Introducing Interview: Lyrah

Following the release of her debut EP Chemicals earlier this year, San Francisco-based artist Lyrah has been featured on the likes of Earmilk, and in popular playlists such as Spotify’s ‘Fresh Finds’.

Recently sharing the GOLDHOUSE remix of her latest single ‘Don’t Make Me’, she creates smooth, sultry dance pop, flowing with luscious, soaring vocals and pulsating beats.

We caught up with Lyrah to find out more…

Hi Lyrah, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourself please?
Hello! Nice to meet y’all. I’m a writer/singer/producer in San Francisco. I make dark indie pop music and love to create things that feel like they could be the soundtrack of someone’s life.

How and why did you initially start creating music?
I’ve been making music since I was a kid. I was lucky that my parents set me up with piano lessons when I was three – the teacher didn’t want to take me on since I was so young, but my dad worked it out so that she would give us both a lesson. Piano was my gateway to writing; it started with dark, heavy piano compositions, and then grew into more structured pop songs. For the past five years or so, I’ve been writing for other people as well as stuff just for myself. It wasn’t until two years ago that I decided to go for it and put out my own music – I was getting better at production and could finally capture the sound I had been hearing in my head. I wanted to have the complete creative control to create a vision around the sound and feeling I was chasing.

Your new single ‘Don’t Make Me’ is out now, can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the track?
I wrote this song during a lonely night at my piano. It started because I was in a mental space of questioning someone’s love; it’s shitty to be in a situation where you feel someone pulling away and you begin to question how they feel about you and what that means going forward. When I wrote this song, I had no intention of putting it out or sharing it with anyone, but when I was picking songs for my EP around the theme of love driven chemicals, it was a piece of that spectrum that I wanted to include.

 

And you’ve recently shared the GOLDHOUSE remix of the track, how did that collaboration come about?
I first discovered GOLDHOUSE through his Billie Eilish remix of ‘Ocean Eyes’. I followed a lot of his remixes after that, so I hit him up when I was thinking about remixes for the EP and he wanted to remix ‘Don’t Make Me’. I knew there was a dancier, more energetic version of this song living within it and GOLDHOUSE nailed it.

You’ve been compared to the likes of Daughter and Halsey, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
Two influences that are constant are Sylvan Esso and Trent Reznor. But a more recent influence would be Sasha Sloan – I absolutely love her writing.

How is your local music scene? Do you go to see lots of live music?
I was talking about this recently with Parker – who is part of Cassette Tapes — that there is something cool about the SF music scene because it is not the natural place to live for music. And that difference of environment shapes the stories you wanna tell and the ways you write and produce about it. That said, the price of admission to live in San Francisco is so high that it’s unrealistic for some. Many musicians here are like me in that they have a job to support their music. I wish the city could better support creatives and people of all types of backgrounds that are currently driven away.     

And what can fans expect from your live shows?
For right now, I’m not doing any shows so that my energy goes into writing/producing/recording/designing/planning out the next releases. The songs to come are the ones that I am most excited to perform, so when that happens, I hope I give everyone a hell of a night!  

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any new/upcoming artists you’d recommend we check out?
Ooo let’s see. Here are some newer artists I’ve been excited about and the songs of theirs I love most: Banoffee – ‘Bubble‘, WENS – ‘Call’, Luka – ‘Closer‘, Hana Vu – ‘Crying On The Subway’. 

And how do you feel the music industry is for new artists at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
Since the barrier to create music is lower, people are inundated with tonnes of new music. This makes it harder to cut through the noise, but the part that is super interesting is that you can reach an audience that is really into your specific sound.

Finally, what does the rest of 2019 have in store for Lyrah?
All of my new stuff is pushing a darker, dancier direction. They’re living in a space that is dreamy, yet realistically cinematic. These songs to come are my favourite ones yet! You can follow me on Insta or Spotify to hear what’s to come. 

Massive thanks to Lyrah for answering our questions! 

‘Don’t Make Me’ (GOLDHOUSE Remix) is out now.

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ALBUM: Chastity Belt – ‘Chastity Belt’

On this, their fourth album, Chastity Belt are in a contemplative mood. Guitars are gently, thoughtfully, strummed and lush harmonies mingle with the melody to create an album that is perfect for late summer 2019. 

