There’s A Reason Why’ ticks both boxes instantly.

A walloping chorus backed with shimmering synths as frontman Tom tells us just why he didn’t return our call, An anthem for modern day heartbreak. P Josh

Williams

What they say...

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

#28 Florence + The Machine Hunger

The queen of the indie banger is back! Back!! Back!!!

If it’s siren vocals, plucky harps, rolling drums, and an impressive string section you want, Florence has got it. Well, she always had it, but ‘Hunger’ feels as much like a career highlight as it does one of the year’s best. How does she keep making songs about death seem so lively? P Abigail Firth

What they say...

As Florence herself puts it, “this song is about the ways we look for love in things that are perhaps not love, and how attempts to feel less alone can sometimes isolate us more. I guess I made myself more vulnerable in this song to encourage connection, because perhaps a lot more of us feel this way than we are able to admit.

Sometimes when you can’t say it, you can sing it.”

#27 Let’s Eat Grandma Falling Into Me

We’re falling for LEG.

For a song that’s almost six minutes long, ‘Falling Into Me’ feels like it could keep rolling for far, far longer. You’ll struggle to find a more satisfying pop moment this year than the synth ‘drop’ at about four minutes in, but what follows, and precedes, it is hazy, jittery, genius. P Abigail Firth

#25 Confidence Man Out The Window

That’s not a banger. This is a banger.

#26 Matt Maltese

Greatest Comedian Double M is at it again.

‘Schmaltzcore’ is one of the worst genre names since ‘Nu-rave’, so we refuse to pin the label to lounge lizard and professional suit-wearer Matt Maltese. That aside, ‘Greatest Comedian’ is a perfect example of his woozy, updated take on the classic crooner. Give it a go, you’ll be a schmaltzcore enthusiast before you know it. P Jake Hawkes

What they say...

“It’s a love song, really.

It’s me blaming fate for love failing. What’s the point in blaming yourself when you can drag a higher being into it?” - Matt Maltese

to force them together anyhow. ‘2 Down 2 Dance’ is about exactly what you’d expect, and it pulls off the tale of a sad ballet dancer remarkably well. The chorus is oddly catchy too, even if you do have to sing it in the voice of a moody teenager. P Jake

Hawkes

#22 Courtney Barnett Nameless, Faceless

#24 Parquet Courts

A wonky grungepop delight.

Wide Awake

Sun’s out, fun’s in.

A wonky, bug-eyed, carnival infused banger. What’s not to love? Parquet Courts have always balanced being great fun with tackling societal issues head-on, but with ‘Wide Awake’ they show a desire to stretch beyond their usual boundaries, and boy do they make it work. It’s the first (and probably last) time you’ll hear a rave whistle on a punk track, so don’t miss out. P Jake Hawkes

#23 Sorry

2 Down 2 Dance Bangers 4 lyf.

Grunge and ballet are not obvious bedfellows, but Sorry have decided 34

Confidence Man are unlike any other band around.

Ridiculous fun, it’d be easy to see them as a novelty act, good for a bit of dancing and some light up, erm, ‘bits’. Easy, but really bloody stupid. ‘Out The Window’ is proof that they’re not just able to raise a smile, but a top class pop banger too.

Style and substance - it’s the future. P Stephen Ackroyd

DORK

Minor guitar lines, ominous spiralling riffs and delectable distortion back dark lyricism paraphrasing novelist Margaret Atwood. “Men are scared that women will laugh at them” but “women are scared that men will kill them.” Courtney just wants to “walk through the park in the dark” without clutching her keys.

Misogynists might think they can remain anonymous

D OWN WI T H BO RI N G

in their attacks, hiding in the dark or behind an online screen, but Courtney has just called them out big time in banger form, and we don’t think she’ll be afraid to do it again. P Alice Mortimer

What they say...

“It was just unavoidable. It was everywhere, and it is everywhere,” says C-Bar. “It’s recognising the anger. It’s one of those things that kept coming up in conversations with friends and me. I had maybe been a bit, not ignorant; I’d always just accepted it as a thing we all had to exist next to. There was a lot of stuff happening in my periphery, and that song was me trying to work through it. It wasn’t meant to be a bold statement; it was just me thinking about it, and being angry and upset about it.”

Bangers

of the year (so far)

BANGER Q+A

Confidence Man Hey Janet, how’s it going?

We’re good, just sitting at a bar in Bordeaux watching the World Cup. Our bar is about 40 seconds behind the bar next door though so we always know in advance if someone’s scored.

‘Out The Window’ features on Dork’s Bangers of the Year (So Far) list - what are some of your fave tracks from 2018?

So far, DJ Koze - Pick up. Peggy Gou - it makes you forget. Lots of summer dance tracks because we skipped winter this year in Australia. So we’re doubling down.

Tell us about writing ‘Out The Window’, where did it come from?

Out the window was the last track we finished for the record. We originally started writing it on a writing trip we did in rural Victoria in early 2017. It started from a cool piano sample we found, which we ended up changing up and re-writing in the end. We pulled it apart, and rewrote it about ten times until we finally got it right.

Almost killed us.

It’s prompted comparisons to Primal Scream, were they an influence?

#21 Sigrid

What they say... “‘I Was Biting’ is about dystopian aspects of modern society and a discontent for it. We talk about a unanimous feeling of anxiety and a desire to live in a fictional state of our own dreams; to escape from the mundane routine and expectations of society”.

High Five

A banger in a sea of bangers.

As the Norse queen of pop bangers, Sigrid never lets us down. On ‘High Five’ she takes aim at sycophants and social climbers, with a percolating beat that boils over into a massive chorus, and an immense vocal to knock your actual socks clean off. P Liam Konemann

#19 Chvrches Graves

What they say...

‘Love Is Dead’ at its most bangeriffic.

The colossal pop song ‘High Five’ is about “the importance of those relations where you both dare to be completely honest with each other, rather than exchanging superficial «high fives»” says the 21-year-old pop sensation.

An undeniable highlight on new album ‘Love Is Dead’ with a chorus bigger than anything that’s come before; this isn’t a song to skip.

Despite its serious political subject matter, each second is dripping

#20 Thyla

#18 Superorganism

I Was Biting

One of the most exciting new bands.

Fans of grunge bangers rejoice Thyla have got your back. Their latest single ‘I Was Biting’ sees the band taking shelter in a world of their own creation, as they declare they “only want to live in a place that I read about”. If only life could be so sweet.

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

P Liam Konemann

Everybody Wants To Be Famous And they could be if they wrote bangers like this.

Superorganism came out of nowhere earlier this year and were instantly one of the most exciting bands around. ‘Everybody Wants To Be Famous’ is a perfect crystallisation of what makes them so great. A video that accused lead singer Orono of being a hologram coupled with an earworm of a chorus that you just can’t help but sing along to. We’re still convinced that these guys are some sort of hive-mind from the future, but with songs this good, we don’t really care either way. P Jake

Hawkes

Primal Scream is definitely an influence for us. We love a bit of cheeky homemade chorale here n there.

What were you lot listening to in the 90s?

I was a little kid, but my dad was always into new music. He showed me Massive Attack, Fatboy Slim, R.E.M etc. My sister was a teenager, so I heard lots of good trash like Spice Girls and Savage Garden too. Got a well-rounded pop education.

What do you think’s key to writing a super fun pop hit?

Good friends, party basslines and a good dose of cheek.

What are you up to at the mo, you’ve loads of festivals right?

Yeah, we’re touring pretty much everywhere in Europe at the moment. So playing lots of shows and getting nice and plump on croissants. I’d expect some French on the next record! P

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BANGER Q+A

Superorganism Hi Emily, tell us about how you guys wrote ‘Everybody Wants To Be Famous’ - what inspired it?

It’s one of those things that’s hard to argue with. Everyone uses social media to make themselves feel more respected, more understood, more important. We do the same thing.

Did it evolve much between its initial conception and the single version?

We all live together in London, and we do everything ourselves in our bedrooms, so hell yeah. We did like twenty mixes on this one, trying different things.

What it is about the song that resonates with people, do you think?

That’s the million dollar question.

Damn, I dunno. All you can do is be honest and see what happens.

What’s the daftest thing you’ve ever done to try and further the band, or ‘be famous’?

Well, it isn’t about being famous, but I mean we all gave up our normal lives to be a touring band.

Doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. Feels like the bare minimum you have to do if you’re living waaaay away from the action. But it’s all about leaving where you’re from to do the thing you wanna do.

What else are you guys working on at the mo?

Our new album is almost finished, we wanna release it as soon as. We don’t like to fuck around. P

Bangers

of the year (so far)

the pot on in the studio. P Josh

Williams

#11 St. Vincent

Fast Slow Disco

Faster is almost always better.

with pure pop brilliance from the hint of strings just before the chorus punches you in the face to Mayberry’s vocals twisting around the massive synths to deliver each word with the ferocity it deserves.

This isn’t just a banger, this is a gold plated turbo banger with custard on top, ‘Graves’ is Chvrches in all their magnificence fist pumping all the way to the grave. P Josh Williams

What they say...

‘Graves’ is a particularly important moment.

“It’s a cheerful one, isn’t it?” grins Lauren. “We didn’t sit down and say, this song is very danceable, so we need to have a lyric that’s really not,” she continues. “It just came out. The verses happened for that very quickly. Most of it happened in the room, and there’s a lot of imagery in it so that must have just been in my head, it just needed to get tapped into.”

#17 Pale Waves Kiss

Nothing to do with Holly Valance, unfortunately.

Sometimes it doesn’t make sense as to why Pale Waves look like 80s goths. Sometimes they release songs like ‘Kiss’, and it’s perfectly clear.

Two bars into this cut and you’re reminded that Robert Smith also had dyed black hair, wore lashings of eyeliner and wrote jangly guitar pop songs. With all the usual Pale Waves-isms, including references to dreams, waves, heaven and hearts, plus a twinkly guitar line running through it, ‘Kiss’ is just another slice of indie pop goodness, served fresh.

P Abigail Firth

Monae released after a five-year break. Of course, it sounded like nothing else on the album that followed it, but that slinky guitar/ wobbly bass/popping and clicking beat made for an earworm-worthy of all its Prince comparison. It’s a truly groovy jam that blows you away a little bit when it slaps you with that “it’s like I’m powerful…” line. The Tessa Thompson-featuring video was a statement and a half as well, a celebration of Janelle’s bisexuality that set up for a full-length feature that accompanied the album.P

Abigail Firth

Colossal.

The first release from IDLES’ upcoming album ‘Joy as an Act of Resistance’, ‘Colossus’ is a pretty good indication that they’re not mucking about with the formula too much. Step 1: Pick a topic that everyone can agree needs knocking down a peg or two (in this case the cult of the ‘real man’). Step 2: Write song pulling apart said topic limb from limb. Step 3: turn it into an absolute punk banger. It might not be a track you can play to your granny, but it’s a socially conscious gut punch that still makes you want to leap about like a lunatic. See you down the front, yeah? P Jake

Hawkes

What they say...

