NEW TRACK: Nina Keith – ‘Blow Up Yr Life (U Need To)’

A comforting, gentle reminder to let go of negativity and doubt, LA-based trans artist, producer and composer Nina Keith has shared her latest single, ‘Blow Up Yr Life (U Need To)’. Featuring the vocals of indie pop artist Barrie and composer and musician Qur’an Shaheed, the track is a considered, delicate blend of lilting electronics, fragmented voices and crisp production, all of which melt together to create an exquisite, emotive listening experience.

Mixing classical, contemporary and experimental elements into her production, Keith’s skills as a multi-instrumentalist are all the more impressive when you take into consideration that she did not undertake any formal training. Born in Philadelphia, Keith took a DIY route into music, relying on her own ears, experiences of EMDR therapy and her musings on life, death and the afterlife in order to translate her feelings into sound. The result was her debut album, MARANASATI 19111, which she released in 2019, and now she is back with her new single ‘Blow Up Yr Life (U Need To)’.

“Lately the more I wear the turmoil of my life on my sleeve the more often I find myself in conversations with strangers and loved ones that reach a similar end,” Keith explains about the context of her new track. “I can never be the one to tell someone to burn it down and start over. They see the ash stains on my shirt and ask to borrow a match so they can play with it, save it for later, but sometimes it’s like ‘girl, the house is already on fire, you can’t stay in there’. This song is sort of a small prayer in lieu of words I can never seem to speak in those moments. Divorce your husband, start an onlyfans, borrow friend’s hormones, take them for fun, sell your stuff, buy rare beanie babies with the money, whatever you have to do. There is only so much time left.”

This quiet urgency permeates ‘Blow Up Yr Life (U Need To)’, which was written during a turbulent time when Keith was moving to Los Angeles. The song is accompanied by visuals that were created by Canadian artist Nik Arthur. They follow the movement of evaporating water droplets, which beautifully compliment the rippling, shimmering quality of Keith’s composition.

Listen below ‘Blow Up Yr Life (U Need To)’ below.

Follow Nina Keith on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Mad Bishop

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with ARXX (26.06.23)

Tash, Kate and Mari were all in the studio together for June’s edition of the Get In Her Ears Soho Radio show! They played loads of new music from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists, and Tash made a poignant speech about Trans Rights and the importance of supporting trans artists during Pride month, and all year round. There was an eclectic mix of tracks on the playlist too, including Planningtorock, CLT DRP, Lauren Auder, Problem Patterns, Jackie Shane, Ratboys, Dream Wife, Speakers Corner Quartet, Fraulein and more!

The team caught up with total faves Hanni and Clara aka ARXX. The pair came into the studio to talk about the reaction to their debut album, Ride Or Die, which they released in March this year, their impressive touring schedule – including shows with The Vamps, Yungblud and MUNA – and their undying love for Avril Lavigne (which Kate also harbors too.) The GIHE team also reminisced about the first time ARXX were guests on a GIHE radio show back in June 2019, which you can listen to here.

Listen back to our most recent show below:

 

We’ll be back on Soho Radio on Monday 24th July from 12-2pm!

Tracklist
Jackie Shane – Sticks and Stones
Planningtorock – Transome
Problem Patterns – Letter Of Resignation
ARXX – Ride Or Die
**Interview with ARXX**
CLT DRP – Nothing Clever, Just Feelings
Dream Wife – Leech
Cable Ties – Thoughts Back
Ratboys – It’s Alive
Yvonne Ambrée – Outtamymouth
Speakers Corner Quartet – Fix
Sprints – Adore Adore Adore
House Of Women – Hysterical
Hera Lind – Hungry Lion
heka – april (away)
Girl Ray – Everybody’s Saying That
Fraulein – Big Cool
The Crystal Furs – Gay Bar (Electric Six Cover)
Grrrl Gang – Spunky
Beverley Glenn-Copeland – Africa Calling
Gazelle Twin & NYX – Deep England
Hand Habits – The Bust Of Nefertiti
F*Choir – Dying
Lauren Auder – we2assume2many2roles
Chroma – Woman To Woman
Breakup Haircut – Out Of My Way (I’m Not Getting On The Nightbus)
Anohni and The Johnsons – It Must Change

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LISTEN: ALT BLK ERA – ‘I’m Normally Like This’

Embracing the power of their individuality and refusing to let the opinions of others impact the way they express themselves, genre-defying sister duo ALT BLK ERA have shared their latest single ‘I’m Normally Like This’. Fuelled by their antagonistic and joyful spirit, the track is a cathartic rage-dance anthem that celebrates the freedom that comes with championing your own creativity in alternative music scenes and beyond.

Formed of sisters Nyrobi and Chaya, ALT BLK ERA create tenacious alternative anthems designed to showcase their vivid personalities. Inspired by the likes of Ho99o9, Nova Twins, Hacktivist, The Prodigy and Billie Eilish, they blur the boundaries of pop punk, nu-metal, rap and electronic music to form their riotous sounds. Refusing to be pigeonholed, the pair splice these genres together to explore and vent their frustrations about life, and new single ‘I’m Normally Like This’ does exactly that. “I don’t give a damn if you like it / I’m normally like this!” they chant, over a backdrop of jagged electronics and dense dance-inspired beats. Their defiant vocals hammer home the message that being yourself is the best way to push back against the haters and the gatekeepers.

ALT BLK ERA have a busy summer of live performances ahead of them. They’ll be playing Glastonbury Festival on the Shangri-La Truth Stage on 23rd June, plus the band will be playing as main support for our GIHE summer gig with STRAIGHT GIRL at The Shacklewell Arms on Friday 7th July! Grab a ticket on DICE now.

The band have also announced two headline shows in September. Full details below.

Listen to ‘I’m Normally Like This’ here:

ALT BLK ERA UK Tour Dates 2023
Jun 23: Glastonbury Festival (Shangri-La Truth Stage)
July 07: London, The Shacklewell Arms (GIHE show, supporting STRAIGHT GIRL)
Sep 13: London The Grace (Headline Show)
Sep 16: Nottingham Beta (Headline Show)

Follow ALT BLK ERA on bandcamp, Spotify, Tik Tok, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Circe – ‘Glow (You Always Tell Me I Have This Glow’)

Following on from her previous cinematic release ‘Riot Of Sunlight‘, London-based dark-pop artist Circe has now shared her new single, ‘Glow (You Always Tell Me I Have This Glow’). Taken from her upcoming EP, Drawing Wings From The Light, which is set for release on 19th July, the track bristles with a potent anger, explored through Circe’s seething-yet-poetic lyricism, atmospheric synths and intriguing use of ASMR-inducing samples.

On first listen, ‘Glow’ appears more subdued than Circe’s recent vivid offerings, but it retains her idiosyncratic charm and showcases the shadowy, effervescent side of her song-writing, which her debut EP She’s Made Of Saints highlighted beautifully. Inspired by “a powerful rage” directed against “the slights and casual misogyny of the music world”, her hushed threat of “I am a hurricane” sees her defiantly reclaim a sense of power and self autonomy in the face of this adversity.

From the candid opening lyric – “fucked it up first / so I didn’t have to know” – Circe’s quiet anger smoulders across three minutes. “Move away / so I don’t tear you down too” she sings, her warnings enhanced by the Mach Richter-inspired ‘Nature of Daylight‘ violin parts (which Circe played herself) as well as the sampled sounds of scissors snipping through hair own hair. Blending the biblical story of Samson and Delilah with her own experiences to create the narrative for ‘Glow’, Circe blurs the lines between myth and reality once more, exploring the murky territory that sits in between.

‘Glow’ is accompanied by a stylish lyric video, and the news that Circe will be playing a headline show at The Windmill in Brixton on 21st September. Watch the video below and grab your tickets here.

Circe UK Live Dates 2023
21st September – The Windmill, Brixton – London

Follow Circe on Spotify, bandcamp, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Zak Watson

Kate Crudgington
@kate_crudge

 

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