LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with Maria Uzor (21.08.23)

Tash and Kate were back on Soho Radio’s airwaves playing loads of new music from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists! Mari offered some of her “musical musings” too. Tash talked about their excitement for Yeah Yeah Yeah’s performance at upcoming East London festival All Points East, whilst Kate shared memories of her day at Bloodstock Festival a few weeks ago. Artists featured on the eclectic playlist included Lauren Auder, Deyah, Kelly Lee Owens, ALT BLK ERA, HAVVK, Mykki Blanco and Gender Chores.

Tash also caught up with Norwich-based electronic artist and GIHE fave Maria Uzor to talk about her upcoming debut album, Soft Cuts. Set for release on 13th October via Castles In Space, Maria spoke about the inspirations behind the tracks on the record, including her latest single ‘Ventolin’. Maria will be playing a headline show at The Windmill in Brixton on 18th October. Tickets are available here.

Listen back to the show below:

We’ll be back on Soho Radio on Monday 18th September from 12-2pm!

Tracklist
The Breeders – Cannonball
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Spitting Off The Edge of the World
Boygenius – Without You Without Them
Kelly Lee Owens – Throwing Lines
Lauren Auder – the ripple
DROWND – Sinner (KANGA Remix)
Melanie Charles – Petty
Deyah – Heart Status
Amaroun – Dopamine
ALT BLK ERA – Misfits: SOLAR
ZAND – Deliverance
Witch Weather – Don’t Need
shaene – sad
Frances and The Majesties – All Of Time
Mary Lovett – Seven
Maria Uzor – Ventolin
**Interview with Maria Uzor**
Emily Winng – Leave The Grass Grow Wild
GENN – Calypso
Baby Rose – Stop the Bleeding
Hinako Omori – cyanotype memories
Pet Snake – Jacket
Mykki Blanco – Holidays In The Sun
HAVVK – Expiry
Gender Chores – Dysphurious
CHROMA – Woman To Woman
Noga Erez – Quiet
HAIM – Want You Back

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

LISTEN: Trinity Mei – ‘ever be right’

Trinity Mei is a folk singer-songwriter from the sun-soaked desert landscapes of Arizona. Having honed her musical prowess at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, she blends elements of traditional folk with aspects of electronica, giving her music a contemporary yet timeless quality. 

Her debut track ‘ever be right’ has introspective lyrics that delve into the common experience of entering a relationship where emotions aren’t reciprocated. She describes tender moments in the verses – “…we’ll stay up for hours until the moon is gone / talk about secrets till the light of dawn” – but questions in the chorus whether she will ever be right for them, noting her frustrations that “guess life’s not like the movies, your heart is out of range”. 

‘ever be right’ has a beautifully chilled out energy, characterised by mellow and gentle sounds. It’s built around lilting, strumming guitar and incorporates harmonising vocals, lush string swells, and textured synth parts – providing a perfect foundation for Mei’s smooth and soulful vocals, which captivate on first listen. The production is crisp and warm, drawing you in and holding your attention. Whilst there are no belting vocals, they are delivered delicately with an immersive dynamism and raw emotion, reflecting the subject matter and giving hints of the stirring alt-pop of Phoebe Bridgers or Billie Eilish.

Already, with this spellbinding debut, Mei has demonstrated sharp musicianship in constructing a stunning and intricate soundscape with a really strong vocal performance. I look forward to seeing what’s to come next from this artist.

Ella Patenall
@ella_patenall

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GUIDE & PLAYLIST: Supersonic Festival 2023

Event: Supersonic Festival

Where: Digbeth, Birmingham, UK

When: 1st – 3rd September 2023

Ticket Info:
Weekend ticket: £160.00 / Day tickets: £40.00

Full info about other ticket options available here

General Info:
To mark 20 years since its inception, Supersonic Festival have put together another exciting programme of alternative music and events for their 2023 line-up. Described as “championing experimental and adventurous music and creating an inclusive and joyful space where all are welcome,” the team have organised three days of art and events for festival-goers to immerse themselves in.

