Introducing Interview: Kid Cupid

Gigging together for over a year now, GIHE faves Kid Cupid have been building a reputation for their joyous, immersive live performances, with headline shows at The Garage, Proud Camden and Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen under their belts.

Now, having graced our ears with the cinematic electro-pop of last year’s single ‘Easy’, they’re ready to release their debut EP. We caught up with Laura from the band to find out more…

Hi Kid Cupid, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourselves and what you do?
Hey there! Thanks for having us, we are a four piece alt pop band based in London.

How did you all initially get together and start creating music?
I wish there was some really profound story like we all met on a life changing rocket trip to the moon but sorryyyy the truth is that James and Laura met when working on a TV show (Jonathan Creek) James was in a band and asked Laura to feature on one of their tracks. Unfortunately that band decided to split up so James and Laura decided to create a new one, joined by a friend Ian and John was found on gumtree!!

Your new EP ​Unholy Ceremony ​is out next month, can you tell us a bit about it? Are there any themes running throughout it?
It is and we’re so excited to get it out there, we’ve really poured a lot into this debut EP. Theme-wise it’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster – it’s based around conversations with a friend in need. The helplessness and the frustration of trying to drag someone you love back from a dark space. Saying that, the main single ‘Better’ is actually a celebration of the person, it’s us saying “if you could only see yourself how we see you”, and I think it’s something everyone can relate to.

You’ve been compared to the likes of Little Dragon and Låpsley, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
Such amazing comparisons there and we feel really humbled to be mentioned alongside them! For me (Laura), I grew up with female greats such as Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks, Joan Armatrading, Judi Tzuke (the list goes on), and I feel like I try to harness their amazing freedom/wildness/feminine energy when I write. But as a group we have so many varied influencers and genres, from soul and r’n’b to punk. We are also very inspired by film scores and cinematic soundtracks, so hopefully all of this enables us to blur/transcend genres ourselves.


You’ve previously wowed us with the uplifting energy of your live show at The Finsbury, but would you say there’s been a particular gig you’ve played that stands out as a highlight for you?
We had a blast at that gig so thanks again for having us! We headlined The Garage last year and that was a standout gig for us. The atmosphere was on point, we had our own light show and the stars just aligned! Hopefully that was the first of many to come and we will see you all out on a big old stage again soon, light show and all.

How is your local music scene? Do you go to see much live music?
London is just full of talent, we try and see as much as we can. Our favourite is heading into unexpected places and discovering a new band, it’s just magical!

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any other new upcoming bands/artists who you’d recommend we check out?
Check out our friends Bronte and Alesund! We’re also loving Ibeyi, Leif Erikson, Ardyn and Blaenavon.

And how do you feel the industry is for new bands at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
The music scene can feel a bit over saturated at times and that can be really daunting/disheartening as a band trying to get noticed. As long as we are having fun and making music that we love, we will continue! Hopefully people can see our passion for what we are doing.

Finally, what does the rest of 2018 have in store for Kid Cupid?
Onwards and upwards! We are heading to Berlin on June 13t​h​ to play a gig for FluxFM Bergfest, and then we plan to tour the EP and more writing!!

Huge thanks so Kid Cupid for answering our questions! 

Unholy Ceremony, the upcoming EP from Kid Cupid, is out 18th June.

 

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Track Of The Day: VOIID – ‘Silly Girl’

A raucous set of visuals that prove they have zero tolerance towards chip-stealing fraudsters, Brisbane bad asses VOIID have shared a video for their latest single ‘Silly Girl’. Directed by local Gold Coast resident Harley Jones, the video shows the band dismantling a ‘Silly Girl’ whilst rocking out to their riotous new tune.

Watch the video for ‘Silly Girl’ below and follow VOIID on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Amanda Palmer & Jasmine Power – ‘Mr Weinstein Will See You Now’

Matisse said that creativity creates courage. True. Arguably, to create art, one needs to be courageous. As a woman, in the midst of a movement that has been decades if not hundreds of years coming, you have to be courageous. As a woman creating art inspired and as a result of the trauma put upon us as having to be women, you have to be courageous.

Amanda Palmer ticks all of those boxes: a woman, an artist, and courageous.

