Track Of The Day: Sprints – ‘Literary Mind’

A charged, euphoric rush of gritty guitars and cathartic vocals, Dublin four piece Sprints have shared their latest single ‘Literary Mind’. Released via Nice Swan Records and produced by Daniel Fox (Gilla Band), the track is a joyful, raucous ode to falling in love and fully submitting to the feeling, full of urgent riffs and heartfelt lyrics.

Fuelled by their need to create music which “matters and that means something,” Sprints have firmly established themselves as a compelling voice in the rock and alternative underground scenes since their inception in 2019, offering a refreshingly candid perspective on life, love and the politics that mar our experiences of both. The band’s new single ‘Literary Mind’ is a poignant and powerful anthem about overcoming unconscious bias, explicitly championing queer love and embracing the freedom that comes with this acceptance.

“‘Literary Mind’ is probably one of our most light-hearted songs in terms of subject matter, while still exploring something quite close to heart,” explains vocalist Karla Chubb. “It’s a real deep dive and exploration into the feeling of falling in love, particularly queer love, in which you feel like you’ve been conditioned to believe a heteronormative way of life is the only ‘right’ way to live, which leads to incredible difficulty and emotional oppression.

You push these feelings down, ignoring them, praying them away even but eventually with acceptance comes a rush of emotion that you never thought you’d feel. You unlock, finally, what it means to be happy and with it comes the rollercoaster of emotions, hot sweats, fever dreams, happiness, giddiness and excitement that we’ve tried to capture in the energy and pace of the song.”

Sprints will play a headline show at The Dome in Tufnell Park on 13th October. Grab your tickets here.

Watch the video for ‘Literary Mind’ below.

Follow Sprints on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: Niamh Barry

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Stella Donnelly – ‘Flood’

Just like the Australian shorebirds that adorn the cover of Flood, Stella Donnelly is in flux; wading into the water with an introspective sophomore record flowing with playful observations on human dynamics. Unlike the previous punk snark of her guitar-driven debut LP Beware of the Dogs, or her 2018 EP Thrush Metal, Flood feels far more self reflective and personal.

During her time living in Bellingen, the Aussie singer-songwriter reconnected with herself through birdwatching, forgetting who she was as a musician; a humbling experience of just being her “small self”. Leaving the subtropical rainforest, and passing through new locations like Fremantle, Williams, Guilderton, Margaret River and Melbourn, brought new approaches to her creativity. Donnelly spreads her wings on Flood; a collection of eleven narrative-driven tracks that are unafraid of showing vulnerability.

Uniquely, Donnelly writes from the perspective of various personas. Opening with indie-pop track ‘Lungs’ – the first single released from the LP – Donnelly assumes the role of a intimidatingly honest child whose family has just been evicted. “we put up with your shit to keep the power on / and I see the way you look at my dad and mum.” Lyrically it’s a stark contrast to the infectious instrumentation; a combination of twangy bass and bright, snappy synth. “Long live the asbestos on the rental!”

Delivering her verses in Courtney Barnett-esque spoken-word across breezy riffs, ‘How Was Your Day?’ reveals a struggling relationship through fragments of conversations; at odds with the warm tone of the track. “You said ‘I can’t do this anymore, I can’t do this anymore’ / We let our patterns of bad behaviours take over / I’m no longer keeping score.” ‘Restricted Account’ follows with a cacophony of melancholic piano notes and reverberated flugelhorn – courtesy of Jack Gaby and Julia Wallace respectively – before fading out to ‘Underwater’, Donnelly’s poignant lyrics tackling domestic abuse with sensitivity and understanding. “They say it takes a person seven tries to leave it / I can remember at least five.”

From the dreamy, brass-laden ‘Medals’, the piano-centric ballad ‘Move Me’, to the sweet sing-song melody of title track ‘Flood’, Donnelly’s soft vocals deliver astute observations over an expansive sound; tracks that rhythmically and thematically ebb and flow. ‘This Week’ ruminates on mental health, celebrating small moments of relief through self-care. “I know, not to get my hopes up / but I feel better.” But it’s the deeply personal, melancholic elegy, ‘Oh My My My’, that sees the Australian artist at her most vulnerable; grieving the loss of her grandmother.

The painfully literal ‘Morning Silence’ laments the generational “same old fight” of sexual and physical assault, before closing track ‘Cold’ finds Donnelly exploring Dolores O’Riordan-esque harmonies over a piano-led ethereal soundscape until the final cathartic chant: “You are not big enough for my love.” Like its predecessor, Flood engages its listeners with meaningful, empathetic storytelling and dry wit; the end result being a poignant soundtrack to the last days of summer when reality settles in.

 

Follow Stella Donnelly on Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Order your copy of Flood here

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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PREMIERE: DIVES – ‘Say’

Having formed back in 2016 at Pink Noise Girls Rock Camp and since shared stages with the likes of Courtney Barnett and L.A. Witch, Vienna trio DIVES have recently received acclaim for their beautiful recent session for NPR, and have now announced the release of their upcoming new album, following 2019’s debut Teenage Years Are Over.

Taken from the album, brand new single ‘Say‘ reflects on repeated patterns of behaviour in relationships, as it flows with a wonderfully scuzzy allure and rich, honey-sweet vocals. With shades of the sparkling zest of Alvvays or Lunar Vacation, a luscious slice of fuzz-filled surf-rock is created, propelled by jangly hooks and a shimmering lilting musicality. Instantly catchy, and impossibly uplifting, ‘Say’ offers a perfectly blissful end-of-summer anthem, glistening with a rippling sunny energy and immersive effervescent haze.

Of the track, the band explain:

“It’s about going in circles with one person over and over again, discussing the same topics, and reaching the limits of the relationship as you realize you can’t get out of the cycle even though you like each other so much.”

Watch/listen to ‘Say’ for the first time below:


‘Say’ will be available on all streaming platforms from tomorrow, 1st September. And Wanna Take You There, the upcoming second album from DIVES, is set for release 14th October via Siluh Records.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Marie Haefner

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Track Of The Day: Prima Queen – ‘Eclipse’

A buoyant guitar tune that laments the push-and-pull feeling of wanting to move on when you’re unable to forget the past, London-based Prima Queen have shared their latest single ‘Eclipse’. Produced by their friends The Big Moon, the new track brims with relatable romantic indecision, explored via Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden’s clear dual vocals, chant-worthy chorus and rolling riffs.

“’Eclipse’ is about the hesitation of entering into a new relationship while you’re still reeling from a heartbreak that fucked you up,” the band explain about their new single. “It was quite a cathartic group experience recording the song – we got to sing the last chorus all together at the top of our lungs. We released a lot of pent up rage we didn’t know we had.” In their search for closure, Prima Queen have crafted an upbeat indie gem with a compelling narrative, that sees them trying to supress the pain of a past love by attempting to move on with someone new.

The new single is also accompanied by a video, directed by Max McLachlan. The visuals show Louise and Kristin performing a choreographed dance routine amidst a group of construction workers, navigating their way through an empty building and finding their way back to each other. Prima Queen will embark on their debut UK headline tour later this year (dates below).

Watch the video for ‘Eclipse’.

Follow Prima Queen on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Prima Queen Tour Dates 2022
23rd November – Cluny 2, Newcastle
24th November – Broadcast, Glasgow
26th November – YES, Manchester
28th November – The Lexington, London

Photo Credit: Barbara Mrazkova

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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