INHEAVEN
THE DEBUT ALBUM OUT 1ST SEPTEMBER “INHEAVEN are set to become indie megastars” Dork UK TOUR ON SALE NOW
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30th September – Newcastle – Think Tank? 1st October – Glasgow – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut 2nd October – Leeds – Brudenell Social Club 4th October – Sheffield – Plug 5th October – Stoke-On-Trent – The Sugarmill 6th October – Liverpool – Buyers Club 7th October – Manchester – Neighbourhood Festival 9th October – Birmingham – Mama Roux’s
10th 11th 13th 14th 15th 17th 18th 19th
October October October October October October October October
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Leicester – The Cookie Bristol – The Fleece Nottingham – Bodega Social Club Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach Oxford – Bullingdon London – Scala Brighton – The Haunt Southampton – Joiners Arms
THIS MONTH
DORK readdork.com
Editor: Stephen Ackroyd stephen@readdork.com
CONTENTS UPDATE 4 BASTILLE 10 PVRIS 12 SHAME 16 HYUNDAI MERCURY PRIZE 19 CHARLI XCX 20 LCD SOUNDSYSTEM 22 WILLIE J HEALEY 24 SLAVES 26 DUA LIPA 27 BANGERS 28 SPRING KING 29 NEWS FEED 30 CALENDAR 31 MYSTERY JETS 34 CONNECTION
Deputy Editor: Victoria Sinden viki@readdork.com Associate Editor: Ali Shutler ali@readdork.com Contributing Editors: Jamie Muir jamie@readdork.com Martyn Young martyn@readdork.com Events: Liam James Ward liam@readdork.com
HYPE 36 ANNA OF THE NORTH 37 SUZI WU 38 YONAKA 38 SOCCER MOMMY
Writers: Alex Bradley, Alex Thorpe, Ben Jolley, Heather McDaid, Jake Hawkes, Jenessa Williams, Jessica Goodman, Liam Konemann, Rob Mesure, Sam Taylor, Steven Loftin
FEATURES 40 GEORGE EZRA 46 THE CRIBS 50 GRIZZLY BEAR 52 SUPERFOOD 56 RAT BOY 60 ALVVAYS 62 EVERYTHING EVERYTHING 66 THE WAR ON DRUGS
Photographers: Phil Smithies, Poppy Marriott, Sarah Louise Bennett, Steve Gullick, Tim Easton
REVIEWS
“OH C OME
EVER
E QUOT E H OF T H! MONNATSHOVE
YO N E
T H IS
“I WAN R UP MY CA A TOY - WHO? ARSE” UT ON FIND O P.56
ON,
K N OW
IS M E .”
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THE BUNKER W E LCO M E TOT H E B U N K E R.CO M
long. My, how we’ve grown. We’ve not done that usual magazine thing of stringing out the same content over more pages, we’ve not gone and made our font bigger. We’ve not just stuck in a bunch of pretty pictures and tonnes of white space. Nah we’re still as ram-packed as ever with the most exciting new music on the planet. This month’s cover plays host to George Ezra. He’s back on the road to a second album
that’s got to follow one of the biggest selling records in recent years, but there’s no need to worry. He’s got this. Elsewhere there are more amazing artists than we strictly know what to do with. Rat Boy has finally dropped that debut album, and it’s great. The Cribs are back, and bringing the noise. Superfood return too with a brand new vibe. Alvvays are basically indie royalty now, while Everything Everything
Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett.
Y
P U B L I S H E D F RO M
THE BACK BIT 93 ACTIVITY CENTRE 94 ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WITH... INHEAVEN 95 BAND INDEX
EDITOR’S LETTER ep, we know. It’s huge, isn’t it? This isn’t just the biggest issue of Dork yet, it’s the start of a whole new era for your favourite magazine. After just over a year of fighting on the frontlines of music, we’ve evolved. The issue we put out this time last year was 48 pages long. This one is 96. NINETY SIX. That’s twice as
Cover photo: Phil Smithies
70 RAT BOY 71 EMA 72 EVERYTHING EVERYTHING 72 THUMPERS 73 INHEAVEN 74 QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE 75 FILTHY FRIENDS 75 LANA DEL REY 76 GHOSTPOET 76 THE CRIBS 78 THE NATIONAL 79 GAROROCK 80 LATITUDE 88 CITADEL 89 2000TREES
are as brilliantly odd as ever. Add to that Grizzle Bear, The War On Drugs, Slaves, Dua Lipa, Willie J Healey, LCD Soundsystem, Charli XCX, Spring King, Mystery Jets, The Big Moon and loads more, and it’d be easier to list bands we haven’t included. Mostly because we’re not sure we can think of any. Add to that a huge preview of Reading & Leeds - featuring Bastille, PVRIS, Liam Gallagher, Blaenavon, Shame,
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. Oh Wonder and more - plus an equally massive report from Latitude, and quite frankly we’re not totally sure you’ll be finished reading this issue before the next one hits the streets. We’d love to know what you think - so drop us a line with the details at the top of page 35, if you like. Enjoy! Stephen Ackroyd (@ stephenackroyd) Editor
UPDATE IF IT’S NOT IN HERE, IT’S NOT HAPPENING. OR WE FORGOT ABOUT IT. ONE OR THE OTHER.