This week, she released a song inspired by the #MeToo movement. It’s called ‘Mr Weinstein Will See You Now’ and its inception came out of a jam session between Amanda and Welsh singer-songwriter, Jasmine Power. Before that night at dinner, neither woman knew of or had met the other; to go from strangers to collaborators within hours is a rare occurrence, but a good one.

‘Mr Weinstein Will See You Now’ is a single story about and from a single woman with two voices and two minds. We’ve all felt that pull, now and again. Mr Weinstein may not be in all of our stories and his name might not even be uttered once in the lyrics of this track, but in ways, his foulness is.

I listened to the track over and over yesterday, and I’d put every cent I don’t have on betting I wasn’t the only one. Musically, it’s stunningly beautiful and powerful, but it’s in the lyrics that the truth comes to light. Too many women have blamed themselves for men taking advantage of them, and the shame of its occurrence never leaves.

Too many men with too much money and too much power who never give themselves a moment to think about their own actions, preying on victims who suffer in silence and think too much. It’s while writing this that it’s come out that Morgan Freeman has become another name to add to the list, and that list will continue to grow. But we must continue to listen to the women, the men, and the non-binary who have lived through it.

Since her humble, Dresden Dolls beginnings, Amanda Palmer has always kept the line between her and those who listen to her music slim. She likes to hear what people have to say and gives herself to them, and they her. This is evident reading her Patreon post about ‘Mr Weinstein Will See You Now’ and the comments in response to it. The stories, the truth.

100% of proceeds up of ‘Mr Weinstein Will See You Now’, up to 30th June, will go to the TIME’S UP legal defense fund.

Em Burfitt
@fenderqueer

 

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ALBUM: Skating Polly – ‘The Make It All Show’

Skating Polly transcend genres with their eclectic melodies and undeniable punk attitude – aiming to take on the world with the release of their fifth LP, The Make It All Show. Formed in Oklahoma City almost a decade ago by step-siblings Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse, The Make It All Show sees the “Ugly Pop” multi-instrumentalist duo expand as a group. Not just by morphing into a trio, due to the addition of Kelli’s younger brother Kurtis on drums, but by expanding their already impressive sound, and flaunting their DIY punk-rock roots.

Opening with the infectious ‘Classless Act’, Skating Polly set the bar high for the rest of the record with politically charged screams (“I want better than that classless act”) offsetting grunge-inspired guitar riffs, before slowing everything down with ‘Little Girl Blue and The Battle Envy’ – perhaps their most poetic track to date.

‘Free Will At Ease’ picks up the pace with a bassline that defines the track’s power pop melody, before breaking into ‘Queen For A Day’ – co-written, and featuring guest vocals from Exene Cervenka (of the seminal punk rock band X) – a punk-rock song with a traditional punk-rock chorus full of raw emotion and glimpses of vulnerability.

Skating Polly instinctively let loose on ‘They’re Cheap (I’m Free)’, drawing their thrashing sound and ferocious vocal delivery from the riot grrrl movement – Kelli emulating Kathleen Hanna’s signature screech. Indie-pop track ‘Long Ride’ follows with duelling, multi-layered vocals about shitty friends, before tearing apart the misogynistic nature of the American frat-boy culture with future punk anthem ‘Camelot’ – “Are you upset? Did I hurt your little feelings?”

Continuing their soft/loud/soft dynamic – their more subdued, reflective verses leading way to drive and distortion, and vice versa – Skating Polly poke fun at the idea of “selling out” with ‘Hollywood Factory’; hooking you in with their sarcastic wit, before expressing their frustration with yet more shitty friends on the Queens of the Stone Age inspired track ‘This Vacation’. The final two tracks – the rhythmic love song ‘Flatwound Strings’, and the gentle, piano-driven ‘Don’t Leave Me Gravity’ – bring closure to The Make It All Show with their comforting harmonies, and prove that Skating Polly have honed their own, distinctive style.

Over five records Skating Polly have displayed maturity as songwriters, having grown-up producing music under the watchful eye of both their fans and their peers. The band wear their influences on their sleeves, crossing genre boundaries with their unique and varied sound, and as performers they just ooze pure unadulterated chaos. The Make It All Show proves that Kelli and Peyton have not lost any of their punk-rock grit. Skating Polly vs. the world.

The Make It All Show is out now via El Camino Media.

Ken Wynne
@attackplanetb

Photo Credit: Amina Cruz

 

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