DOWN WITH BORING.
ISSUE 62 · FEBRUARY 2022 · READDORK.COM
Bastille.
“LIVES UP TO ITS HYPE WITH FLYING COLOURS”
“A DEBUT ALBUM BURSTING WITH CHARACTER”
“A STELLAR DEBUT”
DIY
UNCUT
ROLLING STONE
THE TIMES
GIGWISE
“AN EXHILARATING RECORD”
MOJO ALBUM OF THE MONTH
THE OBSERVER
BBC RADIO 1 SOUND OF 2022 ARTIST
YARD ACT THE OVERLOAD DEBUT ALBUM OUT 21ST JANUARY
Index. Issue 62 | February 2022 | readdork.com | Down With Boring
WHAT'S ON THE STEREO?
Let's Eat Grandma Two Ribbons
The third album from the former Dork cover stars has sky high expectations attached to it from round these parts. Their last full-length felt like a glimpse of the near future. More of that shimmery brilliance would be very welcome indeed when it arrives this April.
Years & Years Night Call
We're not allowed to publish our review of Olly Alexander’s next pop extravaganza until it's actually out - a week after this issue hits the streets, so you're going to have to wait for our verdict. How will you cope?
spill tab Bonnie EP
A Top 10 EP of the Year in our hearts - if not our official list for 2021 because y'know, we didn't get it in time - spill tab's six-track effort 'Bonnie' has been on repeat in Dork HQ for many, many weeks now. Featuring top-tier collabs with Tommy Genesis, JAWNY and Gus Dapperton, singles 'PISTOLWHIP' and 'Anybody Else', plus new drop 'en quatre', it's proper fun and proper lovely.
EDITOR'S LETTER
NEW YEAR, NEW AMBITIONS. As 2022 gets properly going, we're
back to usher in all the fresh and exciting things we're looking forward to over the next twelve months. Yes, with a certain degree of trepidation - January's tour schedule has already descended into a string of high profile cancellations at the time of writing - but also with a lot of hope too. There's a lot of great stuff to come over the next year - from all the brilliant new acts we introduced you to in last month's Hype List, through to returning favourites ready to get Planet Pop back into a stable orbit once more. That includes this month's returning cover stars Bastille - back with a record that only seeks to push things forward into the dystopian near future via the medium of all out pop music. It's fair to say Dan Smith might simultaneously be one of the UK's most celebrated and yet seriously underrated talents. A production genius with an ear for where the Big Pop Parade will head next, we grabbed hold of him on an isolation mandated Zoom call to find out where it's all heading. Elsewhere this month, we're hitting tiny balls with The Wombats, appreciating the weird but wonderful world of Black Country, New Road, welcoming one of the best new bands on the planet, Yard Act, and so much more. And if you want something to get really excited about... keep your eyes peeled for our next issue, out 11th February. It's all about to go down. Enjoy!
Sprints
How Does The Story Go EP
The follow-up to debut EP 'Manifesto', on-point Dublin punks Sprints are back with a new effort this March featuring relatable and often tongue-incheek laments like "I wanna go home" in the title-track, and "who wants to be special anyway (me! fucking me!)" in 'Delia Smith'. It's a record of both furious empathy and much-needed comfort.
‘Editor’ @stephenackroyd
Band Index. The 1975 Abbie Ozard Alfie Templeman Alie Glass Alix Page alt-J APRE Ashnikko Aurora Baby Queen Bastille Black Country, New Road Bleachers Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard Cat Power Catcher Cavetown Chloe Moriondo CMAT Crows The Districts English Teacher Father John Misty Fickle Friends Fontaines D.C. Frankie Beddlestone Glass Animals Hippo Campus Horsegirl Jamie T L Devine Lauran Hibberd Let's Eat Grandma Los Bitchos MICHELLE Mitski MØ Moa Moa The Mysterines Nick Mono Orlando Weeks Palace Pale Waves Remi Wolf Sam Fender SASAMI Silverbacks The Smile Spector Spill Tab Sports Team Sprints Static Dress Thomas Headon Thyla Viia VLURE Warmduscher Wasuremono Wet Leg Willow Willow Kayne Wolf Alice The Wombats Yard Act Years & Years Youth Sector
07 54 07 36 21 17 50 55 51 15 24, 48 04 14 15 51 22 58 15 10, 17 17 50 22, 62 07, 17 15, 47 17 22 52 47 23 07 54 15 03, 17 47 12, 48 51 50 22 17 22 51 47 16 61 14 17 47 17 16 03 56 03 17 15 47 22 18, 47 17 50 16 61 49 16 40, 48 32, 46 03 17
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Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Scribblers Alex Cabre, Connor Fenton, Dillon Eastoe, Edie McQueen, Finlay Holden, Jake Hawkes, Jamie MacMillan, Melissa Darragh, Neive McCarthy, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin Snappers Aysia Marotta, Callum Lloyd-Jones, Dillon Matthew, Frances Beach, James Brown, Jamie MacMillan, Rosie Foster, Oli Erskine, Patrick Gunning, Sarah Louise Bennett, Todd Fisher
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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.
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This Month. #62. FEBRUARY 2022.
Intro. 06 BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD After achieving a breakout success no one could have expected with their debut, experimental London mob Black Country, New Road are back with their second album.
10
CMAT'S KARAOKE MASTERCLASS
Learn from the stars, without having to shell out a couple of hundred quid a year.
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15
MICHELLE
New York City-based collective MICHELLE are practically the very definition of A Lovely Time, with their debut showing off a bright take on sunny R&B, packed with harmonies and hooks aplenty. If any album is going to cheer up the grey days of early 2022, it's this one.
FICKLE FRIEND'S SELF HELP TIPS
With every new year comes a load of promises about eating vegetables or somesuch, but that's not all you can do to make yourself feel a little better. Natti from Fickle Friends clues us in on her best self-care tips ahead of the band's new album, 'Are We Gonna Be Alright?'.
15
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NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
Be honest, you've already broken your New Year's resolutions, haven't you? Figured. Still, maybe 'the bands' are doing better, huh? We asked a few of them what's on their list for 2022.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... FRED MACPHERSON, SPECTOR
You know what’s easier than following around your fave pop stars, day in, day out, to see what they’re up to right that minute? Asking them. Here’s what Fred Macpherson from Spector's day looks like.
17
BANGERS
The best of the latest new tracks.
Hype. 18
21
22
VLURE
Having just completed their first run of headline shows, Glaswegian five-piece VLURE have cemented themselves as a band that instil a true sense of vigour through their multi-faceted music.
ALIX PAGE
Newcomer Alix Page is making all the right noises in all the right places with her easy to love alt-pop. Just don't ruin any sacred bands for her, or else.
LIVE REPORT: ENGLISH TEACHER
Checking in from the frontlines with one of the UK's buzziest new bands.
23
HORSEGIRL
Is it a horse? Is it a girl? No, it's Chicago teen troupe Horsegirl! Can't fly, great at music. Probably a more useful super power, anyway.
Features. 24 BASTILLE
Over the past decade, Bastille have established themselves as one of the biggest bands, but with new album 'Give Me The Future' they're refusing to focus on the past.
32
YARD ACT
Breaking out of Yorkshire with their tonguein-cheek but absolutely spot-on social commentary, Elton John's favourite new band (yes, really) Yard Act are kicking off 2022 with the release of their debut album.
36 ALICE GLASS
Alice Glass has been through the ringer during
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her time in the music biz, and now the former Crystal Castles icon is channelling all her experience into a solo debut.
40 THE WOMBATS
When we think of indie-pop powerhouses The Wombats - back with brand new album 'Fix Yourself, Not The World' - we think of, well, minigolf. Why? They're both tee-rific. (Sorry - Ed.)
Incoming. 46 REVIEWS
The new releases you need to hear - and some you definitely don't.
49 ARTIST'S GUIDE: WILLOW KAYNE
Pop's latest future icon has dropped a debut EP - we've asked her to run us through it.
Get Out. 52 52
LIVE
Catch up with live reports from Glass Animals, Sports Team, Ashnikko, L Devine and more.
DECENT EXPOSURE
The best live photography from Cavetown, Willow and Remi Wolf.
Backpage. 62
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS... ENGLISH TEACHER
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 Lily Fontaine of English Teacher would call her pet whale Dwayne.
ANT
THE BEATING HEART OF POP.
After achieving a breakout success no one could have expected with their debut, experimental London mob Black Country, New Road are back with their second album. WORDS: JAMIE MACMILLAN. PHOTOS: ROSIE FOSTER.
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MUS -IC C
harlie Wayne has his in the middle of telling "an incredibly boring head in his hands as the story." "I'm on an insanely boring vibe today," Black Country, New he says cheerfully as both of them break into Road drummer pleads giggles, "I've got loads of anecdotes, and his case after a lengthy none of them are going to be of any interest anecdote about bathrobes has derailed badly. whatsoever." He lives up to that fairly quickly "There was a time when I wasn't allowed to with a blow-by-blow description of the time do interviews, you know." Leaning back, he one of his family members realised they had suddenly punches the air triumphantly. "But Covid while in a car. Short version - they got now look at me. I'M BACK, BABY!" He's on it, he didn't believe them, he was wrong. a roll. "It's amazing, Ignoring the sense of actually, because a lot impending doom, we of people have said carry on and ask Tyler how that we are wonderful she's doing. "Mmmmm," storytellers. We've got a she answers with a smile, reputation for it." concentrating fully on her "They say that about chocolate bar. It's all going Isaac," interrupts well. bassist Tyler Hyde. It's all suitably chaotic "They've never said that for a band that have about you." exploded out of cult live Happy to have status throughout 2021 cleared that up, Dork with the release of their continues to dive into Mercury-nommed debut, the world of one of 'For The First Time'. A 2021's breakout bands riotous plunge across on the eve of a second multiple genres, dipping CHARLIE WAYNE triumphant record. between post-punk, jazz Chatting over Zoom and even klezmer (often in the week where London has become within the same song), it became one of the the capital city of Omicron, chaos reigns most discussed and divisive albums of the outside our collective windows. As we year on its way to smashing into the top five in wait for Tyler to join us and chat to Charlie the album charts. But the success didn't seem about which band member may have it at to ever really sink in with Charlie. "There's present, he begins to tell us about the time still a slight lack of tangibility about the whole that saxophonist Lewis got ill just before his thing for me," he explains. "Obviously being university dissertation. As Tyler joins us, he nominated for the Mercury and it charting quickly stops and happily explains that he is are very obvious markers for success. But we
"THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I WASN'T ALLOWED TO DO INTERVIEWS, YOU KNOW"
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YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE BEST NEW NAMES.