75 BANDS TO YOU NEED SEE AT...
G N I D A E R S D E E L &
AT M EA N S RR IV ED . TH DAY H AS A LI O H K N BA . ! AU G U ST ZI N G BA N DS TI M E AG A IN SE O F A M A IT ’S TH AT ER IV N U A W H O LE . IVA L, A N D N FO R 20 17 LE ED S FE ST LO W-D O W RE A D IN G & TH E FU LL U YO G IN LL BR PA G ES , W E’ N EX T FE W O V ER TH E
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THE BEST OF READING & LEEDS
We’ve picked out the best bands playing R&L this year. Want to listen? Load up Spotify on your mobile, tap search, then the camera icon, scan the code to the left, and it’ll pop right up.
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E PLA YING , TC H A K N OW ?”
DOWN WITH BORING
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Every LCD album is a 5 star classic
Well, the first three are. We’re not allowed to tell you about the new one until next issue.
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
The album that started it all, LCD Soundsystem’s self-titled debut was the announcement of a band who could live in the gaps between the cool kids and the mainstream. Arriving over two discs, it matched two cuts of the lengthy, intoxicating ‘Yeah’ - coming in at over 20 minutes together - with the immediate explosion of ‘Daft Punk Is Playing At My House’ and ‘Movement’. It’s brilliant, obviously. 20
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SOUND OF SILVER
If the debut was a calling card, ‘Sound Of Silver’ was the masterpiece that kicked down all the doors. Nine tracks in lengths, it packs much of the band’s most storied material. From one of the greatest songs of the last 20 years in ‘All My Friends’ to the sardonic blast of ‘North American Scum’ and the rat pack crooning of ‘New York, I Love You...’, it was quite possibly the best album of the 00s.
THIS IS HAPPENING
‘This Is Happening’ was the shock. Not musically - LCD kept up their high standards with their third album. Rather, it was supposed to be their final release. A band going out at their top of the game felt like an ideal that only existed in fantasy bar conversations until James Murphy and co. actually did it. And while ‘This Is Happening’ may lack the iconic moments of its predecessor, it’s exactly what they did...
AMERICAN DREAM
... for a while, anyway. ‘American Dream’ is an album so good that it needed to be recorded. That’s what Murphy reckons, anyway. We can’t tell you much about it (yes, we’ve heard it) - we’re under a vow of secrecy until after this issue hits the streets - but if we’re feeling cheeky we’ll point out we wouldn’t be writing this piece if it was rubbish, now would we? Excited yet? Thought so.
TBC
They’ve got basically the best back catalogue in modern music, ‘FYI’ Show us a song better than ‘All My Friends’ and we’ll get you the help you so urgently need.
DAFT PUNK IS PLAYING AT MY HOUSE
From its opening explosion, the first track on LCD Soundsystem’s debut album is a line drawn in the sand. It wasn’t the first music we’d heard from James Murphy’s New York troupe, but it felt like a statement all the same. Announcing themselves into a world where Murphy’s DFA had already set the agenda, it felt like a defining moment for a generation.
SOMEONE GREAT
One half of the centre-piece of second album ‘Sound of Silver’ (more on the other one later), ‘Someone Great’ is a pulsing masterpiece. Beeping and bopping its way through an elongated intro, it took some of the ideas from ‘45:33’ (more on that later, too), and turned them into something truly special.
NORTH AMERICAN SCUM
While much of LCD Soundsystem’s output may have felt achingly cool, ‘North American Scum’ was the counterpoint that proved they were a band working on a whole other level. Immediate, sarcastic, selfaware; it’s a track that was perfect in the Bush-era crucible it arrived in that still feels just as apt today.
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Their (not actually) final show was awesome, and you can still watch it now The long goodbye was more ‘sort of long’ in the end..
CALL THE POLICE
Yep. A new one. ‘Call The Police’ was the first track we heard from LCD’s new album ‘American Dream’. That meant a lot was riding on it. Would it be good enough to carry their big return? What if it was - y’know - average? Thankfully, any doubts were quickly cast aside. A driving, epic seven minutes, it’s a song that sits perfectly amongst the band’s very best.
45:33
Commissioned by Nike, ‘45:33’ was described on release “to reward and push at good intervals of a run.” James Murphy even claimed he’d refined it by jogging on a treadmill to test it out. Later, he admitted he’d made that up. He doesn’t jog. He’s too busy making amazing music, 24/7/365. Durr. Top pop fact - though the track is titled ‘45:33’, it’s actually a good 20-odd seconds longer than it’s supposed run time.
NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU BUT YOU’RE BRINGING ME DOWN
On 8th February 2011, LCD Soundsystem announced their ‘final’ show. Taking place in April at the iconic New York’s Madison Square Garden, they went on to announce four warm up gigs at Terminal 5 too. Titled ‘The Long Goodbye’ - a title that turned out to be sorry of ironic in the end - that last date went down in legend. A near religious experience, it felt like an important moment to full stop an important band.
