LISTEN: New Pagans – ‘Christian Boys’

A riotous, refreshing call for accountability and a take down of sexist double standards, Belfast band New Pagans have shared their latest single ‘Christian Boys’. It’s the first track to be lifted from their upcoming debut album The Seed, The Vessel, The Roots and All, which is set for release on 19th March via Big Scary Monsters.

Named in our Get In Her Ears ‘Ones To Watch in 2021‘ feature which we shared earlier this year, New Pagans create urgent, considered, catchy sounds that challenge the norms surrounding relationships, history and gender roles. The band take the best elements of post-punk, grunge and pop and transform them into beautifully melodic noise, and this is epitomised on new single ‘Christian Boys’.

Based on the experiences of vocalist Lyndsey McDougall’s friend – who had been having an affair with a Christian leader in Northern Ireland before his marriage to a virgin bride – ‘Christian Boys’ seethes with a righteous fury against the unfair judgement of women who are involved with hypocritical men. “This is shocking but what is more disturbing is that it hadn’t been the first-time similar stories had emerged,” the band explain about the context of the track. “When these men were confronted, they all stated that the women were to blame, it had been their fault, they were the sinners and had led the Christian men astray.”

The urgency in the repeated lyric “Christian boys are the worst I know / Christian girls should take it slow” exposes the hypocrisy underscoring the track’s narrative, calling out those who blame others for their own mistakes. “Lyndsey knows that some of the lyrics in the song could be considered controversial,” the band continue, “but she has grown up around Christian men and believes that this conversation needs to happen, it shouldn’t be off limits.”

Watch the accompanying lyric video for ‘Christian Boys’ below.

Pre-order New Pagans’ debut album The Seed, The Vessel, The Roots and All here.

Follow New Pagans on bandcamp, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: GHLOW – ‘Hold On’

A seething slice of electro-punk, Russian-Swedish heavy duo GHLOW have shared their latest single ‘Hold On’. Released via PNKSLM Recordings, the track is taken from the band’s upcoming debut album Slash and Burn, which is set for release on 2nd April.

Formed of multidisciplinary artists Emille de Blanche and Nikolay Evdokimov, GHLOW fuse their lived experiences and passion for genre-blending sounds into their visceral, intense soundscapes. They divide their labour equally; de Blanche handles vocals, bass and the band’s art direction, while Evdokimov takes on on guitar, synths, drum machines and production duties. Through experimentation and a desire to test themselves, the pair trusted their instincts and created an album that burns with raw, ambiguous fury and ‘Hold On’ is the first taste of what’s to come from the record.

Smouldering with angst, the track is an industrial-tinged mix of buzzing synths, caustic beats and de Blanche’s distinctive vocals. “It’s always been about emotion and passion, for me,” says Evdokimov about his process when it comes to making music. “That’s more important to me than genre. I have to understand the outlook of the artist; I need to be burned by it a little bit, almost.” With ‘Hold On’, GHLOW have shared a startling snapshot of their debut album, and we can’t wait to hear it in full.

Listen to ‘Hold On’ below.

Follow GHLOW on bandcamp, Spotify & Instagram for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: People Club – ‘Francine’

A soulful offering that explores what it’s like to love someone who’s caught in the grip of addiction, Berlin-based indie band People Club have shared their latest single ‘Francine’. Taken from their upcoming EP Take Me Home, which is set for release later this year, the track navigates the difficult subject by blending lush synths and lo-fi guitars with yearning, passionate vocals.

“‘Francine’ is a song about commitment and how love can fade away leaving only wickedness behind,” the band explain. “The song speaks from the voice of a partner whose lover is helplessly addicted to drugs.” The sadness in this narrative voice is encapsulated in the repeated lyric “I often said ‘I wonder if you love me / or if you just need company,'” before the yearning chorus of the eponymous name takes hold. The five-piece gently traverse their narrator’s spiral of doubt through moody, Motown-infused grooves.

‘Francine’ is accompanied by a stylish monochrome video, shot in wintertime in Berlin and directed by Felix Spitta. “The video is a play on the old idiom of ‘being your own worst enemy’,” the band explain, “a phrase which quite beautifully captures the inner critic which we know so well, especially during the course of the pandemic.”

Watch the video for ‘Francine’ below.

Follow People Club on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Bleach Lab – ‘Old Ways’

An atmospheric lament about being caught in emotional purgatory, South London-based Bleach Lab have shared their latest single ‘Old Ways’. Taken from their upcoming EP A Calm Sense of Surrounding, which is set for release on 19th March, the track is a bittersweet, stirring reflection on the conflicting emotions we experience following a difficult break-up.

“’Old Ways’ explores the angry side of the grieving process at the end of a relationship,” vocalist Jenna Kyle explains. “Anger towards the way in which they treated you but also towards oneself for still missing them regardless.” Through her emotive vocals and earnest lyrics, Kyle explores the urgent need to get past this stage of grief, with guitarist Frank Wates’ fluid riffs softening the sharp edges of her words.

Working through unexpected grief majorly informed the songs on Bleach Lab’s upcoming EP. The death of bassist Josh Longman’s father and the breakdown of Kyle’s long-term relationship seeped into the band’s song-writing, as they began to musically explore the five stages of grief – anger, denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance. ‘Old Ways’ deals with the first of these stages, breaching the habit of self-flagellation in an attempt to find emotional relief during a traumatic time.

Listen to ‘Old Ways’ below.

 

Follow Bleach Lab on Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Isy Townsend

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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