Video Premiere: Piney Gir – ‘Show Me The Lightning’

Having toured the UK, Europe, Australia and America extensively over the years – singing and playing keys/percussion with Gaz Coombes, performing and arranging backing vocals for Noel Gallagher, and supporting the likes of Ride, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Magic Numbers (to name a few!) -, Piney Gir has recently released her new EP, Cosmic Upside Down. Completing a magical trilogy of releases, following Alchemy Hand in 2022 and its predecessor Astral Spectra in 2021, the EP marks twenty years since Piney Gir released her first album, Peakahokahoo. Touching on themes ranging from climate change to feminism, it maintains the spiritual roots and majestic immersive splendour that we’ve come to know and love from the self-proclaimed ‘witch’ of indie-pop.

Taken from the EP, ‘Show Me The Lightning‘ sees Piney embracing the storm of her emotions. Dripping in psychedelic synths and glistening reverb, it offers a powerful slice of retro garage-rock, complete with ’60s-inspired organs and cyclical guitar, as Piney declares she “wants to feel it all”. Impossible not to get caught up in its jaunty, lilting energy and the sparkling allure of Piney’s lush honey-sweet vocals, it offers an uplifting and captivating ode to the power of the natural elements; recognising how weathering a storm can help us to grow. She explains:

“In the song I kind of dare the elements to pull out all the stops! Like, give it to me, I want to feel it all!  And that’s true, I want to feel everything, the good and the bad, the highs and the lows. I think it’s important to be in touch with the whole spectrum of emotion & not numb the stormy weather, but to go with it.”

‘Show Me The Lightning’ is accompanied by a brand new new video, created and directed by Parenthesis Dot Dot Dot. Depicting Piney Gir as a quirky, witchy weather girl, and featuring appearances from an ominichord, dog puppets and even an ‘omin-dog’, it offers a wonderfully off-kilter visualisation of the track; a fun-filled tale of supernatural forces which is not to be missed! Talking about the inspirations behind the making of the video, the director explains:

“The original idea came from one of Nick Cave’s documentaries about when he moved to the UK, and began obsessively writing about the weather in an altered state. So much so that he started to believe that he was in control of the weather. It then spiralled out of control and became something bigger, a sort of weird Tim Burton-esque B-movie thing involving special effects and puppets!“

Piney adds:

“I love how deranged and happy he coaxed me to be as the weather girl filling the world with storms… I really enjoyed the bit where I bring the Omni-dog to life. I can’t believe Parenthesis made that dog puppet overnight, its teeth were made of rubber bands, and it fit perfectly around my Omnichord! Was ridiculously fun shooting this!“

Watch the “ridiculously fun” new video for ‘Show Me The Lightning’, for the first time, here:


Cosmic Upside Down, the new EP from Piney Gir, is out now on No Distance Records. Download / listen on bandcamp now. And don’t miss a special night celebrating 20 years since Piney Gir’s first album on 13th October at The Lexington – she’ll be joined by a superstar line-up including Anat Ben-David (Chicks On Speed) and  Psycho Delia (Robots in Disguise) and DJ Chewy She – nab tickets here!

Mari Lane
@marimindles



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WATCH: Roller Derby – ‘Ready To Forget’

‘Ready to Forget‘ is the latest single from Hamburg-based dream pop duo Roller Derby. The track opens with a solid, simple drum beat before a lush, nostalgic ’80s-style synth riff sweeps in, supported by a warm, driving bassline and jangly guitars. The vocals, delivered with a delicate lilt, are filtered to create a slightly muffled yet effective sound. The song’s layered, textured arrangement feels upbeat but is tinged with a signature melancholic edge, culminating in a larger-than-life, uplifting chorus that lingers long after the track ends.

The melody weaves around subtly, set low in the mix with a soft, understated delivery. Blending elements of ’80s new wave, melodic indie and jangle pop, ‘Ready To Forget’ captivates the ears with its shimmering synth-filled soundscape. It’s reminiscent of artists like Beach House, Men I Trust, and Alvvays, with vocals evoking the style of Angel Olsen. The slick production, handled by Moses Schneider, enhances the track’s polished, dreamy atmosphere.

The song delves into themes of change and acceptance, accompanied by a quirky, fun, and tongue-in-cheek video. The video creatively unfolds through a series of computer and phone interfaces, featuring video calls, emails, texts, online chats, and Google searches. Adding to the playful concept, it follows a humorous storyline of taking a flight to “nowhere” – nowhere being Greenland. Watch the video here:

Roller Derby is made up of Philine Meyer (vocals, keys) and Manuel Romero Soria (guitar). Following the success of their 2023 EP Always on My Mind, the duo has been selling out shows across Europe over the last couple of years, including The Shacklewell Arms in London, and with performances at Reeperbahn Festival and SXSW.

