VIDEO PREMIERE: BLAB – ‘R.I.P’

A savage combination of wicked guitar riffs, sardonic vocals and witty lyrics, Essex-based artist BLAB has shared her debut single ‘R.I.P’. Released today (3rd July) via Cool Thing Records, the track is a cathartic expression of personal frustration designed to help listeners move past their lingering resentments.

“Being able to express anger in an unfiltered way can be super super healthy, as long as you’re not hurting others” explains Frances Murray – aka BLAB. ON ‘R.I.P’ she playfully rips through her unresolved anguish, turning it into an indie-pop, punk-infused anthem. “To me, it feels like a reclamation of power to be able to freely express my anger from that time in my life. It’s such a bold statement that it had to be the first single; it’s like opening a can of worms and a firework coming at you instead!”

The accompanying video for ‘R.I.P’ was shot by Murray during isolation and playfully reflects both the frustrations explored in the track, and the restrictions the lockdown has imposed on artists. BLAB won’t be held back by these things though, and ‘R.I.P’ is a hectic debut from this emerging new talent.

Follow BLAB on Facebook and for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

#ThrowbackThursday: GIHE w/ Big Joanie 27.06.19

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, we’re unable to make it in to the Hoxton Radio studio to broadcast our weekly live new music show from 7-9pm. Instead, we’re sharing previous show recordings as #ThrowbackThursday sessions, so you can still enjoy 2 hours of new music & chats with some of our favourite artists each week.

Today, we’ve picked our June 2019 show with black feminist punks Big Joanie. Estella & Steph joined Tash & Kate live in the studio to chat about their debut album Sistahs, their work with Girls Rock London and Decolonise Fest, and supporting Bikini Kill at Brixton Academy.

Listen back here:

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INDIGOS

Track Of The Day: INDIGOS – ‘I’m Healed’

Swirling, gritty riffs, brooding bass lines and hypnotic vocals flood ‘I’m Healed’, the latest single from Bristol trio INDIGOS. Lifted from their self-titled EP, which is set for release via Club AC30 on 21st August, the band blend elements of psych, grunge and post-punk to create their captivating sounds.

INDIGOS enlisted the production skills of Ben Johnson and IDLES guitarist Lee Kiernan to record their EP, which is a polished observation on projection, nostalgia, dystopia, and the stream of consciousness. ‘I’m Healed’ is a shining example of the latter, with its fuzzy riffs and lyrical motifs. “We usually don’t know what a song is even about until it’s very nearly finished” the band explain. “Each song is as much a mystery to us as it is to anyone else, and that’s the way we like it.”

INDIGOS thrive in this state of creative ambiguity, and ‘I’m Healed’ is a strong introduction to their “mysterious” sounds. Listen to the new single below and follow the band on bandcamp and Facebook for more updates.

 

Photo Credit: Simon Holliday

Kate Crudgington
@kcbobcut

Track Of The Day: Graywave – ‘With Me’

An atmospheric slice of dream-pop designed to help listeners escape their bedroom walls; Graywave has shared her latest single, ‘With Me’. The track combines Graywave’s smooth vocals with lush, shoe-gaze inspired guitar sounds which help to distract and deter negative thoughts.

Graywave, aka multi-disciplinary artist Jess Webberley, is influenced by the likes of artists such as Men I Trust, Slowdive, Crumb, and Japanese Breakfast. She blends ambient elements of dream-pop with slightly gritter elements of shoegaze to produce her charming sounds, and ‘With Me’ is a gentle example of this.

“‘With Me’ was written and brought to life with the ambition to create something meaningful and creative during lockdown” Graywave explains. “The song was written and recorded by myself in my bedroom and sent off to Sam Bloor for mixing and mastering. The artwork is reflective of the writing experience and creating it was a way for me to visualise the sound of the track. It depicts my bedroom with the addition of a portal leading elsewhere, tying in with the mood of the song. The only coherent lyrics in the song – ‘always searching, always yearning’ – allude to the feeling of always wanting to surpass any successes I may achieve, coupled with a constant longing to be elsewhere.”

Graywave’s sentiments will resonate with many listeners as they approach the end of this lockdown period. Listen to ‘With Me’ below and follow Graywave on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Kayla May

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut