Track Of The Day: A.A. Williams – ‘The Echo’

A heavy lament that explores the push-and-pull relationship between the heart and the head, London-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist A.A. Williams has shared her latest single ‘The Echo’. Taken from her upcoming second album, As The Moon Rests, which is set for release on 7th October via Bella Union, the track is a powerful blend of Williams’ bittersweet vocals and trademark cathartic drop ins.

“’The Echo’ is a dialogue between a person’s heart and the head,” Williams explains about her new single. “the head [is] trying to persuade the heart that what they need is to take time for themselves and prioritise their own well-being, not seek verification of one’s worth through their relationships with others.”

Originally named ‘Forever Blue’ – which is also the title of her debut album – Williams’ has re-worked ‘The Echo’ into a song of “yearning, sorrow and beauty.” These sentiments are reflected in the track’s accompanying video, directed by Fraser West. The visuals follow a young man on his journey through London during the night, encountering strangers and seeking connection in unexpected places.

Following on from her previous singles ‘Evaporate’ and ‘Golden’, ‘The Echo’ continues to spotlight Williams’ intuitive talent for creating captivating, enthralling music. She will be performing tracks from her upcoming album As The Moon Rests with her band and a full string quartet at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall this Saturday (17th September). You can grab a ticket here.

Watch the video for ‘The Echo’ below.

A.A. Williams’ UK Tour Dates 2022
Saturday 17th September – London – Queen Elizabeth Hall
Saturday 12th November – Glasgow – The Great Eastern
Sunday 13th November – Leeds – Brudenell Social Club
Monday 14th November – Milton Keynes – Craufurd Arms
Tuesday 15th November – Birmingham – Hare & Hounds
Wednesday 16th November – Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach
Thursday 17th November – Falmouth – The Cornish Bank
Friday 18th November – Bristol – Thekla

Follow A.A. Williams on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: Thomas Williams

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: New Pagans – ‘Better People’

A racing, euphoric guitar anthem that encourages listeners to smile in the face of adversity, Belfast-based band New Pagans have shared their latest single ‘Better People’. Underscored by the group’s desire to write an uplifting, hopeful offering in the midst of a difficult and chaotic time, the track is an empowering blend of cathartic vocals, soaring riffs and commanding beats.

Far removed from the righteous fury of the songs that formed their debut album, The Seed, The Vessel, The Roots and All (2021), but still brimming with a strong social conscience, ‘Better People’ is New Pagans’ ode to pushing through collective doubt. The band urge listeners not to lose faith in the idea that there is better quality of life on the horizon. “Fix it when we do it wrong / working together makes us strong,” sings lyricist Lyndsey Mcdougall, her startling, clear vocals soaring above the band’s urgent, melodic efforts to drive home the message that we’re stronger when we work together.

Written during a period of lockdown at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, ‘Better People’ was inspired by the time Lyndsey spent listening to, and celebrating the joy of music with her children. This propelled the songwriter and her band mates to write a track that leaned more towards resilience and hope, and the result was ‘Better People’. Recorded and self-produced by the band in the Glens of Antrim in Ireland, and mixed by Sam Petts Davis (Radiohead, Warpaint, Frank Ocean), ‘Better People’ is an exhilarating aural antidote to persistent uncertainty in an increasingly stressful world.

Listen to ‘Better People’ below.

 

Follow New Pagans on bandcamp, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Spotify

Photo Credit: Billy Woods

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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GUIDE & PLAYLIST: Decolonise Fest 2022

Event: Decolonise Fest

Where: Signature Brew Haggerston, London

When: Friday 16th – Sunday 18th September 2022

Tickets: Full Weekend ticket: from £31 / Day tickets: from £15.50 / Click here for info on affordable ticket schemes

General Info: Decolonise Fest – the UK’s only DIY punk festival created by and for people of colour – was founded in 2017 to provide a much-needed space for punks of colour from across the world to come together and celebrate the multiplicity of their identities, and acknowledge the influence people of colour have had on punk and alternative music genres. While the festival focuses on people of colour, white allies are welcome to attend.

Now celebrating its fifth year, Decolonise Fest have put together another eclectic line-up to showcase and celebrate the talent of underground punks of colour. This edition is the festival’s first in-person event since 2019, after it had to adapt to an online event during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The festival will also feature music-related panels and activities, including workshops on the Black history of the banjo, reproductive justice, how to make your own modular synths, and more. For more information on these events, visit the official website

Who’s Playing: Grove, BISHI, Racehl Aggs, Gurnal Gadafi, Fraulein, Miss Jacqui, Breakup Haircut, Passionflower, Break Fate, Marigold Spitfire, incaseyouleave, Dystopia, Swaraj Chronos, Spirit Sigh and Currls.

Who GIHE recommend you catch: We’re already big fans of grunge duo Fraulein, DIY punks Breakup Haircut, multi-talented musician BISHI, the amazing Rachel Aggs and garage rock trio CURRLS, so make sure you catch their sets. We’ve heard great things about Grove, Miss Jacqui, Spirit Sigh and Dystopia too!

Check out our Decolonise Festival Spotify Playlist below, featuring some of the line-up

 

Artists not on Spotify also playing Decolonise Fest:

 Gurnal Gadafi| Rachel Aggs | Marigold Spitfire | Spirit Sigh | Swaraj Chronos

 

Follow Decolonise Fest on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

 

 

 

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Track Of The Day: O Hell – ‘I Watch The Women’

A twitchy electronic soundscape that explores the personal confines of imposed femininity, Brighton-based artist and producer Lucy Sheehan aka O Hell has shared their latest single, ‘I Watch The Women’. The follow up to previous releases ‘Down’ and ‘Untangle’, the new track is underscored by a quiet agitation, released via atmospheric synths, crystalline beats and hushed vocals.

After years spent touring and recording music in alternative bands around the UK and fronting PROJECTOR, Sheehan has ventured into fresh sonic territory under their new moniker O Hell. Influenced by a love of eclectic, brooding soundscapes and a desire for creative independence, Sheehan continues to explore their new sound further on ‘I Watch The Women’, deconstructing their notion of femininity and reassessing the personal toll this process can take.

“‘I Watch The Women’ is about feeling distanced from your femininity: being drawn to it and wishing you embodied the classic vision of womanhood, but sensing you’re on another side of it,” Sheehan explains. “The first lines came from a moment I recall, standing across the street from a nice cafe, the women outside looked so polished, real, womanly. I felt like a girl, or something else?’

I wrote it while living mostly in a cabin last winter, quite isolated, picking at drum patterns. I think that feeling of abstraction, even alien-ness, guided the lyrics and delivery towards being off-kilter, almost at odds with the outside world, even the language itself. Later I spent a long time with George Godwin (Moon Panda, Zooni) exploring weird textures, re-amping, tape delays etc to find the track’s atmosphere. Then at Christmas, he handed me a tape of a mix he’d done, to tape, and it was perfect.”

Accompanied by a video, shot by Godwin and directed by Sheehan, the visuals show O Hell traversing the stairwells of a block of flats, reflecting the tumultuous inner journey that’s explored in the track’s lyrics.

Check out the video for ‘I Watch The Women’ below.

Follow O Hell on Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Annie Dorrett

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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