“This is a song that dances between pure fear of failing at the expectations of bullshit manhood / adulthood and the exhilaration at being liberated in the knowing that I can be a boy and naked, dancing around the fire forever.”

Makes us move.

All boogie, no woogie.

Make Me Feel

Christ, talk about a comeback. ‘Make Me Feel’ was the first track Janelle

#13 Father John Misty The weirdo with the beard-o.

Colossus

#14 Boy Azooga

Jake Hawkes

Mr. Tillman

#15 Idles

#16 Janelle Monae

finest examples of why we love Boy Azooga so much. Taken from their debut album ‘1, 2, Kung Fu!’ (which, we shouldn’t have to point out, is one of the best album titles of the year), it’s a two-minute slice of classic Boy Azooga hedonism.

Building from a tribal drum beat into the audio equivalent of a leather jacket and a cigarette, it’s hard to believe that something so achingly cool could also be so much fun. P

Loner Boogie

A scuzzy, reptilian, rock and roll classic, ‘Loner Boogie’ is one of the 36

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So it’s day three or four of your summer holiday, and it’s time for your 10am cocktail. Everything’s great. Except the long days of drinking in the sun might have messed with your brain a bit, and things are going sort of...weird.

Like, Father John Misty weird. ‘Mr. Tillman’ is the song for that. The woozy, sparkling rhythms and FJM’s totally blasé reaction to losing his mind are the peak summer holiday soundtrack. It’s here for when you need to check out of reality for a bit - whether you mean to do it or not. We can practically feel the sunstroke coming on already. P

Liam Konemann

#12 Friendly Fires

Love Like Waves

They’re back, and they’ve brought the summer.

It’s been a while since we heard from Friendly Fires, so when they dropped ‘Love Like Waves’ back in April, we were very pleased to hear they can still smash out the bangers like no tomorrow. Dripping with the influence of DFA Records in the early noughties, Ed and co. deliver a sleek tropical banger to flail your limbs along to. This is only the first taste of what the boys have been cooking up for the last six years, but we absolutely cannot wait to hear what else they’ve been stirring

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It’s not often an artist releases a remix of their own track, but then again, it’s not often you come across an artist like St. Vincent. Annie Clark’s latest offering reworks the penultimate track of last year’s ‘MASSEDUCTION’, transforming it from a string-clad sultry tearjerker, to an all-out gay disco banger.

Adding in a pulsing drum beat and some gospel backing vocals, Annie gives a relatively, well, slow track a new lease of life. ‘Fast Slow Disco’ shits all over its original counterpart; “Don’t it beat a slow dance to death?” has never been a more appropriate lyric. P Abigail Firth

What they say...

“I always felt this song could wear many different outfits and live many different lives. Here she is in disco pants, sweating on a New York dance floor.”

#10 Troye Sivan My! My! My!

Great! Great! Great!

Well, we didn’t see this coming. After a middling debut album in 2015, filled with sombre and sultry pop ballads, ‘My My My!’ is the rebirth of a pop star who’s barely introduced himself. It’s properly euphoric, but Troye’s barely-wavering, mellow voice gives it an edge. Released back in January, ‘My My My!’ is simultaneously a perfectly crafted pop song and unlike anything you’ve heard from a male pop star in years. Accompanied by a video that’d do George Michael proud, Troye Sivan places himself at the top of the pile, blowing every other popster out of the water. P Abigail

Firth

What they say... “‘My My My!’ is a song of liberation, freedom, and love. Throw all inhibition to the wind, be present in your body, love wholeheartedly, move the way you’ve always wanted to, and dance the way you feel – hopefully even to this song!”

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Bangers

of the year (so far) doesn’t often work. In fact, in my experience, the relationship often ends up ruined. ‘If You’re Over Me’ is about the emotional torture that ensues - meeting up and making out, then breaking up all over again, then making out some more.”

#9 No Rome

Do It Again

And again. And again.

A project born from art and design as much as it is the music - No Rome is a combination of ideas that complement and challenge each other to new heights.

And what heights they are. Fresh and immediate, ‘Do It Again’ is altpop at its very sharpest. To many, it will serve as an introduction to the world of No Rome, but even to those already anticipating Rome Gomez’s next steps, it’s more than a mere marker. It’s the real deal. The hype machine will take it from here. P

#7 Arctic Monkeys Four Out Of Five

They’re probably marking themselves down.

It seems that Alex Turner has a dream. A dream to open his own hotel, very rock n roll. A dream so big it spawned the Arctics’ new album of which ‘Four Out of Five’ was served from. We’re not sure if it’s an imaginative advert for Alex’s retirement plan but it’s still a banger.

Crooning away, Alex details his plan for a good but not excellent hotel with a well-reviewed taco bar, while Matt Helders could probably run the thing and not miss a beat. Alex may give it a four, but we definitely give it a five. P Josh Williams

Stephen Ackroyd

#8 Years & Years

If You’re Over Me Pop’s new kings.

It’s not that Years & Years were slouches in the pop picker stakes before. Far from it. Still, ‘If You’re Over Me’ can’t help but feel like a new high water mark for a trio who know their way around a banger.

Like a cold one by the lido, it sasses in the lyrics and bubbles in the topline. An inflatable palm tree of summer carfree excess, it’s a stress bursting holiday in three and a bit minutes. P Dan Harrison

What they say...

“This is a song about trying to stay friends with an ex,” says Olly. “Spoiler alert - it

#6 Pale Waves Heavenly It is, too.

If there’s any band that 2018 belongs to, it’s Pale Waves. Purveyors of fine pop bangers, ‘Heavenly’ is the sound of a band that haven’t even begun to peak, slotting in as the final piece of their ‘All The Things I Never Said’ EP. ‘Heavenly’ is disgustingly good, like a cake you shouldn’t eat but goddamn you’re gonna do it anyway and love every single second. When Heather sings “you’re so heavenly”,

you can’t help but wonder if she’s describing this ridiculous banger with its sense of urgency you can’t quite place. Why? It is truly heavenly.

P Josh Williams

#4 Christine And The Queens

What they say...

Chris! Etc etc etc.

“The music itself has evolved quite naturally,” says Heather. “‘The Tide’ and ‘Heavenly’ were two of the first songs we ever wrote together, so much has changed since then and so much has happened. We’re both still really proud of them though, and people won’t let them go. Our manager Jamie said, ‘You should see how many emails I get through requesting those two songs’.”

#5 Let’s Eat Grandma It’s Not Just Me Pop perfection.

While most other artists sound like they’re the next step in a plod towards trends, Let’s Eat Grandma have become a revelation. Fresher, sharper, better realised - the fact they’re benefiting from the influence of SOPHIE and The Horrors’ Faris Badwan plays a part, but it’s their delivery that adds the real quality. Brattish but with heart, combative but with arms wide open, there’s an unidentifiable glint in the eye that marks out something truly special. P Stephen Ackroyd

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Girlfriend

We’ll often talk about the heroes we need. In an era of comic book movies and overly haughty bombast, we might even follow it up with a comment about the heroes we deserve. But really, does everyone great have to be categorised in one, neatly labelled box? Can’t they be more than one thing? Because that’s exactly what we have in Christine And The Queens.

Like everything Héloïse Letissier creates, we were introduced to an artist that was much more than just another singer. Identity, art, movement and dance all combined to make a performance piece that stopped us in our tracks. It’s a thread that runs through to ‘Girlfriend’, a perfectly crafted idea which exists on its own terms.

Described as paying ‘tribute to her long-time love of the G-funk sound’, we’re quickly ushered into a new era in the Christine and the Queens story. More confident in her own identity, there’s a muscular swagger at play. Disrupting traditional labels of masculinity and femininity, the ideas permeate the music through every pore. P Stephen Ackroyd

#2 The 1975 #3 Childish Gambino This Is America

More than just another banger.

I

s there anything Donald Glover can’t do? Actor,

director, rapper, galaxy defender… his work defies medium in a way that only a millennial’s could. Finding the light within the dark, pursuing art relentlessly, staring you out from the speakers just long enough to make things uncomfortable.

Nearly as uncomfortable perhaps, as the shocking statistic that last year alone, an estimated 15,000 Americans were killed at the hands of gun violence.

Following on from the work that ‘A Seat At The Table’ and ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ have laid down, ‘This is America’ marks a new era for Childish Gambino, and indeed for hip-hop. An approach to music making that is as angry and world-weary as it is smart and considered, it is delivered with the cinematic finish that we have come to expect from highprofile rap. Whether we like it or not, we are all implicated in his critique of the culture, drawn into his minstrel-dance as the world implodes behind.

Saying everything that Kanye wishes he’d thought of before donning that MAGA hat, ‘America’ represents the dichotomy that is learning to live on the tightrope of blackness. It speaks of gun culture and police brutality while also imploring the listener to ‘get your money’ and dance away the pain, seemingly at all costs.

A stark contrast to the smooth, psychedelic soul delivered on his last record, the melody genrehops in imitation of our short attention span – one moment of heart-warming gospel, blending seamlessly into cold, tribaltrap. It presents the horror of a criminal act, swiftly replaced by the inevitable apathy after all the media outlets have packed up and gone home. Tragedy upon tragedy, rinse and repeat. Is anything truly shocking any more?

Accompanied by a video that reveals more hideous, shrewd detail with every watch, ‘This Is America’ is the perfect criticism of a country on fire – where black culture is both fetishized and berated, and we’re all encouraged to dance within the flames. Who will survive? At this stage, it’s hard to tell, but if we’re all hurtling our way towards the end of the world, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting soundtrack. P Janessa Williams

Give Yourself A Try They’re baaaaaaack!

T

his is how it starts.

For the first time since the debut album, you hear a distorted guitar on a song

by The 1975, and you’re instantly transported. You’re transported back to a time when the band were young, naive and eager to conquer the world. When they returned with ‘Give Yourself A Try’ they returned as true icons, ready to take their place at the very top of pop’s tree. Somehow though, despite things feeling very different, things felt exactly the same. That’s the beauty of The 1975.

‘Give Yourself A Try’ has none of the brash, over the top exuberance of ‘Love Me’ nor does it have the stylised glamour of the ‘I Like It When You Sleep...’ era. It’s as much of a banger in its own right as those tracks, but there’s something purer and, in a way, more heartfelt. It’s the sound of The 1975 distilled right down to their most natural qualities. They could make any number of grand over the top statements with their music but, for now, humility and sincerity are at the heart of ‘Give Yourself A Try’s’ warm, nostalgic embrace.

