WATCH: Noga Erez – ‘NAILS’

Flowing with her trademark polished production, defiant vocal swagger and snappy lyrics, pop renegade & GIHE favourite Noga Erez has returned with her razor sharp single, ‘NAILS’. Released via Neon Gold/Atlantic Records, who Erez has recently signed to, and her first new music since her second album KIDS, ‘NAILS’ is accompanied by a slick video directed by long time collaborator Indy Hait, featuring Erez and her music & life partner Ori Rousso.

“‘NAILS’ is a song about jealousy, and how being jealous of people, in this particular case another woman, makes you idealize that person in a very weird and dark way,” Erez explains about the track. Together, Rousso and Erez explore these emotions through their infectious beats and Erez’s visceral emceeing, playfully loosening the grip of the jealous thoughts that we are all prone to from time to time.

The deeply satisfying sound of Erez tapping her own nails on different surfaces also underscores the new anthem. Their crunch adds a palpable, physical energy to the song, emphasizing the sharp humour that fuels her fierce lyrics. Armed with her embellished fingertips, she imagines her own nails as an amusing weapon with which to take down her adversaries – “I’ll bump a bitch / flesh pieces in my nails.”

Erez acknowledges the privilege of being allowed to work through these emotions in her music. “I feel like we live in a culture that says, ‘Don’t think those negative thoughts. Don’t even let that cross your mind’ but sometimes I’m like – ‘these bitches are looking at my man, I don’t want that!’ – it’s very, very funny. So I say, let it cross your mind, so that you can leave these things at the thought level, and get the poison out of you. The song is an invitation for everyone to feel that empowering, aggressive vibe and embrace it.”

Watch the video for ‘NAILS’ below.

Follow Noga Erez on bandcamp, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook & Spotify

Photo Credit: Timo Kerber

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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An Open Letter To First Timers Fest…

Dear First Timers Fest,

Thank you for existing and for the best Sunday afternoon spent at the Amersham Arms, watching new bands perform live together for the first time.

I (and the GIHE team) have been following your work as a non-profit organisation, encouraging people from all walks of life to start making music for a while now and I think what you do is vital and beautiful – and I hope you feel appreciated!

For those who don’t know, First Timers are a London based initiative who run workshops and festivals that aim to make music accessible to all. They focus on creating fun, low pressure environments for people to learn instruments, form their own band and aim to build a community of like-minded people who think access to music shouldn’t be blocked by financial or social barriers.

I have seen and felt the joy of the First Timers community first hand, having attended their Bass Workshop with Jodi earlier this year and their Festival earlier this month. Turning up alone to these events can feet a bit daunting, but from the moment I walked into an event, the team of volunteers were warm, approachable and always willing to chat. It’s a human-centered initiative designed to make you feel comfortable, and it’s always a pleasure to be in the room with other people who are seeking a connection through music.

Between sets at the festival, I spoke to volunteers and organisers about how much I was enjoying the day. They took the time to stand and talk with me, which was no small feat considering that logistically, organising stage times and supporting 15 new bands must have meant they had a truly chaotic day. My only regret is that I couldn’t stay for the full festival!

It was inspiring to watch new bands like Wormdriver, Poorly Trained Radicals, Pig City, Egg Doggs and Achers share their music with a crowd for the first time. Considering it was a festival for beginners, there were so few “mistakes” in the performances, and if any person on stage looked like they were unsure, the crowd immediately applauded or cheered them on to dissolve the uncertainty. It’s this shared supportive attitude that makes First Timers Fest such a pleasure to witness. It’s an attitude that often gets lost in the pretensions of wider, more “serious” music spheres. It’s easy to forget that everyone has to start somewhere and ultimately – so what if you fuck it up? That’s half the fun anyway, and that’s what First Timers are here for.

I grew up as a working class girl in Essex and despite secretly wanting to, I never learned how to play an instrument. I was one of four kids, incredibly shy and had no idea where to start. My brother taught himself how to play guitar and synths via Youtube videos, but I couldn’t grasp any of it through a screen. The one bass lesson I had with Jodi this year made me feel like I might actually be able to get somewhere with an instrument, if I just make the time to practice it more often. If First Timers had been around when I was a teenager, I think they would have helped me get to where I am today a little bit quicker. I’m grateful to have found them now as an adult, and I really hope others will read this and reach out and join the First Timers community too.

Keep up the good work folks and I’ll see you again soon.

Love & solidarity,
Kate x

 

Follow First Timers Fest on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & their official website

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LIVE: The Great Escape 2022 (Photos & Highlights)

We were back at The Great Escape for the first time in 3 YEARS at the weekend, stomping around Brighton trying to catch some of our favourite women and LGBTQ+ artists in new music. Spread across multiple venues in the city, the festival showcased an eclectic line-up of talent, and our Features Editor Kate Crudgington and official photographer Jon Mo were there to capture just some of the highlights of the prolific 3 day event.

Of course, clashes, queues and timing issues meant we inevitably missed some artists, including sets from ZAND, Ailbhe Reddy, Mykki Blanco, A.A. Williams, Witch Fever, Bad Waitress, Kills Birds, LibraLibra, PEANESS and Grandmas House, but we tried to get to as many gigs as possible on Thursday & Friday. Read about the performances we did manage to catch and take a look at our pictures below…

 

ARXX remain one of our favourite bands, both on and off stage

Whether it’s vocalist & guitarist Hanni casually saying “let’s break up this wall of men” as we moved towards the front for Fräulein’s set at Queens Hotel, or drummer Clara cracking up the crowd with her story about a seagull stealing her croissant during their own set (she’s a Brighton resident as well, rookie mistake) – ARXX truly are the definition of an iconic duo. Their set at The Hope & Ruin was so packed we couldn’t get in, but it was worth running up the hill to Brighton Youth Centre to catch them performing later on the same day. Full of their trademark riotous riffs, anthemic vocals and knockout percussion, the duo tore through renditions of ‘Deep’ and ‘Call Me Crazy’ as well as previewing their new single, ‘Couldn’t Help Myself’. We can’t wait to have them headline for GIHE again at The Shacklewell Arms on the 22nd July. (tickets here)

Fräulein are your new favourite grunge duo

Joni & Karston aka Fräulein blew us away when they headlined our first GIHE gig of 2022 back in January at The Victoria in Dalston. Since then, the duo have been playing across London non-stop and have been out on tour with The Mysterines and Coach Party too. They performed their brooding, captivating grunge sounds to a full house in the basement at Queens Hotel on Thursday afternoon, with singles ‘And I Go (La La La)’ and ‘Drag Behind’ being set highlights. They played a show on each day of the festival over the weekend, so if you didn’t catch at least one of their sets, you definitely missed out.

We are in love with Brimheim and her band

We had a lot of FEELINGS watching Danish artist Brimheim perform to a packed crowd at seafront venue WaterBear – and all of them were GOOD. Clearly loving every moment of her set alongside her equally enthusiastic band, she thrashed around with her guitar, enjoyably scowling down at her mic as she delivered her pitch perfect vocals. Performing songs from her debut album, can’t hate myself into a different shape, she thundered through ‘favourite day of the week’ and ‘baleen feeder’, her exquisite, confessional lyrics were given a new edge by her raw, more abrasive live performance. We cannot wait to see her live again.

The Irish showcase at Prince Albert is always a festival highlight

Year after year, the line-up for the Irish showcase at the Prince Albert continues to impress us. Even when we can’t physically get into the venue to see the bands (we heard SPRINTS sounding HUGE as we stood in the queue on the stairs) the atmosphere and the talent is always worth sticking around for. We caught Tolu Makay in her stunning sequin-drenched outfit on Thursday, performing infectiously fun tracks from her debut album Being, including ‘Me, Myself & I’ and ‘You Are Enough’. On Friday, we were front row for CMAT’s show (read more on that below) and to catch Kynsy live for the first time. Since the release of her debut single ‘Cold Blue Light’ in 2020, we’ve been keen to see her show and she did not disappoint. Accompanied by her band, she ripped through singles ‘Happiness Isn’t A Fixed State’ and ‘Elephant in the Room’, her voice sounding superb despite her saying she was “a little croaky” on the day.

Tolu Makay

KYNSY

CMAT is Queen

Despite their best efforts to make things work, CMAT’s band couldn’t play along with her due to tech difficulties, so the Irish pop sensation shrugged it off and performed a superb solo acoustic set instead. Armed with her guitar and her trademark white cowboy boots, she performed seamless renditions of ‘I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!’, ‘Nashville’ and a “lounge version” of ‘No More Virgos’ with keyboard player Colm, all taken from her debut album, If My Wife New I’d Be Dead. A mix of stand up comedy and stand out vocals, CMAT’s sets are always a total joy to witness, and listening to other folks in the crowd sing along to ‘I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!’ never gets old.

