DOWN WITH BORING.
ISSUE 77 · JUNE 2023 · READDORK.COM
Ashnikko
Jonas Brothers
BACK ISSUES! Want to complete your collection and grab Dork covers with all your faves? Get ‘online’ and head on over to shop.readdork.com and find our complete back catalogue, available while they last.
Issue 77 | June 2023 | readdork.com | Down With Boring
Hiya, Dear Reader. readdork.com
HAVE TO BE HONEST, when we first
decided to make Dork - back in the dark, distant past of 2016 - we didn’t ever really think we’d be putting the Jonas Brothers on the cover. Not because we wouldn’t have wanted to; we’ve always proudly proclaimed this is a Big Pop magazine. The idea was simply beyond the ridiculous. Now, in 2023, it’s reality. An iconic phenomenon that have played a part in the musical journey of a whole generation of fans, they’re legitimately one of the biggest acts on the planet. Not bad, if we do say so ourselves. Also, ‘Waffle House’ is a bop. But if we’re talking biggest bands on the planet, it’s time ‘the indie establishment’ fully woke up to Lovejoy. Another of this month’s cover stars, they’re already harnessing the kind of buzz and excitement that most established major festival headliners would rule out as an unrealistic ask. Millions of views, fans queuing around the block and fevered expectation for what comes next, they’re the real deal. As is our final cover act Ashnikko. We’ve been waiting for their debut album for a while now, and it more than delivers. Bold, bombastic and unafraid to stand proud, it was worth the wait. That’s not all we’re up to, though. We’re also starting to let you in on the first names for this summer’s edition of our big blowout party Dork’s Day Out. You’ll find the full update on page 16, but there’s so much more to come - including a headliner we’re really very excited about. More on that next issue. We’ll see you there.
Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Scribblers Abigail Firth, Dan Harrison, Finlay Holden, Jamie MacMillan, Jessica Goodman, Melissa Darragh, Neive McCarthy, Steven Loftin, Sam Taylor Snappers Alex Kurunis, Frances Beach, Holly Whitaker, Jamie MacMillan, Jennifer McCord, Julian Burgeño, Patrick Gunning, Sarah Louise Bennett, Willow Shields, Zachary Gray PUBLISHED FROM WELCOMETOTHEBUNKER.COM
UNIT 10, 23 GRANGE ROAD, HASTINGS, TN34 2RL
Intro.
Hype.
04 08 10 12
20 22
12 14 16 18
COACH PARTY ALIX PAGE L DEVINE A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... MIYA FOLICK DEB NEVER DO NOTHING DORK’S DAY OUT THE LAST DINNER PARTY
23
PRIMA QUEEN LAUREN SPENCERSMITH HOTWAX
Features. 24 32 34 36 44
JONAS BROTHERS SQUID MCKENNA GRACE LOVEJOY DREAM WIFE
46 48 56
TEMPS ASHNIKKO THE ACES
58 59
REVIEWS SWIM SCHOOL
Incoming. Get Out. 60
PARAMORE
Backpage. 62
PANIC SHACK
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.
‘Editor’ @stephenackroyd READDORK.COM 3.
INTRO. THE BEATING HEART OF POP NONSENSE.
100% or no
Wit CO
4. DORK
Half-arsing just wasn’t an option. People will remember your debut album forever"
J E S S E AS T WO O D
othing
th their first full-length ‘KILLJOY’ on the horizon, OACH PARTY are ready to make some noise. Words: Neive McCarthy. Photos: Patrick Gunning.
→ NAME A FESTIVAL, and the likelihood is that Coach Party have played it. Look at any of their line-ups, and you’ll find the Isle of Wight fourpiece lingering somewhere. Backto-back sets, ripping about on tour with every band under the sun and a stream of packs-a-punch singles, Coach Party have quickly cemented themselves as one of the most hotlytipped bands around. Rightly so, too. They’ve well and truly honed their craft on the live circuit, but as all bands need to, it was time to enter a new chapter. Jess, Steph, Joe and Guy dropped ‘Micro-Aggression’ in February, a roaring beast of a track that, unbeknownst to all of us at the time, signified a new era for the band. At long last, it was debut album time. It has no doubt been a long time coming, but finding that time proved difficult. Sandwiched in between unmissable support slots and racing against the clock, the beginning of this year saw the band bunker down and get to work. Enter ‘KILLJOY’. “We gigged so much last year that there was physically no time,” Jess, the band’s figurehead, sits cross-legged over Zoom. “The time we did have, we got confirmed for this Wet Leg tour. We knew we had to take this tour that eats massively into our album time and just blood, sweat and tears it in January and February. We were all feeling intense. We all felt differently, but we all felt the pressure. At the end of it, it was in a good way. Thank the lord, it’s done. The label even were probably like, thank god – we couldn’t do with the trauma of it being pushed back any more.” ‘Micro-Aggression’ was ultimately the first introduction to ‘KILLJOY’, but is now joined by brand new single ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’. Together, the two introduce a side to Coach Party we have perhaps never seen blaze so ferociously. Between the two, there’s a pattern emerging for what we might expect from the band’s debut album. Wildly fierce guitars, equally biting lyrics, an incendiary attitude – both singles have it all and had to have it all from their very conception. “Me and Guy were in the house, doing a vocal take,” Jess recalls about the making of ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’. “I did one, and it just wasn’t hitting. I was like, ‘Let me do it again; let me do the whole song again’. I did, and I was dancing about throughout the whole vocal take, and that was immediately just the one. This was the energy for it – bratty and super energetic. Those two songs, in particular, although probably all of them, they have to be 100% or nothing. You’re not getting away with even doing 95% - you have to pound it in the face.” That particular vibe has definitely lingered at the edges of Coach Party’s earlier releases, but on their latest, it is dialled up to the max. There’s no room for anything lacklustre, nor is there room to keep anything bottled up. It’s a pure exorcism of emotions in every shade and hue. This was a
READDORK.COM 5.
COVER STORY
Back with their second record since returning to active service, ‘The Album’ sees JONAS BROTHERS laying it all on the line with some classic style. Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.
24. DORK
THE JONAS BROTHERS
READDORK.COM 25.
COVER STORY
36. DORK
LOVEJOY
Massive queues, online hysteria, millions of views and frantic engagement - LOVEJOY are already a phenomenon. Now, with their third EP landing with a bang, it’s time for the indie establishment wake up... Words: Abigail Firth. Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.
READDORK.COM 37.
COVER STORY
ASHNIKKO has always taken us on big, brash, bombastic journeys that cut to the bone. With her debut album ‘WEEDKILLER’, though, we’re heading to a whole new world. Words: Ali Shutler.
48. DORK
ASHNIKKO
READDORK.COM 49.
“Gem of the UK festival scene” THE GUARDIAN
THE INDEPENDENT
“Something for everyone at the friendliest festival around” ELLE
20 -23 JULY 2023 : HER T FOR D SHIR E , UK
YEARS & SELF BLOC YEARS ESTEEM PARTY THE HUMAN LEAGUE . . . . THURSDAY HEADLINER
RICK ASTLEY ANASTACIA CONFIDENCE MAN SHYGIRL DJANGO DJANGO BEAR’S DEN . DYLAN . SQUID . KT TUNSTALL . MELANIE C . THE BIG MOON WE ARE SCIENTISTS . WARMDUSCHER . SCOUTING FOR GIRLS
BOB VYLAN . CAITY BASER . THOMAS HEADON . THE MURDER CAPITAL . HOUSE GOSPEL CHOIR . SAD NIGHT DYNAMITE . PORIJ THE SHERLOCKS . STONE . LYNKS . SCALPING . AYRTN . LOTTERY WINNERS . SPRINTS . ELLIE DIXON . PVA . KEG . FLOWEROVLOVE WASIA PROJECT . SHAÉ UNIVERSE . GEORGE RILEY . ETTA MARCUS . 49TH & MAIN . ONLY FIRE . MANDY, INDIANA KHAKIKID . NUHA RUBY RA . ZAND . JULY JONES . HANNAH GRAE . HERIOT . MATISSE . THEE MIGHTY SAINT PANCRAS ELECTRONIC
. DJ . DJ KATY B . .FAITHLESS SET LF SYSTEM GROOVE ARMADA SET . . . . A-Z: DEFECT DENNIS BOVELL MBE DIGITAL POCHAHONTAS DJ PAULETTE EROL ALKAN GIRLS DON’T SYNC
GIRLS OF THE INTERNET . JAGUAR . JAYDEE . JOE UNKNOWN . THE STICKMEN PROJECT
: HIGH CONTRAST FLAVA D . SOLAH & EMMA B . ANAÏS WINSLOW . IYRE HOSTED BY: DYNAMITE MC & TEXAS Groove garden /
SHOSH
COWSHED FUTUREFLOW
. . SAINTÉ. . D DOUBLE E A-Z: CHAMPION LU.RE MATT JAM LAMONT . P-RALLEL KAM-BU . QUEEN MILLZ . JUICE MENACE OPPIDAN ZED BIAS DARIUS SYROSSIAN . ART OF TONES . PBR STREETGANG . YOUNG PULSE FT.
KID FIESTA . JAEGEROSSA . LONDON DISCO SOCIETY . DJ EMMA . CHRIS MIMO . SI KURRAGE . MR SHIVER . PABLO CONTRABAND . THE SUNCHASERS . RECORDS VS RACISM DON SIMÓN . LEOPOLD . PETE O’CALLAGHAN . TOMMY B . COSMO & FASA . FLOORED CAPRI . MATT LE MOO . ASH DJ . GROOVE GARDEN ALL STARS COMEDY
PARTY
FAMILY
MARK WATSON . RHYS JAMES THE CUBAN BROTHERS . CLUB DE FROMAGE DICK & DOM DJ BATTLE REGINALD D. HUNTER UNCLE FUNK’S DISCO INFERNO . QUEER HOUSE PARTY THE FLYING SEAGULL PROJECT KIRI PRITCHARD-MCLEAN . LOU SANDERS MORTIMER NANNIES DEPTFORD NORTHERN SOUL CLUB . HIP HOP KARAOKE
SPRING DAY . TOM WARD . THANYIA MOORE . ANDREW WHITE AMY WEBBER . TADIWA MAHLUNGE COMPERE: JOSH HOWIE PLUS
ROCKAOKE . FEELING GLOOMY . AGE AGAINST THE MACHINE BOWIE DISCO . FROMAGE JUNIORS
HIP-HOP ACADEMY . STORYTELLERS’ CORNER KIDS RAVE-ON . THE MAGIC LANTERN . PLAY ZONE
DOG SHOW . SWIMMING POOL . COSTUME PARADE . HOT TUBS . WELLBEING IN-CONVERSATIONS . WORKSHOPS . STREET FOOD + MUCH MORE
JOIN THE PARTY : BOOK NOW
STANDON-CALLING.COM