LISTEN: RUEN – ‘Bad Behaviour’

A brooding pop-rock gems,  Margate based producer-turned-artist Ruen has shared her debut single ‘Bad Behaviour’. The track is a slow-burning mix of sultry vocals and atmospheric guitars, which she penned after helping a friend out of a toxic relationship.

Ruen started her career behind the scenes helping other artists bring their visions to life. Working with the likes of Laura Marling, Bryde, Kimberly Anne, DIDI and Emma McGrath, she’s now decided to channel her production and engineering skills into her own music.

“The song was inspired by being close to someone in an abusive relationship,” explains Ruen about her new single. “Witnessing the negative cycle of going back again and again, after being repeatedly hurt. It’s as if they were becoming addicted to the abusers bad behaviour.”

Listen to ‘Bad Behaviour’ below and catch Ruen live at The Finsbury on July 3rd.

Follow Ruen on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

LIVE: Hinds @ Electric Brixton, 19.04.18

Following their debut in 2016, and having wowed us at Visions Festival back in 2015, and Green Man Festival last year, I was super keen to make the hat-trick and catch vivacious Spanish quartet Hinds live at the relatively local venue of Electric Brixton.

Bringing with them the Madrid sunshine (and commenting that some of us “even look a little burnt”), following support sets from Horsey and Baywaves, Hinds bound onto the stage, immediately oozing their truly infectious charisma and kicking things off with ‘The Club’, opening track from their brand new album I Don’t Run. 2016’s ‘Chilli Town’ is greeted by whoops and cheers as the band continue to exude their joyous, jangly scuzz.

With each moment spent with this band, the sheer sense of glee heightens, such is the sunny spirit of Carlotta, Ana, Ade and Amber. Propelled by an unrelenting, uplifting energy, they launch into a vibrant cover of Kevin Ayers’ ‘Caribbean Moon’ as the crowd dance along in buoyant bliss.

The sense of delight remains when Carlotta gets told by the venue that crowd-surfing is not allowed; despite the disappointment, she continues in typical, beautifully breezy fashion for the next few songs. Even when introducing ‘Tester’ with the evident bitterness of a past relationship – “We repeat six times in this song ‘should I’ve known before you were also banging her?'” – the mood remains as the band continue to blast out their feisty, frenzied lo-fi garage rock.

Following the cacophonous bliss of personal favourite ‘Bamboo’, fellow Madrid band Baywaves join the stage and Hinds show the world (Brixton) that they make their own rules, as Carlotta and Ana launch into the crowd and surf away, their bodies floating atop a mass of adoring, sweaty fans. A glorious chaos ensues, bringing the set to a momentary close.

Returning to the stage for a few more fantastically energy-fuelled blasts, Hinds have treated us to a perfectly euphoric evening; a most fitting accompaniment to Thursday’s fleeting heatwave, it’s sunny and spirited in all the right ways, leaving me grinning from cheek to cheek in utter bliss.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

 

Track Of The Day: LIERS – ‘Universal Female’

A torrent of alternative sound designed to shake your ear drums and get your feet stomping, Dublin-based LIERS have shared their debut single ‘Universal Female’. Formed of vocalist Liz Seaver, Ed Scanlan (Lead guitarist), Stephen Farrell (Bassist) and Ronan O’Hanlon (Drummer), LIERS are inspired by the sound of 90’s bands like Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Oasis, Smashing Pumpkins and PJ Harvey.

The band will be celebrating the release of their debut single by joining Sub Motion to open for post-grunge rockers Fangclub at Whelan’s in Dublin on Thursday April 26th. With the support of Polite Society (Fangclub, Long Tail, Vulpynes) and an EP release lined up on Headwire Records later this year, 2018 is set to be a big year for LIERS.

Listen to ‘Universal Female’ below and follow LIERS on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Track Of The Day: Witch Fever – ‘Toothless’

Having blown us away with their live show at The Finsbury back in January, and received acclaim for their immense last single ‘Carpet Asphyxiation’, Manchester’s Witch Fever are back to blast into our ears with another raging offering.

Propelled by thrashing riffs and pummelling beats, ‘Toothless’ immediately hits you with its intense, ferocious energy. Oozing the seething, snarling power of front-woman Amy’s vocals, it’s another explosive slice of raw, grunge-fuelled rock that once again proves Witch Fever to be a unique, formidable force to be reckoned with.

(*Strobe Warning*)

‘Toothless’ is out now via Black Bleach Records.

Mari Lane
@marimindles