The mastery of LCD Soundsystem lies in more than one carefully packaged little box. Capable of sublime electronica and ferocious punk, there’s always been another string to their considerable bow. A woozy, crooning master piece, ‘New York, I Love You...’ isn’t just ‘Sound of Silver’’s closing track. It’s a song that defines a city.
While, as it turns out, it wasn’t quite the final punctuation mark that we expected (and really, did we ever truly think that was the end), it doesn’t reduce its emotional impact one iota. Which is why it’s so great we can live it back time and time again.
Of all LCD Soundsystem’s arsenal, it’s ‘All My Friends’ that stands out the furthest. Just over seven and a half minutes in length, it sits at the very heart of ‘Sound Of Silver’. In truth, it could be the pivot point of a whole decade, such is its mastery. The greatest song of its generation? Possibly, yeah.
Because, let’s be honest - most of us couldn’t be in
ALL MY FRIENDS
New York to see it live. What we could do, though, is pick up the live recording, released in 2014, and watch 2012 doc ‘Shut Up And Play The Hits’, which featured James Murphy during the 48 hours before that final show. It’s a music film every fan should watch.
DOWN WITH BORING
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E P Y H . W BANDS E N L A I T ESSEN
F O A ANN H T R O THE N AND LO TT ER U D
O ANNA N -K IW I D U N O RW EG IA A RE C O RD E PE N N ED -S M IT H H AV LL IE N DA BR A DY N JO LL EY. W O RD S: BE RT BR EA K . EA H T U A BO
“E
ver since I was little I always wanted to be a pop superstar,” Anna Lotterud starts, chatting to Dork from her studio thousands of miles away in Oslo. Though she doesn’t believe it, Anna’s dream is quickly becoming a reality. As one-half of Norwegian-Kiwi duo Anna of the North, she met Australian producer Brady DaniellSmith after moving to Melbourne to study. “He was performing an acoustic show, and I was in the audience,” she begins, telling the story of their chance meeting. “It wasn’t planned at all, it just kind of happened. I play guitar and piano and, in his break, I sang a song because my friends forced me to…” Peer pressure turned out to be a blessing in disguise, though. After hearing Anna sing, Brady approached her and asked if she’d like to make music together. Soon after that, Anna of the North – “Brady came up with the name, jokingly, while I was sleeping and it just stuck… he was in another time zone” - was born as a way of exorcising the demons of their love lives.
CAN BE M U B L A R U “ I H O PE O EOPLE’S P N I E V I IT S PO SOMETHING M H UG ” R A W G I B A LIVES… LIKE
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After uploading their dreamy synth-pop breakthrough ‘Sway’ onto SoundCloud, Anna woke up the next morning to thousands of plays and interest from record labels. “I have no explanation, it just happened!” she remembers, having made the track by playing around with production in Garage Band and borrowing a microphone from her dad. “We just put it up there and BOOM.” Growing up in Norway, Anna’s musician dad was the DJ in the family: “Whenever I wanted to play music in the car it was always his CDs; he was actually quite selfish,” she jokes. Phil Collins, Toto and a lot of 80s music would play on the
stereo, but Celine Dion had Anna’s heart. “I had all her albums and knew almost all of her songs; I love her - proper power pop,” she remembers. “The 80s influence has carried on to be a part of our album.” Three years on from ‘Sway’, Anna and Brady are about to release their debut album. Recorded in Oslo, and mixed in Copenhagen and London by Luke Smith (Foals, Depeche Mode), it’s a heartbreak album that’s full of brooding-yet-bright electronic pop production. “It’s inspired by stuff me, Brady and our friends have been through. Everything is inspired by something that’s personal to us…” “Different kinds of love and relationships - and their ups and downs,” says Anna, whose multiple break-ups fuelled the record. “But not just about love – it’s also about helping friends through a hard time. I really hope it’s a nice, warm album that can make people feel something: I hope they have some kind of reaction when they listen
to it and that it can help people if they’re going through a hard time. I hope it can be something positive in people’s lives… like a big warm hug.” Tell Anna you love the album, though, and she seems genuinely taken aback and surprised. “Ahh, you do?” she says, sounding shocked and relieved. “You never finish a song, you just have to stop at a point because you always want to change stuff,” she adds, detailing the tireless process of making ‘Lovers’. “You end up going round in circles changing stuff and getting so perfectionist about it… it’s hard because when we did ‘Sway’, it was more just putting something out there. But now we’re getting a bit more pressure, you just think and listen a lot more: it’s just never good enough, and at some point, you have to quit and just put it out there.” Although she and Brady tweaked the tracks throughout the creation, sticking to the originals seems to
have worked out best for them. “You make, like, ten different versions of the same track but the first one is always the best because that’s the feeling you have when you made it - a moment you’ll never have back apart from in a song. Often songs come, and there’s a reason for it.”
E HE TH O NT ON E NE VIIN EV PE AP G RA GR
The same weekend the album hits the shelves, Anna of the North return to the UK for Bestival. “I’m really excited!” she gushes, adding that performing in London was one of her favourite shows, having overcome tougher crowds at industry festivals like The Great Escape. “There was this one show at a little club where we were playing with two other bands and we were the last act. In the end, the crowd was chanting “one more song” and singing along. They are beautiful and really, really fun. I could just tell that they were really there for the music…” P Anna of the North’s album ‘Lovers’ is out 8th September.
T H E M O O N L A N D I N G Z H AV E A N E W TO U R P L A N N E D FO R N OV E M B E R
The Moonlandingz will head out on the road from 18th November. The run will feature dates in Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, and a night at London’s Electric Brixton.
A L E X L A H EY ’S D E BU T A L BU M I S O U T I N O CTO B E R
Alex Lahey has announced her debut album. ‘I Love You Like A Brother’ is due out on 6th October via Dead Oceans. The full-length is accompanied by a UK tour, which will kick off on 8th November at Boston Music Room in London. G RE E N M A N H AS C O N F I RM E D T H E L I N E U P FO R I TS RI S I N G STAG E
SUZI WU
Green Man has announced the line up for this year’s Rising Stage. The acts include competition winner Siobhan Wilson, alongside Bad Parents, Francobollo, Hotel Lux, Dead Pretties, Pale Seas, Madonnatron, Stevie Parker and Sports Team. Green Man takes place from 17th-20th August.
REC OMMEND ED BY F ELLOW LON DON E R AN D
FORC E OF NATURE, G I RLI, SUZ I WU’S DE BUT E P IS PAC KED WITH ATTITUD E, AND A BOUT TO LAN D.
Hey Suzi, how are you? Have you had a fun summer so far? Hi, I’m great thanks, summer’s been groovy. You’ve said before that your debut EP, ‘Teenage Witch’ is in part inspired by comic book artist, Simon Hanselmann. What drew you to his work? My older sister brought his first book of works ‘MEGAHEX’ back from Australia, and the art style was so beautiful, so I picked them up. The subject matter’s funny, but I suppose very dark. I think what drew me to his books was a sense of relating to the lives of the characters. I guess I felt like they were looking at their unfortunate world through the same
evil, rose tinted glasses as me. Are you generally a fan of comics, or the fantasy genre? What else do you enjoy in that vein? I’m a big fan of comics and cartoons all round. I like my colours vibrant, my characters complex and my story surreal. So I try and emulate that in my music. I also could watch Lord of the Rings for the rest of my life and still enjoy it, so there you go. What first got you interested in making music? It got me out of trouble, and it keeps me there. How do you go about creating your songs? Where do you start?
It starts with writing words, usually. I’ll see a friend or read a book I like, and it’ll all start pouring into my head. The melody usually comes with it though, and when I finally get home, I go on Logic and put it all down. We hear you’re pals with Girli - how did you guys meet? That’s a really good story actually. We met at an open mic and pretty much everyone there was doing soul covers and was 35. She came out with this mad pink hairdo and buffalos on and did a cover of ‘Hotel California’, GIRLI style. Some people there looked pretty startled, but she broke my brain that night. It was excellent! After that, we even lived together
for a bit. Do you ever do anything musical together? We make stuff all the time; it’s just usually for ourselves though. Are there any other bands or acts around at the mo you particularly like? Pussy Liquor and Princess Nokia. What are your plans for after the EP’s out? I’d like to make more work, lots more. P Suzi Wu’s debut EP ‘Teenage Witch’ is out 8th September. DOWN WITH BORING
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G EORG E EZRA
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ALL THE
BEST Last time round, he was the plucky upstart. A squillion album sales later, and he’s one of the biggest pop stars in the country. Not that you’d tell - welcome to the world of George Ezra. Words: Jamie Muir. Photos: Phil Smithies. Hair & Makeup: Verity Cumming using Oilixia. DOWN WITH BORING
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G EORG E EZRA
G
eorge Ezra is a big deal. His debut album sold over 1.2 million copies and took him around the globe. After 12 months away packed with moments of self-doubt, puzzles and starting afresh - he’s backed with a vital message and new outlook on the world. George is back, and he’s throwing any fears or worries right out the window.
upbringing that ensured there was only one direction George was heading into. “It’s just eternal,” exclaims George as he chats through that love for music which radiates from him. “It never ends. I distinctly remember at whatever age I was, asking my Dad, ‘Will there be a point where every song is written?’ There’s only so many chords for starters, but he was like of course not, and I just couldn’t get my head around it. It fascinated me.” After friends slowly moved away from music, George’s love remained strong - writing folky numbers inspired by Dylan, Woody Guthrie and the classic songwriters of old. It was only when George reached the age of 19/20 where pop suddenly become a constant in his life, a challenge to write and convey meaning with the sharp hooks and immediacy that now breathe through everything George puts to paper.
