Up and Coming Pop Punk Bands | Dora Nadine

For today's up and coming pop punk bands post, we're bringing to you Dora Nadine who hail from North Wales. The band have just released their second EP 'Summer' which is a mix of catchy, upbeat riffs and poppy vocals. The six track EP definitely lives up to its name with every song making it the perfect summer soundtrack. If you're a fan of Hit the Lights, Cartel or A Loss For Words, check these guys out. We asked vocalist, Dewi Thomas a few questions...

WHERE ARE YOU GUYS FROM? 

Isle of Anglesey, North Wales

HOW DID YOU GUYS FORM?

Well originally it was Tomi and Osh who started jamming and writing songs together back when they were in college. Members came and went during these early stages and eventually in 2012 Dora Nadine was formed. With everyone living on the island (Anglesey), and influenced by the same taste in music, it was only a matter of time before we crossed paths. Dewi and Matt joined soon after and put their own stamp on the band. And Tomi’s younger brother Karl was the last piece of the puzzle, joining the band in October 2014  

 HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH YOUR BAND NAME? 

It was a bit of a joke to be honest. Someone came up with this joke “in welsh’ in rehearsal and since then it has just stuck. The Welsh speakers might get it, but for everyone else it's just a name.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW EP 'SUMMER'...

Well it’s our second EP and we feel it has a more varied, warmer sound than its predecessor. We hope there is something for everyone on this record. We tried to keep it up-beat and fun, but at the same time wanted to show what we can do musically. We are really excited for people to hear it. It’s taken us a while to get to this point, but we are proud of what we have achieved so far and how it’s all sounding. We tried to add some variation in this EP. There are feel-good, fast paced tracks at the start, but there are also more reflective/build up moments in there too. So hopefully there is something for everyone. We hope it’s the kind of EP you'll have blasting in your car on sunny summer days!

 WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG FROM 'SUMMER' AND WHY?

 My personal favourite is Save Your Breath. I wrote the song quite a long time ago and showed the band an acoustic demo of it. They seemed to like it and got to work changing a few things and writing new parts for it. Then when we recorded it and they played it back to us at Ferlas Studios, it just sounded massive! I wasn’t too keen in using it for the band as I didn’t think it was the right sound for Dora. But the boys did a great job and I think the transformation has been a great success.

DO YOU PREFER RECORDING OR PLAYING LIVE? 
That’s a difficult one. We really do love both. The last few months have been all about recording, and it's something we really enjoy. It’s a great feeling

when you hear all your ideas played back to you as they unfold. But at the same time, there's nothing quite like the buzz of playing a good gig to an amazing audience, and all the fun you have after the show too. We are all good friends and enjoy each other's company so it makes sleeping in a cramped van for a week a lot easier.

IF YOU COULD PLAY A SHOW WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD IT BE?

 I would have to say New Found Glory. They have been in the game for so long and were one of the first bands I went to see live. They have a loyal fan base and always entertain when they are on stage. I’m sure we would learn a few things from them.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FIVE FAVOURITE POP PUNK ALBUMS?

New Found Glory - Catalyst

Brand New - Your Favourite Weapon

Blink 182 - Enema Of The State

Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends

Green Day - Dookie

Dora Nadine's new EP 'Summer' is out now (Check it out here). You can also watch the video for the title track below:



Dora Nadine's Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp | Youtube

Real Friends Release New Video

Real Friends have released a new music video for their song 'Summer'. The song comes from their debut album 'Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing'. The band will be playing a few headline shows in the UK alongside their support slot with All Time Low this March (check out the dates here). 

Real Friends Post Acoustic Version of 'Summer'

Real Friends have posted an acoustic video of the song Summer from their recent album Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing. Kyle can also be heard at the beginning of the video explaining the meaning behind the song:

Pop Punk to Listen to This Summer

Although we've had some pretty hot weather in the UK, it has still managed to rain almost every other day. It's like someone is trying to punish us for our bad teeth and obsession with tea. For this reason we have decided to bring you some truly awesome pop punk to brighten the summer months and make you feel like you're on Californian beach (Skateboard and Khaki shorts optional). We've compiled a list of new albums, EPs and  just general summery songs that we hope will make your summer a little less like a giant accumulation of rain and thunder storms. 

