Track Of The Day: KÁRYNN – ‘Segment & The Line’

Atmospheric, ambient, and sharply produced: multidisciplinary artist, composer and vocalist KÁRYYN has shared her latest single ‘Segment & The Line’. The track is part of Quanta 11:11, a double-A-side release comprised of this single, and ‘Today, I Read Your Life Story 11:11’. KÁRYYN has also announced her signing to Mute, and that she’ll be releasing her debut album in 2019.

Fueled by grief, self-discovery, love, quantum physics, and the impact humans have on each other – KÁRYYN’s music spans a variety of themes and genres, making it all the more interesting. Speaking about the new track, she explains: “When this song came out of me, it came out in one go. Like a crow flying deep into the forest in order to bring out the jewels, I had to enter that darkness to discover the truth.” ‘Segment & The Line’ muses on impermanence and the reality of facing the consequences of our actions – something we can all relate to.

We’re looking forward to hearing more of KÁRYYN’s altruistic sounds. Listen to ‘Segment & The Line’ below and follow her on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Derek Hutchison

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Ruby Throat – ‘Stone Dress’

Far removed from her Riot Grrrl days fronting Daisy Chainsaw and Queen Adreena, Katie Jane Garside has returned under the moniker of Ruby Throat, with her brand new album Stone Dress (released via One Little Indian on 9th November). Garside has firmly remained a Grrrl at the front on her new venture; but everything else is stripped back, turned down, and mellowed out – revealing her softer side.

“After ten, fifteen years, I was done with the assault of drums and guitars obliterating me” explains Garside. “[It’s] a beautiful thing, on the one hand, but I enforced on Ruby Throat that it should be mainly acoustic, and there should be no drums. I wanted the voice to lead it, without being held down by someone else’s rhythm.” Accompanied by her long-time partner Chris Whittingham, Garside achieves just that on Stone Dress.

The title track showcases her gentle, wispy vocals which flow over carefully picked guitar for seven full minutes. The opener has particular significance for Garside, as she wrote it whilst pregnant with her daughter – which explains the cautious, dark-lullaby quality of her lyrics: “My stone dress is me walking through the world, weighed down by the agony of life, but I’m swimming with birds because, in utero, I’ve got a baby inside”.

The mythical sounding ‘Swan and the Minotaur’ follows like a haunting fable, with the relatable lyric “I’m in love with a troubled man” repeated in heartfelt style. ‘Also Elizabeth Daughter Of The Above’ is another fairytale-esque offering, with Garside’s wild wails counteracted by her softer, story-telling. The exquisitely rough ‘Dog Song’ is definitely one of the strongest tracks on the record, with brash lyrics and an infectious rhythm, allowing Garside to master her quiet-to-loud vocal delivery perfectly, whilst Whittingham’s reverb-strewn guitar guides her along.

‘Bus Stop On Holloway Road’ hosts tender reflections on time and place, people and their situations, whilst following track ‘Beneath My Undress’ is an understated, revealing ballad. ‘In The Arms Of Flowers’ sounds as poetic as its namesake, with Garside’s whispers lulling listeners through their “darkest hour”, and the wonderfully named ‘Marybell (rides Into Town On A Pig)’ has unusual swagger for an acoustic track, with the pair’s musical and lyrical convictions painting a vivid image of Marybell astride her chosen beast.

Garside gathers her thoughts on ‘Rake’, before her hushed vocals on ‘Billows Her Skirt’ act like the breeze that moves the fabric of her garments – her harmonies rising and falling in sublime style. Penultimate track ‘Hu’u’ flows in the same vein, before ‘Ghost Boy’ closes the record on an ethereal, tuneful note.

Existing fans of Katie Jane Garside’s music will be stunned by her simplistic approach on Ruby Throat’s debut Stone Dress, and new fans will be entirely captivated by her honest, intriguing new venture. Well worth a listen.

Order your copy of Ruby Throat’s debut album Stone Dress here.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LIVE: Laura Gibson @ Queen Elizabeth Hall, 13.11.18

Having first fallen in love with Laura Gibson’s delicate, soaring vocals upon hearing 2016’s Empire Builder, it was an honour to be able to catch her live at one of my favourite London spaces last Tuesday.

Upon commencing her set at Queen Elizabeth Hall, a humble Gibson takes to the stage along with a trio of musicians, thanking us all for being there and revealing that when she creates music, she’s at her “most alone” but now – sharing her creations with us – she’s at her “most connected”. Immediately oozing her trademark spellbinding charm, and looping together layers of twinkling musicality, she treats our ears to a selection of offerings, from both her new album Goners and 2016’s aforementioned collection. From the majestic, folk-strewn melodies of the likes of ‘Slow Joke Grin’ and the sparkling splendour of ‘I Carry Water’ to the gentle, stirring emotion of ‘Damn Sure’, each poignant track tugs at the heartstrings in all the right ways.

Despite issues with a broken cable , Gibson remains calm, maintaining her charming rapport and endearing humour with the crowd throughout – “Well, the cable has been around the world with me, I guess London will be its final resting place”. And, when recalling the difficulties of touring Goners in certain European countries where the word doesn’t quite translate, her gentle wit continues to shine through.

With the majority of the set seeing Gibson at the helm of the keys, with her new material having generally more of an eclectic, musically varied sound that older offerings, she reveals that “… it’s been good to be free from the guitar strap”, before placing it over her head once more and breaking into the gritty whirring hooks of ‘Tenderness’. Succeeding in casting her spell over the crowd, Gibson’s sweeping vocals and heartfelt emotion is showcased at its more raw and spine-tinglingly powerful in (personal favourite) ‘Marjory’; a beautifully intimate offering complete with heady, soul-stirring strings courtesy of Kyleen King.

Following the closing two tracks from Goners, ‘Thomas’ and ‘I Don’t Want Your Voice To Move Me’, Gibson draws the set to a close with the glistening, uptempo sounds of Empire Builder’s ‘Not Harmless’. And all at once it becomes crystal clear that she is perfectly suited to playing in a venue of such prestige; the exquisite cinematic splendour of each and every offering matching its subtle grandeur completely.

Although I unfortunately had to make my way home before Dan Mangan took to the stage (and apparently played some wonderful songs with Laura too), what I did see of Gibson I am extremely grateful for. In a world that’s so swamped in darkness and fear at the moment, I couldn’t help but be filled with a certain sense of hope witnessing her heartfelt, exquisite grace and dreamy allure.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Track Of The Day: The Motion – ‘Hollow’

Born and raised on the Isle Of Wight, Penny Churchill – aka The Motion – now creates their unique, emotionally driven alt-pop in South London, having studied at Goldsmiths and decided to stay in the area, drawn to its rich culture and like-minded people. A non-binary, genderqueer project, The Motion recently debuted their live show at The Gladstone Arms, before being a wonderful guest on our very own show on Hoxton Radio, and charming us all live at The Finsbury.

Now, The Motion has finally shared their dreamy debut single. Exploring post-breakup feelings and sensibilities, ‘Hollow’ flows with a shimmering soundscape as Penny’s rich, sumptuous vocals soar. Amongst swirling layers of instrumentation, an emotion-strewn haze builds to a powerful swell of glitchy whirring hooks, creating a colourful slice of psychedelic electro-pop. Combined with a raw, heartfelt lyricism, Churchill treats our ears to a glistening fusion sounds, showcasing their unique songwriting talent, marking themselves out as a definite one to watch.

Of the track, Penny expands: “‘Hollow’ is a song about exploring the mind set and feelings of space and emptiness surrounding a break up. The lyrics flip between narrating and then being in the moment, kind of like zooming in on specific moments and unpacking them.”

Watch the brand new lyric video for ‘Hollow’ here:

Catch The Motion live at the following dates:

5th January: The Water Rats with Dead or Alive, London
5th February: The Finsbury Pub with Stop Look Listen, London

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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