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Issue 71 | November 2022 | readdork.com | Down With Boring
WELL, THAT WAS A MONTH, WASN'T IT? We've spent most of the last few weeks stuffing envelopes, lining the pockets of Postman Pat and learning more about packaging options than we ever figured possible. October's issue was - by a margin - our biggest ever, with tens of thousands of magazines flying out from our door direct to readers all over the planet. If you're a new regular just joining us - hi! Thanks! Make yourself at home. This month, we've got a typically wide and diverse cast of cover stars showcasing the very best of the Dork universe. Of our three returning cover stars, both Cavetown and The Big Moon have offered up gems of new albums sure to soundtrack the rest of our year, while we link back up with Inhaler right as they announce their second full-length, set to arrive next February. They're joined by chart-topping sensation Kim Petras - who is stepping out with new purpose following her world domination alongside Sam Smith - and the fantastic ENNY, embarking on her second phase with the kind of assured brilliance that already has her turning heads as she charges through. Now, if you don't mind, we've got next month's double issue to get to grips with. From the Hype List to our end of year round-up, Readers' Poll and something extra special, we're going to be very busy bees all over again. What a shame.
readdork.com Editor Stephen Ackroyd
#71. NOVEMBER 2022.
Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young Scribblers Abigai Firth, Connor Fenton, Dan Harrison, Dillon Eastoe, Finlay Holden, Jake Hawkes, Jamie MacMillan, Jessica Goodman, Melissa Darragh, Neive McCarthy, Rob Mair, Sam Taylor Snappers Em Marcovecchio, Frances Beach, Harvey Pearson, Jamie MacMillan, Joel Palmer, Kenny Laubbacher, Lewis Evans, Marieke Hulzinga, Nic Bezzina, Patrick Gunning, Sarah Louise Bennett, Tatiana Pozuelo
PUBLISHED FROM WELCOMETOTHEBUNKER.COM PO BOX 420, HASTINGS, TN34 9LZ
‘Editor’ @stephenackroyd
INTRO.
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04
FEATURES.
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22 30 34 38 42 46
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08 10 12 16
CONNIE CONSTANCE PVA WITCH FEVER A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... APRIL BANGERS
HYPE. 18 20
ALISSIC BONNIE KEMPLAY
PERSONAL TRAINER
KIM PETRAS THE BIG MOON CAVETOWN ENNY INHALER TOVE LO
INCOMING. 48
REVIEWS
48 49
THE 1975 ARTIST’S GUIDE: CRAWLERS ARCTIC MONKEYS
GET OUT. 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER
BACKPAGE. 54
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS... PIXEY
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.
INTRO. THE BEATING HEART OF POP NONSENSE.
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Second album 'Miss Power' sees CONNIE CONSTANCE embracing her powers to make herself a true contender. Words: Martyn Young. Photos: Joel Palmer.
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COVER FEATURE
Dress and jacket: Diesel. Rings: Kim's own.
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KIM PETRAS
Topping charts all over the planet with Sam Smith, and with a whole new era ready to kick off, Kim Petras' main pop girl era has arrived. WORDS: ALI SHUTLER. PHOTOS: SARAH LOUISE BENNETT. STYLIST: DAVEY SUTTON. MAKE UP ARTIST: FRANCESCA BRAZZO. HAIR STYLIST: MARTIN CULLEN.
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FEATURE
At the start of 2020, with a new album in tow, The Big Moon were ready to move up a gear. Then everything stopped. One pandemic later, they're back - their lives changed, but better, and closer together, than ever before. WORDS: JESSICA GOODMAN. PHOTOS: PATRICK GUNNING.
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THE BIG MOON
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Robin Skinner is an artist who means more to his fans than most. Already a bedroom pop sensation, new album 'worm food' sees Cavetown pushing out towards new horizons. WORDS: NEIVE MCCARTHY. PHOTOS: EMILY MARCOVECCHIO. PHOTO ASSISTANTS: SOPHIE SCOTT, VENDY PALKOVIČOVÁ.
