Five Favourites: Mega

Having received acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1, NME and The Independent, London-based artist Mega has recently released her new EP Colour Your World. Combining her influence of legends such as Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone with inspiration from her Ugandan heritage, she creates beautifully shimmering melodies propelled by the rich, soaring emotion of her soulful vocals; a collection of instantly uplifting anthems oozing an exquisite heartfelt splendour.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the release of Colour Your World, we caught up with Mega to ask about the music that has inspired her the most. See below for her choices of her five favourite albums, and listen to latest single ‘If Not My Heart’ at the bottom of this feature.

Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
I remember when I first heard this album. I hadn’t heard a voice like this in the UK. I was obsessed with her voice, lyrics, melodies: everything. She reminded me of the great artists that I loved growing up. I loved how you can hear the ’70s influences shine through, but also how you can hear influences from as early as the ’50s/’60s such as artists like Dinah Washington and Billie Holiday. What I love about this album and Amy Winehouse’s music is her unique and distinctive writing style, as well as her painfully vulnerable lyrics and storytelling. She had this incredible way of telling haunting stories, with an uptempo twist. She may have been heartbroken, but she used that ache, twisting the emotional scars to suit her songs and refused to allow that heartbreak to defeat her.

Alicia Keys – Songs in A Minor
I remember hearing this album for the first time. I had never experienced all the things that Alicia Keys was writing about at the time, but her music encouraged exploration of all the emotions that she was portraying through her vocals and music. It’s pretty impressive that she wrote songs such as ‘Butterflyz’ at 14. Her vocals on this album and songwriting is incredibly persuasive. Her musical arrangements are very interesting on this album – whenever I’d listen to it, it takes me on an incredible journey. I’d listen to it from beginning to end – no skipping!! It’s so innocent and sincere. The sincerity of an artist is the number one thing that draws me to the music.

Carole King – Tapestry 
Although this album came out in the 70’s, the first time I heard this album was like a warm hug. I love how raw her vocals are, her careful phrasings, and how understated but powerful the songs are – connecting you directly to her as a person first and then artist. I got the feeling that this was just about the art and her expressing her heart – rather than creating a polished and perfect sound/recording (although her voice and everything on this album is perfect) My favourite songs on this album are: ‘It’s Too Late’, ‘You’ve got A Friend’ and ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’. And how can I forget ‘Natural Woman’. My goodness – her lyrical ability is such a gift.

Miriam Makeba – Pata Pata / A Promise 
Miriam Makeba was an incredible South African singer who managed to crossover two genres and do it so well. Not only did she manage this, but each of them felt authentic and believable. She was also bilingual and her vocals are sensational. She made incredible American soul as well as incredible South African songs, so I have chosen two of her albums here – Pata Pata and A Promise – as they demonstrate her ability to do both so well. I’ve never really liked to define myself using genres as I find them quite restrictive, so I was delighted when I came across Miriam Makeba. I just adore her music and how distinctive it is.

Afrigo – Teri Mubi
Afrigo band are a Ugandan band that I grew up listening to, and they have an album called Teri Mubi which translates as ‘we are no liars’ or ‘there are no liars’. African music/melodies are something that I will always be inspired by; from the rhythms/melodies to instrumentation and the laidback storytelling. Drums, percussion and bass are the key instruments on African music and Afrigo band do it so, so well. They still manage to stay true to their music styles and are not really influenced by the later emergence of Afrobeat. Their music evokes feelings of joy and makes me feel so warm. 

Massive thanks to Mega for sharing her Five Favourites with us! Listen to recent single ‘If Not My Heart’ below:

Colour Your World, the latest EP from Mega, is out now via Nettwerk.

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ALBUM: Real Big Sky – ‘Real Big Sky’

Blending together reverb drenched riffs, enigmatic vocals and shiver-inducing cymbal smashes to create their blissful melodic noise, Real Big Sky’s self-titled debut album is an immersive, swirling collection of heavy guitar tunes that brood with quiet intensity.

Beginning as a form of distraction during the Covid-19 lockdowns for multi-instrumentalist Sara Kleppe (You Break, You Buy, Gold Baby), Real Big Sky was initially a solo project which she worked on in her bedroom in Hackney. Kleppe relocated back to her native Sweden in 2021, but with the help of friend and long-term collaborator Luca Romano – who also played drums and was on recording, mixing and production duties for the record – she has developed Real Big Sky’s sound to its fullest and most fluid yet.

“Changing dynamics throughout a song is something I try to give a lot of attention to, as well as trying to break free from the standard song structure,” Kleppe explains about the process of writing the songs for the album. It’s clear from the searching, yearning nature of opener ‘The Same Thing’ that she has a natural instinct for shifts in volume and mood, and this skill permeates Real Big Sky’s album.

