Dork, July 2019 by Dork

m k.co do r read 19 July 20

Doom Days

Bastille are back to watch the world burn.

Aurora

The Rhythm Method Marika Hackman Sea Girls Bloxx

L O V E

F E A R

T O U R

P A R T

2 8 / O C T ___________________________________ E D I N B U R G H U S H E R H A L L 2 9 / O C T ___________________________________ M A N C H E S T E R 0 2 A P O L L O 0 1 / N O V ________________________ C A R D I F F M O T O R P O I N T A R E N A 0 4 / N O V _______________________________ L O N D O N E V E N T I M A P O L L O 0 5 / N O V _______________________________________________ B R I G H T O N C E N T R E 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 / M YT I C K E T. C O . U K

A L I V E N AT I O N & K I L I M A N J A RO L I V E P R E S E N TAT I O N B Y A R RA N G E M E N T W I T H W M E

INDEX

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July 2019 | readdork.com | Down With Boring

Ø4 Intro 20 Hype 4

ED’S LETTER BASTILLE

They’re back! With a third album that’s embracing the doom, Bastille can find joy in anything.

THE RHYTHM METHOD

London’s premiere pop underdogs finally have that debut album to share.

AURORA

She’s a different kind of human, apparently. Or maybe that’s just the album name.

Good things come to those who wait. That’s how the saying goes, right? Well, Bastille fans. Your expectations should be sky high right now. Yep, this month Dan and co. finally drop ‘Doom Days’, the third album we expected to arrive last year, when they returned with the shiny-as-allhell ‘Quarter Past Midnight’. Inbetween now and then, they’ve scored another worldwide mega-hit alongside a bloke with a KFC bargain bucket on his head, and the world around them has continued to go to absolute shit. They’re not letting the last part get them down, though. As they hit the cover of this issue, there’s a spark of nihilistic defiance that runs through their latest record. The world may be burning, but it’s giving off some awesome lighting, right? So, as the summer festival extravaganza explodes, and our faves start to poke their heads out ready for the Q3/Q4 silly season (Hiya Swim Deep! How have you been doing, Muna!), maybe we should all take a lesson from Bastille’s book. Disco balls lit by the embers of civilised society is an aesthetic, after all.

S tephen

24 Features 4Ø Incoming

WHAT WENT DOWN AT THE GREAT ESCAPE

Warning: contains megastars!

HALFNOISE

Zac’s back in the UK.

LIVE IN LEEDS AT LIVE AT LEEDS We crown some new kings in the north.

SEA GIRLS

Ahoy there, mateys! There’s an album this way brewing!

MARIKA HACKMAN

It’s album three time, featuring songs about a) wanking and b) bonking. Standard.

38 Thank heavens for ‘Small Mercies’.

SLAYYYTER Everytime If you want to make your way into Dork’s dark pop heart, cover Britney. We will love you forever.

KAISER CHIEFS Record Collection We’re not saying this is the best thing Kaiser

22 Mealtime

Alfie Templeman

08 Metz

Another Sky

42 Mini Mansions

Chiefs have done in basically a decade, but this is the best thing Kaiser Chiefs have done in basically a decade.

YUNGBLUD Parents When we first saw Yungblud cross our musical ‘desks’, we

didn’t know what to make of him. Now, with his latest single, we’re not sure if he might be... brilliant? How did that happen?

LANA DEL REY Doin’ Time Seriously though, how is this so brilliant?!?

11 06

34, 40 MUNA

Aurora

42 Pip Blom

Bad Books

23 Pixx

Barny Fletcher

38, 40

24, 42 Sam Fender

Bastille

Beabadoobee

Black Keys

Blossom Calderone

08 Stef Chura

Bloxx

Surfbort

04, 20, 46

Dinosaur Pile-Up

Do Nothing

Easy Life

14 22

Ezra Furman

Feet

Girl in Red

14 06, 08 14

Halsey

Swim Deep

Talk Show

Ten Tonnes

The 1975

The Murder Capital

The National

The Raconteurs

Hatchie Hot Chip

44 The S.L.P

IDER

19 Tropical Fuck Storm 05 TWEN 14 Two Door 22 Cinema Club

Jimothy Joesef Just Mustard

32, 44

08, 23 Tyler, The Creator 08

Lana Del Rey

Lewis Capaldi

06, 46 05

LUCIA

12, 14

Swimming Girls

The Rhythm 44 Method

James Bay

Sports Team

Halfnoise

Self Esteem

11, 12 Stormzy

Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard

Egyptian Blue

12 12, 15

Sea Girls

Biffy Clyro

Marika Hackman

ON THE DORK STEREO THIS MONTH...

Alex Lahey

Lacuna Common

PIXX

EDITOR @STEPHENACKROYD

** BAND INDEX ** BAND INDEX **

18 06 22 44 17 12

VANT Walt Disco Weyes Blood Whenyoung

04, 16 Wooze

04 11 12 06

DORK

NEW MUSIC. NO ALGORITHMS.

RADIO TUNE IN 24/7/365

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INTRO

DORK HAD ITS OWN SHOWCASE AT TGE. HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED. (YES, WE TALK IN THE THIRD PERSON NOW)

IF IT’S NOT IN HERE, IT’S NOT HAPPENING. OR WE FORGOT. ONE OR THE OTHER.

HERE'S WHAT WENT DOWN AT THE GREAT ESCAPE HUNDREDS OF BANDS, LOADS OF VENUES, AND A FEW SEAGULLS. HERE’S SOME OF OUR HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS YEAR’S TGE EXTRAVAGANZA.

WORDS: ALI SHUTLER, DILLON EASTOE, JAMIE MUIR PHOTOS: JAMIE MACMILLAN, SARAH LOUISE BENNETT

MARIKA HACKMAN

FENDER NEXT STAGE, THURSDAY

Marika Hackman’s ‘i’m not where you are’ is a big, gnashing comeback from an artist who lives for those big strides forward. Tonight, it’s the only new song played but its wild sense of freedom charges through her back catalogue. ‘Blahblahblah’ is large and violent, making promises then sticking to them while ‘Deep Green’ flirts with menace. ‘Time’s Been Reckless’ explodes with a wild grin, leaning into the pop snarl before ‘Boyfriend’ shines in moments of quiet and loud. Once upon a time Marika hid within her music, but tonight, she’s front, centre and leading the charge. Maybe she’s always been a rock star. There are wailing guitar solos, thunderous confidence and, dare we say it, a touch of swagger to how she takes to the stage. Well, if you were as good as Marika, you’d probably have a spring in your step as well. JULY 2019

DORK

SURFBORT

JUBILEE SQUARE, THURSDAY

Playing what is essentially a pub’s outside smoking area, Surfbort come tumbling into The Great Escape with all the wit, wisdom and wild sense of fun that’s followed their every move. Anything can happen in the next half hour. Championing friendship and love, their show is an explosion of warmth. From the grinning opener of ‘Pretty Little Fucker’ through the beating heart of ‘Les Be In Love’, the band balance chaos and control. Dani dances through the crowd, making introductions, mates and a ruckus, before the visceral close of ‘Slushy’ and the snap crackle of ‘Burn’ bring things to an all-tosoon close.

WALT DISCO

ONE CHURCH, THURSDAY

A shot of flamboyant stagepresence and thriving post-punk

SELF ESTEEM

glam isn’t the sort of thing you’d usually expect knocking around a church ten minutes from the seafront, but it’s what makes Walt Disco’s slot a prime example of what makes The Great Escape tick so well. Trading in new romantic devotion and an unmistakable knack for swooping sharp cuts, it’s frontman James Potter who grabs the eye standing in front of a pulpit and stained glass windows purring ‘you make me feel so strange’. From then on in there’s no question who’s in charge, as they race through a set that manages to feel both gritty and dazzling in equal measure. Smashing away on cymbals and ending the set in an escalating blaze of glory,

COALITION, FRIDAY When Self Esteem takes the stage just after 9pm on Friday night, it feels like a primetime slot at the perfect time for Rebecca Lucy Taylor. Her debut album ‘Compliments Please’ is an unstoppable statement that on the live stage, fully embraces that sense of fun and joy which has The Great Escape bouncing and moving in a matter of moments. With choreographed dance moves to boot, it’s sophisticated pop done right with a wink of cracking mischief that has you at ease from the very first note. To see the transformation and ease Rebecca has on stage makes it undeniably clear that this right here has been her calling all along, and as things get pulled away with just her voice and finger clicks, there’s only one word to sum up Self Esteem at The Great Escape: wow.