Handguns - Life Lessons
If you haven't listened to Life Lessons yet, stop what you are doing right now and find whatever medium you usually use to listen to music and put that shit on right now.  Although only 28 minutes long, Life Lessons is packed with huge pop punk anthems that are perfect for summer time. Imagine all the best parts of their previous releases Angst and Don't Bite Your Tongue combined to make a spotless album which will leave you begging them to come and tour in the UK ASAP. 





Firestarter - Forget The Past
Hailing from Albany New York this means that Firestarter already share a home with bands such as State Champs and With the Punches (R.I.P). In May of this year the band released their EP Forget the Past, which is an essential accessory to any pop punk summer. It's pretty much a fast paced, gang vocal filled EP of perfection which you can buy for the equivalent of about £3





Candy Hearts - All The Ways You Let Me Down
It's a shame there are not more female fronted pop punk bands in existence but Mariel, Matthew and John are doing a good job of showing what wonderful things can happen when you have a female vocalist. All The Ways You Let Me Down is a mix of sugary pop punk reminiscent of New Found Glory or Blink 182. Speaking of New Found Glory, Chad Gilbert produced the album and his influence is evident throughout. If you love pop punk with super catchy lyrics and upbeat riffs, you should definitely give this a listen.   

Four Year Strong -Go Down In History
It's been three years since Four Year Strong have released anything and let's be honest, we have missed them a lot. Some fans were disappointed by the release of In Some Way Shape or Form. However, it seems that for the release of Go Down In History, Four Year Strong are coming back better than ever. This will be FYS's first release since they signed to Pure Noise Records and from listening to the songs they've put out already, it seems like they're returning to their roots. Go Down in History is released July 22nd. 




Stanley and the Search - Weightless
Stanley and the the Search recently released the follow up to their debut self titled. Weightless is a remastered version of their EP Weight. Although the album cover is cloudy, look at those palm trees, it has summer written all over it people. The band took a different direction to their debut; Weightless provides the listener with heavy, aggressive pop punk that has the potential to become catchy at any moment. If you're a fan of citizen, Polar Bear Club or Make Do and Mend you definitely need this album to complete you summer.




Smalls - Tired 
Smalls are another female fronted  pop punk band that we are massive fans of (complete with female drummer). Their first EP, Expecting the Worst, was practically the best thing you will ever hear so you can imagine our excitement when they released their new song Tired. To make it even better the video for Tired (Click on title) is a parody of The Get Up Kids video for Action and Action complete with dangly ceiling telephone and everything. Make sure you pick up a copy of Small's new EP when it's released.




Forever Came Calling - Indebted
Forever Came Calling aren't releasing their new album until September, but until then the band have released the single Indebted. The track is a catchy mixture of upbeat guitar riffs and lyrics. Forever Came Calling's new album is a follow up to their last album Contender. The new one, 'What Matter's Most', was produced and engineered by Kyle Black (New Found Glory, Comeback Kid) and will be available by Pure Noise Records on September 9th. 





Me vs Hero - I'm Completely Fine 
Me vs Hero are another band that we had been missing until they started putting out new tracks from their upcoming album - I'm Completely Fine. The band have currently released three tracks from the album - Marks of a Slave, Things We Know and Opposites and each song  has been epic. The only thing we're disappointed about is that the album isn't released until September but the three songs are enough to keep us going until then. Also, look at that artwork - it's practically the British summer summed up - a man standing in the sea fully clothed with an umbrella. 



Real Friends - Maybe This Place Is The Same and We're Just Changing
Pop Punk/ emo favourites Real Friends are releasing their debut album this summer and from what we've already heard it looks like it's going to be awesome. The band have already released Loose Ends, Sixteen and I Don't Love You Anymore all of which sound like the typical heart on sleeve lyric, pent up emotion, Real Friends songs we love. And don't fear, the sleepy eyes/ bony knees references have not disappeared. 






Homebound - Coming of Age
Homebound have spent a year writing the songs which make up their debut EP 'Coming of Age'. The EP consists of songs penned about regret, learning from past experience and just growing up in general. The outcome has resulted in an excellent EP that is an impressive first release from the band. Homebound's EP is also perfect for summer so make sure you get your copy. Also, if you want to go to a show but have no money, Homebound are participating in a free tour this September with As It Is and Like Torches. To find out more click here.  




The Story So Far - Songs Of 
Who knew that The Story So Far had a soft side? With all this beating up of security guards it's a hard to believe that TSSF are capable of putting out an EP with the capability of singing a newborn baby to sleep. Of course we have seen this side before on Placeholder and Clairvoyant but this EP is just simply beautiful. If you're having trouble sleeping through humid summer nights just put this on, it will work much better than counting sheep. 