As George Ezra bounds into the West London studio, we find ourselves in; there’s a smile on his face that’s practically bursting at the seam. Taking off his shades and delving into stories and questions about his day and those around him, it’s only a matter of moments before he realises something’s missing. “Has anyone got any music we could listen to?” George asks. Quickly, the responsibility falls to him to provide the soundtrack, settling on a playlist of favourites he’s been listening to over the past few weeks. From his self-confessed hero Bob Dylan to London Grammar, The Japanese House, Hot Hot Heat, Vanilla Ice and The Strokes - it’s a blending of new and old that demonstrates the jumping thoughts racing around George’s world. “Oh, I think some of my own songs are in there,” remembers George. “Please skip those!” It perfectly captures just how linked into the musical blood-stream of the past few years George Ezra is. A story that started in cobbled venues and intimate nights in pubs and bars has blossomed onto a world stage where now just a glance at Spotify shows his biggest tracks have been streamed over 600 million times. That’s a whole lot of playlists that’s for sure, and summarises an 18 months where George Ezra became not just another singer-songwriter with a devoted following, but a force to be reckoned with millions joining him for the ride. The Pyramid Stage at Glasto? Check. Number 1 album? Check. Sold-out venues around the globe? Check. It all came to George in a flurry, and means the next chapter he’s about to embark on is one that eyes are firmly locked in on, but this is no ordinary tale of a ‘pop star’ riding on that wave to the glossy worlds that could come his way. “Yeah, ‘pop star’ weirds me out a bit,” laughs George, “because that is definitely not me! So much comes with the name pop star. Pop singer? I’ll take that - it’s just the star bit that troubles me. I’ll never say it, but in the back of my mind I think ‘What’s that all about?’” Taking it all in his stride, the story of George’s past three years is a foundation of discovering life, learning how to deal with ever-changing surroundings and coming out of it with one of the most refreshing takes on how to move forward. If you think you know George Ezra, then think again. “I guess there’s probably a crowd out there that see me as another male singer-songwriter,” he
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“It was the challenge I needed,” George remembers, gazing out across the West London rooftops. “I’m not saying I completed doing those folkyacoustic tunes, but it got to the point where everything GEORGE’S PLAYLISTS sounded the same. SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN I appreciate that RADIO STATION… EZRA FM, challenge with ANYONE? pop tunes, there’s something harder “I actually really struggled about them, and to listen to any music while I it’s quite tricky, recorded, because it would get to be honest, and me thinking ‘oh I should probably articulate yourself put a bridge there’ and I was like in a way that’s new. I you need to stop this. What have dunno, I love that.” I listened to recently? Haim’s new “Follow me.”
contemplates, “which I am, but I think they just take it as not much going into it. I’m not trying to convert those people, but I think well, maybe if they came along to a show or listened to the record then it’d be cool to see what they thought.” IT’S 5TH OCTOBER 2014. George’s debut album ‘Wanted On Voyage’, a collection of tracks inspired by characters and tales witnessed during a month-long trip around Europe and searing with an emotional core that has wrapped its way around millions, has just gone to Number 1 in the Official Albums Chart. It’s been out for fourteen weeks already, and George has just the news in the most unlikely of locations. “Yeah, when it happened I was in a Park Inn Hotel in Cork Airport,” recalls George, “which is just weird after it being out for so long. I got the phone call and I just kinda went ‘Ohh!’. You turn to your friends who aren’t there and just think, ahh so this is how it feels - and just start thinking about the free breakfast that’s included with the room!” It’s the sort of breakfast that would go down a treat, that Number 1 album breakfast. It’s a meal that George will have only dreamed of when growing up in a musical household in Hertford. Surrounded by music pouring out of every room - whether it was the radio in the kitchen, his sister Jess blaring out a CD upstairs or his Dad plugging into a classic in the lounge, it was a walking musical
EZRA’s JUKEBOX
record, ANOHNI - such a heavy record, I’ve listened to it through about three times and the first time I listened to it I was like, fuck that’s intense, but I have gone back to it. Oh and Bon Iver! That last record came out, and I just didn’t stop listening to it for months, absolutely loved it. And then for a second, I thought, ‘So, how has he..’ and I said, ‘Forget it George - you are not Bon Iver’. He’s doing it so well, so just leave him to it.
