LISTEN: Real Big Sky – ‘Long Lost’

A brooding, atmospheric musing on feelings of loneliness and isolation, Gothenburg four-piece Real Big Sky have shared their debut single ‘Long Lost’. Full of moody guitar sounds, shiver-inducing cymbal smashes and melancholic vocals, the track is a captivating slice of dark indie noise, taken from the band’s self-titled debut album which is set for release in July.

Originally created as a distraction for multi-instrumentalist Sara Kleppe (You Break, You Buy, Gold Baby) during the Covid-19 lockdowns here in the UK in 2020, Real Big Sky began life as a solo project which Kleppe worked on at home in her bedroom in Hackney. Making good use of her time during an unpredictable year, Kleppe picked up her old electric guitar and began working out songs and sounds that would eventually form the eight tracks on Real Big Sky’s album. After relocating back to her native Sweden in 2021, Real Big Sky have now blossomed into a full band made up of Kleppe’s friends and family members, with debut single ‘Long Lost’ being the first of what’s to come from these intriguing newcomers.

With her tender vocals and expansive guitar sounds, she transcends feelings of isolation, creating a cathartic, heavy lullaby for those who may still be feeling the sting of loneliness. With the help of friend & long-term collaborator Luca Romano – who also played drums & was on recording, mixing and production duties for the record – Real Big Sky’s sound is now fully fleshed and ready to be released into the world.

Listen to ‘Long Lost’ below.

Follow Real Big Sky on bandcamp, Spotify, Facebook & Instagram

Photo Credit: Johanna Kleppe

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Fears – ’16’

Transforming her ruminations on a troubled past relationship into an elegant, exquisitely raw new offering, Irish musician and producer Constance Keane aka Fears has shared her latest single ’16’. Released via her own imprint TULLE, the track is a combination of meditative synth loops, tentative beats – inspired by the traditional Irish bodhrán drum – and the instrumentals of her late friend, classically trained cellist and trans rights activist Sophie Gwen Williams, which all mesh together to create a truly soothing, magnetic soundscape.

Accompanied by a beautiful video, shot in The Maharees in County Kerry in south west Ireland and directed by Zoe Greenway who performs alongside Keane in punk band M(h)aol, the visuals are a poignant tribute to Williams too.

“Sophie was an incredible artist and a very close friend of mine,” Keane explains. “We did a filmed performance together last March, thinking we’d get a chance to record it ‘properly’ in a studio, but she passed away before we could. Zoe and I dedicate the video for ’16’ to her memory. I had made her a dress for the original performance out of pink tulle – the same fabric I have with me in the video. She was a really inspirational and encouraging person, and I wanted to create something that shows how I carry her with me, even though I no longer have her physically here.”

Using her art as a canvas to express and process her grief, Keane’s soft vocals and candid lyrics – “It’s been a while since I cried / unusual for me / normally once a week / since we were 16” – combine to create a delicate, shadowy landscape for her listeners to dwell in. On her debut album Oíche, she underwent a significant and moving personal metamorphosis and now with ’16’ she continues to shapeshift and thread her own experiences into immersive, illuminating sounds.

Fears will perform live in London as part of a TULLE Collective showcase on 7th May at Chat’s Palace. Watch the video for ’16’ below.

Sophie Gwen Williams was an acclaimed performance artist, classically trained musician and trans rights activist from Northern Ireland who co-founded We Exist, a charity which raises vital funds to help trans people across the UK pay for healthcare costs. She was also the chair and one of the original members of The 343, a Belfast-based queer art collective. Here she also founded 343 radio, which is Ireland’s first ever queer radio.

Follow Fears on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook
Follow TULLE on Instagram & Twitter

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Francis of Delirium – ‘The Funhouse’

“This is a call to arms” sings Jana Bahrich aka Francis Of Delirium in the opening to her latest single ‘The Funhouse’, instantly commanding listeners with her grungy riffs and clear vocals. A reflection on the manic and disorientating mindset that’s been accepted as “the new normal” over the past few years, Bahrich’s track is a cathartic rush of angst that questions what’s “left to believe” in such an overwhelming world.

“’The Funhouse’ is largely about how we are adapting to the chaos that is present in our everyday lives,” Bahrich explains about her new single. “The way it can feel that the world is crashing down around us and in order to protect ourselves, we become numb to the sheer terror of it all. Sort of like walking through a funhouse and attempting to remain un-phased by the mayhem that surrounds you.”

Through her frantic riffs, urgent vocals and conflicted lyrics, Bahrich explores the strange mix of apathy, adrenaline and dread that we’ve all been ricocheting between since the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020. The track is accompanied by a self-directed video, with its fast-paced editing and flashing lights reflecting the chaos she sings of. Despite its uneasy context, ‘The Funhouse’ is a powerful dose of riotous guitar music that breaks down the remnants of underlying anxiety that originally fuelled it.

Watch the video for ‘The Funhouse’ below.

Follow Francis Of Delirium on bandcamp, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

Francis of Delirium will play their first-ever North American tour supporting The Districts this spring.

Photo Credit: Pit Reding
 
Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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PREMIERE: Greenness – ‘Destroy / Enjoy’

Following the release of two EPs and acclaim from the likes of BBC Introducing and BBC Radio Sussex, Brighton-based Anglo-French duo Cécile Frangi and Graham Pratt – aka Greenness – have now announced the release of their debut full-length album and shared the first taster from the collection.

A poignant reflection on the ongoing paradox of humanity in chaos as nature continues to bloom, ‘Destroy / Enjoy’ offers a beautifully ethereal soundscape. As twinkling hooks sparkle alongside Frangi’s rich, crystalline vocals, it ripples with a lilting musicality and heartfelt emotion, shimmering with a captivating grace, as comforting pastoral images are evoked in the mind of the listener. With a glistening, folk-strewn allure reminiscent of This Is The Kit, this latest offering from Greenness showcases the duo’s ability to create something utterly exquisite; ‘Destroy / Enjoy’ bathes delicately in its refined otherworldly charm, whilst immersing us completely in its blissful majesty.

Of the track, the band explain:

“‘Destroy / Enjoy’ is about using positive energy to shake off tired old systems and embracing this beautiful, natural world”

Sunrooms, the debut album from Greenness, is set for release on 20th May via Cécile Frangi’s own label One Fern Records. Catch the duo live on 24th March at The Folklore Rooms, Brighton (raising money for Warchild).

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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