How's January been for everyone? Bit chilly? Bit boring? Well, don't fear; here at your favourite music magazine (that's us, right guys?), we're ready to lift those spirits sky-high with our first Dork's Night Out of the year.
Taking place at Colours Hoxton this Friday, 27th January, we're bringing Coach Party, Sad Boys Club and deep tan to the stage for an incredible night - never mind the late-night DJ fun going on afterwards.
Ahead of the show, we've dropped a line to all three bands to see how they're preparing, what 2023 is set to bring, and, of course, their favourite pizza toppings. (Did we write these questions while quite hungry? Yes. - Ed).
You can check out what deep tan and Sad Boys Club had to say elsewhere, but now it's time for the headliners. Coach Party are long time Dork faves, previous Hype List alumni, and one of the best new bands in the country. We're expecting a lot from them tonight. They'll deliver, too. They always do.
How's 2023 treating you so far? How are your new year's resolutions going?
Some seriously overwhelming stuff has been going down. Take this very moment as an example: I've just had the epiphany that if you start off making shepherd's pie the usual way, but then just put the mash directly onto the plate as a bed, and then pour your veg and gravy mix on top, you essentially have a reverse shep's with the same general taste and experience, but without the extra, and superfluous (in my opinion) stage of baking in the oven and adding a dish to the washing up pile. This is a mere glimpse into the creative high we are individually and collectively experiencing right now, and it scares us.
Regarding new year's resolutions, I've just texted Jess to ask if she has one, as she's most likely to have thought about it. Ok, she just texted back. She said, "swim in the sea less, reduce risk of shark attack". Good for her, I say. If something needs to change, go for the root. As for a band resolution, I'll commit us to one right now and say that no one comes out of a Greggs without enough vegan sausage rolls for everyone. But we do that anyway. Ok, second resolution is to stop going to Greggs and shop local. We got a great VSR (vegan sausage roll) in this crazy little town when we were on a diversion off the A3 a while back - across the road, we saw Paul Weller come out of this bakery and get into his weird, eccentric car, so we stopped in there and yeah it was great. There were also lots of photos of Paul Weller in there.
Also, so far this year, we've been making new music and stuff, but there's a time and a place to talk about that sort of thing.
Some seriously overwhelming stuff has been going down. Take this very moment as an example: I've just had the epiphany that if you start off making shepherd's pie the usual way, but then just put the mash directly onto the plate as a bed, and then pour your veg and gravy mix on top, you essentially have a reverse shep's with the same general taste and experience, but without the extra, and superfluous (in my opinion) stage of baking in the oven and adding a dish to the washing up pile. This is a mere glimpse into the creative high we are individually and collectively experiencing right now, and it scares us.
Regarding new year's resolutions, I've just texted Jess to ask if she has one, as she's most likely to have thought about it. Ok, she just texted back. She said, "swim in the sea less, reduce risk of shark attack". Good for her, I say. If something needs to change, go for the root. As for a band resolution, I'll commit us to one right now and say that no one comes out of a Greggs without enough vegan sausage rolls for everyone. But we do that anyway. Ok, second resolution is to stop going to Greggs and shop local. We got a great VSR (vegan sausage roll) in this crazy little town when we were on a diversion off the A3 a while back - across the road, we saw Paul Weller come out of this bakery and get into his weird, eccentric car, so we stopped in there and yeah it was great. There were also lots of photos of Paul Weller in there.
Also, so far this year, we've been making new music and stuff, but there's a time and a place to talk about that sort of thing.
How was the end of last year for you guys? Jumping on the Wet Leg tour must have been amazing. Any particular memories that stand out?
It was a bit of a whirlwind. If I remember right, we just came off our own tour and were totally ready to clock out for the year, at least as far as touring went, and then this last-minute offer came in for 3.5 weeks of driving 7 hours a day across Europe and UK whilst plunging ourselves further into debt and physical exhaustion - and who in their right minds could say no to that? But in all seriousness, it was a great tour, just like they've all been. I think we'd all agree that the standout memory from that tour was our drive through the Swiss Alps. It is unbelievable. We need to get an Alps here. It's so beautiful and makes you feel like a very dumb alien for not living there. Why the fuck would anyone not live in the Swiss Alps. We're so stupid. Best gig of that tour was arguably Mojo in Hamburg. German gigs are always great. And it made a nice change to tour with people we already know; some of us go way back, within music and as friends, so the only names we needed to memorise were their crew, who were super nice.
It was a bit of a whirlwind. If I remember right, we just came off our own tour and were totally ready to clock out for the year, at least as far as touring went, and then this last-minute offer came in for 3.5 weeks of driving 7 hours a day across Europe and UK whilst plunging ourselves further into debt and physical exhaustion - and who in their right minds could say no to that? But in all seriousness, it was a great tour, just like they've all been. I think we'd all agree that the standout memory from that tour was our drive through the Swiss Alps. It is unbelievable. We need to get an Alps here. It's so beautiful and makes you feel like a very dumb alien for not living there. Why the fuck would anyone not live in the Swiss Alps. We're so stupid. Best gig of that tour was arguably Mojo in Hamburg. German gigs are always great. And it made a nice change to tour with people we already know; some of us go way back, within music and as friends, so the only names we needed to memorise were their crew, who were super nice.