Nathan Detroit - Peace of Mind
Nathan Detroit are releasing their new EP on August 11th. The band who hail from Trowbridge in the UK have a mixture of melodic riffs and heartfelt lyrics (listen to The Way Down) and also display catchy, upbeat songs such as 17 (Although this was released lat summer it's still great). Nathan Detroit have also been playing dates alongside ROAM, Light You Up and As It Is and will also be touring this summer. Find out more here.

Rust Belt Lights - Religion and My Ex
Rust Belt Lights released Religion and My Ex in February of this year and although the cover is quite dark, this deserves a place in this list. You know those albums you wish you had a soft top car for and you could put the roof down and play it really loud. This is that album. The album is full of fast paced drums, an abundance of energy and catchy lyrics. Our favourites include Old Ghost and How to Live Without which are perfect for summer. 





Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties - We Don't Have Each Other
Dan 'Soupy' Campbell from The Wonder Years recently started a side project called 'Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties'. Although it's extremely different from TWY (think acoustic guitars, harmonicas and country-esque music) if you're a big TWY fan, then it's definitely worth checking this out. The album - We Don't Have Each Other - sold 30,000 copies in the first week and was 89 on the American Billboard charts which is pretty impressive for a side project. If you want to find out more check out Soupy's interview with AP here.



Trash Boat - Look Alive 
Trash Boat have only officially been a band since the beginning of 2014 but from listening to Look Alive, you would never have guessed it. As Trash Boat's first musical endeavor, the EP shows no hint of weakness and is an impressive mixture of memorable melodies, youthful affirmations and an abundance of energy; the perfect musical accessory for summer. Trash Boat have also played a number of dates supporting ROAM on their UK tour this summer. Fear not if you have missed out as the band are playing shows throughout the next coming months. Find a date near you here.  




Knuckle Puck - The Weight That You Buried
Summer is not summer without Knuckle Puck. Whether you're listening to The Weight That You Buried, Don't Come Home or their recent split with Neck Deep, Knuckle Puck will definitely brighten up your summer. Knuckle Puck also recently released a new video fro their song No Good (click on the link above to watch), which was directed by Eric Teti, the same person who directed Real Friend's video for I Don't Love You Anymore. 





Seaway - Hoser
Although Hoser was released in 2013, it definitely belongs in any summer playlist. Especially as the band just got signed to Pure Noise Records. You could argue that 'Keep your stick on Ice' means that it should belong in a winter playlist but we're going to put it in here because nothing makes you feel more summery than an album that sounds like a modern spin on old blink 182. Seaway also released a new video for No Direction from the album which you can watch by clicking on the link above. 



No Sleep Records - A Comp For Mom
No Sleep Record's president/ founder Chris Hansen is releasing a compilation in memory of his mum who sadly passed away this year. The comp is limited to a 1000 copies and all proceeds go towards his mum's medical bills and any left over will go to the Linda Hansen memorial fund. The compilation features a previously unreleased full band version of the Living Room Song by The Wonder Years (Listen out for the Modern Baseball shoutout), an acoustic version of Montreal by Major League and a previously unreleased b-side from the Swellers.





Seasons Change - Nothing and Everything EP
Seasons Change hail from Pico Rivera California and even the cover to Nothing and Everything is sunny. Just Look at it. Although this was released last year it deserves a place on any summer playlist. The band also recently got signed to No Sleep Records and are recording their debut full length with Sam Pura at the Panda Studios. Sam Pura + Panda Studios + awesome band can only equal one thing: one fucking awesome album.  





Like You to Me - Bigger Jaws
Like You to Me, who we think are named after the Set Your Goals Song of the same name, recently released their new song Bigger Jaws which features a special guest. Yep, that's right New Found Glory's Jordan Pundik lends some guest vocals to Bigger Jaws. In fact, the singer sounds a lot like him so it's like a buy one get one free of Jordan Pundik's which we're definitely not complaining about. Also, look at the shark on the cover that has summer written all over it, right? Okay maybe not but the song is a pretty good one to put on your summer playlists. 


If you have any more suggestions, whether it's your favourite band, you're own band or a friend's band, we'd love to hear from you. Please email us pop.punk.uk@gmail.com