INDEX.
SUPPORT POP NONSENSE! Get early access to all our print content, access to our huge back catalogue of issues digitally, and all sorts of other exclusives by signing up as a Dork Supporter now at readdork.com.
Issue 73 | February 2023 | readdork.com | Down With Boring
Welcome to the first issue of 2023! It’s hard to believe that we’re already starting a new year, but here at Dork, we’re excited to see what the next twelve months have in store for us. Looking back on the past year, it’s clear that 2022 was a difficult one for everyone, and the music industry was no exception. Live shows were cancelled and tours were postponed - and not for the reasons they were back in 2020 and 2021. Many artists faced financial struggles, from a cost of living crisis and a disastrous Brexit which made live dates - especially those outside their home territory - too expensive to embark on. But through it all, music continued to bring us together and provide a sense of comfort and escape. It’s powerful stuff. As we move forward into this new year, we’re hopeful that good music will always find a way. There’s enough of it about. I know. Sincerity. Yuck. In the meantime, there are still plenty of amazing new releases to look forward to something we’re showcasing over the first few pages of this issue. Yeah, we’re getting a new Paramore album. No, we won’t shut up about it any time soon. Sorry-not-sorry. And who knows what other surprises the year may bring? I hope you enjoy this issue and all the amazing nonsense we have in store for you. Let’s make 2023 a year to remember for all the right reasons.
readdork.com
Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Scribblers Abigail Firth, Alex Ingle, Finlay Holden, Jack Press, Jamie MacMillan, Jessica Goodman, Neive McCarthy, Sam Taylor Snappers Ewan Ogden, Frances Beach, Jamie MacMillan, Jennifer McCord, Marieke Hulzinga, Nicholas O’Donnell, Nikos Plegas, Patrick Gunning, Sarah Louise Bennett, Storm Walker PUBLISHED FROM WELCOMETOTHEBUNKER.COM
UNIT 10, 23 GRANGE ROAD, HASTINGS, TN34 2RL
INTRO.
FEATURES.
GET OUT.
04
20 28 32
56
13 14
2023 ALBUM PREVIEW A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... KID KAPICHI VIVA SOUNDS
HYPE. ‘Editor’ @stephenackroyd
Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden
#73. FEBRUARY 2023.
16 18 19
NELL MESCAL CONNIE CAMPSIE SOMEBODY’S CHILD
36 40 44 48
MIMI WEBB BIIG PIIG THE MURDER CAPITAL SG LEWIS CIRCA WAVES RAYE JOESEF
INCOMING. 52
REVIEWS
58 59 59 60
DORK’S CHRISTMAS NIGHT OUT BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD HOLLY HUMBERSTONE BLOSSOMS MUNA
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.
BACKPAGE. 62
PRIESTGATE
3COLLECT COVERS THEM ALL READDORK.COM 3.
INTRO. THE BEATING HEART OF POP NONSENSE.
4. DORK
INTRO
GORILLAZ TITLE: Cracker Island RELEASE DATE: 24th February 2023 → Attention, Dear Reader!
The moment you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived - Gorillaz are BACK! BACK!! BACK!!! And they’re bringing their latest album, ‘Cracker Island,’ with them. According to guitarist Noodle, this new record is “the sound of change and the chorus of the collective,” and with added collaborations from Bad Bunny, Tame Impala and Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks, we’re getting nothing less than pure simian magic. But don’t just take Noodle’s word for it. Bassist Murdoc Niccals says, “The hallowed tones of ‘Cracker
Island’ will soundtrack our collective ascension into the new dimension! JOIN ME!” Vocalist 2D adds, “The path to ‘Cracker Island’ isn’t easy to find ‘cos it’s underwater,” adding an extra layer of mystery and adventure to the journey, and drummer Russell Hobbs declares, “When the reckoning comes, gotta be ready to step through the gateway. ‘Cracker Island’s got the entry codes.” What more could you want than the hype of a bunch of cartoons, eh? Get ready to join Gorillaz on the journey to ‘Cracker Island’. This is one album you don’t want to miss.
A new year means new potential. With twelve months of fresh music ahead of us, here’s a run through some of the potential albums you should be marking on your must listen calendar for the year ahead. READDORK.COM 5.
