P EACE
BLOS S OM S
G OAT G I R L
G R A H A M C OXO N
JARVI S CO CK E R
I CE AGE
E VE RY THI NG EV ERY THING
Courtney Barnett.
Tell us how you really feel.
debut album 13th april “a poetic creature who channels a mysticism, haloing his sounds with a timeless quality� i-d
Index.
May 2018 Issue 21
Ed’s letter.
You noticed it yet? I’ll give you five minutes. Yep. Your monthly copy of Dork looks a bit different, eh? After celebrating twenty whole issues last month, we figured it was about time we had a change of scenery. We hope you like it. That’s not all we’ve got to be excited about this month. You’ll have seen Courtney Barnett on the cover already. Her second album is due soon, and it’s really, really great. Elsewhere this issue you’ll find the return of Peace, and hot new talents Goat Girl and Confidence Man. Blossoms stop scrapping for long enough to tell us about their new record, Graham Coxon talks soundtracking the buzziest new TV series on the planet, plus loads, loads more. And if that’s not enough, if you keep your eyes open you could well find a copy of Dork’s 2018 Festival Guide. It’s out now, available from all good record stores, venues, retail outlets and ‘that sort of thing’. Grab one if you can.
UPDATE 5. BLOSSOMS 8. ARCTIC MONKEYS 10. ICEAGE 12. LILY ALLEN 16 A DAY IN THE LIFE 18. GRAHAM COXON 20. GET A HOBBY 22. BANGERS HYPE 24. MIDDLE KIDS 26. WHENYOUNG 27. POST ANIMAL 28. HER’S 29. SO YOU WANNA BE A POP STAR? FEATURES 30. COURTNEY BARNETT 38. GOAT GIRL 42. PEACE 48. CONFIDENCE MAN REVIEWS 52. PEACE 53. BLOSSOMS 54. ICEAGE 55. SPEEDY ORTIZ 56. MIDDLE KIDS
S tephen Editor / @stephenackroyd
DORK
GET OUT 58. EVERYTHING EVERYTHING 60. JARVIS COCKER 62. ALEX LAHEY 64. LIVE AT LEEDS 65. THE GREAT ESCAPE 66. HANDMADE 68. THE GUIDE
Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Events Liam James Ward Scribblers Alex Cabre, Ben Jolley, Cal Cashin, Ciarán Steward, Dan Harrison, Erin Bashford, Jack Press, Jake Hawkes, Jamie MacMillan, Jenessa Williams, Jessica Goodman, Lily Beckett, Rob Mesure, Sam Daly, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin Snappers Alan McCarthy, Jamie Cameron, Jamie MacMillan, Jennifer McCord, Sarah Louise Bennett, Poppy Marriott Doodlers Russell Taysom P U B L I S H E D F RO M
THE BUNKER
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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.
BACKPAGE 74. ISAAC GRACIE
On The Stereo Chvrches - Love Is Dead Oh blimey. Everything you’ve read about this record is 100% correct, and yet you’re still not ready for what you’re about to hear. There’s one track that sounds unlike
anything Chvrches have ever done before, and it’s glorious.
George Ezra - Staying At Tamara’s The more we listen to Geoff’s second album, the more it feels like the ultimate expression of the summer to come. Sunny day moods all round.
Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel
She’s on the cover, so it’s pretty obvious we think our Court’s second full length is a spangly delight.
Peace - Kindness Is The New Rock and Roll Peace’s third album sees the band find a more singular
voice. It works, too. This will stick around a while.
The 1975 - I like it when you sleep...
We’re expecting an announce for ‘Music For Cars’ at some point soonish, so it’s important to do our homework. ‘Iliwys’ still sounds like ‘the future’, FYI.
Update. IF IT’S NOT IN HERE, IT’S NOT HAPPENING.
The Top Story
Cool Thing Relationships can be a minefield, but Tom Ogden has put his to good use - as inspiration for Blossoms’ new album. Words: Lily Beckett.
“I
t’s about two relationships, I suppose,” explains Tom Ogden over the phone. “One
that I had written about on our first album and then continued to write about, and then a new relationship, one that’s kind of - excuse the pun -
blossoming.” The singer is talking about Blossoms’ second album; there’s a strong narrative in ‘Cool Like You’, and he’s happy to demystify it. “If you look at the opening track, ‘There’s a Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls)’, that’s the first song I wrote for this album. It’s about the previous relationship, and also what a lot of that first album is about. The final song, ‘Love Talk’, is about being in another relationship, one that’s longdistance. It’s kind of stuff from the last two years of my life.” A great deal has happened in the world of Blossoms
during that time, so there was a healthy selection of material to help fuel this new record. A particular highlight for the band was receiving the news that their debut, ‘Blossoms’, had been nominated for the 2017 Mercury Prize. “I was at an airport, going on holiday, and I got a call letting me know. I was just like ‘Oh, get in!’ It was really unexpected. I mean, we were dead proud of the album. I think we deserved to be nominated, but I’m quite pessimistic, so I never thought we’d get nods.” Pessimistic, or just a perfectionist? “Probably a bit DOWN WITH BORING
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Golden Graham
F**k the world
Netflix hit The End Of The F***ing World is a coming-of-age tale full of mischief and murder, soundtracked by none other than Graham Coxon.
“I
Words: Jessica Goodman.
’m James, I’m 17, and I’m pretty sure I’m a psychopath.” So
introduces Alex Lawther’s character in the opening scene of The End Of The F***ing World. What follows is a coming of age tale encompassing adventure, amusement, murder, romance, and more besides that’s as human as it is surreal. With a sense of humour, striking imagery, and a soundtrack by Graham Coxon, the Channel 4/Netflix series has been met with rave reviews across the board. “After the first episode I don’t think either of the characters are particularly charming,” Graham Coxon chuckles, reflecting on his first impression of the show’s protagonists. “They’re like a couple of spoilt brats,” he laughs. “But then by episode two or three their characters really start to blossom, and they become quite funny.” Over the duration of eight episodes, viewers are invited to join James (Alex Lawther) and Alyssa (Jessica Barden) on their quest to escape from their homes and find their place in the increasingly messed up world that surrounds them.
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“I kind of started accepting them a little bit, and loving the characters more, so the songs became more sympathetic as well,” Graham reflects. From the romance of ‘Walking All Day’ through the disconnection of ‘Angry Me’, and beyond, it’s the relatable nature of these songs – and the world they paint themselves a part of – that makes them so endearing. “Anyone who knows my songs, it’s not a very untypical statement,” Graham comments. “It seemed to fit the characters.” Learning about the characters and their story through his writing, Graham Coxon set about creating a soundtrack that could truly feel like a part of the world these individuals are navigating. “When I started working on the music, all the episodes weren’t finished, so I didn’t know what was going to happen,” the musician states. “I didn’t want to know.” As such, the soundtrack is one that changes episode to episode, evolving and growing – much like the characters – before your eyes. “I’d never done it, so I didn’t know how things were done,” Graham comments of his first venture into soundtracking. “Mostly I was just getting a little bit of the situation in my head and then writing songs – not directly to action, but as if they were being used like the other songs from the 50s and 60s.” Fitting alongside the likes of Hank Williams and The Spencer Davis Group might seem like a tall order, but it’s something Graham Coxon
manages to achieve with an energy that feels nothing short of natural. “My idea was to write these songs as if they had already been around and then they’d been picked to put into the soundtrack,” he describes. “I was trying to be an actor myself, really, within the music. I was trying to not be Graham Coxon. I was trying to perform as different people.” Writing for the setting rather than for himself gave the musician the opportunity to turn his hand to his own unique form of time travel. “I wanted to be someone who sang songs from 1968, and then I wanted to be someone who sang sloppy acoustic music from the early 90s,” he explains. “I wanted to be someone who was a bit art pop from the late 70s, and then I wanted to be someone creating big soundscapes with slide guitars and things like that.” The influence might be era-spanning, but everything on the soundtrack still feels
3 more ‘people from bands who’ve done soundtracks’ Jonny Greenwood
Radiohead’s genius guitarist has made a success of the film scoring game, winning plaudits for his work on There Will Be Blood and getting an Oscar nod for his score to last year’s Phantom Thread.
Karen O
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs firebrand worked on the soundtrack to 2009’s Where The Wild Things Are, including ‘All is Love’, which was nominated for a Grammy.
Trent Reznor
Kicking off with producing the soundtrack for Natural Born Killers back in 1994, Reznor has been involved in the likes of The Social Network, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl, much of it alongside fellow Nine Inch Nails member Atticus Ross.
The Maccy-Ds at The End Of The F**king World are suitably dystopian. S
The latest news. Ish.
Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com
This is happening.
distinctly a part of the world the show has created. “I wanted to have that element of Americana, but one of those happy diners you get in Essex, you know?” Graham offers, laughing. “I think I kind of liked a certain amount of detachment from the music and the action,” he details. “If it’s too literal, or too narrative, the music, I think it gets a bit cluttered. I think vagueness is a friend when it comes to that, really.” While the songs don’t tell a story themselves, each one was purpose-built to fit the scenes it accompanies. “I discovered I quite like working to a brief,” Graham
enthuses. “There’s less pressure,” he explains. “It’s like if someone says ‘what shall I draw?’ and they’re told ‘draw anything you like’. But if someone says ‘draw a cat,’ or ‘draw something that has four legs,’ then I suppose it’s a bit easier.” Written to scripts and rough edits of episodes, the soundtrack is a perfect compliment to the settings and situations the series creates. “I was amazed when I actually sat down and watched it when it was on Channel 4 the first time around,” Graham expresses. “It was really nice to watch it like that, to try and divorce myself from it a little bit and just watch it like I watch normal TV. It was just odd hearing my voice here and there.” An entirely new experience for the musician, all the work involved certainly paid off as the show has been met with critical and commercial success across the board. “I didn’t know what to think,” Graham laughs. “I just thought it’d be a kind of strange and funny and dark humoured drama series that a bunch of people might like. I didn’t really know or expect it to be that popular.” Having been met with such adulation, speculation about a second series of The
Sigrid is dropping bangers every week Not content with being the hottest pop star on the block right now, Sigrid is delivering a new track every week. She kicked off the run with brand new banger ‘Raw’, following up with the more sedate ‘I Don’t Want To Know’. There are five tracks to come from the project in total - head to readdork.com for the latest right now.
“I was amazed when I actually sat down and watched it” End Of The F***ing World has long been rife. But with such an iconic ending to the first series, the form a second would take remains impossible to predict. “Who knows what it would be about if there was one?” Graham questions. “It might not even be the same characters. It might be something completely different,” he poses. “If there was to be something like that, yeah, of course, I’d like to be involved with it,” he enthuses, though he’s quick to add that (as of yet) “there’s been no talk of it.” Regardless, The End Of The F***ing World stands as
River deep, album nigh
Jack River has announced details for her debut album, due this summer. ‘Sugar Mountain’ will be released on 22nd June, following the singles ‘Fool’s Gold’, ‘Fault Line’ and ‘Ballroom’ and performances at The Great Escape and Dot To Dot. “It’s my self-written bible of crawling toward the light amidst one of the darkest times a family could ever endure,” explains the Aussie popster.
one of the brightest British TV gems in recent years. For Graham, working on the production acted as its own reward. “I’m still, after all these years, completely amazed by recording processes,” he marvels. “I think it’s a miracle that I can come up to my little room, and then after an afternoon or a day’s work, there are these three or four new pieces of music. I was just creating music every day.” More than another mode of creativity, working on this soundtrack saw Graham Coxon at his most creative yet. “When I haven’t got anything that’s really pressing like that, I just learn more about what I want to do,” he details. “I try things out, and I research stuff that I want to do, learning how to use certain bits of equipment or whatever.” With a second series of the show still just speculation, what follows from here is still unwritten. “Maybe I should get two screens and make silly little movies and put music to them so I can practice,” Graham laughs. And why not? As Alyssa poses on the characters’ first drive together, “we can literally do anything, James. Anything we want.” P The End of the
F***ing World soundtrack score is out now.
Totally Tube-ular
Tubelord are teaming up with Alcopop! Records to reissue their debut album, ‘Our First American Friends’. Due on 13th April, it will be available on transparent yellow vinyl, with a further special version containing a smashed up piece of a test pressing from the original 2009 release. “Our First American Friends is still a huge part of my life,” says bassist Sean Bamberger. DOWN WITH BORING
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Hype. ESSENTIAL NEW MUSIC.
Middle Kids Heartfelt indie-rock with a sunny, Aussie twist. Words: Sam Taylor Photo: Maclay Heriot.
.Middle Kids. Ready .for work. S.
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A
ustralian trio Middle Kids have a knack for making rich, hook-filled, down-to-earth pop tunes with a magic that evokes nostalgic adventures with mates and lazy summer afternoons. It’s a wonderful, intimate quality, and now we’ve all the more of it, with their debut album ‘Lost Friends’ about to land via Lucky Number - home to Sunflower Bean, Dream Wife, Hinds and all kinds of good stuff. Hannah Joy, Harry Day and Tim Fitz introduce their band.
You guys must be crazy excited to have your debut out soon, does it feel like it’s been a long time coming?
Some of the album tracks have been in our set for almost a year now so it’ll be cool to play the songs live when we know people have actually heard them. I guess we’re also just excited to put out our first album, it’s kind of a mythic moment for a band.
The Facts + From “Sydney, Australia” + What musical pigeonhole can we shoehorn you into: “A lo-fi producer, an indie-loving songwriter and a 90s-loving drummer walk into an alt-country bar. Ouch.” + What track would we embed below, if this were online and not on paper: “‘Edge of Town’, or ‘Mistake’”
We’re pumped! It really does feel like a long time coming. We recorded it ourselves and with our friend Phan last year and got it mixed with Peter Katis about six months ago.
Check out...
How did you come to sign with Lucky Number? Was the album all done and dusted at that point? We met the great people from Lucky Number on our first trip to the UK, they came to our show, and we had a nice chat. By the time we signed with them the album was essentially in the final stages of mixing. We really liked the way they interpreted what the songs and the band were about, and we couldn’t be happier about teaming up with them.
What lyrical themes do you cover across the record, have they changed much since you first started out? The lyrical themes of Hannah’s songwriting have been pretty consistent; they really are just a reflection of her personality. She likes to deal in story-based imagery, and the songs are very relational. The lyrics often deal with pain or regret or confusion, but there is often an underlying hopefulness.
What’s it like being an up-and-coming band in Australia?
The scene is quite friendly and supportive, and it’s pretty small compared to what goes on over in Europe or the USA. It’s amazing after a while because we see the same Aussie musicians out on the road or at festivals and now we’re all friends and allies. Kinda special.
What’s been the highlight of your time in Middle Kids so far?
Wow, so many. The last year has been mental. Playing sold-out shows around Australia has been a highlight. We love playing to Australian crowds, it means a lot to us, and there’s always a rebellious and fun energy in the room. We’ve supported some of our heroes like Ryan Adams and The War on Drugs, which have been special experiences. Playing festivals like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits were also incredible experiences.
Are you guys creative in non-musical ways too?
