ALBUM: Indian Queens – ‘God Is a Woman’

Described by lead vocalist & guitarist Jennifer O’Neill as “a late night record”, London trio Indian Queens‘ debut album God Is A Woman is a sublime offering, designed to dissolve uncertainty and soothe an anxious mind. Set for release via Cool Thing Records on 3rd April, the band have written thirteen dizzying tracks that are equal parts driving and delicate, shimmering with cinematic flair.

Formed of sisters Jennifer (guitar/vocals) and Katherine (bass) O’Neill and lifelong friend Matthew Dudan-Bick (drums), Indian Queens were born and raised in Hackney Wick. Influenced by the restless city that surrounds them, the trio’s soundscapes reflect darkness and light on both a personal and universal scale. This is epitomized on opening track ‘Bubblewrap’, a beguiling lament about the state of the planet. It smolders with its tentative beats, atmospheric guitars and Jennifer’s captivating vocals. “We were born in plastic bags / conveniently stored / bubble-wrapped indoors”, she muses, but despite the track’s haunting context about the climate crisis, Indian Queens still manage to lull their listeners into a peaceful state.

Based on a childhood memory of the O’Neill sisters’ grandparent’s house, the nostalgic ‘Pretty Little Thing’ rings out with warmth and understated joy. Jennifer’s extended vocals in the chorus and the rose-tinted guitar sounds make this track feel truly uplifting. The eponymous ‘God Is A Woman’ is a tentative, elusive exploration of tolerance, hope and faith. “Who wants to start a revolution?” asks Jennifer, with a sharp awareness and those “fingers crossed” for a positive response.

‘Some Kinda Blue’ is a frustrated, but intensely affecting invitation to rekindle the flames of a valued relationship. The guitar seems to reflect the quick-switching nature of emotion; one moment it’s shimmering and atmospheric, the next it rings with distortion. Thudding beats, buoyant riffs and hopeful lyrics permeate ‘Wanderlust’, which is a joyful pact to “live for the day”. ‘Us Against The World’ is an intoxicating blend of all that makes an Indian Queens’ track so euphoric. Jennifer’s comforting lyrics, charming vocals and agile riffs, Katherine’s buzzing bass lines and Matthew’s considered percussion are truly magnetic here.

A restless, searching spirit fuels ‘I Got So Much I Wanna Say’ and continues throughout ‘I Get No Rest’. The sweeping, all encompassing sounds on following track ‘Concrete Lips’ and the repeated lyric “there’s something ’bout you that I can’t forget” combine to make a heady, moody lullaby. The dreamy, gentle ‘Warning Sign’ precedes the lusting, disorientating ‘You Came Over Late’, before anti-party anthem ‘Shoot For Sexy’ kicks in with its intoxicating beats. With its suggestive lyrics and smoldering bass lines, it’s a track best appreciated under low light with intimate company. Lust paves the way for adventure and hope on poignant, exhilarating final track ‘Walk’.

On God Is A Woman, Indian Queens have crafted a dazzling collection of meaningful songs that provide a welcome rush of blood to the head. It’s impossible not to be caught up in their captivating sound.

Pre-order your copy of God Is A Woman here. Follow Indian Queens on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Kana Waiwaiku

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Get In Her Ears @ Notting Hill Arts Club w/ ESYA 30.11.19

Get In Her Ears returned to Notting Hill Arts Club to host another evening of alt-pop and alternative sounds, headlined by the multi-talented ESYA aka Ayse Hassan of Savages/Kite Base/180 db. South London duo Scrounge also shared the bill, along with spoken word artist & drummer Eilis Frawley.

The task of opening the night fell to Berlin-based Eilis, who delivered her unique cacophony of live drums, electronic elements and spoken-word lyrics with captivating precision. Performing singles ‘Strangers’ and ‘Illusions’ (both championed by Radio X’s John Kennedy, who was in attendance), her one woman show felt all the more powerful as many of her songs are informed by feminist beliefs that align perfectly with GIHE.

