EP: Safari Inn – ‘Welcome To Safari Inn’

Consisting of former members of London rockers The Franklys, Jen and Lexy, Safari Inn are the super group you need in your life right now, and we’ve been loving their debut EP.

Inspired by a shared love of the 1993 Quentin Tarantino film ‘True Romance’, Welcome to Safari Inn condenses the movie’s action-packed emotional journey into four expertly crafted tracks. While familiarity with the film will surely give you a deeper appreciation of the EP, you don’t need to be a die-hard fan to enjoy it. Even with only a passing understanding of the source material, Safari Inn have infused their debut with a lot of their own character that shines through, despite very direct references to the movie.

Welcome to Safari Inn kicks off with ‘Drexl Spivey‘, named for the notorious pimp character played by Gary Oldman. As both a single and first track, ‘Drexl Spivey’ is perfectly suited to establishing the psychedelic sound you can expect from the rest of the EP. It is a whirlwind of roaring guitars and deep, moody vocals.

The whole EP has a different vibe than you might expect from the two musicians who make up Safari Inn, if you’re familiar with their previous work with garage rock band The Franklys. It’s clear that they’re experimenting in a way that leans into their strengths and the chances they take consistently pay off. Welcome To Safari Inn aches with reverb, echoing vocals and heady swirling guitars over throbbing drums that ground you even when the music threatens to carry you away from reality. With each immersive offering, it evokes a chaotic heady atmosphere that is masterfully reminiscent of the film.

Second track, ‘Blue Lou Boyle’, picks up the pace, with a pounding bass riff that rolls in from the very beginning. The quicker start slows down to lend the soaring vocals a platform in the verses; ramping up again to a rambunctious, wailing chorus. This is the chaotic heart of the EP, the action and meaning that make up the majority of ‘True Romance’ all concentrated into a thrilling 3.15 minutes.

Welcome to Safari Inn softens with the reflective ‘The Sun Sets Slowly in the West’. This third track offers a gentle come down from the excitement. It’s slower paced, with crooning vocals that linger over drawn out lilting words, processing everything now that the storm has passed. The full realisation of everything that has happened sinks in with gut-wrenching bass and drums that deliver an immense sucker-punch of the consequences.

No less chaotic, but maintaining a distinct sense of hope, the EP wraps up with ‘Dinosaur Corkscrew’. It puts the debilitating trauma of True Romance behind you and looks forward to a world where you can emerge on the other side still holding onto faith in a normal, happy life.

As a collection, Welcome To Safari Inn offers a swirling whirlwind of psychedelic splendour; a truly immersive debut that leaves you desperate for more.

Welcome To Safari Inn is out now. Listen / buy on Bandcamp now.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

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NEW TRACK: SPIDER – ‘straight out the oven!’

After watching her storm The Green Door Store’s stage at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton earlier this year, we’re thrilled to see that Irish alt-pop artist SPIDER has returned with her smouldering new single ‘straight out the oven!’. Taken from her upcoming new EP, an object of desire, which is set for release in early 2024, the track is a tenacious pop-tinged anthem that playfully dissects the reasons why we crave affection and attention from others.

“At first glance, ‘straight out the oven!’ presents itself as a fun, catchy ‘blonde, sorority girl who doubles as an over-the-top cheerleader’ rock song, which it is!” SPIDER explains about her new single. “But it’s also a really honest conversation that I was having with myself about the desire to be desired, and confronting the types of people we go to for that validation. It’s that need that we all have to be irresistible – but asking yourself, why do I want these specific people to desire me in the first place? I produced and wrote the entire thing on my own which definitely gave me the space to explore that part of myself, without having to hide it behind a complicated metaphor.”

This self-autonomous outlook permeates the songs on SPIDER’s upcoming EP. She is committed to using her music to gain a more in depth understanding of herself, and to connect with others who may be probing and questioning similar aspects of their own lives. “an object of desire really encapsulates the questions I was asking myself about objectification, desire and intimacy as an ex Catholic school student who grew up in a very religious household,” she continues. “Looking at these three things through the lens of religious trauma and Catholic guilt felt like looking at the Unholy Trinity of Young Adulthood. Like, when does desire start being desire? What is actually so intimate about sex and what is sex when it doesn’t feel intimate? You’ve realised you’ve been objectified – well okay, but what do you do about it?

I feel like this particular view on sexuality isn’t really talked about much, and I just had all these questions that no one could answer for me. Writing this EP was a way for me to explore the conclusions that were put there by a religious upbringing that covered this area of life in so much shame and nonsensical conditions. It also allowed me to process the anger I had towards the ways I was mistreated in the past without the pressure of maintaining ‘grace’. This project feels like the most personal, freeing thing I’ve made thus far!”

