Track Of The Day: Ailsa Tully – ‘Salt Glaze’

Following acclaim for last year’s emotive EP Holy Isle from the likes of The Line Of Best Fit and Clash, as well as support slots with esteemed bands such as Another Sky, Welsh artist and GIHE fave Ailsa Tully has now shared a tender new single.

A poignant reflection on the time that Tully and her partner spent in her late Grandmother’s house during the January lockdown last year, and the accompanying feelings of nostalgia, acceptance and love, ‘Salt Glaze‘ flows with shimmering layers of instrumentation laying the foundations for Tully’s heartfelt crystalline vocals. Rippling with lilting keys and sweeping strings, it offers a glistening moment of reflection and gratitude as its gently harmonious musicality oozes a luscious heartfelt splendour and stirring emotion. A truly immersive soundscape emanating a comforting warmth and exquisite captivating grace.

Of the track, Tully explains:

“My Grandma passed away a few years ago and the house remained unchanged, it was like a museum of salt glaze ceramics and abstract art pieces which began to absorb into my creativity. This song is about that space and how my partner and I tried to make it feel like home during that period while also knowing that it wasn’t ours. It’s ultimately a song about acceptance, balance and letting things be…” 

Watch the beautifully endearing, home-recorded new video for ‘Salt Glaze’ here:

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Adam Whitmore

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Track Of The Day: Aderyn – ‘Yearning’

Following their energetic pop anthem ‘Scotty’, Welsh artist Aderyn newly adds ‘Yearning‘ to their fresh catalogue with melancholic spirit. Showcasing the project’s diversity early on, the track takes an introspective leap – diving past their pop-hit into a romantic indie-acoustic ballad. 

With a loose feel that leaves ample space to breathe and immerse yourself in the emotion, ‘Yearning’ is an endearingly intimate offering. Slow, minimal drums and cello lay a blanket as Aderyn’s acoustic guitar plays earnestly at the front of the mix. With such rawness, we feel that she is playing the song right in front of us – on her childhood bed where she wrote it. Sprinkled across the track, electric guitar leads romanticise the tone of ‘Yearning’ as Aderyn sings from the heart. There is certainly no shortage of vulnerability here as she sweetly pines for her crush without hesitation. “You’re pretty and it hurts right now”, she confesses as the track spins with a swirling emotional freedom. 

Of the track, Aderyn explains:

“...It is a song that encapsulates the feeling of pining for someone. That exquisite, aching pain. It was the first time I’d felt that way about a girl, and this is without a doubt the most vulnerable I’ve ever been in a song. All those feelings were so new, so raw”

‘Yearning’ is stirring in its simplicity, encapsulating the reality of the experience of wishing for someone with perhaps no resolution, nor closure. It’s sharply realistic, yet warming – a comfort song for romantics.

‘Yearning’ is out now. You can listen/download via bandcamp, along with an exclusive b-side demo track, ‘That Summer’.

Jill Goyeau
@jillybxxn

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Track Of The Day: HOST – ‘Not Alright’

An off-kilter slice of synth-pop that buzzes with unrest, Irish musician HOST has shared her latest single ‘Not Alright’. Inspired by feelings of burnout following a one-sided friendship, HOST combines hazy vocals, catchy synth hooks and energetic beats to reflect the cyclical nature of the expired energy she laments in her lyrics.

Following on from her 2021 EP No Reply, HOST continues to build on her raw, confessional brand of synth-pop with this latest release, channelling her disappointments and frustrations into a sound that fizzes with the desire to break free from a situation that’s getting the best of her. Ultimately, she arrives at a place of acceptance, moving away from the toxic friendship and pushing forwards alone.

“’Not Alright’ is about constantly shouldering your friends’ problems, absorbing their stress and not having anyone to reciprocate yours,” HOST explains about the new single. “While already being in a bad place, this can quickly weigh you down mentally and emotionally. You can read their selfishness like a book, you know their next move because this isn’t your first rodeo and eventually, something’s got to give.”

HOST is set to release more new music in 2022. Listen to ‘Not Alright’ below.

 

Follow HOST on Soundcloud, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: CMAT – ‘Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)’

A relatable, country-tinged tune about pushing yourself to unexpected limits to be the life and soul of the party, Irish pop sensation CMAT has shared her latest single ‘Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)’. Taken from her upcoming album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, which is set for release through AWAL Recordings on 4th March, the track brims with CMAT’s trademark witty lyrics, melancholic vocals and catchy choruses.

“This is a song about being defiantly chaotic, because being that, an agent of chaos, is something quite defiant for a girl to do,” CMAT explains about her new single. “It almost didn’t make the album. But then I managed to shoehorn in a line about the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) and I felt happy it was representative of my drinking habits.” All jesting aside, ‘Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)’ is further proof of CMAT’s talents for taking relatable situations and transforming them into chant-worthy, playful pop anthems.

Speaking about her debut album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, CMAT describes her sound as all the former versions of herself “Play-Doh-balled into one big lump.” Fuelled by her passion for writing striking and honest pop songs, the record features previous her singles ‘I Don’t Really Care For You’, ‘No More Virgos’, ‘Lonely’ and the iconic ‘I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!’ and looks set to be one of our favourite albums of 2022.

Listen to ‘Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)’ below.

Follow CMAT on bandcamp, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify & Facebook 

CMAT UK & Ireland Tour Dates 2022

Mar 03: Rough Trade East, London
Mar 04: Rough Trade West, London
Mar 04: Banquet Records, Kingston
Mar 05: Lucky’s, Dublin
Mar 08: Connolly’s, Leap
Mar 09: Golden Discs, Cork
Mar 09: Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Mar 10: Steamboat, Limerick
Mar 10: Dolan’s, Limerick (sold out)
Mar 11: The Academy, Dublin (sold out)
Mar 12: Limelight 2, Belfast
Mar 31: King Tut’s, Glasgow
Apr 01: Cluny 2, Newcastle
Apr 02: Deaf Institute, Manchester
Apr 04: Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
Apr 05: Hare and Hounds 2, Birmingham
Apr 06: Louisiana, Bristol (sold out)
Apr 08: Omeara, London (sold out)
Apr 09: Colours, London (sold out)
Apr 10: Hope and Ruin, Brighton (sold out)

Photo Credit: Sarah Doyle

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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