You can hear distinct echoes of the band’s earliest days, from the distorted intro

which brings to mind ‘Sex’ to the headlong tender rush reminiscent of ‘Milk’. It’s probably the band’s simplest song, but it needed to be.

If you fell in love with The 1975 six years ago upon hearing those early EPs, it’s a song for you. We have all grown up together. We’ve lived the heartaches and the lows, we’ve endured the heckling and the snorts and sneers from people looking down on the band. We’ve also lived the highest of highs as the band delivered their (so far) masterpiece and people finally cottoned on that, hey, The 1975 are a bit special. We’ve always known they’re special though.

And Matty, George, Adam and Ross recognise it too. The bond between The 1975 and the fans is stronger than ever.

‘Give Yourself A Try’, conjures up all manner of feelings. Matty’s lyrics are heavier than perhaps they’ve ever been but there’s a clarity and an openness that you just don’t get with any other band.

For The 1975 nothing is off limits and everything is out there.

Despite evoking emotions and memories of the early days, ‘Give Yourself A Try’ is also about moving forward, making sense of the world as we get older and make sense of our lives. For The 1975, their worlds are about to get even bigger than they possibly imagined. That’s okay though.

We’ll be there right with them.

P Martyn Young

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN! We asked you to tell us what were your bangers of the year (so far), and most of you said The 1975.

Who saw that coming? Everyone.

Everyone did.

1. The 1975 - Give Yourself A Try 2. Blossoms - There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls) 3. Pale Waves - Heavenly 4. Childish Gambino - This Is America 5. Arctic Monkeys - Four Out Of Five 6. Troye Sivan - My! My! My! 7. Florence + The Machine Hunger 8. Pale Waves - Kiss 9. Let’s Eat Grandma - Hot Pink 10. No Rome - Do It Again 11. George Ezra - Shotgun 12. Bastille - Quarter Past Midnight 13. The Magic Gang - Getting Along 14. The Vaccines - I Can’t Quit 15. Superorganism - Everybody Wants To Be Famous 16. Blossoms - I Can’t Stand It 17. Sigrid - High Five 18. Years & Years - Sanctify 19. Peace - You Don’t Walk Away From Love 20. Fickle Friends - Wake Me Up

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Bangers

of the year (so far)

BANGER Q+A

Let’s Eat Grandma

#1 Let’s Eat Grandma Hot Pink

Absolute. Banger.

Words: Samantha Daly Photo: Jennifer McCord

It’s no surprise that Let’s Eat Grandma have wormed their way into our Bangers of the Year (So Far); they’ve given us plenty to bang on about this year (hoho), first with ‘Hot Pink’, then with ‘It’s Not Just Me’ and ‘Falling Into Me’ too.

W

here do you start with Let’s Eat Grandma? If we’re

entirely honest, we didn’t see this coming.

Debut album, ‘I, Gemini’ was great, but for all its creativity and youthful energy, it came across more like a signpost to positive, quirky potential rather than a herald of the shape of pop to come. Perhaps it was all deliberate - lulling us into a false sense of security before burning up the rule book because ‘Hot Pink’ was, and still is, a revelation.

Little, if anything, we’ve heard this year sounds even remotely as fresh as the first track to drop from the duo’s new album ‘I’m All Ears’. Not the kind of boundary breaker that feels the need to invent a whole new language, instead it chooses to bounce off every available mark, nailing each to perfection. Sparks of electricity fly off each note, it’s snotty, bratty, attitude-filled refrain demanding attention.

Bubblegum sugar rush laced with potent spirit, it’s the antidote to a stale, grey world it looks to defy.

Working with the likes of scene dominating mastermind SOPHIE might have helped Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth perfect their master plan, but make no mistake, this is their vision. While pop futurism might run through the veins of all who sail upon her, it’s their refusal to heed the established order which propels ‘Hot Pink’ into the stratosphere. It’s not innocence, but rather a firmly held belief that the limits of expectations no longer apply.

“The sound we had with ‘I, Gemini’ was a better representation of us back then, and this is a better representation of where we’re at now,” Rosa recently told Dork.

“It’s just inevitable that we’re going to progress and develop our sound and I think that we like going in lots of different directions at once.”

On the strength of ‘Hot Pink’, every single one of those routes is aimed directly to the top. P

Hey! ‘Hot Pink’ has topped Dork’s Bangers of the Year (So Far) list, congrats! What made you move into a more industrial sound with this one?

We wanted to play between these harsh industrial and softer R’n’B sounds, mixed with a whole lot of energy and power, which I think we managed to do quite well.

You worked with SOPHIE and The Horrors’ Faris Badwan, what were their main contributions?

Both of them are great pop writers.

Faris has an amazing way with storytelling; he contributed to the meaning of the song a lot. SOPHIE is amazing at everything, really. We wanted to make a pop song; we’d also never done a collar before so it was really fun and interesting to see how we could expand. We’ve always loved pop music; it’s such a challenge. It’s one of the hardest things to write - everything has to be 10/10, or it’s shit.

What do you hope people will take away from the track?

Feminine is powerful, and anybody should be able to express that side of themselves.

‘It’s Not Just Me’ is doing pretty well in the rankings too, can you tell us a bit more about the track?

‘It’s Not Just Me’ actually might be my favourite track off the album, we were writing in a different location (LA), and we’d started to get a lot more personal about people in the lyrics we were writing. This was one of the last ones that we wrote, so we were ready to write personally and do it well. It’s the best way of being able to be emotional.

What about ‘Falling Into Me’?

This is one of my favourite songs on the album too, especially the bassline and key change after the second chorus. When we came up with that bit, we were like, ‘Okay that song is sorted now’. We were sat in my bedroom; it was the same for ‘Hot Pink’ too. P

Stephen Ackroyd

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HAPPEN?

I

we already like had a fully-fledged plan when we got together. We had a mission from the start. It’s good to have so much intention. You feel

t’s Bodega’s first time in the UK, and they’re finding it “really hospitable,” apparently.

“Everywhere we go I’m like, ‘Okay I wanna live here!’ Then everyone who comes to our shows says, ‘You don’t wanna live here, it sucks’, which is so Brooklyn,” grins vocalist Nikki Belfiglio.

“Nowhere has that civic pride anymore, which is good,” adds guitarist Ben Hozie. “Pride is our worst enemy.”

Bodega are full of conviction.

Their live show is an angled mix of rock star poise and best friend grievances. Their debut, ‘Endless Scroll’ cuts Black Mirror terror with double-click admiration.

“It’s a very personal album, but it’s also like a documentary,” starts Nikki. “There are some things you just let sit and marinade for a while and see what comes of it but

New Yorkers Bodega are putting the world to rights via politicallycharged art-rock.

that energy.”

And that fizzing, chaotic, direct energy tumbles and marches across the record.

“To do a documentary in the year 2018, you have to talk about The Internet, smartphones and stuff like that. That’s why it’s called ‘Endless Scroll’. Every song, in some way, is about living with this web 2.0.,” offers Ben, as Nikki adds: “Falling in love on the internet, working through the internet, building friendships online.”

“Some of the songs talk about how the internet is making people dumber and causing problems, but some of them point out good things.

Like, Nikki and I did get together as a couple through Facebook Chat.

We met in real life, but we both had real dreary office jobs where we would both be available to chat for like six hours a day, so okay, the screen is bringing us together in a weird way. And obviously Social

Words: Ali Shutler.

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Media is very helpful for bands, and we connect with people all over the world because of it.

“Also, you can’t be blind to what’s happening in the world. If you buy things from a company, and it’s very well documented what they do with their money, and they’re things you don’t support, it’s very easy not to do that.”

‘Endless Scroll’ bounds between the good, the bad, the ugly and confusion. It doesn’t draw a line. It tries to keep a balance. It never makes excuses. “The best critique is self-critique,” offers Nikki. Radical honesty stomps throughout “A lot of the songs on the record, particula rly the opening track ‘How Did This Happen?!’, are about how there’s a huge tendency to blame everyone and anyone else when things go wrong,” Ben continues. “It’s like the week our president was elected, I don’t even want to say his name because I don’t want to give any media space to him, but everyone was out asking ‘How did this happen?!’

and my answer was, well, humans happened. I made this happen.

Have you read Living High and Letting Die? It’s this amazing book,” he asks, changing gears.

It’s something he does a lot.

“It sounds like a stoner book, but it’s not,” Nikki promises.

In it, American philosopher Peter Unger makes the moral argument that if you don’t give at least 10% of your wages to charity, then you might as well be a murderer.

“It’s a big claim,” agrees Ben. “Say you’re walking down the street and you see a guy in an alleyway holding a gun to a kid’s head, and the guy says give me ten dollars, or I’ll kill this kid. Everyone will say give the guy the money, and

you’re a moral monster if you don’t do that. So what about Unicef and organisations like that who can provide salt pills and water to kids who are starving, dehydrated and dying for $10. 99% of people will refuse, ‘Oh, it’s not my responsibility’. But it’s the same thing. I think that’s going to be the moral question of our time.”

“You can’t live in the first world without being a bit of a murderer,” reasons Nikki. Their mantra of radical honesty is “being open to criticising yourself and your position and having accountability.” It’s a belief years in the making, and something that’s still growing.

The pair used to be in a band called Bodega Bay. “Things were going well, but we

broke up,” says Ben. “There were a lot of things we liked about what that band was doing so this band, in some ways, is a sequel.”

Needless to say Bodega aren’t weighed down by their past.

“Ben wrote the music for Bodega Bay as well. He’s always had really good intentions within the art, the lyrics and his concept or whatever but we weren’t being open and honest about personal feelings.

The intention for this was to take that critique, bring it on ourselves and push forward on that.”

“The actual writing comes fast, but you do years and years of thinking, living in a certain mode of thought for that to happen.

You can never improvise based on improvisation; you can only improvise if there’s already a

script. You’ve got to have the script then you can improvise.

“Being around that kind of thought inspires me. I’m still building my script,” continues Nikki. “I’m a little lighter and airier and bouncier, but I’m still learning. It’s crazy that the first two songs I’ve ever written alone and brought to the band are on this album. When you see good art, you feel mentally refreshed.

When you see people expressing themselves, it’s inspiring.

“I always say the biggest compliment you can ever give to a piece of art is that it makes you want to make your own art. I want to make the kind of songs that inspire beautiful paintings or beautiful films.”

Bodega might be a band with one eye on the endless, scrolling screen but their music is about face to face connect. It’s about the bite of reality, and it’s about coming together and connecting.

“We want people to leave our shows with positive vibes and energy. Live, I feel it in my body.

I used to feel like exhausted after a show, but now I don’t. I feel energised. I just feel like I’m getting so much from people in the crowd, or I’ve just learned how to contain it,” grins Nikki, as Ben adds: “When the sweat’s coming, the euphoria comes.” P

Bodega’s debut album ‘Endless Scroll’ is out now.

