the new album - out 15th july
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INDEX.
← We’ve illustrated a few things in this issue using ‘Artifical Intelligence’. That means we’ve typed some parameters into a ‘bot’, and it’s ‘done some art’. Here’s a forest-y, illustrated Matty Healy. Kind of the vibe new track ‘Part of the Band’ puts in our head. The robots will replace us all. Scary stuff.
Issue 68 | August 2022 | readdork.com | Down With Boring
WHAT'S ON THE STEREO? THE 1975
Part of the Band A rare moment of industry dickhead from your mates at Dork - keeping quiet about The 1975’s comeback track has been reasonably difficult, just because it’s yet another of those moments of shock and awe. Not in the same way ‘People’ was - and yes, there are thematic links back to ‘Notes...’, but those opening moments sound like nothing they’ve done before. This issue goes to print before the track drops - but the reaction should be very interesting. You can read more about what we think on p16.
PHOEBE GREEN
Lucky Me Regular readers will know we’re long term fans of Phoebe Green. On the bandwagon from her earliest manoeuvres, she’s played Dork’s Night Out shows, appeared early doors on our annual Hype List, and been a fixture in these pages. So, when we say her debut albun ‘Lucky Me’ has us floored, it should mean something. Even those sky high expectations have been smashed. Nice one.
DJO
EDITOR'S LETTER
SOME ALBUMS FLOOR you on the first listen. Far fewer still have that sense of awe after weeks of continuous spins. This month’s cover star, Maggie Rogers, has always been an artist capable of wowing - her debut ‘Heard It In A Past Life’ is one of the best of recent years. Its followup ‘Surrender’, though, is something else entirely. Confident, primal and powerful, it’s a record that feels like a genuine force of nature. The kind of album that takes a real sense of self to make, we’re delighted to bring Maggie back to the cover of Dork to delve deeper inside one of the pop masterpieces of the year. As you read this issue, one of those bands that sit at the centre of the Dork universe will have just have announced their own new record. There’ll be a lot written about the return of The 1975. Their relative radio silence since last album ‘Notes on a Conditional Form’ posed more questions than answers - an album that proved divisive to some, but remained stylistically inventive and without borders. Their comeback track, ‘Part of the Band’, suggests they’re not backing down and listening to those who want them to return to a more formulaic style. Good. This is exactly why they’re so special. Talking about stylistic fluctuations, you may notice quite a few changes in this issue of Dork. As ever, the magazine is a constantly shifting, evolving lightning rod of pop nonsense. With more colour and a higher concentration of ridiculousness, we hope you like it as much as we do. Who knows what it’ll look like next month.
Changes King Steve Joe’s first taster of second album ‘Decide’ is good enough to not need to ride on the back of ‘the obvious’. A squelchy, shimmery synth-pop delight, it’s addictively good. Like prime era MGMT on less of a trip, it comes highly recommended.
‘Editor’ @stephenackroyd
BAND INDEX 100 Gecs Alex G Alfie Templeman Arctic Monkeys Baby Queen Bartees Strange beabadoobee Beach Bunny Beyonce Billie Eilish Black Midi Blossoms Bombay Bicycle Club Chilli Jesson Chloe Moriondo Claire Rosinkranz CMAT Coach Party Confidence Man Connie Constance Courting Deaton Chris Anthony Djo Dry Cleaning Dylan Easy Life EFÉ Eli Smart Elio Elton John Enumclaw Fall Out Boy Fletcher Flowerovlove Foals girl in red Griff Haim Halsey Harry Styles Holly Humberstone Inhaler Jamie T Jockstrap Kacey Musgraves Katy J Pearson Kendrick Lamar KennyHoopla King Princess L’objectif Lauran Hibberd Lauv Lava La Rue Let’s Eat Grandma
19 8 24 19 17 57 25, 27, 54 54 8 27, 58 57 27 21, 23, 25 14 19 17 10 14 20 24 20, 26 31, 57 12 8, 17 24 21, 24 28 25 66 8, 22 31 15 17 25 57 23 24, 27 23 19 61 20, 27 23, 27 56 31 23 48, 54 26 23 54 14 20 50, 55 55 22
