Get In Her Ears Live @ The Finsbury w/ Fightmilk, 14.12.18

Following a host of super amazing bands playing for us recently – including Wendy Rae Fowler, Witch Fever, The Magnettes, The Menstrual Cramps, Thunder On The Left and Sit Down  – we were back at The Finsbury on Friday for another jam-packed night of the best new music, for our last gig of the year!

Kicking things off is the spookily wonderful goth pop of East London’s Candy Cane. Oozing a a synth-driven splendour, their festive covers and charismatic allure is the perfect start to the night.

Second band of the night, Hanya, cast us under their spell once again as the impassioned, subtle power of Heather Sheret’s soulful vocals soar with a gritty edge. Recently expanding in size from duo to trio, the added bass makes their already sweeping, shimmering sounds all the more dreamy.

Next up, Dublin’s Handsome Eric deliver their lush lo-fi fuzz with a driving energy. Considering they’ve been up since 4am and endured the long journey over, they treat us to an utterly immersive set filled with raw, sweeping emotion, leaving me extremely grateful for first coming across them supporting Shamir earlier this year.

To end the night, Fightmilk return to headline for us – complete with working vocal chords! Oozing their luscious, punk-infused indie-pop with a joyous energy and even a few festive jokes thrown in, they deliver a wonderfully raucous, infectiously uplifting set to room filled with buoyant, adoring fans, singing along to each and every word.

Massive thanks to the four incredible bands who played for us on Friday – was a fantastic way to see out 2018! And don’t miss our first gig of next year, at The Finsbury on 11th January with Wolf Girl, Argonaut, The Other Ones and Kin!

Photos: Jon Mo / @jonmophoto
Words: Mari Lane / @marimindles

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Premiere: Chorusgirl – ‘Demon Baby’

Following 2015’s wonderful self-titled debut, GIHE faves Chorusgirl have now announced their long-awaited new album Shimmer And Spin, and we couldn’t be happier for them. Chronicling a tense year, created during a period of crippling anxiety and a relentless string of bad luck and bad news, the new album is the result of immense hard work and dedication from Silvi, Faith, Udo and Michael.

Taken from the album, the band have now shared brand new track ‘Demon Baby’. Inspired by those all too common feelings of anxiety and isolation, it’s the first song of the band’s to be released featuring Faith Taylor on lead vocals. As a massive fan of her other band Suggested Friends, it’s wonderful to hear Taylor’s distinctive, rich vocals shine through on this one, propelled by Chorusgirl’s trademark shimmering sounds.

A slight change in tone from the usually guitar-driven jangly indie of Chorusgirl, ‘Demon Baby’ combines that welcome scuzzy whirr of hooks with a backdrop of a glitchy, electronic soundscape, filled with sparkling effects and luscious cascading harmonies. As Taylor’s exquisite vocals float effortlessly along with a raw emotion, you could almost be transported to the soundtrack of an ’80s teen drama (which is never a bad thing!); though, alongside those fuzzy nostalgic vibes, it manages to retain Chorusgirl’s unique sense of dreamy, effervescent melancholy. A beautifully stirring and reflective offering, ‘Demon Baby’ still ultimately manages to uplift the spirit with the soaring, glistening haze that this band are consistently able to create.

Of the track, the band explain:

“It is about pathologising your own unhappiness when you lack genuine emotional support in your life. The song talks about running away, reinventing yourself, and policing your sense of discontent and isolation because you don’t think you deserve more.”

Listen to ‘Demon Baby’, for the first time here:

 

Shimmer And Spin, the new album from Chorusgirl, is out 16th November via Reckless Yes. Catch Chorusgirl live at their album launch show tonight (9th November) at The Victoria, and at the following dates:

16th November: Nottingham, Rough Trade
17th November: Sheffield, Audacious Art Experiment
18th November: Newcastle, Head of Steam
19th November: Glasgow, Broadcast
21st November: Oxford, Common Ground
22nd November: Bristol, Hydra Cafe
23rd November: Coventry, The Tin
11th January 2019: London, The Finsbury (for Get In Her Ears!)

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Track Of The Day: Vulpynes – ‘2 Cents’

Already cementing themselves as firm favourites here at GIHE with previous singles ‘Sublingual’, ‘Silica’ and ‘Terry Said’, Dublin duo Vulpynes are back with an immense new track.

Propelled by the gritty, impassioned vocals of guitarist Maeve, ‘2 Cents’ rages with a seething energy and sublime raw power as scuzzy punk-fuelled riffs are blasted out alongside intense pummelling beats. Reminiscent of the riotous force of the likes of L7 or The Distillers, it’s another storming, empowering offering from Vulpynes, showcasing all there is to love about this duo.

Of the track, the band explain: “It’s a celebration of being liberated from anyone else’s opinion. There are so many people who feel educated on what you should be doing with your life, who will judge you by your age, sexuality, appearance, the music you play, your gender. This song is a triumphant two fingers to anyone who feels obliged to give you their opinion on where you are at in life. It’s about freeing yourself from expectations and how cathartic that feels.”

Watch the eerie new video for ‘2 Cents’ (directed by Vinnie Flynn) here:

Stream ‘2 Cents’ on Spotify now.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit:  Noisiu J Manley

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Track Of The Day: Chorusgirl – ‘No Goodbye’

Following 2015’s wonderful self-titled debut, GIHE faves Chorusgirl have now announced their long-awaited new album Shimmer And Spin, and we couldn’t be happier for them. Chronicling a tense year, created during a period of crippling anxiety and a relentless string of bad luck and bad news, the new album is the result of immense hard work and dedication from Silvi, Faith, Udo and Michael. Of the writing process, Silvi explains:

“There was barely a month without bad news on a personal and wider level, and at the end of that year, my anxiety started to spike badly. The album became a very important anchor. Every note and lyric were raked over and looked at twice; we were hacking and honing away at the songs for months, trying to craft some sort of sculpture of our state of mind.”

Taken from the album, new single ‘No Goodbye’ is filled with jangly hooks and sunny uplifting beats, despite perhaps a lingering dark undercurrent. As Silvi’s distinctive, lush vocals soar throughout, effervescent harmonies and impressive driving riffs flow, creating Chorusgirl’s utterly unique, shimmering sounds. Another truly dreamy slice of scuzzy, sparkling garage-pop, ‘No Goodbye’ proves that it’s impossible to listen to Chorusgirl and not feel instantly better; their tunes just seem to be the perfect antidote to all life’s troubles. And the fact that the band overcame so much to create this new album just makes them all the more inspiring.

Chorusgirl honestly are one of my favourite bands of the last few years, and this latest offering – and the determination that went into creating it – showcases exactly why.

 

Shimmer And Spin, the upcoming new album from Chorusgirl, is out 16th November via Reckless Yes. Catch Chorusgirl live:

9th Nov: London, The Victoria
16th Nov: Nottingham,Rough Trade
17th Nov: Sheffield,Audacious Art Experiment
18th Nov: Newcastle,Head of Steam
19th Nov: Glasgow,Broadcast
21st Nov: Oxford, Common Ground
22nd Nov: Bristol, Hydra Cafe
23rd Nov: Coventry,The Tin

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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