Hannah is an amazing cook and loves to work in the garden, Harry loves to write in his little book of thoughts, Tim has recently taken to putting his clothes in a scanner and photocopying the fabric, but we’re not sure if that’s creative or just pointless. P
Middle Kids’ debut album ‘Lost Friends’ is out 4th May.
The Glitter Shop The best sound to come from rural Suffolk since, well, any Sheeran fans in? The fresh-faced trio only have a couple of tracks to their name but they’ve already proved they can do infectious indie (‘Fizz’) and downbeat, folky shoegaze (‘Sleep’) without a hitch, and played venues as far from home as Birmingham’s Sunflower Lounge. See them opening for Thyla at our Dork Live! show in Norwich on May 12th. Listen to: ‘Fizz’
Penelope Isles A lo-fi four piece from Brighton, Penelope Isles are a mix of woozy harmonies and distorted fuzz. They somehow combine the feeling of a hazy summer’s day with a vague sense of unease, a bit like spending a day at the beach when you’re not sure if you remember how to swim. Listen to: ‘Cut Your Hair’
Theia New Zealand singer EmHaley Walker is all about that buzz. With a couple of top-notch bangers and a debut EP already under her belt, plus a stadium tour with Sia and Charli XCX no less, the up-and-comer has just dropped her new single ‘Bye Bye’ - an attitude-packed masterclass in glitterpop. “It’s written from the perspective of the underdog. It’s a big finger up at the doubters and the haters,” she says. Listen to: ‘Bye Bye’ DOWN WITH BORING
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Cover story
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With her first album, Courtney Barnett captured a spirit that took her round the world. With follow-up ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’, she’s heading for a whole new planet. Words: Ali Shutler. Photo: Jennifer McCord.
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C
ourtney Barnett’s ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ is a record at war. Even
bigger than it is. Lots of people ask me about it as if it’s this life-changing thing, and I’ve become a different person, but it doesn’t feel like that to me.” Playing her music to people always felt tangible. Being nominated for a Grammy, “that was just another world.” Not that she’s now dreaming of another planet. “I’m not like, ‘Fuck, I can’t believe I didn’t fucking win that award’. It’s just a funny thing that happened,” she grins. “I don’t feel like this record is too different, but I feel like it’s a nice progression of musicality. I feel a bit more confident as a guitar player and having done a couple of different projects for other people and playing so much for two years, to me it feels like the next thing. It’s hard to guess how different it is to other people. It’s not that crazy but it feels like a natural progression.” Courtney Barnett is always busy. One week we’re talking in a London pub, surrounded by snow. The next, she’s in Melbourne, preparing for the release of her new album by playing guitar on tour with Jen Cloher. “The record is all done,” she reasons. “There’s nothing to focus on really, I’m just doing interviews here and there, but I don’t know what I’m talking about anyway, so there’s no work I can put into that. I just hope for the best.” “I’m always kinda busy,” she says with a shrug that
Courtney Barnett, London. March 2018.
S
the static title is constantly on the move. “It’s a bit of a floating statement; it could be earnest, sarcastic, a question or a statement directed at me or you or anyone,” she considers. In some lights, it’s a plea. In others, a challenge. “It could be any of that. It’s just me not being aware of my emotions, mostly. It is said earnestly I think, but it could be anything.” And that freedom rages throughout Courtney’s second album like it’s raged through her story so far. Her debut ‘Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit’ built on a sideways glance at the world that was crafted in early EPs ‘I’ve Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris’ and ‘How To Carve A Carrot Into A Rose’. This time out though, its message kept spreading. Courtney was telling simple, heartfelt stories of the everyday, of posters in kitchens and of existential crises wrapped around the desire for control, and people saw themselves within. It wasn’t long before Courtney was being labelled a voice of generation, though she’d only scoff at the idea. What followed was two years of near continuous shows around the world. “There were moments of burnout and general ups and downs of touring, but that always happens. I would normally approach each day feeling like I am so lucky to be doing this. People don’t realise how privileged it is to be able to travel and play your songs to people onstage… It’s incredible. I never really thought I’d make it around the world, but that was a nice bonus. I’ve got to go to some pretty incredible places.” And while Courtney’s music has reached more and more people in the past few years, things haven’t changed as much as you might imagine. “Things have changed a little bit, obviously, but I feel like everyone else thinks it’s
“I’m always trying to avoid thinking about how I feel”
comes from knowing nothing else. “I like keeping myself busy. When I’m doing nothing, I don’t like it. I like having something to work towards and to aim for and to keep me flexing my creative muscles. I don’t talk about it all the time, but I like doing it. I’m never doing nothing because there’s always something happening or there’s some little project I’ve got going. If there’s totally nothing, I’ve got Milk Records which I help run. I’m always here working on the store. There’s always something fun going on.” It’s the sort of full-tilt approach that comes from “trying to look at everything as being a possible inspiration. Even relaxing and reading, that feeds something eventually. I’m pretty lazy with reading, but I’m trying to get back into it,” she notes. “There’s always some idea that it can spark, some way you can feed it into everyday life. I try and look at everything as a positive inspiration.” Since finishing the album,
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The Greatest
One by one, Goat Girl’s peers have started to break through. Now, with a debut album fizzing with potential, it’s their turn to make a noise. Words: Jamie Muir.