Scrounge took to the stage next to perform their raucous post-punk anthems. Lucy & Luke’s live sets are always a raw, urgent affair and we felt every bass drum beat of tracks ‘Badoom’ and ‘Purpose’ rattle through our bones. The duo released their EP Ideal, earlier this year and it’s barely left our ears since. They’re firm favourites of GIHE and their heavy guitar riffs and knockout drumming sat perfectly between Eilis & ESYA’s sets.

Headlining the night and performing her last London show of 2019, ESYA hypnotized us with her dark, brooding electronics. Filled with buzzing synth textures, direct vocals and pummelling beats, her songs flesh out the absurdities of our relationships and interactions with each other. Set highlights included ‘Nothing’, ‘Everything’ and brand new single ‘Blue Orchid’, all lifted from her recent EP, Absurdity of ATCG (II) – Emergent Form. She multi-tasked triggering synths, singing and plucking bass strings like a pro throughout her set.

Huge thanks to the sound engineer and staff at Notting Hill Arts Club.

Follow the bands on Facebook for more updates: ESYA, Scrounge, Eilis Frawley.

Photo Credit: Jon Mo

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LIVE: The Joy Formidable – Islington Assembly Hall, London 24.11.19

“Maybe we should’ve started a Bee Gees tribute band? They’re big in Mold,” jokes The Joy Formidable‘s lead vocalist & guitarist Ritzy Bryan. She’s talking about her hometown in Wales, and how her affinity with the Flintshire county is stronger than ever, 10 years after releasing the band’s debut EP A Balloon Called Moaning. “Matt’s got the shirt for it,” bassist Rhydian Dafydd chimes in. Drummer Matt Thomas feigns offense before laughing off the comment.

Fans who have been following the band for the last decade will be used to these charming chats between songs. The trio are on form once again at The Islington Assembly Hall, as they’re in town to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their first EP. Before the jokes start rolling out, the trio have already ripped through three of A Balloon Called Moaning‘s tracks biggest tracks: ‘The Greatest Light’, ‘Cradle’, and ‘Austere’. The room is full of fans and friends – including previous drummer Justin, who gets multiple shout outs – and the feeling is one of excitement and mutual gratitude for the dynamic sound of a band who have weathered this uncertain industry for the last decade.

“This is the farewell tour” teases Rhydian, before quickly adding “Jokes! There’s new music in 2020”. “Who knows what song’s coming next?” Ritzy interjects, as she plucks the opening notes to ‘While The Flies’. The band play the tracks in the order they’re listed on the EP, giving their fans the full A Balloon Called Moaning experience. The enduring power of ‘Whirring’ comes next with its thudding drum beats, as well as the extended outro that didn’t make the cut on the original EP. It’s followed by stripped back lament ‘9669’. Ritzy and Rhydian’s call-and-response vocals are delivered with grace and gravitas, as the lyrics give insight into an intimate conversation. It’s offset perfectly by penultimate track ‘The Last Drop’ with its manic stop-start rhythms and bold percussion.

Final EP track ‘Ostrich’ is still a dizzying wall of sound when heard live. It’s a mixture of buzzing riffs, longing vocals, and relentless percussion that forms an all-consuming, disorientating aural blur. The crowd are unsure of what comes next – as the EP tracklist has now been completed – but the band burst into ‘Y Bluen Eira’, followed by the powerful ‘I Don’t Want To See You Like This’ lifted from their 2011 album The Big Roar. These non-EP tracks are greeted with the same amount of enthusiasm.

‘Passerby’, a b-side track from 2016 album Hitch, prefaces a stripped back version of ‘The Leopard & The Lung’. Taken from their 2013 album Wolf’s Law, Ritzy introduces the track with a message about caring for and protecting our environment. Rhydian’s gentle keys and the pair’s dual vocals make this song a real set highlight. Next, they ask the crowd if there’s a track they’d like to hear, and after lots of inaudible shouts, the band settle for ‘Caught On A Breeze’, before leaving the stage.

They return for an encore of ‘Anemone’ – influenced by the tragedies of John Webster – and the formidable ‘The Everchanging Spectrum Of A Lie’. It’s an apt song to close with, as the trio have evolved and grown over the last decade into gracious, and talented performers. There’s nothing to lament about their celebratory performance of A Balloon Called Moaning, and that is a fitting legacy for a formidable record, produced by an equally formidable band.