INTRO

LUCIA

COALITION, FRIDAY Down from Glasgow to remind us all how it’s done, LUCIA haven’t come to mess around. Mixing fuzzy slacker pop with insistent melodies, smashing out tunes from the dark bowels of Coalition, singer Lucia Fairfull is in her element. The band conjure a wonderful racket, and amongst the curious newcomers there are a few diehards down the front matching the four-piece for mayhem on staple ‘Melted Ice Cream’. New single ‘Blueheart’ sees Fairfull marry grunge guitars and earworm vocals in a perfect storm. A final foray into the crowd (sans guitar) demonstrates the intent that makes her such a compelling frontwoman; watch this space.

BAY ON THE BAY

OBVIOUSLY INTERNATIONAL MEGASTAR JAMES BAY ROCKED UP TO PLAY AN SURPRISE SET ON DORK’S GREAT ESCAPE STAGE. WHY WOULDN’T HE? WE GRABBED HIM FOR A QUICK ‘Q’ AND ‘A’.

Hello James. Happy release day for ‘Oh My Messy Mind’. How are you finding it all?

Thank you! I’m finding it great. It’s a unique feeling. Spending whatever amount of time you might spend making music, making art, it’s an intense time. It’s exciting and fun, but then the main purpose at the end of it all is to release it to the world and give it to everybody else. It almost has its own therapy about it. It’s a wonderful feeling. You only released ‘Electric Light’ last year. Did that record do what you wanted it to do?

Why surprise release it?

JAMES BAY

COALITION, FRIDAY James Bay rocking up to open Coalition has that sense of a ‘moment’. Strolling on with a guitar, it’s an intimate and raw gathering that finds James chatting about his time living in Brighton, playing every venue that would give him a microphone and even busking on the streets. A proper pop star, tonight sees James cover the full bases - from the likes of ‘Let It Go’ and ‘Pink Lemonade’, to tracks from latest EP ‘Oh My Messy Mind’, and a rousing closing call of ‘Hold Back The River’. It’s a warm and charming look at an artist who refuses to forget his roots.

It was a bit of a last minute decision. There’s this serious appetite for more and seeing as I’ve been writing since September, why not? I had the material, so let’s do it. There’s more that I have that

What inspired the EP?

The answer to that stems from the title ‘Oh My Messy Mind’. That came before any of the songs were written at the end of last year. They all fit nicely under this umbrella of the EP title. We’ve all got lots of things going on in our heads all the time, and one of my little therapies is to write. It’s to fill a few pages of a notebook with absolutely anything. There was a sentence that started ‘Oh My Messy Mind’ and that resonated with me. I held onto it. All the songs, in one way or another, they’re born out of down moments. After the two albums and now this EP, musically it feels like you could go anywhere next.

It’s hard to say. I’m just following my instincts. ‘Electric Light’ was about the music I was into at the time, coming away from the sounds of ‘Chaos and The Calm’. I was listening to all this stuff that didn’t sound like that record and didn’t sound like the music that inspired it. It sounded different. And I’ll keep exploring new music, and going back to old music I never got into in the past. Like all artists, you keep following your creative instincts and curiosities. P

Absolutely. So much of that was about evolving as an artist and saying to myself and everyone else, ‘Chaos and The Calm’ is one part of what I am, but I want to express more. I wanted to show different and more and other. I did all that. It’s still such a fresh thing, but the hunger for more new stuff is bigger than ever. Despite that album not being a year old, it felt ok and right to put this EP out.

isn’t out yet, and I’m still writing between everything else.

CONT. >>

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INTRO

TOP TEN TEN THINGS WE DON’T HATE ABOUT JUNE

"It’s quite sexual; there are songs about masturbation and fucking. It’s a really funny record" Marika Hackman

IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT MARIKA

Hackman’s recent first offering from her third album, ‘i’m not where you are’ (all lower case, thankyouverymuch - Ed) is a solid gold banger, so much so when we found out the former Dork cover star had an engagement at this year’s Great Escape, we made a buzzy bee-line to find out more about what we should expect from that much anticipated third album, due to arrive on 9th August. It must be nice to come back and do festivals?

HACK! HACK!! HACKMAN!!! MARIKA HAS ANNOUNCED HER THIRD ALBUM. IT’S ABOUT WANKING AND BONKING, OBV.

WORDS: ALI SHUTLER

JULY 2019

DORK

Yeah, it’s throwing me in at the deep end, but I quite like that. It’s a good challenge, and they’re always fun. There’s always something that happens that’s a bit awry, but y’know - it’s a bit of a test, and you go back into it knowing that later on, you’ll be touring with a much slicker operation. The last record was about getting people involved; festivals are a perfect space to test that out?

Yeah, and everyone’s up for a good time, so it’s nice. Where have you been?

I’ve basically been in my bedroom for like a year, writing, arranging, sorting out a record, and then in the studio making said record, for the last year or so. Now it’s all ready, and I’m just waiting for it to land. Last time we saw you, you were like, ‘I’m going punk’?

Yeah, I was into that, we’d just tracked the first three songs on the record. It’s slicker, it’s more poppy, but I think it’s heavier at the same time. It also feels really raw. The lyrics are super upfront. They’re quite abrasive, it’s a hard listen for my parents, but they love it. In terms of the recording process, it was really immediate. I spent so much time creating all

INTRO these different parts, with all these instruments that lock in together, so it’s got a rawness, but it’s smooth. What inspired that? The last one was quite urgent.

The urgency that came with the last record was the fact that it was not a live record. That’s the natural thing, so everything that we’re doing on top of that is to make it sound smooth and nice and great. This time around I was layering it all up again from the bottom, so the urgency came from working fast and knowing what we’re doing, getting stuff down and tweaking it up as we went along. It gives it a real directness.

LANA DEL REY HAS COVERED... SUBLIME?

Did you know what you wanted from this record going in?

How shocking is this record?

It’s quite sexual. I think that’s where the shock for my parents comes from; there are songs about masturbation and fucking, lots of stuff like that. It’s a really funny record, I always approach everything with a sense of humour, so it’s natural that my songwriting when I’m dealing with themes and concepts that are slightly darker or more intense I generally approach them with a sense of humour. I find it quite a funny listen. Are you excited?

I’m really excited. Sitting alone working on something, it’s a very lonely process, and it’s not a dialogue. When you release it, the dialogue begins. That’s what you’re looking for - the whole point of being direct with your lyrics is because you want people to respond, you want to know how that makes people feel, and then discuss it. That’s what’s exciting; I can’t wait for that to begin. P Marika Hackman’s album ‘Any Human Friend’ is out 9th August.

AND IT’S... BRILLIANT?!?

TYLER, THE CREATOR

PERSON WHO CANCELS SURPRISE LONDON SHOWS BUT IT’S OKAY BECAUSE ACTUALLY IT’S REALLY VERY EXCITING TOO.

On 18th May, as the world awoke with the sun on their faces and the wind in their hair, Tyler, The Creator was planning something. Having released his latest album the day before, he was back with a brand new persona, the wig-wearing, dad dancing IGOR. At the same time, his infamous UK ban had expired, and he was ready to celebrate. First, it was a video outside Buckingham Palace; then it was a time and location: Bussey Building, Peckham, 3pm. As the perpetual buzz chasers we are, we sent Our Man On The Street (OMOTS) down to check it out, and maybe get a free concert out of the deal too. By 2.15pm the queue had devolved into a mass of people, and by 3pm it was an unmanageable stampede. Said stampede was diverted into a courtyard, where people downed bottles of wine, climbed fences and OMOTS got far more familiar than he would have liked with a very tall man’s armpit. To nobody’s surprise, the gig got cancelled, and hundreds of teenagers were left to moodily block Peckham High Street. But wait! What was that sign above Brixton Academy proudly proclaiming ‘IGOR’? Could it be – had the venue been upgraded? Once again, OMOTS headed down to see what was happening, drank exactly one can of supermarket lager and realised that actually, nothing was happening at all. It turned out to be a teaser for Tyler’s three Brixton dates in September. So no gig and a wasted afternoon, not to mention the £1.10 spent on a solitary tinny. The bright side? Tyler’s back baby, and this time, there’s nothing Theresa May can do about it. P

Lana Del Rey has ‘done’ a cover of Sublime’s ‘Doin’ Time’. The original is taken from Sublime’s self-titled 1997 record, but has been firmly Del Rey-ed. The track will feature in the upcoming documentary “Sublime” that outlines the history of the California band. “Not a day goes by that I don’t listen to at least one Sublime song,” Lana explains. “They epitomised the SoCal vibe and made a genre and sound totally their own.” Okay! Sure!

‘THE BIFF’ HAVE SORT OF DONE A NEW ALBUM. KIND OF ‘BALANCE, NOT SYMMETRY’ SOUNDS AWFULLY LIKE A PROPER BIFFY CLYRO RECORD TO US. Biffy Clyro have ‘done’ a brand new soundtrack album, ‘Balance, Not Symmetry’. Out now, it’s accompanied by a film of the same name, which saw frontman Simon Neil collaborate with director Jamie Adams and will arrive on 26th July. Simon from ‘the band’ explains: “On meeting Jamie, we realised early on that we’d both had to deal with grief at a relatively young age. It was interesting to talk about how we’d both dealt with it and the effect it had on us – and this is the main crux of the film, delving into the lonely world of grief and loss and coming out the other side.”

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I knew exactly what I wanted, and I think I’ve achieved it with [producer] David Wrench, which is great. I knew that he would be the guy who worked with me to get that sound; he’s a mixing genius as well as being great at production. He can make shit sound as clear and fucking great as you can get it, and I knew that I wanted that to happen. Also within my writing process, I write everything, so we basically went in and re-recorded my demos. There was no real finding my way in the studio, which I did with my first record; this was like, this is what we’ve got, let’s make it sound fucking good.

Doom Days

Theyâ€™re back! With a third album thatâ€™s embracing the doom, Bastille can find the joy in anything. Words: Abigail Firth, Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett

human

all Aurora is a different kind of pop star. And sheâ€™s bloody brilliant, too. WORDS: STEVEN LOFTIN

JULY 2019

DORK

after NORWEGIAN POP STAR AURORA

Hi Aurora, how are you?

I’m good. I was in Australia, but now I’m in Belo Horizonte, in Brazil! Having a lovely time, then. So, how have things been since the release of ‘Infections Of A Different Kind (Step 1)’ last year?

It’s been very good. It’s an incredible feeling working on something so fast after you finished it. ‘Infections...’ was made only a few months before, it’s been a really fun release for me. It was supposed to be this gift for my fans, and myself, because I wanted to make an

album where I just really followed my instinct. Was ‘Step 2’ planned at the same time, or did you wait for ‘Step 1’ to land and then go from there?

It was first supposed to be one album, but then I realised it’s quite easy to divide from song to song and I had too many songs, so we all thought it would be a good idea to split the album into two parts. It became more and more clear as I made ‘Step One’, I realised this is an entire album of its own, but I had all these songs that are a continuation to the story. The overarching story is the human emotion and connection; how did that develop between ‘Step 1’ and ‘2’?

It’s been very interesting because ‘Step 1’ was made in a really grand place in the south of France, and the emotional process of part one is the most individual and the ‘inner’ part of the emotional life to human beings. It was nice to make this inner part of this process in this grand place; it seemed like we were on a different planet. ‘Step 2’ was made in a tiny purple room because it’s not about where I am, it’s about looking out to the rest of the world. ‘Step 2’ is much bigger - the perspective is much bigger. Our small actions can make huge differences all around the world. [It’s also] much more political because it’s up to us to save what’s left of humankind; and animals, politics, and the planet.

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doesn’t see the world through plain eyes; she’s adept at finding those elements in life that feel ethereal while remaining firmly on the ground, amongst nature, thriving in the wild growth. If you need proof, just check out the second part of her dual album release. On last year’s ‘Infection Of A Different Kind (Step 1)’ she delved into the delicate nature of humanity, and on its followup, ‘A Different Kind of Human (Step 2)’ she contends with the consequences of our behaviour, and the world we humans have created. “People say ‘live like you don’t care’ or ‘party like you don’t care’, but I like to care,” she explains. “I think people do, too, now more than ever, for example when Trump was elected people became more involved politically because they were frustrated. It’s a time of open ears and open eyes.”

