Introducing Interview: Izzie Walsh

Having received acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio Two’s Bob Harris and BBC Introducing Manchester, alt-folk artist Izzie Walsh has just released her eclectic new EP, Ideals. Flowing with a twinkling, uplifting energy, the EP showcases Walsh’s emotion-strewn rich vocals and a soaring, catchy musicality.

We caught up with Izzie to find out more… Have a read!

Hi Izzie Walsh, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I love to perform on stage and create music that I hope connects with people. I like to try new food and go for a beer or two. And occasionally go running to balance my calories out!

How did you initially start creating music?
I was quite late to the game and only started creating music when I was 17. It all came about when I started learning the guitar and then I realised I could hold a tune singing as well. 

Your new EP Ideals is out today – congratulations! Can you tell us what it’s all about? Are there any themes running throughout the EP?
This EP is about how ideally the world could be a different pace to what it is now – for both others and myself. It addresses themes of class escapism, and the impact of modern-day capitalism. 

You’ve been compared to the likes of Wallis Bird and Lisa Hannigan, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
My main influences at the moment are Margo Price and Stevie Nicks, but I also love big band sounds, ranging from the likes of Arcade Fire to Slipknot. 

How is your local music scene? Do you go to see lots of live music?
Yes! The local music scene in Manchester is great. It can sometimes be bogged down by the next reincarnation of The Stone Roses typical indie boy band scene, but there is always an alternative and culturally different act to go and see if you take the time to find them. The open mic scene is great as well! 

And what can fans expect from your live shows?
They can expect brand new songs as well as the classics – I want to bring high energy and high musicianship to lay the foundations of my touring show for years to come. I think the best artists at the moment have the ability to translate their recorded medium into an entertaining show and that is what I aim to do!

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any new/upcoming bands or artists you’d recommend we check out?
Yes, definitely! Check out Toria Wooff, Harriet Rose and Chloe Foy. All incredibly talented females creating some amazing music and making their mark on the industry.

And how do you feel the music industry is for new artists at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
It is extremely difficult to get noticed, especially if you are different to the norm. In the past it seemed the more unusual you were the more you got noticed, but now I feel as if the industry are just looking for really safe bets. As you would expect money plays a huge factor as well in terms of the advertising side of things. 

Finally, what does the rest of 2021 have in store for Izzie Walsh?
Besides the tour I am going to hunker down and finish writing off an album – hopefully I can get it into production, ready for a massive 2022!

Massive thanks to Izzie for answering our questions!

Ideals, the new EP from Izzie Walsh, is out now.

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Track Of The Day: Coco – ‘Come Along’

Formed in 2019, LA trio Coco consists of Maia Friedman (of Dirty Projectors, Uni Ika Ai), Dan Molad (of Lucius, Chimney), and Oliver Hill (of Pavo Pavo, Dustrider). Now, following acclaim for their beautifully wistful last offering, ‘Knots‘, they have shared a stirring brand new single ahead of the release of their debut album next month.

Oozing a twinkling, ethereal haze, ‘Come Along‘ flows with a lilting energy, creating a dreamy, shimmering soundscape. As gentle strummed melodies provide the backdrop for the blissful allure of harmonious vocals coming together, the track bathes the listener in its sweeping euphoric splendour. With shades of the sparkling energy of the likes of Real Estate, ‘Come Along’ invites you to immerse yourself in its captivating grace; soothe yourself with its rippling sonic waves.

The track is accompanied by a new video, perfectly reflecting its breezy, uplifting vibes. The band explain:

“The skeleton of ‘Come Along’ was recorded live, all together, with Oliver on guitar, Maia on drums, and Danny on bass. The underlying chord loop plays throughout as other instruments are weaved in one by one, picking up momentum and rolling forward as everything joins in harmony. The video mimics the song in this way, portraying our individual days-in-the-life with each of us filming one another on handheld camcorders. The day culminates in our first performance together as Coco, at a houseshow in Oliver’s garage with our friends as backing band. When it all came together we were pleased with the juxtaposition of the comically low fidelity and fast-paced editing, like a homemade action movie.“

Watch the video for ‘Come Along’ here:

Coco’s eponymous debut album is set for release on 29th October.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Stella Hartmann

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Track Of The Day: Lunar Vacation – ‘Gears’

With acclaim from the likes of The Fader and Clash, and having previously charmed our ears with the luscious sounds of previous single ‘Mold‘, Atlanta-based Lunar Vacation are now set to release their debut album, Inside Every Fig Is A Dead Wasp, next month. Ahead of the album’s release, the band have shared a poignant new single.

Reflecting on the deterioration of a relationship, ‘Gears‘ oozes a dreamy, shimmering allure. Against the backdrop of a scuzzy, whirring musicality, Grace Repasky’s honey-sweet crystalline vocals float seamlessly with an ethereal splendour – bringing to mind favourites such as Best Coast or Alvvays. Building with a sweeping, sparkling emotion to a heartfelt slice of irresistibly effervescent indie-pop, ‘Gears’ flows with a glistening, cinematic grace as droplets of stirring melancholy ripple on the seemingly serene surface. Of the track, Repasky comments:

“When I look back on any kind of relationship, it’s usually through rose-coloured glasses. I guess this song tells me that although this happened, you just gotta keep going because this isn’t the end of the world. But the last lines are a reflection of how inner-me feels… I’ll probably always be a little sad about the loss. I feel like most, if not all, of my songs are future-me giving past-me advice and insight on specific situations that evoked heavy feelings.”

