NEW TRACK: Seraphina Simone – ‘Liverpool’

A bittersweet reflection on the beauty and brutality of romantic love, Seraphina Simone has shared her latest single ‘Liverpool’. Written solely by the London-based artist and co-produced by Jay Chakravorty, the track is a tender rumination on a past relationship, underscored by cinematic synths, meditative beats and Seraphina’s elegiac lyrics.

After a year spent on tour as part of Self Esteem’s live band, and following on from the release of her debut EP, Milk Teeth (2022), Seraphina Simone is now preparing to share more of her shimmering alt-pop sounds. On ‘Liverpool’, she carefully traces over moments of pure euphoria – “I saw you at the bus stop / you were looking at the floor / eyes as wide as oysters / thought I couldn’t love you more” – and contrasts them with snapshots of unfiltered pain – “Ghosts have their own agendas / and memories don’t want to die / so you’ll haunt my sentences / as long as we are both alive.” The result is a delicately delivered, but sharply observed contemplation on the duality of romance, which Seraphina has coined as “the best song she’s ever written.”

“‘Liverpool’ is a memento mori to love and a eulogy for the power of relationships,” the songwriter explains about the track. “Love is savage and beautiful and a time capsule and a time traveller, and love can fade and the people we love can fade away. But the marks we make in each other last forever like striations in landscapes changing with time, and it can be both wonderful and exhausting.”

Listen to ‘Liverpool’ below.

Follow Seraphina Simone via her Official Website, Spotify, Twitter (X), Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: REWS – ‘Meridians’

A raucous ode to persevering in the face of adversity and making yourself stronger in the process, Northern Irish songwriter Shauna Tohill aka REWS has created a gritty lament to hard-earned resilience on her latest album, Meridians. An empowering blend of heavy riffs, defiant vocals and pop-rock melodies, Tohill effortlessly delivers her assertive, cathartic energy across each of the album’s eleven tracks.

The follow up to 2020’s full length record Warriors, the independently released Meridians rings out with REWS’ trademark passion, mettle and charisma. A reflection on her experiences as a woman in the music industry, the pitfalls along the way and the strong mindset that’s born from carving out your own path, Tohill’s songs chime with a complimentary mix of relatable strife and carefree infectious attitude.

Kicking the album off with the driving beats and grinding riffs of ‘The World That You Left Behind’ and ‘Pretty Face’, Tohill asserts herself with two riotous statements of self autonomy. This is something which permeates Meridians. The album’s title alludes to both “a circle of constant longitude passing through a given place on the earth’s surface” and a practice in acupuncture referring to the “set of pathways in the body along which vital energy is said to flow”. Tohill has evidently been mindful of this, as Meridians flows with her vibrant, tenacious spirit.

This is best observed on cathartic anthems ‘Breathe Into Me’, ‘Not Your Soldier’ and ‘Lock Your Horns’, on which she overcomes feelings of exhaustion, burnout and indecision and transforms them into brooding pop-rock melodies. The songwriter’s vocals are the lifeblood of the album, her voice as commanding in its quieter moments as it is at full volume, highlighted at several points on the record. Tracks like ‘Misery’ and ‘Tears Of A Lion’ fluctuate between vulnerable lyrics in verses and powerful riff-heavy choruses, which makes for invigorating listening. The aptly named ‘On My Back (Giant’s Roar)’ sees Tohill flex her vocal range superbly, and will no doubt be a highlight when heard in a live setting.

Fuelled by the desire to liberate herself and encourage listeners to reject the expectations of others in order to live an authentic life, Meridians marks a new era of independence for REWS. Tohill has always provided her fans with with hefty riffs and chant-worthy choruses on her previous records, and the anthems on Meridians flow in that same vital vein.

Buy your copy of REWS’ new album Meridians here

Follow REWS on Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

REWS UK Tour Dates 2023
Wed 25th Oct: The Forum, Tunbridge Wells
Thurs 26th Oct: Bear Cave, Bournemouth
Fri 27th Oct: West End Centre, Aldershot
Sat 28th Oct: The Exchange, Bristol
Sun 29th Oct: Bodega, Nottingham
Mon 30th Oct: The Grace, London
Tues 31st Oct: Deaf Institute, Manchester

Wed 1st Nov: Zerox, Newcastle
Thurs 2nd Nov: Classic Grand, Glasgow
Fri 3rd Nov: Key Club, Leeds
Sat 4th Nov: The Live Rooms, Chester
Sun 5th Nov: The Asylum 2, Birmingham

Photo Credit: Shona Cutt

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with Hinako Omori (16.10.23)

Tash and Kate were back on Soho Radio’s airwaves playing loads of new music from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists! Mari offered some of her “musical musings” too. Artists featured on the eclectic playlist included Phoebe Troup, Coolgirl, Bas Jan, 070 Shake, Echo Juliet, Slothrust, Janette King, Rubie, Projector, Kloxii Li, GENN, body/negative and more.

London-based multi-instrumentalist Hinako Omori also came into the studio to chat about her upcoming second album, stillness, softness…, which is set for release via Houndstooth on 27th October. She reflected on what inspired her to write the record, how it differs in sound from her 2020 debut full length album, a journey…, and her upcoming anticipations for her live show at London’s ICA on the 2nd of December. Grab a ticket here.

Listen back to the show below:

 

We’ll be back on Soho Radio on Monday 13th November from 12-2pm!
 Make sure you tune in via www.sohoradiolondon.com

Tracklist
SOPHIE – Immaterial
Janette King – Nah Mek Me Fall
Francis of Delirium – First Touch
Phoebe Troup – Worm Dance
Coolgirl – Druid’s Hood
070 Shake – Black Dress
Echo Juliet – Life on Trains
Gabriel Gifford, Aphty Khéa – Voice From The Wind
Mica & The Midnight Blue – Human Beings
Livia – Glue
Franny London – Funny Girl
Hinako Omori – ember
**Interview with Hinako Omori**
Kloxii Li – Angel Dust
body / negative – persimmon
Chelsea Wolfe – Dusk
Twin Rains – Laws Of The Universe
Projector – And Now The End
GENN – The Sister Of
Rubie – Sicily
Glass Isle – Pols d’Ombres
Slothrust – Pony
Comic Sans – Winter In Sokcho
Clementine Valentine – Selenelion
Bas Jan – No More Swamp
Amy Winehouse – October Song

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NEW TRACK: Dermabrasion – ‘Halberdier’

An ominous cacophony of industrial-tinged post punk, Toronto-based duo Dermabrasion have shared their latest single ‘Halberdier’. Taken from their upcoming debut album, Pain Behaviour, which is set for release on 26th January 2024 via Hand Drawn Dracula, the track is a heavy, brooding gothic anthem that rumbles with discontent.

Formed of Adam Bernhardt and Kat McGouran, Dermabrasion bonded over a shared fascination with punk music, the occult and the corporeal form. They released their debut EP, Luminate, back in 2021, but now the pair are gearing up to share their first full length record. Inspired by Roman Catholicism, LaVeyan Satanism, genre fiction and how these elements affect their outlook on their sense of power, shame and duty; Dermabrasion’s Pain Behaviour is a formidable concoction of post-punk, industrial and metal influences, culminating in a sound they’ve coined as “death rock and roll.”

Produced by Josh Korody (Fucked Up, Nailbiter, Breeze, Beliefs, Vallens), Pain Behaviour looks set to be a compelling listen, with first single ‘Halberdier’ offering a potent introduction to the record. Borrowing its title from a guard who wielded an ancient form of weaponry (the halberd), through their heavy hooks and gloomy vocals, Dermabrasion command the authoritative energy of a Halberdier, immersing their listeners in a shadowy, abrasive ether of noise.

The track is accompanied by a video, formed of a series of clips captured by members of the crowd at a Dermabrasion show in Toronto’s east end during the summer. It captures the gritty, grimy energy of the underground scene the band have cut their teeth playing live on over the years.

Listen to ‘Halberdier’ below.

Pre-order Dermabrasion’s debut album Pain Behaviour here

Follow Dermabrasion on bandcamp, Spotify & Instagram

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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