INDEX.
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Issue 72 | December 2022 / January 2023 | readdork.com | Down With Boring
GENERATIONAL TALENTS. It’s usually a phrase we leave to football wonderkids (Hi, Alejandro Garnacho), but it applies to musicians too. And if we were going to throw around that ‘band of a generation’ tag, we’d most certainly be slapping it right onto The 1975. Anyone who saw their Reading & Leeds headline set earlier this year would have no arguments. If Arctic Monkeys were the band of the 00s, The 1975 were undoubtedly holders of the title for the 2010s. The way they’re going with new album ‘Being Funny in a Foreign Language’, they’re odds on to make it a double over the rest of this decade too. This month, we gathered the most brilliant, enigmatic, creative band in the UK together in an East London studio for a rare full-band sit-down chat and shoot. We’re all used to hearing from Matty Healy, but with George, Adam and Ross also in attendance, it’s a story of a band all about their internal relationships. Conducted right before they headed out for a North American tour that has everyone talking, we’re taking that community even further, asking the quartet your questions too. It’s a special one. They’re fronting up what truly is the bumper-est of bumper issues. Our annual Hype List is in attendance, as we pick out all the new talent you need to have your eye on as we head into the new year. From the poptastic rock star in waiting Dylan to the brilliant Crawlers, awesome Priestgate (who are heading out on our Hype List Tour in February!) and prodigious flowerovlove, we’ve even had time to include not one, but two bands who don’t even have any recorded material online yet. Tastemakers? You betcha. There’s also time to check out our albums and tracks of the year, and see the results of the Dork Readers’ Poll. We check in with The Amazons, who alongside Courting and She’s In Parties will be playing our Xmas Party bash this December. Plus, there’s DMA’s, Walt Disco, L.S. Dunes, Cavetown and loads, loads more. More than enough to keep you going well into 2023. Have a merry Xmas and a happy new year, Dear Reader. We’ll see you on 13th January. Or ‘the future’, as we like to call it.
readdork.com
#72. DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023.
Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Scribblers Abigail Firth, Dan Harrison, Finlay Holden, Jake Hawkes, Jamie MacMillan, Jessica Goodman, Neive McCarthy, Sam Taylor, Siobhain O’Connor, Steven Loftin Snappers Celia Croft, Elena Divincenzo, Em Marcovecchio, Frances Beach, Indy Brewer, Jamie MacMillan, Jennifer McCord, Kalpesh Lathigra, Mark Beemer, Patrick Gunning, Sarah Louise Bennett PUBLISHED FROM WELCOMETOTHEBUNKER.COM
UNIT 10, 23 GRANGE ROAD, HASTINGS, TN34 2RL
INTRO.
FEATURES.
INCOMING.
04 08 10 12
20
68
THE AMAZONS DMA’S WALT DISCO L.S. DUNES
BEST OF 2022. 14
‘Editor’ @stephenackroyd
Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden
16 18
TRACKS OF THE YEAR ALBUMS OF THE YEAR READERS’ POLL 2022 RESULTS
THE 1975
REVIEWS
HYPE LIST 2023.
GET OUT.
40 44 48 52 56 60
70 72
64 66
DYLAN PIRI & TOMMY STONE CRAWLERS ELIO THE DINNER PARTY FLOWEROVLOVE PRIESTGATE
RINA SAWAYAMA MAGGIE ROGERS
BACKPAGE. 62
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS... CAVETOWN
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.
READDORK.COM 3.
INTRO. THE BEATING HEART OF POP NONSENSE.
The Amazons reflect on an unexpected year ahead of taking the top spot at Dork’s Xmas bash. Words: Jamie Muir. Photos: Elena Divincenzo.
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INTRO
→ THE ROAD TO RELEASING AN ALBUM IS A TRICKY ONE. Everything needs to be set; everything needs to be right - you need to be ready to encounter anything that might come your way as you unveil a body of work to the world you’ve likely been working on for years. That’s precisely where The Amazons found themselves in 2022, set to drop ‘How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me?’. It’s an album that builds on the foundations of their self-titled debut and 2019’s follow-up ‘Future Dust’, and as the fateful day came around, with excitement at an all-time high, The Amazons were ready. Then, something nobody could have foreseen happened. “It was something I was saying onstage,” recalls Matt Thomson, phoning in from the band’s European tour. “You try to factor in releasing your album, so it doesn’t clash on the same week as The 1975 or Wolf Alice, but the Queen dying is stored in the compartment of natural disasters that probably wouldn’t happen, so don’t worry about it. And there we go. That’s what happened.” For The Amazons, 2022 has been a year of rollercoaster emotions. In ‘How Will I Know…’, they returned with a bold and direct album of intent that perfectly captures what has made them a mustsee live force but also finds them at their most earnest and honest. To say it’s The Amazons realised in full cinematic glory would be pretty accurate. Years spent touring the globe has them laser-focused in a manner that calls to their biggest moments to date but also sets eyes on an even grander future. The results speak for themselves. “2022 definitely felt like a bit of a rebirth for us,” explains Matt. “Coming back out of lockdown and reacquainting ourselves with just like how you do things, the road and our audience, as well as just the notion of releasing music that you’ve worked on and seeing how that sits in the world. It’s been… it’s been challenging, but it’s been a thrill. A real thrill.” “I’d say our relationship with our audience is strengthened too. It just found this whole new dimension this year. We’ve got a little bit older, and having done a couple of albums now, we could really understand and contextualise having people coming to fucking listen to us. Something changed, and I think we can appreciate it in a way that we never have done before. That’s definitely been the big takeaway from this year.” Thrown into a week of unprecedented atmosphere, the ‘How Will I Know…’ journey ended up finding the band playing pop-up acoustic shows wherever possible and ultimately resulted in their highest-charting release to date. To happen in such a week is something Matt finds even more extraordinary as a result, stemming from a record of sheer emotion and release. “We wanted to make a brighter record. We just kind of led with our nose for a little bit and let things develop with having this added time to explore different rabbit holes,” lays out Matt. “The narrative that underpins it all is this one between my girlfriend and me being apart in distance and time over lockdown and unable to see each other. It’s exploring that and all the different dimensions that come with it, which was READDORK.COM 5.