The culmination of it all, ‘Wanted On Voyage’, melted its way into hearts all over the place. A rich record of immeasurable warmth, its dives between singalong favourites (‘Blame It On Me’, ‘Listen To The Man’), earnest heartache (‘Barcelona’) and skiffle grooving melodies (‘Cassy O’, ‘Drawing Board’) make it a record that could spin at any time of year. There wasn’t a place on the planet that you couldn’t hear the soothing tones of ‘Budapest’ - and being in the midst of it all meant that George still can’t truly grasp its huge success. “It’s really odd, but I think it’s odd for
“I’M SHIT AT NOT HAVING A PLAN” the opposite reason that somebody would think,” details George. “It’s so odd because you just feel so detached from it. Someone can say your album was the third biggest selling album of the year in the UK and that’s just…” He pauses, still taking in that fact. “When it’s happening you’re caught right in the middle of it. You’re the wrong person to talk about it because you’re the least aware of it. I kinda feel like I’ll have more of an opinion and view on it all in 30 years time when you can really appreciate it in hindsight and go, ‘Fuck, that was insane’. It’s not that I take it for granted, it’s just so hard to make sense of it all.” That perspective on the tidal wave that came with ‘Wanted On Voyage’ may be one that comes in decades to come for George, but it also got rid of a fear that he harboured when stepping into the spotlight. Life changes when you became a household name and that worry of losing touch with the life he had was one that truly resonated with him. As primetime TV show appearances clocked up like days in a diary, the last thing George wanted was to be taken out of the day to day life he enjoyed so much, and for fame to became an overbearing shift in the way he lived his life. “It was the thing I was worried about the most, coming off tour to find my life completely changed - whether that’s my social life or my personal life. I just didn’t know what was going to come and how to cope with that. In school, you have lessons on Maths, on English but you don’t have a lesson on how to deal with being recognised in the street. Thankfully it didn’t happen that much, and my life didn’t change at all - it’s kinda made me relax about going into this album and the touring to come because well, you’re in control. The last thing I ever wanted to be was a ‘celebrity’, and I think that worry came from the uncertainty of it all.” George finished up the worldwide run around ‘Wanting On Voyage’ in America on 14th December. The year that followed proved to be an eye-opening one, bringing its own challenges that George had to face head-on - but when opened up, have laid out a path to a new way of seeing the world, and the sheer importance of embracing the good. STRUCTURE IS AN IMPORTANT THING. It’s what keeps the boundaries around our lives, what points people in the directions they need to go to and above all else, is a motivation to get up out of the seat being sat in for way too long. Back at home, after two years of schedules and dates in the diary, George found himself at odds for what to do, with a clean slate completely. There were no alreadypenned down hits there and no demos, just the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next. “When I came off tour, the one thing I didn’t want
to do is fly anywhere for a while,” recollects George. “People were like, ‘What are you going to do?’ And I just went to places like Norfolk, did the Cotswolds way, but it took me a while to leave England. You don’t really capitalise on time off; I started thinking that I shouldn’t take a trip somewhere because what if that was the day that I wrote THE song. Other people must be so much better at it than I am, I just sit there looking at the guitar and spurring myself on to pick it up and see what comes out.” There’s that thing you hear about with musicians who spend years on tour, and that’s a feeling of being locked away from everything. To change from that way of life back into a surrounding where you’re suddenly fixed right back into the swing of things is a daunting one, and for George, that feeling was one that affected him greatly. There were no crowds around, no timetable in place, just George and his thoughts. “Yeah, I mean, when I came off tour, and for the first time in my life I became quite an anxious person,” details George, sitting forward on the sofa. “At first I couldn’t put my finger on it and didn’t know that it was anxiety. These are names that you give to things that aren’t tangible, you can break your leg, and it’s pretty clear what’s wrong, but if there’s something going on in your head, then you need to work it out. “I didn’t realise what was going on, so I booked a trip to Barcelona to get away from things as I was getting quite overwhelmed by it. It was then that I realised what it was. A lot of people around me were experiencing it as well, and 2016 was such a weird year for a variety of different reasons where everything that could go wrong did. For the first time in my life, I had spent time in this bubble of touring, and I had gone from that to waking up every day with breaking news notifications on my phone of things happening on the other side of the world. When that would happen two or three times a day, it became something that would make me worry, and it just built and built.” George decamped to Barcelona, a place which already had weaved its way into his very being on his debut album, where he would spend his days walking its shining streets and bustling corridors taking in life once again. He didn’t write any songs, simply soaking in the very vibrations and essence
that filled the city’s streets and it led to an epiphany that flows through his as-yet-untitled second album.” “It really was that trip that helped me realised and learn that it’s okay to switch off - and I don’t think any of us do,” details George. “It’s just a habit we have, like all of us have smartphones right now and each smartphone is connected to the world and what’s going on in it. There’s almost no escape from it, and there’s also this demand for when something does happen that everyone needs to have an opinion on it or a response straight away. And if you don’t have one, then get off the track because that’s not how the world works. “You need to be seen to have recognised what’s happened, whereas actually, it’s okay to say, ‘Yeah, I’m aware of what’s happened, and I’m just trying to compute it’. I think what it did over the past 12 months, is that it stopped people from being able to take in the good that there is out there - without sounding too soft about it.” It’s a feeling that resonates and brims through ‘Don’t Matter Now’, the only taste so far out there from George’s second album and a track that throws away any fears and worries in one triumphant blast for carefree and jubilant vibes. If there was a way George wanted to return, with the lessons of the past twelve months behind him, then that’s exactly what ‘Don’t Matter Now’ encapsulates - a progression from the pulls of ‘Wanted On Voyage’ that’s beaming with that message of the good times - and more importantly, that enjoying them doesn’t make you a fantasist or out of touch with the world around you. Sometimes, savouring the best in people can be the hardest thing to do, but it’s more important now that ever before. “If you look at it in a really simple way,” continues George. “I leave my front door every day and can
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THE CRIBS
K C RO ‘N
if any, n few, e e over b ’s esome There w an a e r mo ore th bands decade or m out to t ’re the las s. Now they ib r The C ey rock. th prove ann. Konem . : Liam k s ic d r ll o u G W : Steve Photos
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L L RO S R A T S
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SUPERFOOD
N P e P U sTO aBL on not the same band they were Superfood are back, but they’re ’ ino mb ‘Ba um alb ond , their sec their debut. Signed to Dirty Hit . is ready to cause a stir h Louise Bennett. Words: Jamie Muir. Photos: Sara
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R AT B O Y
M U C S band - aren’t self, or alongside his him y rd Ca an rd Jo rt of why that Rat Boy - be it ht now. And that’s pa rig t ne pla e th on e y brilliant. like anything els but album is so blood much anticipated de rah Louise Bennett.