Liam Payne Lorde Loyle Carner Maggie Rogers Maisie Peters Mäneskin Mitski Mollie Coddled Molly Payton MUNA Mush mxmtoon Noso Nova Twins Olivia Rodrigo Oscar Lang Phoebe Bridgers Rae Morris Regressive Left Remi Wolf Renforshort Rina Sawayama Royal Blood Sam Fender Sam Ryder Sampa The Great Santigold Sea Girls Self Esteem Soccer Mommy Sports Team St. Vincent STONE Tate McRae The 1975 The Mysterines The Vaccines Thomas Headon Tom A Smith Twenty One Pilots Two Door Cinema Club Viagra Boys Wallice Wet Leg Whitney Will Joseph Cook Willow Wolf Alice Wonder Horse Working Men’s Club Yard Act Yeah Yeah Yeahs Yungblud Zuzu
15 27, 60 17 34, 57 25 23 27 14 20 12, 57 55 15 55 57 26 17 23 57 32 64 55 17, 22 23 26 25 8 8 21 27 57 20 15, 64 20, 30 62 6, 16 21 21, 25 22 30 23, 44 8 57 17 12, 27 8 24 19 27 31 42, 56 8 64 13, 17, 23 21
readdork.com Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Scribblers Andrew Wescott, Connor Fenton, Dan Harrison, Dillon Eastoe, Finlay Holden, Jake Hawkes, Jamie MacMillan, Jessica Goodman, Neive McCarthy, Phoebe De Angelis, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin Snappers Abbie Jennings, Bryan Carr, Derek Bremner, Em Marcovecchio, Frances Beach, Hattie Neate, Hunter Baker, Indy Brewer, Jamie MacMillan, Patrick Gunning, Phoebe Fox, Samir Hussein, Sarah Louise Bennett
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THIS MONTH. #68. AUGUST 2022.
INTRO.
30 TOM A SMITH
06 THE 1975
31
The cryptic clues, mysterious posters and trademark long tease is over. The 1975 are back! Back!! Back!!! With a new single, and news of a new album, here’s everything we know.
When most of us get to 18, we’re only just getting ready to start on life ‘proper’. Not Tom A Smith.
32 REGRESSIVE LEFT
Luton trio Regressive Left sound more like they were made for the cool kids of Brooklyn. After paying their dues in indie bands that never quite sparked, this time round they’re ready to grab opportunity with both hands.
10 CMAT
There are pop stars. There are pop legends. There are pop icons. And then, there’s CMAT.
13
14 15
YUNGBLUD
London’s Southbank, a flatbed truck and a whole load of water pistols - YUNGBLUD only knows chaos as he gets shut down filming a video for ‘Don’t Feel Like Feeling Sad Today’.
34 MAGGIE ROGERS
In her new album ‘Surrender’, Maggie Rogers has quite possibly provided ONE OF 2022’s defining pop masterpieces.
We’re throwing a big all-day party this summer, and you’re all invited.
You know what’s easier than following around your fave pop stars, day in, day out, to see what they’re up to right that minute? Asking them. Ahead of their Dork’s Day Out set, here’s what Jess Eastwood from Coach Party’s day looks like.
16
FEATURES.
DORK’S DAY OUT
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... COACH PARTY
42 WORKING MEN’S CLUB
Experts at generating a permeating sense of dread, Working Men’s Club have certainly had an excess of tension and darkness to draw from in the last few years. Covid has been the least of frontman Syd MinskySargeant’s worries, though.
44 TWENTY ONE PILOTS
As Twenty One Pilots takeover London for a week of live shows and a feeling they could go anywhere next, we check in with a band who can inspire the sort of devotion few others can match.
BANGERS
The best of the latest new tracks, featuring The 1975, Claire Rosinkranz, Rina Sawayama, Fletcher and more.
48 KATY J PEARSON
Katy J Pearson’s debut album may have put her on the musical map, but with its follow-up, she’s pushing out her horizons and doing it in her own way.
FESTIVALS. 18
READING + LEEDS
50 LAUV
Many musicians tackle their second album by striving for a new maturity, often becoming insular and dull in the process. Not Lauv. With ‘All 4 Nothing’, he’s reconnecting with his roots.
The big hitter of August’s late festival season, Reading + Leeds is back again with six huge headliners, two dualling main stages and a whole bunch of exciting names across a stacked line-up.
20 LIVE AT LEEDS IN THE PARK
West Yorkshire’s annual extravaganza of new music has spawned an outdoor sibling. With some of the best indie talent on the planet, we’re heading down the park with Live at Leeds.
INCOMING. 54 REVIEWS
The new releases you need to hear - and some you definitely don’t.
22 BST HYDE PARK
Everyone loves new music, but nobody more than Elton John. Given he likes to tip new acts, we went down to his huge BST Hyde Park show to see who he’s anointing for big things.
23 ROCK WERCHTER
By reputation, Belgium might not be the most interesting place on earth - and yet, after a weekend at Rock Werchter, it’s hard to believe anywhere could be more exciting.
24 BARN ON THE FARM
With a reputation for picking out superstar names before they head to the arenas, we’re back in our finest Wellington boots for the post-pandemic return of Barn on the Farm.
26 GLASTONBURY
As Glastonbury finally managed to put on its 50th edition (thanks you-know-what), here are the big moments from 2022 that should go down in festival legend.
HYPE. 28 EFÉ
Keep your boring new popsters, we’re only interested in the ones with true star power - and nobody has more of that than EFÉ.
30 STONE
Fast rising indie newcomers STONE started making a name for themselves in a world where you couldn’t really play live. Now, as everything starts to get back to some sense of normality, the Liverpool quartet are starting to realise that they might be on to something special.
4. DORK
DEATON CHRIS ANTHONY
Producing songs for Clairo and Charli XCX, Deaton Chris Anthony is pushing out on his own.
55 ARTIST’S GUIDE: LAVA LA RUE
Lava runs us through her latest brilliant EP, 'Hi-Fidelity'.
GET OUT. 58 BILLIE EILISH
Billie Eilish is at the top of her game. If tonight is any indication, that’s exactly where she’s going to stay.
60 LORDE
The reaction to Lorde’s most recent album ‘Solar Power’ may have been mixed, but taken to the live arena, perhaps it’s time for some to reassess their judgement.
61
HARRY STYLES
As he hits London’s Wembley Stadium with a tour actually intended to accompany his previous record, we pop round Harry’s gaff of quite probably the current hottest star on Planet Pop. Milk, no sugar, please Hazza.
62 DECENT EXPOSURE
The best live photography, featuring Tate McRae, Remi Wolf, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and St Vincent.
BACKPAGE. 66 ANY OTHER QUESTIONS... ELIO
Yes, Dear Reader. We enjoy those ‘in depth’ interviews as much as anyone else. But - BUT - we also enjoy the lighter side of music, too. We simply cannot go on any longer without knowing that ELIO really wants to go zip-lining, and always has a good selection of hot sauce in the fridge.
INTRO. THE BEATING HEART OF POP NONSENSE.
↓↓↓ THE BIG STORY ↓↓↓
The cryptic clues, mysterious posters and trademark long tease is over. THE 1975 are back! Back!! Back!!! With a new single, and news of a new album, here’s everything we know. 6. DORK
INTRO
FACT FILE
KE UP! “WAKE UP! WA GE!” WAKE UP, GEOR
→ TITLE: Being Funny in a Foreign Language → LABEL: Dirty Hit → RELEASED: 14th October 20222 → TRACKLIST: 1. The 1975 2. Happiness 3. Looking For Somebody (To Love) 4. Part Of The Band 5. Oh Caroline 6. I’m In Love With You 7. All I Need To Hear 8. Wintering 9. Human Too 10. About You 11. When We Are Together
→ THE 1975 ARE BACK, Dear Reader, with a wild new track, a fifth album coming later this year, and the usual volume of associated nonsense. The return began right as our last issue went to print. Much as they have with their previous two albums, posters started to appear around London. Featuring an elongated photo of frontman Matty Healy, they also contained a date - 7th July. A week later, they were followed up by a second poster. Featuring a new image, they now included a title - ‘Part of the Band’. That’s the name of the new track; the one dropping a day before this issue hits the streets. As ever for The 1975, it’s both definitively them and yet wildly unexpected. Drawing parallels from ‘The Birthday Party’, one of the stand out tracks from previous album ‘Notes on a Conditional Form’, it heads off into places The 1975 haven’t set foot before. While many fans were expecting them to return to their earlier roots - especially considering all the talk of recording something under their pre-The 1975 guise Drive Like I Do - the new single couldn’t be further away. And yet, at the same time, it doesn’t feel to set any defined path for their next record. Anything is possible. That album is titled ‘Being Funny in a Foreign Language’, a title evolved from a song name on a previously leaked tracklisting for ‘Notes...’. Set to land on 14th October, it’s notably far shorter than all their previous records, coming in at a relatively succinct 11 tracks. Just to stick to their usual enigmatic tactics, they announced it by sending postcards out to fans. Typical The 1975. The band are set to make their live comeback at Japan’s Summer Sonic festival in Tokyo and Osaka on 20th and 21st August. At the time of press, no UK live dates have been announced. ■ The 1975’s new album ‘Being Funny in a Foreign Language’ is out 14th October. New track ‘Part of the Band’ is streaming now. You can read our full thoughts in Bangers on p16.
readdork.com 7.
INTRO
BEY IS BACK! AAA-list pop fans assemble - Beyoncé is back! Back!! Andindeed-BACK!!!! She’s got her new album ‘RENAISSANCE’ on the way for 29th July - teased with a mysterious ‘act i’ tag line. A new track, ‘BREAK MY SOUL’ has already dropped too, the latest song to interpolate Robin S’ ‘Show Me Love’.
↑ There’s always one person in any group of musicians wearing silly trousers.
YARD ACT TEAM UP ‘FYI’ WITH... ELTON JOHN?! ↓↓↓ THEY’VE GOT FLASHY MATES NOW, DON’TCHA KNOW? ↓↓↓
ALEX G
Alex G has announced a new album, ‘God Save The Animals’. Set for release on 23rd September, the news comes alongside a brand new single, ‘Runner’, which is streaming online now. He’ll hit the UK for Green Man Festival in August.
Always good to give a platform to new talent. → YARD ACT HAVE teamed up with
Elton John for a new version of ‘100% Endurance’. The new rendition arrives ahead of a long list of live shows for the band, including a night at O2 Kentish Town Forum, London on 1st December. The original track is taken from the band’s debut album ‘The Overload’. Frontperson James Smith says of the collab: “Within our camp we have a saying: ‘Mad shit happens when you do art’ – it means what it means. You make stuff because you want to make it, and you throw stuff you’ve made into the world because you’d rather share it than not and then you leave it alone and let it do its thing. That thing you did can take you to places you didn’t intend to go with it, but it’s out of your control really. You have no control over the mad shit. It just happens. Elton John saw our stuff and he started telling the press he thought we were good and then we chatted on the phone and after a few calls I said ‘Elton, do you want to come to the studio and play piano on a tune?’ because, fuck it, it doesn’t matter if he says no. Anyway, he said ‘yes’, so it doesn’t matter that he didn’t say no. I don’t know what else to say. He’s brilliant. Switched on, hilarious and an amazing musician.” Elton adds: “From the first moment I heard Yard Act, I fell in love with James’ lyrics, and the way he’s delivered the song. Their sound
8. DORK
is such a breath of fresh air. When James called and asked if I would come into the studio I instantly loved the idea. I started out as a session musician in the late ’60s and I absolutely loved it then. It was such a thrill to be thrown in with musicians I’d never met before, it pushed me out of my comfort zone and I became a better musician. During lock down I had the time on my hands to really start doing that in a concerted way again, and I fell in love with the challenge and the process all over again. They’re a very special band, with a massive future ahead of them and I’m honoured they’ve let me be a part of their journey.” James continues: “After he’d laid down the piano and laid down the vocals, taking direction from us and trying everything we asked, Elton reiterated his love of sessioning on other people’s tracks and said something very poignant to me and Ali – “I love playing on other people’s songs, especially these guys, because I started off as a session musician. The fascinating thing is you hear things so differently from other people, and when you hear what they hear, then it all makes sense.” That insight, that curiosity and that approach to music is the reason he’s still standing (after all this time). Elton is a diamond. It was an honour to collaborate with him. My mum is showing off to all her mates and mad shit happens when you do art.”
