LISTEN: Tiece – ‘Nowhere, Now Here’ (Tiiva Remix)

A beguiling soundscape that celebrates the joy of new found infatuation, London-based artist Tiece has shared the Tiiva remix of her track ‘Nowhere, Now Here’. The pair were introduced to each other during the first lockdown of 2020 and have worked together to create this beautiful offering which enraptures the senses with its ear-melting vocals and atmospheric beats.

“This song has gone from a remix to a song in it’s own right!” Tiece explains. “It’s kind of about the moment between being sane and being in love, so this song is like the sensation of falling into the madness of romance with all its unanswerable questions and swells of towering feelings. This remix is flowing, moving and feels very alive to me.” Tiiva has reflected Tiece’s emotional energy through their use of sultry electronics and hazy beats, allowing listeners to fall in love with Tiece’s soft, intoxicating vocals.

“When Tiiva sent me the first draft of their remix I had tingles!” Tiece continues. “This reimagining of my song has inspired ideas for more new music. I love working with Tiiva and I’m very excited to share what we create together. I’m so thrilled to have been able to find each other AND work remotely together despite all the madness of lockdown! It feels so good to be making music, seeing progress, enjoying the process and making friends.”

Producer Tiiva is equally as thrilled about working with Tiece too. Having taken a “deep dive” into the artist’s music, they’ve subtly revealed more of the emotional layers in the original recording and we can’t wait to hear future collaborations from the pair.

Tiece (who is also one half of Girlhood) and Tiiva also contributed tracks to Despicable Zee’s Atigheh Reimagined EP in 2020, which you can check out here.

Listen to the remix of ‘Nowhere, Now Here’ below.

Follow Tiece on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Follow Tiiva on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Track Of The Day: Pretty Happy – ‘Salami’

A raucous, wise-cracking anthem about the complexities of processed meat, Cork art-punk trio Pretty Happy have shared their latest single ‘Salami’. Full of sardonic lyrics, gutsy vocals and crashing percussion, the track is a ridiculously good off-kilter banger that rambles through the band’s many absurd thoughts and feelings about the pork-based snack.

Formed of Abbey Blake (guitar), Arann Blake (vocals, bass) and Andy Killian (drums), Pretty Happy have been busy cutting their teeth on the DIY Irish music and arts scene over the last few years. Abbey is a founder of Angry Mom Collective, a movement set up to challenge the gender imbalance in Irish arts, whilst Arann and Andy are keenly involved in the local drama and film scenes. Together, the trio combine their talents to create their distinctive sounds and ‘Salami’ is the first taste of what’s to come from them this year.

Arann tears through the band’s “demonic grocery list” via his silly-but-smart lyrics, Killian pummels the ear drums with his cymbal slams and Abbey brings the noise with her intense Earthquaker guitar pedals. The track is accompanied by a comical music video, which follows “pork connoisseur” Abbey on her quest to consume as much of the meat as she physically can. The band are set to release an EP in the coming months and we’re excited to hear more from the eccentric trio. Watch the video for ‘Salami’ below.

Follow Pretty Happy on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: Nick O’Donnell

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

LISTEN: Bad Idea – ‘Happy’

An atmospheric, dizzy guitar tune about the unexpected relief a change of emotions can bring, Leeds four-piece Bad Idea have shared their latest single ‘Happy’. Released in partnership with RoseColoured Records, the track is a lush, woozy extrapolation on how refreshing your positive thoughts can be after you’ve been caught in the grasp of a low mood for too long.

Formed in 2016 on a drunken night out dancing to Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer’, Bad Idea’s Sarah Sefton and Daniel Johnson chose the band’s name after entering into a new creative project and a new romantic relationship together at the same time. They put aside their concerns about how this might affect their musical dynamics and enlisted the help of new bandmates Charlie Peacock and Liam Lambert in 2019 to flesh out their lo-fi sounds.

In 2020, the band released their debut EP, the ironically titled I Just Want To Go Home, after recording the tracks intermittently between lockdowns in a friend’s basement. The result of their efforts is a joyful, fuzzy exploration of love, loss, nostalgia and moving on to new experiences. New single ‘Happy’ follows on from previous release ‘Winter’ and showcases the band’s ability to take simple concepts like a shift in mood and transform them into swirling, melodic aural head rushes.

Listen to ‘Happy’ below.

 

Follow Bad Idea on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

LISTEN: CIEL – ‘Pretty Face’

A hazy dream-pop tune inspired by an unusual type of unrequited love, Brighton trio CIEL have shared their latest single ‘Pretty Face’. Produced by Jack Wolter of Penelope Isles and mixed by Austin Tufts from BRAIDS, the track is a poetic rumination on the true story of a man who lost his wife to a cult.

“I really got into watching documentaries about all sorts of cults during lockdown 2.0, the psychology behind it really fascinates me,” explains CIEL’s vocalist & guitarist Michelle Hindricks. “This one story really struck me, about a man who lost his wife to a cult and now ten years later he’s continuing life, knowing that she’s still somewhere out there having to let go of her.” Through her soft vocals and hazy guitar riffs, Hindricks gently considers what it would be like to move on from this trauma.

“Most people probably can’t directly relate to something as extreme as losing someone to a cult,” she continues, “[but] a lot more people can relate to the experience of choosing to care for themselves, even if that is a very tough decision.” Through polished production and their dream-pop melodies, CIEL transport listeners away to a world of pleasant distractions on their latest single.

Listen to ‘Pretty Face’ below.

Follow CIEL on InstagramTwitterFacebook & Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Julia Nala

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut