Introducing Interview: Kylie MacNaughton

Having recently come across Kylie MacNaugton through her distinctive guitar playing with Glasgow ‘weirdo art pop’ outfit Peter Cat, we were intrigued to find out more about what inspires her, her other musical projects (including rising dark electro band Mercy Girl), and how she feels the industry is for queer artists at the moment.

Following last year’s experimental and introspective album, Starchamber, Peter Cat have just shared a gloriously catchy new single ahead of a full UK tour this autumn. Find out more here and have a listen while you read all about Kylie below!

Hi Kylie, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently up to
Okie dokie! I’m Kylie MacNaughton, a musician originally from Livingston in Scotland, now based in Glasgow. I play guitar and synth and “sing”. I love making big loud music with my friends and watching movies. Currently I’m trying to cool myself down in this heatwave (I’m not coping well)!.

How did you first get into creating music?
I have been playing guitar since I was nine or ten, mostly because I wanted to get Guitar Hero but got given a real guitar instead. I guess I got into actually writing music when, deep into my emo teenage years, I heard My Chemical Romance’s first record, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. There’s a certain scrappiness to it. Like, it really sounds like five people in a room playing music together, rather than this super polished production. It just hit me that I could be one of five people in a room playing music and make songs like this too – then I started playing in bands and now we’re here!

We initially crossed paths through your work in the gloriously other-worldly Glasgow collective Peter Cat. What’s it like being part of such a unique project?
Being part of Peter Cat is great fun! All of the songs have a unique vibe and their own challenges to performing them, so it’s always nice to have to be thinking on my feet whilst I’m playing. In terms of this coming about, Graham (Mr Peter Cat himself), had been performing under the name with various bands and as a solo project for while. It was shortly after he wrote his EP The Magus that Graham approached me about performing with him. The music was so much darker and stranger than he had written previously, so I was very excited to join.

Peter Cat released the glistening album Starchamber towards the end of last year – can you tell us a bit about the album and the process of recording it?
So what is Starchamber? Uh, I guess at its core it’s a record about apologising in some ways – about feeling guilty for existing and taking up space. But it’s also about atonement and trying to absolve this guilt. I suppose the maddening sound was trying to capture those feelings. There’s lyrical moments pulling from film as well, and specifically from characters that are in this state of apologia and guilt and depression. Anyway, philosophical ramble over – the actual process of recording was quite old school and intensive. We spent several months fleshing out and getting the songs tight, then two weeks in the studio. Just the four of us in the room at once, trying to capture that live chaos of the music.

Your guitar parts throughout the album really stand out, particularly on tracks like ‘Is That All There Is To A House On Fire?’ and ‘Down From The Mountain’ – what inspired this swirling glam-rock-tinged sound? And how do you generally go about writing parts that complement the rich lyrical storytelling so well?
Thank you! The three points I was pulling from the most whilst recording and writing this album was My Chemical Romance (lol), David Bowie’s Scary Monsters, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. So, I guess there was some weird intersection of glam and punk and noise and pop happening, which I think is how the album sounds in the end. In terms of writing, Graham would sometimes come in with ideas that were pretty fully formed, that I would just tweak to sound like me. Other times there would be sections with no guitar where I would be encouraged to improvise with only abstract prompting, like, “the solo needs to sound like the world is ending, and we’re taking off.” Ultimately, I think the parts ended up complementing the lyrical themes because I was going through a lot of similar emotions at the time. I was teetering on the precipice of coming out at this point, and I was overcome with guilt and shame and embarrassment for existing. I think being in that dark headspace at the time ended up in a roundabout way marrying up with a lot of what Graham was writing about.

Following the album, earlier this year Peter Cat released a special live EP, In And Out Of Glasgow and London: Peter Cat Live – what inspired the decision to release this collection?
We felt that Peter Cat live is a different experience from the recordings, especially with some of the tracks from The Magus which were recorded by Graham on his own during lockdown. So, we wanted people to have a little taste of that chaos at home.

And how is the experience of performing live with Peter Cat, and what can fans expect when coming along to see you?
Peter Cat live is like train that’s just about to come off the tracks but doesn’t quite. The people can expect the same songs they know, but with more energy and chaos and unsanded edges.

When you’re out on tour playing gigs, are there any particular essentials that you like to have with you to keep you going?
I think I travel quite light actually. I’m happy staring into space out the window of the van and listening to music and hanging out with my friends… But, I think maybe the only thing is that I don’t like my hair being “not right”, so I do always bring all the same shampoos and potions and goops I would use at home.

In addition to Peter Cat, you’re also a part of other musical projects GRAVELLE and Mercy Girl – are you able to tell us a bit about them and where we can find out more?
Mercy Girl is a dark electronic band, with songs that are meant to be cried to and danced to. It’s very danceable and moody and synth-driven. We’re playing all across the UK and Europe this year and next, so come along if can and crance (cry+dance)!. GRAVELLE is a project with myself and my partner that we always described as “Industrial Pop” – like equal parts Lady Gaga and Nine Inch Nails. It’s on a  bit of a hiatus at the moment, but we can’t be stopped, there will be more songs one day!

And how do you find balancing these different musical projects with work and life generally?
Hard, aha. I exist in a constant state of near burnout.

As we’re an organisation with a focus on supporting new and marginalised artists, I just wondered how you feel the industry is for them at the moment? And do you feel much has changed over the years in its treatment of female and queer artists?
I feel like things have definitely gotten better within the music scene in terms of its treatment of people. But I still feel like there’s such a long way to go, it’s very sadly still such a boys club. I’m so frequently the only queer person and only woman in the room. There’s often this palpable disrespect – or disgust even – that I feel from engineers or other bands at my presence. Though, things are improving and I get a lot less flack as a queer person than I have in the past; and that’s definitely thanks to folks like yourself who are platforming marginalised people and breaking apart that shell of machismo that is so pervasive in music.

And are there any other bands or artists that you’d recommend we check out at the moment?
Loads! Too many to count! There’s so many cool people making great music right now! I’m just going to list a bunch of new favourites – girls and gays only – so go listen okay! Model/Actriz, Mandy, Indiana, Mrs Frighthouse, Kopi Romantiko, Underscores, Hemlocke Springs, Guck, Aortarota, Gelli Haha, Ninajirachi.

Huge thanks to Kylie for answering our questions! Be sure to check out Peter Cat’s new single ‘Innocent Driver‘, as well as ‘crance’ to Mercy Girl and keeping your eyes peeled for more songs from GRAVELLE!

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Five Favourites: Downtown Boys

Having been big fans of Rhode Island’s Downtown Boys‘ fierce industrial punk for a number of years now, we’re super excited that they’ll be releasing their new album Public Luxury next week on 26th June via Sub Pop Records. Initially connecting at union meetings while working together at a hotel, founding members Victoria Marie and Joey La Neve DeFrancesco let their political drive and desire for change seep into everything they release as a band, and this is certainly showcased in this resonant and powerful collection, its name alone alluding to the need for services to be available to everyone. Propelled forwards with an empowering drive and seething energy, its themes reflect a bold hope and determination that a better world is possible, whilst simultaneously raging against the horrors that continue to strip the rights of marginalised communities. A resonant retort against the powers that be; a colossal call to arms to unite, resist hopelessness and fight for change.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, ahead of the release of Public Luxury next week, we caught up with each member of the band to find out about the albums that have inspired them the most. Read about their five favourites, and watch the poignant animated video for recent anti-ICE single ‘You’re A Ghost‘ below…

Joey Doubek:

Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire
When I was 9 I came across ‘Down Rodeo’ on my scan-only radio player walking through Chicago O’Hare airport, and was completely overwhelmed by the intensity of the lyrics and riffs. It took me at least a year to place Rage Against The Machine when I finally heard ‘Bulls on Parade’. Now, 30 years later I still get chills whenever I listen to Evil Empire. I credit this record and RATM for helping shape my world view at such a young age; for the realisation that the people in power in the place I live could inflict so much pain and suffering – “Is all the world jails and churches?”

Joe DeGeorge:

Pharoah Sanders – Journey to the One 
Soft and ferocious, delicate and powerful, technical and fluid, yearning and fulfilling. This record is a beautiful illustration of the breadth of Sanders’ capabilities and expressions. Jazz mythos and legend aside, this record inspires my own playing and performance, existing in the motional space between the freer worlds we imagine, the frustration of the present, and the struggle to move ourselves towards utopia. This role for the saxophone in this space I find well established by Sanders’ work.Pharoah Sanders’ use of saxophone in this evocative and spiritual space are apparent when paired with the declarative idealism of the chorus on ‘You’ve Got to Have Freedom’. Freedom, peace, and love; these are the things we got to have. But with Sanders’ entrance on this song we hear no conventional illustration of peace or harmony. Instead, a heralding ostentato of frustrated harmonics from a muscled embouchure tells me that the work of getting all to have freedom, peace, and love is necessary, physical, hard, strained, and will stretch our ideas of what is possible and what is acceptable. 

Joey La Neve DeFrancesco:

Yasmine Hamdan – I remember I forget 
This was one of my favourite records of 2025 and I wish it got more coverage here. Hamdan succeeds in the extremely difficult task of creating an album that’s both achingly beautiful and so directly in response to the past years of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and now Lebanon. For instance, the gorgeous song ‘Shmaali’ is based on taraweed, a type of traditional Palestinian song sung by women that often uses coded language to secretly pass information without Israeli soldiers understanding. I love the animated video she made for the title track ‘I remember I forget’ and we hired the animator Khalil to make the video for our recent single ‘You’re a Ghost’.

Victoria Marie:

Priests – Tape Two
I know it is not a full length, but I really love Tape Two by Priests. Our band had the pleasure of meeting Katie Alice Greer when she was in Chain and the Gang, and she introduced us to the members of Priests. Tape Two came out on cassette and I remember having a cassette player that my grandma gave me to listen to mixtapes with Spanish and English songs that she’d made me. Tape Two’s ‘USA (Incantations)’ and ‘Lana’ just really really hit, with ‘USA (Incantations)’ managing to highlight the USA’s violent and brutal history with its beautiful use of music, adrenaline, and vocal protest. Also, I really appreciate how much Katie has always used her platform to speak against poignant injustices, from sexism in music to the need to end bombing and war on Gaza and Palestine.

Mary Jane Regalado:

Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Hands down my most listened to album of 2025 & 2026. This album beautifully captures the joy and pain of the Latinx diaspora. Encapsulating the lasting effects of colonialism while highlighting the legacy of resistance in our communities; from the commodification of our people and culture, the heartbreak of witnessing gentrification and displacement, the privatization of lands, and the fight for independence, to the inherent need to shake ass and deeply celebrate and honor love, friendship & family. The way Bad Bunny masterfully merges genres like reggaeton, salsa, bomba, dem bow and plena so seamlessly creates an album that is so exciting and fresh, but ultimately coherent. It blows my mind. It’s the perfect soundtrack to listen to while getting ready for a night out, on a long drive on tour, while cleaning my apartment, or while making protest banners at an art build. A few months ago the governor of Puerto Rico came to DC to promote Puerto Rican statehood – my friend invited me to an art build organized by JUPI (Juventud Unida por la Independencia) to protest and call for the independence of PR. Currently PR is being militarized by US troops – the island is being hit with ICE raids, beaches that are for the people are being privatized and sold to foreign investors. The struggle for anti-imperialist liberation and independence continues in PR, and this album reminds us that as we fight for liberation, it is important to have fun, to be in community with comrades and our loved ones. To celebrate each other, help each other out when in need – chill at the beach and enjoy the sunset, perreo, party, take pictures of our loved ones, hang with abuelo and play dominos all day. Take time to grieve, be present and embrace the short amount of time we have on this earth, and enjoy the small things like coffee in the morning, and a gallon of rum with friends while dancing in the streets.

Huge thanks to Downtown Boys for sharing their Five Favourites with us! We can’t wait for the release of Public Luxury next Friday 26th June via Sub-Pop Records. In the meantime, watch the poignant animated video for recent single ‘You’re A Ghost’ here:

Photo Credit: Naomi Yang

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Guest Blog: Neev

Having been steadily carving out her place in the UK indie-folk scene, known for her intricate storytelling and evocative vocals, Scottish songwriter Neev first charmed our ears with her 2023 debut album, Katherine, before going on to cast her captivating spell once more with last year’s sophomore offering, How Things Tie In Knots.

Now, having called London home for a number of years – grateful for the sense of community and creativity it has allowed her – Neev will be relocating up north later in the year, and, as a farewell to her beloved city, she will be playing a special intimate gig next Wednesday 27th May at SJQ in Dalston. Ahead of the gig, we caught up with Neev to reflect on her mixed feelings about London, its supportive DIY music scene, what it’s offered her and the reasons why it’s time to leave. Have a read and nab tickets to next Wednesday’s gig here.

Being a musician in London in my mid-20s shaped me, but now I’m leaving.

Moving to London wasn’t a dream of mine. I didn’t get the hype. I moved there to study a masters and living in the city was a slow burn. It was too big, I got lost a lot, it was expensive. But, when it hit summer, I started to understand what pulled people there, and once I got curious about the live music scene, I started to understand why people stayed.

In 2019, an ill-suited 9-5 job spurred me to pick up my guitar. I started writing songs I didn’t hate and went to open mics every night. Since that decision, I’ve had the privilege of making life-long friends, attending awe-inspiring gigs, making music, playing with my band and darting around the city most days from studios, to venues, to rehearsal rooms. Being a musician in London in my 20s shaped me, but now I’m leaving.

My decision to leave isn’t ground-breaking. It’s all the reasons you’ve heard before: cost, space, access to nature, the things that every Londoner tolerates until they can’t. But I don’t regret a moment spent in the city cutting my teeth in the music scene. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.

It was through the music scene that I met my incredible band. I met musician and singer-songwriter, Alex Cambridge, at my first gig, playing to a handful of friends. My soon-to-be musical right-hand woman, Frankie Morrow – aka Maz McMillian – was also in the crowd that evening. I’ve had the joy of playing with her and Alex in their bands over the years where I’ve learned so much. I’ve managed to convince the busiest musician in London, Greg Sheffield, to still play with me after all these years, which has been a joy, and I met Alex Reed as a newcomer to London – his brilliant bass playing and friendship have been a steady presence throughout my time in the city.

Something I respect about the scene is how democratized it is, there’s something for everyone. The pub corners that pull crowds, the church halls, the quirky book shops that double as venues. This scene is held up by hard working promoters that care about getting good music heard; the Get in Her Ears team being a brilliant example, as is Bark Noise and the Soundsniffer. I feel very lucky to have seen incredible shows. I’ll never forget seeing Bojockey and Glowworms at the Shacklewell Arms, wedged into a spellbound crowd yelling the words. I’ve seen acoustic sets at the Gladstone Arms from Laura Reznek, Frankie Morrow and Ann Lui Cannon. Shows at the Lexington and The Finsbury have felt so special, where people like Cordelia Gartside and Alex Cambridge have played.

But right now in the capital, rent prices continue to soar, the cost of living is at an all time high, and sustaining a music career gets harder. In the current context, watching the musicians around me make it work to keep creating their art is more of an impressive feat than ever. So, what is it about London? You may be reading this thinking of other amazing creative hubs dotted around the UK and beyond. I think Glasgow, my hometown, is one of them, and it’s a cheaper city to live in. I was recently listening to a conversation between the comics Mike Birbiglia and Nish Kumar, who got onto the topic of living as a creative in London. Nish said:

“London will always continue to throw up interesting people and exciting people… Because if you pack a load of creative people into a space where they don’t really have enough room to manoeuvre without bumping into each other, that’s where the cool shit really happens.”

Mike Burbiglia agrees and replies:

“That’s the point, yeah” but adds “it’s basically impossible to live there. Good luck.”

Which sums up my love for London: it’s absolutely packed to the brim with talent, life and creativity. And everybody makes it work, even if it’s basically impossible to live there.


Huge thanks to Neev for sharing her thoughts on being a musician in London with us – catch her at SJQ next Wednesday. Otherwise, she’ll be in Nottingham on 28th May and up in her hometown of Glasgow on 29th May.

Photo Credit: @framesbyfrances

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Five Favourites: WIDGET

Having completely dazzled us with their gritty compelling energy and utterly unique charisma when they headlined New River Studios for us last month, East London post-punk supergroup WIDGET (featuring members of Big Joanie, all cats are beautiful, Junodef and Zahra Haji Fath Ali Tehrani) have just released their debut album, Classy Hits Vol.2. Filled with seething, satirical anthems, as fitting for the dance-floor as for taking to the streets and rising up against the powers that be, it’s a truly unique collection; a perfect glimpse into the wonderfully wonky, fantastically frenzied and deliriously dark world of WIDGET.

We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is by asking what music inspires them the most. So, we caught up with Ky from WIDGET to ask about their “Five Favourites” and they’ve picked five songs that they feel most influenced the writing and recording of Classy Hits Vol.2. Have a read about their choices below, scroll to down to watch their latest video for ‘WHAT IF PHONES BUT TOO MUCH‘, make sure you check out the full album, and also listen to Ky and Estella from the band talk more about the album on our next radio show, which airs tomorrow Wednesday 13th May on Soho Radio at 8pm!

Shopping – ‘The Long Way Home’
I’ve known these lot for a really long time. I’ve actually just finished producing a record with Ray on fiddle/vox, Bianca (Island Girl) on mandolin/percussion/vox and Femi Oriogun-Williams on guitar/accordion/vox, which is honestly incredible. Black British folk at its absolute finest. Shopping were the first post-punk band I ever got truly into, something about the super stripped back arrangements, the overlapping vocals and the driving disco beats definitely planted the seed for widget even way back then.

Joey Fourr – ‘My Dolphins‘
Another seminal piece of ‘00s/’10s UK post-punk history that I was fortunate enough to be in the vicinity of for the albeit short existence of the band in this form. I saw them play an in-store in maybe 2014/5 and Xoey said she liked my Bambi jumper which made my day. I’m still reppin’ this album to people wherever i can, it’s got such a unique sound and quality to it that really catches people. think both of these two entries were recorded at the legendary Power Lunches.

Sade – ‘No Ordinary Love’
I could never in all my life get enough of this song, or her catalogue in general. Absolutely exquisite voice, the subtle driving funk of the bass lines, plenty of space in the drums and that pre-chorus with the chugging guitars that hang over into the chorus hook. I listened to a lot of ‘80s post-disco pop when mixing the new widget record, trying to blend the clarity and space they had with the sad modern necessity for loud masters to cut through the crowd.

Solange -‘Cranes In The Sky’
This is simply one of the greatest songs of all time, off one of the greatest albums of all time. The drums are PERFECT in their simplicity, the bass is gorgeous and expressive and feels effortless and so conversational. the rising piano line in the chorus, the stunning production, the soaring vocals. Absolutely perfect work, zero notes whatsoever. a seat at the table is up there with ‘Blond(e)’ as two of the very best musical works of this century so far, and I’ll happily scrap anyone who disagrees outside the next widget show and Brooklyn Vegan can film it.

Minutemen – ‘The Glory Of Man’
My mate turned me onto this band a few years ago, and this song is still on regular rotation for me. I love the space that’s given for the vocals, saving the guitar stabs for the instrumental sections. The lead singer died tragically young – there’s a real nice doc on YouTube called ‘We Jam Econo’ that people should really watch. Sweet lil DIY punk boys doing sweet lil DIY punk boy stuff like jumping out of trees etc.


Huge thanks to Ky for sharing their Five Favourites with us! Classy Hits Vol.2., the debut album from WIDGET, is out now. Watch the band’s latest video for ‘WHAT IF PHONES BUT TOO MUCH’ below and, if you’re in London next Saturday 16th May, catch the band live (you won’t regret it!) playing a fundraiser for Lebanon with Nastazia Bazil at The Piehouse Coop in New Cross. Tickets here.

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