LISTEN: Wargirl – ‘Dancing Gold’

A sultry dose of funk, psych, and garage rock; Wargirl’s latest single ‘Dancing Gold’ is a smoldering, soul-infused gem. Released via German-based label Clouds Hill, the track is an exciting teaser of what’s to come from the Californian six-piece over the next year.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the track, the group explain: “In Costa Rica at sunset, the sky turns a million colors, sometimes the last sunlight is golden and it dances on the evening water and time stands still and you remember that all of life is a crazy miracle. All of us people are magical living beings, some of us get lost along the way, but at our best we are all ‘Dancing Gold’. This is a song to remind us to really live life as it is a gift and not be stuck in negativity.“

Vocalist Samantha Park’s voice projects powerfully over the band’s funk-fused beats, snaking bass lines, and psych-inspired riffs. ‘Dancing Gold’ is full of good vibes, and that’s what the band want to create. Guitarist Matthew Wignall extrapolates on this: “We want to make great, unique, interesting music with messages that are universal and true, encouraging the listener to take a deeper look at this life, to ask questions about what we all accept as normal.”

Wargirl will be touring the UK & Europe in March to celebrate their single release. Check out the video for ‘Dancing Gold’ below, and follow Wargirl on Facebook and Spotify for more updates.

Wargirl UK Tour Dates 2020
13 March London, Old Blue Last
14 March Bristol, The Crofters Rights

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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INTERVIEW: A.A. Williams

A creator of heavy, beguiling soundscapes; London-based musician A.A. Williams has been compared to the likes of Chelsea Wolfe and Emma Ruth Rundle, but she’s captivating in her own right. Her 2019 self-titled debut EP caught the attention of critics and fans, and now she’s set to return to the prestigious Roadburn Festival in April this year, as well performing a headline show at London’s Southbank Centre in March. We caught up with Williams to ask her about her EP, her collaboration with Japanese instrumental giants MONO, and her anticipations for her London gig…

 

It’s been just over a year since you released your debut EP (Congratulations!) What are you most proud of about this record? And do you have a favourite track?

Thank you! I’m so pleased that the songs resonate with people. Hearing so many positive words from people at shows makes me very proud of what these tracks have become. I don’t have a favourite song. They are each important to me in their own right.

You beautifully cover Dolly Parton’s track ‘Jolene’ on the EP. If you had to pick someone to cover one of your tracks, who would you pick?

I think Johnny Cash would have done a beautiful version of ‘Control’.

The EP also features three “stripped down” live rehearsal recordings. What process do you go through when deciding which songs you’re going to strip back? What elements of a live recording do you enjoy the most?

Generally, each song can be stripped down, because each song begins in that form, as a voice and with either guitar or piano. The hardest thing is to decide how to treat the instrumental sections, sometimes I’ll sing a guitar line or incorporate a few melodies into one piano part, but generally the main focus is to ensure that the arrangement has enough space and doesn’t sound too mechanical. I love all elements of recording, I’d spend every day in a studio if I could. The best thing is to press record when you’re running a song, just in case, even if you don’t feel fully prepared! You never know what magic will happen.

You’ve just released a split EP with MONO. We know you toured with them last year, but talk us through how this collaboration came about, and what the reaction to the record has been like so far.

Taka heard my EP and got in touch to see if working together would be something I’d be interested in. I’d met the band briefly at Roadburn 2019 (I was performing with them during their headline show. They performed ‘Hymn To The Immortal Wind’ with a string quartet, of which I was a part), I couldn’t wait to take on the opportunity! We emailed some ideas between us and gradually found the time to record in July last year. I’ve been so pleased with the reaction. It’s great to see that fans of instrumental music are open to the inclusion of vocals and a slightly different approach.

You’ll be making your Southbank Centre debut when you headline The Purcell Room on March 12th (tickets available here). What are your anticipations for this gig?

I’m so excited for this performance. I’ll be extending the full-band line up to include a string quartet and adding some guest vocalists too. Up to this point, all of my shows have been supports or festivals, so it’ll be a joy to be able to spend more time on stage and create a fuller show.

Do you have plans to release new music this year?

I’m always writing, so fingers crossed!

Who, or what inspires you to create your music?

I find writing a very therapeutic process, so I’ll often begin working on a song because purely because I find it enjoyable. I don’t deliberately write inspired by anything or anyone, though ultimately we are each a sum of everything we’ve ever heard, seen and felt.

You’re returning to Arctangent festival this year in August. Is there anyone on the line-up you’re looking forward to seeing?

I’m really looking forward to seeing Maybeshewill and Amenra, and I’d like to catch Swans and Svalbard too! The weather was so awful last year that I didn’t really get to see many other artists, so hopefully I can remedy that this time around.

As we’re a new music blog, we always ask the artists we interview to name a new band or artist they’ve been listening to. Who would you like to recommend?

Gaupa’s 2018 self-titled EP is so good! It’s as if Björk had formed a psych-stoner band. Also, I know they’re not new, but I was recently introduced to Khemmis. I’ve really been enjoying their album, Absolution.

Thanks to A.A. Williams for answering our questions.
Follow her on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington1 Comment

Track Of The Day: MAITA – ‘A Beast’

A poignant, under-stated guitar ode to the difficulty and desperation that comes with heartbreak; Portland-based MAITA has shared their latest single, ‘A Beast’. Taken from their upcoming album Best Wishes, set for release on 3rd April via Kill Rock Stars, the track is a relatable, melancholy-tinged exploration of being able to forgive, but not forget.

Speaking about the track’s premise, songwriter Maria Maita-Keppeler explains: “’A Beast’ [is] a musing on the pain that one person is capable of causing another, and the endless potential for forgiveness that exists within that space. That forgiveness always comes with a price, however: the memory of it that we carry beneath our skin, as does the abused dog that flinches when you lift a hand to pet it.”

MAITA’s willingness to confront emotional uncertainty is what makes ‘A Beast’ such a compelling listen. The accompanying video also reflects the pain and isolation that underscores the track. Maria offers her thoughts on the setting for the visuals: “It was inspired by [the place] where I wrote the song, which was at an old studio apartment in Portland. Though spacious for a studio, [it] had the potential to feel claustrophobic and lonely at the same time, transforming into a hot-bed for creative angst and pining. I wanted the video to take place in a similar setting: an empty apartment to serve as a backdrop for the many stages of waiting- – the tenderness, the frustration, the desperation.”

We’re big fans of MAITA’s tenderly frustrated sounds. Watch the video for ‘A Beast’ below, and follow MAITA on Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Ingrid-Renan

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Nova Twins – ‘Who Are The Girls?’

Driven by devious bass lines and ferocious lyrics, Nova Twins‘s debut album Who Are The Girls? is an aural uppercut that proves the London-based duo’s furious instinct for writing anarchic anthems. Formed of Amy Love & Georgia South, the pair have been praised by Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello for their genre-defying tunes and their debut LP is bursting with their trademark heavy sound.

Released via 333 Wreckords on 28th February, Who Are The Girls? is a raw, abrasive collection of thundering bass lines, uncompromising rhythms and wicked riffs. Opener ‘Vortex’ – home to the lyric the album is named after – is the perfect introduction to their noise. Swirling, distorted bass and pounding beats permeate the track, as vocalist Amy rips through verses with enviable vocal power. She possesses a stunningly clear voice; it’s as if she needs no amplification when switching between shouts, snarls, and smoothly delivered lines with ease.

‘Play Fair’ and ‘Taxi’ are assaults on the senses, with more of Georgia’s mind-melting distortion blaring throughout. Armed with her instrument and her pedal board, she executes ear drums with lethal force on the pulverising ‘Devil’s Face’. Listeners should heed Amy’s warning to “get out my way” on following track ‘Not My Day’, after which the brilliant ‘Bullet’ kicks in. The track is a powerful statement against street harassment and the myth that women are “asking for it” if they dress in a certain way. Amy’s lyrics are the ultimate weapon against such insults, making it crystal clear that those who touch without permission are not fucking welcome.

You can take a walk on the “wild side” when the belting ‘Lose Your Head’ bursts through, before being schooled by more of Amy’s savage lyricism on the menacingly slow ‘Ivory Tower’. Hair-raising screams and ear-shredding riffs dominate penultimate track ‘Undertaker’, before ‘Athena’ closes the record. Named after the Greek Goddess associated with warfare, it’s an apt way to end a collection of genre-defying, lethal new tunes.

Nova Twins’ battle cry for equality and diversity on Who Are The Girls? resonates long after their record stops spinning. They are a force for fun, for fury, and – most importantly – for change in an industry that still can’t/won’t book a female-fronted band to headline a major festival. Nova Twins have us riled, re-energised, and ready to ask for more.

Pre-order your copy of Nova Twins’ debut album here.
Follow the band on Facebook and Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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