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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Introducing Interview: Alice Hubble

Set to release her new album Hexentanzplatz this Friday, innovative London based artist Alice Hubble has previously captivated us with poignant singles such as ‘Power Play‘ and ‘My Dear Friend‘. With her distinctive euphoric, synth-driven energy and glitchy ‘80s-inspired musicality, we’re already huge fans of the soaring, ethereal soundscapes she creates.

Ahead of the release on Friday, we caught up with Alice to find out more about the album, what inspires her and her thoughts on the treatment of women and non-binary people in music at the moment… Have a read!

Hi Alice, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hello! Thank you, it’s great to be here! I’m Alice Hubble, an electronic pop musician, based in London, originally from Leeds. I make music with my collection of vintage synthesisers, which combines pastoral instrumentals and budget pop in equal measure. My first LP came out in 2019 and the second is coming out this month via Happy Robots.

What initially inspired you to start creating music?
It’s hard to think what initially inspired me to create music cause it feels like it’s always been there. I was one of those music nerd kids, always singing and playing in music groups. In my 20s and a lot of my 30s I was in various bands, albeit to very limited successes. In mid 2018 I decided to focus on my own solo musical creation and Alice Hubble as we know it was born. I’m very inspired by creating ‘otherly’ worlds in music, recreating my imagined worlds sonically. As a person, I’m always pushing to contradict expectations and I attempt to do this in my music. Writing lyrics can be a form of therapy for me to unpack my lived experiences, but I also write about things that matter to me – particularly a highly inclusive form of feminism.

You’re about to release your new album Hexentanzplatz at the end of this week – are you able to tell us a bit about this? Are there any particular themes running throughout the album? 
The album was recorded in October 2020, with half of the songs written during the lockdown in 2020. Though I chose to stay away from writing about the lockdown, I feel the unease and anxieties of the time are very present in the music. The album is called Hexentanzplatz, named after the German mountain. The mountain is steeped in magic and legend and is famous for its Walpurligsnacht celebrations. The name translates literally to mean Witches’ Dance Floor, which really is too perfect. Recurring themes on the LP are illusion, feminism and protest. Illusion creeps into my songs a lot, whether it’s a projected myth of an unbeknown subject of my affections, the illusions we create on social media or your re-imagination of a place in your head. I’ve always been fascinated about how a real place or moment can exist so differently in two people’s minds. 

And how have you found recording and promoting an album during these strange times? 
It’s definitely been strange, I’ve been lucky that the pandemic gave me more space to focus on my music – I was on furlough with my day job, so I had time to spend writing and recording at home. I got to travel to Germany and visit the Harz mountains and learn about Hexentanzplatz and then to Ramsgate in October to record the LP. I also got to play a gig in May just after things started to lift which was really great. I spent 2019 being so busy that I was burnt out, so spending a lot of 2020 focusing on my mental health and having a quiet time was really good for me. It also gave me the chance to record a collaborative EP with Bradford based musician Andy Abbott (under the name ADRA Hubble) and do things I thought I’d never have the confidence to do like host a Facebook chat show and start my radio show. It was disappointing to have things cancelled, but it wasn’t something I dwelled on too much, there were bigger tragedies of the pandemic. I very much see myself as one of the fortunate ones over the last year and feel grateful for what I achieved in this time.

We love your shimmering, euphoric electro soundscapes, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
Thank you! Oh my, it’s hard to narrow down. The bands that have always been with me are the classic synth pop bands – Kraftwerk, OMD, New Order. The Beach Boys have also been such an influence to me. For Alice Hubble, sonically I’ve been inspired by Sally Oldfield, School of Seven Bells, Goldfrapp, Book of Love, Susan Sundfor, to name a few.

We have been particular fans of your recent single ‘Power Play’ – described as the closest thing you’ve written to a protest song, it’s inspired by the #MeToo movement. Are you able to tell us a bit more about this? And, in relation to this, how do you feel the music industry is for women/non-binary people at the moment – do you feel that things have improved over the last few years? 
Thank you! It means a lot to have people respond to the song. ‘Power Play’ is a track that was, on the whole, written in lockdown 1. I feel like a lot of anger and frustration that came out of that time was channeled into the track. At the time I’d looked at Twitter and seen that one of the musicians whose hideous behaviour had been a focus in the #metoo movement was back Tweeting and interacting with fans as normal. And it got me thinking “have things really changed? Do people move on to different things once the moment has passed?” It all started with the menacing synths and, as the track was so angry sonically, I wanted the lyrics to be a call to arms of some sorts. The mass hex of Brock Turner as an act of resistance and resilience (to quote the song) always really intrigued me as a form of activism and I read a lot around this to inform the lyrics. With the subject matter being so triggering, it was a song that needed careful consideration to get just right. It’s definitely getting better for women/non-binary people in the industry but there is still a long way to go. There is better representation generally – I just came back from Green Man where there were so many amazing women/non- binary performers at the festival. There’s also a greater understanding of mental health awareness, and discussions taking place about what behaviours in the industry are not helpful for women/non-binary people. The male ego power-trip that was accepted as the norm for years is now being recognised for what it is, and there are people in the industry trying to make changes. My brother is trans, so naturally trans rights is an issue close to my heart. I have noticed there is more awareness in the general public of trans and non-binary people compared to twenty years ago, which is great. But I feel there is still a long way to go, and a lot of educating still to do, particularly with how polarised society is. I find all the ‘anti-woke’ and TERF rhetoric very disturbing, particularly in the way that they present themselves as reasonable people (when they clearly aren’t!).

How have you been connecting with your audience and other musicians during the pandemic?
I played a few online shows including a Zoom show, the shows went ok but I’m not sure I’d rush to do them again as it’s so hard to connect with an audience that way. I’m also not sure how long people’s attention span is for a Zoom gig these days. It’s great to use digital to connect with audiences in different ways than the typical live performance. I really enjoyed doing the Hubble’s House Party chat show, partly as it felt like such an achievement and we had a great crowd watching. I also did an Instagram DJ set for Divine Schism which was great.

And has there been anything/anyone specific that has been inspiring you, or helping to motivate you, throughout these strange times? 
Hexentanzplatz and music making in general helped give me a purpose during this time. I think 2020 would have been a lot harder for me if I hadn’t had a creative project to throw myself into. I also consumed a lot of TV and books. My partner and I have done a lot of travelling through culture to take us outside of our reality. We got really into watching travel shows like Race Across the World. I also went on a bit of a deep-dive reading about the ’60s hippy trail trekkers after watching The Serpent, and found Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld a bit silly but a welcome break from real life politics.

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any other upcoming artists or bands that you’d recommend we check out?
Sister Wives from Sheffield are awesome!

Finally, in addition to the release of your album, what does the rest of 2021 have in store for you?
Alongside the album there’s a fantastic video which will be out soon, created by illustrator Katherina Rival. I’m going on a mini tour in October which, fingers crossed, will happen as expected. It would be great to see you there!

Massive thanks to Alice for answering our questions!

Hexentanzplatz, the upcoming new album from Alice Hubble, is set for release this Friday 10th September via Happy Robots. Catch Alice on her UK tour:

7th October – Folklore, London
8th October – The Cold Store, Nottingham
15th October – Wharf Chambers, Leeds
23rd October – West Hill Hall, Brighton (supporting Laetitia Sadier)
31st October – The Moon, Cardiff

Photo Credit: Tom Hilverkus

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