LISTEN: CMAT – ‘Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)’

A relatable, country-tinged tune about pushing yourself to unexpected limits to be the life and soul of the party, Irish pop sensation CMAT has shared her latest single ‘Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)’. Taken from her upcoming album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, which is set for release through AWAL Recordings on 4th March, the track brims with CMAT’s trademark witty lyrics, melancholic vocals and catchy choruses.

“This is a song about being defiantly chaotic, because being that, an agent of chaos, is something quite defiant for a girl to do,” CMAT explains about her new single. “It almost didn’t make the album. But then I managed to shoehorn in a line about the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) and I felt happy it was representative of my drinking habits.” All jesting aside, ‘Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)’ is further proof of CMAT’s talents for taking relatable situations and transforming them into chant-worthy, playful pop anthems.

Speaking about her debut album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, CMAT describes her sound as all the former versions of herself “Play-Doh-balled into one big lump.” Fuelled by her passion for writing striking and honest pop songs, the record features previous her singles ‘I Don’t Really Care For You’, ‘No More Virgos’, ‘Lonely’ and the iconic ‘I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!’ and looks set to be one of our favourite albums of 2022.

Listen to ‘Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)’ below.

Follow CMAT on bandcamp, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify & Facebook 

CMAT UK & Ireland Tour Dates 2022

Mar 03: Rough Trade East, London
Mar 04: Rough Trade West, London
Mar 04: Banquet Records, Kingston
Mar 05: Lucky’s, Dublin
Mar 08: Connolly’s, Leap
Mar 09: Golden Discs, Cork
Mar 09: Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Mar 10: Steamboat, Limerick
Mar 10: Dolan’s, Limerick (sold out)
Mar 11: The Academy, Dublin (sold out)
Mar 12: Limelight 2, Belfast
Mar 31: King Tut’s, Glasgow
Apr 01: Cluny 2, Newcastle
Apr 02: Deaf Institute, Manchester
Apr 04: Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
Apr 05: Hare and Hounds 2, Birmingham
Apr 06: Louisiana, Bristol (sold out)
Apr 08: Omeara, London (sold out)
Apr 09: Colours, London (sold out)
Apr 10: Hope and Ruin, Brighton (sold out)

Photo Credit: Sarah Doyle

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Muna Ileiwat – ‘Stuck’

A delicate rumination on the way our self-perception changes over time, London-based musician Muna Ileiwat has shared her latest single ‘Stuck’. Previously releasing through her own record label Galang, which is dedicated to promoting women and non-binary musicians of colour, Muna’s latest offering is a gentle blend of tender vocals, atmospheric keys and soft beats, exploring shifting emotions and articulating a persistent feeling of uncertainty.

Inspired by her experiences of growing up in disparate cultures and spaces, Muna Ileiwat writes songs about love and displacement, looking for a sense of comfort and understanding through her nostalgic indie pop sounds. On ‘Stuck’ she moves through differing states of emotion in a soft, lullaby style, reflecting on the dual nature of trying to move forward whilst you are still struggling to accept what may have happened in the past.

“‘Stuck’ is a song of longing,” Muna explains. “It’s the intangible feeling of sadness and joy in the space between the certainty of the past, and the uncertainty of what is to come. It’s about forming close relationships that disperse and eventually break. It’s about returning to a place that no longer feels like your own.”

‘Stuck’ is the first taste of new music from Muna in 2022 and she will be releasing new songs throughout the year, as well as a debut EP this summer.

Listen to ‘Stuck’ below.

Follow Muna Ileiwat on Apple Music, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Abi Sinclair

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Momma – ‘Rockstar’

An effortlessly cool guitar tune that playfully picks apart the novelties of being in a band, Brooklyn-based Momma have shared their latest single ‘Rockstar’. Following on from their previous offering ‘Medicine‘, the group have announced this single alongside the news that they’ll be embarking on their first UK tour in May, with a headline show at London’s Brixton Windmill on 10th May.

Formed of Etta Friedman (guitars/vocals), Allegra Weingarten (guitars/vocals), Aron Kobayashi Ritch (bass) and Zach Capitti Fenton (drums), Momma create sounds inspired by the 90s pop and alternative scenes. Blending soft dual vocals with grunge-tinged guitars, the band seamlessly craft heady, swirling anthems focused on their observations on life, with ‘Rockstar’ being an infectious, melodic combination of these talents.

“Etta and I wanted to write a song about making it big, and becoming rock stars,” Allegra explains about the new single. “We didn’t want to take anything too seriously, lyrically, or musically. We just wanted the song to sound big. We thought it would be cool to have our own little rockumentary condensed in a 3-minute music video. It’s also kind of like a manifestation – I think we shamelessly want all of these things to happen in our careers.”

Directed by LA-based duo Batshit!, the video is a playful ode to Friedman and Weingarten’s rock music comedy favourites such as Josie and the Pussycats, School of Rock and Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. It also features spiritual guidance in the form of a poster of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.

Watch the video for ‘Rockstar’ below.

Follow Momma on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Momma will be supporting Wet Leg and Snail Mail on a series of US dates and announcing additional UK shows soon.

Photo Credit: Cooper Winterson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: SEA CHANGE – ‘Mutual Dreaming’

Equally as inspired by the club music of LA and Berlin as she is by her current quieter surroundings in the southern coastal town of Kristiansand in Norway, Ellen A. W. Sunde aka Sea Change’s sounds ebb and flow with an altruistic spirit on her latest album, Mutual Dreaming. Released via Shapes Recordings, her new offering reflects a deeply primal desire to move through intense feelings that escape verbal or written articulation, and provide a soothing antidote for over-thinking minds.

On her previous album INSIDE (2018), Sunde navigated a personal metamorphosis through her heady electronic ruminations and club-inspired beats. Teaming up once more with co-producer and mixer Andrew Murray Baardsen, on Mutual Dreaming Sunde reflects on quieter spaces and the power of a moment, allowing both to flood the senses and then be released into the ether just as quickly. Created during a global pandemic, her new electronica ripples with emotion without ever feeling weighty or over-thought, reflecting the way she feels about music in general. This approach to songwriting gives Mutual Dreaming its wonderfully searching, yet reassuringly vacant quality, reflecting the unusual time that it was made.

At times shadowy and sparse (‘I Put My Hand Into A Fist’, ‘That’s Us’, ‘OK’, ‘Rituals’) and other times heady and uplifting (‘Never Felt’, ‘Is There Anybody There’) Mutual Dreaming is full of captivating soundscapes. Tracks like ‘Never Felt…’ and ‘Night Eyes’ compliment each other beautifully, the former blossoming from a need to separate the body from the mind, whilst the latter is a pulsing, atmospheric offering that taps into the need to do the opposite. Both are evocative reminders to loosen up and surrender to the beat when life is pressing down on you. The dreamy transition from ‘Mirages’ into the album’s title track ‘Mutual Dreaming’ further enhances the flowing feeling that permeates the record.

Sea Change’s fluctuating sounds on Mutual Dreaming provide the backdrop for a gentle aural catharsis, allowing the stresses of life to melt away into the background. An intoxicating blur of soft vocals, lush beats and ambient electronics, it’s a welcome tonic in a time of disconnection and restlessness.

Listen to Mutual Dreaming here

Learn more about the music that inspired Sea Change’s album in our Five Favourites feature

Follow Sea Change on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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