Alongside the music line-up (which you can read more about below), Supersonic have a vast selection of extracurricular activities to get involved in. There will be workshops, guest DJs and Do.om Yoga, as well as a roof-top takeover by Decolonise Fest (a DIY collective organised by and for punx of colour). BBC Radio 6 Music’s flagship experimental show Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone will be in attendance, with a pub quiz hosted by Stuart, plus there will be film screenings from labels including Ipecac, The Flenser, Thrill Jockey and Constellation Records.

There will also be ‘In Conversation’ events with Eugene S. Robinson of Oxbow on his book A Walk Across Dirty Water and Straight Into Murderer’s Row: A Memoir, and with John Robb on his book The Art Of Darkness: The History of Goth. Finally, Supersonic will be hosting exhibitions of artwork by Black Lodge Press in collaboration with Dog Section Press, and by skateboarder and artist Richard “French” Sayer celebrating the Home of Metal, and a special celebratory display in response to the festival’s archive by artist and designer David Hand and friends.

 

Who’s Playing: Check out the full line-up here

There are so many excellent bands playing Supersonic this year, it’s hard to pick favourites! At Get In Her Ears, we focus on female, non-binary and LGBTQ+ talent, so beneath the official line-up poster below, there are some in depth recommendations about artists who we think you should check out.

You can get to know them all better by listening to our accompanying Spotify Playlist at the end of this feature too.

 

DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE

The gargantuan-yet-graceful sounds of this heavy duo will definitely be a festival highlight on Saturday night. Their doom-ridden instrumentals are designed to erode the foundations of colonialism and liberate the land for indigenous communities. Saxophonist and guitarist Takiaya Reed and percussionist Sylvie Nehill have been honing their unique form of noise in order to help cauterize the wounds of colonialism since the release of their debut album BASIC, back in 2017. The patience and empathy that underscores their creativity inspires a deep sense of awe and respect. Read our interview with Takiaya here, and check out our review of the band’s latest album Systemic here.

BACKXWASH

Supersonic will be hosting genre-blending rapper & producer Ashanti Mutinta aka BACKXWASH’s first and only UK show this year – making this performance totally exclusive. The Zambian-Canadian, Polaris Music Prize-winning artist will unleash her hip-hop, horrorcore and industrial sounds on festival-goers on Saturday night. The poetic and cathartic qualities of her seething lyricism are enhanced by the visceral, corrosive soundscapes she has built around them. Her latest album, HIS HAPPINESS SHALL COME FIRST EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SUFFERING, is well worth your attention.

TOTAL LUCK

Birmingham-based post punk trio Total Luck will be performing on Friday night. Switching between spoken word and loud, punk vocals, the band create noisy, brooding cacophonies that are are sure to linger in your ears long after they’ve finished playing. Listen to more of their sounds via their bandcamp page here.

ELVIN BRANDHI

If festival-goers want to witness some truly chaotic, intense, experimental noise, then Elvin Brandhi’s set on Saturday is a must see. Described as “an improvising lyricist, producer and sound artist who builds aberrant beats from field recordings, tape, vinyl, instrument and voice,” the Welsh artist will provide her listeners with an unusual, visceral performance. Check out her latest album Drunken Love, here.

TAQBIR

Blending activism and abrasive music together to encourage and empower North African women to express themselves freely, Moroccan punks Taqbir will be a live force to be reckoned with when they play on Saturday night. The five-piece pay homage to the female pioneers of the UK punk scene such as X-Ray Spex, Bona Rays or The Slits, and use their own music as a vessel to unleash their anger and frustration at the systems that oppress them. Check out their bandcamp page here.

SILVERMOTH

On Sunday, Supersonic will be hosting the debut live performance of atmospheric noise-rock collective Silver Moth. Comprised of Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai), Elisabeth Elektra, Steven Hill and members of Abrasive Trees, Burning House and Prosthetic Head, together they create genre-blending, evocative aural ruminations. Listen to their latest album Black Bay, here.

