Premiere: Kadija Kamara – ‘Like You’

Having received accolades such as MTV Iggy Artist Of The Week and praise from the likes of PRS for Music and Tom Robinson, London artist Kadija Kamara has previously provided backing vocals for Zara McFarlane on Later… with Jools Holland, and is now set to release a brand new EP.

Taken from the EP, ‘Like You’ is an utterly dreamy sonic delight. As sweeping strings and choral harmonies provide the backdrop to Kamara’s magnificent, soulful vocals, it oozes a twinkling, emotion-strewn splendour that’ll tug at the heartstrings in all the right ways. Reflecting on themes of selfhood and vulnerability, ‘Like You’ graces our ears with its swooping, ethereal soundscape and delicate romanticism, standing out as an exquisite piece of songwriting.

Listen to ‘Like You’, for the first time, here:

 

As well as writing truly beautiful songs, Kadija is also a woman after our own hearts; she curates a night called ‘Lady’, showcasing female musicians in the underground and commercial scenes, with regular nights at The Finsbury. Definitely worth checking out!

Nothing Left To Lose, the new EP from Kadija Kamara, is out tomorrow 9th February.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Garry Carbon

 

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Darlington Music Collective Tracks Presents: Noisy Daughters Event

Following on from their successful Womenfolk event in October 2017, Darlington music collective Tracks have organised a FREE workshop & panel discussion on 3rd March – followed by a ticketed gig! – to celebrate females in music. The event aims to teach and inspire the next generation of girls and lead the way to equality in music. The showcase will take place at the new Theatre Hullabaloo space that’s recently opened in Darlington.

Tracks are a non-profit organisation and any money raised from ticket sales will go back into funding future Noisy Daughters events. The workshop is open to females only, but all are welcome at either the panel or the gig.

The free songwriting workshop for women runs from 1-3pm, and will be delivered by Liz Corney (The Cornshed Sisters, Field Music). Participants are encouraged to bring their instruments and are offered guidance in all things musical composition (places are limited; so booking is advised). This will be followed by a panel discussion from 3.30pm-4.30pm, which will centre around the issues facing women in the music industry today, and what can be done to change them.

Panelists include Rianne Thompson from BBC Tees, Hannah Van Thompson of The Van Ts, Claire Dupree from Narc Magazine, and Liz Corney of The Cornshed Sisters/Field Music. Sarah Wilson from Tracks/BIG Little Gigs will be chairing, and there will be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions at the end.

The day will conclude with a headline gig from The Van Ts, with support coming from the likes of BBC 6 Radio play-listed singer-songwriter Eve Conway, the much hyped hip-hop act Leddie MC, and energetic electro-pop pioneers Twist Helix.

(Pic: The Van Ts)

Sarah Wilson from Tracks said: “It’s vital to give women in music credible, female-led music events nationally, and it’s brilliant that we can do this in our hometown of Darlington. We’re hoping to inspire the next generation of female musicians, whilst giving a platform to the current batch of female artists that are leading the way”.

BBC statistics showed that last year, 84% of headliners at music festivals were men. Ents24.com demonstrated that this trend occurs not only at festivals but takes place on a daily basis at regular shows. On a randomly selected day(12th October 2017), they found that out of the 370 gigs listed on their website, 69% of the acts (255) were made up entirely of men, while just 9% (33) were female-only (half of these being solo artists).

Outside of the performance arena, a recent study by Georgina Born and Kyle Devine – titled ‘Music Technology, Gender, and Class: Digitization, Educational and Social Change in Britain’ – highlighted the “highly (male) gendered digital music field” in which approximately 90% of music technology students are currently white males. The outcome is that the creative field becomes dominated by male practitioners, male lecturers and male authors.

With all these negative headlines and a male dominated industry it’s easy to see why women are underrepresented in the world of modern music. Thankfully, organisations like Tracks are tackling the issue head on with their brilliant Noisy Daughters event.

Tickets for the gig are available online here. Physical tickets can be purchased from The Pennyweight in Darlington.

FYI – this is a 12 + event (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult).

RSVP to the free song-writing workshop & panel here.