The stark sentiment of ‘Gears’ is captured perfectly in the dark beauty of its Nosferatu-inspired new video. Watch it here:

Produced by Daniel Gleason of Grouplove, Inside Every Fig Is A Dead Wasp – the upcoming debut album from Lunar Vacation – is set for release on 29th October via Keeled Scales. Pre-order here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Hudson McNeese

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Introducing Interview: Dakota Jones

With acclaim from the likes of Afropunk and The Times already under their belts, New York’s Dakota Jones have just released their debut album Black Light. Priding themselves on their distinctive fusion of soul, rock and blues as they share their message of proud black heritage and triumphant queerness, the album touches on an eclectic mix of themes, ranging from sex and love to “the pleasure and pain of truly finding yourself“. Fronted by vocal powerhouse Tristan Carter-Jones, they create uplifting soundscapes, oozing a unique, empowering energy and infectious, vibrant groove.

We caught up with Tristan to find out more about the new album, how they’ve been connecting with their fans during the last couple of years and her feelings on being a queer, black woman in music at the moment. Have a read!

Hi Tristan, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourself? 
Thank you for having me! I’ve always been drawn to the creative side of life – I’ve been making music seemingly forever on my own, and singing and writing has always been a part of my life. I actually studied playwriting in school, but singing in public was my greatest fear for the longest time. So I very much kept it to myself. It wasn’t really until the band formed that I felt the desperate urge to share our music, and put ourselves out there.

How did Dakota Jones initially get together and start creating music? 
We’ve been playing together since 2015. I’ve known our drummer, Steve, since 1999 actually – we were in elementary school together! In 2016, Steve and our former guitarist started jamming for fun, and they asked me to come around and sing with them some time, and I said absolutely not – I was terrified of singing in public, even just in front of the two of them. Eventually, Steve convinced me to come along, and we would just play covers of songs. It was a nerve wracking process for me, but I kept showing up. Scott, our bassist, was a friend of our guitarist and was pulled in to round out the sound and make a proper four piece. One day, just messing around, we ended up writing a song, a song called ‘Leave Me Alone’ from our first EP. We knew pretty immediately after that that this was what we should be doing, and we haven’t stopped since.

We love your feisty, soulful sounds and the message conveyed through your music of proud black heritage, but who would you say are your main musical influences? 
I think the sound of Dakota Jones is an amalgamation of our influences, with a modern edge to it. We’re rock, soul, the blues, R’n’B, sometimes hip-hop. Most people find it hard to put us in a box. I grew up on Marvin Gaye, Led Zeppelin, Chaka Khan, Rakim – classic soul and rock – and a lot of old school rap. Scott grew up on rock and roll and soul music, you can’t get him in a room without him mentioning Stevie Wonder at least once. And Steve is an alternative rock and rap kind of guy. Our music blends what we love, and we all come from different musical backgrounds and tastes. So, I think we know we have a solid song when we can all get equally excited about it.

You’ve just released your debut album Black Light – are you able to tell us a bit about this? Are there any particular themes running throughout the album? 
The whole album is a throwback to a different time, and is very centred in funk and soul sensibilities. We’ve always had a blues rock, soul lean to us, but this album, Black Light, really dives into a place of funk soul and everything that comes with it. There’s joy and dancing, sleek guitar licks and funky bass slaps. There’s pain and longing, and there’s the feeling of relief when you come out of that place and find your joy and purpose again. Black Light is my story. The pain of where I’ve been, and the joy of where I’m going.

And how have you found recording and promoting an album during these strange times? 
It’s been a trip. Earlier on during the pandemic, creating was very hard for me. I felt very bogged down by everything that was going on in the world, and didn’t know how to focus. But eventually the music started to pour out. Self promotion, I’ll admit, feels odd from time to time, but I pushed past that feeling because I think that, no matter what, music is a way to help people heal and get through their strange and dark times. And what I want most is to find a way to continue to connect with people, to continue to heal together, and get through this together. Sharing my music is the best way – and the only real way – that I know how to do that.

How have you been connecting with your audience and other musicians during the pandemic? 
Instagram definitely helps, and social media has been a great way to stay connected to our audience and other musicians. Continually creating and sharing our work has been an amazing way to hear people’s thoughts about what’s going on right now, and how music has helped them to get through it. We’ve also been fortunate enough to play a few live shows since June of this year, so we’re able to actually get out there and be with our fans and other musicians during this time, and really share our experiences.

And has there been anything/anyone specific that has been inspiring you, or helping to motivate you, over the last couple of years? 
Every time someone reaches out to me and shares what our music has meant to them, that keeps me going. That keeps me pushing forward, and makes me feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself.

As a queer black woman in music, how do you feel the industry is for new artists at the moment? Do you feel much has changed over the last few years? 
I think that a lot has changed over the past few years, specifically with black and queer artists who are putting themselves out there, and creating a space for people like ourselves to make noise, and to be heard. I think that breaking through is always challenging, but it’s simpler than ever for artists to put their music out. That in and of itself helps to create these spaces for artists to listen to each other – find inspiration amongst their communities, and feel empowered.

And, as we’re a new music focused site, are there any other upcoming artists or bands that you’d recommend we check out?
I’m lucky enough to be able to call some wonderful independent artists my friends: Blood Cultures, Darlin! The Band, Freakquencee, Lily Mao, Golden Alphabet – all wonderful artists with something to say, and very lovely people at that.

Finally, in addition to the release of your album, what does the rest of 2021 have in store for Dakota Jones? 
We have a few more music videos in the pipeline that will be coming out shortly, but our main focus is to continue to play live music, tour, and meet the wonderful audiences that continue to support us through this time. We’re hoping to get over to the UK as soon as possible to play some regional shows, and hopefully we’ll see you there when the time comes!

Massive thanks to Tristan for answering our questions! Watch the band’s latest video for ‘Lord Please’ here:


Black Light, the debut album from Dakota Jones, is out now – order/listen here.

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