Lido Pimienta is a L.E.G.E.N.D.

Full of her stunning vocals, metal-esque screams, sharp wit and strong pro-choice vibes, award-winning Colombian-born, Toronto-based artist Lido Pimienta had the crowd dancing, cheering and laughing along during her set at Jubilee Square. Performing tracks from her 2020 album, Miss Colombia, including a flawless rendition of ‘Eso Que Tu Haces’, Pimienta cracked jokes about the Queen’s Jubilee between songs and made valid comments about the importance of respecting women’s reproductive rights. Her charisma, euphoric live energy and candid comments will remain embedded in our memories for weeks to come.

We want to join Softcult

We’ve been looking forward to catching Canadian twin siblings Mercedes and Phoenix aka Sofcult live since the release of their debut EP, Year Of The Rat, in 2021. Informed by their experiences of sexism and objectification as young women in the music industry, the pair performed their bittersweet grunge-pop anthems to a packed crowd at Volks, with songs ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ and ‘Gaslight’ providing an empowering and cathartic moment to push back against toxic masculinity.

We want to scream in tune like Lucy from Projector

Brighton band Projector have always impressed us with their live shows, but their set at The Tempest Inn on Friday evening truly excelled all other times we’ve seen them play. The four piece smashed through a set full of visceral alternative noise, with bassist & vocalist Lucy’s cord-ripping screams absolutely decimating our ear drums (in the good way), especially during the band’s latest single ‘hell in my head’.

Like most major UK festivals, The Great Escape has room for improvement

Whilst our experience of The Great Escape was a positive one, we know that’s not the case for everyone who attends or plays at the festival. We saw a tweet from artist Billy Nomates explaining that there was “no water no towel no buy out no rider [and] a microphone that doesn’t work” – therefore she couldn’t perform to the best of her ability at her set on Friday night.

We also saw a tweet from the band PEANESS, rightfully lamenting the lack of opportunities for artists playing the festival to have access to complimentary food and drinks, whilst delegates are often bombarded with these invites. It was both disheartening and comforting to see replies on these threads that echoed similar sentiments, especially as artists (particularly female artists) are often labelled as ‘unappreciative’ or ‘difficult’ when they highlight these issues. It’s not fair that people’s experiences of the same festival differ so vastly.

There are plenty of artists, promoters and PR teams working towards a better and more equal music industry – we met and saw some of them at The Great Escape! – but until everyone is on the same page, we will continue to elevate the conversations that challenge the unfair “norm”.

In terms of its line-up, 2022’s Great Escape really did feel like one of its most diverse and entertaining yet. But there’s always more to learn, more work to do both on and off stage, and more reason than ever to speak out when you think you’re being treated unfairly. Respect to the artists who were bold enough to do so this year.

CIEL

BERRIES

Gen & The Degenerates

Words: Kate Crudgington / @KCBobCut
Photos: Jon Mo / @jonmophotography

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Track Of The Day: Tan Cologne – ‘Topaz Wave’

A captivating, soothing reflection on a memory of “surfing in a red tide algea bloom”, New Mexico based duo Tan Cologne have shared their latest single ‘Topaz Wave’. Taken from their upcoming new album which is set for release later this year via Labrador Records, the track is a peaceful, hazy musing on the natural phenomenon of phosphorescent algae, explored through atmospheric guitar twangs, gentle percussion and lullaby-esque vocals.

Formed of interdisciplinary artists Lauren Green and Marissa Macias, Tan Cologne are deeply influenced by the “sonic modalities…of earthly and otherworldly landscapes.” They create sounds that are inspired by their natural surroundings in New Mexico, and in 2020, the duo released their debut album Cave Vaults on the Moon in New Mexico, a collection of beguiling, experimental soundscapes that focused on the theme of growth.

With their latest single ‘Topaz Wave’, the band continue to reflect on the power of nature, with a sound that shimmers and meanders like the natural phenomena it’s based on. “The song carries a memory of surfing in a red tide algea bloom with the waves flickering and illuminating the ocean energy,” Tan Cologne explain. “We wrote the song beside an arroyo, a dry river bed, in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. The sides of the arroyo walls are shaped like curved waves – reflecting the experience of tidal and earth transformation, and how the desert land was once ocean.” The arroyo can be seen in the track’s accompanying video, directed by Carly Short.

Watch the video for ‘Topaz Wave’ below.

Follow Tan Cologne on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Photo credit: Marissa Macias

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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