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They’ve put us have been really good. watched do what we us let and dio stu in the Jackass again have to sell ally actu we want. But now the other night, it’s definitely a bit scarier So rd! reco a and now I “It’s a first now,” Jordan elaborates. wanna shove a se songs the all got ve we’ so record, toy car up my ’s got on one not tha re the that are out arse.” Those are we need to put them on and , um alb an the words of the older shit. there because people like Jordan Cardy, ff we did, stu t firs the e hav to d It’s goo aka Rat Boy, d of new loa a e hav to d goo but it’s also ive of how t means it’s hard to get Tha l. and they’re pretty indicat wel as ff stu (not very, in ether, with seriously he takes himself a record that flows all tog from those ces uen infl nt ere case that wasn’t clear). diff all the two years.” of grass in North Sitting on a small strip ry, Har s ate dm ban his by linking London, he and The band got around this king up the pets of snip h wit er eth Liam and Noah - are soa tog gs the son the local wildlife, g the for oyin enj ally cific and e spe d shin rde sun “radio” reco cries of, “Look nd Theft occasionally letting out album. “We used the Gra [voice actor how cool that dog is!” Auto radio station guy make it and try to yd] Flo Lloyd ’ is due for UM ‘SC um ce, I alb pie a ut as deb se ir sen The make more re are plenty went with the I ks. imminent release and the wor it k thin really scary; you tty of nerves all round. “It’s GTA theme because I pre it. The album’s nI whe sic mu can’t do anything about into got much ds,” says Noah, there, it’s out of your han from playing GTA ht eig was nd. all rou radio to murmurs of agreement San Andreas, and all the surreal this e wer s ion stat d’s record label] “They [Warner, the ban
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. The way they piss-take of everyday life and flip ces ren refe and take names that.” them on their head, I like Floyd to As for how they convinced ? um alb the to als lend his voc n Well, that was easier tha they thought it would be. “My manager found Lloyd’s email
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E V E RY T H I N G E V E RY T H I N G
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T H E WA R O N D R U G S
Holding On For Tomorrow The War on Drugs are getting the hang of this life business. “Maybe I’m just going through an easier spell,” considers Adam Granduciel. Words: Liam Konemann.
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RAT BOY
SCUM
I
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ndividuality is everywhere. Every artist is a talent operating in their own special sphere. Most of them, in all honestly, aren’t actually the beautiful snowflakes they’re made out to be - existing as simple iterations on an existing formula. It’s always been that way. But there are exceptions. Rat Boy isn’t just one of the most exciting new acts on the planet right now; he’s also one of the most unique. It’s taken a while for us to get here, sure. We were expecting a debut album twelve months ago that never came, but some things are worth waiting for. In fact, it’s that wait that may have birthed a record worthy of an act that’s been gathering buzz for longer than most. Unconfined to one single idea, ‘Scum’ is a melting pot of hyperactive energy. Skipping between styles, blended in one
ceaseless mix, it’s the UK indie underground’s very own Grand Theft Auto radio station. From the stalking sugar rush of ‘Turn Around M8’ to the Britpop balladry of ‘I’ll Be Waiting’, they’re songs linked by a thread, but able to punch out on their own. For most artists, it’s an approach that would result in samey audio soup, but with Rat Boy’s disparate influences, it sounds every bit as vital as anything on the airwaves, real or fake. With 25 tracks, skits, intervals and other assorted nuggets on the deluxe cut, at no point does ‘Scum’ drag or outstay its welcome. There’s the slacker spirit of Beck, the raw confidence of the Beastie Boys and the urchin cheek of Jamie T, but at heart, it’s all Rat Boy; never staying still long enough to become any one thing. That would be boring, and that’s the one thing Rat Boy will never, ever be. Stephen Ackroyd
“RAT BOY ISN’T JUST ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING NEW ACTS ON THE PLANET RIGHT NOW, HE’S ALSO ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE”
BAND MATHS
Because lazy comparisons are cool, okay?
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+
BECK.
+
JAMIE T.
=
RAT BOY.
Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett.