We can’t wait to hear SPIDER’s new record in full. Listen to ‘straight out the oven!’ below.

SPIDER was also joy to interview on our Great Escape x Soho Radio show earlier this year.
You can listen back here.

Follow SPIDER on Spotify, Instagram, Twitter (X) & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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WATCH: The Menstrual Cramps – ‘Body Politics’

I’ve been waiting a long time for new music from Bristol-based punk legends The Menstrual Cramps, and now it’s finally here! Following 2019’s Free Bleedin’, and fresh from a run of dates supporting Isle of Wight punk trio Grade 2, They’ve now shared new single ‘Body Politics‘, released via the loveliest of labels, Alcopop! Records. 

Sounding as vital as ever, with ‘Body Politics’ The Menstrual Cramps draw on American philosopher Judith Butler’s idea of gender performativity (from her book ‘Gender Trouble’), and rally against the ways in which gender constructs are forced upon us all under capitalism to benefit the patriarchal structure. Seething with their trademark ferocious energy, and building to a fierce RATM-esque climax, it’s a perfectly empowering and cathartic explosion of necessary rage. 

With their return, The Menstrual Cramps continue to deliver their utterly necessary message with an immense impassioned drive; creating a perfect balance of unifying joy and rage that has never felt more urgent.

‘Body Politics’ is accompanied by a homemade new video, capturing front person Emilia’s experiences of growing up in the early noughties, surrounded by gender stereotypes in the media. They explain:

“I wanted the video to be a kind of letter to my younger self, who didn’t have the vocabulary to express everything they felt in their messy teenage brain at the time, and had minimal queer people in the media to look up to… the music video is a loop, so the end of the music video is also the start of the music video my younger self watches when turning on the TV in the bedroom. Metaphorically, it’s letting myself become who I wanted to be, or finally being happy with who I am—being inspired by myself to relive my younger years with that expressive freedom.”

Watch it here:

‘Body Politics’ is out now via Alcopop! Records. Catch The Menstrual Cramps live tonight at Oslo, Hackney for Rock Against Violence, or next Spring on a run of UK dates – details here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Dory Valentine

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Video Premiere: pink suits – ‘Refuse The Rules’

If you’re at all familiar with pink suits, you’ll recognise their unique energy in every element of their new music video for ‘Refuse The Rules‘, the first taste we’ve had of their upcoming second album, Dystopian Hellscape. The whole video drips with their signature style and unapologetic passion.

The video takes place entirely within a two cubicle toilet, wallpapered with newspaper pages. The logos of The S*n and Metro (owned by The Daily Mail Group) leap out at you. An article about gender self-ID “fears” is placed right in the centre of the shot. Before the music even begins, you’re presented with instant commentary about the quality of contemporary journalism – rampant media bias and the painfully uncritical approach to publishing political agendas in the modern press.

‘Refuse The Rules’ is not a long or complicated song. It hones in on its point perfectly. Boiling down the tiresomely endless hours of identity debate into a concise song that barely breaks 100 seconds in length, it is short and sharp, instantly cementing pink suits as expert creators of today’s punk anthems.

With just the opening line – “Our existence doesn’t threaten your existence” – the song immediately highlights the most draining elements of the whole debate. It calls out the hypocrisy of anyone actively threatening another person over their identity, which wouldn’t have any impact at all on other people’s lives if they didn’t choose to stick their oar in. At a time when human lives are under threat every day from war / climate change / poverty / homelessness, even in the wealthiest countries on the planet, this track points out just how ridiculous it is to waste your energy being bigoted. 

The delivery of every line is sharp and urgent, a scream that evokes all the pain, frustration and fear underlying the song’s message, roared over a foundation of aggressive drums and shrieking guitar riffs. The track is packed with earworms that capture the rage effortlessly.

Despite the darkness that necessitates this kind of commentary, ‘Refuse The Rules’ is ultimately uplifting in its defiance – “We refuse the rules. We refuse to bow.” It’s a rejection of conformity and of the hypocrisy of those who manage to conveniently ignore all the real problems in this dystopian hellscape of the modern world to take issue with another human being’s self expression. It’s a riotous call to action for anyone who needs a little extra motivation to embrace their true selves. 

Completely created by pink suits themselves, this new video captures the raging energy of ‘Refuse The Rules’ perfectly. Watch, for the first time, here:

Produced by Halo Halo studio in Margate, ‘Refuse The Rules’ is out now, ahead of pink suits’ second album – Dystopian Hellscape – which is set for release in Spring 2024. But keep you ears and eyes peeled for more teasers in the meantime!

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

Photo Credit: Stephen Daly Photography / @stephendalyphotography

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