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Death Cab For Cutie return with a new line-up, and a renewed sense of fun.

Words: Jamie Muir.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

T

he Royal Festival Hall is a maze. Not

the type of green-hedged treat that you’d spend a random summer Sunday rolling around while visiting a cheese factory - but a multi-layered structure that unveils something different at each floor. From gift shops, to lonely bars, to random security checkpoints and room after room, it can feel like anything could be hiding at any corner.

Floors down, just when you wonder how much can really be left - Death Cab For Cutie are preparing for their second show back, tucked away from the bursting hot London summer with a nestled confidence. For long-standing bassist Nick Harmer and fresh guitarist Dave Depper, it feels like a pivotal moment - a band with an undeniable legacy opening up and becoming something invigoratingly new.

Over 20 years into a career, it’s not something every band goes through.

“You know what?” starts Nick. “It feels great at the moment. Everyone is really excited, there’s a great positive momentum in the band and we’re very proud of this album.”

That album, ‘Thank You For Today’ feels like the natural beginning of the next chapter of Death Cab For Cutie, doing so with one of their most ‘Death Cab’ sounding albums in years.

“I don’t want to use the term ‘return to form’, but there is a real through-line of us doing what we’re good at and cementing a lot of the mirror elements we’re exploring around a skeleton that feels very authentic,” notes Nick.

That statement rings out loud and clear across its ten tracks.

“There was a lot of emphasis on making a warm record, an inviting record and welcoming people back.”

The Death Cab sitting and chatting in one of the Hall’s air-conned rooms is a band refreshed, born out of a period of transition that for a lot of bands, could have meant the end. ‘Kintsugi’, their last record released in 2015 was a final stop for guitarist

“The album has more touchstones to old Death Cab...”

Chris Walla - a record distinct in its own skin, with an unfiltered chill that spun into a rewarding trip.

Touring that record with Dave and fellow newbie Zac Rae, it was a turning point for a band that laid a line in the sand, asking themselves what happens next and surrounding themselves in a new energy and direction.

More than anything, Dave and Zac were the reassurance they needed that what comes next could be the most exciting path yet.

“It was wonderful from the beginning,” recalls Dave, a smile beaming across his face.

“I was close friends with these guys before, so touring with them first was kinda a dream come true. These are songs I’ve loved for a decade, and now I’m playing them.”

More than ever, this is an album that feels distinctively new, with two new perspectives adding their own thoughts into the mix.

“Zak and Dave have a unique perspective over our entire history as a band,” says Nick.

“They were instrumental at times in suggesting how we could make things more interesting or just saying, ‘Hey, that sounds great - it sounds just like you, you shouldn’t mess with that’.

“We’re never going to be that band who go into the studio and makes a free jazz-doom album, but we never want to go so far away from what we’re good at that we become unrecognisable. I think we’ve found that with this - and I give a lot of credit to Dave and Zak for helping us stay in a difficult but sweet spot to be in.”

“It was a fun democratic process voting on tracks and basically help in assembling

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my own dream Death Cab record out of them,” adds Dave. “The album has more touchstones to old Death Cab than definitely the last few, with a modern approach to them.”

Full of enthusiasm, making ‘Thank You For Today’ wasn’t the type of process full of head-butting moments of frustration, but actually, a rich and exciting time where creating together in a new environment felt like a refreshing moment for a band becoming something new. They’ll admit that there was more pre-production working together on the album than any other since ‘Transatlanticism’, and it’s something you hear throughout - tracks that effortlessly blend and feel immediately like a classic record from one of this generation’s most vibrant and affecting bands.

From the shimmering ‘Summer Years’ (“it took my breath away as soon as I heard it, it ended up being one of the last songs we recorded and mixed and I was terrified that we were going to screw it up,” recalls Dave) to the hypnotic glow of ‘Gold Rush’, the pullpush of ‘I Dreamt We Spoke Again’, the joyful release of ‘Autumn Love’ and the playful pairing of ‘Northern Lights’ and ‘Near/Far’ - it’s the sound of a band free and doing what they do best. “‘You Moved Away’ is another favourite,” elaborates Dave. “It came together in this really fun way where me, Zak and Nick were throwing billions of synthesisers at it.

There was this day that Ben had spent six hours recording this really hard guitar part, he was punching the wall in frustration because it was so

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hard. He left, and that night I thought, what would it be like if we got rid of his guitar?”

“He came back in the next day and was like, ‘Yeah that’s the good decision’.”

The way stories bounce around, the sheer happiness that flows between Nick and Dave - that happiness and hope for the future is exactly what makes ‘Thank You For Today’ the vital record Death Cab For Cutie needed to make.

Reintroducing themselves and adding another classic bow to their already unstoppable legacy, this isn’t a band taking it easy and resting on their laurels - this is a band wanting to grow and push at everything they’ve worked on so far, making something even better in the process.

“These guys are my brothers, we’re a family,” states Nick.

“My ambition beyond this moment is being able to continue travelling around the world, playing music with these guys, have good adventures and continue to write good music. That sounds very simple, but I’m very excited about where we go next.”

“I want my bandmates to be healthy; I want us to live healthy lives together and be doing this for another 20 years to come. That to me is the biggest goal, to find a good balance between this and my life.”

For Dave? “Pretty similar… these guys got to play Saturday Night Live before I joined the band so if we can do it one more time so that I can do it…” he cracks.

Later that night, they play a spellbinding set that pulls across their illustrious career.

As tears flow, Ben Gibbard serenades a packed room with the sort of wonder that can only come with being one of the most important songwriters of recent times.

Death Cab For Cutie have already created their home in thousands of people’s lives, still having fun and packing the sort of next chapter that’ll have us glued from here on out.

‘Thank You For Today’? Just wait to see what tomorrow is bringing… P Death Cab For

Cutie’s album ‘Thank You For Today’ is out 17th August.

Yes, he

2014â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s king of buzz, Ben Khan released a couple of EPs then dropped off the radar. Now heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back, signed with Dirty Hit, and releasing a debut many thought would never come. What happened, then?

Words: Ben Jolley.

Khan

“I

t got more intense,” London-based musician Ben Khan begins, explaining why it’s been three years since his last EP, 2015’s ‘1000’. “Coming off the back of ‘1,000’, I just took a step back and was like, let me just recalibrate and see what I want to do.

“I wasn’t really feeling the direction it was headed in, so I just stopped and kind of restarted…. whether it’s coming from the industry or people close to you trying to direct your head in a certain space, it just felt a bit like I was getting pulled in a direction rather than deciding to go somewhere.”

Retaining control over his creations - in his own space and time - has always been an important aspect of making music. “I understand it people are running businesses at the end of the day; ‘If I’m going to support this, I want to see what your 18-month plan is’.

“But it’s like, ‘18 month plan, go fuck yourself!’ I get it from one perspective, but I just had to step back...”

More than deadlines, it’s about “incentives; if people’s incentives are messed up, then you’ll end up in a place you don’t want to be.”

The result of being “embraced by certain people over a short period that I didn’t really think was going to happen” left Khan feeling like he owed them something. “I was like, nah man, if you like what I’m doing then you’ve just got to let me do it rather than ask me to do things. There are a couple of hoops that certain industry people ask you to jump through and I’m not really into that.”

That loss, somewhat, of artistic freedom, led him to take some time out, away from the industry. Stepping back allowed him to think about it and understand what he was trying to get out of music. “I think you need to have some idea of what you want from it - what’s going to make you happy out of it - which, for me, is just making something that I’m going to be happy with for however many years.”

Though he says “everyone gets bored with their work and moves on thinking it’s old to

“Hopefully, this album will take you out of your reality for a bit” them now”, Ben approached his debut album with the mindset that he wanted to “make something I cared about - and hopefully be able to do it again. My version of success now is to just keep doing what I do and be proud of what I do.

That’s kind of it…”

Produced by Khan alongside PJ Harvey collaborator Flood, mixed by Spike Stent (Björk, Frank Ocean) and mastered by Dave Cooley (J Dilla, M83) – his self-titled debut is an album of quiet, subtle aggression, using computer-driven sounds and organic noises he recorded whilst in Kashmir, the home of his father.

“I just walked around and took sounds on my daily rituals, and tried to put that in there somehow, so it felt like a journey through places.”

With some songs having been written for a couple of years and others materialising in a few hours, he hopes the result – coming out on Dirty Hit - is a work of “magical realism.”

‘2000 Angels’, the album’s lead single, builds up through layers of industrial clattering, while the funk-laced riffs and beats of ‘Do It Right’ sound as though they’re being played underwater. ‘Monsoon Daydream’, meanwhile, has the sonic atmosphere of a video game.

“I think the point of an artist is to show people a different side of things, to take different perceptions of life and present them back to you,” he continues. “Hopefully, this album will take you out of your reality for a bit, and take it to the start of a fantasy place.”

Instead of having a number of reference points - “something that’s probably more normal for people to have when making their second

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album” – Khan’s music comes more naturally; as a result of whatever he’s been watching, listening to or doing with his time.

“The first album for a lot of people, or for me anyway, it’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. That moment of making something that feels like a full piece and being able to put my name on it and feel like that’s a bit of me,” he says.

Something that did impact the creation of his debut, though, was the science-fiction films that would be playing in his studio: Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner, for example.

“It’s one of my favourite genres,” he says.

“There’s something nice about having moving image for your lighting. I just turn the lights off and have the projector running. It puts me in a better headspace. You kind of leave the room a bit, and it feels like you’re not just in a studio. It feels a bit like you’re somewhere else...”

Rather than listening to other people’s music, Khan becomes “obsessed” with what he’s making, listening over and over again and trying to think about what it is he’s trying to do. Such an attention to detail means that when he leaves the studio, Khan switches off from music entirely. “The last thing I want to do when I get home is listen to music,” he considers. “I just want to sit down and chill, maybe read a book or something, watch TV... just wind down really.”

Away from making music, Ben spends his time hanging out with mates, drinking beer, watching movies and reading every now and again - “things that hit me”, he confirms; the room where he lives looks

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“pretty simple” with a decent vinyl collection and some nice books. Then there’s his studio equipment; synths and guitar mainly. “That’s how I keep busy, to be honest. I like doing that.”

Instead of trying to elicit a certain feeling from people who listen to the album, it’s more of a personal thing for Khan. “I do it to make myself happy, and if other people can enjoy it, in any way, I really don’t care as long as they are actually enjoying something there. I’d like them to feel that they can take something from it,” he summarises.

As an extension to the album, he’s created The Foundation - a futuristic, interactive website inspired by the Isaac Asimov sci-fi book series. “I wanted to build something for more ideas; it’s just a fun platform. I’ve always been into creative technology of the future, and I want to build into that and have an outlet to experiment a bit more,” he explains.

