Premiere: Kadija Kamara – ‘Like You’

Having received accolades such as MTV Iggy Artist Of The Week and praise from the likes of PRS for Music and Tom Robinson, London artist Kadija Kamara has previously provided backing vocals for Zara McFarlane on Later… with Jools Holland, and is now set to release a brand new EP.

Taken from the EP, ‘Like You’ is an utterly dreamy sonic delight. As sweeping strings and choral harmonies provide the backdrop to Kamara’s magnificent, soulful vocals, it oozes a twinkling, emotion-strewn splendour that’ll tug at the heartstrings in all the right ways. Reflecting on themes of selfhood and vulnerability, ‘Like You’ graces our ears with its swooping, ethereal soundscape and delicate romanticism, standing out as an exquisite piece of songwriting.

Listen to ‘Like You’, for the first time, here:

 

As well as writing truly beautiful songs, Kadija is also a woman after our own hearts; she curates a night called ‘Lady’, showcasing female musicians in the underground and commercial scenes, with regular nights at The Finsbury. Definitely worth checking out!

Nothing Left To Lose, the new EP from Kadija Kamara, is out tomorrow 9th February.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Garry Carbon

 

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Track Of The Day: Berries – ‘Faults’

Having blown us away many a time with the raw passion of their energy-fuelled live shows (including playing for us at The Finsbury and a special acoustic set for us on Hoxton Radio), London trio Berries are fast becoming the next big thing. With acclaim from the likes of John Kennedy and Tom Robinson, and sold out shows at Camden Rocks and Tramlines already under their belts, they’re now back with a glorious new single.

Propelled by the band’s whirring energy, ‘Faults’ oozes smooth riffs and the distinctive, smouldering vocals of Holly Carter. Complete with wonderfully tongue-in-cheek lyrics (“I’m useless at home, but I’m your house wife…”) and rolling beats, it’s another fantastically frenzied, raw slice of perfect alt-rock from the trio.

Of the track, Carter explains:

“We feel this track showcases a different side to us, we have taken our sound in a different direction… ‘Faults’ still has all the energy and breakdowns that we love but with an added eerie, bluesy element in the verses.”

 

‘Faults’, the new track from Berries, is out Friday 9th February. And you can catch them live next month:

2nd March – Liverpool, Sound
3rd March – Manchester, Aatma
16th March – London, Camden Assembly
23rd March – Brighton, Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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ALBUM: Thunder On The Left – ‘National Insecurity’

Political music may be making a comeback, after all. After the minimalist street-poetry of Sleaford Mods, and the funk-goth-jazz of Nadine Shah, comes the alt.rock/metal styles of Thunder On The Left. Based in East London, the trio of Arun (drums), Adam (bass) and Carla (guitar/vocals) keep their message as simple, and their sound as raw, as their name (inspired by Christopher Morley’s novel of dissatisfaction) would suggest.

Opener ‘Everybody Is Not Me’ is a statement of intent. A loud-quiet-loud squall of guitars, underneath Carla’s emphatic repetition, a conscious nod to Rage Against The Machine’s hip-hop metal lyrical style. Second track ‘Cliché’, with its feel of a messed-up military march and loud-hailer vocals, sounds like the product of pent-up rage, but still presents a self-aware comment on the nature popular music.  

‘Survivor’ is a bouncier number, kicking off like early noughties pop-punk. ‘Rather Be Dead Than Fake’ begins as another RATM-homage, but across the course of its four and a half minutes morphs into something more personal, with Carla’s vocals dominating and the song’s refrain sounding more and more like the band’s motto.

‘Interlude’ and ‘Vaporise The Bitch’ are two sides of the same coin: starting with near-gentle, emotionally calm lilts before bringing in the distorted bass, whilst ‘A Polite Fuck Off’ is a hair-metal thrash that moves into riff-heavy territory, with Carla’s voice coming off as both salty and sweet.

The album’s title track is the album’s standout: a robotic, hypnotic vocal, lamenting the ubiquity of “drones, clones, phones”, with a stormy rhythm section and the warning-wail of squealing guitar, as ‘Sign My Name’ is a doom-laden comment on our complacent relationship with capitalism.  Closer ‘Simply Eaten’, however, is the band’s epic take on religion and society – the title referring to the inescapable, all-consuming nature of materialist culture.

Recorded live in Wales across nine days, National Insecurity is an album that doesn’t pull any of its punches. With a sound as raucous as this, it’s no wonder the band have been developing a following for their live dates. And, with their staunch, revolutionary beliefs at odds to political orthodoxy in the US and UK, Thunder On The Left have picked the perfect storm to arrive in.

National Insecurity is out 9th February via Malevolent Records. Catch Thunder On The Left live this month:

12th February: Bristol, Rough Trade
13th February: Nottingham, Rough Trade
14th February: Sheffield, West Street Life
15th February: London, Rough Trade East (Album launch)
16th February: Oxford, The Wheatsheaf
20th February: Canterbury, Lady Luck Bar
22nd February: Leeds, Verve Bar

John McGovern
@etinsuburbiaego

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Track Of The Day: Soccer Mommy – ‘Cool’

A dreamy guitar tune that questions what it means to be popular, Nashville’s Soccer Mommy (aka Sophie Allison) has shared her latest single ‘Cool’. The track is taken from her upcoming album Clean, which is set for release via Fat Possum Records on 2nd March.

“’Cool’ focuses on this other person who’s desirable and it shows how sometimes you can romanticize the idea of being different than you are,” Allison explains. “It comes from a place of insecurity and idealization, which is a feeling that hangs over a lot of the album.” Soccer Mommy has a knack for writing about anxiety and “soft anger,” exploring frustration and insecurity through her laid-back vocals and melodic guitar.

Following a series of DIY Bandcamp releases and last year’s Collection, Clean is Allison’s journey out of her bedroom and into the studio with a full band. The new album has been produced by Gabe Wax (War On Drugs, Deerhunter, Beirut) and mixed by Ali Chant (Perfume Genius, PJ Harvey), so we’re sure it’s going to be an intricate, sharply executed piece of work. Soccer Mommy will be playing a UK tour in March, taking her to venues in Leeds, Manchester, London and finishing up in Brighton. Get your tickets here.

Listen to ‘Cool’ below.

Pre-order your copy of Soccer Mommy’s Clean here.

Follow her on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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