Track Of The Day: MEI – ‘Let Dusk Welcome Me’

Following acclaim for previous singles ‘See Us’ and ‘Happy Man’ from the likes of The Independent and Gal-Dem, London-based artist MEI has just released her new EP, Hard Way Around The Sun. A poignant collection reflecting on the turmoil of the last year – from personal struggles such as recovering from Covid and the breakdown of a relationship, to more social issues like tackling racial injustices – it acknowledges the challenges we’ve been through whilst offering a cheering sense of hope and resilience.

Taken from the EP, latest single ‘Let Dusk Welcome Me‘ provides a welcome pool of tranquility. Interweaving a lilting jazz-infused groove and funk-fused beats, it ripples with the smooth allure of MEI’s lush, soulful vocals, oozing a swirling ethereal atmosphere with horn arrangements courtesy of Cassie Kinoshi. As the beautifully blissful soundscape flows, it calms the senses and uplifts the mood with its woozy, soothing energy and empowering spirit, building to a buoyant pop anthem; a ray of enriching sunlight at a time when many of us need it the most.

Of the track, MEI expands:

“‘Let Dusk Welcome Me’ is full of metaphors describing my experience surviving COVID 19 and specifically the first time I left home for a walk after believing that I might not survive. It was dusk, my favourite time of day and there was this incredible orange and pink light, the air was so fresh and raw in my lungs and it was a moment I’ll never forget.”

Watch the animated visuals for ‘Let Dusk Welcome Me’ here:

The Hard Way Around The Sun, the new EP from MEI, was created with an all-female team and is out now. Listen here.


Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Five Favourites: Ailsa Tully

Following acclaim for previous singles ‘Greedy’ and ‘Parasite’ from the likes of The Line Of Best Fit and Clash Magazine, Welsh artist and GIHE fave Ailsa Tully has now announced the release of her upcoming EP, Holy Isle – due out in September. Taken from the EP, recent single ‘Sheets‘ insightfully reflects on those first moments of waking, as your senses gradually start to stir whilst limbs stretch amid the crisp white linen. Combining lilting melodies with Tully’s crystalline, honey-sweet vocals, it oozes an immersive, delicate emotion and sparkling grace. With a heartfelt splendour, it offers an exquisite slice of folk-strewn indie, resonating with a glistening allure and subtle, yet stirring, sentiment. We can’t hear to the EP very soon!

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 EP, we caught up with Ailsa to ask about her “Five Favourites” – five songs that she loves the most. Check out her choices below and scroll down to listen to the uniquely captivating ‘Sheets’.

Rozi Plain – ‘Conditions’
Let’s start with this one because it’s a sonic masterpiece. I love how relaxed it is, how fluttery and flighty the synth parts are, the simple directness of the lyrics, and the grounding repetition of the bass riff. It has a wondrous quality like you are an (extremely calm) child on a day out, observing a blustery day by the beach.


Hildegard von Bingen – ‘Spiritus Sanctus Vivificans’
Hildegard von Bingen was a German Benedictine Abbess around in the 10th century and is one of the best-known composers of sacred monophony as well as being a respected writer, philosopher and mystic. I am so intrigued by her, a prolifically creative woman in the Middle Ages who was actually recognised for her work. Her music has an incredible purity and is so evocative of an ancient sacredness which I often feel I need to tap into. It reminds me of walking in the mountains in Wales where I grew up.


Joni Mitchell -‘Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow’
I listened to the album Hissing of Summer Lawns countless times with my Dad in the car. This was where I first fell in love with Joni’s lyrics and her ability to paint these incredible pictures of people and social situations. The power of her emotion and her voice just cut right through, coupled with these incredibly unusual arrangements. Every element is good enough to have made it amazing by itself. Me and Dad would talk about it on many journeys, extremely fond memories.


Sudan Archives – ‘Come Meh Way’
I am a cellist and spent a while trying to work out how to incorporate the cello into my live set up… In the end I gave up and turned to the bass. Sudan Archives made me wish I hadn’t. How she performs with a violin and how she uses it to accompany her voice is so unique to her, very mesmerising. She gets a really cool scratchy, earthy tone and puts it through loads of pedals. Catch her live if you can!

Caroline Polachek – ‘So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings’
I listened to this song all the time when I started dating my boyfriend. It reminds me of feeling all that crazy joyful excitement. It’s just a great pop song!


Thanks so much to Ailsa for sharing her Five Favourites with us! Listen to latest single ‘Sheets’ below:

Holy Isle, the upcoming EP from Ailsa Tully, is set for release 1st September via Dalliance Recordings.

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Track Of The Day: Aisha Badru – ‘The Way Back Home’

Having previously charmed our ears with the soothing sounds of last year’s ‘Soil’s Daughter’ and 2018’s poignant debut album Pendulum, singer-songwriter Aisha Badru has now announced her upcoming new EP, set for release in December.