Preferring not to be too prescriptive about her lyrics, Kleppe’s elusive vocals float gently over her expansive riffs, her ambiguous words adding to the record’s overall enigmatic quality. She transcends feelings of isolation that underscore tracks like ‘Long Lost’ and ‘Another Day’ in different ways; the first soothes like a heavy lullaby whilst the latter swells with anticipation.

She perceives introspection in a similar vein too. Whilst ‘Jess’ feels like a darker, moodier offering, gentler tracks like ‘Where Is Your Mind?’ ache with sincerity, the rich guitar sounds complimenting Kleppe’s understated pining for answers. A magnetic undercurrent flows through the shimmering tones of ‘Lightness’, the fullness of ‘The Deepest Currents’ and the urgent, epic concluding track ‘The End’, which clocks in at just under 7 minutes. It encapsulates all that Real Big Sky have to offer, equally as impressive in its quiet moments as it is in its intense, murky outro.

Kleppe was hesitant to release her predominantly solo work as Real Big Sky into the world, but this hesitancy is definitely misplaced. Together with Luca Romano, she has crafted a captivating record that raptures the senses, and much like the time period it was created in, is a blissful distraction from life’s more overwhelming moments.

Listen to Real Big Sky’s debut album here.

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

Photo Credit: Johanna Kleppe

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Introducing Interview: Gemma Laurence

Having charmed our ears with the beautiful tones of last single ‘Adrienne’, Brooklyn-based “Sapphic folk” artist Gemma Laurence has announced the release of her new album, due out this winter, and has now shared the exquisite title track, ‘Lavender‘. An empowering anthem for the queer community, it flows with lilting melodies and heartfelt lyrics showcased by the raw emotion of Laurence’s rich vocals. Oozing a stirring, shimmering grace, it’s a beautifully poignant, evocative slice of twinkling alt-folk.

We caught up with Gemma to find out more about the upcoming album, what inspires her, her thoughts about how the industry is for marginalised communities, and more. Have a read and make sure you listen to the new single now!

Hi Gemma! Welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourself? 
Thank you so much for having me! What a delight. Well, I’m Gemma, I use she/her pronouns, and I’m a queer artist from the coast of Maine now based in Brooklyn. I’m gluten free, not by choice. I was on Jimmy Fallon one time (still in denial that happened). I’m really into crunchy Cheetos, plants, poetry and re-enacting the best scenes from Fleabag. And I used to have a British accent when I was a kid.

Are you able to tell us a bit about how and why you initially started creating music?
I played classical piano for years as a kid, but the rigid structure of classical music never really appealed to me much. It wasn’t until I picked up an acoustic guitar (and figured out I’m a lot better at learning from ear than by reading sheet music) that I really felt the freedom to create my own shapes and sounds. I wrote some silly songs at summer camp as a kid, then some more serious environmental protest songs in high school, and now I’m here! 

I love your beautiful, emotion-strewn sounds, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
Thank you, that is so kind of you to say! Growing up I listened to a lot of Joni Mitchell and Norah Jones, both of whom are still two of my all time favourite artists. I really look up to Gregory Alan Isakov as a songwriter – he has this knack for writing songs that sound like poetry. I’ve listened to The Weatherman more times than I can count. Phoebe Bridgers has inspired me a lot, same with Adrianne Lenker. All such incredible songwriters. People who cut straight through the noise. 

You’ve just released your new single ‘Lavender’. Are you able to tell us a bit about the single? 
‘Lavender’ is one of my favourite songs on the album and I am so excited to share it! It’s a song I wrote for my best friend to tell her how much I love her. So it’s a song for her, but it’s also more widely a song for the whole queer community, honouring the hardships and the joys and the beautiful parts of coming out. It’s a queer rock ‘n’ roll anthem about coming out and embracing who you are.

And your new album is set for release in November – exciting news! Are there any particular themes that run throughout this? And what was the recording process like for you?
Yes I am so excited! The album (named Lavender as well) reads like a collection of short stories. I was an English major in college, so I’ve always been drawn to the idea of these interwoven narratives between character and story arcs, some of which might intersect and others just mirror one another in theme or style. Kinda Dubliners style, or Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge. But the themes on the album are exploring different expressions of queerness, intimacy, and love. It’s a very reflective album – I wrote it during the pandemic when I was isolated on the coast of Maine for fifteen months and really taking the time to reflect on my life, my queerness, my friendships, people I love, or once loved. If my first record (Crooked Heart) was a series of reactions to curveballs life threw at me, my second album is more of a response, or a reflection. It feels a bit more intentional. It feels more true to who I am right now. I spent a lot of time reading while I was writing the album, so there’s all sorts of literary allusions to different writers – Frank O’Hara, Adrienne Rich, Sappho, Elizabeth Bishop, the list goes on. Recording it was a blast – I got to work with Charlie Dahlke, who is this brilliant producer, multi-instrumentalist, and artist too (you can check out his band The Brazen Youth here). He operates out of this gorgeous studio in the countryside of Lyme Connecticut, surrounded by nature and farmland. We recorded the whole album in a week, with the help of Will Orchard, Micah Rubin, Andrew Goldridge, Steve Varney, Matt Phillips, Hill Kourkoutis, Jess Kerber, April Reed-Cox, David Sirna, Anna Sage Jordan, Mike Nunziante, and Aída O’Brien. Couldn’t have asked for a better or more talented group of individuals! 

