Track Of The Day: The Menstrual Cramps – ‘The Smash’

Following the seething power of their debut album We’re Not Ovaryacting (what a name!), which earned itself the title of Loud Women’s ‘Hercury Prize’ this year, DIY punks The Menstrual Cramps are back with another fantastically riotous offering.

‘The Smash’ combines a fist-clenching ferocity with racing catchy hooks and a tongue in cheek wit, creating a truly infectious punk-rock anthem that makes for simply essential listening. As front woman Emilia Elfrida chants “Kick the Tories out the door… we want a revolution!”, The Menstrual Cramps give a welcome voice to the anger we’re all feeling about the way society’s headed.

Combining activism with musical prowess, The Menstrual Cramps provide a captivating, empowering force that we all need now more than ever.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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EP: Emily Magpie – ‘The Witching Hour’

The second EP from Bristol-based Emily Magpie, The Witching Hour proves that she is never one to shy away from celestial and mythical soundscapes.

Opener and title track ‘The Witching Hour’ is ethereal and ambient – Emily’s taut vocal howling over an electronic instrumental, presenting themes of feminine empowerment. Lyrics filled with lunar imagery tie in to the track’s name, as it skirts around the otherworldly and eerie. Sounds of rain are reflected in the song’s silky percussion, with transparent guitar notes and deep bass echoing the ghostly lyrics.

‘Leave it to Fate’ is soft, with spiralling minimalist guitars and deep production, bleeding into its successor ‘Angel Face’ – a raw, mismatched song that feels more personal, with its heartbeat-like beats and romantic lyrics.

 

Beginning with the line “Paint your faces, and pound your chest”, ‘When We Find It’ pairs unsettling lyrics with stilted, glitchy music box beats and a haunting, child-like instrumental; closing the EP with something obscure and memorably unsettling. 

A release dusted with moments of golden artistry, The Witching Hour sees Emily explore minimalism and electronica, with a focus on celestial and eerie folk-tinged soundscapes. Explaining the record, Emily explains “it’s about claiming your own power deep from within you” – and on listening to it, it’s certainly hard not to feel the pull of a certain magical force. 

Inspired by travelling across South America, Emily worked alongside co-producer Anuj Robin to create the mystical, ambient beauty of The Witching Hour. 

The Witching Hour is out now, and you can catch Emily Magpie live over the next few months:

12th December: Leftbank, Bristol
18th December: The Finsbury, London (for Lost In The Manor)
12th January: St Petrocs Church, Bodmin (supporting This Is The Kit)
9th March: The Finsbury, London (for Get In Her Ears!!)

Erin Bashford

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Introducing Interview: Reema

The LowSwing Sessions – a beautiful collaboration between her and producer, composer and arranger Guy Sternberg – Reema combines a unique neo-folk sound with avant-garde, jazz-inspired sounds and her captivating, emotion-strewn vocals.

Taken from the album, which was recorded in a completely analogue way, Reema’s new single ‘What The Whisper Said’ is now set for release, so we caught up with her to find out more…

Hi Reema, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about the band?
Hi! I’m a song construction worker, illustrator, fabric designer and dress maker, making bitter sweet home made folk music.

How did you initially start creating music?
I started writing songs when I was seven. I didn’t have a lot of friends and was really shy – music was my way of communicating. I wanted to make people happy all the time, but when I wrote songs I could be honest and say the stuff I wasn’t comfortable with saying out loud.


Your new single ‘What The Whisper Said’ is out very soon – can you tell us what it’s all about?
It’s a ghost story about an old man who has kept a dark secret that has died with his former lover. I based it on a man who lived near me when I was little. I always wondered what his story was.


You’ve been compared to the likes of Beth Orton and Lisa Hannigan, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
I love both those ladies and I’m super flattered to be compared to them! My great loves in music were the bands Love and Fleetwood Mac, but I love listening and I’m always inspired by the people making music around me.

How is your local music scene? Do you go to see lots of live music?
Berlin is amazing for music! There are plenty of places to both watch and perform. My favorite venue is Prachtwerk. It has an incredible high ceiling and an other-worldly atmosphere.

And what can fans expect from your live shows?
The live show is dark, intense and intimate. I play with my friend Stefan on bass clarinet and I’m on electric guitar and vocals. I’m interested in stripping everything back to let the song and the emotion out as much as possible. I love to play live! It’s my favourite thing about what I do. By the end of the show, I feel the audience and I know each other pretty well

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any new/upcoming bands or artists you’d recommend we check out?
Ethan Johns’ solo stuff is brilliant! I also love Bruno Major.

And how do you feel the music industry is for new artists at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
It’s definitely difficult because of the high volume of stuff out there but we have so many tools to self-publish and make a corner for ourselves. It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by the task of ‘getting yourself out there’ but I think steadily playing shows, making new music and carrying on doing what you do will always make a stronger and healthier base for doing what you do. I think it doesn’t work unless you love all the steps along the way.

Finally, what does the rest of 2017 have in store for Reema?
My next thing will be playing a folk festival show in Budapest at Kis Hall on 16th December, then more shows at the start of next year, more new music too! I will, of course, put some more live videos up on my Facebook for anyone not able to get to a show.

Huge thanks to Reema for answering our questions! 

‘What The Whisper Said’, taken from Reema’s album The LowSwing Sessions, is out on 8th December via LowSwing Records.

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Track Of The Day: Peggy Sue – ‘Slow Fade’

Formed back in 2007, London-Brighton duo Peggy Sue have previously toured with the likes of Jack White, First Aid Kit and Wild Flag, and now – after a three year hiatus in which both Katy Young and Rosa Slade have been focusing on singing with GIHE faves Deep Throat Choir – they’re back with a lush new single.

Filled with the duo’s perfect harmonies and gentle lilting hooks, ‘Slow Fade’ is a totally dreamy offering. With shades of the sunny, chilled-out vibes of Courtney Barnett, it’s beautifully captivating reflection on lost love. Of the track, Katy Young explains:

“Heartbreak takes ages… That’s kind of the best and the worst thing about it. I was pretty heartbroken and trying all these tactics to make it finish faster; going out, staying in, talking about it, not talking about. But at some point I realised that when I was ok again, it would be because the love was done. And so Slow Fade is about letting it take its time – partly because you don’t really have a choice and partly because a bit of me wanted to make that pretty sadness last as long as I could.”

Catch Peggy Sue live at The Shacklewell Arms tomorrow 2nd December, and keep your eyes peeled for their new album due next year!

Mari Lane
@marimindles

 

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