EP: Circe – ‘Drawing Wings From The Light’

Inspired by the collision of her past and present, Drawing Wings From The Light, the new EP from London-based artist Circe is a passionate, rapturous collection of slickly produced dark pop tracks.

On her debut record, She’s Made Of Saints (2020), Circe lingered in the shadowy, dystopian ether of cult leaders (‘Dancer’), Stranger Things (‘Steve Harrington’) and The Handmaid’s Tale (‘Ten Girls’), but on her latest offering, she willingly shares personal epiphanies, unfiltered heartbreaks, precious teenage secrets and cell-shaping theatrical experiences with her listeners.

Circe celebrates the lust, frustration and chaos that comes with being a woman who refuses to be scorned, blending pop melodies with poetic lyrics, seraphic vocals and cinematic synths to celebrate the power of these unfiltered feelings. “Take my blood instead of wine” she offers on opening track ‘Riot Of Sunlight’, a disorientating blend of reverb-heavy riffs and dizzying electronics. Originally written when she was a teenager after she saw Jez Butterworth and Mark Rylance’s critically acclaimed play Jerusalem at the theatre, the song has evolved into a euphoric rush of atmospheric sound that becomes more addictive each time it’s listened to.

Whether Circe is finding inspiration in essays titles like Femininity Weaponised: A History Of Women With Swords In Art on the sensational ‘Undone’, vehemently celebrating female sexuality and romantic infatuation on ‘Going Down’, or ruminating on what happens when you surrender to lust on the glistening ‘Mess With Your Head’ – each track on Drawing Wings From The Light feels like a sonic manifestation of power.

She provides her listeners with a delicious head rush that feels akin to taking a bite of forbidden fruit. Her playful exploration of desire and experimentation with gender boundaries on ‘My Boy Aphrodite’ is equally as charming, underscored by her sultry vocals, dazzling electronics and a deeply relatable sense of longing for love and acceptance.

On first listen, ‘Glow (You Always Tell Me I Have This Glow)’ appears more subdued than her other vivid offerings, but it showcases the effervescent side of her song-writing superbly. Circe’s quiet anger smoulders across three minutes: “Move away / so I don’t tear you down too” she sings, her warnings enhanced by the Mach Richter-inspired ‘Nature of Daylight‘ violin parts (which Circe played herself) as well as the sampled sounds of scissors snipping through her own hair.

Blending the biblical story of Samson and Delilah with her own experiences of casual misogyny to create the narrative for ‘Glow’, Circe blurs the lines between myth and reality, exploring the murky territory that sits in between. Her hushed threat of “I am a hurricane” sees her defiantly reclaim her self autonomy in the face of this adversity.

Drawing Wings From The Light ends on a distinctively melancholic note in the form of ‘I’m Still Not Sorry For What I Said’. Unexpectedly recorded in one take in the studio whilst she was confiding in friend and producer Steven Ansell, it feels like a poetic voicenote from a lover intoxicated by heartbreak. It’s a glitchy, down-tempo confession that captures the raw truth of a moment of desire that still manages to retain Circe’s idiosyncratic charm.

Like her mythical Greek namesake – who was described as “a sorceress…able by means of drugs and incantations to change humans into wolves, lions, and swine” – Circe is a captivating force of nature who finds power and comfort in her dark pop fantasies. Drawing Wings From The Light is a total euphoric delight that highlights her potent, impressive songwriting talents.

Listen to Drawing Wings From The Light here

Follow Circe on Spotify, bandcamp, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Zak Watson

Kate Crudgington
@kate_crudge

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NEW TRACK: wormboys – ‘Mostly Still’

A light-hearted, endearing grunge-pop tune that acknowledges the awkwardness of social interactions, wormboys have shared their latest single ‘Mostly Still’. Released via non-profit Leeds-based label Come Play With Me, the Leeds four piece deliver their self described “queer moody creepy noise-pop” with joyful flair on this new offering, which forms part of a series of digital releases that Come Play With Me are supporting in order to showcase queer artists in the North.

Formed of vocalists and guitarists Sop Satchwell and Harry Tunnicliffe, bassist Ruth Pearce and drummer Jake Maiden, wormboys make fun, fuzzy, melodic tunes about the realities of everyday existence. On ‘Mostly Still’, the band gently explore the anxieties around interacting with others again in a post-lockdown world, and being unable to react spontaneously in the moment.

“We started collaborating on this song together just before the pandemic hit,” explains bassist Ruth about the track, “so this release has been a long while coming. The feel of the song is reflected somewhat in the story of its writing.” Guitarist Sop adds more: “It feels a little different to our previous releases, more tender and a bit more poppy. I brought the bones of this song to a practice and we worked out the rest together, it has something of all of us in it.”

You can catch wormboys live in London when they play for us at The Shacklewell Arms on Friday 8th September. They’ll be supporting Welsh rockers CHROMA, alongside new Brighton band UrgentSea. Tickets are cheaper in advance and available to buy on DICE here.

Listen to ‘Mostly Still’ below.

 

Follow wormboys on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram & Facebook

Follow Come Play With Me on bandcamp, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Sam Joyce

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Introducing Interview: Joanna Sternberg

With acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, New York based artist and multi-instrumentalist Joanna Sternberg has just released their second album, I’ve Got Me. Recorded with producer Matt Sweeney and engineer Daniel Schlett, Sternberg masterfully played every single instrument on the record, and solely wrote each and every song, showcasing their ability to create a truly exquisite, genre-spanning collection. With an education in Classical and Jazz music, throughout the album Sternberg weaves a rich tapestry of beautifully lilting folk-strewn sounds alongside reflective narrative lyricism; all brought together with their raw, impassioned vocals. A truly exquisite listen.

We caught up with Joanna to find out more about the album, their influences, the industry today and what’s next… Have a read!

Hi Joanna! Welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi! My name is Joanna Sternberg. I’m a singer songwriter and visual artist, and I play a bunch of musical instruments too. I live in New York City and I just put out my second record.

Are you able to tell us a bit about how you initially started creating music? 
I initially started creating music because when I was little I would sing to myself and hum a lot, and so my parents sent me to piano lessons. And then in middle school I taught myself guitar and electric bass and then, in high school, I learned double bass and then I went to college for double bass. Then I wound up learning how to sing when I was twenty one. So, I guess that’s the full story! And then the songwriting came.

I really love your stirring folk-strewn musicality and reflective narrative lyricism, but who would you consider to be your main musical influences?
Thank you! Well, I really love Louis Armstrong, and I really love folk music. And I really love The Beatles, and blues. But, I guess in terms of influences that are people, I guess Louis Armstrong, Randy Newman, The Beatles, Elliott Smith, Billy Strayhorn. 

And how would you say your experience and training in Jazz and Classical music feeds into what you now create?
I would say it feeds into it a lot because I really go to Jazz and Classical for melodic and chordal ideas the most, probably, and I think they complement each other really well and can be interchangeable a lot of the time. I feel so lucky to have the Jazz and Classical background because it really enabled me to write songs.

You’ve just released your brand new album I’ve Got Me,  which is very exciting – congratulations! Are you able to tell us a bit about it? Are there any particular themes running throughout it? 
I’ve Got Me is a collection of songs I wrote just basically about the span of human emotions. All the songs are just autobiographical about me, but I think anyone can relate to them. I’m singing it about certain things, but that doesn’t mean the person listening has to know what that means. They can have their own thing. It’s for them. It’s just songs that I want to make people feel less alone. That’s the theme, I guess. 

You play all the instruments on the record and had a very large part in its production – what prompted this decision? And what was the recording process like for you? 
I really, really wanted to always play all the instruments on my own record – I just always had a dream of that. I thought it would be a magical experience and I wanted to try it, and I was right! It was the most fun thing, and everyone around me validated it – everyone in the studio told me that it sounded great, and as long as they said that, I was ready to keep going. It just was so fun and it allowed me to be myself as much as possible. The recording process was really great once we got into the studio. It was fantastic working with Matt Sweeney – everything was so easy and comfortable and meant to be, really. It was all very natural and awesome, and the best possible circumstances. 