Order your 10 Year Anniversary reissue of A Balloon Called Moaning/Y Falŵ​n Drom on vinyl here.

Photo Credit: Steve Reynolds

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: The Joy Formidable – ‘A Balloon Called Moaning/Y Falŵ​n Drom’ (10 Year Anniversary Reissue)

A record that will be cherished by loyal fans and embraced by new ones, The Joy Formidable‘s special re-issue of their debut EP A Balloon Called Moaning is a poignant marker on the timeline of a band who have enjoyed well deserved success for over a decade.

Originally written & recorded in a bedroom by vocalist & guitarist Ritzy Bryan and bass player Rhydian Dafydd, A Balloon Called Moaning has taken the band from intimate venues, all the way across the globe to established festival stages. Their versatile song-writing and formidable stage presence have kept the attention of both fans and critics since their inception, and they’re set to stay there with their celebratory double vinyl, released via Hassle Records on 1st November.

The eight original tracks on the EP are accompanied by eight acoustic Welsh language versions, which are a homage to Ritzy’s geographical roots. This means gentler tracks like ‘9669’ and ear-swelling anthems like ‘Whirring’ all get the same treatment. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fluent in Welsh or not, the language has a natural musicality that suits the renditions, breathing new life into well established tracks.

“This childish heart won’t wait, it dances, keeps me awake” sings Ritzy on opening track ‘The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade’ (Y Golau Mwyaf yw’r Cysgod Mwyaf), which still sounds as shadowy and hypnotic today as it did upon its release in 2009. This feeling of restlessness permeates the EP, with Rhydian’s buzzing bass lines and drummer Matt Thomas’ urgent, crashing percussion fuelling the fire beneath Ritzy’s mammoth guitar riffs.

‘Cradle’ (‘Crud’) and ‘Austere’ (‘Llym’) blitz by in a whir of thrashing guitars and catchy lyrical refrains that still stand the test of time in mosh pits during live sets. It’s hard to pick “stand out” tracks on the record, but ‘While The Flies’ (‘Tra bo’r gwybed’) is certainly one that lingers in the memory. Ritzy muses about being forgotten – “They left you falling and no-one remembers your name” – whilst Rhydian provides atmospheric backing vocals on a track that rises and falls like waves crashing upon the shore. With the gift of hindsight, the sentiment of being forgotten now seems irrelevant for a band who have enjoyed longevity in a fickle industry.

The enduring power of ‘Whirring’ (‘Chwyrlio’) is one of many reasons why the trio’s EP is so memorable. It’s thudding drum beats and punchy lyrics provide a defiant, cathartic burst of energy mid-way through the record. It’s followed by stripped back lament ‘9669’, with Ritzy and Rhydian’s call-and-response vocals giving poignant insight in to a seemingly painful, intimate conversation. It’s offset perfectly by penultimate track ‘The Last Drop’ (‘Y Diferyn Olaf’), with its manic stop-start rhythms and bold lyrics, before the oddly named ‘Ostrich’ (‘Estrys’) closes the EP. It’s a dizzying wall of sound; a mixture of buzzing riffs, longing vocals, and relentless percussion that form an all-consuming, disorientating aural blur.

Retrospective reviews are tricky, as they’re usually tainted by the author’s nostalgia, but that’s what makes them so enjoyable to write (and hopefully to read). What makes reviewing A Balloon Called Moaning so special for me 10 years after its release, is that this is the record that made me want to start writing about music. At the tender age of nineteen, I discovered the band via a crush who I was trying to impress, and it opened my ears to a new breed of music outside of the charts, and introduced me to the ferocious splendour of live sound when I made the pilgrimage to see the band live a few months later at The Garage in Islington.

Of course, the band have since released other, equally as good material, but it’s this priceless personal affiliation with the songs on A Balloon Called Moaning that makes me return to it a decade later. That is the legacy of a formidable record, produced by an equally formidable band. Their song-writing craft can be fully appreciated in both its acoustic and electric forms on this wonderful celebratory release.

Pre-order your limited edition double vinyl of The Joy Formidable’s A Balloon Called Moaning here.

Photo Credit: Steve Reynolds

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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