LISTEN: Nastazia Bazil – ‘Call Me Habibi’

Lebanon-born, London-based artist Nastazia Bazil never imagined she’d make music that others would want to hear – let alone be releasing an album. But, after forming a band through First Timers Fest (a festival giving new musicians the chance to start a band) a few years ago, she’s done exactly that. Her debut album, From Beirut To Anywhere, will be released next month, marking a powerful milestone in her journey as a musician.

Since her start, Bazil has already shared stages with fast-rising bands like Mary In The Junkyard and Vanity Fairy, building a reputation for her emotionally raw and sonically distinct performances. Her sound leans heavily into moody, ‘80s-inspired synthscapes – drawing comparisons to the likes of Kraftwerk and more contemporary artists like St Vincent, layered with unsettling textures and steady, minimalistic electronic drum beats. These brooding instrumentals are paired with close-mic’d vocals that add an intimate tone to her work.

Bazil’s DIY approach is central to her aesthetic. Rather than opting for polished studio perfection, her recordings retain a sense of authenticity and vulnerability that resonate deeply. It’s this honesty – both sonically and lyrically – that sets her apart.

Her latest single, Call Me Habibi, offers a poignant glimpse into the emotional landscape that defines her debut album. The track reflects on her experience as part of the Lebanese diaspora, grappling with the heartache of being unable to return to her home country due to political unrest, while still yearning for familiar comforts, like home-cooked food. The result is a stirring, deeply personal anthem of displacement and longing.

Nastazia’s debut album, From Beirut To Anywhere, is set for release on 5th June; a bold debut that captures the ache of exile with haunting textured melancholy. Keep an eye out for it on bandcamp!

Ella Patenall
@ellapatenall

ellapatenallLeave a comment

ALBUM: Scrounge – ‘Almost Like You Could’

Since our promoter Mari booked South London duo Scrounge for a Get In Her Ears gig at The Windmill in Brixton back in 2018, we’ve been avid fans of their vital art-punk anthems. Formed of lead vocalist & guitarist Lucy Alexander and drummer & vocalist Luke Cartledge, the pair have been bringing their formidable live sound to stages across the UK for years, as well as taking them across the pond to the USA to perform at SXSW in Texas and The New Colossus Festival in New York.

It’s at the latter that Scrounge caught the attention of label Ba Da Bing! Records, who have worked alongside the pair to release their first full length record, Almost Like You Could. Following on from Scrounge’s debut mini-album, Sugar, Daddy – which featured on our Albums of 2022 list – the title hints at the prospect of existing beyond the chaos and despondency of the current social and political climate. All it takes is a commitment to friendship, community and the guts to live authentically; something that Scrounge have dedicated themselves to on and off stage.

Sugar, Daddy was a succinct blend of cutting lyrics, intense riffs and fraught percussion that truly hit a nerve, but on their first full length offering Scrounge have upped the anti and delivered a collection of anthems that are just as hard-hitting and relatable, whilst simultaneously managing to explore new sonic territory in the process. Take closing track ‘Nothing Personal’ for example. Luke takes the lead vocals on this stripped back offering, which tackles themes of urban isolation. It’s a vulnerable and fitting end to a record that doesn’t hold back in any sense. The pair shared in an interview with The Line Of Best Fit that they incorporated samples and recordings they’d captured throughout the album’s recording process into this track, proving that their desire to push the boundaries of what they’re capable of as a two piece is as steadfast as ever.

Single ‘UTG’ is another stellar example of Scrounge’s blend of tenacity and vulnerability. Lucy penned the track to express how as a queer person, she feels that the process of “coming out” never truly ends. She pairs her earnest lyricism with a more buoyant guitar sound here, making it one of the band’s softest tracks to date, but it still retains the visceral emotional potency of Scrounge’s sonically heavier offerings. The duo balance these conflicting elements effortlessly throughout the record, which gives Almost Like You Could its impressive cohesive quality.