What's it been like seeing that reaction to you guys build and build over the past year?
It can be really difficult to see from our perspective cause we're never not thinking about or doing Coach Party stuff. It's a bit like when other people see you and your dog for the first time in a while, and they notice how old the dog has got, and then you think, oh shit yeah, I guess he's getting kind of old now. I mean, bad simile; the band stuff is moving in a more positive direction than that of an ageing domesticated animal, but what I'm getting at is that a lot of what we achieved and built up over the last year can kind of slip by us until times like now when we're looking at our next couple of weeks ahead of touring, and we're seeing things like our headline London, Southampton, Manchester and Nottingham shows all sold out, and we can step back and realise that we are doing our past selves very proud. It is amazing.
It can be really difficult to see from our perspective cause we're never not thinking about or doing Coach Party stuff. It's a bit like when other people see you and your dog for the first time in a while, and they notice how old the dog has got, and then you think, oh shit yeah, I guess he's getting kind of old now. I mean, bad simile; the band stuff is moving in a more positive direction than that of an ageing domesticated animal, but what I'm getting at is that a lot of what we achieved and built up over the last year can kind of slip by us until times like now when we're looking at our next couple of weeks ahead of touring, and we're seeing things like our headline London, Southampton, Manchester and Nottingham shows all sold out, and we can step back and realise that we are doing our past selves very proud. It is amazing.
Can you see that difference/change from where you were a year ago as a band? What's the most notable difference?
Everything has grown in a really organic and gradual way, or at least it feels like that to us, so things don't feel massively different, other than our plans and goals become increasingly ambitious. Really the most noticeable difference is the kind of conversations we have with each other and the people we work closely with; now, more often than ever, we need to take a breath and remind ourselves that we've earned somewhat of a right to be aiming for and achieving these bigger things, but it still feels and will always feel weird.
Everything has grown in a really organic and gradual way, or at least it feels like that to us, so things don't feel massively different, other than our plans and goals become increasingly ambitious. Really the most noticeable difference is the kind of conversations we have with each other and the people we work closely with; now, more often than ever, we need to take a breath and remind ourselves that we've earned somewhat of a right to be aiming for and achieving these bigger things, but it still feels and will always feel weird.
What are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?
There's a really very nice looking tour which we can't announce yet, but it's in a part of the world warmer than ours during a very nice time of year, alongside some pretty incredible bands, and we're already treating it as our holiday. I'm not really a holiday person, but I can get on board with this one. Gonna be lavly. Perhaps the most exciting thing for us right now is getting new music out, of which there will be much. It feels like a while since we released new music, so it's gonna be real buzz for us, and playing that stuff live will be fun.
There's a really very nice looking tour which we can't announce yet, but it's in a part of the world warmer than ours during a very nice time of year, alongside some pretty incredible bands, and we're already treating it as our holiday. I'm not really a holiday person, but I can get on board with this one. Gonna be lavly. Perhaps the most exciting thing for us right now is getting new music out, of which there will be much. It feels like a while since we released new music, so it's gonna be real buzz for us, and playing that stuff live will be fun.
You know we have to ask - plans must be afoot for new music soon?
Oh, I should have read ahead and planned these answers more strategically. Yes, definitely new music. The newest music ever. I'm gonna say that our next record is going to be a bit more eclectic than our previous EPs. There are songs floating about that push more towards the extremes of what we're about, and that just makes sense for us as people at the moment. Life for all of us has seen some extremities.
Oh, I should have read ahead and planned these answers more strategically. Yes, definitely new music. The newest music ever. I'm gonna say that our next record is going to be a bit more eclectic than our previous EPs. There are songs floating about that push more towards the extremes of what we're about, and that just makes sense for us as people at the moment. Life for all of us has seen some extremities.
You'll be headlining the first Dork's Night Out of 2023, what can people expect?
Well, it's a sold-out London show, our first show of the year, and that can only mean that we have a new walk-on song, and you're all going to love it. Don't be late.
Well, it's a sold-out London show, our first show of the year, and that can only mean that we have a new walk-on song, and you're all going to love it. Don't be late.
And the most important question - what's the best pizza topping?
My claim to fame is that I named one of the pizzas at our friend's vegan pizza place on the Island: the pepper-phony. And their pepper-phony just so happens to be the best pizza ever.
My claim to fame is that I named one of the pizzas at our friend's vegan pizza place on the Island: the pepper-phony. And their pepper-phony just so happens to be the best pizza ever.
Coach Party play Dork's Night Out on Friday 27th January at Colours Hoxton, London. Tickets are Sold Out, with any remaining tickets/returns available on a first-come, first-served basis via the DICE Waiting List.