It’s a platform that’s not often used by artists, which Ben – who plans to play some “special shows” instead of going on a traditional tour – is quite surprised about. “I feel like in the industry it’s quite restrictive in terms of what musicians can do; your platforms are Spotify and YouTube, right? That feels like kind of it: release a song and make a music video, which is fun and I like that, but it just feels like there’s a lot more that could be done and there’s a lot more that could be experimented with and played with,” he continues, clearly passionate about how future technology can and should be utilised.

“I like artists that push it out a bit and see how you can bend it. It’s kind of crazy to me that there aren’t many people doing it because you’re in an industry which allows you to do that. People will back those with interesting ideas in this industry, and most people don’t have that luxury; they just have to play it by the book... I guess we’ll see how it goes for me,” he laughs. “It might flop, and that’ll explain why no-one does it.” P Ben

Khan’s self-titled debut album is out 10th August.

Reviews.

All the new stuff, rated.

The Big One

SOPHIE OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES

If pop’s job is to make big statements, SOPHIE’s debut album is the loudest of them all.

eeeee LABEL: TRANSGRESSIVE RECORDS RELEASED: 15TH JUNE 2018 LISTEN TO: IMMATERIAL, IT’S OKAY TO CRY

T

he best pop is all about emotions. Emotions that

attack your heart and soul and disturb your very equilibrium. Emotions that bend your mind and move your body. Emotions that you can’t describe but know that they make you feel something quite special. Right now, nobody quite messes with those emotions like SOPHIE. ‘OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UNINSIDES’ is the Scottish producer and pioneer of new pop sounds’ debut album and it contains all the genrehopping madness you’d expect. The

whole thing is a kaleidoscopic tour de force that fully showcases why SOPHIE is one of the music exciting musicians on the planet.

It’s a debut that careers across styles and sounds, beginning with the tender whispered hug of ‘It’s Okay To Cry’ before ending with the all-out sonic electro punk assault of ‘Whole New World/Pretend World’ which sounds a bit like 2 Unlimited warped into something altogether darker and more fucked up.

‘Ponyboy’ and ‘Faceshopping’ are equally as abrasive. After you’ve adjusted to the dissonant rampage though, you begin to notice the little details; ones that mark SOPHIE out as a real master of her craft rather than a flash in the pan shock artist.

Distant echoes of raves gone by filter through, coalescing into some of the most bewitching electronic pop you’ll ever hear, equally comfortable in the mainstream or kicking up a fuss on the margins.

There are frequent jaw-dropping moments here, like the spellbinding trance symphony of ‘Is It Cold In the Water’ which brings to mind an ecstatic Cocteau Twins, a fitting comparison when you also take into account the otherworldly album title.

There’s heart and soul at work here.

SOPHIE herself has described the album as a cathartic culmination of her journey from subversive outsider to newly minted pop icon. Sometimes she wants to shock and shake things up. Sometimes though, she just wants to party as on the exuberant, bouncy banger of ‘Immaterial’. It’s clear that SOPHIE can do it all.

The record does have its challenging moments, but that’s the whole point; the light becomes that more illuminating when it follows the darkness. A towering statement from an artist who is forging her own path any way she likes it. P Martyn Young

Bodega

Endless Scroll

eeeee

Making a name for themselves already as one of the most exciting New York bands around, Bodega have laid down a strong marker with their own form of infectious art-punk.

Storming through 14 songs in half an hour, the five-piece from Brooklyn shift from track to track via punchy basslines and the occasional interlude from a Siri-like robot. As expected, debut single ‘How Did This Happen?!’ leads the way while the pulsating sound of ‘Gyrate’ gives off a nervous energy hard to contain. However, it is on touching ballad ‘Charlie’ where we see a different side; it’s a heartfelt reflection of the feelings encountered when you lose someone close to you.

Despite missing the mark on occasion, ‘Endless Scroll’ is a record filled with potential. P

Dominic Allum

Nine Inch Nails Bad Witch

eeeee

The third part of this Nine Inch Nails album chapter is quite possibly their most jarring. The industrial noise double threat of Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor is unrelenting in every way, almost as if they’re testing your will to survive. When put into context with the other two pieces of the three EP puzzle, the grander picture is utterly terrifying. While ‘Not The Actual Events’ remained somewhat vulnerable, and ‘Add Violence’, well, did just that, ‘Bad Witch’ brings things to a nasty head, brimming with consciousness and unnerving mechanical matter. Be warned; there are no bangers here. It’s intense brutality that’ll test you, and leave you feeling a bit empty - in all the right ways. Obviously.

P Steven Loftin

Oi, mate. Have you seen our new website? R E A D D O R K . C O M A L L T H E B A N D S , A L L T H E B A N G E R S , 2 4 / 7/ 3 6 5 . D O W N W I T H B O R I N G .

Real Friends

Composure

eeeee Pop punk sometimes gets a tough run. A genre seemingly locked in its own time loop, it’s sometimes hard to remember that progression and boundary pushing isn’t really the point of youthful discovery and exuberant self-expression.

It’s a pool Real Friends are throwing themselves into head first with their third full-length ‘Composure’ - ironically a record where they cast aside some of the ponderous emo and overdose on musical vitamin C. Vocalist Dan Lambton dives in with complete abandon to opener ‘Me First’, and rarely feels the need to surface for breath. It suits them well. P Dan Harrison

The Internet Hive Mind

eeeee The Internet’s rise has arguably one of the past few years’ most deserving moments; what started out as another off-shoot of Odd Future has become a unified and unstoppable force of their own. A hypnotising beauty shines bright on latest album ‘Hive Mind’, a coming together of the past few years filled with solo projects - but the sound of a band connecting in place like the perfect jigsaw as confirmation of their new found role as a cut above the rest. Make no mistake, this is the sort of record that places The Internet into a comfortable realm as a band who’ll be adored and poured over for countless years to come. P Jamie Muir

Recommended

Hey, Real Friends, recommend us some stuff...

Last good record you heard: As Cities Burn, ‘Come Now Sleep’.

Favourite ever book: Hairstyles of The Damned

by Joe Meno.

TV show you couldn’t live without: The Office.

Best purchase of this year: Bag of Red Vines liquorice from Walmart.

Surprise!

Deaf Havana

Anything else you’d recommend? A nice Camelbak water bottle so you’re always hydrated.

Rituals eeeee

Florence + The Machine

Yungblud

What do you expect from a new Deaf Havana album? Because whatever that might be, ‘Rituals’ most certainly isn’t it.

eeeee

eeeee

It’s weird to think of Florence Welch as an old dependable. Not in a tired, waning force sort of way - but four albums in, she’s now a stateswoman of indie. Ascended to the status of Genuine Glasto Headliner, her records no longer feel like rolling the dice, but rather a certified delivery of more bombastic bangers. While that may be doing disservice to an artist who does genuinely put herself on the line, the end result is the same. ‘High As Hope’ is huge. From the vulnerable honesty turned megahit of ‘Hunger’ to ‘South London Forever’ - a love letter that raises hairs on end - Flo is leading a charge now, and she’s breaking pace for nobody. P Dan Harrison

Very few musicians and bands are currently embodying the idea of free-flowing music that does what it wants, when it wants, quite like Yungblud. While the genre he inhabits is an important part - darting between beats, to pianoled tunes - it’s all just a single part of the cause.

What Yungblud has done with debut album ‘21st Century Liability’ is captured modern living for a generation; that is having to deal with a whole new set of problems to anyone else around them. It’s a snapshot into every different aspect of life, from mental health, nightlife and just trying to enjoy their time here without everything it getting to them.

With Yungblud about, nothing is off limits.P

High As Hope

Ben Khan

Ben Khan

eeeee How long is too long to wait for a debut album? For Ben Khan, one of the buzziest new names of 2014, it’s been a while. At times it’s been easy to wonder if he’d fallen off the face of the planet. But no!

Rejoice! Finally happy with his work, the much anticipated self-titled debut shows all that potential still counts for something. ‘2000 angels’ may now sound more like the present than the near future, but its assertive drive lands perfectly, while ‘Monsoon Daydreams’’ opening moves sound like Daft Punk’s robot brain struggling to boot up, in the best way. Good things come to those who wait. P Dan Harrison

21st Century Liability

Steven Loftin

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f there are marks to be had for evading expectation, then Deaf Havana are aiming for the jackpot.

Previously, the five-piece have concerned themselves with enjoyably honest rock - the kind of stuff you could build firm foundations upon. It was a recipe that had borne fruit, too, with albums in the higher reaches of charts at points where such things felt far more relevant than they might today. And yet, with their latest full-length, they’ve ripped up their rule book for what came before, and started afresh.

It’s a move that could play out two ways, but rather than a desperate grasp for success, ‘Rituals’ sounds more like a band striving to rediscover their own voice. Reinvigorated, on first listen it’s jarring almost to the point of distraction, but on repeated airings, it makes perfect sense. Why travel down roads so familiar they no longer inspire if something altogether more colourful and exciting is calling?

With that in mind, Deaf Havana are simply being true to themselves, and in the most

RE AD D O RK. CO M

glorious way possible. Five years ago, a rock band wouldn’t be able to hang a left into mainstream friendly alt-pop without nervous glances and whispers of selling out. Now, in a post-Paramore world, it’s actively encouraged.

As ‘Sinner’ pulses with raw adrenaline, it’s lyrics juxtapose perfectly. It’s that ‘dancing on the outside, crying on the inside’ aesthetic again, and it works. But, crucially, it’s not the only trick up Deaf Havana’s tropical sleeves. They haven’t completely given up the ghost on the harder side of their personality.

‘Hell’ bridges the gap perfectly, thumping at the doors and demanding an audience, while ‘Fear’ audibly throbs, its dark heart running at bursting point.

We see pushing the boundaries as being obtuse, difficult even trying things nobody has done before - but that’s not the only way to stretch the limits. In heading in the least expected direction, Deaf Havana are challenging everything we thought we knew. They’ve never sounded more alive. P Stephen

Ackroyd

Wet

Still Run

eeeee Three-piece Brooklynborn group Wet fit into the 90s R&B, alternative and lo-fi dream pop categories without remaining in any of them.

Lead singer Kelly Zutrau admits that second album ‘Still Run’ is a form of escapism, with the title-track arriving at a soft folk acoustic haven. Gabrielle Aplin-like vocals spring to mind, with the opening line “Want to go where the sun is shining, and no one knows my name” bringing an all-too-familiar indie sound but with some real depths of emotion.