REVIEWS
EMA
EXILE IN THE OUTER RING City Slang
Hiya,
EMA
eeee There’s meaning in EMA’s new record. Serious - important meaning. ‘Exile In The Outer Ring’ is crafted in a world of turmoil, moulded in a fire of poverty and resentment. The Outer Ring, see, represents the people pushed out of cities by low wages and rising costs - forced up against rural communities as the sprawl seeps out, ever growing. This isn’t the suburbs of Arcade Fire, but a scene of tension and anger, everyone feeling they’re not getting their dues. All of which makes for an album that feels both personal and public, working in small confined spaces and overarching trends at the same moment. The meaning in cuts like ‘I Wanna Destroy’ may be obvious from the title alone, but the execution still fascinates and intrigues. While it’d be easy to paint ‘Exile...’ as an album of complaint, in fact, it finds fascination in the modern world. A diverse palette of sparks and friction applied to a canvas of shifting unease; EMA is painting an ever shifting portrait. Stephen Ackroyd
EMA GIVES INSIGHT INTO A RECORD THAT DOESN’T BEAT AROUND THE BUSH. Tell us about your new album ‘Exile In The Outer Ring’, where was it created? ‘Exile In the Outer Ring’ was recorded mostly in my generic apartment in Portland. It’s the sort of standard-issue American apartment complex with white walls, beige carpeting and slit blinds on the windows. After recording it myself, I went to Jake Portrait from Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s studio in NYC, and we finished it off. Did you know what you wanted the album to be about before you started? Making an album is always a process of discovery for me. A boring apartment in a suburban zone isn’t the most obvious place for inspiration, but through making art, I discovered it as a place of radical transformations and/or spiritual crisis. The album covers political themes such as poverty and capitalism, are they particularly close to your heart? I think it’s really hard to see outside of a system you’ve been raised in, like a fish in water. There are lots of these — racial and gender hierarchies, sexual norms and taboos, ideas about food, families. I feel like capitalism can be especially devastating because it gets so tied up in people’s self-worth and it’s a system that is so heavily exploited by the rich. Also — this idea that everything has to grow, grow, grow all the time. Like every project and company and profile should just try to get as big as possible and if it doesn’t it’s failing… So you’re either poor and worthless, or you are doing okay, but it’s never enough… it’s annihilating compassion and the environment. Did you do much research before writing the record? I read a lot, even just during the process. A lot of long-form journalism, profiles on people, reports from geographic regions, etc. It’s interesting for me, so it doesn’t feel like a chore. During this record, I read a lot about race relations in America, which are super complicated. I don’t necessarily set out to research a topic, I just take it all in and let my subconscious filter it. What would you most like listeners to take away from it? Mostly just the music. There are always a lot of themes in my records that end up being topical, but also I put a lot of work into the sounds. There are a ton of hooks on there and interesting instruments. It’s a unique blend of sonics and styles that is hard to describe and is pretty outside of current genre. Hopefully, it can reprogram your ears in a good way. There’s a lot of doom and gloom in the world at the moment - tell us something positive. Damn, I keep getting stuck on this one! What are you up to for the rest of the year? Touring! I’m putting together a super tight band, a three-piece, and we are hitting UK and EU in the fall. I’m stoked! P
ALVVAYS
ANTISOCIALITES Transgressive Records
eeee Returning refined, retooled and crisper than ever before - Alvvays’ second LP ‘Antisocialites’ is one of those records where a band who shimmered and dazzled into first light blossom into the force they’re primed to stand as for years to come. Their self-titled debut album was a gorgeous invitation into the slack-chimed dreams of Alvvays, a dream that’s built upon and formed across ‘Antisocialities’ in crystallised-ease, always jumping from one idea to another but held together by an untouchable glue. Snappy and lush, it’s everything Alvvays have been teasing since the very beginning. Bold, brave and feeling like an old favourite from the very first play Alvvays are slipping into the sort of territory that’ll have us doe-eyed for years to come. Jamie Muir
ANNA OF THE NORTH
BABY IN VAIN
LOVERS Different Recordings
MORE NOTHING Partisan
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A standout debut effort from the Norwegian-Kiwi pair, Anna Of The North’s long awaited full-length is an amalgamation of heartbreak and life coming to fruition through swelling pop beats. Perfectly encapsulating how the world can pick you up and throw you down, leaving you winded, the frankly ridiculously alluring and melodic sounds the duo create are nothing short of incredible. Every track is made to tell a story you can relate to. Anna Of The North are a pop power that’s only just beginning; once they get started, they’ll be a sight to behold. Steven Loftin
Denmark isn’t where we’d usually head to find a menu of riffs, but that’s probably more to do with our introspective, self-obsessed world rather than any lack of quality. After all, Baby In Vain are right here, going toe to toe with all comers, and they’ve no intention of backing down. From the downturned discord of ‘To Heaven and Back’ (and there’s certainly a lot more ‘back’) to the the oft melodic, occasionally frenetic ‘Pills’, ‘More Nothing’ is an album that takes the cookie cutter world of rock and fucks it up good and proper. Stephen Ackroyd
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