The Best 2022 has been quite the year for music. Gigantic megastars returning after a pandemic break, new talent taking flight. It’s had it all. Over the next few pages we’ll take you through the best of the last twelve months.
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THE DRAMATIC ONE
THE BUZZY NEW POP ICONS IN WAITING
FLETCHER
BECKY’S SO HOT
FLO
→ Chaos seems to follow Fletcher around. She thrives on doing and saying the unexpected. Anything goes. What could have been an embarrassing encounter online, Fletcher turned into a career defining pop banger in ‘Becky’s So Hot’. There’s complex emotions at work though as well as she deals with it all and that’s what makes her such a resonant pop star. It’s a single that perfectly encapsulates the kind of online angst that everyone can relate to and does it through the prism of a turbocharged anthem powered by raw emotion and unshakeable confidence. Who doesn’t love a bit of drama in their life? MARTYN YOUNG
CARDBOARD BOX
→ Rarely do debut singles go massive these days. FLO are a deserved exception. A sublime introduction to the next biggest girl group, ‘Cardboard Box’ is deliberately reminiscent of the trios of yesteryear – see TLC, Destiny’s Child, and the original Sugababes – built on heavenly harmonies, tongue-in-cheek lyrics that recall ‘Irreplaceable’, and an R&B beat pulled right into this century by pop mastermind MNEK, there’s no wonder this hit went viral. ABIGAIL FIRTH
Tracks The ultimate bangers
THE HEARTSTOPPING ANTHEM
THE UNDISPUTED MEGABOP
COLOURS OF YOU
RINA SAWAYAMA
BABY QUEEN
→ Baby Queen has always written Gen-Z underdog anthems, full of heart with the occasional sarcastic snarl. ‘Colours Of You’ has that same rebellious spirit, but rather than trying to take on the world, it sees Baby Queen with a community behind her. The track started off as a romantic love song but, thanks to its use in the beautiful, poignant and real Netflix coming-of-age drama Heartstopper, it quickly grew into an LGBTQ+ anthem. Full of pride and championing togetherness, it’s a quiet moment of strength that’s resonated with millions. ALI SHUTLER
THIS HELL
→ Few could evoke Shania Twain as gloriously as Rina Sawayama. Revelling in a sugar rush of country-pop, yet with guitar riffs that practically simmer, ‘This Hell’ takes you on a trip to the underworld so euphoric you definitely won’t want to leave. It’s pure pop excellence, a masterclass in how to create a scorching hot banger that entirely engulfs you. A celebration of love and community in dark times, a track equal parts incisive and glam, ‘This Hell’ is Rina Sawayama at her absolute best. NEIVE MCCARTHY
t of 2022 THE ANXIETY ANTHEM
THE CHART BUSTING COMEBACK
THE RETURN OF THE KINGS
THIS IS WHY
HARRY STYLES
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
PARAMORE → Paramore’s 2017 album ‘After Laughter’ saw Hayley Williams trade angst for vulnerability, while two solo albums allowed her to explore rage, anguish, regret and power. Reuniting with Zac Farro, Taylor York and the legacy of one of the most emo-rock bands to ever do, Hayley once again takes Paramore to new places on angular comeback track ‘This Is Why’. With nods to the electro disco stomp of Foals, Bloc Party and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but with its sights firmly set on a news cycle determined to tear communities down, ‘This Is Why’ is a call for community and change. ALI SHUTLER
AS IT WAS
→ One thing about Harry Styles is that the man knows how to do a comeback single. ‘As It Was’ had a typically feverish arrival, marking a change of direction for the megastar, and quickly becoming a momentous pop moment. From that first call of “come on Harry, we want to say goodnight to you!”, it was clear that whatever came next would be a breath of fresh air for Harry– 80s synth, bedroom pop, a melody that never did leave anyone’s head for the remainder of the year, ‘As It Was’ has it all. NEIVE MCCARTHY
THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY
→ If you hadn’t heard, emo is back in a big way in 2022. Two years later than planned, so are My Chemical Romance. ‘The Foundations Of Decay’ is the first (and so far only) new song from the band since they announced their hiatus in 2013 and it sees vocalist Gerard Way wrestling with legacy over brooding stadium rock. A tightly wound anthem that somehow balances flamboyance with intensity, as the band ignores expectations. It feels like the start of something bigger. ALI SHUTLER
s of the Year THE ONE FROM 2021 THAT’S ONE OF THE TRACKS OF 2022