Follow Tracks on Facebook and check out their website for updates & future events.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Introducing Interview: The Violet Kind

Having met in Edinburgh back in 2015, The Violet Kind have received acclaim from the likes of PRS Magazine, The National and Tenement TV. Now, tackling heavy subject matter with their poignant new concept EP OXTR, we caught up with the Katya from the band to find out more.

Hi The Violet Kind, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about the band?
Hey! Thanks for the kind welcome! We are The Violet Kind, and we love creating music which is melodically pretty but also stylistically clever and carefully crafted. We love bringing all our different influences together to develop a sound which is unique!

How did you initially all get together and start creating music?
Katya started out performing acoustically as part of a trio and played at a festival run by Hard Rock Cafe in Edinburgh. The drummer brought in Liam to play bass after this and within a few weeks, The Violet Kind started playing gigs! A year later, Kyle joined us and we played the o2 ABC in Glasgow which was a really fun show to start off with!

Your new EP OXTR is out very soon – can you tell us what it’s all about? Are there any themes running throughout the EP?
OXTR is a concept EP so there are heaps of themes running throughout it; some which are intentionally obvious and others which add to the depth of how it was written – much like the idea of a speakeasy bar, I wanted to keep some ideas hidden. The overall theme is sexual violence. Understandably, this was a difficult subject matter to write about but I feel like more than ever, people want to have this conversation; to stand up and say enough is enough. OXTR is about giving a voice back to the survivor. The EP is split in to two halves; the first concentrates on the villain whilst the second is focused on the hero. Influenced by film music, there is a motif present in every song. In ‘Speakeasy’, a long descending motif represents the perpetrator. A section of this riff appears in ‘Good Behaviour’ to highlight the damage that is done to a survivor when people blame her. This song is re-harmonized, and an ascending motif then represents those who believe and support survivors; organisations such as Rape Crisis Scotland and Women’s Aid. This riff is reformed rhythmically to create the final song, ‘Science’, which acts as a song of self-care. Hopefully, by learning about the way the female brain reacts to trauma, one can find some sort of relief from the pain of the experience. Throughout the EP there are lyrical ideas which are repeated and reformed, as well as the same rhythm which is repeated in every song – sometimes on guitar, on vocal lines or on the bass and drums. We wanted to make a really strong coherent piece and we’re really pleased with how it turned out.

You’ve been compared to the likes of Paramore and Sløtface, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
You have no idea how pleased I am to be compared to Paramore! They’ve definitely been a massive influence on my musical career and I think having the likes of Hayley Williams appear on music television when I was a teenager made me realise that the music industry wasn’t just a place for guys – that women could do it too. I do also love the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Now Now, and also Alt J and Foals. I love pretty sounding melodies against a backdrop of a strong rhythm section, and I feel like that’s the sound we go for as The Violet Kind!


How is your local music scene? Do you go to see lots of live music?
It’s great! I’ve just moved from Edinburgh to Glasgow! Unfortunately, Edinburgh has seen a lot of it’s venues close down even within the past year so it’s really nice to be part of the music scene in a really vibrant, artistic city! I’m lucky enough to work in a music venue so I get to see a lot of great bands coming through the doors and have the chance to meet lots of musicians! I think it is so vital to support each other.

And what can fans expect from your live shows?
We love connecting with each other on stage and with our audience – people always tell us how much we obviously love to play together. I think our shows are captivating, honest and emotional! Those moments where people will be talking and then, all of a sudden everyone is just standing there in silence listening to you – that’s really special.

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any new/upcoming bands or artists you’d recommend we check out?
I can’t stop raving about Eliza Shaddad! We got to support her when she toured her EP, Run, and it was just the most fun gig ever! She’s just been in the studio so I’m really looking forward to hearing what she’s been up to! Threads by Now Now too – they’re also releasing new music so I’m excited for that too!

And how do you feel the music industry is for new bands at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
I think there are lots of opportunities at the moment but also think you have to be active about getting out there, meeting musicians and playing lots of gigs. There seems to be a real rise in supporting women in music; I felt really honoured to be invited to attend an event called Girls I Rate at PRS in London last year which was run by Carla-Marie Williams in association with Island Records. I think the music industry can see that they need to open more doors for women and it was really encouraging to see so many female artists doing so many different, great things! It can feel difficult to get noticed sometimes but I believe it’s important to stay true to your voice, develop your craft, make goals and then work towards them – then eventually, people do notice you!

Finally, what does the rest of 2018 have in store for The Violet Kind?
We’re really excited for 2018! We’ve made a music video which will be out next month and we’re recording a live session in an old converted church! We’re in the studio too so there will be lots of new music and we can’t wait to share it with you! Keep in touch with us on social media for tour dates, which will be announced very soon!

Thanks for your time, Get in Her Ears! What you’re doing is really cool!

Huge thanks to The Violet Kind for answering our questions! 

OXTR, the upcoming EP from The Violet Kind, is out 16th March via Kindness Records.

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PLAYLIST: February 2018

February might be the shortest month of the year, but it’s been a near impossible task for us GIHEs girls to scale down our choices for this month’s playlist. We’ve been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new music that’s been flooding our inboxes, and we’re excited to finally share some of our favourites with you. Have a listen, head down to some of the gigs we’ve mentioned, and hold tight for another month of marvelous new music.

La Lune – ‘He Breathes Colour When I Feel So Grey’
‘He Breathes Colour When I Feel So Grey’ is such a beautiful sentiment and such a visual image. La Lune’s email popped into my inbox and within a couple of clicks I was listening… melting into my ears with its slow electronica and gentle murmuring vocals. A big slice of me. It’s taken from La Lune’s debut EP Bliss which is out NOW. (Tash Walker)

Complicated Animals – ‘Show Me’
If you dig 80s music, David Lynch films, and “dreamy synth-pop songs” – you’re going to love Complicated Animals latest single. The Brazilian-American duo’s track is a lush electronic exploration of the magic that happens when we experience pure, genuine human emotion in a world where most of our interactions are dictated by technology. (FYI – If you’re heading to see Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird in a UK cinema this month, listen out for Monica da Silva’s song ‘Back To His Girl’, which is featured in the scene where Lady Bird is trying on prom dresses) (Kate Crudgington)

Sink Ya Teeth – ‘Pushin’
Having blown us away with their completely captivating live performance at The Finsbury last year, Norwich duo Sink Ya Teeth are fast becoming one of our favourite bands. Following the completely addictive sounds of ‘If You See Me’ and ‘Glass’, new release ‘Pushin’ is propelled by pounding beats and funk-fused bass hooks. Add Maria Uzor’s smooth, soaring vocals into the mix and the result is an utterly infectious, whirring soundscape that’ll have you up on the floor in no time. (Mari Lane)

Olivia Nelson – ‘Hideaway’ (K, Le Maestro Remix)
‘Hideaway’ came out in the dwindling days of 2017 and now it’s been freshened up by producer K, Le Maestro. Always one to go weak at the knees at the slightest hint of a remix, I have fellow GIHEs gal Kate to thank for giving me the heads up on this one. Strong beats, strong vocals and strong samples. Needless to say we’re stoked to have Olivia as a guest on Get In Her Ears Radio Show on the 8th February, so be sure to tune into that! (TW)

Black Gold Buffalo – ‘Lay It Down’
“Your mind will fester and your head will roll” sings Black Gold Buffalo‘s front woman Keziah Stillwell on new single ‘Lay It Down,’ a song she wrote about overcoming anxiety. It’s a well-crafted, slow-burning, beautiful track that I can’t wait to hear live at The Waiting Room on February 7th (gig details here). (KC)

After London – ‘Bitter Man’
If you’re looking for a slice of anthemic, alternative indie-rock, look no further than After London’s ‘Bitter Man’. The five-piece released their eponymous debut EP last month, and it’s a record that proves they’re well-rehearsed, wickedly talented, and ready for their launch party at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on 7th February (RSVP here). (KC)

Soccer Mommy – ‘Cool’
I’m trying (and failing) to play it cool whenever I hear one of Soccer Mommy’s new tunes. She released the brilliant ‘Your Dog’ a few weeks ago, and she’s followed it up with the equally impressive ‘Cool’. I can’t wait to listen to her debut album Clean in full (released via Fat Possum Records on March 2nd) and hopefully hear a few of the tracks lives when she performs at Moth Club on March 6th. (KC)