When The Night Comes, the debut album from Roller Derby, is set for release on 28th February 2025. Pre-order here. To celebrate the album’s release, Roller Derby will be heading over to the UK for a run of gigs next May, including The Lexington in London on 9th May, and The Rossi Bar in Brighton on 10th May. Tickets on Dice now!

Ella Patenall
@ella_patenall

Photo Credit: Lili Albrecht

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WATCH: Piney Gir – ‘Witches & Covens’

Twenty years since her debut album, Peakahokahoo, Kansas-born London-based Piney Gir has returned to grace our ears with her new EP Cosmic Upside Down, completing a mystical-themed trilogy which follows Alchemy Hand in 2022 and Astral Spectra in 2021.

To celebrate the release, Piney has shared a beautiful new video for EP track ‘Witches & Covens’. With a laid-back pacing and almost jazzy feel, the track is complemented by warmly delivered, resonant vocals with an exquisite timeless grace. Bringing to mind artists like Weyes Blood, Lana Del Rey, and Suzanne Vega, the shimmering and swirling sound effects in the background give it an ethereal quality. As saxophones harmonise beautifully at either end of the track, a further warmth and richness exudes, as the catchy riffs stay with you long after the song finishes.

Accompanying the lush soundscape is a delightfully charming video, created using nostalgic and sophisticated stop-motion animation. Featuring a moving scene with the created animals in a seemingly cosy home environment, but clearly experiencing some conflict with each other, it was created and directed by Rhys Williams (of Williams Brothers Creative) and based around his doodles, forming part of its own animated world that you’ll want to immerse yourself in fully after watching.

Despite the track’s lilting, upbeat vibes, it actually offers a reflection on unresolved pain and betrayal. Piney explains “‘Witches & Covens’ is quite a vibe-shift from the other tracks on the EP – the other tracks are more strident and assertive, uplifting and bittersweet, or magical and mystical, but this is my ‘embracing the darkness’ track, because sometimes you just gotta go dark for a bit.”

For those, like me, curious and excited to hear what the rest of the EP has to offer, Cosmic Upside Down is available to listen to on all streaming platforms. Released on No Distance Records, the EP was produced and mixed by Tomas Greenhalf at Direktorenhaus and mastered by Kevin Tuffy at Manmade Mastering. Check out the video for ‘Witches & Covens’ below! 

Catch Piney Gir celebrating twenty years since her debut album, live at The Lexington on 13th October, with a superstar line-up featuring Anat Ben-David (Chicks On Speed), Psycho Delia and a DJ set from Chewy She. Nab tickets now!

Ella Patenall
@ellapatenall

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WATCH: The Baby Seals – ‘Yawn Porn’

Following the release of their debut album, Chaos, earlier this year, and ahead of their headline gig with us at The Cavendish Arms on 12th September, Cambridgeshire feminist punks The Baby Seals have shared a homemade video for album track ‘Yawn Porn‘. Showcasing the band’s ability to bring a cathartic sense of fun to poignant subject matter, the track races with a driving energy and gritty raw emotion, offering a fierce take down of the continuing sexism and derogatory imagery that consumes the world’s porn industry. Of the track, front woman Kerry explains:

“Porn has been something I’ve been concerned about for a few years now, especially as I have friends with young children who could have access to it soon. And it always seems to end in the same way, with the same theme of women being minimalised, and always in a submissive role. ‘Yawn Porn’ is about the fact that I’d like the industry to shake it up a bit, and to celebrate women enjoying sex. I think we are failing our young people by allowing the industry to continue in a way that is derogatory towards women, and feel that we should be guiding young people to have healthy sexual relationships.”

The video for ‘Yawn Porn’ was filmed by the band in Brighton, and features some punk friends that they made on the beach that day, dancing and singing along to the track. Kerry adds, “I like that all our videos are very DIY, because I want people who might not necessarily be confident enough to pick up a guitar or be in a band to watch them and to know that anyone can do it as long as you’re having a good time!”

Watch the brand new video for ‘Yawn Porn’ here:


Don’t miss the chance to catch The Baby Seals live at The Cavendish Arms, next Thursday 12th September. Support comes from indie legend Charley Stone and exciting new band Skutterfly. Tickets are cheaper in advance, and it really helps us and the bands if you’re able to nab yours sooner rather than later – so, pick one up on Dice now!

Chaos, the debut album from The Baby Seals, is out now via Trapped Animal / Green Island / Big Romantic.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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