LISTEN: HunBjørn – ‘Who Are We To Love’

Danish electro-pop artist HunBjørn – which roughly translates as “small bear” – has shared a new element of her musical universe in the form of single ‘Who Are We To Love’. It’s a dreamy combination of synths, distorted guitars and sweet melancholic vocals.

HunBjørn (aka Ulla Pihl) was the former lead singer and songwriter in the experimental pop band Lima Lima, but now she’s recording as a solo artist. She released her debut EP In Vacuo in September of 2018, and began growing her fan base on social media by using a messenger-bot called the “She Bear Bot”. It’s an interactive behind the scenes experience for her EP that fans could join, and includes personal vlogs about every song and the story behind it.

Now, HunBjørn is ready with a new set of stories on her second EP Next Summer. She produced the record herself and it was mixed by previous collaborator Brian Batz (aka Sleep Party People). ‘Who Are We To Love’ is the first single, and it’s a love song to the environment, written to remind us that taking care of it is the responsibility of all of us.

Combining both organic and digital synth textures, HunBjørn has created a twinkling track full of her soothing vocals. Speaking about the single, she explains: “For a long time, I had been wanting to write a song about the environment expressing my concerns about where we’re heading. But I didn’t want the song to be sanctimonious or a lifted finger. So instead I tried to express the double standards that I myself apply. I was planning to fly to the other side of the world, well knowing how big my CO2 footprint would be. At the same time I see myself as environmentally conscious person. So I’ve tried to express those opposing feelings in the song. How much is just words and how much do we really act? How much do we leave for our decision makers or even worse – for our kids?

The official music video for the song is directed by Daniel Charluck Garrelts from Karma Film. HunBjørn’s pregnant body is painted in gold as a picture of the earth, which is marred by black oil as a symbol of how we treat the earth and what our children are born into. Take a look at the footage below and follow HunBjørn on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Anteros – ‘When We Land’

After putting it off for many years, I’ve finally learned to drive, and as every 27 (or 17) year old knows; a perfect driving album is key to any good road trip. Enter When We Land, the debut album from Anteros released via Distiller Records. It’s the perfect dream-pop companion to hit the open road with.

Since forming in 2014, the band have been making the rounds touring the UK with groups such as Two Door Cinema Club, Blaenavon, and White Lies. They hit up Glastonbury and Reading along the way, honing their disco-pumping rock. I love a band that waits a little while to put out their debut album, and just like driving, this album is well worth the wait.

Standout Tracks include ‘Honey’ – an absolute thumping ear-worm with a lovely, sticky, fuzzy-bee of a bass tone. If ‘Honey’ is the call, then ‘Afterglow’ is the superb melancholic response. This banger would sound at home on the Atomic Blonde soundtrack. It sounds like you’re trying to dance your troubles away in a Berlin club and don’t want to find the exit.

‘Drive On’, the lead single from the album, keeps this record steaming on, and I particularly love the exposed fragility of Laura Hayden’s vocal in the bridge. ‘Ordinary Girl’ is a slowed down power ballad to gesticulate to, the best part of which being the drop before the gargantuan chorus kicks in. If the rest of the album is a night out, then this is the crippling, reflective hangover. Actually, this track is the reason for the night out in the first place; there’s an underpin of heartbreak to this album, and ‘Ordinary Girl’ finally gives the listener some answers as to where this heartbreak came from.

If you’re a fan of Black Honey, Dream Wife or Goldfrapp; you’re definitely going to be interested in Anteros’ album. It’s a great debut from a hard-working new band and it’ll take them to all the right places. Grab your copy here.

Anteros UK Live Dates 2019
26/03 Banquet Records in-store, London
27/03 Rough Trade in-store, Bristol
28/03 Rough Trade in-store, Nottingham
07/04 The Waterfront, Norwich
08/04 The Joiners, Southampton
09/04 Scala, London
11/04 Mama Roux’s, Birmingham
12/04 Dryden Street Social, Leicester
13/04 Arts Club, Liverpool
15/04 Stereo, Glasgow
16/04 The Cluny, Newcastle
17/04 The Gorilla, Manchester
19/04 Bodega Social Club, Nottingham
20/04 The Key Club, Leeds

Mark Docherty

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Track Of The Day: The Franklys – ‘Not Guilty’

‘Not Guilty’, taken from The Franklys’ upcoming new EP, is pure rock ‘n’ roll. The opening riffs hook you in and by the time the big, shout-along choruses and pure-pop harmonies hit, you’re having a full-on shimmy in your seat. Or at least I was.

Much like The Donnas or Joan Jett and The Runaways, ‘Not Guilty’ feels effortlessly cool and stupid amount of fun. It’s empowering, exciting and threatens to get stuck in your brain until the end of time.

The Franklys say they formed when Swedish Jen Ahlkvist and Fanny Broberg came to London “intent on carving out a vital new sound”. And if ‘Not Guilty’ is representative of the rest of their material, it feels like they’re doing just that. They’re really putting their own spin on macho garage rock, and I love it.

Framed, the upcoming EP from The Franklys, is out 5th April.

Victoria Conway

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LISTEN: Gurr – ‘Fake News’

Gurr‘s latest track ‘Fake News’ is a poignant observation on the world’s indifference to the opinions of others. The single is taken from the band’s upcoming EP She Says, which is set for release on 5th April. It will also be accompanied by a video shot by visual artist Shelby Sells.

The German duo – formed of Laura Lee & Andreya Casablanca – were inspired to write the song by the current political climate, as well as a recent trip to London. The pair explain further: “‘Fake News’ was a direct response to what was going on (and still is) politically at the time, and the growing gap I feel between people leaning both left and right. I think with press and algorithms, we are only fed the kind of news we already believe in and agree with, which is super dangerous”.

“The song then connects that to an experience I had when we visited the the BBC for an interview with Huw Stephens. We went inside and there was this gigantic newsroom with so many screens but no windows at all. I found that a bit disturbing: Like here’s the people making the news and they can’t look outside.”

Gurr are currently in the middle of performing at SXSW, followed by tours in Germany and USA next month. We’re looking forward to hearing their new EP, and hope the rest of the tracks are just as cutting and well-crafted as ‘Fake News’. Listen to the track below and follow Gurr on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Miriam Marlene Waldner

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment