Track Of The Day: Tacocat – ‘Grains Of Salt’

Following 2016’s Lost Time, Seattle’s pop-punksters Tacocat have now announced the release of their brand new album The Mess Is A Place, and we couldn’t be more excited.

Taken from the album, new single ‘Grains Of Salt’ flows with jangly, uptempo hooks and the trademark soaring, raw vocals of Emily Nokes, creating a vibrant message of empowerment. As Nokes exclaims “Don’t forget to remember who the fuck you are”, a wonderful sense of catharsis oozes from the bands’s sparkling musicality, the track’s bright energy matching the colourful drag performers of the video. Another infectiously uplifting feminist anthem from the Seattle group, leaving us longing to hear more from the new album.

Of the video for ‘Grains Of Salt’, Nokes expands:

“The video is also super special! We were really lucky to get to work with some of our favorite Seattle performers and friends, not to mention an ace video team. Seattle is so talented it’s ridiculous. (Shoutout to the giant glasses of room-temp blue milk that somehow never spilled a drop!)”

This Mess Is A Place, the upcoming album from Tacocat, is out 3rd May via Sub Pop.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Helen Moga

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Introducing Interview: Hana Piranha

Having performed at a number of prestigious venues including Wembley Arena, The O2, and Koko, as well as having supported the likes of Anna Calvi, goth-rockers Hana Piranha create a unique blend of dark, tantalising sounds.

With the release of their new album, Waiting To Burn, set for release next month, we caught up with front-woman Hana Maria to find out more…

Hi Hana Piranha, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about the band?
Hana Piranha is a four piece goth rock band with violin as a feature. We’re loud and very dark.

How did you initially all get together and start creating music?
I was working on the project for a few years before I met Jim in a pub and he joined the band. I had just finished our first full-length album Cold Comfort and was working on our second album Fishing with Dynamite, while Jim and I got to know each other and got comfortable writing together. Waiting to Burn is the first songwriting collaboration between the two of us and it’s all the better for it. Dan and Andy joined the band about two years ago and we’ve all been working hard together ever since. After years of lineup changes, it’s wonderful to have a band that is growing together.

Your new album Waiting To Burn is out very soon – can you tell us what it’s all about? Are there any themes running throughout the album?
Waiting to Burn follows themes of a witch being burned at the stake. My songs all serve to exorcise my personal demons and as such, explore my role as both victim and architect of my own destruction.

 

You’ve been compared to the likes of Juliette Lewis and Shirley Manson, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
I have listened to a lot of Garbage actually, but my biggest influence is probably Nine Inch Nails – in sound, vibe and lyrics. I’m also really into Lana del Rey at the moment – I started playing the harp recently and began by arranging Lana del Rey covers before working on my own material.

How is your local music scene? Do you go to see lots of live music?
I also play violin for a band called Birdeatsbaby which is fronted by the queen that is Mishkin Fitzgerald. We spark off each other a lot and also tour together with the two bands. We meet a lot of great bands along the way. I’m based in Brighton and Watford, which both have thriving music scenes and a lot of talent.

And what can fans expect from your live shows?
We bring an energetic and compelling set to the stage and have a good rapport as a band. Our live sound is less produced and more “punk” than the record, with a no-frills style that showcases our musicianship.

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any new/upcoming bands or artists you’d recommend we check out?
Some of the memorable artists we’ve played with recently include Emberhoney, Unwoman, Jason Achilles, Sit Kitty Sit, Oli Spleen, Ailen and Death Ingloria, to name a few. And of course Birdeatsbaby!

And how do you feel the music industry is for new bands at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
The internet provides an equal platform for anyone who wants to be heard, which is a great thing but also makes it difficult to stand out. We try to tour as much as possible to entice new fans to the dark side.

Finally, what does the rest of 2019 have in store for Hana Piranha?
We are releasing Waiting to Burn next month which is hugely exciting as it’s been over three years in the making, so we’ll be supporting that with shows over the UK and hopefully Europe. We have two videos to release alongside it (‘Naked Flame’ and ‘Waiting to Burn’), and are working on two more. I also recently did a Kickstarter campaign for my solo harp album Wednesday’s Child, so I am finishing that at the moment, for exclusive release to my backers next month and then a wider release later in the year. We have also almost finished writing our fourth album, with the aim to record it later in the year.

Huge thanks to Hana Piranha for answering our questions! 

Waiting To Burn, the upcoming album from Hana Piranha, is out 22nd March via Fourglove Records.

 

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LISTEN: Gaygirl – ‘Sick Note’

“Come to the bad side” invite Gaygirl, somewhere between seduction and apathy, on their latest single, ‘Sick Note’. Architects of alt-grunge pop that they have self-described as “a bit noisy really”, Gaygirl’s latest delivery boasts bittersweet crooning over serrated guitars with high-pitched inflections, epitomising the angsty indifference so typified by ’90s youth.

To cement the feeling of being an outcast, Gaygirl invite you to suspend your own sense of self, encapsulated with the line “I can’t tell if it’s myself”. Their innovative manipulation of the genre ensures that ‘Sick Note’ offers more than just a nostalgic kick.

Having recently been signed to Roadkill Records, the horizon looks promising for Gaygirl. Continuing to deliver their well-crafted blend of grunge and gloomy pop. they’ve risen to prominence in the London gigging scene, having supported the likes of Shame, Sorry and Gabrille Cohen in the last year alone.

Listen to ‘Sick Note’ here:

 

Follow Gaygirl on Facebook for more updates.

Amy Barker
@amybarker_

Photo Credit: Keira-Anee Photography

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Track Of The Day: Anteros – ‘Drive On’

The death of the Earth by plastic is imminent, right…? Anteros’ new single ‘Drive On’ pragmatically splices alt-pop with perfect candour, drawing attention to our methodless attitude to recycling and plastic waste.

A backwards burp of meandering, digitalised melody and robotic Star Wars-esque cries are braided with clean-cut guitar and bracing drums. Meanwhile, lead singer Laura Hayden poses bewitchingly as an angel, wings and all. Our saving grace.

In an elegantly effortless fashion, Hayden sings of a dreamlike vision of a better world, carrying on “through the wasteland”, whilst embracing her inner ballerina, twirling and cocooning herself with giant sheets of plastic wrap. This chorus is like a plague, easily infectious, hard to get rid of, and surely will be the death of me…However, despite the sinister undertones that we’re living in badlands, ‘Drive On’ remains ironically upbeat and anthemic, with its spangles of chirpy guitar and jangly dancefloor tempo.

I just wonder what they did with all that plastic after they filmed the video. Until I find out, I’ll just enjoy the tune…

When We Land, the debut album from Anteros, is out 22nd March via Distiller Records.

Megan Berridge
@noisygal_

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