Track Of The Day: Gemma Cullingford – ‘Wide Boys’

Known as one half of GIHE faves Sink Ya Teeth, musician and songwriter Gemma Cullingford has now shared the video for her first solo single. Ahead of the release of a debut album this summer, during the band’s downtime throughout the pandemic Gemma has been working on creations of a more personal nature, and it’s just what our ears need right now.

Propelled by throbbing tribal beats and infectious bass, ‘Wide Boys’ reflects on the need for us to wake up and take back control from those in power. Driven by a racing energy and interweaving immense hooks, including a fiercely flowing flute solo, it’s an instantly catchy, funk-fuelled slice of electro-tinged disco pop. Retaining some of the danceable groove that we’ve come to know and love from Sink Ya Teeth, ‘Wide Boys’ maintains its own unique majestic musicality and sweeping empowering zest. Stirring in sentiment, yet uplifting in sound, Gemma Cullingford has created a colourful call to arms for these desperate times. Of the track, Gemma explains:

“It’s a message to the average man and woman on the street, many of whom it seems have been brainwashed by both those in power and by the far right. It’s saying that every single one of us are being controlled as part of a big, sinister game. This is a response to my own awakening to that…”

Combining colourful, retro-tinged footage of the forces we need to fight against with Gemma performing the track, watch the poignant new video for ‘Wide Boys’ now:

‘Wide Boys’, alongside double A-side ‘104’, is out on 5th March via Outré. Both tracks will be available digitally and 7″. Gemma Cullingford’s debut solo album Let Me Speak is set for release this summer.

Mari Lane
@marimindles 

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LISTEN: Hari Debi – ‘Bang’

A slow-burning guitar anthem that celebrates the power of female sexuality, London rockers Hari Debi have shared their latest single ‘Bang’. Accompanied by a smoking set of monochrome visuals featuring vocalist Maddy Jones cutting loose and enjoying herself in front of the lens, the track is a riff heavy ode to female desire that simmers with riotous passion.

Formed of Maddy, Mark Docherty (guitar), Jack Hall (bass) and Luis Bezzi (drums), Hari Debi take inspiration from The Kills, Saint Agnes and Dead Weather to create their bold rock and roll sounds. They released their first EP Loose Thread in 2020 and are planning to share a second EP later this year, with ‘Bang’ being the first taste of what’s to come.

“Musically the song is a metaphor for passion,” the four piece explain about the track. “It burns fast and frantic, then evens out into a slow riff before reigniting to an explosive conclusion.” Through Mark’s killer riffs and Maddy’s fervent vocals, the band celebrate the confidence and autonomy that comes with a healthy sexual appetite, even though women often experience sexist double standards when they choose to embrace their own.

Watch the video for ‘Bang’ below.

Follow Hari Debi on Spotify, Instagram &  Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Debby Friday – ‘Runnin’

Intoxicating rap verses and trippy beats blend together to form an eccentric anthem about self-expression on ‘Runnin’, the latest single from Nigerian-born, Vancouver-based audio-visual artist Debby Friday. Full of commanding rhythms and jagged synths, the track marks a new musical direction for Friday, moving away from her abrasive earlier work into more sultry, effervescent territory.

“This new record is about pure expression. I don’t feel like I need to exorcise anything from myself anymore,” Friday explains. “I wanted to to push myself in different directions and see what would happen and I think I accomplished what I set out to do. ‘Runnin’ is a cheeky song that has Debby Friday themes present, but now I’m having so much more fun.” Dripping with unfazed confidence and snaking rhythms, Friday’s synth-rap tune smoulders with autonomous vibes.

The track is accompanied by a colourful new video, co-directed by Friday and Ryan Ermacora. Inspired by the tinting techniques in early cinema and filmed near Hope in British Columbia, the kaleidoscopic visuals show Friday strutting towards the camera, her image splitting and blurring before the lens as her movements effortlessly match her lyrical flow.

Watch the video for ‘Runnin’ below.

Follow Debby Friday on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo credit: Laura Baldwinson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Scrounge – ‘Leaking Drains’

Having continued to impress us over the last few years with both their breathtaking live energy and the unique, genre-bending sound of their recordings, South London duo Lucy and Luke – aka Scrounge – follow 2019’s EP Ideal with a brand new offering. Having received acclaim from the likes of John Kennedy and Steve LaMacq, we’re excited to hear where they take our ears next.

A stark soundscape reflecting on the state of society at the moment, ‘Leaking Drains’ is propelled by Lucy’s raw, snarling vocals and slashing guitar alongside Luke’s immense, thrashing beats. With a frenzied energy, it builds to a colossal cacophony before coming to a disconcerting, abrupt end – only adding to the stirring tension that has built up throughout. Oozing a ferocious power, the duo have created something that is striking both in its jarring potency and rage-driven force; a cathartic slice of poignant punk-poetry for the anxiety-laden times we find ourselves in.

Of the inspiration behind ‘Leaking Drain’, the band explain:

“This track is designed to be short and sharp, both lyrically and instrumentally… Living standards and life expectancy have dramatically dropped for the majority of ordinary people in the UK over the last generation or so, and it often feels like we’re at once completely weightless and under extreme pressure – a little like being deep underwater… The demonization and punching-down that constitutes most of the mainstream discourse around debt, housing, poverty and precarity in this country only compounds the issue. The anger and absurdity of a track like ‘Leaking Drains’ is driven by this stuff.”

 

‘Leaking Drains’ is out now via Fierce Panda Records – buy it on bandcamp now. And Scrounge have just announced that they will be playing the SXSW Online Showcase next month – an incredibly well-deserved feat!

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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