DOWN WITH BORING
**
PL
US
** PLUS ** PL
US
**
S ** PLUS
S
U PL
**
S ** PLUS
PLU
PLU
**
**
PL U
S
LU
S
**
P
IDLES LANY SAWEETIE MATE DORK’S ULTI E K-POP GUID TON GUS DAPPER GRIFF + MORE!
LU
S
ISSUE 48 · OCTOBER 2020 · READDORK.COM
**
PL
US
** PLUS ** PLU
S
**
P
SUMMER HEART
FRANCOIS
Ambitions (EP)
Be Mine (EP)
6 November 2020
In partnership with
27 November 2020
October 2020. THIS MONTH...
28.
Alfie Templeman He’s just seventeen years old, but seventeen year-old Alfie Templeman, 17, is already one of indie’s great new hopes at the young age of seventeen. (No, that joke will never get old - Ed)
38.
IDLES
Revolutionary punk-rock force, or 6 Music dad’s favourite band? On album three, Idles are proving that maybe - just maybe - you can be both.
42.
Saweetie
Any preconceptions you have of Saweetie, throw them away. She’s here to stay.
46.
Gus Dapperton Already a fave in his own right, one TikTok megahit later and Gus Dapperton could be about to become a legit superstar.
50.
Dork’s Big K-pop Guide
You might know your BTS from your Blackpink, but let us take you by the hand through the mustknow world of K-pop.
Index.
** SUBSCRIBE TO DORK AND SAVE MORE THAN 30% A YEAR ** Subscribe at readdork.com now
October 2020 | readdork.com | Down With Boring
Ø6 Intro 28 Features
readdork.com
Editor Stephen Ackroyd Deputy Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor Ali Shutler Contributing Editors Jamie Muir, Martyn Young
Scribblers Abigail Firth, Aleksandra Brzezicka, Charlotte Croft, Dominic Allum, Jack Press, Jake Hawkes, Jamie MacMillan, Jessica Goodman, Josh Williams, Liam Konemann, Steven Loftin Snappers Ben Brook, Hollie Fernando, Rick Clifford, Sarah Louise Bennett, Tom Ham PUBLISHED FROM
WELCOMETOTHEBUNKER.COM UNIT 10, 23 GRANGE ROAD, HASTINGS, TN34 2RL 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.
Ø6
22 Hype 58 Incoming
Editor’s letter
T
here’s a way we like to think about ‘this magazine’, Most Dearest of Readers. While it would probably be easier to tick boxes, pick individual acts based on individual features and releases, and just let the winds take us in whatever direction the wider world wants us to travel, that seems awfully boring. Instead, we like to consider Dork a giant playground, full of characters, alliances and tribes. Friendships and conflicts reign supreme - a story that runs throughout each school year as different groups and collectives gain dominance and the right to call dibs on the backseat of the bus home. There’s the core squad - the vibrant gang who we build at the heart of everything we do, there’s the slightly to cool for their own good crew, there’s the pop kids, the greebo rockers and loads more. But in amongst this gallery of rogues, we have favourites too.
It’s no secret to anyone that one such golden boy is young Alfie Templeman. First appearing on our pages at the tender age of 16, one could legitimately say we’ve seen him grow up. Still a few months short of the big 1-8, he’s fast becoming indie’s new boy wonder. With 4 EPs down, and a new single just dropped, he’s giving off the kind
1Ø of bright, ultra-prolific energy which screams future Dork icon from the rooftops. That’s why we’re delighted to bring him to our - or any other - cover for the first time. From what we’ve heard, it won’t be the last.
Stephen
LANY
Mama’s boy is ready to rule the world: Paul Klein talks the band’s new album, vulnerability and pays homage to his hometown.
Fenne Lily
Fenne Lily has accidentally made a record that’s very onthe-nose for 2020.
12
Will Butler
18
Working Men’s Club
‘EDITOR’ @STEPHENACKROYD
Five years on from his solo debut, and Arcade Fire’s Will Butler is pondering his place in America, past and present.
Through line-up changes and delays, Working men’s Club’s debut album has had a bit of a difficult birth.
22
Griff
With an Ivor Novello nom already under her belt, Griff is one of pop’s bright new hopes.
24
Jawny
Introduce yourself to Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter/multiinstrumentalist/internet sensation, Jawny.
62
PVRIS
Lynn Gunn takes on our list of ridiculous questions. She’s Avril Lavigne level punk, ‘FYI’.
Subscribe to Dork. Get every issue direct to your door, anywhere on the planet. readdork.com 4. DORK
Down With Boring. The week in music. Dork Radio. 8pm BST every Monday. readdork.com/radio Search ‘DorkCast’ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify & more.
Intro. THE BEATING HEART OF P OP.
6. DORK
Intro.
MUM’S MUM’S
THE THE
WORD WORD
Mama’s boy is ready to rule the world: LANY’s Paul Klein talks the band’s new album, vulnerability and pays long-due homage to his hometown. By: Aleksandra Brzezicka.
readdork.com 7.