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CAVETOWN
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FEATURE
C HAMPAGN E Over the last couple of years, ENNY has progressed to 'genuine star' status. Fronting magazines and building buzz, she's now heading into what she's referring to as 'Phase 2'. We're here to find out more. WORDS: MARTYN YOUNG. PHOTOS: SARAH LOUISE BENNETT. MAKE UP: NANCE SYNTHIA KATENDE. HAIR: MAGALIE KATENDE. STYLING: ADEOLA JOHNSON & EL-SHADDAI NYAGODZI.
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ENNY
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FEATURE
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They've just dropped a new track, 'Love Will Get You There', and announced their second album, 'Cuts and Bruises', to come early next year. But after a chart topping debut, are Inhaler ready to do it all over again? WORDS: JAMIE MACMILLAN. PHOTOS: LEWIS EVANS.
ALLING THEMSELVES 'LOSERS' WITHIN MINUTES OF THE INTERVIEW BEGINNING ISN'T THE KIND OF GRANDIOSE FIGHTING TALK YOU'D EXPECT TO HEAR FROM A CHART-TOPPING, GLOBE-TROTTING AND HYSTERIAINDUCING BAND LIKE INHALER. After the highlydeserved, and frankly massive, success that the four Dublin lads achieved with 'It Won't Always Be Like This', you'd expect them to be breezing easily through life. But then, these aren't normal times, and Inhaler aren't your normal kind of band either. A relentless tour schedule has followed ever since, with this particular bunch of long-time mates facing the same challenges and pitfalls that have caught up with a number of our favourite artists this year. And yet, somehow, they have still managed to squeeze in the recording of a follow-up, titled 'Cuts And Bruises', an album that the band promise us is even better than their debut (which was not too shabby itself, thank you very much).
After a few weeks of trying to track them down to find out more, Dork caught up with them over Zoom just a few hours after the band arrived in the States on yet another transatlantic hop for Ohana Festival. With the band fresh out of their studio, it's no surprise that the mere promise of Californian sunshine is making Elijah hunt for a sunny spot as he joins the call. Josh and Rob, meanwhile, have settled for sitting in the dark, while Ryan is missing in action (the drummer was stuck in a social security office, but the rest of the band promise us he's ok and did actually made it into the country). The jet lag hasn't hit yet ("Give us another day, and I'd say it'll fuck us up," promises Rob), and the band are grinning like they haven't played about 500 shows in a year. Exaggerate, us? Not that the band feel like they've cracked touring life and dealing with jet lag just yet. "We don't feel like pros at this yet," laughs Elijah. "I think that probably takes a couple of albums." They must be getting to that point soon, though. 'It Won't Always Be Like This' has taken the band around the world and back again, with tour schedules bouncing into festivals and continuing out the other side. Chances are, if you've been in a festival field this summer, you've seen them. "It's been wild," nods Elijah, while stating that it's something the band are fairly comfortable with. "I think we can deal with touring because it's just physical exhaustion rather than mental," he says. "We try not to party too hard. I mean, we don't really need to try because we just don't
do it. It's in the studio that the wheels come off a little bit, but we're quite well-behaved individuals. If you'd believe it." With the summer season bringing a Glasto debut amongst other treats, as well as a support slot for Arctic Monkeys' return, it's been quite the trip. "It all just feels like a haze," says Rob. "It's mad to think that Glasto happened recently. But it was great, man. Just getting to go around the world and get to do decent slots in places we've been to before is always very humbling, and a pretty special thing that we get to enjoy." Slipping back into life on the road as a touring band came easily enough, though Elijah describes their first festival back, at Boardmasters, as being "nerve-wracking". "It was strange," he remembers. "We spent every day of our late-teens together, and then after the pandemic, we met up and were like, 'hey mate, haven't seen you for a while'. It felt like, had that all even happened? But we all just settled into it quickly - it felt normal, and it felt right." Like many others in the music world, the frontman admits to having had doubts about whether the band would survive an extended lockdown and admits to "jumping up and down with relief" when the foursome could finally hit the road again. That festival slot in Newquay brought it all back home. "We had done a few festivals before the pandemic," remembers Elijah. "But we didn't feel that good at them, or that we'd mastered it. But it just kind of fell into place and felt normal. So I think this READDORK.COM 43.