You’ve played a lot of live shows in various forms across New York City, from playing bass in jazz bands to supporting Conor Oberst, but is there a particular show you’ve played over the years that stands out as a highlight? 
A show I was really proud of was my record release. I released it before the pandemic, and I had the record release show at this place called The Glove, which I really used to love to play at that has now closed. It was a DIY venue, and it was just a really special show and the place was packed with people I love. All my friends who played were great, and at the end we all jammed together, and it was just really special and I was really proud. I miss that place.

And are there any other current venues in New York that you really love too? 
Right now, I really love playing at Union Pool – it’s a great venue. And I also love playing at Sunny’s Bar when out on tour.

When out on tour, are there any particular essentials that you like to take with you to keep you going when away from home? 
I definitely like to take my art supplies, because then I can make merch while I’m travelling, as well as just draw for myself – so, it’s always good to have my sketchbooks and stuff. And I also have my Nintendo Switch to play Animal Crossing!

How do you feel the industry is for new artists at the moment? And do you feel much has changed over the last few years in its treatment of female/gender non-conforming and queer artists? 
I think it’s been a lot more inclusive over the last few years for queer artists and non male artists, and that’s really great. And I think people are really bringing awareness to Inclusivity and making a big point to care about it. Regarding the industry for new artists at the moment, I guess it’s good, but can be a little scary. The internet is a little intimidating and can lead to a lot of bad things, but it can also be useful and nice if you’re careful on it. But it is hard not to come across really upsetting things of how badly people treat each other. So, I guess the internet could be a tool to use, but it could also be something that can be dangerous. So, it’s kind of complicated, but the internet is the thing really – it all seems to be based around that now!

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any other upcoming artists you’re loving right now that you’d recommend we check out?
Oh my gosh, there’s so many upcoming artists that I recommend you check out! One of them is my friend Liam Kirby, who’s such an amazing songwriter. He’s on Instagram and he’s putting out a record, we’re just figuring out how to get that out there. And then my other friend, Jackie West, is another really amazing songwriter and she’s putting out a record soon that she is finishing up. She’s on Instagram, but she’s always playing shows. So I would say to check both of those two out ASAP if I was you! 

Finally, what does the rest of 2023 have in store for you? 
I get to go on two really exciting tours! One of them is opening for Kurt Vile – so exciting! Then I get to open for Angel Olsen – so amazing, that’s going to be great. And I think I might be coming to the UK too. So, all of that is so cool. And yeah, I’m just so happy with everything!

Massive thanks to Joanna for answering our questions!

Their exquisite new album, I’ve Got Me, is out now via Fat Possum records. Check it out here.

Photo Credit: Michael Leviton

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INTERVIEW: Kate Webster of Deer Shed Festival

Last year I attended Deer Shed Festival for the first time, and I promised myself it would the be the first time of many as it was such a glorious weekend! Having not been to a festival for a few years, I was keen to find one that was as lovely as possible, and suited my needs of being perhaps a little older than the average festival-goer without missing out on any of the best new music. I wanted a festival that was inclusive, chilled-out, family friendly, and of course hosting plenty of amazing female and non-binary bands and artists… And Deer Shed more than delivered on all fronts.

Highlighting a real family-friendly focus, whilst hosting an incredible range of exciting new artists, the North Yorkshire based Deer Shed perfectly filled the festival-shaped-void I’d been feeling, and – with highlights from last year including Self Esteem, CMAT, Straight Girl, Nadine Shah and Denise Chaila – I cannot wait to return in a couple of weeks.

We caught up with festival director Kate Webster to talk more about Deer Shed’s roots, its ethos and inclusive line-up, some of the most special Deer Shed moments of years gone by, and more… Have a read below, and have a listen to our special Deer Shed 2023 playlist, featuring some of our personal faves who’ll be playing at the festival this year, at the bottom of this feature!

Hi Kate! 2023 will be Deer Shed’s 13th year – hopefully lucky for some! Can you tell us a bit about what Deer Shed is all about, and how it all started out?
Deer Shed Festival is a boutique music, arts & science festival based in North Yorkshire parkland, aimed at families who don’t want a dumbed down experience just because you have kids in tow.