After their last album in 2017, the band deliberately created some headspace for themselves. They wanted to take some time out from the band, to work and live as individuals rather than as Chastity Belt. This decision led to some solo projects, most notably singer Julia Shapiro’s recent output, but also to a more personal introspection and development. The four members of Chastity Belt have brought this new sense of perspective the album, and it shows. 

While sonically complex, the album sounds sparse and uncluttered, unhurried and pastoral, rather than urgent and urban. Opening track ‘Ann’s Jam’ reflects this with its gentle, almost meandering guitar sound, whereas the strings on ‘Effort’ weave in and out of the guitars like ribbons of sound. It’s a soothing sonic wave, a soundtrack of calm and thoughtful songwriting. It’s not as though the band have suddenly picked up acoustic guitars either, it’s just that the woven intricacies of their music balance out to such an extent that neither electric guitar nor drums dominate. 

The slowly building ‘It Takes Time’ and the beautiful ‘Half-Hearted’ with its intricate, pretty guitars and gorgeous vocal harmonies are both highlights, as are ’Effort’ and ‘Ann’s Jam’, but really, this is an album in the traditional sense: it has been made to be listened to in its entirety, over and over again, until it bleeds into your subconscious and becomes a part of you. It’s a masterpiece that will stand the test of time and will be listened to, and loved, for many years to come.

Chastity Belt is out 20th September via Hardly Art.

Cazz Blase
@CazzBlase

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Track Of The Day: Tate McRae – ‘Tear Myself Apart’

This taster track (the first single, ‘All My Friends Are Fake’, will be released in October) by sixteen year old singer/songwriter Tate McRae marks her as a talent to watch. She’s managed to avoid coming across as either mawkish or awkward with a sophisticated, heartfelt slice of pop that would appeal to fans of both Lorde and Halsey.

More Jorja Smith than Taylor Swift, ’Tear Myself Apart’ is emotional without being emotive, stripped down without coming across as contrived, and it’s a highly dignified, atmospheric piece of songwriting.

With this being purely a taster track, it’s too early to predict what direction McRae’s career will take, or if she’ll be content to stick with making atmospheric pop ballads over the usual route of R&B flavoured pop or reggaetron. Whatever happens though, remember the name.

Cazz Blase
@cazzblase

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LIVE: Peaches @ Royal Festival Hall, 28.08.19

Wednesday, 28th September 2019: another day of exceptionally soul-destroying news about the state that the country/the world is in; a day when I particularly need a lift, something to restore my faith in humanity. I feel extremely grateful, then, that it is tonight that I get to see the legendary Peaches. All round pop and punk icon, pioneer of sex positive queer feminism, multi-media artist and exceptional musician, I’ve been wanting to see her live for years, and this mind blowing experience couldn’t have come at a better time. 

It also couldn’t have happened at a better venue; though it may not be considered the most ‘punk’ of places, the Royal Festival Hall is the perfect setting. With its epic, old time grandeur, high quality sound, and accessible, spaced out seating, you’re guaranteed a clear view and hearing from any angle, so all the usual gig worry of getting squashed, not being able to see/hear, and generally being uncomfortable or slightly stressed is taken away. I feel very honoured to be there, even before the show starts. 

And then the spectacle begins – an all womxn band filled with strings, brass and percussion begin to play as dancers (aka ‘Clusterfuck’) appear in skin tight bodysuits dressed as sperm and vaginas. Peaches isn’t even on the stage yet, and the euphoric sex-positive vibes are already flowing.

Introduced by vibrant performer ‘Anita Drink’, Peaches takes to the stage, covered in layers of hair, for masturbation-celebration anthem ‘Rub’. Whilst a fantastic, stimulating start, it is only when Peaches urges everyone to “rise with me”, asserting “don’t let the stiffness of your seat stop you doing anything”, that we’re really able to climax. At her direction, the crowd immediately loses inhibitions and is able to fully immerse themselves in the incredible, unifying experience that is There’s Only One Peach With The Hole In The Middle. 