The album has been fuelled by the kind of proactive, cathartic cynicism that motivates you to resist and revolt, instead of sending you into a hopeless spiral. The pair acknowledge that even though things might be dire, there will always be moments of joy, pleasure and hope if you look hard enough for them. This is directly addressed on the ricocheting beats and riffs on opener ‘Higher’ as well as the melodic ‘Buzz/Cut’. Even the track ‘Dreaming’ – where Lucy repeats the melancholic line “dreaming isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be” – there is still a strong sense of finding faith in reality, however that might present itself.

‘Waste’ and ‘Rat’ are two of the record’s grittier offerings and both simmer with unrest. Lucy’s distorted riffs and Luke’s urgent percussion are totally gripping on both. ‘Corner Cutting Boredom’ and ‘Melt’ bookend each other beautifully – referencing each others titles – and again, they flow with that distinctive pressing momentum that we have come to admire in all of Scrounge’s music.

Almost Like You Could is a powerful, biting reminder that Scrounge remain driven by the desire to create meaningful art that represents who they are, as well as the voices of the allies and DIY communities that they’re a vital part of; which is something that we back all the way at GIHE. Please, please buy this album. All of the team endorse it.

Buy a ticket for Scrounge’s London headline show on Weds 23rd April at The Lexington here

Scrounge are also headlining our GIHE stage at The Great Escape in Brighton on Sat 17th May!
Day & Weekend tickets available here

Follow Scrounge on bandcamp, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and X

Photo Credit: Joseph Elliott

Kate Crudgington
kate_getinherears

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

ALBUM: Neev – ‘How Things Tie In Knots’

Scottish-born, London-based indie-folk artist Neev has been making her mark on the UK’s indie-folk scene with her intricate storytelling and evocative vocals. Her upcoming second album, How Things Tie in Knots, explores the complexities of identity, heritage, and self-discovery through a rich, cinematic soundscape.

How Things Tie in Knots is an album of contrasts – tradition vs. progression, restraint vs. release, softness vs. intensity. Neev navigates these tensions with poetic lyricism, crafting an album that feels both personal and universal. Thematically, the album delves into the push and pull between letting go and holding on, the weight of expectations, and the nuances of self-acceptance.

Produced by an all-female team; engineered by Taylor Pollock (Cosmorat), mixed by Fi Roberts, and mastered by Izzy McPhee, the album is both expansive and intimate. With backing from Arts Council England, Neev’s vision is further enhanced by Brighton-based artist Rebecca Brandler’s individual paintings for each track, reinforcing the album’s rich aesthetic.

Drawing influence from Scottish folk traditions, blues, and alternative indie production, Neev’s work evokes artists like Weyes Blood, Agnes Obel, and Julien Baker, resulting in an album that is lush, warm and textured. The opening tracks are delicate and folk-tinged, combining gentle piano lilts with airy, melodic vocals. ‘I Put It in the Frame‘ is particularly catchy, bursting with rhythmic energy, big drums, and electric guitars, but it’s ‘He Built Himself’ that marks a sonic shift, introducing a darker, more urgent energy. From this point on, the album gradually expands its sound, moving into deeper, more dynamic territory.

‘My Own Back’ leans into bluesy grit with a Hammond organ-esque sound, violin, and layered harmonies, while ‘Keep Low’ carries a brooding urgency, driven by a cool electric guitar that adds raw energy. ‘A Sad Tightrope’ is the most melancholic track, its slow pacing and rich harmonies drawing the listener to contemplate.

How Things Tie In Knots is, overall, a really bold, polished body of work. With its sweeping arrangements, storytelling, and striking honesty, Neev cements herself as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary indie-folk.

How Things Tie In Knots, the upcoming second album from Neev, is released tomorrow – 28th March – via Trapped Animal Records. Pre-order here. And, following a gorgeous night at The Lexington last week, Neev will be celebrating it’s release with a special gig at The Folklore Rooms in Brighton on Saturday 29th March. Tickets here.

Ella Patenall
@ella_patenall

ellapatenallLeave a comment

LIVE: Julien Baker – Earth, Hackney (19.11.2024)

A bitterly cold and wet Tuesday night in November; what better time to venture alone to immerse myself in some beautiful, emotion-filled live music… ? My first time at Earth in Dalston, I feel grateful to be able to see three such esteemed artists in this deceptively intimate space. 