What strikes me about Deer Shed and makes it stand out against other festivals at the moment is the good gender balance of the line up – was there an intentional and specific decision to do this, or does it just naturally pan out that way?  
I booked the festival up until our 11th year and initially it happened unconsciously just because of the music I like. After a while, we decided it make it a policy of the festival that our gender split should be 50/50 and also at least one of the headlines needs to be female and/or non binary. It’s been great – because of our size we have been able to give some deserving acts the chance of a festival headline. Can you believe that we gave Goldfrapp they’re first festival headline in 2018?! I find that bonkers!

Over the last 12 years, you’ve hosted some amazing bands and artists including Self Esteem, Nadine Shah, CMAT, Kae Tempest, Anna Calvi, Big Joanie, Ezra Furman, The Go Team! and Honeyblood, but has there been a particular set that stands out for you as a personal highlight over the years?
Kae Tempest for sure. It was 2017, they were promoting Let Them Eat Chaos which is a phenomenal album, and it was also their first festival headline. The actual performance was extra special to me and many of the audience that evening.  The skies darkened, the rain poured and in the distance, lightning flashed. It meant, for those who stayed (and a lot did), the whole experience was electrifying and so moving. I still get shivers now when I think about the power of that evening. It was like nature knew what the backdrop should be for that performance.


And this year you’ve got some GIHE faves playing (The Big Moon, Dream Wife, This Is The Kit, English Teacher, Sprints…). Curating such awesome line ups must be a lot of work – how do you normally go about it? Is it all based on bands/artists that have got in touch with you over the year? 
We’ve had a booker for the last couple of years – I think Covid meant the job had got harder and I needed a break. It was also a good time to get some fresh ears to help. However, as festival director, I still want input and I think next year we’ll bring it in house again. We generally start with a wish list and play fantasy festival which is great fun; the whole Deer Shed team are into music, so everyone chips in and has suggestions of who they have seen perform during the year or might have new music coming out. We talk to friends in the industry and agents, so see what’s going on. Practically speaking, we only start making offers in Autumn, so that’s the best time to contact us. We must get the headlines in place before moving down the bill which can take some time.

And for any upcoming bands/artists looking to apply for festivals next year, do you have any tips?
Start building a live following in your local venues. Practice to become a great performer and engage with your audience. A festival crowd is different to your own show – you have one song to win them over! Whilst a lot of artists get an online following and good streaming numbers, it doesn’t always translate to live.

There seems to be a definite focus on making the festival as family-friendly as possible, and when I was there last year it just had the nicest, most relaxed vibes I’ve ever experienced at a festival! What inspired the idea to do this, and stand out from other festivals in this way? 
When Oliver and I decided to give it a go, it wasn’t long after festivals like Latitude & Camp Bestival had started and there was no one doing anything similar in the north. I couldn’t see live music like I had done because of family commitments, and many events near by didn’t offer me the chance to see great music and have the kids entertained. So, Deer Shed was really built for me & my friends initially – music fans who happen to have kids. It turned out there were other people like me!

Do you feel much has changed over the last few years in the music industry’s treatment of new artists, particularly female and non-binary artists? 
I think there is more awareness of mental health and agents/managers are now more mindful over booking artists. I also hope the idea of booking a tokenistic female/non-binary act has come to an end… But I do still worry that some young female artists are led a certain way on how they present and what they wear. There seem to be some genres of music where I’m not convinced that a stylist/photographer/label didn’t have a brief to come back with a certain look.  

Finally, as we’re a new music focused site, are there any particular new bands or artists you’d recommend we check out?
I’m totally excited that we managed to book Grove this year. I know they’re not that new but their energy, style & music is infectious. So good live! I’ve not seen Pet Snake live yet, but I’m loving the Liverpool based artist – alt folk/indie at its best, just great songwriting.  

Massive thanks to Kate for answering our questions, and for organising such a stellar festival year on year! Deer Shed Festival 2023 is taking place from 28th – 30th July and headliners include The Delgados, The Comet Is Coming, The Big Moon and This Is The Kit – more information here.

Get ready for the festival by listening to our playlist of brilliant bands playing this year here:

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