Kelly’s said her aim was “to create a world for a few minutes that would be a nice place to be,” and that really comes through - here’s to hoping that the album takes listeners there, too. P Ashley

A Quick Q&A

Mikaela Davis

Morris

Dirty Projectors

With her trusty harp, Mikaela Davis has previously featured as a member of touring bands for Mikaela Davis Bon Iver, Mac DeMarco Delivery eeeee and The Staves - but now she’s arriving You’d be forgiven for thinking Mikaela Davis’ proper with a debut music is some easy listening, best suited for of her own, the John Sunday mornings and Congleton (St Vincent, long walks. There’s a whimsical quality to it – Wild Beasts) produced she’s a harpist, after all ‘Delivery’.

– the strings and piano Hey Mikaela, how’s it going?

Excited for the album?

It’s going. Yes!

‘Delivery’ is a really compelling listen, did you achieve everything you wanted to with it? It sounds like it must’ve been a long time in the making.

I’m very happy with this record; I feel like I’m finding my voice.

Is it hard to figure out what you want to do when you’re able to utilise different styles of music so well?

I don’t really think about it too much, it just happens.

You can hear the impact of John Congleton coming through, what drew you to working with him? He really seems to complement what you’re doing.

I liked that each record he’s produced sounds different. He makes every record sound true to the band he’s working with and goes in a different direction each time - working with all kinds of artists. I admire his

Lamp Lit Prose

eeeee weirdness.

Do the songs on the album relate back to specific events in your life? How personal are they?

Yep most of them are pretty personal.

Do you have a favourite style of song, or vibe you like to evoke?

Not really, I’m down to try anything.

What skills did doing a degree in Harp Performance afford you, and how do they come into practice day-to-day?

float on top of the songs, along with oohs and aahs, provided by The Staves. But it has grit, too. There’s a spectacular blend of genres on ‘Delivery’. With influences ranging from modern folk (‘Emily’, ‘In My Groove’) and Americana (‘Get Gone’, ‘Other Lover’) to ‘Mirage’-era Fleetwood Mac (‘Do You Wanna Be Mine?’), and a generous helping of chamber pop, Davis digs her own genre hole. John Congleton’s stamp is all over it, too.

After working on Angel Olsen’s ‘Phases’ and Alvvays’ ‘Antisocialites’, those same crackly, muffled vocals, guitars and keyboards are there.

In little over half an hour, Davis cements her place among 2018’s new wave of rockers. “Don’t doubt me”, Mikaela sings on closing track ‘Pure Divine’. You shouldn’t. P

Technique! So I don’t ruin my hands. I warm up by displacing strings with each finger (except for pinkies, we don’t use those) slowly up and down the scale in thirds, sixths and octaves. It helps build muscle in my fingers so I can play correctly. The tension of the strings on the harp is very high, so this is important. There is much more, but I won’t bore you.

Does that kind of course encompass different applications for music, or do you have to be a bit of a renegade to move beyond a strictly classical setting?

My classical background still influences my writing and soloing.

Sometimes I quote concertos I’ve played in my solos.

You’ve notched up quite a few musician pals - have any imparted any particularly useful advice?

Go your own way!

Where do you go from here?

Anywhere.P

Abigail Firth

Mikaela Davis’ debut album ‘Delivery’ is out now.

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David Longstreth is done writing about the past. Where Dirty Projectors’ eponymous record reflected on his relationship with former bandmate Amber Coffman, their ninth offers up an optimistic look to the future.

‘Lamp Lit Prose’ is alarming buoyant.

There’s a euphoria to it, reminiscent of Arcade Fire or Vampire Weekend’s early cuts. The first single, ‘Break-Thru’, couldn’t be more fitting. That’s not to say he’s entirely let go; there’s familiarity in his yelping vocal on ‘That’s A Lifestyle’, but the rest of the record is rebirth. As Longstreth croons on ‘You’re The One’, “change is the only constant law”, and switching up their sound hasn’t hurt.

‘Lamp Lit Prose’ is one of Dirty Projectors’ more accessible ventures, and it’s brilliant. P Abigail Firth

Kyle Falconer

No Thank You

eeeee After over ten years fronting Scots rockers The View, Kyle Falconer goes it alone on his first solo album, inspired by family and therapy and owing its title to a chat with Liam Gallagher. Falconer’s chirpy Dundonian brogue is as upbeat as ever, but the songs are missing some of that ramshackle quality that won the View their mid2000s success. With strings and piano accompanying acoustic guitar strums, Falconer has revisited some of the instrumentation that littered the ambitious (but ultimately doomed) second View album, ‘Which Bitch?’. It’s welcome to hear these flourishes, but it’s a shame the band aren’t along for the ride, and that a lot of the songs feel tired from a songwriter who emerged in 2006 with bundles of energy. P Dillon Eastoe

GHOSTPOET JANE WEAVER

NADINE SHAH

SUUNS . THE LOVELY EGGS GNOD . BOY AZOOGA WARMDUSCHER . LICE . CASSELS Husky loops . FONTAINES DC . SELF HELP THE HOMESICK . JOHN . LACUNA COMMON BROOKE BENTHAM . EASTER ISLAND STATUES VIVE LA VOID (Sanae Yamada - Moon Duo) DJ SETS FROM STEVE DAVIS + KAVUS TORABI plus DROWNED IN SOUND DJS and MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

ritualunion.co.uk

Get Out. IF IT’S ON STAGE, IT’S IN HERE.

Charli XCX

brings the future to London’s Village Underground ‘Pop 2’. Pop 4eva.

Words: Ali Shutler.

Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

C

harli XCX loves lots of things. She’s

infatuated with the future, adores the unexpected and like, likes the new. But most of all, she loves Good Times, Mates, Pop Bangers and Capital Lettered Excitement. Tonight, she’s head over heels.

Taking to London’s Village Underground, Charli finally brings ‘Pop 2’ home. It’s been over a year since she was here last, at The Jazz Café to celebrate ‘Number 1 Angel’, and a lot has changed since.

Because of course it has. She’s continued her journey into progressive party anthems and emotional outpourings with the untethered collaboration of ‘Pop 2’, all late night reflection, sunrise epiphanies and dancing in the dark, while also taking over the airwaves with the golden sparkle of ‘Boys’.

She’s an artist at peace with existing in two worlds, but tonight, there’s no divide. Pop star and progressive thinker.

Pushing things forward while making sure everyone is involved. This is pure Charli.

From the moment A.G. Cook

takes to the stage to deliver his hype mix, the atmosphere inside the room shifts from anticipation to something that fizzes and crackles. There are whispers of what’s to come, but nothing can really prepare you for Charli’s entrance.

The second she appears on stage, it’s pandemonium. As the key clicks into ‘Unlock It’, Charli is relentless, powerful and determined to get the most fun out of every second.

Dialling up the intensity, the track glitches and hammers.

Charli, her own hype person, bounces between spotlight and shadows as she sings, dances, gets lost in the music and encourages the room to let go. One song in and already tonight feels like a victory.

It feels like a celebration. It’s jubilant, defiant and knowing.

What happens next should be an easy win, she’s just got to follow the path that’s before her and keep the party going.

Easy, we all know how many electrified bangers she has in her back pocket. She’s armed for evenings like this.

The thing is, that would be too easy. And that’s never been Charli’s way. Straight from kicking down doors with ‘Unlock It’, she slows things down with the aching swing of ‘Lucky’. In bloom and avoiding

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eye contact, it’s deliberate and dripping in let down. The crowd follows this sudden shift completely. Tonight isn’t just about the rainbow soaked highs; it’s about the full, uncompromising picture.

There’s a swell of menace before ‘Roll With Me’, the atmospheric swell of ‘ILY2’ sees the room sway as one as Charli blurts out “I love this,” before ‘Lipgloss’, extended and exceptional, is dedicated to Cupcakke, “one of the greatest rappers of this generation.” Charli fills in, rapping some of her lines, too busy dancing for the others.

The rest of the night is spent toing-and-froing from the centre of attention, spotlight demanding anthems of starshine, to lonely moments of uncertainty. They never last for long though. Rina Sawayama joins her for ‘Backseat’, RAYE comes onstage like a lightning bolt for the zig-zag escape of ‘Dreamer’ and Tommy Cash jumps on for the misty sparkle of ‘Delicious’ before he takes the spotlight for his slanted whirlwind of ‘Mona Lisa’. It turns out Charli isn’t the only one in love with the night.

Tonight isn’t just a victory lap. There’s a lot of new on offer. ‘5 In The Morning’ is still packet fresh, lurching under the cover of darkness

D OWN WI T H BO RI N G

and driven by the promise of new dawns and break-downs, it fidgets every which way, but that’s just the start. ‘Focus’ is hyperactive, full of self-love and thunderous applause, ‘Taxi’ pops with bubblegum sheen and ‘No Angel’ takes that rebellious smirk and gives it a glittering purpose while ‘Girls Night Out’, stomping about the place and glinting with the promise of what comes next, closes the show.

Charli is one of a kind, doing things her own way and without apology, but she’s always made space for collaboration. For team work.

For making her world bigger than herself. Maybe it’s because she grew up on the girl power of The Spice Girls, maybe she just likes the different energies but Post-‘Sucker’, she’s shared her space at every opportunity.

There’s been a revolving cast of friends and inspirations, from Carly Rey Jepsen to Cupcakke, but at the centre of it all has been Charli and her vision.

Unwavering and ever-changing.

Just alongside her, SOPHIE and A.G. Cook. Tonight they share the stage for the first time in a forever. “This feels fucking special, y’know,” Charli beams.

“And we’re the future,” she adds with a grin. We welcome it with open arms. P

Haim in the mood...

Haim conquer Alexandra Palace The trio hold nothing back.

Words: Jamie Muir.

I

t’s night two at Alexandra Palace, and Haim are having a toast. “Can

The latest gig news.

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

Live + amplified.

someone get me a beer?”

Este calls, and in mere seconds the whole venue have their own pints in the air. It’s definitely the moment for it, as Haim wrap up their biggest UK headline run to date with the sort of show that second album ‘Something To Tell You’ was aimed for.

Staking her own claim to the crown, Maggie Rogers sets about proving she’s one of the most exciting names in fresh pop around. Bursting with energy across the stage, it’s a set full of unbridled technicolour, and effortless proof of how big she could become. It’s still staggering to think she doesn’t have a debut album out yet, already stacked with a whole range of anthems from her debut EP. ‘On + Off’ sets a spell across a packed room, ‘Alaska’ remains an unstoppable slammer of a track and new number ‘Fallingwater’ shows Maggie not just growing, but evolving into a superstar.

Magnetising from start to finish, Maggie Rogers is about to step into a whole ‘nother league.

Tonight is all about Haim making that grand statement.