LANKUM

Admired for their captivating live performances, acclaimed Irish contemporary folk quartet Lankum will be playing Supersonic on Sunday night. They were first recommended to us by Dublin-based trio Bitch Falcon, and we’ve been assured that the atmosphere at their shows is completely magnetic. Listen to their latest record, False Lankum, here.

DEERHOOF

Festival-goers will be able to enjoy the idiosyncratic sounds of acclaimed alt-indie band Deerhoof on Friday night. Their melodic-yet-noisy infusions are not to be missed. Check out their latest record, Miracle-Level, here.

MORE TALENT

These artists are completely new to us, but we recommend you check them out too: un.procedure, BIG|BRAVE, Jessica Moss, MC Yallah & Debmaster, Ashenspire, Blue Ruth, Agathe Max, Matana Roberts, The Seer, Ondata Rossa, Ragana, Josephine Foster, Sirom

 

For more information visit Supersonic Festival’s official website

Check out our Supersonic Playlist below, featuring some of the female & LGBTQ+ talent playing the festival this year!

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

ALBUM: Alex Lahey – ‘The Answer Is Always Yes’

Following singer/songwriter Alex Lahey’s idiosyncratic sophomore LP, 2019’s The Best of Luck Club, the Australian indie hero revels in the absurdity of the suburban gothic on her latest record (and debut for Liberation) – collaborating with songwriters Jacknife Lee, John Mark Nelson, Chris Collins, amongst others – The Answer is Always Yes; ten cathartic tracks of self-discovery and exploration, finding comfort in discomfort.

Opening with Courtney Barnett-esque speak-sung delivery (“Everybody is a bit fucked up, but they think they’re okay…”), ‘Good Time’ is unashamedly upbeat, with invigorating, fuzz-drenched hooks; an ode to post-lockdown nights out at the pub. Following with Nevermind-era, grunge-fuelled riffs, ‘Congratulations’ sarcastically reflects on not one, but two ex-partners getting engaged within an unexpectedly short amount of time from one another – “Congratulations / So happy for your perfect life / There’s something in my eye / I’m doing just fine without you.”

Ruminating on a tumultuous breakup, warm basslines propel power pop anthem ‘You’ll Never Get Your Money Back’, before musically intimate indie ballad ‘The Sky is Melting’ revels in the drug-induced chaos caused by consuming edibles. ‘On the Way Down’, another sardonic breakup song, is juxtaposed by the sickly-sweet lyrics of ‘Makes Me Sick’ (“I like you so much, it makes me sick and I wouldn’t change it!”), whilst ‘Shit Talkin” gets awkward with bubblegum pop melodies and introspective lyrics.

‘Permanent’ is a sombre reflection on the songwriter’s time spent at her childhood home during lockdown; a semi-acoustic lament crescendoing into feedback and fear. Inspired by the TV coming-of-age romantic comedy Heartstopper – adapted from the webcomic of the same name by Alice Oseman – the infectious ‘They Wouldn’t Let Me In’ follows, reflecting on the teenage queer experience with self-aware wit. Of the track, Lahey explains: “I spent a lot of time thinking about my own experiences growing up as a queer teenager…being excluded from conventional romantic rites of passage…feeling like I couldn’t relate to anyone around me… It also makes you realise how absurd everything is.”

Closing with the ethereal title track ‘The Answer is Always Yes’, Alex Lahey showcases her tender and emotive vocal range; realising that life is unpredictable, but we should always stay positive. If you are saying yes, you are experiencing the world and all its quirks. It’s also indicative of the rest of the record; beautifully finding humour in the absurdities of existence.

The Answer Is Always Yes, the latest album from Alex Lahey, is out now via Liberation – order here. And you can catch her live when she tours Europe this Autumn – more info here.

Ken Wynne
@ken_wynne

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