THE THOROUGHBRED LYRIC OF THE YEAR
THE ONE THAT PROVES THE QUEEN HAS STILL GOT IT
COME OVER (AGAIN)
ANYTHING BUT ME
BREAK MY SOUL
CRAWLERS
→ Crawlers’ ‘Come Over (Again)’ changed everything for the emo rockers. It was the first song that saw vocalist Holly Minto write about her own experiences, and gave the band the selfconfidence to get vulnerable. Yes, it was originally released last October and quickly went viral on TikTok but you know what the rest of the world is like. A string of high profile festival appearances and their own buzzy headline tours have seen Crawlers own 2022, with that all-important introductory anthem that sums up everything that’s brilliant about them. ALI SHUTLER
MUNA
→ The second single from MUNA’s glorious self-titled third record is a giddy anthem of escape fuelled by love, not regrets. “You’re going to say that I’m on a high horse, I think that my horse is regular-sized,” sings Katie Gavin at the start of ‘Anything By Me’. As pre-emptive strikes go, it’s a devastating one, with the follow-up blow (Did you ever think, maybe, you’re on a pony going in circles on a carousel ride?”) landing with equal precision, even if there’s not a drop of venom in sight. Fighting fire with joy is just how MUNA do things. ALI SHUTLER
BEYONCÉ
→The first time you listened to ‘Break My Soul’ you maybe thought ‘ok, this is nice but a bit underwhelming’. Then you listen again, and you’re feeling it more. And then again. And again and again. Eventually you’re like ‘OMG this is the best thing ever’. Beyoncé has that effect on people. A house inflected ecstatic explosion, it blossomed into the defining track in the context of ‘Renaissance’ and proved Beyoncé remains untouchable, at the peak of her powers. ‘I’m buildin’ my own foundation,” she sings. Nobody can build it better. MARTYN YOUNG
READDORK.COM 15.
COVER STORY
With their fifth album, ‘Being Funny In A Foreign Language’, THE 1975 turned inwards to push out. A record that focuses on what makes them so special, playing to strengths to produce quite possibly their best work to date, we gathered all four members for a rare full-band sit down that proves the magic is in those real-life relationships built along the way. WORDS: JAMIE MUIR. PHOTOS: JENNIFER MCCORD.
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THE 1975
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40. DORK
A new year on the horizon always brings with it a spotlight on the best new talent. The HYPE LIST is our annual rundown of who you should be keeping an eye on over the next twelve months. Let’s get started, then...
The pop star that just wants to rock. WORDS: JESSICA GOODMAN. PHOTOS: SARAH LOUISE BENNETT.
t
HERE ARE VIDEOS OF ME, FIVE YEARS OLD, WHERE MY MUM’S GOING, ‘SO WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?’ AND ME JUST GOING, ‘I WANT TO BE A POP STAR, MUM’.” Spend any time with Dylan, and it’s impossible not to feel caught up in an earnest kind of enthusiasm that can only come from someone living out their dream. Having just wrapped up an in-store tour promoting her latest release – mixtape ‘The Greatest Thing I’ll Never Learn’ – and jumped headfirst into a sold-out headline tour, anyone else might be exhausted. If we were to sum up Dylan’s energy right now, it’d be as pure, unabashed excitement. “I feel like something’s changed over the last couple of weeks,” she describes of her ongoing flurry of tour dates. “The genuine love that people have for the songs...” Unable to put into words quite how much that means to her, she
eventually settles on saying, “I just don’t think I was expecting it.” Though she may find it unexpected, it certainly isn’t undeserved. Dylan has been working HARD. Starting the year by teasing the release of her ‘No Romeo’ EP, over the past twelve months, she’s also toured with Bastille, Tate McRae, and Ed Sheeran (including a show at Wembley Stadium with the latter). She’s performed at festivals, recorded and released a mixtape, travelled across the country playing stripped-back sets in record stores, and now she’s mid-way through her second headline tour of the year (honestly, it makes us tired just listing it all - Ed). Asked how it feels, being on the road and playing shows night after night, her beaming grin is a response in itself. “It’s been just incredible,” she states, “especially having people scream your songs with you.” Expressing sheer delight at a newfound inability to hear what’s in her in-ears over the sound of people screaming (her READDORK.COM 41.
INDEPENDENTLY OWNED FOR FOUR GENERATIONS