WATCH: Maria Uzor – ‘Donuts’

Having been massive fans of Norwich duo Sink Ya Teeth for a number of years now, we’re super excited to hear that vocalist and songwriter Maria Uzor has now released her debut solo EP. Written in a corner of her living room during the winter lockdown last year, Innocence and Worldliness fuses together an eclectic range of influences, aiming to ooze only the most positive of vibes. Of writing the EP, Maria explains:

“I didn’t realise the extent to which I’d shut down parts of myself in order to function in a world where I didn’t see myself reflected back. And I didn’t realise the damage that shutting down had done until I had the time to step back and process it. The pandemic has been a great opportunity for healing for me, and a chance to re-evaluate who I am and who I need to surround myself with. I wrote the EP as a response to that. I wanted to acknowledge the journey I was on,and I wanted to create something that spoke to the emergence of a more positive sense of self. This EP is definitely forward-looking.”

To celebrate the EP’s release, and following her exquisite last single ‘Innocence‘, Maria has now shared a brand new video for EP track ‘Donuts‘. Propelled by a swirling, glitchy energy and whirring, otherworldly allure, it showcases her sweeping, sultry vocals as the playful refrain of “Mama needs her donuts…” lodges itself firmly in the ears. Oozing throbbing beats and fizzing electro-driven hooks, it’s a wonderfully immersive sonic fusion. A perfectly blissful cacophony that will take you on a rainbow-tinted trip into space; an enthralling slice of psych-tinged euphoria from this truly innovative artist.

Of the track, Maria adds: “‘Donuts’ is like an ode to spending time in your own company; being able to shut the door and kick back with your belly out.“

So, grab some pastries, sit back, and immerse yourself in the trippy, colourful haze of the new video for ‘Donuts’ now:

Make sure you check out Maria Uzor’s new EP, Innocence and Worldliness, which is out today. Buy the digital album, or a special limited edition 12″ vinyl from bandcamp now.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Track Of The Day: Fräulein – ‘Belly’

Originally hailing from Northern Ireland and the Netherlands respectively, London-based duo Joni Samuels and Karsten van der Tol – aka Fräulein – have been winning us over since we first became pretty obsessed with last year’s single ‘Drag Behind’. Now, following their majestic last single ‘Pretty People‘ and acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Daniel P. Carter, they have shared the first taste of a new double a-side release.

Exuding a stirring sense of frustration, ‘Belly‘ is propelled by dark, sparse hooks and raw, loose beats as the sweeping, captivating allure of Joni’s vocals take centre stage. With shades of Rid Of Me era PJ Harvey, it flows with an eerie, spellbinding energy, interwoven with a gritty, grunge-fuelled drive. Building with a visceral power to a brooding, immersive cacophony, ‘Belly’ will take you on a fierce sonic journey; an evocative soundscape showcasing this innovative duo’s consistent ability to develop their exquisite musical prowess with each new release.

Of the meaning behind the track, Joni Samuels explains:

“‘Belly’ is a song that is written around its lyrics. I’m talking about how creativity can be bloody and exhausting for some people but really organic and energising for some others.”

Fräulein headline The Windmill in Brixton on 25th October, tickets available here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Emma Swann

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Five Favourites: Beth Cassidy (Sea Fever)

Set to release their debut album next month, Manchester band Sea Fever is a collective of musicians who are no strangers to the music scene. Fronted by Beth Cassidy (Section 25) and Ivan Gronow (Johnny Marr, Haven), the band also consists of New Order’s Tom Chapman and Phil Cunningham, as well as Elliot Barlow. Talking about the formation of their latest project, the band explain: “We’d wanted to work with each other for ages, so when we finally sat down in the studio, the band just seemed to come together naturally. It felt like we were really free to explore the kinds of music that have always inspired us, we dug right through the record crates of our minds to shape the sound of Sea Fever.“

Ahead of the release their debut album, Sea Fever have recently shared a stirring new single, ‘Under Duress‘. Flowing with a sweeping otherworldly allure, it showcases the collective’s ability to create captivating multi-layered soundscapes; feeling both futuristic and nostalgic in its cinematic sonic majesty.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the upcoming album, we caught up with Beth from the band to ask about her “Five Favourites” – five albums that she loves the most. Check out her choices below and scroll down to listen to the spellbinding ‘Under Duress’.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell
This band were the soundtrack to my college years. I went to see them live at Manchester Academy 3 when they’d just released their debut EP, and they’ve been a staple of my record collection ever since. I remember seeing Karen O on stage and she wore a piece of neon netted fabric over her face the entire gig – like a veil. She seemed mental. Fever To Tell has so much energy and chaos mixed with this sweetness that comes through with the softer vocals. This band are a true force of nature.