Being based in Brooklyn, do you get to see lots of live music? It seems like a great scene there! Would you say it’s recovered from the effects of the pandemic?
Oh boy, what a question. I’ll come at this from two minds – firstly, yes, I am so incredibly excited to be getting back out there and performing. The Brooklyn music scene is wonderful – there’s so much amazing live music happening in NYC right now, and I’ve met so many amazing people through it. With that said, I’m not sure we (or anywhere) will ever truly recover from the pandemic; I mean after all, we’re still going through it. As an able-bodied, healthy, young person I feel so privileged to be able to be in these packed venues in front of so many people, but I know not everybody is able to exist in those spaces in the same way as I do. There’s been this rush (on a governmental/societal/social level) to “get back to normal” and forego masking/testing etc., which puts so many folks at risk. And it’s really unfortunate and super ableist. As an artist, I want to create a safe space for folks, so I really think we need to be taking covid precautions more seriously than we are in order to create more of an inclusive space.

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 and queer/LGBTQ+  artists? 
There’s certainly some improvement happening – there’s less blatant homophobia and misogyny now (at least at a surface level). And it’s really inspiring to see so many diverse voices out there in the music scene now, advocating for queer voices, trans voices, non-binary voices, black and brown voices. But there’s a lot more work to be done! I’m conscious of this as a self-titled “Sapphic folk” artist: I identify as queer, and write a lot of music about my queerness but, as Emma Madden noted in her article in NPR Music, if you look at the Sapphic folk scene and “aesthetic”, it’s predominantly white. Queerness has become more palatable to the mainstream audience, but the industry still feels white-washed – I think we could do a lot more to promote queer and trans artists/producers/musicians of colour. 

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any other upcoming artists or bands you’re loving right now that you’d recommend we check out?
Oh yes absolutely! I cannot stop listening to Reliant Tom right now. They sound like Weyes Blood-meets-Lana Del Rey, and their live shows are spectacular. Also can’t stop listening to Jess Kerber’s new album (she’s an amazing vocalist and songwriter – she actually sang on my last single ‘Adrienne’!). Also obsessed with Pictoria Vark, bestfriend, Big Stuff, partygirl, America Jayne, Youth in a Roman Field, Forever Honey, Babehoven, and The Answers In Between.

As well as the album release, what does the rest of the year have in store for you? 
Well I’m just so excited to be signing with Better Company Records! I could not think of a better team to get behind this album; it’s artist-run (started by Allen and Ellis from San Fermin!), and they work with so many artists I look up to and have followed for years  – Sorcha Richardson, Wye Oak, Daisy The Great, Thao, to name a few. I’m so honoured to be a part of the Better Company family now. My band will undoubtedly be playing some fun shows this year, and hopefully even (maybe!) going on tour at some point. Keep an eye out!

Massive thanks to Gemma for answering our questions!

‘Lavender’ is out now, ahead of the release of Gemma Laurence’s upcoming second album of the same name, which is due out on 4th November via Better Company Records.

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Track Of The Day: Mannequin Death Squad – ‘Super Mental Psycho’

Having previously wowed us with immense offerings such as ‘Blue‘ and ‘Sick’, GIHE faves (and past guests on our radio show) Aussie duo Elly and Dan – aka Mannequin Death Squad – have now shared a riotous new single to coincide with their Summer UK tour (we can’t wait for them to play for us next week!).

Propelled by a gritty, angst-fuelled drive as fierce swirling riffs and relentless thrashing beats rage with intensity, ‘Super Mental Psycho‘ reflects on feelings of instability and fluctuating emotions. Blasting into the ears with a raw, frenzied energy, it’s a perfectly ferocious blast of infectious grunge-tinged rock with shades of legends such as The Distillers or Hole, showcasing the unique colossal power of our favourite Aussie duo.

Watch the new video for ‘Super Mental Psycho’ here:

You DO NOT WANT TO MISS seeing Mannequin Death Squad live next Saturday 20th August at The Cavendish Arms, with support from Maya Lakhani and Dogviolet – get your tickets now! And, if you’re not in London, they’re playing a number of other UK dates – details here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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