COVER STORY
20. DORK
WORDS: ALI SHUTLER. PHOTOS: SARAH LOUISE BENNETT. STYLING: LAUREN GROVES. MAKE UP: JACINTA SPENCER. HAIR: ANDREW KYRIAKOU.
From viral TikTok fame to sold-out tours and chart-bothering hits: MIMI WEBB reflects on her journey to becoming a rising star and shares details about her highly-anticipated debut album ‘Amelia’.
MIMI WEBB
READDORK.COM 21.
FEATURE
From lo-fi beats to expansive alt-pop: BIIG PIIG reflects on her journey to icon status and her new mixtape ‘Bubblegum’, filled with personal growth and genre-blending experimentation. WORDS: MARTYN YOUNG. PHOTOS: SARAH LOUISE BENNETT. STYLING: PHOEBE BUTTERWORTH. MAKE UP: GEORGIA HOPE USING DANESSA MYRICKS. HAIR: TOMMY TAYLOR @ STELLA CREATIVE ARTISTS USING GHD. 28. DORK
BIIG PIIG
READDORK.COM 29.
FEATURE
only
good
With their debut, THE MURDER CAPITAL made a big splash - but this isn’t a band to simply do the same thing twice. Back with new album ‘Gigi’s Recovery’, this time round they’re bringing something truly special. WORDS: JAMIE MACMILLAN. PHOTOS: JENNIFER MCCORD.
32. DORK
things.
READDORK.COM 33.
FEATURE
Having already proven to be worth his weight in gold when it comes to dancefloor bangers, SG LEWIS is now stepping up as a frontman to deliver a new double album of pop hits exploring the duality of love and lust. WORDS: FINLAY HOLDEN.
36. DORK
SG LEWIS
T
he last time we caught up with SG Lewis, he was so desperate to get back to overpriced drinks and dirty dancefloors that he dropped a whole album in service of transporting us right back into that late-night euphoria. His first full-length project, released in 2021, was an ode to rose-tinted memories of the club and followed the trails blazed by a series of multi-faceted EPs. “It was funny – in many ways, ‘times’ didn’t feel like a debut album to me, but just another project,” he reflects. “For the first time, I had enough to say and enough to express musically that I wanted a full-length runtime. It felt like a very
natural process, and I wasn’t looking back at any point; I wasn’t thinking about music I’d made before or trying to better myself. I was just facing forward throughout, and that kept my momentum going.” The forced stagnation of the last few years didn’t halt that progression, as the producer started to formulate new ideas with their own unique challenges. “Instead of taking inspiration from things externally, this album is a lot more introspective in its processes; its thoughts, the song topics, the feelings are more from an internal perspective because that’s the nature of isolation that was enforced upon us.” Quickly finding new ambitions and more nuanced concepts with
MY COMFORT ZONE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE BEHIND THE BOARDS; THE IDEA OF FRONTING THE SHOW WAS PETRIFYING” SG L E W I S
the confidence instilled by the success of ‘times’, Lewis began to flesh out a double-LP of new material through month-long stays at residential studios across the globe. The intensity of the methodology forged relationships that grew deeper than any previous collaborations. “With ‘times’, there were more features, and as such, you’re almost speed dating; you’re forging a creative partnership for one track,” he explains. “With this album, there’s a lot more consistency of the teams that I was writing with. That pushed things further because we built a level of trust through the process, which allowed us to try things that we wouldn’t necessarily be willing to do in the studio with someone you’re only working with READDORK.COM 37.
FEATURE
40. DORK
CIRCA WAVES
With concern for the future, and a sense of hope that we can sort it out, CIRCA WAVES are back with their fifth studio album, ‘Never Going Under’. WORDS: FINLAY HOLDEN. PHOTOS: PATRICK GUNNING.
READDORK.COM 41.
By now, RAYE’s story of major label frustration is well known. Those tales don’t often end up with a happy ending - but with a debut album and a chart busting single on deck, this isn’t just your average pop star either. WORDS: ABIGAIL FIRTH.
44. DORK
READDORK.COM 45.
FEATURE
48. DORK
JOESEF
From the very first notes, JOESEF’s debut album ‘Permanent Damage’ promises to take listeners on a cinematic journey of heartbreak, triumph, and self-discovery. WORDS: NEIVE MCCARTHY.
READDORK.COM 49.
THE NEW ALBUM, OUT JANUARY 20TH themurdercapital.com