INCOMING THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO YOUR NEW MUSIC FRIDAYS

Pixx

Small Mercies

eeee

WITH ‘THE AGE OF ANXIETY’,

7TH JUNE 2019

Pixx introduced herself in a sea of electronic flourishes and tales of modern life and the complexities it throws. ‘Small Mercies’ is born from a rawer place - twitching electronics blending with ramshackle hooks that make it a record perfect for the here and now. Shining through is Pixx’s ability to punch straight to the heart of matters; ‘Bitch’ a potent stab built across spiralling punk foundations, there’s a Joy Division measure to the title-track, while ‘Disgrace’ drives through with an almost hypnotic ease. ‘Small Mercies’ takes Pixx’s journey to date and thrives with a fresh intensity. When ‘Funsize’ reaches its almost menacing chorus, when ‘Mary Magdalene’ fully hooks in or when ‘Hysterical’ spins against itself into an unstoppable ending those moments mark Pixx out in a league of her own. Jamie Muir

Stef Chura Midnight

eeee

THERE’S A LOT TO LOVE ON

Aurora eeeee IF WE’VE SAID IT ONCE,

we’ve said it a million times - there’s something special in that northern European water. Like so many of her peers, Aurora’s brand of glistening, ice clear pop is so fresh it’s positively glacial. It’s an apt description, too. Following up on last year’s somewhat surprise drop for ‘Infection Of A Different Kind (Step 1)’, ‘A Different JULY 2019

DORK

A Different Kind Of Human (Step 2) Kind Of Human (Step 2)’, it’s a record steeped in the consequences of our actions, and how they impact the world around us. Operating on such vast scales usually results in a bit of bloat, but even the pillars of politics, social structure and environmental meltdown can lessen Aurora’s shimmer. Opener ‘The River’, in particular, feels like A

Moment. A pulsing slice of pop perfection, it also has a definite edge, while the slow burn of ‘The Seed’ is run through with a primal rhythm - a full stop on a second chapter of something much bigger. With a suggestion that there’ll be another album early next year, expect that noise to grow louder still. Dan Harrison

Detroit rocker Stef Chura’s second album ‘Midnight’. Over twelve tracks of fire and fury, Stef explores all her primal desires and defiant exhilaration on an accomplished and developed follow up to her 2017 debut ‘Messes’. Everything feels a bit bolder and more assured as Stef wraps her irresistible vocals around some heavier rock sounds that emphasise a thrilling sense of urgency. See for example the power pop rush of tracks like ‘Jumpin’ Jack’ or the propulsive attack of ‘They’ll Never’. There’s a strong sense of ambition as well, best represented by the rousing epic release of ‘Sincerely Yours’. ‘Midnight’ is born from community, both from the spirit of the people in her home city of Detroit and trusted collaborators like Car Seat Headrest’s Will Toledo who helped produce the record. It all results in an impressive collection that marks Stef Chura out as a new rock songwriter of renown. Martyn

Young

INCOMING

Q+A

Heyyyyyy there, it’s going great thank you! I’m drinking a coffee that’s hotter than the sun, and that’s fixing me up pretty good.

years of grinding in a band like we have begins to feel ‘not so good’. I remember those conversations with Mike and Jim in the middle of nowhere on some tour somewhere, exhausted and totally broke. We were just like, you know what? Fuck what everybody else is doing, we’re doing this one for us, and if it’s the last thing we ever fucking do - well then, cool. Let’s just make sure we fucking love it. So we wrote a bunch of songs, and recorded ‘Celebrity Mansions’. And it turns out it fucking rules!

It sounds like you guys have been through the mill a bit since ‘Eleven Eleven’?

Is it weird being on a major now? You’re signed to the same label as Lily Allen!

We called up Matt Bigland from DPU to find out more about ‘Celebrity Mansions’. Words: Sam Taylor Hey Matt, how’s it going?

eeee

Celebrity Mansions

WE’LL BE HONEST, DEAR

Readers. When we put together the list of albums we were most excited to hear in 2019, we forgot about Dinosaur Pile-Up. That’s no slight on the three-piece - they’ve been consistently in credit for years now - but when gathering those potential glittering delights for the year ahead, they didn’t cross our collective minds. And yet here we are, as summer comes along, and they’re dropping one of the most riotously fun full-lengths you could possibly imagine. ‘Celebrity Mansions’ is an album that leaves everything on the field.

