NEW TRACK: Vanity Fairy – ‘Jungle Jim’

An eccentric psych-tinged soundscape that shimmers with a palpable sense of longing, self-professed “high priestess” of underground disco-pop Vanity Fairy has shared her latest single, ‘Jungle Jim’. A potent blend of soft vocals, dreamy synths and sultry beats, the track seduces listeners with its faux-calme quality, luring them into Vanity Fairy’s delightfully ambiguous aural mirage.

Following on from her recent release ‘Love of My Life’, Vanity Fairy’s latest cut is as enigmatic and elusive as the thoughts that formed it. “‘Jungle Jim’ was one of those songs that just came out more or less in one whole piece, or at least the vocal did,” she explains. “I like that it happened that way, because the instrumental (most of which my brother and co-writer/producer Sam E. Yamaha came to me with) feels very instinctual to me – very dream-like and languorous… and also very jungle-y, at least to my ears. It sounds so calm and dreamy, but there’s something really uneasy and unsettling happening in the music underneath everything. Not that the song’s about that, it’s just really the mood of the song to me…

The noises and few fragments of intelligible words I sang in the first take I wanted to keep, so my brother and I set about trying to remain as faithful as possible to those original sounds with the words we used. So the lyrics have an unconscious quality, and a kind of retroactively imposed automatism – if that’s not a contradiction (which I think it is). I like how fractured and fragile the language ends up being. And I like how un-authored it feels. Like I went into the song and disappeared.”

Ahead of a string of UK tour dates supporting Pip Blom in February, Vanity Fairy will be be performing at the DIY Magazine ‘Hello 24’ showcase at The Old Blue Last in East London tomorrow (16th Jan). Full dates are listed below

Listen to ‘Jungle Jim’ here:

Vanity Fairy UK Tour Dates 2024
16 JAN // London – DIY Hello 2024, The Old Blue Last
27 JAN // London, The Windmill
3 FEB // Folkestone, Quarterhouse, supporting PVA
4 FEB // Reading – Sub 89, supporting Pip Blom
5 FEB // Birmingham – Castle and Falcon, supporting Pip Blom
6 FEB // Liverpool – Academy 2, supporting Pip Blom
7 FEB // Brighton – Folklore Rooms, supporting Mickey Callisto
21 FEB // London, Heaven, supporting Pip Blom
30 MAR // London, The Cavendish Arms, Indie Pop Weekender
13 APRIL, Bristol, Outer Town Festival
11 MAY // Wrexham, FOCUS Wales

Follow Vanity Fairy on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter (X) & Facebook

Photo credit: Meadow Florence

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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WATCH: The Baby Seals – ‘Mild Misogynist’

‘Mild Misogynist‘ from long-term GIHE faves, Cambridge band The Baby Seals, is a song for every woman who has ever smiled and nodded silently while a mediocre man prattled on about how lucky everyone around him really is to have him in their life, secretly knowing he’s a few pints away from calling his ex crazy.

It is a high energy track with roaring guitars and throbbing drums that releases years of pent up frustration from the very opening bars. There is no attempt to soften the message, creating a cathartic energy that is difficult not to get caught up in.

‘Mild Misogynist’ is a painfully relatable song. It calls out the kind of person that might not be the most abhorrent of bigots, but nonetheless can be a hugely damaging presence in the lives of those around them with their casual approach to misogyny. The only way you don’t listen to this song and immediately think of someone who fits the description perfectly is if you are in fact that person that everyone around you finds terribly exhausting. It calls out nice guys and performative allies, the kind of person who doesn’t do anything that actually helps oppressed people, but makes a big deal out of having a friend with a minority background and is overtly, annoyingly proud of not doing hate crimes while still casually spewing micro-aggressions.

The track has a raw, unfiltered sound that comes right from the gut. There is no filter constricting this outpouring of feeling. It’s an eye-rolling purge of exasperation that comes from finally allowing yourself to speak freely. The upbeat rhythm and fun melodies stand in excellently stark contrast to the irritating subject matter. The song ramps up to its climactic ending, taking immense joy in feeling every emotion. The lines “The girls really like / The way I try / To kiss” are repeated with an increasing sarcasm that is delightful to hear, and revels in the simple yet rare pleasure of fully expressing every moment of built up frustration.

Watch the accompanying new video to ‘Mild Misogynist‘ here:


‘Mild Misogynist’ is our first taster of The Baby Seals’ upcoming debut album, Chaos – set for release this Spring via Trapped Animal. And we cannot wait to hear more of their sassy wit and empowering energy! Find out more about The Baby Seals and their upcoming live shows here.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

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NEW TRACK: Whitelands ft. Dottie – ‘Tell Me About It’

A bittersweet rumination on the complexities of love, London-based Black British shoegaze band Whitelands have shared their latest single, ‘Tell Me About It’. Taken from their newly announced debut album, Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day, which is set for release on 23rd February via Sonic Cathedral, the track is an evocative, hazy musing on the way in which neurodivergent minds perceive love and heartbreak.

Proving to be one of our live highlights at last year’s Great Escape Festival, Whitelands have been busy crafting their intoxicating shoegaze sounds since they met at Decolonise Fest many years ago. Fusing together their eclectic personal music tastes, and bonding over a desire to shake up the predominantly white male shoegaze scene, the band routinely disarm listeners with their blend of noisy-yet-melodic riffs and effervescent vocals, finding the sweet spot between heavy and heavenly sound. Their latest single ‘Tell Me About It’, featuring label mate Dottie from deary, perfectly showcases these talents.

“It’s about being lost with the aspect of love,” explains Whitelands’ frontman and guitarist Etienne about the track. “It’s about dealing with break-ups, not in the sense of missing a relationship or a person, but the question of ‘am I doing this right?’ To me, it seems loving while being neurodivergent (ADHD) doesn’t follow a lot of the same rules, because I tend to fall in love with other neurodivergent people.” Through their use of drifting, dual vocals and ethereal guitar tones, the band beautifully capture these fogged thoughts and feelings of indecisiveness. This is also reflected in the track’s accompanying video, created by the psychedelic videographer Innerstrings.

Etienne offers more context about the band’s upcoming album too. The record takes its title from The Prophet, a philosophical book by Kahlil Gibran (1923). “The full quote is ‘the owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light’,” he explains. “I think it encapsulates the feeling of the album. A common theme running through the songs is lots of ‘I’, ‘you’, sense and emotion. Very physical and intimate settings. Lots of descriptors of light, celestial bodies, water, Biblical stuff, abstract stuff. I don’t really know why I write things the way I do, but I do tend to write emotions as anything other than what they actually are. I consume a lot of media. Video-games, music, news, paintings, manga, animations and film are my go-to, especially anime. There is this drive to want to understand and feel the whole weight of an expression. So, the songs are based on other songs, pictures, aesthetics, ‘vibes’, an emotion someone else felt. Fundamentally, you are what you eat.”

In the lead up to their album release, Whitelands will be playing a series of shows with shoegaze icons Slowdive throughout February, as well as a headline show at London’s Rough Trade East in March. Full dates and ticket info are listed below.

Watch the video for ‘Tell Me About It’ here:

Whitelands UK Tour Dates 2024
3rd February – Bedford – Esquires (with English Teacher)
16th February – Brighton – Dome (with Slowdive)
17th February – London – Eventim Apollo (with Slowdive)
18th February – Birmingham – O2 Institute (with Slowdive)
19th February – Norwich – UEA (with Slowdive)
21st February – Liverpool – O2 Academy (with Slowdive)
22nd February – Newcastle – NX (with Slowdive)
23rd February – Glasgow – Barrowland (with Slowdive)
24th February – Edinburgh – Liquid Room (with Slowdive)
26th February – Cardiff – University (with Slowdive)
27th February – Manchester – Academy (with Slowdive)
28th February – Nottingham – Rough Trade
4th March – Bristol – Rough Trade
5th March – London – Rough Trade East

Buy tickets to see Whitelands live here

Pre-order your copy of Whitelands’ debut album here

Follow Whitelands on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter (X) & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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NEW TRACK: Fräulein – ‘Wait and See’

Fresh from supporting Dublin four piece SPRINTS at their London album launch show at The Shacklewell Arms last weekend, Northern Irish/Dutch duo and GIHE favourites Fräulein have shared their latest single, ‘Wait and See’. Focusing on the contradictory nature of anxiety – and how we clench our teeth through it, rather than treating the issue underneath it – the track is another seamless blend of the band’s trademark gritty-yet-melodic riffs and considered, hard-hitting beats.

Released via Submarine Cat Records, ‘Wait and See’ marks Fräulein’s first piece of new music this year. It’s about “how we manage symptoms of anxiety instead of treating the cause of our discomfort,” explains guitarist and vocalist Joni Samuels. Propelled by the shifting percussion of Karsten van der Tol, Joni ruminates on the opposing nature of anxious thoughts in the lyrics – “Keep my feet on the ground / but I’m still spinning out / Keep my head up / keep my eyes shut” – her words and vocals acting as a cathartic vessel for relief.

The track is accompanied by a video, directed by friend & collaborator Charlie Barclay Harris. “We filmed the music video on the coldest night of 2023, which you can probably tell by our red noses throughout,” the pair explain. The visuals follow them around a funfair, literally spinning around as they tackle the metaphorical whirl of anxiety throughout the track.

Having released their Pedestal EP in 2023 – which featured on our Albums & EPs of 2023 list! – as well as supporting black feminist punks Big Joanie on their European tour, Fräulein are now preparing for another busy year ahead. They’ll be playing two Irish headline shows in January, a London show in February, and they’ll also be supporting art punks JOHN on their upcoming UK tour too. Full dates are below.

Watch the video for ‘Wait and See’ here:

Fräulein UK & Ireland Tour Dates 2024
Jan 12 Dublin, Whelan’s
Jan 13 Belfast, Ulster Sports Club
Feb 01 London, Shacklewell Arms
Feb 03 Ipswich, St Stephens Church
Feb 23 Brighton, Concorde 2 *
Feb 29 London, Scala *

*supporting JOHN

Follow Fräulein on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Facebook & Twitter (X)

Photo Credit: Charlie Harris

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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