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R
osy Bones, is spending the day at home. It’s a Saturday
like a completely different identity to who they were when first writing and crafting in those early sessions. Goat afternoon, and for most, that Girl thrive off that core purpose and might seem like the norm, individual spirit that was there from day right? Not if you’re about one, even if they weren’t aware of it at to spend the next few weeks blistering the time. across SXSW and then preparing for Coming together as friends from a the sort of year where anything and young age - primarily to do “something everything will come thick and fast. productive with our time” - it was For Goat Girl, it’s that reality that sits only when Rosy joined the band that knocking at the door right now. If you’d they clicked into another gear, finding told them what would happen at the a connection with each other and beginning, they wouldn’t have believed discovering a new world within the DIY it in a million years. shows and gigs popping up across South “It was always a fun thing, something London and beyond. we just really enjoyed doing,” Rosy “That’s how I met them,” explains explains. “We never saw this all Rosy. “It was from going to those happening, we never talked about it, Trashmouth Records gigs, Meatraffle and it’s kinda taken us a while to realise shows, Primordial Soup that we’re actually quite shows and loads more. We good.” were kinda spectators for Bristling with the sort THINKING ABOUT those shows and nights, of immediate presence ‘DOING’ SOME ‘SHOWS’ and then we became part usually restored for YRSELF? IT’S A BLAST. of it.” steely-eyed punk bands “It was really fun, that Appearing on bills playing upstairs and period of doing our own across the capital, Goat in the back rooms of shows. I kinda miss it. Girl could soon be found boozers, Goat Girl’s Putting on shows with opening up for the bands sound is a whole ‘nother our mates, having BBQs, they’d once gathered to beast. Razor-sharp cuts making posters for it watch, making a name for build and build into and going around town themselves and working ramshackle runaways putting them up. out what worked along that spiral yet always “There was one we did the way. feel fully formed and at The Ivy House that we Rosy recalls the gigs controlled - and it’s in must have done about two with a laugh. “The first those unique moments years ago, maybe more. shows were pretty empty. where it feels like Goat It was a nice summer’s The only people that were Girl are one of only day where we had a BBQ there were like our mums a handful of bands as it was an all-day kinda and dads and some of our truly pushing at the thing - we had like eight friends - there were those boundaries and walls bands playing, and we had circles around the stage around being a guitar picked out our favourites, where nobody wanted to band in 2018. so it was Milk Disco, The be too close and nobody Now, after the many Honey Hahs, The Rebel, would be moving or nights up and down the Jerkcurb and more. clapping. It was pretty country, tucked into the “We didn’t know any of funny; it was a bit like, late-night shows and these people, but that was ‘Are you enjoying this? Or pint-stained floorboards the first show where we shall we stop?’” they’ve tread over to get got to know people who Thankfully, that to where they are today would go on to play a big wasn’t the end - Goat - Goat Girl are ready to part in our life now. It was Girl made sure they were unveil their cohesive first a really fun experience.” everywhere, jumping at statement to the world. every opportunity to play “It’s surreal,” cracks and building the sort of word of mouth Rosy, pointing out the platform she and response to their shows that ensured bandmates Lottie (known as Clottie that they’d be there to play at every key Cream), Ellie (L.E.D) and Naima (Naima moment. The rise of a community of Jelly) now find themselves holding as like-minded musicians and artists, it they sit on the verge of having a debut became an insatiable diary of shows at album out in the world. The Windmill in Brixton and support “I guess we did maybe think of this slots with the likes of Phobophobes, moment, especially when like label Parquet Courts and more, with their feet interest and stuff started happening firmly on the ground as friends doing but we thought of the album as, well, something to fill the time that was both that’s a long, long way away.” creative and fun. With most bands, who they are when “We didn’t really think about it as they release their debut album can feel
Goat Party
“We were spectators, and then we became part of it” being something we’d be able to do full time,” Rosy continues. “We were at school or had jobs. We never set out to make it a thing, we just started playing gigs and got better each time and were finding out what people thought of it.” Even when a manager came along, they thought “what’s a manager? He brought down loads of sweets and beer, and we were like, who’s this guy?” Independence and artistic integrity are two vital pillars for Goat Girl. They’d put on shows with mates, organise BBQ all-dayers and do it all for themselves, fiercely loyal and dedicated to the scene they’d first bonded over all those years ago. This was all without a single track out in the world, labels queuing up to book a time to come and see the band rehearse as the swelling force around them continued to pull people in, and after one show, everyone would want more. “That whole time was pretty crazy. It was like the beginning of a year, and we were rehearsing in a practice room in Waterloo, and our manager was just bringing in all these people who’d come down to watch us practice. It was so intense, just us playing and people there nodding their heads - but it was a very long process, a bit of a game where you don’t want to give away too much.” Goat Girl signed to Rough Trade before a single track was released. In the almost two years since, they’ve morphed and evolved their creative juices, all while retaining that visceral feeling you get when witnessing them step on stage. Dropping tasters every few months, Goat Girl’s rise has never felt forced, but a measured and confident game of push and pull that raptures up more than just any old guitar band could. “When we started releasing material, and people started to know it, then things started to change,” Rosie remembers. “We had our first mosh-pit, and we were looking at each other and not knowing why this was happening. “I guess there was maybe a bit of pressure ever since we got signed with the record deal, and with producers that
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Be kind,
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, rewind. The boys from Brum are back - make way for a new, bolder Peace. “If you don’t take risks, what can you take?” ponders frontman Harry Koisser. Words: Jessica Goodman. Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett.
