Get In Her Ears Live @ Shacklewell Arms w/ Currls, 01.12.22

Following our lovely November gig at Sebright Arms with Breakup Haircut, our first December instalment of GIHE live saw us return to the Shacklewell Arms for a night filled with the best music, best people and best vibes to host Currls‘ EP launch. Massive thanks to Currls, Collars and Hypsoline, and to everyone who came down to support the bands and help us raise money for completely vital organisation, The Outside Project.

First up, Brighton’s Hypsoline kick off the night with all the fuzzy, sparkling allure you could ever desire. Having only previously heard one song of theirs (the immensely catchy ‘Space Babe’), it was a joy to witness more of their twinkling, swirling energy and scuzzy charm. Definite ones to watch!


Second band of the night, Cambridgeshire’s Collars put on an utterly unique live experience. As Kane simultaneously pummels the drums whilst blasting out whirring hooks on guitar, Dan exudes a captivating charisma as the soaring power of their vocals fills the venue, immersing everyone in the duo’s fierce, dazzling energy. New favourites for sure!


Closing the night, it’s an honour to host the London leg of Currls‘ debut EP launch – having them return to play for us after hosting their first London headline show back in November last year feels pretty special. And it seems their sweeping, empowering brand of garage rock has reached new heights since we last saw them; propelled by Han’s immense beats, and the buoyant energy of a jaunty new bassist, front woman Holly delivers her soulful vocals with an effortless grace and gritty power. As the crowd sing and bounce along to each enlivening offering (including a couple of unique takes on classics by Girls Aloud and The Bangles), Currls prove their worth as a compelling band on the rise.

Massive thanks to the three bands who played for us on Thursday and to everyone who came out to support them and us! We’re not staying away for long this time… We’ll be back next Friday 9th December at Shacklewell Arms for an epic night with Bad Sidekick, Alien Chicks and Cosmic Ninja – tickets on Dice now!

Words: Mari Lane / @marimindles
Photos: Don Blandford / @snapperchap.don

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ALBUM: VUKOVI – ‘Nula’

“What does the future hold for the female of the species?”

Welcome ‘user17359’. You will shortly be departing Trinity Lunar Port for Mars Sanctity Terminal, immersing yourself in VUKOVI‘s latest record for the duration. Since their formation twelve years ago, the genre-defying Scottish duo – comprised of vocalist Janine Shilstone and guitarist Hamish Reilly – have been in flux; roaming rabid wolves sinking their teeth into a constantly evolving sound all their own. From 2011’s It Looked So Good On Me… and 2012’s …But I Won’t Wear You Again EPs, to 2017’s self titled debut and 2020’s Fall Better LP, Janine and Hamish’s chemistry is infectious; a combination of “dark themes and dirty fucking riffs.” Now, VUKOVI are exiting the stratosphere and heading into deep space with sci-fi/horror NULA; a conceptual album set in a distant (yet unnervingly familiar) future. Inspired by sci-fi escapism like Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira, NULA is a cyberpunk abomination; a sonically ambitious mutation of anthemic pop melodies.

Opening with the cinematic ‘DEPARTURE’ and moshpit inducing ‘TAINTED’, VUKOVI set the tone for NULA. “You’re a fucking monster…” Considered the property of nefarious capitalist corporation Sanctity, and exploited through inhumane experimentation for over twenty five years, the eponymous extra-terrestrial is an otherworldly reflection of Janine’s own survival; her subconscious trauma bleeding into her lyrics. Compulsive, creative and unapologetic: We’d like to wish you a safe and pleasant journey.

“You think I’m a god… Fuck that, fuck you too!” ‘LASSO’ condemns pop idol worship – and highlights the music industry’s hypocrisy, through filthy, fuzz-drenched riffs and insatiable pop-tinged vocals. ‘QUENCH’ delivers sexual liberation with moxie and nu metal groove. “I’m not in love, just wanna feel your touch!” Infused with synthetic noise, ‘SLO’ follows; an ethereal exploration of OCD: “You have a toxic reliance on it and in your eyes that condones reckless behaviour.” Yet, despite feeling broken and vulnerable, NULA (and indeed Janine) re-claims control on mid-album pop-punk-rager ‘I EXIST’, through blood, death and raucous riffs – courtesy of Hamish’s live wire intensity! “I’ve found you, motherfucker!” “I think about what’s happening in the world too much… The greed. The cruelty. There’s a lot of that on the record,” Janine explains. Depression… It’s a temporary feeling. Emotionally driven, VUKOVI stage-dive into anthemic chaos, stronger and feeling empowered: “Stand up / You’ve got to fight… / I know it’s tough / But it’s not enough to give up…”

“I AM NULA. AND I AM FREE.”

After brief respite during interlude ‘ATTENTION’, the disquiet duo’s distorted disorder continues on ‘SHADOW’, ‘HADES’ and ‘KILL IT’; three tracks propelled by an infectious combination of electronic instrumentation, heavy-as-fuck hooks, and raw emotion. “One taste of blood is not enough…” For NULA, revenge is poetic. Confronting abuse with justified angst – “Oh, I’ve waited, for retribution / I’ll watch you burn…” – ‘HURT’ is heavy metal catharsis, whilst ‘SAD’ is a somber realisation that you can never forget trauma. Just like Ripley in Ridley Scott’s Alien, NULA is a survivor realising her own strength and resilience. “I’ll never be whole but I’m a fighter / Kick me in the dirt but still like dust I’ll rise / I’m gonna be heard.” There is no closure, but that is okay. NULA represents female empowerment, and there is life after trauma.

So… “What does the future hold for the female of the species?” Janine pauses for a zeptosecond during closer ‘XX’ before declaring in her distinct Scottish drawl: “She is the answer to extinguishing this toxic masculine cesspool of a society. She deserves to live in a world without fearing for her life… She is the future of humanity… and it’s time to fuck the system!”

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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LIVE: Katie Malco – The Lexington, London 25.11.22

“I was going to wear a wedding dress, but I thought that would only be funny for about two minutes” joked Katie Malco to her sold out crowd at The Lexington last Friday night. Comparing her headline show to the nuptials she said she was unlikely to have, the Northampton songwriter delivered passionate renditions of her indie-folk anthems alongside interjections of wry humour – her denim jacket and its leather tassels proving to be a better choice of garment than a white dress anyway.

In contrast to the overcrowded bar downstairs full of World Cup fans, Malco’s audience were the perfect mix of “quiet and energetic” as she acknowledged towards the end of her set. It’s easy to be attentive when someone’s voice is so captivating – her clear vocals and poignant lyrics cutting through at all the right moments. Playing songs from her debut album, Failures, which she described as a mixture of “cock rock and sad ballads” – aka “salads” – Malco opened with the anthemic ‘Animals’, setting the bar high for the rest of her performance.

Despite having to “talk shop” about a few tech problems between songs, Malco and her band played together effortlessly and undeterred by their monitor issues. Usually accustomed to performing alone, the songwriter clearly enjoyed having the backing of a full band to enhance the impact of songs like ‘Let’s Go To War’, ‘September’, ‘TW’ and ‘Brooklyn’. Her “salads” were equally as impressive though, with gentler tracks ‘Night Avenger’ and the tender ‘Peckham’ proving to be real set highlights. She even provided an early festive treat with a solo rendition of ‘Be Good At Xmas’ too.

With a sold out London gig marking the end of her recent UK tour, Malco playfully asked “does this mean I’m a big deal now?” and after that set, we genuinely think she might be.

Follow Katie Malco on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Photo Credit: Robin Hardman

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Human Interest – ‘Mixing Paint’

Having received wide-spread acclaim for their debut EP, Desire Paths, earlier this year, and wowing crowds at shows supporting legends like Self Esteem and Dave Rowntree, London duo Human Interest have now shared an infectious new single.

Reflecting on the darkest crevices of the mind with a fizzing post-punk energy, ‘Mixing Paint‘ oozes the band’s trademark gritty allure as the sweeping power of Tyler Damara Kelly’s vocals ripple alongside atmospheric bass hooks, building with driving beats into a fiercely immersive anthem. Another single (following the utterly addictive ‘Cool Cats’) cementing Human Interest as my favourite new band right now without a doubt.

Of the track, the band explain:

“What started off as a string of 1AM ramblings on my Notes app became the processing of deeply personal experience which happened late 2021. The whole ethos of the song is about analysing the dark crevices of the mind and turning it into something light-hearted, almost bigger than yourself… We wanted it to sound like being in a smoky underground cabaret when all of a sudden the roof is torn off to reveal Armageddon.“

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Dougie Chalmers

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