From the Foo Fighters But Way Less Boring opening salvo of ‘Thrash Metal Cassette’ through the strutting swagger of ‘Back Foot’, lesser peers would dial the attitude back in favour of the safety of the pack. There’s none of that here, though. Maximum attitude, it turns out, is the catalyst to DPU’s infernal engine. Across ten tracks, they never once slow their pace or wind off into introspective pondering. For a band who called their last album ‘Eleven Eleven’, there’s no prizes for guessing the volume requirements here. Loud and proud. Dan Harrison

Also ‘out’ this week... allusinlove It’s OK To Talk Boots Electric Eagles Of Death Metal Presents Boots Electric Performing The Best Songs We Never Wrote Cave In Final Transmission Dylan LeBlanc Renegade Emeli Sande Real Life

Froth Duress Ida Mae Chasing Lights Jonas Brothers Happiness Begins Silversun Pickups Widow’s Weeds Yeasayer Erotic Reruns Younghusband Swimmers

Was there ever a point where you thought, this is it, I’ve had enough?

Haha, yeah. For sure. Probably like 100 times. But not “I’ve had enough” because I or we hated what we were doing, or each other, or touring or playing in a band none of that. We love all of those things. It’s always been more of, “Fuck, I don’t know if we can keep on doing this...” It’s hard to keep putting everything you’ve got into something when it feels like nobody cares. Mentally and physically. And for as long as we have. And when that’s not making enough money to keep it going sometimes, that can show you some pretty tough realities. We’ve kept this band going from strength to strength through pure determination and grit. Some of the shit we’ve been through you couldn’t even write, but we never quit. And you know what? That feels pretty fucking great. What was the turning point for you? It’s hard to imagine ‘Celebrity Mansions’ coming from a dark place.

I guess the turning point for us was when we just kind of said, “Fuck it if this doesn’t happen, and this all ends in six months - then fuck it. Let’s just enjoy it and see what happens.” Not that we weren’t enjoying it anyway, but holding yourself to an impossible standard of ‘success’ or ‘failure’ after 12

YES. It is, haha. It’s a real trip for us. There’s a point I guess where you just accept that maybe you’re never gonna level up like that, that you’ll never ‘sign a major record deal’ and that stuff like that only happens to other bands. To be honest, when I did kind of accept that, everything felt a little easier. And then boom, Parlophone rang us up. And we were like… “Wait… what??” Walking into the lobby of Parlophone for a meeting or whatever and being faced with a 20-foot picture of Ed Sheeran is still a bit of a trip. We’re just happy to be here, you know? How do you keep evolving after so many years in the biz, do you actively try to find new sources of inspiration?

I don’t know really - I don’t like to be too contrived about songwriting. I think if you’re overthinking how you’re writing it, or what you’re writing or whatever - then it probably sucks. I just try to be excited by what I’m doing. And if I’m not excited then fuck it, leave it till I am. Music has to be real. It shouldn’t be forced. I want to FEEL that energy from a song. This time I ended up just listening to a bunch of thrash metal and Beastie Boys, that got me pumped, and that gave me a lot of energy to write. Also, circumstances really inspire me. So the chaos and excitement of touring really shaped this record. What else have you got coming up? Lots of shows?

Exactly! Loads of shows! We’ll be doing our usual thing of basically living in a van or a bus for like, I dunno, three years?! We’re kicking stuff off with some small UK shows around the release of the record, which are gonna be so fun. Then straight into Download which we’re pumped for. We’re gonna destroy that place! And then we’re back out to the States for a couple of months. And that’s just for starters. It’s gonna get busy! P

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Dinosaur Pile-Up

I mean, I guess? We’ve just been sloggin’ it out on the road in the US pretty much solidly for like three years. Is that a complaint? HELL. NO. We love touring, especially in the States and feel very lucky to be granted that opportunity, and we love being on the road with each other. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t been a hard grind though, damn! We’ve been pretty much killing ourselves out there on the road that whole time. But you know what? Fuck it. It was awesome.