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Index Issue 54 | May 2021 | readdork.com | Down With Boring
Editor’s Letter Some bands are just special. Many are decent, a few are great, but the very top tier is reserved for those who have that certain something about them. It’s nothing so crass as the much commercially flaunted ‘x factor’. It’s far more organic and less showy than that, a form of quiet confidence that sits beneath what they do, allowing them to be themselves rather than spin off with any passing trend. Though they may
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be wracked with the same self-doubt and imposter syndrome as the rest of us, somehow, they’re incapable of being anything else but their brilliant selves. That’s a pretty long-winded way of introducing this month’s cover stars, Wolf Alice. Of all the acts you’ll find in these pages, there’s a more than convincing argument that they’re one of the very, very best - both in their quality as a band, but
also their ability as individuals to stand for something more than just a lovely tune. New album ‘Blue Weekend’ is - and I hope I’m not breaking any embargos saying this - a true work of art. Special, basically. Who expected anything less?
Stephen
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6Ø Incoming Ø6. The Night Café Liverpool’s The Night Café are back with a new EP, and a promise of much more.
‘Editor’ @stephenackroyd
Ø8. Dreamer Boy With a second album on the blocks, Dreamer Boy - aka Zach Taylor - is embracing the cowboy pop yee-haw.
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Wolf Alice With the famed ‘difficult second album’ both behind them, and proving a triumph in itself, Wolf Alice are returning with a new opus right at the time we need them most. Head away for a ‘Blue Weekend’ with one of the very best bands on the planet.
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Coach Party
Squid
Fresh from their appearance on Dork’s 2021 Hype List, Coach Party are back with a brand new EP
A weird, winding, tooting troupe - Squid aren’t your standard bunch of lads in a band.
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Chloe Moriondo
Lava La Rue
From teen with a ‘uke’ to bubblegum pop rock brilliance.
THE MAILBAG
Wall Art
12. Wonho K-pop sensation Wonho has with the help of his fans - risen to new heights.
14. Kero Kero Bonito As Kero Kero Bonito offer up their new EP ‘Civilisation II’, we’re more than up for checking out their alternate-reality.
2Ø. Courting Introducing your next big band crush Courting - who refuse to stick to the tired old clichés.
readdork.com Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden
Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young
Scribblers Abigail Firth, Aleksandra Brzezicka, Alexander Bradley, Blaise Radley, Connor Fenton, Edie McQue, Felicity Newton, Finlay Holden, Jake Hawkes, Jamie MacMillan, Jasleen Dhindsa, Jay Singh, Laura Freyaldenhoven, Melissa Darragh, Neive McCarthy, Phoebe De Angelis, Steven Loftin Snappers Adam Alonzo, Charlotte Patmore, Fraser Taylor, Marieke Macklon, Matilda Hill-Jenkins, Phil Smithies, Phoebe Fox, Sarah Louise Bennett, Xenia Owens
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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.
#HELPTHEHEDGEHOGS
When it comes to exciting new talents, few come close to Lava La Rue.
26. Deb Never With her intimate take on lo-fi grunge, Deb Never is shaping the sound of the future.
Hedgehogs can become trapped in ponds if there’s no easy way out. If you do have a pond, ensure it has a sloping edge or a log at one end which can act as a ladder for any hedgehogs who have taken the plunge
Stuff we’ve been sent this month from ‘the stars’ (or their lovely publicity teams, but let’s pretend etc. etc.) AIR FRESHENER!
The problem with these promotional gifts, if we’re honest, is they’ll often have a subtext that’s unintentional to them. Take this - a fish shaped air freshener from Easy Life sent around the announce of their debut album. Are they trying to tell us the band smell fishy?
BUTTERFLIES!
Now Sody, she knows how to do it. A lovely ‘zine, a nice plant to grow in order to attract butterflies, AND some chocolate fluttery things. Honestly, ‘the bands’, the best thing you can do is just send us things to eat. That’ll get you at least an extra star (shhh! - Ed).
A MIXTAPE!
Those lovely types Dad Sports made us a mixtape! Isn’t that lovely? It’s not even one of those ‘mixtapes’ either - it’s proper. The only problem, we’re embarassed to admit, is - erm - we don’t actually own a cassette player. Sorry. We’re not anywhere near as retro cool as you think. readdork.com 3.
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With the famed ‘difficult second album’ both behind them, and proving a triumph in itself, Wolf Alice are returning with a new opus right at the time we need them most. Head away for a ‘Blue Weekend’ with one of the very best bands on the planet. Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Jono White, Sarah Louise Bennett.
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A weird, winding, tooting troupe Squid aren’t your standard bunch of lads in a band. With their debut album ‘Bright Green Field’ delivering on their undoubted potential, your friends at Dork are here to ask them about - erm *checks notes* Jaffa Cakes? Words: Martyn Young. Photos: Xenia Owens.
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t’s been the eternal question facing all bands in this cursed year. How do you function as an active working band when your main way of communicating, eg playing live, has been knocked on the head? Well the answer is gardening. Gardening is the secret to a happy and functioning state of mind for post punk pop experimentalists Squid. “We were lucky in the summer to get an allotment and spend a lot of time in the greenhouse putting vegetables in the ground and harvesting,” says guitarist Louie Borlase, while multi-instrumentalist bass wizard Laurie Nankivell explains, “It’s been proper nice like. Our Red Russian Kale is still going strong.” “Our Garlic is bulbous and ready to burst out the soil,” adds Louis with all the confidence of a man beautifully at peace with life. And so he should be. From harvesting giant garlic to harvesting giant
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From teen with a ‘uke’ to bubblegum pop rock brilliance, Chloe Moriondo’s new album is a vital signpost to just how far she’s come. Words: Martyn Young.
“M
y rock chick evolution is going strong,” exclaims Chloe Moriondo as she talks about her transformation from sweet ukulele playing 13-year-old to a full-blown amazing pop star. She’s preparing to release her maybe, arguably, possibly debut album proper, but don’t worry, we’ll get to that later. For now, Chloe is on the crest of a wave with ‘Blood Bunny’. It’s certainly been a steep rise for one of indie pop’s brightest new talents. “It’s crazy. I never expected it to get so big so fast,” Chloe explains from her bedroom in Detroit. Her bedroom is where all her best creative output comes from, see - most of Chloe’s passions can be traced back to these four walls. There are no superstar predilections with Chloe, no desire to turn herself into a character or concept. She knows what she likes, and she cherishes it dearly. “I have a lot of weird little hobbies that I get into
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“I have a pet tarantula, and a gecko, and a puppy. I would die for them” Chloe Moriondo
and hyper fixate on,” she says exuberantly. “I’m big into video games. I’m on my Nintendo Switch every single day.” The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, Stardew Valley and Resident Evil 4, to be precise. She also has a passion dear to Dork’s heart. “I’m also obsessed with animals,” she says. “I’m a huge animal person. I have a pet tarantula, and a gecko, and a puppy. I love them with everything inside of me. I would die for them.” So, that’s a bit about Chloe, but what about that ace new album and the whirlwind year she’s just had? Passionate about everything she does,
she’s poured everything into a collection of songs that show a real step up from bedroom pop naivety to pristine power-pop perfection. “This is my first big kid album,” she explains about ‘Blood Bunny’. “I released my own independent one previously. I called it an EP, though, as I didn’t understand the difference between an album and an EP. I made it all myself. It was very 13-year-old me.” ‘Blood Bunny’ is a whole world away from the youthful charm of her previous releases, though her earliest recordings and relationship with her nascent youtube community
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collective, her recent EP ‘ButterFly’ blazed a trail that’s worth getting in a bit of a flap over.
Words: Aleksandra Brzezicka.
When it comes to exciting new talents, few come close to Lava La Rue. Part of the fast rising NiNE8