On their forthcoming debut album, ‘Who Cares Anyway?’, Essex quartet Don’t Worry take on the anxiety and uncertainty that young people in the late 2010’s face. From the opening moments of ‘The Barber’s Got No Answers,’ they set the tone of self-doubt – “I need to sort my life out.”
Stylistically, Don’t Worry take their cues from powerpop rock twerks of Weezer and Dinosaur Jr. Songs such as ‘Big House’, ‘Yeah, Maybe’, and ‘Who Cares (U Cares)’ come off brightly despite their downtrodden lyrical demeanour. Elsewhere, ‘Confetti’ is a stirring, angst-ridden release as they sing “I’m sick and tired!” Whereas ‘Yeah, Me’ wallows in reflective alt-rock, ‘Rafters’ is a cathartic slice of indie punk and the closing number, ‘This Time Next Year,’ has flashes of The Cure.
Overall main songwriters, Ronan and Sam have crafted a thoughtful collection of songs that captures the dilemma’s that early adulthood brings. Although Don’t Worry show plenty of personal observations on ‘Who Cares Anyway?’, their coming of age tales are also influenced from elsewhere.
Ahead of its release later this month, the band have picked out 10 of their favourite coming of age movies.
Napoleon Dynamite
Sam: As soon as he throws the action figure tied on a string out the window of the bus I was like I’m in. “What are you gonna do today, Napoleon?” “Whatever I feel like, gosh!”
Superbad
Ronan: A bait one but I’ve seen it hundreds of times and could probably recite the whole script. I used to fall asleep to it every night from like 2007 until 2012. “McLovin? What are you, an Irish RnB singer?”
Mean Girls
Dick: Quotes on quotes. Plus I always think back to sneaking into my sister’s room when she was out to watch it on her DVD player.
Brick
Sam: Joseph Gordon-Levitt tries to solve his girlfriend’s murder and just gets beaten up loads on the way. Bit of a dark one but very good. Dick, Ronan, and I watched this together hungover in the early days of the band.
It (2017)
Ronan: I reckon this counts as a coming of age movie. The placement of The Cure’s ‘Six Different Ways’ really got me. We watched this at Cottage Road Cinema in Leeds whilst recording ‘Who Cares Anyway?’ A dude wearing a clown mask drove past the cinema really slowly as everyone was coming outside.
Say Anything
Dick: John Cusack is the best actor of all time. Plus the scene where he’s listening to Fishbone on the boombox and they put Peter Gabriel over the top.
A Taste Of Honey
Sam: Count the Smiths lyrics pinched from this film. It’s ridiculous. One of the best of British new wave cinema. Simultaneously bleak and joyous.
Almost Famous
Ronan: A massively exaggerated tale of that rock n roll lifestyle that no longer exits and probably never really did in exactly that way. The songs they wrote for Stillwater are actually pretty good. This is also where I first heard ‘The Oogum Boogum Song’ by Brenton Wood, a song everyone needs to hear.
10 Things I Hate About You
Dick: “Angry girl music of the indie rock persuasion”. There needs to be a remake where Dan Aykroyd plays Kay and Bianca’s father.
Dazed And Confused
Sam: Probably in most people’s lists but genuinely great. Richard Linklater is really good at nailing those high school archetypes. Slater is my favourite stoner. “You cool, man?” “Like, how?”
Don’t Worry will be touring the UK next month.
July (support from Lightcliffe)
14th The Lexington, London (with Fresh and Eat Me / no Lightcliffe)
16th Hope & Ruin, Brighton
17th Exchange, Bristol
18th The Big Top, Cardiff
19th Bierkeller, Exeter
20th UCA Bar, Canterbury
22nd Jacaranda, Liverpool
23rd The Parish, Huddersfield
24th Head of Steam, Newcastle
25th Bloc, Glasgow
26th Wharf Chambers, Leeds
27th The Birdcage, Portsmouth
27th The Blue Moon, Cambridge
‘Who Cares Anyway?’ by Don’t Worry is released on 22nd June on Specialist Subject Records.
