Track Of The Day: Dronningen – ‘Superstardom’

London-based Italians, Beatrice Bonnano (vocals/guitar) and Vito Cerasia (lead guitar), formed Dronningen (meaning Queen in Norwegian) in 2014 and have been gigging on the London scene for a number of years. They’ve released three EPs thus far and in a live setting originally possessed a grunge-inspired rock vibe with pop undertones. Having re-jigged their band line-up they have metamorphosed into an electro-tinged rock beast – their live set-up now streamlined to a three-piece with beloved session drummer, Alberto Voglino. 

Their new single takes off like a rocket, as per the opening line, and is a super-charged anthem of drone attack buzzy guitars and synth bass rhythms the size of a cruise liner. ‘Superstardom’ kicks up a gear as the kaleidoscopic chorus bursts into the room, riding high on a bed of warm layered vocals. This lot aren’t taking any prisoners. Is this rock, pop or dance music? Who cares when it sounds this fresh!  

Discussing their new single, the band explain: “‘Superstardom’ is a song about fighting self-sabotage… It’s about reaching a flourishing state after working towards fulfilling your goals, without inhibitions. We feel this song is highly relatable to many in a society where you’re made to feel like you’re never good enough. Ultimately, our message is this: just focus on doing your thing and do it well for yourself, filter out all the background noise and pressure”.

Starved of performing live during lockdown, the band were afforded a moment of clarity and space to invest in creativity. They took to writing new material and Vito grappled with self-teaching himself video production, which bore fruit in the shape of the technical wizardry that is the music clip for January’s ‘Theatrical Love’ single. 

On the recent Italian election win of Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party, Beatrice and Vito voice their concern: “We hope that the victory of politicians who won the general election by stoking hatred and using inflammatory rhetoric will not be interpreted by some as a free pass to attack minorities or whoever they think is the enemy. There can be no going back over hard-won rights, such as abortion, same-sex unions and basic support for asylum seekers. Nobody wants to live in a Margaret Atwood novel. We deeply love our home country so we hope for the best.” 

Speaking of subjects which the band have far more control over, they confide: “Our plan for next year is releasing more music, more live shows and, most importantly, we have a debut album on the horizon”. As the band say: “Your life is now. Your time to thrive is now”.


Dronningen will be headlining The Victoria in Dalston, London on Saturday, 12th November – free tickets are available on Dice. Hear more from Dronningen on their Bandcamp page.

Mandy Bang
@mandybang

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Track Of The Day: Weekend Recovery – ‘Chemtrails’

Weekend Recovery’s latest track, ‘Chemtrails‘, is a direct response to the rampant spread of misinformation, both on unregulated social channels and in the mainstream news media. From start to finish, the song captures the emotional journey of watching dangerous lies spread through your community. It takes the frustration and annoyance of that experience, and condenses it into a few minutes of unbelievably catchy music.

‘Chemtrails’ hits heavy from the start, with fuzzy guitars, throbbing drums and lyrics delivered in a way that aches with feeling driving them. By titling the track, the band have created a clever metaphor that bleeds into its structure – it takes a conspiracy theory popularised by tools spreading misinformation, and uses it to critique those exact tools. It’s a fun parallel that shows the group’s skills when it comes to crafting lyrics with depth, nuance and sharp commentary.

The lyrics strike that delicate balance between being relatable, while still capturing a specific moment. A huge proportion of the people listening to this song will know the exhaustion of hearing another tired cover of Freebird at an open mic; it wouldn’t surprise me if the band (perhaps each member individually) and every one of those listeners will have the face in mind of a specific bland performer who finally tipped the scales and made Freebird unlistenable for them. These words are fuelled by vocals soaked with feeling – there is an initial aggression to them that captures the rage you feel seeing people legitimise dangerous lies. They relax into an almost spoken section heavy with sarcasm that is cathartic to hear. These are bookended by upbeat, bouncy lines that let you fall back into the space where, if nothing else, you have to laugh at the situation. The strings ramp up to the climatic finish to wrap all those emotions into a powerful scream, which swiftly drops back into the bouncy vocals before it implodes like your mental health after too much time in the wrong corner of Twitter.

In ‘Chemtrails’, Weekend Recovery have captured the nuanced anguish of being caught in a constant untrustworthy news cycle, and made it catchy as hell at the same time.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

Photo Credit: Keira Anee Photography

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ALBUM: A Void – ‘Dissociation’

Since their formation, A Void – the London-via-Paris triple threat of guitarist/vocalist Camille Alexander, bassist Aaron Hartmann, and drummer/backing vocalist Marie Niemiec – have been channelling their societal frustrations into a style of unapologetic alt-noise-grunge all of their own, with a punk-as-fuck riot grrrl attitude. From their 2016 EP, Roses As Insides, to their 2018 debut LP, Awkward and Devastated, A Void exude cathartic rage through raw visceral energy.

Mixed and mastered by Jason Wilson at Stakeout Studios, A Void’s sophomore LP Dissociation is a more mature record, spanning a song-writing period of two years, but no less aggressive than their previous offerings. Opening with the one-two punch of ‘Sad Events Reoccur’ – a six-minute punk rager presented in two parts – the trio take no prisoners with a Dinosaur Jr.-esque fuzz.

Propelled by L7 inspired chaotic energy and Hartmann’s heavy-as-fuck basslines, Alexander and Niemiec’s sing/screaming vocal harmonies throughout ‘Stepping on Snails’ encourage us to break free from anxiety, and embrace life through hypnotic grunge. Alexander’s intoxicating punk guitar groove throughout ‘One of a Kind’ is relatively calm in contrast to the trashing breakdown of ‘Newspapers’ – “Instead of destroying myself, I decided to destroy everyone’s ears!” – and its doom-sounding counterpart ‘Bag of Skulls’. Whiplash is expected!

‘Sick As a Dog’ follows as a dark, cathartic track detailing the fear of abandonment; “the idea of channelling pain through several emotional states”. Mental health is a reoccurring theme in the band’s lyrics – Alexander not shying away from her emotions as she screams with a sense of hopelessness: “When all the changes make you lose the plot / and bring you into a state of dissociation.”

From the distorted guitar sludge of ‘2B Seen’ to the softer dissonant strings of ‘5102’, A Void’s bewitching sound is vampiric, demanding your energy as you headbang along to the snap of Niemiec’s rhythm, and Alexander’s emotional outbursts: “I’d rather face my fears alone than with someone like you / …toxic mermaids are swimming around you / They wanna suck all the blood that’s inside you!”

Taking inspiration from nineties punk-infused grunge, reminiscent of Hole, Silverchair and Sonic Youth, the nostalgia-inducing playfulness of ‘In Vain’ and ‘Bad Habits’ leads to the anthemic closing track ‘Sonic Untitled’ – a vitriolic attack on toxic masculinity. “Just give and give and give and give and give and get nothing! / So scared to live in the shadow of a woman…”

“When you compose an album like this, each song is a reflection of a different personality…”, the band explain. From mental health and heartbreak to womanhood, A Void confidently stage-dive into twelve cathartic tracks of justified punk rock angst; delivering a deeply personal record of riotous grunge.


Dissociation, the new album from A Void, is out now. Buy here.

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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Track Of The Day: Ideal host – ‘The Conflict’

“Confusion’s a ritual in the routine of the office” observes Ideal Host vocalist Heather Perkins over brooding riffs and post-punk inspired beats on the band’s latest single, ‘The Conflict’. Following on from their debut track ‘Dining Out In The Afterlife’, this latest offering is a more sardonic cacophony that explores the antagonistic nature of the everyday routine.

Led by Heather Perkins and Sean Hughes who are both former members of the band Slowcoaches, Ideal Host is their new project, inspired by the need to make music on their own terms. After Heather decided to step away from writing & recording in 2019, the pair have come back to work together and evolve their sound under their new moniker.

“I had reached a point where I felt restricted creatively, because I was often relying on other people to interpret my ideas,” Heather explains further. “Learning the skills I need to translate what is in my head into something tangible has been a real revelation. De-mystifying the basics of recording and having the option to experiment with both analogue and digital approaches has given me a much broader palette to work from. Sean and I have enjoyed taking a slower, more considered approach to making music this time.”

This consideration has helped to shape their two eclectic singles ‘Dining Out In The Afterlife’ and ‘The Conflict’, which Ideal Host recently performed during a live session for Marc Riley on BBC 6Music. The band are planning to release their debut album in early 2023 and will be playing a string of live dates too.

Listen to ‘The Conflict’ below.

Follow Ideal Host on Spotify and bandcamp

Artwork: Ryan Heath

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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