Two albums in, devoted masses at every turn but still waiting for that crowning landmark moment - it’s right where their wide-eyed vision for what they want to be needs to come to the fore. No surprise then that they hold absolutely nothing back as they emerge under spotlights at Ally Pally, breathing in the arena-rock swagger for a set full of character, charm and (most importantly) fun. Lit up in

It’s a whopper! Ben Howard has announced a third night at London’s Brixton Academy

Blaenavon are heading out for an intimate headline run

Blaenavon will be performing some new material from their upcoming second album, the follow-up to debut ‘That’s Your Lot’, at some new shows planned for later this year. The run kicks off on 3rd October in St Albans, taking in a whopping fourteen nights all over the country. You can also catch them at both 110 Above and Truck this summer.

Ben Howard is hitting the road at the end of the year, and he’s just added an extra London show. On tour in support of his latest album ‘Noonday Dream’, Ben will visit Glasgow (7th December), Cardiff (8th) and Manchester (10th, 11th), before three nights at London’s Brixton Academy (16th, 17th, 18th January).

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front of huge screens and more lights than Blackpool Pier, it’s a commanding presence - the opening punch of ‘Falling’ and ‘Don’t Save Me’ queuing arms in the air jubilance. The effect of ‘Something To Tell You’ can’t be overstated - all but one of the album’s tracks are aired tonight, and the new-found knuckling of that album’s ambition is a driver throughout. ‘Little Of Your Love’ rings with joyful ease, ‘Nothing’s Wrong’ fizzes with excitement and ‘Ready For You’ flexes its muscles in front of an enraptured palace.

The thing is, Haim live are a force aside from the rest. It feels more like a night out with three of your best pals than a usual headline show, and that’s a pretty bloody special thing to achieve. Trading stories between songs, cracking jokes and riding the wave of having 10,000 fans in front of them rather than the three they had at their first London gig - it’s what makes Haim stand apart.

So when Este belts out ‘My Heart Will Go On’, it makes perfect sense. The hits add to the party, ‘Want You Back’ gloriously grows live into a shimmering synth weaver, while ‘Forever’ and ‘The Wire’ are met with the sort of reactions usually reserved for last minute goals in a World Cup final.

It all adds to an arenasized headline powerhouse that manages to feel huge yet incredibly intimate at the same time. With ‘Right Now’ a fitting finale and exclamation point, Haim conquer Alexandra Palace in a manner only they could get away with. An invitation to the ultimate night out with every single person made to feel important, Haim take on their biggest stage with ease - now where’s that afterparty? P

Enter Shikari are going to play their loooongest ever tour

Enter Shikari are hitting the road this December for their longest tour to date.

Playing in support of latest album ‘The Spark’, it’ll kick off in Lincoln and includes a night at London’s O2 Brixton Academy.

“Playing 28 dates across the UK is our way of taking what we do back to as many people as possible, in the most intimate and direct way,” says frontman Rou.

East-eh

Fresh for 2018, All Points East packed one of the nost ridiculous line ups around.

Held in Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Victoria Park, we were on hand to experience the birth of something new, Photos: Patrick Gunning, Sarah Louise Bennett.

Day one: New York we love you, and we’re never coming down as Yeah Yeah Yeahs and LCD Soundsystem kick off All Points East Words: Stephen Ackroyd.

K

aren O is the greatest. Five

words. That’s all anyone needs to sum up the first day of All Point East’s debut year. Why would we need any more?

There are many fine bands playing Victoria Park today.

There’s the festival conquering pineapple vibes of Glass Animals, the quirky collective brain dump of Superorganism and the all-out party pop of Confidence Man. Later, Phoenix will deliver a pitchperfect set of Francophile brilliance. But they’re not the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They don’t have Karen O. Who is, remember, The Greatest.

It’s been five years since the band last played London.

It feels like ten, so starved have we been of their visceral,

Day three: The National evoke an intimate unity Words: Steven Loftin.

T

Day two: Lorde, The xx, Sampha and more make more than your typical festival

primal strut. Maybe we’ve got complacent in that time, but they certainly haven’t. Opener ‘Y Control’ is a technicolour moment in a sepia-filtered world – so brash and bright it feels fresher now than it did more than a decade ago.

Flanked by a still-coolerthan-you Nick Zinner and permanently grinning Brian Chase, Lady O doesn’t have any time for standoffish East London cool. Confident enough to emblazon her rear with her own name, she’s out to have fun – and what she commands, the crowd obeys.

LCD Soundsystem might be the only band able to live with Yeah Yeah Yeahs in this form. The same, but very different, they’re two bands born from the same world but taking differing routes. In a way they’re both punk, but while Karen O is all movement and action, James Murphy is something different. ‘You Wanted A Hit’, by its end, is exactly what was initially requested. ‘Tribulations’ is a blast of energy, while ‘Call The Police’ proves LCD’s second era can be just as essential as the first. It’s the closer we’re all waiting for, though. When we say Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ ‘Maps’ is without master, there’s always a small asterisk for ‘All My Friends’. More than just a song, it’s the moment that keeps repeating.

Tonight is no different. New York, we love you, and we’ll never come down. P

op billing at this latest instalment of All Points East comes from the new elder statesmen of emotional indie, The National. With complex

constructs of melancholy, their mellow sounds are the perfect accompaniment to the stereotypical rain-soaked streets of London.

But today, they’re soundtracking a blistering summer afternoon.

Beforehand, sheltered in the protective shade of the Jagerhaus stage, Sorry bound their way through a blistering set that an eager crowd completely fall for. Later there’s more plucky, delight-filled tunings from Genghar who feel as unrelenting as the heat around them. Closing the stage, Pumarosa wildly summon a ferocity that is unmatched

Words: Ali Shutler.

T

he xx love London and London loves The xx. Tonight, as

they headline the second ever night of the newly minted All Points East, the band can probably see their houses from the stage. This is a place where they grew up.

They share stories of writing songs around the corner, then coming to this very spot to exhale and take a moment.

As gleaming cuts from ‘I See You’ and their self-titled debut ebb out in front of giant video screens, winking lights and an imminent thunderstorm, the whole set shivers with a glorious homecoming. With a love of space and time, they’re not your typical festival headliner but in this moment, none of that matters.

That spirit of unusual plays out across the day as APE changes shape from yesterday’s all-out jubilance.

Sampha’s set is met with quiet reverence as his booming voice enchants a field and toys with the horizon. Lykke Li floats through The West Stage.

Creating a wonderland, it’s not until ‘I Follow Rivers’ twists out of the stage that the tent fully commits to her otherworldly escape, but when they fall, they fall hard.

by any other.

Over on the North Stage, a unity of feeling takes the spotlight; Broken Social Scene bring comfort with their welcoming sound. Soon after, Warpaint come out on top form with a set rife with cutting, ethereal favourites. However, there’s another story to uncover over on the main stage - with a sizable crowd gathered, Future Islands frontman Samuel T Herring lassos the hearts of London.

With the sun hanging low in the sky, The National finally appear as if they’ve just walked out of the nearest Parisian wine bar.

Every moment feels meticulously chosen.

‘Squalor Victoria’ becomes an ode to the very park that’s hosting them tonight, the utterly

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The majority of the day plays hosts to artists who aren’t your typical festival band. Lorde isn’t typical. Period. For the full hour of her set, she defines and redefines her superstardom.

Almost a year after ‘Melodrama’, the songs have lost none of that excited buzz.

‘Sober’ fizzes about the place, the hurried whisper-snarl of “Jack and Jill got fucked up and possessive when they get dark” somehow one of the biggest sing-alongs of the day before ‘Homemade Dynamite’ swings like a pendulum before breaking free, exploding as it crashes from the stage while ‘Tennis Court’ teeters on the edge of hope and change.

Instantly sparking something inside everyone present, it feels like the rest of the world falls away as the field, unruly and jagged, gets lost in this moment. Lorde is just as hypnotized, just as present.

“Anything you’ve been holding onto, any pain, any jealousy, any fucking heartbreak, when I say ‘I’ve been waiting for it’, you’re going to let it go,” she promises as ‘Green Light’ heads to its incredible peak. Confetti tumbles from the sky, shaped like stars and with lyrics stamped on them, as Lorde beams. Atypical has never felt so amazing. P

heart-wrenching ‘I Need My Girl’ instigates a mass yearning singalong.

Not to mention ‘Graceless’, with its thundering and determined tempo, picks up the pieces of the heartbreak.

There’s even another airing of new song ‘Light Years’ with a little help from The Staves.

Bringing songs that revel in loneliness, romanticising the fragility of the human spirit, there’s a delicious coating of irony in the fact a family several-thousand strong find solidarity in sad company. Tonight is a testament to the fact that no matter how deep and dark life can feel, you’re never really alone. P

Festivals.

“I love to travel the world playing shows” everything for me; I’m also taking notes every day.

How did you get to this point, from kicking about in your hometown to signing your record deal and playing all over the world?

I moved to London from my hometown of Bedford and started playing music. I learned how to play guitar and started playing in pubs and clubs around London. It took lots of hard work and dedication to achieve my goals.

Has anything about musician life taken you by surprise?

Yeah, a few things. Definitely the number of hours that I put in, but the hours are really fun!

Tell us about your debut album what’s it about? What’s the vibe like?

My debut album is called ‘Lighting Matches’, it came from the idea of igniting my career. When writing I definitely matured but it’s a classic album. I wanted my album to sound timeless, and that could last 50 years.

2 - 5 August nd

th

Neverworld Tom Grennan has a natter ahead of this year’s Neverworld.

Words: Sam Taylor.

I

f you’ve never been to Neverworld, formerly LeeFest, you’re missing out on one of the gems of festival season. A delightfully intimate experience of themed areas and hidden spaces, it’s definitely nothing like your usual big stage corporate affair.

That doesn’t mean they can’t pack in the names, though – none bigger than Bastille, who have already hinted they’re ‘up to stuff’

in the nearish future. There’s little doubt they’ll blow the roof off Neverworld’s main stage this August – and with a supporting cast including Declan McKenna, Rae Morris, Girli and whenyoung, they’ll not be the only ones.

Tom Grennan will also be taking along his just-released debut album, ‘Lighting Matches’.

Hi Tom, how’s it going?

Everything good?

Everything’s good, thanks! Loving the start of festival season, it’s been really exciting so far.

It’s been a huge couple of years for you - loads of festivals, a 58

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massive headline tour, your debut album. How do you cope with being so all-go all the time? It must be exhausting.

How have you found the process of putting together a full-length?

Did your initial vision for it change much along the way?

I really enjoyed it! There wasn’t much pressure, just excitement. I was in the studio writing loads of songs and then picked through the songs that I wrote; I didn’t go in thinking I need to write. It just happened naturally. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it!

How would you like your music to make listeners feel?

I don’t know if it’s exhausting, I feel really lucky to be in the position that I’m in. Having the support of my fans keeps me going. Really excited for the release of my debut album, and for my UK and European tour later this year.