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“W
e’re kinda a big mess,” admits Janet Planet. It’s
an apt name to have when you’re in a band who could easily throwdown a party at any location, at any time. She’s joined leading the charge with Sugar Bones, alongside Clarence McGuffie and Reggie Goodchild - and if there were ever names more suited to Confidence Man then, well - someone needs to raise attention to it. “Like…” continues Janet, “if you’re cooking good food, a lot of the time it doesn’t really look good, but it tastes great. That’s what we are. We’re made up of a bunch of good things that shouldn’t necessarily go together, but somehow it kinda works.” A lot can happen in a year, and Confidence Man are a shining example of that very fact. In the space of twelve months, they’ve gone from spending their time playing in multiple bands and hanging out together in a shared house in Brisbane, to the sort of onthe-cusp level of hysteria that feels like its ready to bubble over into one glorious disco celebration. “A lot of the past year has been finalising and working out exactly what the band was,” details Janet, taking a moment at home before Confidence Man unleash their defining next steps. “At the time we released ‘Boyfriend (Repeat)’, we still didn’t know what we wanted to do or who the characters were in the band or how we wanted to portray ourselves live, so it’s been a slow process of adding things as we go. It’s been a big collage of all these little mistakes.” Not like you would have known. What Confidence Man represent and do may be something that seems quite easy to pinpoint, but its importance in 2018 is something to behold. Born out of life down under, its origins don’t lie with four friends discovering music for the first time, but a natural voyage into the unknown with only the thought
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of having fun - and the result might well be the most joyous record of the year so far. Playing in their own bands separately (across the likes of Aussie favourites Jungle Giants, Moses Dunn Collective and The Belligerents), Confidence Man are that moment when you first meet someone and let them flow into your life, pulling boundaries down and jumping into the bliss of living. “I think why we ended up doing what we did was because we didn’t feel like there was anything out there that was exactly what we wanted to do or see when we went out and got drunk,” confesses Janet, drawing back to the path that’s led them here. “We decided that we’ll just make it ourselves then, if it’s not there. “Everyone was writing music already in this shared house but were doing it in their rooms, and I think one day, Reggie was just jamming on a bassline and a few of us were in there and it ended up just being the four of us in a room thinking, holy shit this is awesome. “We started doing it more and more and then it became a routine, twice a week before escalating from there.” “At the start, it was just my girlfriends who liked the tracks we were making,” points out Janet, “and then we released ‘Boyfriend’ and we were like, actually, maybe we should write some more songs. Maybe we need more songs because people are starting to listen to us and maybe these are songs people would like.” When ‘Boyfriend’ landed in the world, the world took notice. Within months, Confidence Man were storming packed out festival stages and becoming the sort of word of mouth phenomenon that meant, even if you haven’t heard of them you’ll need to see them live. At last year’s Great Escape, the hub of breakthrough bands, their shows grew and grew over the three days, going from a room of ten people at their first show - to their final one seeing crowds gathered down the street.
“People had this expectation that we knew what we were doing, but we actually had no idea” It was a long way from their initial plan for Reggie and Clarence to tour their songs as a DJ set while they saved enough money to get everyone out on the road, something that seems unthinkable now Confidence Man pack the feel-good live show of the year in their back pocket. A glitter-soaked coming together of everything they represent, it’s the big night out coming straight for everyone and anyone. “We did this one show within the first week of releasing a song at this tiny venue in Brisbane,” recalls Janet, thinking back to those early days and the unfiltered live show they brought to the table from day one. “My Mum had made our costumes and everything. I was in this gold sequin mini-dress, and Sugar was in a matching gold suit. We did moves that were ABBA-inspired and smiling really big and just super happy. Our friends were watching, and we asked them what they thought. They were like, ‘You went like deep ABBA’ and I was like, dude - ABBA are pretty good.” Their reputation began to grow, within months being dubbed ‘the best up-and-coming live band in Australia’ and feeding off immediate reactions to their inviting fun-filled frolics. For Confidence Man though, it was just
DON’T YOU KNOW THEY’RE IN A BAND?
Feeling a bit down? Get Confidence Man on your stereo, pronto. If anyone knows how to have a good time, it’s definitely these guys. Words: Jamie Muir.
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Reviews. THE OFFICIAL VERDICT ON EVERYTHING.
The Big One
Peace Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll Peace have been the glue to hold a universe of exciting British indie bands together. Back with a third album and a bolder, more singular swagger, they’re out to get their dues.
P
eeeee LABEL: IGNITION RECORDS RELEASED: 4TH MAY 2018 LISTEN TO: KINDNESS IS THE NEW ROCK AND ROLL, YOU DON’T WALK AWAY FROM LOVE, FROM UNDER LIQUID GLASS 52
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eace are an important band.
While their first two albums have fizzed with the day-glo energy of a band drawing influence from the past before warping it into their own acid washed, tie-dye world, that vitality doesn’t simply come from their own output. Their arrival - and the scene from which they grew - paved the way for so many of the impossibly exciting underground-slashmainstream bothering bands that pepper 2018. Without them, the groundwork for Wolf
Alice, Shame or countless others simply wouldn’t be there. They may still have broken through, but it wouldn’t have been easy. That’s because Peace have always felt to be more than just a band. A force of personality, infectious but unforced, they’ve never allowed themselves to become the last gang in town. Open, inclusive and charged with the wide eyed hope of youth, even as they grow older, they still feel a million miles from the grumpy claws of the ‘seen it all before’ moaners, so eager to ruin the kids’ fun. If anything, they’re pulling away. If anything, ‘Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll’ is Peace at their most positive. Even in its darkest moments - such as
T “Do you like my. sword? We’ll have at. least four stars,. thanks.”.
the hauntingly effective ‘From Under Liquid Glass’ - there’s a sense of undeniable hope. In part, that’s down to a new, bolder outlook. This is still Peace, but delivered in a purer form than ever before. ‘You Don’t Walk Away From Love’ is packed with bombast - strutting on a singular guitar line, cocksure and proud while the title-track takes hippieish sentiment and turns it into starry-eyed possibility. It’s a theme that turns what could have been a desperate throw of the dice into a manifesto to believe in. Closer ‘Choose Love’ swells the heart, while ‘Magnificent’ pleads “don’t give up on me just yet”. There’s no chance of that. Give Peace a chance, and they’ll save us all. P Stephen Ackroyd
Alexis Taylor
Beautiful Thing
eeeee Four solo albums in, Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor gets nice and snug with a record that’ll keep your ears nicely toasted. Opener ‘Dreaming Another Life’ is particularly dark, blending hints of Taylor’s electronic background with warped guitars that linger before synths bring a welcome cosiness that allows you to settle in for a long, luxurious ride. ‘Beautiful Thing’ glows throughout; inviting you in to prop your head up on your forearms and gaze lovingly at Taylor as if he is telling you the most engaging tales you’ve ever heard. Irreverent perfectionism from an artist not afraid to be a little strange. P Ciarán Steward
Confidence Man
Confident Music For Confident People
eeeee When was the last time you threw yourself into a party? That exact feeling, of leaving your inhibitions at the door, is what makes Confidence Man such a special band - and ‘Confident Music For Confident People’ such an essential album for a time where being afraid and stepping back may seem like the easiest thing to do. A glorious eruption of party culture and unabashed Skittle-pop, it’s Confidence Man distilling the ‘give no fucks’ attitude of clubland with mesmerising melodies and the sort of immediate hit that pulls you right into their world. We’ll see you under the disco ball. P Jamie Muir
Cosmo Sheldrake
The Much Much How How And Ice
eeeee Old Vic composer, maverick producer and ‘found-sound’ expert, Cosmo Sheldrake is both weirder and more wonderful than your average pop star. Raised by a biologist and Mongolian overtone chanter, his unorthodox musical education comes to startling fruition on his first full-length, an epic reflection on life as an artist constantly flirting with theatricality. One to file next to Alt-J and Glass Animals, ‘The Much Much...’ is an example of pretentious pop done well, and there is plenty to discover within his world. Just don’t forget to pack your penny whistle… P Jenessa Williams
Bryde
Like An Island
eeeee Otherworldly and ethereal, Bryde’s soundscapes reach boiling point with debut record ‘Like An Island’. Dripping with mysticism and transcendental sounds and images, she invokes the aesthetics of her native Wales throughout. Over the course of the record, Bryde juggles her mystical soundscapes and unapologetic guitars with pristine skill. There are moments of infectious beats and danceable choruses, of soft vocals and wisps of electronica. The mystic and turbulent atmospheres Bryde creates over the eleven tracks conjure powerful snapshots of relatable struggles. The heady combination of dreamlike stories and dense instrumentals makes ‘Like An Island’ a personable, evocative, and impressive record. P Erin Bashford
Recommended
Hey, Cosmo Sheldrake, recommend us some stuff... Favourite ever book: The Glass Bead Game by Herman Hesse. TV show you couldn’t live without: I don’t really watch many TV shows, but I just watched Twin Peaks and loved it. Best purchase of this year: I have just got into embroidery, maybe my embroidery hoop and darning needle! Anything else you’d recommend: Fermenting foods.
#indieamnesty
Blossoms Cool Like You eeeee From chart bothering Number 1 heroes, to fabricated in-band scraps, Blossoms find themselves sat atop the indie throne of the North.
