LISTEN: girlhouse – ‘happy now’

Showcasing a new emotional maturity to her song-writing, Portland-born Nashville-based musician girlhouse has shared her latest single ‘happy now’. Whilst the track starts out deceptively dreamy, lyrically there’s no mistaking how girlhouse aka Lauren Luiz feels – especially in the biting lines “your promises stink like gasoline” and “are you f****g happy now?”

Listeners could be fooled into thinking this song is about lost love, but Luiz is actually pleading with herself on this new release. “’happy now’ started as an angry poem towards someone in my life that was really emotionally challenging to me,” she explains. “As we started producing it and I started looking at the lyrics from a different perspective, I realized I was projecting everything I hated about myself towards this other person. ‘happy now’ is my heart, gladiator screaming ‘are you not entertained?!’ to my body after doing all the things and following all the people that should, in theory, make me happy but in the end left me feeling empty.”

Through her grunge laden guitar and melodic voice, Luiz vents her frustration throughout the track, arriving at a place of acceptance and growth. 

Listen to ‘happy now’ below.

Follow girlhouse on Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Kat Jamison

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LISTEN: Chloe Castro – ‘FUTURE’

Having been tipped as one of BBC Introducing’s ‘Tips for 2021’, and previously charming listeners when she reached the quarter finals of BBC One’s The Voice, British-Brazilian artist Chloe Castro has now shared a powerful new single.

Gliding in with pristinely enunciated vocals, ‘FUTURE‘ mesmerises instantly. Just as our hips start to find an infinity motion to match the alternative R’n’B opener (think Banks meets PARTYNEXTDOOR), Castro switches the beat – suddenly smacking out speedier lyrics borrowing cadences from hip-hop and rap as she goes. 

For Castro, language isn’t just how she describes her emotions, but the conduit through which she makes us really feel them with her. When she belts out “fucking go for it” she hits the guttural “K” with a firmness that makes me gasp and nod my head in agreement like “yes tell him Chloe!”. The track’s refreshing bluntness lands like a high kick to the chest, accompanied by scattered subtle percussion. A perfectly crafted mood.

Although Castro goes in on indecisive boys and their half-baked excuses, this isn’t a heartache song – the opposite in fact. Instead of pleading for clarity and commitment, Castro holds her agency and her boundaries firm: “… you don’t need to tell me why you sad boy”. What a chant. She’s onto something there. The perfect track for a long chaotic Love Island obsessed summer. 

Tutku Barbaros
@tutkubarbaros

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Track Of The Day: YAY MARIA – ‘Template’ (ft. Franx)

Having previously captivated our ears as the front person of Grawl!x, Trans and queer artist YAY MARIA has now announced the release of her debut solo album, OYEZ. Touching on themes of being an outsider, celebrating solidarity and community, OYEZ is set for release later this year.

The first of three tracks to be shared from the album, new single ‘Template’ is a wonderfully empowering slice of poignant power-pop. Made in collaboration with Nottingham-based queer artist and musician FRANX, the track oozes a swirling, ethereal splendour and vibrant, uplifting energy. Propelled by calypso-like jangling beats and colourful twinkling hooks, it’s filled with a stirring lyricism that celebrates self-love (“No set way for living your life / That’s ok / You’re great / No wrong or right.”) whilst oozing a dry wit, drawing attention with a raw honesty to the mundane issues of modern life; the parts of life that are often expected of us – the ‘template’ we are expected to live by – but by no means are appropriate or desired by all, particularly those in the queer/non-heteronormative community. As Maria explains:

“I think it can sometimes feel like there is a ‘template’ in life (school, marriage, children etc) & for many that course of life is either unattainable &/or undesirable. So, it can feel kinda scary not fitting in with that pre-supposed model. However, there is also something wonderful & empowering about that too; particularly given that there are so many other queer folks out there who feel a similar way.”

With this first taste of the new album, ‘Template’ offers a blissfully euphoric anthem in celebration of being your true self in the face of adversity. A much-needed sentiment right now, YAY MARIA has created a truly dreamy, danceable soundtrack to the summer; a vital message of solidarity – assuring us that even if you don’t fit society’s accepted ‘template’, you deserve happiness – that we need now more than ever.

‘Template’ is accompanied by a simply beautiful video, exuding all the celebratory, self-love filled joy you could ever desire. Have a watch, and a boogie, now:

‘Template’ is released with the Year Of Glad collective, a young imprint and close knit family of creatives who worked with YAY MARIA on her charity release ‘ENDTIMES’ and a commemorative piece for Transgender Day Of Rememberance’ in 2020. The track, as with all of OYEZ, is made in the spirit of collaboration, produced with label mate and YOG founder Tom John Hall.

‘Template’ is out now. Buy it on bandcamp now – with all proceeds going to the QTIBIPOC Therapy Fund; an initiative of the Radical Therapist Network, to create access for Queer & Trans People of Colour to safe therapeutic spaces & services; outside of systemic oppression. 

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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LISTEN: The Dead Zoo – ‘In The End’

A shimmering synth-pop tune that celebrates the importance of emotional resilience in the face of adversity, London-based group The Dead Zoo have shared their second single ‘In The End’. Following on from their J-Pop cover ‘Mother‘ in 2020, the band continue to blend pop sensibilities into their usually heavier post punk/shoegaze offerings, this time reflecting the optimism and strength that underscores their latest effort.

“During the second lockdown, I was listening to a lot of 80s stuff–Giorgio Moroder, Donna Summer, Madonna, Japan, New Order,” songwriter and vocalist Kaoru explains. “That poured into the conception of sound and melody for the song. The lyric is founded on my gender transition experience. The sense of keeping faith in an envisioned future and using that goal to overcome difficulties and stay on course; though I think it carries a more universal message of hope and optimism that I think we all need right now in these unusual times.”

Full of lush synths and snappy beats, ‘In The End’ is an uplifting ode to coping through testing circumstances. The track has also been remixed by Brighton’s CLT DRP and fellow London band The Sly Persuaders, something band member Somrata takes great pride in. “We were completely blown away by the creativity and variety of the remixes as they came in. It’s great to have so many liberating perspectives on a piece that was conceived and mostly recorded and mixed during the very difficult winter lockdown. We can’t wait to share it with the world and to perform it live for the first time.”

Listen to ‘In The End’ below.

Follow The Dead Zoo on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: K Hearne

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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