As a fleet of living vaginas strut alongside her for ‘Vaginoplasty’, Peaches sheds her hair suit and commands our absolute attention with her flamboyant energy and magnetising charisma. Only a few songs in, and already the utterly inclusive and hugely empowering spirit oozing from Peaches has encompassed the entire venue, a sea of fans of all genders/ages/preferences celebrating the immense sense of freedom that being in the company of this performer induces. And no more so than when the modified lyrics of ‘I U She’ are chanted in unison – “Gender Fluid Make Some Noise”. 

After a costume change into what seems to be a rather fetching pink swimsuit, Peaches is greeted to the stage once again by some snazzy keytars for ‘Talk To Me’ and, as she climbs into the crowd, taking a sip of a fan’s drink, she exudes all that admirable uninhibited sense of quirky cool, before climbing back onto the stage. Joined by none other than Iggy Pop (in virtual form on a screen), she bounces into ‘Kick It’ with a relentless, angsty energy. 

Surrounded by raging guitars for ‘Rock Show’, the stage suddenly bursts into a frenzy, as dancers of all kinds swirl around her; a surrealist, truly joyous celebration of total inclusivity. From utter euphoria to the sound of discordant screeching strings, Peaches then reappears from an inflated, epic dress, in which dancers are squirming, for heartstring-tugging anthem ‘Free Drink Ticket’; showing herself capable of fusing together a rock show with an art installation; a classical ballet with a hip-hop battle. She is beyond genre, beyond gender, and beyond even my wildest expectations. 

Joined once again by Anita Drink taking Kim Gordon’s place for ‘Close Up’, Peaches then comes in for her ‘Diva Moment’. Sharing that it’s not the first time she’s been here – she’s supported Suede at David Bowie’s Meltdown event in 2002, seen Grace Jones perform, and even sung alongside Yoko Ono – her nostalgic interlude reminds us that she certainly has every right to a ‘Diva Moment’ or few, and now that she’s here in her own right for her own mind-altering show, she deserves every single bit of attention possible. 

Following the throbbing energy of ‘AA XXX’, Peaches swaps her hair suit for some cool shades and we’re treated to the utterly immersive, hypnotic hold of ‘Take You On’ performed on what looks two giant theramins (but are probably just lights). And, as she sings “you can’t mess with me”, I firmly believe this strong, impassioned performer standing before me. 

And just when you think things can’t get any more totally breathtaking, an aerial gymnast is elevated up into the rafters, spinning and balancing impressively, all the while mesmerising the crowd with the lasers shooting out of her bum hole – a perfect accompaniment as Peaches belts out “I’ve got light in places you didn’t know could shine”, leaving us questioning if there’s anything this innovative artist hasn’t got in store to wow us with. 

Then there’s the energy-fuelled boxing match-inspired dance moves of ‘Boys Wanna Be Her’; the all encompassing screeches of an incredible violinist’s strings as she’s carried off stage by a group of dancers; an absolutely immersive performance by one flexible male member (no pun intended..) of Clusterfuck to ‘I Feel Cream’; the totally unforgettable sight of two giant inflatable penises with someone dancing inside to ‘Dick In The Air’. There simply isn’t a moment when something completely spectacular isn’t taking place. 

Whether Peaches is being joined once more by Anita Drink as we all shake our tits along to ‘Shake Yer Dix’, or we’re witnessing a breathtaking tower of dancers as Peaches blasts out ‘I Mean Something’, every single second blows me away. 

I’m relieved, then, that there’s an encore. Peaches re-emerges as sparkly and spectacular as ever, plus a snazzy hat, for an impressive delivery of ‘Dumb Fuck, before going on to introduce every single person involved in the production of the show, including all stage managers and technicians; an admirable gesture for a performance of this scale, and one which only goes to demonstrate Peaches’ dedication to complete inclusivity. 

With everyone on stage together, the show closes with celebratory anthem, and perhaps Peaches’ most well-known offering, ‘Fuck The Pain Away’. And so ends the most innovative, empowering, inspiring and utterly joyous show I think I’ve ever seen. Restore my faith in humanity, Peaches certainly has. Whether surrounded by spangling dancers, living vaginas, a marching band, or simply standing alone, chest bare, Peaches encompasses a perfect celebration of everything queer, wonderful, weird and totally life-affirming.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Lydia Daniller

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