Ahead of the EP’s release, new single and title track ‘The Way Back Home’ offers an endearing reflection on relationships, and the age-old realisation of “if you love something, set it free”. Flowing with twinkling, folk-inspired hooks alongside Badru’s rich, soulful vocals, it oozes an immersive, heartfelt emotion. Propelled by a gentle, lilting energy and shimmering grace, a sweeping majestic splendour ripples throughout this beautifully stirring ballad as its poignant lyricism swirls throughout. A simply exquisite, evocative creation that’ll soothe the ears with its resplendent, uplifting allure.

Of the writing of her upcoming EP, Badru shares:

“I knew exactly what to say without thinking about it. It was as if I was writing exactly from my heart.“

‘The Way Back Home’ is accompanied by a beautifully hand-crafted lyric video, directed and animated with intricate illustrations by Tash Tully. Watch it here:

The Way Back Home, the upcoming EP from Aisha Badru, is set for release on 3rd December.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Introducing Interview: Eddie Packard

Following their debut single ‘Microplastics‘ back in 2018, South London based artist Eddie Packard released their latest offering ‘CGI‘ this spring. A electro-inspired pop-punk soundscape reflecting on how the fantasy world of video games is so much more appealing than mundane reality, it’s an uplifting slice of escapism flowing with a lilting emotion.

We caught up with Eddie to find out more about the track, their inspirations and the industry at the moment… Have a read!

Hi Eddie, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m Eddie Packard and I’m an independent artist from South East London. I love writing songs, it’s my passion. Writing down lyrics onto paper (or more often a notepad application on my computer) really resonates with me in ways I can’t explain. 

What initially inspired you to start creating music?
It was May/June 2012 and I was listening to ‘Love Story’ by Taylor Swift while watching the music video. Something clicked in my preadolescent brain. All the instrumentation and songwriting really just ignited something within me. I then swiftly (haha, get it?) told my parents I would like a guitar. They were very impressed by my enthusiasm and so my mum and I went out to my local guitar shop and I was bought a lovely guitar. I then learnt a whole bunch of chords and I loved the way they sounded when put together. It wasn’t until a few years later though that I actually realised this is what I want to do as a career and started constructing songs.

You’ve recently released your vibrant single ‘CGI’ – can you tell us a bit about this? Is it focused on any particular themes?
‘CGI’ is a whimsical pop-rock song that is inspired by the concept of escapism which can be defined as “the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy...”  It really reminds me of the song I talked about earlier (‘Love Story’) thinking about it now, as they are both quite whimsical sounding and both have elements of escapism (‘Love Story’ was inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, my song ‘CGI’ is inspired by daydreaming and video games). I really wanted the listener to feel like they’re immersed in a different world when they are listening to the song, so I had this idea of implementing a lot of ambient atmospheric sounds, like rain for example, and I think it works really well.

We love your colourful alt-pop sounds, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
As you might have guessed – Miss Taylor Alison Swift is the main one! But also Katy Perry and Marina Diamandis. Katy Perry in particular is a huge inspiration to me – her hugely commercially successful album Teenage Dream really blew my mind when it came out. Songs like ‘Firework’ I remember singing at the top of my lungs while skiing down snowy Italian mountains on a school ski trip and really connecting with the message of the song. But also that ‘California Gurls’ music video! I honestly did not understand the appeal of a California girl… Daisy Dukes? Cool I guess? But the music video is one of my most favourite things in this world. The way she holds her hand out while singing “you could travel the world, but nothing comes close” really strikes a chord with me. Katy Perry had a very religious upbringing and I did as well going to Catholic schools nearly all my life. I always felt this horrible feeling of social exclusion and being left out. I remember leaving my catholic confirmation group and crying to one of my friends’ mother because I just felt so unwanted by my fellow peers. I feel connected to her in this way.

How do you feel the music industry is for new artists at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
I would say that it is quite good at the moment due to the power of social media. I think the power dynamic between record label corporations and artists was a little one sided fifteen years ago and artists probably needed a record label. But now you have completely independent successful musicians who don’t care about signing a record contract. However, for me, I would love to sign a record deal – I’ve been dreaming of it for years now.

Has there been anything/anyone specific that has been inspiring you, or helping to motivate you, throughout these strange times? 
I’ve been looking inwards since graduating from school and have been realising that I have a lot of shame based around my own character. I’m not a very masculine guy and I’ve always felt so much pressure to not be feminine. I’ve realised that shame is blocking me from achieving my own happiness. There’s an American show called Queer Eye that has really been a source of happiness and comfort for me; seeing five LGBT guys who are all so confident and portrayed in a good light, and not negatively as a joke, has really helped with my confidence. 

Finally, what does the rest of 2021 have in store for Eddie Packard?
I want to keep releasing music and make a name for myself. I have big dreams and I’m not going to stop until I make them come true!

Massive thanks to Eddie for answering our questions! Watch the video for their single ‘CGI’ here:

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