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LURE are wholly in their element when unleashing waves of sonic zeal onstage, and having been quietly shaping their upcoming debut EP, the five Scots have fully embraced the detour from their regular lives in a fivedate stint across the UK. "Now we're all very sore and tired," frontman Hamish Hutcheson admits. "We just realised how intense our show really is; we can't go out there and not give two hundred per cent for the full 45 minutes, regardless of how many people are there. The music is written in such a way that it has to be performed with that truth and rawness. We've only now realised how big a toll that takes." Just about stirring himself back to life, drummer Carlo Kriekaard agrees that a price is
paid but values the goods traded back in return. "It's a very taxing show but very rewarding as well," he adds. "We play each show as it's meant to be played; that's why it has such a big impact on us and the people that are there. It's a lifeaffirming thing." This dedication to putting themselves on the line is something deeply engrained within the identity of each individual member of VLURE, something Hamish claims spans back to their roots in suburban Glasgow. "In these places, you really have to prove yourself in terms of what you're trying to say; people are always going to be questioning it. You have to be strong and mentally aware to speak powerfully and be heard," he explains, linking this to the band's debut single. "Growing up in that environment
"THERE'S A LOT OF POWER IN VULNERABILITY" HAMISH HUTCHESON
shaped me as a lyricist; 'Shattered Faith' is a song that is about finding yourself, finding power in who you are and fighting back with that power." 'Shattered Faith' is the vicious song that brought the first impression of VLURE to the world, and it is one that was sat on for a while – from pre-COVID all the way through to an eventual lift on live music restrictions – in order
Having just completed their first run of headline shows, Glaswegian five-piece VLURE have cemented themselves as a band that instil a true sense of vigour through their multi-faceted music. The group are now looking towards their mountainous debut EP 'Euphoria' and the ambition that lies beyond. WORDS: FINLAY HOLDEN. PHOTO: OLI ERSKINE.
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Black holes and revelations.
Over the past decade, Bastille have established themselves as one of the biggest bands, but with new album 'Give Me The Future' they're refusing to focus on the past. WORDS: MARTYN YOUNG. PHOTOS: SARAH LOUISE BENNETT. PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT: CARLA MUNDY. STYLIST: BRIGITTE KOVATS. STYLING ASSISTANT: VALERIANE VENANCE. GROOMING: TOM GILLING. GROOMING ASSISTANT: BEN GRACE.
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Breaking out of Yorks hire with their tonguein-cheek but absolut ely spot-on social commentary, Elton Jo hn's favourite new ba nd (yes, really) Yard Act are kicking off 2022 wi th the release of their de but album. WORDS: ALE X CABRE. PHOTOS: JAM ES BROWN.
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HEART OF GLASS Alice Glass has been through the ringer during her time in the music biz, and now the former Crystal Castles icon is channelling all her experience into a solo debut. WORDS: MARTYN YOUNG.
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I FIX I UP WORDS: ALEX CABRE. PHOTOS: SARAH LOUISE BENNETT.
When we think of indie-pop powerhouses The Wombats back with brand new album 'Fix Yourself, Not The World' - we think of, well, mini-golf. Why? They're both tee-rific. (Sorry - Ed.)
W
hen we started The Wombats, we had a couple of summers where we played a lot of golf."
"Not mini-golf?" "No, not mini-golf." Perched on a sofa in their record label's London office, The Wombats' lead Matthew 'Murph' Murphy and drummer Dan Haggis have the sort of rapport you'd expect from bandmates of almost 20 years. That is, as we brush over this interview's adjoining photo shoot, the ability to pick up where each other leaves off, with a dryness that often segues into deadpan. "Even the best golfers on a mini-golf course could get beaten by a ten-yearold. It's a bit of a laugh," notes Dan, fully straight-faced. Completed by Tord Øverland Knudsen (today absent), the Liverpool-formed trio's fifth album 'Fix Yourself, Not the World' isn't all fun and games. It finds the band in
the throes of pandemic-induced anxiety, examining and re-examining their lives and relationships, unearthing more questions than answers. However, in true Wombats fashion, they lean into their collective angst, uncorking a bottle of technicolour pop-rock that provides at least a momentary escape from Covid blandness. The record predates the pandemic, but not by long, Murph explains, with around half of the songs written "pre any of this crap" in Los Angeles, 2019. When lockdown struck, and with the album yet to be recorded, current events began to seep in, marinading already anxious tracks in fresh paranoia. "It did play a big role, in certain songs more than others. 'Work Is Easy, Life Is Hard' and 'Everything I Love Is Going to Die', I'd say. I've never thought of it as a paranoid record, but obviously, I was stuck in my studio kind of freaking out for many, many weeks during the pandemic, so it has gotten in there somehow."
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GIVE ME THE FUTURE
04.02.22 PRE-ORDER NOW