“IT’S LIKE I WAKE , UP HAVE SOME BREAKFAST… AND THEN
GAIN A MILLION FANS!” INDIE’S BOY WONDER. ALFIE TEMPLEMAN MIGHT STILL BE ONLY SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD, BUT HE’S ON THE RISE. By: Jamie Muir. Photography: Sarah Louise Bennett.
28. DORK
ALFIE TEMPLEMAN
readdork.com 29.
38. DORK
IDLES
THEIR LAST ALBUM SAW THE BAND TAKE OFF IN A WAY NO ONE EXPECTED - SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR IDLES?. By: Jake Hawkes. Photography: Tom Ham.
readdork.com 39.
SA D
SAWEETIE
AWEETIE DREAMS MULTI-PLATINUM RAPPER EXTRAORDINAIRE,
SAWEETIE ISN’T ABOUT TO BECOME A SUPERSTAR SHE ALREADY IS ONE. By: Abigail Firth.
readdork.com 43.
46. DORK
GUS DAPPERTON
POST HUMOROUS ON HIS NEW RECORD, GUS DAPPERTON EXPLORES HUMAN PAIN AND SUFFERING, BUT ALSO HEALING AND REDEMPTION. By: Aleksandra Brzezicka.
readdork.com 47.
**OMG, IT’S DORK’S...***
BIG K-POP BIG K-POP BIG K-POP THE BEST OF THE BIG ‘UNS (YES, WE’RE PRESUMING YOU’RE AWARE OF BTS BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT THAT SHELTERED ARE YOU DEAR READER? NO. NO YOU’RE NOT)
NCT
BLACKPINK
In your areaaaaaaa – they absolutely are. You can’t get away from Blackpink as these four girls dominate the industry globally. Smashing streaming records at every turn, it’s unbelievable that they don’t have a full album out yet. That’ll all change in October, but for now stream teaser single ‘How You Like That’ or 2019’s ‘Kill This Love’ to have your socks knocked off.
Words: Abigail Firth.
MONSTA X
This six piece might be a member down this year (after losing now solo Wonho), but they haven’t stopped working hard. Known for their clattering electro tunes, powerful vocals and snarling rap verses, Monsta X have pushed out two albums this year – one Korean (‘Fantasia X’) and one entirely in English (‘All About Love’) – and when ‘all of this’ is over, they’ll be kicking off a world tour.
50. DORK
Where to begin with NCT… This boy group recently expanded to 23 members(!!) who are split into three different units: NCT 127, the ‘main’ unit who have a couple of albums and a world tour in their arsenal, NCT Dream, the members under 20 (this doesn’t apply anymore though, so it’s currently just another group), and WayV, the Chinese-based unit. There’s also a rotational unit, NCT U, who release songs whenever they like with different members each time. All sounds a bit intense right? It kind of is, but the more really is the merrier with NCT. While the NCT 2020 project release is imminent, get acquainted with their 2018 album ‘Empathy’ for a taste of it all so far.
GUIDE GUIDE GUIDE
K-POP
KEEPING UP WITH K-POP IS NOT EASY AT THE BEST OF TIMES, AND IF YOU’VE ONLY JUST TUNED IN, IT CAN ALL GET A BIT OVERWHELMING. SO IF YOU’VE FOUND YOURSELF THINKING “OOH I QUITE LIKED THOSE BTS BOYS”, AND YOU’RE WONDERING WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE, HERE’S A GUIDE TO EVERYTHING GOING ON (THERE’S A LOT), INCLUDING WHO’S ABOUT TO BREAK, WHO’S ALREADY ON TOP, AND SOME LINGO THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
GOT7
RED VELVET
TWICE
SEVENTEEN
Unsurprisingly, this boy group has got seven members, however they’ve also got shit loads of tunes. While their recent releases veer on the sexy side (hello ‘You Calling My Name’), they’ve got a rich history of dramatic ballads and big club bangers. In between their group schedules, GOT7’s members keep themselves busy as solo artists, producers, actors, radio DJs – multi talented kings!
Arguably the biggest girl group in Korea, Twice recently celebrated their 100th(!!!) win with latest comeback ‘More & More’, and there’s no wonder – these girls have an ICONIC catalogue that’s made them one of the biggest selling groups of all time in just five years. Charming, catchy, cheeky, it’s impossible not to fall for. Look up last year’s ‘FANCY’ or earlier hits ‘What is Love’ and ‘Yes or Yes’ to see for yourself.
This super cool quintet can pull off anything – that’s thanks to Red Velvet’s group concept, where their ‘red’ (pop and electronic) side and ‘velvet’ (R&B and ballads) side collide. They aren’t afraid to go super experimental (‘Zimzalabim’), super sultry (‘Psycho’), or just bonkers fun (‘Umpah Umpah’), and that’s just last year’s singles. Whatever’s going on, we want a slice.
Thirteen-member boy group who just celebrated their fifth anniversary, and there’s SO much to celebrate. They’re pretty self-made, boasting one of the finest discographies in K-Pop (mostly produced and written themselves) and some of the most complex choreographies out there. Their most recent comeback ‘Left & Right’ is immense fun, but if you fancy something darker, try last year’s ‘Fear’.
readdork.com 51.