WATCH: Pillow Queens – ‘Favourite’

Can’t decide what you love more: dogs or new music? Well, thanks to Dublin’s Pillow Queens you don’t have to. The indie band have shared a new video to accompany their recent single ‘Favourite’ and it’s a perfect combination of the two.

“The video was borne from the artistic insights of the wonderful Bob Gallagher, combined with our sheer passion and fondness for all things canine,” the band explain about their dog-tastic new offering. “The idea was to bring to life a work which followed the retro look of old Antiques Roadshow episodes and was heavily influenced by Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Best in Show and 80’s prom portraits or – in the case of this particular video – “pawtraits” of dogs and their owners. The National Show centre was the setting for the video while the individual “pawtraits” were shot in All Out Design Studios and feature a mixture of friends of the band and doggo-loving volunteers.”

‘Favourite’ is taken from Pillow Queens’ forthcoming EP State of The State, which is set to be released via Bristol-based label Specialist Subject on 16th March. The band will be touring the UK & Ireland to celebrate their new record, starting with a show at the Irish Cultural Centre on the 16th alongside Delorentos, Video Blue & TAYNE (RSVP here).

Check out the new video for ‘Favourite’ below.

PILLOW QUEENS UK & IRELAND 2018 TOUR DATES

March 16th – London, Irish Cultural Centre
April 5th – Galway, Roisin Dubh
April 7th – Cork, AMP
April 9th – Bristol, Hy Brasil
April 10th – London, Sebright Arms
April 11th – Guildford, The Boileroom
April 12th – Brighton, Prince Albert
April 13th – Leeds, Chunk
April 14th – Manchester, Night & Day
April 15th – Glasgow, GLAD Cafe
April 19th – Clonakilty, Debarras
April 20th – Limerick, Dolans
April 21st – Dublin, Workmans Club

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Track Of The Day: Like Swimming – ‘Strike A Pose’

Quirky Swedish alt-pop trio Like Swimming (Claes Carlström -vocals, guitar; Ida Hedene- vocals, guitar; and Petter Wesslander- drums) return from the pop wilderness with their new single, ‘Strike A Pose.’ It is a politically charged electronic locomotive, steering towards the first part of a double EP: Resistance / Relations. The division of the album into a two part EP will see the band address their political frustration in the first part, Resistance, to make room for the ups and downs of personal battles in the second part, Relations, coming later this year.

As with previous offerings, ‘Strike A Pose’ blends an upbeat, danceable hook with eccentric, yet insightful, lyrics. It builds up from a synth-laden ’80s feel, with Ida’s strong vocals coming to the fore, allowing the song to strike its pose.

A sketch of an unthinking character as a political mouthpiece, the track builds as Ida’s searing vocals rise to the anthemic chorus – “I am the one you want, I am your poster boy. I am the shallow start of intellectual fall.” Full steaming ahead, the song presents the present political reality: “tell me your thesis in a thirty second piece…”

In less than three minutes we learn that shallow politics wins out – “you don’t stand a chance as I strike a pose” – as the song comes to a sudden halt leaving you wanting more. It all goes swimmingly well, and you can dance to its infectious beats while you reflect on its poignant theme.

 

Resistance, the upcoming EP from Like Swimming, is out on 20th April via DigSin.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

PLAYLIST: March 2018

England’s finally defrosting after the visit from ‘The Beast From The East’, and us Get In Her Ears girls are ready to embrace the springtime. To get us in the mood, we’ve compiled our favourite new March tunes in to one fresh playlist. Check out why we’re loving what we’re loving below, and click on the playlist at the bottom to hear it for yourself…

Soccer Mommy – ‘Your Dog’
Soccer Mommy has a gift for exploring frustration and insecurity through laid-back vocals and melodic guitar, and ‘Your Dog’ is a sublime example of this. Her frank admission of “I don’t wanna be your fucking dog” is a cathartic, emotional uprising against neglect, that seethes and soothes in equal measure. I’ve been singing it obnoxiously loud since she released her debut album Clean earlier this month. (Kate Crudgington)

Skating Polly – ‘Queen For A Day’
Taken from their upcoming album The Make It All Show, and featuring guest vocals from Exene Cervenka (from seminal punk band X), Skating Polly’s new single interweaves scathing vocals with lush harmonies, exuding the sibling trio’s trademark seething energy and understated subtle power. Once again marking themselves out as going against the grain, with ‘Queen For A Day’ Skating Polly deliver an empowering sentiment, uniting anyone who doesn’t want to coincide with the confines of society’s limitations. (Mari Lane)

Pillow Queens – ‘Favourite’
The brilliantly named Pillow Queens released a new video to accompany their track ‘Favourite’ last week, and it features some dodgy goings on at a dog show. I’m excited to catch the Dublin band at The Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith on the 16th, alongside Delorentos, Video Blue and Tayne. Check out the Facebook event for more details. (KC)

Alex Rushfirth – ‘I Live It’
Infections and frenzied, ‘I Live It’ has to be my most played track from the last couple of weeks. Of the track, Rushfirth explains “I made the whole thing in my bedroom in a trance.” Warping the vocals to sound like they’re “being sung by an excitable small child” and that’s exactly how this song makes me feel…so heady, so feverish, so goddamn catchy. (Tash Walker)

ARXX – ‘Stuck On You’ 
New favourite band ARXX have previously completely blown us away with their immense, seething energy when playing for us live at The Finsbury a couple of months back. And now they’ve just released their fantastic, and totally addictive new EP. Entitled Daughters Of Daughters, as it’s been put together as a tribute to the music that Hannah Pidduck was brought up on by her Mother, it draws on an eclectic range of influences, and a variety of subject matter.

Taking a break from the riotous, punk-infused power of tracks such as ‘Moments At A Time’ and ‘Intervention’, ‘Stuck On You’ oozes a lush, country-pop romanticism as the soaring passion of Pidduck’s vocals flow, creating an instantly infectious, heartbreakingly catchy love song. (ML) 

Heka – ‘Did You See The Sunrise’
Heka was our guest on our first Get In Her Ears radio show of March, and we were lucky enough to have her perform this track live in the studio. ‘Did You See The Sunrise’ is so intimate and beautiful, with such strong searching vocals…described as “thoughts whispered to friends in dim lit rooms”. Mesmerising. (TW)

Amber Mark – ‘S P A C E’
This track is taken from Amber Mark’s 2017 EP 3.33am, which is about losing her Mother in 2013 and the stages of grief. ‘S P A C E’, the song that got her noticed, is just so enjoyable, rhythmic and about something we can all relate to but often find it so hard to articulate in this over connected, communication driven world. (TW)

Alice Bag – ’77’ 
If you need something inspiring to motivate you during these ridiculously cold, and depressingly dark times, then look no further. Punk legend Alice Bag has brought together a dream team if ever there was one – Riot Grrrl queens Kathleen Hanna and Allison Wolfe, plus an appearance from Shirley Manson – to bring us the perfect angst-driven anthem. Raging against the gender pay gap, it’s filled with seething, punk-driven riffs and is an empowering, inspiring call to arms to unite against the patriarchy and make the changes needed for equality, in the workplace and beyond. As Bag poignantly sneers “… don’t pretend that we’re paid equal… You wrote the script / But I’m writing the sequel.” (ML)

The Go! Team – ‘Huddle Formation’ 
Though the last couple of months have been largely filled with cold, dark days and a distinct desire to hibernate, seeing The Go! Team live a couple of weeks back breathed a new lease of life into me; their sunny charisma and vibrant energy brightening the mood like nothing else.

Although the band’s whole set at Camden’s Electric Ballroom was an utter joy to behold, and I was completely immersed in their infectious, jubilant sound throughout, the highlight of the night came in the form of Thunder, Lightning, Strike’s ‘Huddle Formation’. Splitting the huge crowd into two sides, magnificent front-woman Ninja lead the way as we all sung our hearts out to the chorus, and a wave of sparkling euphoria filled the venue. (ML) 

Big Thief – ‘Shark Smile’
Released back in 2017, ‘Shark Smile’ by Brooklyn’s Big Thief has only just popped up on my radar with its cruising, slow story telling indie lilts. A song about two lovers driving down a highway where only one survives a crash, ‘Shark Smile’ sways from intense descriptions of oxygen kisses to the welcome predictability of the steady drum, guitar laden chorus. I’m loving this tragic tale which feels somewhat strangely comforting. (TW)

Mesadorm – ‘Yours And Not Yours’
Taken from Mesadorm’s forthcoming album Heterogaster, ‘Yours And Not Yours’ explores an intense sense of doubt, both internally and externally – ricocheting between security and unease with the help of a dirty synth line and urgent, rich vocals. I’m totally hooked on it. (KC)

Divide & Dissolve – ‘Abomination’
Divide & Dissolve’s second album Abomination is a sonic force to be reckoned with. The Melbourne-based duo curate heavy-instrumentals designed to “decolonize, dismantle white supremacy, and empower people of color & Indigenous people”. This is the opening track on the record, and it’s an intense five minutes and fifty seconds of unnerving riffs and ceaseless cymbals, crashing together to form a desolate but powerful soundscape. It’s instrumentalist activism that seeks to disrupt the norm – and I love it. (KC)

Track Of The Day: LibraLibra – ‘Animali’

The first single from vocalist Beth Cannon and multi-instrumentalist/producer Joe Caple – aka LibraLibra – ‘Animali’ is a vibrant and dynamic listen. Having just returned from touring with Simon Raymonde’s new venture, Lost Horizons (Bella Union), Cannon has received praise throughout her career, with comparisons to the likes of Kate Bush and Bjork, whilst Caple’s mastery of rhythm transcends simple percussion, as he creates majestic layers of sound.

A truly uplifting offering, ‘Animali’ oozes a ferocious power as a frenetic tension builds throughout. With shades of the likes of tUne-yArDs or MIA, the soulful splendour of Cannon’s vocals flow alongside tribal beats and a soaring, frenzied soundscape. A sheer sonic delight guaranteed to reinvigorate the senses on first listen from this exciting new project.  

Of the track, Cannon explains:

“‘Animali’ is an unapologetic war song in which I am ready to fight for equality. Since I can remember equality has been at most fleeting, if never fully achieved… I feel a shift in society right now, people’s eyes are opening and, now, more than ever, I feel a sense of community that we are ready to fight, ready to admit that the way we are perceived and treated can’t be our reality anymore.”

‘Animali’ is the first in a set of unique singles from LibraLibra to be released over the next year, with the debut album due to land in 2019.

Mari Lane
@marimindles