Booka Shade – 2006 Pete Tong Essential Mix Session
I stumbled across this session after getting hooked on Booka Shade’s melancholic ‘In White Rooms’ track, and after that I was searching through their whole back catalogue. Their sound is percussive, dark, but also surreal and really kind of imaginative, and from there I discovered minimal techno. I don’t really listen to them anymore, but they paved the way for my love of dance music. I moved out to Berlin soon after, on some kind of pilgrimage to German techno! In this particular essential mix, they DJ for half and play live for the other half, so you can really hear how their own influences play out in their music, it’s so interesting. And the tracks they mix, man! Laurie Anderson, Aphex Twin, Yello… It’s sublime.

Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam
I played this record on repeat for months, listening through headphones while I was moving around Manchester on public transport. I was juggling a lot in my life at that time and felt a bit mixed up with what I was doing – studying for an MA, working in a job I hated, my Dad had died a few months earlier – and this album definitely helped me escape into my own head. The lyrics are so easy and playful, colloquial but profound at the same time, and he describes those really small moments in life that we all experience; the little things that make us human, and he puts them on a pedestal. It’s very clever.

Bjork – Post
‘Hyperballad’ was the first cassette tape I ever bought. I was nine so it must have come on recommendation from my older brother, and it probably went over my head at the time but I loved the electronic sounds. Bjork’s vocal melodies and the way she moves through the music at her own pace, it feels so confident, like she’s carving out a space for the vocals. I come back to Bjork a lot, she just seems to empower me and make my own work more purposeful.

LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
Every track on this album is an absolute banger, and when you listen from start to finish it takes you on a really expansive trip through different moods. The layering of different beats and loops is so intricate, and James Murphy’s vocals drive the whole sound. I just hang off his every word. Even though they are hugely popular, I still feel like LCD Soundsystem are a cult band, in that, you’ve either never heard of them, or you fucking love them! There’s no in-between!

Massive thanks to Beth for sharing her five favourites with us!

Folding Lines, the debut album from Sea Fever, is set for release on 22nd October (CD/DL) and 29th October (vinyl). Pre-order here. And you can catch Sea Fever live at Rough Trade East in store to celebrate on 29th October – tickets here.

Photo Credit: Anthony Harrison

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Introducing Interview: Taylor Blackwell

Having previously captured our attention as part of LA based the tenth (a band she co-founded with actor Harley Quinn Smith), singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Taylor Blackwell has now announced her debut solo album – In Memory of Haroldine –, set for release in September. Ahead of the album’s release, latest single ‘B.S. Poetry‘ juxtaposes an uptempo shimmering musicality with an angsty lyrical reflection on the broken promises of early romance. Oozing twinkling accordion refrains alongside Blackwell’s honeyed vocals, it’s a perfectly catchy, saccharine sweet sonic delight interwoven with the gritty, bitter angst of heartbreak.

We had a chat with Taylor to find out more about the new album, her inspirations, DIY punk spirit and more. Have a read!

Hi Taylor, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi Get In Her Ears – thank you, I’m such a fan! I grew up in a town called Jupiter, which is in South Florida. I’m about to celebrate five years of living in Los Angeles! I moved here a few days after turning eighteen to pursue my creative passions. In addition to music, I act, write, and make visual art. I have three younger siblings – Owen, Charlie, and Drew – and two cat children, Fairey and Pixie. 

What initially inspired you to start creating music?
I’ve had a love for music my whole life. I did a little musical theatre growing up, and would sing all the time. I took piano and guitar lessons as a kid, and have taught myself a few other instruments over the years. I always had it in the back of my mind that I’d some day work on making my own music. When I went to a punk show at The Smell with my friend Harley Quinn Smith, we were both taken by the experience, the energy in the room, and felt it was a no brainer to start our own band… It’s one of the things I love the most about punk – the DIY nature of it. Anyone can, and should, make music if they want to! Shortly after attending this show, Harley and I formed our band “the tenth.” Now I’m working on solo music, which has been a whole other amazing adventure.

You’ve recently released your shimmering new single  ‘B.S Poetry’ – can you tell us a bit about this and what it’s about?
Yes! I wrote ‘B.S. Poetry’ about a guy who wrote some real shitty poems about me. The lyrics of the song are pretty true to my experience. I kept running into this person around Los Angeles. We played what I can best describe as cat and mouse games for about a year. The line “We run in the same circles, you run circles around me” sums up a lot of it! I was less annoyed, and more humoured by the situation, so I wrote a song about it. You think you could upset me with your poems? HA. The music video for the song is both a fuck you and a love letter to the poet boys of my life… And yes, there’s unfortunately been a few! 