Carolyn’s Fingers – ‘Her Howl’
‘Her Howl’ is the first official release from experimental pop band Carolyn’s Fingers and I just love it’s unexpected twists and turns with the vocals & samples plucking their way throughout the track. Carolyn’s Fingers sing about love, mental health, mythology and queer and social politics – this track in particular is about depression in what they describe as a weird but hopeful way. ‘Her Howl’ is 100% DIY, recorded and produced by themselves. Enough said. Get listening. (TW)

Partner – ‘Everybody Knows’
The latest single from our favourite Canadian duo, ‘Everybody Knows’ tells of the paranoia following one too many bong hits. Filled with a jangly guitar fuzz and delightful, sparkling harmonies, it gives a nostalgic nod to ’90s punk-pop whilst maintaining its own refreshing wit and sunny energy. Complete with impressive, racing licks, it’s a wonderfully infectious offering that’ll leave you longing for another hit of Partner’s playful, uplifting sounds. (ML)

Dream Wife – ‘Act My Age’
“Do I amuse you? Do I confuse you?” – Dream Wife’s vocalist Rakel confronts her listeners in trademark sweet & shouty style on this superb new track, taken from the band’s self-titled debut album (released via Lucky Number last month). Fearless on stage and now on record; Dream Wife’s debut is a joyful declaration of defiance and self-autonomy, designed to motivate listeners in to embracing life, love, and the fires that spark when you overcome adversity. (KC)

Blue Crime – ‘TYR’
I’m a bit late to the game on this one but as they say better late than never. Born in an Amsterdam bunker, Blue Crime are an experimental doom-pop/new wave four-piece self-described as a “trip from the disarming to the wrenching”. This track is taken from their debut EP TYR, released back in 2015 on their very own Meduse MagiQ label – an all female arts/music collective. ‘TYR’ draws you in with its hazy guitar and atmospheric vocals, like slowly falling into an endless kaleidoscope of music mist. Bliss. (TW)

The Nyx – ‘Patience’
Our favourite London rockers have released another new single to coincide with the appearance of another full moon, and we’re hooked on their powerful riffs and affecting vocals. We’re 99.9% sure The Nyx will be appearing on our monthly playlists for the remainder of 2018. #sorrynotsorry (KC)

Suggested Friends – ‘Mother Fucking Tree’
Taken from their fantastic self-titled album, this track oozes the band’s uptempo, ‘tweemo’ punk-pop and twinkling charm, showcasing the band’s infectious melodies and luscious harmonies as they tell frank, witty everyday life stories. Also, with amazing lyrics like “I thought you had a halo, but it was just the backlight from your iPhone…”, what is there not to love? We cannot wait to see them live next Friday, 9th February, at The Finsbury along with LIINES, Bugeye and Duck (RSVP here). (ML)

Kesha – ‘Praying’
Though I couldn’t bring myself to watch the whole of the Grammys last week, I did watch the full performance of Kesha performing ‘Praying’, taken from last year’s Rainbow. Though this song appallingly lost out to Ed Sheeran in the awards, her incredible, emotive performance of the track is the clear winner in my opinion. Surrounded by a mass of women dressed in white (including Cyndi Lauper and Camila Cabello), it was an exceptional, empowering moment in the face of all Kesha has had to go through with Dr Luke, and the challenges women in the music industry face in general (highlighted by the lack of women winning awards at the ceremony!). (ML)

Lady Gaga – ‘John Wayne’
Lady Gaga had to cancel 10 of her upcoming tour dates last week, after announcing that she was in chronic pain due to suffering from fibromyalgia (a condition which can cause pain all over the body). I’m gutted I’ll have to wait even longer to see The Grammy award-winning singer, but I’ve got good company and good gin lined up to drink the pain away. I’ll be raising a glass to her swift recovery whilst simultaneously belting out the lyrics to this Joanne track. (KC)

EMA – ‘Breathalyzer Instrumental’
This epic track is taken from EMA’s recent EP Outtakes From Exile, and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s twenty minutes of intriguing noise which broods somewhere between intense awareness, and a need to be aurally anesthetised. An intoxicating sonic assault that should not be skipped! (KC)

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