I would like my music to make people feel free and inspired! I want people to feel like they can escape everything they are going through and just enjoy the music.

Are you documenting your adventures for future writing inspiration?

Overall I’d like longevity. The dream is to play Glastonbury and Wembley Stadium. I love to travel the world playing shows and make good music that puts smiles on people’s faces.

I’m definitely trying to record everything for future writing inspiration. My best friend is a videographer who documents

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Where do you want to go from here, what’s the dream?

P Neverworld takes place from

2nd - 5th August at John Darlings Farm, Kent.

16th-19th August

Green Man

Another band achieves headliner status.

Coming up...

More festivals to check out in the very near future.

Bestival Location: Dorset, UK Date: 2nd-5th August 2018 Line-up: London Grammar, Silk City, M.I.A., Grace Jones, Plan B, First Aid Kit, Mura Masa, Stefflon Don, The Big Boom, IDLES, Jorja Smith, Sundara Karma, Django Django Wilderness

Green Man is another festival that doesn’t ‘just’ concern itself with booking musical talent - though they’ve done a smashing job this year, with The War on Drugs, Fleet Foxes, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s first ever bill-topping set, and further-downthe-poster spots for Grizzly Bear, The Lemon Twigs and more.

In addition to the opportunity to camp onsite all week if you like (with the fancy “Settler’s Pass”), there’s also comedy, literature, film, performing arts, visual arts, workshops and loads more. Visit greenman.net for the full run-down.

Location: Oxfordshire, UK Date: 2nd-5th August 2018 Line-up: Nile Rodgers and Chic, Bastille, Justice, Jon Hopkins, IAMDDB, !!!, Palace, Groove Armada, Peggy Gou, Joy Crookes, Kitty Daisy & Lewis, Baxter Dury 110 Above Location: Leicestershire, UK Date: 3rd-5th August 2018 Line-up: Fickle Friends, Circa Waves, Peace, Blaenavon, The Magic Gang, Marika Hackman, Anteros, Ten Tonnes, Saint Raymond, High Tyde, Eliza and the Bear

Festival shorts

Visions Location: London, UK Date: 4th August 2018 Line-up: Black Midi, Blue Hawaii, Carla Dal Forno, Chastity Belt, Duds, Girlhood, HMLTD, Honey Harper, Idles, Laura Misch, Nilüfer Yanya, Sampa The Great, Sports Team ArcTanGent Location: Somerset, UK Date: 16th-18th August 2018 Line-up: And So I Watch You From Afar, Glassjaw, Shellac, GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES!, LA Dispute, Arcane Roots, Rolo Tomassi, Jamie Lenman, Zeal & Ardor, Black Peaks RiZE Location: Chelmsford, UK Date: 17th-18th August 2018 Line-up: Liam Gallagher, Stereophonics, James Bay, Bastille, Craig David presents TS5, Years & Years, Jake Shears, Plan B, Rag’n’bone Man, Manic Street Preachers

It’s time for a Big Day Out in LDN

Indie label Big Scary Monsters are hosting an all-dayer later this year called Big Day Out. Taking place across various venues in East London on 1st September, the lineup features Tangled Hair, TALONS, Happy Accidents, Nervus (Em solo), Gender Roles, Matt Emery, Doe, Kagoule, Kamikaze Girls, Orchards, Bellevue Days, Fresh, Stephen H Davidson (Tellison) and loads more.

Twisterella returns Boy Azooga, Estrons, SPINN and more are set to play this year’s Twisterella. The one day, multivenue event takes place across Middlesbrough on 13th October featuring some of the “brightest and best emerging artists”. The bill also features the likes of The Blinders, Bryde, Night Flowers, Vistas, Llovers, and Avalanche Party.

The Guide.

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

1st August Cardiff, Puppy, Clwb Ifor Bach

Glasgow, First Aid Kit, Kelvingrove Park

2nd August

10th August Edinburgh, Django

Django, Leith Theatre Glasgow, The Fratellis, Kelvingrove Park London, Pianos Become The Teeth, Bush Hall

12th August London, Sorry, The

Lexington Oxford, Puppy, The Cellar

3rd August London, Fucked Up,

Hangar London Fields Margate, Sports Team, Tom Thumb Theatre Sheffield, Puppy, Corporation

4th August Huddersfield, Puppy, The Parish

5th August

Manchester, Pianos Become The Teeth, Rebellion

13th August Hebden Bridge, Ash,

Trades Club London, Joan As Police Woman, Omeara

14th August Bedford, Ash, Esquires Glasgow, King Tuff, Broadcast London, The Lemon Twigs, The Lexington

15 August th

Liverpool, Puppy, Sound Food And Drink

Brighton, Puppy, Sticky

16 August

Thekla

Leicester, Puppy, The Cookie

Mike’s Frog Bar Glasgow, Fleet Foxes, Kelvingrove Park Leeds, Deerhoof, Brudenell Social Club

8th August Glasgow, Deerhoof,

th

Bristol, Wye Oak, The

Louisiana Leeds, A Hawk and A Hacksaw, Warf Chambers London, King Tuff, Moth Club

18th August

Stereo

London, Confidence Man, Scala

Southampton, Puppy, The Joiners

9th August London, Pianos Become The Teeth, Bush Hall London, Puppy, The Borderline Reading, Lucia, Purple Turtle

Hare & Hounds Glasgow, Dirty Projectors, The Art School Manchester, Phoebe Bridgers, GorillaGreen

Dover, Wye Oak, The

7th August

Bristol, Deerhoof,

Birmingham, Wye Oak,

20th August Booking Hall London, The Lemon Twigs, The Lexington Manchester, Ariel Pink, Gorilla Newcastle, Pianos Become The Teeth, The Cluny Tunbridge Wells, Ash, The Forum

6th August

.Sunflower Bean play Hull’s Central Library on 27th August. S.

Exeter, Wye Oak, Phoenix London, Glassjaw, O2 Academy Brixton Manchester, Liam Gallagher, Emirates Old Trafford Stoke-on-Trent, Pulled Apart By Horses, The Sugarmill

19th August St Bangor, John Grant, Bangor Seafront

Bristol, Phoebe Bridgers, Thekla Dover, Creeper, The Booking Hall Edinburgh, John Grant, Playhouse Theatre Leeds, Dirty Projectors, Leeds University Union London, Brockhampton, KOKO Oxford, Japanese Breakfast, O2 Academy

21st August Belfast, Kasabian,

Custom House Square Bristol, Phoebe Bridgers, Thekla Dover, Creeper, The Booking Hall Edinburgh, John Grant, Playhouse Theatre Leeds, Dirty Projectors, Leeds University Union London, Brockhampton, KOKO Oxford, Japanese Breakfast, O2 Academy

22nd August Dunfermline, We Are

Scientists, PJ Molloys Edinburgh, Mogwai, Leith Theatre

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Glasgow, Stella Donnelly, The Hug & Pint Leeds, Wye Oak, Headrow House London, Dirty Projectors, Village Underground London, The Fever 333, O2 Academy Islington London, The Joy Formidable, Lexington London, The Regrettes, Hoxton Bar & Grill Stoke-on-Trent, Creeper, The Sugarmill

23rd August Cardiff, The Joy

Formidable, Clwb Ifor Bach Edinburgh, Mogwai, Leith Theatre Huddersfield, Dinosaur Pile-Up, The Parish Inverness, We Are Scientists, The Ironworks Leamington Spa, DMA’s, The Assembly Leicester, Stella Donnelly, The Social

24th August Brighton, Stella Donnelly,

The Hope & Ruin Kilmarnock, We Are Scientists, Bakers London, Lizzo, O2 Academy Islington Oxford, Hookworms, The Bullingdon

25th August Tunbridge Wells, Stella

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Donnelly, The Sussex Arms

26th August

29th August Cambridge, St. Vincent,

Edinburgh, St. Vincent, Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre Huddersfield, We Are Scientists, The Parish Hull, The Wombats, Zebedee’s Yard

Corn Exchange London, Maggie Rogers, KOKO London, White Denim, MOTH Club Newcastle, Ezra Furman, Boiler Shop

30th August

27th August Glasgow, Titus Hull, Sunflower Bean, Central Library Nottingham, Metz, Rescue Rooms

28th August

31st August

Cardiff, Metz, The Globe Leeds, St. Vincent, O2 Academy

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Andronicus, CCA London, Death Grips, Or Academy Brixton London, Maggie Rogers, KOKO

Kendal, The Wytches,

Brewery Arts Leicester, The Ninth Wave, The Soundhouse

LIVE! FORTHCOMING SHOWS

JULY 26 London, Etc.

Pets, Key Club

AUGUST 02-05 Hever,

Rae + Lucia, Key Club 05 Reading, Her’s, South Street Arts Centre

Festival, Old Blue Last

Neverworld, John Darling’s Farm 09 Reading, Lucia, Purple Turtle

SEPTEMBER 26 Leeds, Indoor

OCTOBER 03 Leeds, Folly

NOVEMBER 03 Lincoln, 2Q Festival

Any other questions?

Peace Asking about the usual stuff is so boring. Why would you want to do that, when you could ask about alligators and shiny burger buns?

you can cook?

I can make pasta by hand, which is good.

Have you got any secret tattoos?

No.

If you won the lottery,what would you spend the cash on?

ell T us a secret about yourself?

Feeding and clothing those who needed it.

When’s your birthday?

Who is your favourite member of One Direction?

10th April.

Harry.

What was the first record you bought?

What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?

James Brown - ‘Sex Machine’.

Literally everything I ever do.

If you could win a lifetime supply of anything, what would you choose?

Have you ever seen a ghost?

What did you last dream about?

Nothing.

I hate cartoons.

Evian.

Being pursued by an alligator.

What strength Nandos sauce do you order?

Xtra hot.

oYu have to support either U2 or Red Hot Chili Peppers on tour . Who do you pick?

Yes!

What have you got in your pockets right now?

Have you ever fallen over onstage?

At the final show of The Great Escape 2012.

How tall are you?

I have no idea.

You should know it’s RHCP.

What would you do if you were Prime Minister for the day?

What was the last thing you broke?

Have you ever written a fan letter?

A promise.

I wrote a love note.

How punk are you out of ten?

What’s the naughtiest thing you did at school?

Either 0 or 10, I’m not sure.

Literally nothing.

What’s your biggest fear?

Masterminded a crime network throughout the school. P

What’s the most impressive thing

Peace’s album ‘Kindness Is The new Rock And Roll’ is out now.

Shiny burger buns.

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What are you waiting for?

17.08.2018

HHHHH Q HHHHH The Guardian HHHH The Times HHHH MOJO

LET’S EAT GRANDMA

I’M ALL EARS THE NEW ALBUM OUT NOW

HHHH NME

HHHH The Observer

HHHH The I

HHHH DIY