Your debut solo album, In Memory of Haroldine, is set for release next month – are you able to tell us a bit about this? Are there any particular themes running throughout the album?
I am incredibly excited to be releasing this album on 1st September, on my 23rd birthday!! I recorded in Long Beach, California with my producer Davey Warsop. I had worked with Davey once before – he was a sound engineer on a live session that the tenth did through Hurley. Working together on this album was a truly special experience, and I feel forever bonded with Davey because of it. There are two main themes in this album – saying goodbye, and enjoying the present moment. If you listen to the lyrics you’ll see that there is a running narrative in the album, but I also want people to have their own take away.

And how have you found recording and promoting an album during these strange times?
I recorded wearing a mask almost the entire time – only taking it off to record vocals in the booth by myself. It was bizarre, but having this creative project to put my energy towards during such uncertain times was a true blessing. We recorded a few days each month for several months, which was also a gift because it gave me something to look forward to each month. I could also work more on the album in between recording sessions. Promotion is odd. I’m not the most social media savvy person, but I am trying to embrace it to help get the word out about the album! I believe in this album so much, and feel confident that it will find the people it’s meant to find. Going back to punk for a second, I love DIY and Riot Grrrrl – specifically the element of making your own posters/zines – I’ve been doing that for my music in an effort to spread the word. The day ‘B.S. Poetry’ came out, I went on an hour long walk and passed out flyers I made for the song on the street. I’ll be doing the same for when the album is released!! 

We love your twinkling folk-inspired sounds, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
The main influences for this particular album were Neutral Milk Hotel and Belle & Sebastian. My producer and I really looked to them for guidance when creating the sound and feel of the album. I love NMH’s In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, because it’s such a rollercoaster. I wanted the same for In Memory of Haroldine, to have a soft song, then a loud punk song, then go back to more singer-songwriter-y; I even have a song that’s pretty theatrical. Other influences include Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen (who I actually reference in the song ‘Never Could’), Conor Oberst, Elliott Smith, The Mountain Goats, The Shangri-Las, Sleater-Kinney, Girlpool, and a million others!

We’re also big fans of your other project, the band the tenth! How did you all come together to make music, and are there plans to record more together in future?
Harley and I started the band after going to a punk show together. We recorded the EP, Boys We Don’t Know and album Dunes on our own, then later added Eden Hain (guitar) to the band. I had met Harley and Eden when I was about 16/17 through our mutual friend Kiernan Shipka. I do hope we’ll make more music together! Right now we are on a hiatus, but we’ll see what the future holds. We’re all still very good friends, and Harley and Eden have been so supportive about my solo music. Eden works at Junior High LA (where I will be having my album release concert on 4th September), so they have been helping me plan the big day! 

How do you feel the music industry is for new artists at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
Hmm… I’m not sure. TikTok adds an interesting new element – I know a lot of new musicians are finding their audience through that platform. Being able to play live shows is such an incredible way to build an audience, and to develop your sound. Right now there’s not a whole lot of live shows going on, which for sure adds a challenge. 

How have you been connecting with your audience and other musicians during the pandemic?
To be honest, I really haven’t to a large degree! Most of the pandemic I spent focused on making the album. I occasionally shared sneak peaks from inside the studio on Instagram. Now that I’ve got this big release coming up, I hope to reconnect with my audience in a larger way. I will be playing my album release concert at Junior High on the 4th September, which will be vaccinated only/masks required. I’m hoping for a good turn out. With the Delta Variant, it could be my first and last show for a while! 

And has there been anything/anyone specific that has been inspiring you, or helping to motivate you, throughout these difficult times?
I just read the book Super Attractor, and found that to be incredibly inspiring and motivating. I’m lucky to have amazing teachers in Claire McKeown, Jeffrey Dockweiler, and Nell Teare, who have helped me work towards my goals and have been wonderful confidantes. And I have some of the best of friends and collaborators – Noelle Cope, Chase Cope, Dempsey Bryk, Fin Argus, Sean Fortier, Davey Warsop, Brent Mata, my bandmates Shoshana Brustin, Andrew Capuano, and Ryo Nakamura, and many others… I am blessed!

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any other upcoming artists or bands that you’d recommend we check out?
I am a huge fan of Claud – anyone on Phoebe Bridgers’ label Saddest Factory Records is worth checking out. My teacher Claire’s band Honey Child Choir is about to release their new album Starving Hearts. And I’m a big fan of Rosie Tucker, who opened for the tenth a couple years ago. 

Finally, in addition to the release of your album, what does the rest of 2021 have in store for you?
Being a creative, and with the pandemic on top of it, one can never be quite sure of what the future holds! I recently wrapped a movie called Dangerous Cult. I’m hoping to be more on sets – both as an actor and also directing more music videos. I have a few things in the works, but nothing I can really talk about yet. I’ll keep you posted!

Massive thanks to Taylor answering our questions!  

In Memory Of Haroldine, the upcoming new album from Taylor Blackwell, is set for release on 1st September. Find out more here.

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