WATCH: Alice SK – ‘On The Road’

Having received acclaim from the likes of BBC 6Music’s Steve LaMacq, London-based alt-folk artist Alice SK has now unleashed new aspects of her musical spectrum with twisted music video for latest release ‘On The Road’. The song and video brilliantly tell the cautionary tale of a toxic relationship, taking us on an emotional rollercoaster as the cracks start to show. 

The scene is set with slow, soft keys and SK’s luscious, smokey vocals, but as song escalates around the emotional chorus – “Momma says he’ll take my heart, turn it to ash / I’m on the road…” – we begin to realise she is trapped. As the romance turns sour in the second verse, we’re able to feel her pain as the tempo increases when she battles with her inner voices and towards the realisation that “there’s no turning back” from the choices she has to make to regain her power.

Juxtaposing a lilting folk-strewn musicality with a hauntingly poignant raw emotion and sense of foreboding, ‘On The Road’ showcases Alice SK’s beautifully resonant lyrical storytelling perfectly.

Watch the eerie, Seb Gilmore directed, new video for ‘On The Road’ here:

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

fionahaicLeave a comment

LISTEN: Malka – ‘Matriarch’

Tamara Schlesinger has been making music for over fifteen years, first as the leader of alt-folk collective 6 Day Riot and since 2014 as a solo artist under the name MALKA. Her music has been featured on Hollywood blockbusters and TV series (127 Hours, Scream IV and Skins), and across MTV and Netflix. So, now, 2023 sees the return of MALKA with her upcoming synth-based album, Anatomy of Sight.

‘Matriarch‘, the second single to be taken from the album (following ‘Flashlight’), further expands MALKA’s journey into synths and solo production; and as the opener sets the tone for the album as a whole. Of the track, MALKA explains:

“(Matriarch is about) that feeling of trying to juggle everything, trying to find that balance in life and wondering whether you have made the right decisions along the way. But it is also about that fierce pride of succeeding with something, especially when you have achieved it alone.”

The song begins with an eerily ethereal chime – an organ-like/slide guitar sound – quickly leading into the intro where MALKA’S voice is centred and layered, among the bouncy ’80s synths, becoming expansive as the chorus builds. Emanating both light and shade with its swirling soundscape, the second verse oozes a sense of vulnerability, the lyrics alluding to leaving a bad situation and starting over – “change the story now, every page just feels the same”. Moments of confusion are displayed in the voice distortion of the middle-eight, whilst the empowering chorus returns throughout; reminding us of those bitter sweet moments when navigating personal adversity. A shimmering, stirring reflection on life’s challenges and achievements.

Anatomy Of Sight, the upcoming new album from Malka, is set for release on 29th September via Tantrum Records.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

fionahaicLeave a comment

LISTEN: Anna Pancaldi – ‘Where Do I Lay All The Love I Have Left?’

London based singer-songwriter, Anna Pancaldi, has now shared new single, ‘Where Do I Lay All The Love I Have Left?‘. The first of a string of singles to come, it marks Anna’s thought-provoking, affecting vocals and musicality evolving into a new chapter. 

A versatile artist, Pancaldi also co-writes on a variety of outside projects (singles, synch, top-lining/features). For example, in April her music was used for the brand new Grey’s Anatomy trailer and has featured on hit US TV shows such as ‘Pretty Little Liars’, ‘Famous in Love’ and the 2022 Paramount film ‘The In Between’ (featured under the pseudonym Beò).

‘Where Do I Lay All The Love I Have Left?’ is a soulful ballad, reflecting on opening up to one’s feelings. It begins quietly with a stirring piano intro, building up to the bridge with an impassioned grace, where synths are added, echoing the emotional turmoil of the lyrics – ‘”I admit I am frightened, scared of being misled…” Although uncertain, the song allows growth with a beautiful catharsis, before paring back to the final question – “Where do I lay all the love I have left?”. A perfectly poignant soundtrack to the uncertainty of falling in love again.

Catch Anna Pancaldi live at Folklore in Hackney tomorrow, 18th May – tickets here.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

Photo Credit: Curious Rose Photography

fionahaicLeave a comment

LISTEN: Tina Boonstra – ‘If I Could’

Having received acclaim from the likes of Tom Robinson at BBC 6Music and Under The Radar magazine, London-based artist Tina Boonstra recently shared the beautifully anthemic ‘If I Could’, the third single from her upcoming debut album, Circle Back Start Again. The album is a collection of stories inspired by real-life encounters and tenderly asks; what do we do when life doesn’t go the way we expect?

‘If I Could’ is a powerfully poignant case in empathy, dealing with with the difficult subject of miscarriage. Right from its opening power chords and Tina’s crisp vocals, the story begins. “Can we pick it back up where we left it? Right before we got the message / To come back to the ward / ’cause the doctors want to talk.” We are immediately pulled into the stirring narrative by the percussion which conveys the nervousness of the situation, and the ominous piano note bringing a stirring stillness – “There is no going back from here”.

The sudden burst into the chorus is a like a friend offering a steady shoulder to cry on: “If I could I would build you back / brick by brick / and you would fly”. We can feel the sadness and emotional release, especially in the compelling guitar solo with its effective distortion effects.

Strong yet soothing, this song offers support in the face of a grief which is so often not talked about. A truly heartfelt, musically rich insight into vulnerability and getting through tough times.

Circle Back, Start Again, the upcoming new album from Tina Boonstra, is set for release on 28th April.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

fionahaicLeave a comment