Track Of The Day: Boarder – ‘Strangers’

A riotous garage-rock tune inspired by the characters frontwoman Lucie Blair encountered while working behind a busy city-centre bar, Boarder have shared their latest single ‘Strangers’. Released via Amateur Pop Incorporated, the track probes at the way strangers often use bar staff as unofficial therapists after they’ve had a few too many, and how female staff are more prone to taking on this emotional labour.

“‘Strangers’ feels almost symbolic of the times we’re living in” explains Blair, even though the track was penned before the current covid-19 pandemic. “It’s a song I wrote while working in a bar on minimum wage & contemplating what it really means to be alive.” The Leicester-based band explore these contemplations via distorted riffs and crashing percussion, with Blair venting her frustrations through her sardonic vocals.

‘Strangers’ is the first track Boarder have produced by themselves, with the swaggering guitars and pounding drums reflecting the shifting moods of the drunken characters the song is based on. As Blair notes, it’s hard to feel “alive” or even nostalgic for this old way of life in 2020, when leaving the house “could mean the difference between life and death.” Let’s hope when things are genuinely safe again, bar staff won’t have to keep mopping up after customers who continuously spill their thoughts.

Listen to ‘Strangers’ below and follow Boarder on bandcamp, Spotify & Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Shyla Rose

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Omni Sound Project to host online conference Signal Gain

The Omni Sound Project exists to help marginalized genders in the music industry learn the skills they need to create, record, and produce music and sound. On Saturday, November 7th, they will be hosting an educational conference called Signal Gain, a full day event which will be held online. The teachers and presenters are all female-identifying and gender non-conforming individuals who share Omni’s mission to encourage inclusion of marginalized genders in the music and audio industries.

The event will be sponsored by Mix with the Masters, Goodhertz and PreSonus. You can register for Signal Gain here.

Below are a few distinctions & more info about Signal Gain.

  • The sessions are educational classes with a structured curriculum. Many online conferences feature interviews or demos by sponsors, but Omni’s conference emphasizes a focus on planned educational content.
  • All genders are invited. Omni believe that male-identifying allies benefit from being in educational spaces where they may be in the minority, and that their presence raises their awareness of their role in making all spaces more inclusive.
  • Omni’s presenters are chosen for their teaching experience, not necessarily because of name recognition. Many online conference feature panelists without prior teaching experience. Omni believe that a presenters’ ability to convey information effectively results in a valuable online conference.

Visit the Omni Sound Project website for more information.

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Get In Her Ears w/ ZAND 15.10.20

Tash & Kate were back in the Hoxton Radio studio this week with loads of new tunes from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQ+ artists. Highlights included tracks from Circe, Babeheaven, Celaviedmai, ARXX, Serena Isioma, Sans Soucis and Witch Prophet.

They also caught up with “ugly pop” artist ZAND to talk about how they’ve been coping with the on-going Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns. They’ve been busy working on their new music, which includes their latest single ‘Slut Money’ and their upcoming EP UGLY POP. ZAND also spoke about how they first got into making music and being featured in British Vogue’s ‘I Feel Pride’ campaign back in 2019.

Listen back:

Tracklist
The Selecter – On My Radio
Isabelle Brown – In Your Head
Laura Fell – Cold
CIRCE – Ruined Your Sons
Babeheaven – Craziest Things
Nuala Honan – Day To Day
Rosie Shaw – Temporary Love
Opal Onyx – Lover’s Toil
Pao Pestana – Quiero Verte
Morgan – Alien
Celaviedmai – Reckless
Tamar Aphek – Show Me Your Pretty Side
Serena Isioma – King
Witch Prophet – TESFAY
ZAND – Slut Money
**ZAND Interview**
Rachael Lavelle – Perpetual Party
Sans Soucis – Air
Seagoth – Dreamworld
ARXX – Call Me Crazy
Moglii ft. LissA – Skoda
JEEN – Idols
Swallow Cave – Cold Moon
Tolu Makay – Don’t Let Go
Bugeye – When The Lights Go Out
Winifred Atweel – The Black and White Rag

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LISTEN: BISHI – ‘Don’t Shoot The Messenger’

A sweeping, distinctive soundscape that explores creative rebirth, multi-talented artist BISHI has shared her latest single ‘Don’t Shoot The Messenger’. Produced at Visconti Studio by Tony Visconti (David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Sparks), the London-based songwriter blends classical instrumentation with contemporary musical elements to form a wonderfully avant-garde, electro-acoustic new tune.

As the founder of WITCiH, a creative hub for women interested in new technologies, it’s no surprise that BISHI has used a revolutionary technology on this latest offering. She used the technique of midi-mapping her Sitar to Ableton Push, helping to keep the divine twang of the instrument at the heart of the single. Her soaring vocals drift beautifully alongside the plucked strings, as she sings of new beginnings and departing old creative worlds.

Alongside the single, BISHI has shared remixes of the track from Hinako Omori (Ed O’Brien, Kae Tempest, Georgia), Richard Norris (The Grid, Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve) and Ben Corrigan (William Basinski, Jonsi & Alex, Robert Ames, Excuse the Mess). They reflect BISHI’s love and long-standing relationship with LGBTQ club spaces, from her early teens when she was adopted by Leigh Bowery’s band, Minty, and started DJing at clubs like Kashpoint and The Siren Suite.

BISHI will also be hosting a 7-part online experience to celebrate the single, including an intimate conversation tonight (16th October) with Tony Visconti via livestream. She will conduct a series of Instagram Live interviews with each of the remixers and other artists included on the release, so make sure you’re following BISHI on Instagram for more updates.

We’ll also be chatting to BISHI about her new single on our Hoxton Radio show next week, so make sure you tune in on Thursday 22nd October at 7pm!

Listen to ‘Don’t Shoot The Messenger’ below.

Follow BISHI on Spotify, Facebook & bandcamp for more updates.

Photo Credit: Frederic Aranda

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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