DOWN WITH BORING.
ISSUE 76 · MAY 2023 · READDORK.COM
Niall Horan
SPOTLIGHT SHOW
SPOTLIGHT SHOW
SATURDAY 13TH MAY
FRIDAY 12TH MAY
ARLO PARKS
MAISIE PETERS
BRIGHTON DOME
BRIGHTON DOME
SOLD OUT CONCERT HALL
CONCERT HALL SOLD OUT CORE PROGRAMME
49TH & MAIN 7EBRA 86TVs ACID KLAUS ADMT ALICE LONGYU GAO ÁINE DEANE ALICE LOW ANNA B SAVAGE ARTHUR HILL ARXX BELLAH BENEFITS BILLIE MARTEN BLONDSHELL BOSLEN BUTCH KASSIDY C.O.F.F.I.N CAITY BASER CALUM BOWIE CHALK CHARLOTTE PLANK CIEL CIVIC COACH PARTY DEB NEVER DEBBY FRIDAY DEKI ALEM DOLORES FOREVER DYLAN JOHN THOMAS ENGLISH TEACHER ETHAN P. FLYNN FAT DOG FEET GIRLSOFGRIME GROVE GURRIERS HAK BAKER HANNAH GRAE HEARTWORMS I. JORDAN ISABEL LA ROSA JAMES ELLIS FORD JAMES MARRIOTT JAZMIN BEAN JESSICA WINTER JGRREY KATIE GREGSON-MACLEOD L DEVINE LAEL NEALE LAMBRINI GIRLS LANA LUBANY LIME GARDEN MAE STEPHENS MARIA CHIARA ARGIRO MCKINLEY DIXON MELIN MELYN MF TOMLINSON MICKEY CALLISTO MOONCHILD SANELLY NELL MESCAL NIX NORTHWEST O. PVA PERSONAL TRAINER RØRY SAD NIGHT DYNAMITE SAIMING SAINT HARISON SANS SOUCIS SIIGHTS SOPHIE MAY SORRY SPIDER STONE SUPERJAZZCLUB SURYA SEN SYSTEM OLYMPIA TAYLAH ELAINE TEETH MACHINE THE BIG MOON THE DREAM MACHINE THE GLUTS THE GOA EXPRESS THE HEAVY HEAVY THE JOY THE LAST DINNER PARTY THE MURDER CAPITAL THE PRETENDERS THE SCORPIOS ULA VENBEE VICTOR RAY VIJI VLURE WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR WILLIE J HEALEY YONAKA YUNÈ PINKU AND MANY MORE
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Issue 76 | May 2023 | readdork.com | Down With Boring
Hiya, Dear Reader. readdork.com
YOU MIGHT HEAR ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE
pitched as the nicest person in pop. And we're sure they're all Really Lovely People - but they're not Niall Horan. One of this month's three cover stars, from the minute Niall proclaimed Dork is the "greatest magazine name ever", he was in our good books. But obviously he is. The man is an absolute legend. Heck, it's a month of legends. Olivia Dean's new album 'Messy' is every bit as brilliant as the hype machine would suggest. When it lands this summer, it'll make waves. As will PVRIS' new record - a fizzing, genre-hopping monster that only conforms to expectations by utterly ignoring them. All three front a brand new edition of Dork - revamped, in an all-new size. Ever so slightly smaller, but packed with just as much pop nonsense as ever, we've reworked our format to fit more easily in the hand. We hope you like it. And if you think this issue is nuts... just wait to see what's coming for you next month. Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.
Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Scribblers Abigail Firth, Dan Harrison, Dillon Eastoe, Finlay Holden, Jamie MacMillan, Jessica Goodman, Laura Freyaldenhoven, Neive McCarthy, Roman Jody, Steven Loftin, Sam Taylor Snappers Caitlin Ricaud, Daniel Topete, Elif Gonen, Frances Beach, Jamie MacMillan, Jennifer McCord, Jonathan Weiner, Neelam Khan Vela, Patrick Gunning, Ronan Park, Rosie Sco, Sarah Louise Bennett, Tom Pacitti PUBLISHED FROM WELCOMETOTHEBUNKER.COM
‘Editor’ @stephenackroyd
UNIT 10, 23 GRANGE ROAD, HASTINGS, TN34 2RL
Intro.
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04 08 10 12 14 15 16 18 18
Hype.
Incoming.
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SPILL TAB BLEACH LAB NOAHFINNCE SXSW FAT DOG THE GREAT ESCAPE DO NOTHING LOUIS TOMLINSON A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...LOZEAK MARK
STONE CAVETOWN
DOLORES FOREVER BROOKE COMBE NIEVE ELLA
Features. 30 38 44
NIALL HORAN OLIVIA DEAN MATT MALTESE
46 52
PVRIS FALL OUT BOY
REVIEWS PRIMA QUEEN
Get Out. 56
FLETCHER
Backpage. 68
HATCHIE
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.
READDORK.COM 3.
INTRO.
s ’ b ta clear...
THE BEATING HEART OF POP NONSENSE.
For a hot min ute now, spil l tab has bee out practicall n sliding y per fect altpop gems. B brand new s ack with a ingle, ‘Windo w ’, and a new EP way, she’s fa st becoming on the one of the be game. But fir st in the st… anyone f or a game of pickleball? Words: Mar tyn Yo
ung. Photos
4. DORK
: Jamie Mac
Millan.
SPILL TAB
→ “I’M IN GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA. It’s a nice location. I live in a building where it’s mostly retired grandparents. It’s a good vibe.” It’s fair to say life is pretty idyllic right now for Claire Chicha, aka long-time Dork fave spill tab. “I’ve just been working on music and finishing up the last two songs for the EP. It’s really nice to be home and reconnect with my friends and just be in one spot for a while.” While she had the luxury of a little bit of time at home, Claire spent a good proportion of it getting involved in two distinctly different yet equally rewarding activities. You see, these pop stars are multi-talented. “As of late, like a little grandma, I’ve been getting so much into crochet and knitting,” she smiles. “It’s one of those things that once you’re relatively decent at it, you can pop on a TV show in the background. It’s sort of an added thing in the multitasking world, which is nice because I’m always just on my phone or laptop watching something and doing something else, so it’s a nice addition to that flow.” Perhaps Claire can use her knitting skills to create an outfit for her other newfound passion. Pickleball. Hold on, let Claire explain. “There’s a huge trend in LA right now where everyone is getting into pickleball,” she enthuses. “It’s like a smaller version of tennis. You’re using these little paddles, and the balls are bigger and plastic softball size. I usually play doubles. It’s taken Los Angeles by storm. I’ve found myself constantly in that storm.” Somehow within that storm, Claire has managed to create a new spill tab single, though, and it’s more than a bit special. ‘Window’ is a gorgeous slice of bewitching woozy pop that’s a reminder of just why spill tab is one of the most exciting artists in the world of alt-pop. Full of attitude and confidence, it’s the sound of an artist revelling in their melting pot world of pop experimentalism. “I was listening to a lot of Talking Heads and Unknown Mortal Orchestra,” she explains of the track’s genesis. “I was really into an organic drum thing with layered vocals and that kind of mood. I worked on it with my two friends, Austin and Wyatt, who I also did ‘Splinter’ with, so we had a working flow and we know each other a lot better musically now. It feels like a really dynamic trio. We like to switch roles a lot. It felt really good making it.” The track is going to be included on a forthcoming new spill tab EP that collates the stunning singles she released last year - ‘Splinter’, ‘Sunburn’ and ‘Creme Brulee!’ - as well as more new songs. It was clear, though, that as soon as she wrote it, ‘Window’ was going to be a key track. “It felt right,” says Claire. “Within the first few seconds, I knew that I really wanted it to come out, which is always a good feeling.” The song is a typically ear wormy spill tab lyric that details a hugely relatable feeling in an evocative whipsmart, clever way. “I like to pool from very real experiences but at the same
READDORK.COM 5.
COVER STORY
About to release his third full-length solo album, NIALL HORAN - quite probably the nicest man in pop, dontcha know - wants us all to join Team Lovers. WORDS: JESSICA GOODMAN. PHOTOS: SARAH LOUISE BENNETT.
The
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test
NIALL HORAN
Show
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COVER STORY
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OLIVIA DEAN
it's
OLIVIA DEAN's debut album 'Messy' is a passionate, heartfelt exploration of complex emotions, forging a relatable and warm connection that proves just why she's one of the most exciting new talents around.
a
WORDS: MARTYN YOUNG. PHOTOS: SARAH LOUISE BENNETT. MAKE UP: EMILY ENGLEMAN HAIR: DONICA CAMPBELL
messy business READDORK.COM 39.
COVER STORY
EVERG
46. DORK
PVRIS
GREEN PVRIS' Lynn Gunn is returning with an album that refuses to stick to tired old boxes and conform to lazy expectations. WORDS: ALI SHUTLER. PHOTOS: ASHLEY OSBORN.
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