Introducing Interview: Wild Ones

Wild Ones released their second album Mirror Touch this month, and as I listened to the third and final single from the record, ‘Invite Me In’, the delicate vocals of Danielle Sullivan draw me in as the gentle bass begins to fuzz in the background. A pure slice of indie-electro pop that made my finger stay firmly pressed on repeat all day.

We caught up with lead singer Danielle to talk inspiration, Portland’s local music scene and their upcoming tour supporting Tennis where Wild Ones’ songs will hit hard and she will yell louder than your headphones could ever allow.

Hi Wild Ones! Welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a little bit about your latest musical project?
We are a dream-pop band from Portland, OR. Our new record, Mirror Touch, is percussive, direct, and considers the boundaries between self and other when creating art.

What initially inspired you to start creating music?
Thomas and I had neighbouring lockers in high school and shared one thousand mix CDs full of bands like múm and The Microphones. We were completely enamoured. We started our first band the summer after our senior year and booked our first show before we had written any songs.

We’re loving the new single ‘Invite Me In’ – what’s it all about?
‘Invite Me In’ is about living a guarded life for the sake of protection and what is means to create a constructed image of oneself. It’s about the feeling of fear and relief when you finally let someone in.

You’ve been compared to the likes of Alvvays, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
That’s a very kind compliment because I love Alvvays and have been listening to their new record when I warm up for shows. The answer to this question is very different depending on which member you ask. For me, I was listening to a lot of Empress Of, ELO, and The Dream as we were writing the record.

How is your local music scene? Do you go to see lots of live music?
Portland is constantly brimming with new bands. There are shows every night in every genre in every corner of the city. I go to shows fairly regularly and recently fell in love with the music and performance of Amenta Abioto. I’m extremely excited that we get to play together at our record release party this weekend.

And what can fans expect from your live shows?
My favourite aspect of live shows is giving a performance in a world of its own and being present with the audience in that space. The songs hit harder and I yell louder than what you will hear in your headphones. Sometimes I’ll stare at you so long that you have to look away.

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any other new/upcoming bands or artists you’d suggest we check out?
Yes! A few upcoming Portland bands full of shredding babes are Sunbathe, Black Belt Eagle Scout, and Blossom.

And how do you feel the music industry is for new artists at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
The internet is a blessing and a curse in this way. In a sense it levels the playing field and makes it possible for bands like Passion Pit to be picked up by a label from one two minute MySpace demo. In other ways it makes it nearly impossible to make a living.

Finally, what does the rest of 2017 have in store for Wild Ones?
We are heading out on tour with Tennis to support our new record this fall. I am super excited because I love what they do and can’t wait to hit the road again. It’s been over a year since we’ve toured so I look forward to seeing new and familiar faces across the western states.

Huge thanks to Wild Ones for answering our questions! 

Tash Walker
@maudeandtrevor

Photo Credit: Jeremy Hernandez

 

 

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Introducing: The Desert

Having met at the Cambridge Folk Festival three years ago, singer-songwriter Gina Leonard and producer Tom Fryer have combined forces to become The Desert. Driven primarily by the Gina’s acoustic guitar playing and vocals, their extra other-worldly quality is produced by spacey electronica and chiptune-style glitching to produce something with cinematic horizons.

The duo’s first release ‘Just Get High’ is a bewitching slice of folksy dream pop, with similarities to the slower parts of Alt-J’s back-catalogue. Gina’s imploring voice and plucked guitars are an entry point to a song whose drama gets slowly ramped up by backing strings and synths until it collapses in on itself, mimicking an undulating trip into the subconscious.  

‘Playing Dead’ has a similar feel in its use of vox and guitar and is a little more straightforward in its structure, albeit more extensively cinematic. It recalls both the Spaghetti Western soundtracks of Ennio Morricone and the works of fellow Bristolians Portishead, before disrupting expectations with a final flourish of electronic noise.

But it’s on latest track ‘Soulmates’ that the pair really live up to their name. As crisp as a morning in December, but with an acrid, spare backing, Gina’s cynical lyrics are perfectly matched by  hypnotic, dream-pop guitars and the absolute minimum percussion. And just as it sucks you in completely, it fizzes out with a pop.

It’s a curious, but compelling combination, very much like its creators. In interviews, Gina has admitted previously finding it difficult to collaborate with others, keeping herself and her guitar “behind closed doors”. But, with a producer and band creating a wider, more epic, world around her initial work, The Desert have found a way to make the songs really come to life.  

John McGovern
@etinsuburbiaego

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Track Of The Day: TUSKS – ‘London Thunder’ (Foals cover)

Prepare to be blown away buy Tusks‘ cover of Foals’ track ‘London Thunder’. The song is featured on her debut album Dissolve, released via One Little Indian last week, and it’s a delicate, reverb-laden, spine-tingling rendition that’s equally as good as the original recording.

Newcomer Tusks (aka Emily Underhill) writes and produces music with a melancholy but honest edge, with her simultaneously strong and fragile voice at the forefront of all that she creates. She’ll be playing at Kamio on 15th November to celebrate the launch of her new album, so make sure you grab a ticket and head down to hear this exquisite cover live.

Follow Tusks on Facebook fore more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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WATCH: Slowcoaches – ‘Complex’

Whilst it’s normal to agonise about the harassment and adversity that female musicians face in the industry, it’s even more important to organise and shout back against the injustice of it all – and that’s exactly what Slowcoaches bassist & vocalist Heather Perkins does on brand new single ‘Complex’.

Perkins has some insightful, valid  observations about the new track and we thought they were worth sharing in full below:

“The music industry really feeds toxic masculinity by putting male artists on a pedestal. ‘Complex’ is a response to the sexual assault allegations against artists that were in the press at the time I wrote it. There’s still a really dirty side to the industry – particularly with the encouragement and portrayal of male artists in rock music to god-like status. All too often, the system is adhering to an archaic, misogynistic interpretation of ‘punk’ that makes guys think they’re invincible, that they have an authority over women’s bodies.”

“It sweeps the artists up, way out of their depth and then there’s no one there to support them in dealing with this stuff in the right way when they eventually get called out. We came up with the concept of the video when we were talking about this – the idea of a split self – that there are parts of the personality that are always hidden from view. Pulling the curtain away, kind of peeling back those layers – the bright light exposing all the grubby stuff underneath.”

The single will be available this side of the new year on screen-printed 7” vinyl, backed by a cover of Fang’s ‘The Money Will Roll Right In’. The band are touring the UK over the next month, so check which date you can go to below, and learn the lyrics to ‘Complex’ in the meantime. Follow the band on Facebook for more updates.

Slowcoaches Oct/Nov 2017 Headline Tour:
18/10/2017 – UK, Liverpool – Shipping Forecast
19/10/2017 – UK, Manchester – Soup Kitchen
20/10/2017 – UK, Sheffield – The Rocking Chair
21/10/2017 – UK, Leeds – Lending Room
23/10/2017 – UK, Newcastle – Think Tank Underground
24/10/2017 – UK, Glasgow – Broadcast
25/10/2017 – UK, Nottingham – Bodega
27/10/2017 – UK, Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach Downstairs
28/10/2017 – UK, Exeter – Cavern – Indie Club
30/10/2017 – UK, Bristol – The Louisiana
31/10/2017 – UK, Oxford – Cellar
01/11/2017 – UK, Brighton – The Joker
02/11/2017 – UK, London – Boston Music Room

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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