B
lossoms fans, please breathe a sigh of relief. ‘Cool Like You’ is here, and it delivers everything one might want from a second album. Critically, there’s a healthy smattering of tracks that - at the bare minimum - equal the anthemic-might of earlier releases, such as ’Charlemagne’ and ‘Honey Sweet’, that appeared on the band’s debut. A single listen is all it takes for tracks on the new record to latch onto the subconscious. Even the most stubborn music fans will catch themselves murmuring the formidable chorus in ‘Giving Up The Ghost’ during a quiet moment. Who knows, you might even start welling up inexplicably to Tom Ogden lamenting, “I hate leaving the town that owns me…”, on ‘Love Talk’, unearthing some unknown, deep-set emotional baggage that could probably do with some acknowledgment. One thing’s for certain, much of the album’s power lies in the way that Blossoms harness nostalgia, both in their lyrics and the music
itself. Synthesisers have been promoted to take a front-seat, with intros on many of the tracks wielding some ultra-spacey riffs, reminiscent of those 80s ballads your mum would have played too loudly in her room as a teenager, as she sat on her bed thinking about that boy she fancies (likely a ‘Mark’, or ‘Simon’). The album is as cathartic as it is nostalgic, and although its sentiments are mainly retrospective, even regretful, Cool Like You manifests as a synthclad ‘purge’. On the first listen, the lyrics and tonal influences suggest that the album is a mere token of the past. Yet on the second or third listen, it becomes clear that Cool Like You exists as a very necessary expulsion, of sorts. The album is a friendly gift, instructing its listeners on the way that acknowledging the past facilitates progression into the future. An auspicious sentiment, especially coming from a band on their second album - it can only be hoped that there’ll be several more. P
Lily Beckett
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Get Out.
The latest gig news.
Get more as it happens, every day at readdork.com
Live + amplified.
IF IT’S ON STAGE, IT’S IN HERE.
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Black Honey are back with some warm-up dates Black Honey are kicking back into gear with a batch of live dates planned for spring. “Oh my god we’re finally hitting the road for a UK warm-up tour,” they reveal. “Our first official UK headline in over a year. Fuck yeeaahh!” They’ll start out in Hull on 9th May, and hit up Stoke, Sheffield, Cardiff, and Oxford, before winding up in Portsmouth on the 15th.
Celebrate Halloween with Dream Wife Dream Wife are cracking out the plastic spiders and witches hats for a new London show. The band – who are also on the road supporting The Vaccines at the mo, and have several summer festivals planned – will perform at KOKO on Halloween, 31st October. They’re performing in support of their recent debut album, ‘Dream Wife’.
Tom Misch is hitting the road, with an O2 Academy Brixton date
Tom Misch is heading out on another UK tour this winter. The nine-date run kicks off on 11th November at the O2 Academy in Newcastle, and includes a night at London’s O2 Academy Brixton – his biggest headline show to date. The tour is in support of the South Londoner’s debut album ‘Geography’, out now via his own Beyond The Groove label.
Fever pitch
Everything Everything triumph at London’s Alexandra Palace on their own terms Pumarosa? Check. Sundara Karma? Check. Everything Everything? Check. What a bill. Words: Jamie Muir. Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett.
I
f you put it all down on paper, Everything Everything headlining a venue like Alexandra Palace may seem like a pipe-dream. Constantly looking forward with their genre-busting directions, it’s a testament to their unwavering commitment to what they do that they stand at this moment. Over the course of just over a decade, they’ve weaved, dipped and rolled in every direction possible – building the sort of following that remains loyal no matter which unpredictable path they choose to head down next. With last year’s ‘A Fever Dream’, they once again stood apart – a record of fizzing energy, chilling beauty and electric eccentricity that ushered in a new era for a band who’ve refused to stand still. It’s why tonight, on their biggest headline stage, there’s a feeling not just of celebration, but of achievement. It’s an attitude reflected in those taking the stage before
them. Pumarosa don’t do things by half measures, and even though they step out on stage first tonight, they treat it like a headline moment of their own. In ‘The Witch’, they have a debut album full of majestic swoops and panoramic vision, slowly blossoming in the measured turns it takes. They’re followed by Sundara Karma, and they’re met with a heroes’ welcome, cuts like ‘Explore’ and ‘Olympia’ bellowed back from a crowd throwing themselves into every hit, while ‘Flame’ sees Oscar drowned out by thousands. From the first note tonight, Everything Everything are in control. It’s no surprise, with a reputation for bringing their tracks to new levels every time they step on stage. Their crowning moment focuses heavily on the band’s latest work, with ‘A Fever Dream’ and previous album ‘Get To Heaven’ making up the bulk of their setlist, and it’s pretty clear why. Refusing to stick to the status quo and fusing experimental edges with a deep pop heart, it’s a ride that sees Alexandra Palace bowing to their every word. What makes tonight so special, is that Everything Everything did this all without compromising on who they are. It’s reflected in a set that never sits in one place too long. It’s a rightful coronation for a band who’ve not just continued to grow, but that holds significance for so many. An encore that can go from their next bold step (the fizzing spins of ‘Breadwinner’ from their latest EP) to powerful art-rock (‘White Whale’) to clubland hedonism (‘Distant Past’) is a sure-fire sign that they’re unlike anyone else right now. For most, Alexandra Palace is the culmination of everything they’ve done. For Everything Everything, it feels like the inevitable next step in their unstoppable rise to becoming one of this generation’s most important bands. A pipe-dream? Everything Everything are much more than that. P
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