DRY CLEANING
Dry Cleaning have announced their second album, ‘Stumpwork’. Arriving just fourteen months since their debut ‘New Long Leg’, the new full-length is set to arrive on 21st October and is previewed by a new single, ‘Don’t Press Me’, which you can stream online now.
WHITNEY
↓↓↓ POP SCIENCE ↓↓↓
TAKE THE BISCUIT Biscuits come in all shapes and sizes, which means the biscuit someone chooses to be offers a deep and revelatory look into their psyche. Either that or we just really, really like biscuits. Because it’s important to Know Your Pop Stars, we asked James and Ryan YARD ACT what biscuit they would be.
RYAN: I’d be a Jaffa Cake because nobody knows if they’re a biscuit or a cake. I like to be mysterious. In my opinion, it’s a biscuit that just calls itself a cake, but the jury’s out. JAMES: There’s this thing with biscuits and cookies where a biscuit is hard, and a cookie is soft, but an out-of-date biscuit is soft, and an out-of-date cookie is hard. It’s an interesting concept. I’d be an out-of-date biscuit I think, because I used to be hard as fuck, and now I’m completely soft.
Whitney have returned with a brand new track, and news of a third album. Titled ‘REAL LOVE’, the fresh cut is the first taster of ‘SPARK’, which is set to arrive on 16th September via Secretly Canadian. You can stream ‘REAL LOVE’ online now.
SAMPA THE GREAT
Sampa The Great has announced her new album ‘As Above, So Below’, due on 9th September. The follow-up to debut ‘The Return’, the news arrives alongside new single ‘Never Forget’ and details of a European tour for later this year.
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB
Two Door Cinema Club have announced the details of their fifth studio album, ‘Keep On Smiling’. Set for release on 2nd September, the news comes alongside a new single, ‘Wonderful Life’, which you can check out online now.
SANTIGOLD
Santigold has announced a new album, ‘Spirituals’. Her fourth full-length is set to arrive on 9th September. To preview the release, there’s a new single, ‘Ain’t Ready’, which follows up on recent cut ‘High Priestess’. You can stream it online now.
UK & IRELAND TOUR PLUS SPECIAL GUEST
ARCHITECTS
NOVEMBER 2022 SAT SUN TUE WED FRI SAT MON TUE
05 06 08 09 11 12 14 15
LEEDS GLASGOW DUBLIN BELFAST BIRMINGHAM LONDON CARDIFF BOURNEMOUTH
SOLD OUT FIRST DIRECT ARENA OVO HYDRO 3ARENA SSE ARENA RESORTS WORLD ARENA THE O2 MOTORPOINT ARENA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE
L I V E N AT I O N . C O. U K • T I C K E T M A S T E R . C O. U K B I F F YC LY R O.C O M • G I G S A N DTO U R S.C O M A L I V E N AT I O N , S J M C O N C E R T S , D F C O N C E R T S & M C D P R E S E N TAT I O N B Y A R R A N G E M E N T W I T H I T B
COVER STORY
TH E FERAL JOY OF
34. DORK
MAGGIE ROGERS
IN HER NEW ALBUM ‘SURRE NDER’, MAGGIE ROGER S HAS QUITE POSSIB LY PROVID ED ONE OF 2022’S DEFININ G POP MASTE RPIECE S.
WO RD S: JES S ICA GO OD MA N.
PH OTO S: SAR A H LOU ISE BEN NETT.
MAG GIE RO GER S.
readdork.com 35.
THE ICY 44. DORK
Y AGE
TWENTY ONE PILOTS
As Twenty One Pilots takeover London for a week of live shows and a feeling they could go anywhere next, we check in with a band who can inspire the sort of devotion few others can match. WORDS: ALI SHUTLER. PHOTOS: FRANCES BEACH.
readdork.com 45.
FEATURES
Jumper: The Elder Statesman Trousers: Palace
50. DORK
LAUV
Many musicians tackle their second album by striving for a new maturity, often becoming insular and dull in the process. Not Lauv. With ‘All 4 Nothing’, he’s reconnecting with his roots. WORDS: NEIVE MCCARTHY. PHOTOS: PATRICK GUNNING.
Single page ad No spot colours CMYK colour space 300 DPI 5mm bleed all sides No printers marks (crop marks etc)
The new album July 15th