After queuing in the rain for a while, I arrive in time to catch most of GIHE fave Katie Malco’s opening set. Reflecting on her recent US tour with Soak and her failings at booking appropriate / warm / safe accommodation, as well as all her gear going up in flames in a rehearsal space earlier this year, it seems she’s had a bit of a bad run of it lately, but this is no way takes away from her engaging charisma and charm as she delivers her captivating indie-folk ballads. Playing alone without a band, she still manages to create a rich scuzzy splendour and immersive gentle emotion with the sparkling heartfelt grace of songs like ‘Brooklyn’ and ‘Babette’ – the latter of which she normally sings alongside Soak, who is due on stage shortly. 

Touching on themes of self-discovery, queer identity and the housing crisis, Irish artist Soak delivers a set of new songs; each glistening with a stirring raw emotion. As their distinctive vocals float alongside lilting melodies, each offering tugs at the heartstrings with an achingly beautiful sense of nostalgia. Grateful I finally got to witness their delicately impassioned sounds live, I’m also left intrigued to hear more about the time that they were backstage on tour with Katie Malco and someone was “playing a saw like a violin and singing ‘Wonderwall’”… 

I’m not sure how I really expected to feel seeing Julien Baker live for the first time. An artist who I’ve listened to – and sought comfort in – probably almost every day for the last few years, my expectations and emotions were running pretty high. Amongst a crowd of predominantly young people accompanied by their parents, I wonder if it’s normal for a woman of my age to feel this much resonance with the music of someone like Baker, but as soon as she takes to the stage (beginning the set with my most favourite song), all worries cease and I’m instantly reassured. When music moves you this much, what does age matter? I’m a 38 year old queer woman and I need this beautiful aural catharsis in my life. As the swirling crescendo of piano and guitar soars throughout ‘Appointments’ alongside the melancholy raw emotion of Baker’s vocals, I feel my heart gently shatter and tears start to dampen my cheeks. But I also feel an unexpected sense of calm; a comfort in the relatability of the feeling and meaning behind the song – an unspoken sense of unity with the other damp cheeks I see glistening around me. And that is the beauty of music this honest and powerful; however old or young you may be, you can find comfort in what it has to say. 

Continuing to completely captivate the crowd with songs spanning her career, including the quiet desperation of 2019’s ‘Red Door’ and shimmering splendour of 2021’s ‘Relative Fiction’, Baker succeeds in immersing us fully. Although her anxiety is evident between songs – “Sometimes I get really nervous and can’t see my fretboard” -, when she’s delivering each heartfelt offering, her focus seems entirely intact, the raw emotive power of her vocals never faltering. And despite describing the experience as “like a stress dream”, I feel far from stressed at being able to bear witness to such exquisite musicality and refreshingly honest lyricism. In fact, I think there’s a subtle empowering strength to exposing one’s vulnerability through the stark emotion that emanates from each and every song. 

From crowd favourites like 2017’s ‘Shadowboxing’ to the glitchy whirring soundscapes of 2019’s ‘Tokyo’, each resonant lyric ripples with an effervescent grace. From the heartbreaking personal introspection of ‘Sprained Ankle’ to the fizzing lilting energy of ‘Bloodshot’, each sparkling melody gently takes hold, leaving 14 and 38-year-olds alike equally spellbound. 

Whether playing with or without her excellent full band, Baker succeeds in creating a soaring majestic splendour; a swirling raw emotion that envelopes her audience, offering a comforting catharsis. Having to leave the venue a few minutes early to catch a train, I realise it feels almost like leaving a therapy session; feelings have been shared, tears have been shed – I feel understood, I feel lighter. So, thank you Julien Baker for opening up to us, for creating music that is so honest and relatable; so soothing and empowering. So damn beautiful.

Words: Mari Lane / @mari_getinherears
Photos: Abi Chilton / @abi.chilton

mariangelicalaneLeave a comment