Track Of The Day: Forever Honey – ‘Singing To Let England Shake’

A bittersweet guitar tune about the uncertainty of not knowing where you stand with someone you’re close to, Brooklyn indie band Forever Honey have shared their latest single ‘Singing To Let England Shake’. Taken from their upcoming EP, Could I Come Here Alone, which is set for release on 30th August, the track is a gentle, hazy lament to the frustrated hours spent wondering what went wrong, and the more hopeful moments that follow these sometimes uncomfortable realisations.

Formed of longtime friends Liv Price, Aida Mekonnen, Steve Vannelli and Jack McLoughlin, Forever Honey have been working on their catchy brand of “sob-rock” over the past few years, in between “filming Trailer Park Boys-esque skits and fostering dogs.” Over the next few months, the band will be sharing tracks from their self-recorded, produced, and engineered new EP, with single ‘Singing To Let England Shake’ being the first offering form the record.

“‘Singing To Let England Shake'” is about feeling profoundly misunderstood by someone important to you, the isolation that comes from this realization, and the desire to feel a lightness again after something so painful,” guitarist Aida Mekonnen explains. “There’s something uniquely frustrating about being misinterpreted, and I think it creates an instant distance between you and the person you used to connect with.” Informed by the band’s own experiences, this single and the tracks that form Could I Come Here Alone will strike a cord with anyone who needs reassurance after a period of loneliness of disconnection.

Listen to ‘Singing To Let England Shake’ below.

Follow Forever Honey on YouTube, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Rita Iovine

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Maria Uzor – ‘Winner’ (feat. Emily Winng)

Following last year’s epic debut EP, Innocence and Worldliness, and having captivated us with the euphoric energy of her live show, Maria Uzor (of Sink Ya Teeth) has now shared another taster of her innovative solo material.

Originally released as a vinyl only B-side to ‘Permission’ on Heaven’s Lathe in March this year, ‘Winner‘ was written by Uzor in little more than 24 hours and features her good friend Emily Winng on vocal duties. Building with propulsive, immersive beats and a frenzied, whirring splendour, a swirling, glitchy soundscape is created oozing a dark, deep house allure and thumping techno energy. Racing with a frantic delirium, the track climaxes with the addition of Winng’s rich, soulful vocals, soaring with shades of the danceable drive of Moloko as gritty undertones swell beneath the surface. A majestic summer anthem for all those who like a bit of electro scuzz with their sunshine.

‘Winner’ is accompanied by an entertaining home-made video. With the concept conceived by Winng, and shot by Joel Benjamin, it plays on the meaning of the song title – depicting a mysterious bloody brawl between two friends. Of the video, Winng explains:

“Because of the song title, I thought a fight that continues to different locations throughout the duration could work. Maria and I have been friends for years so it felt totally comfortable getting down and dirty. She’s tough though!”

Uzor adds:

“It was so much fun filming the video… Inspiration came from all over the place; old kung fu flicks, Zombie B-movies, Street-fighter, Adam & The Ants, and definitely a bit of Prison Cell Block H in there too…”


‘Winner’ is out now. And you can get your hands on a limited edition 7″ lathe cut vinyl here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Track Of The Day: The Paranoyds – ‘Lizzie’

Following the release of 2019’s album Carnage Bargain and tracks such as ‘Pet Cemetery’ and last year’s ‘Egg Salad’, and having played alongside bands such as Jack White and Sunflower Bean, LA four-piece, Staz, Laila, Lexi and David – aka The Paranoyds – have now announced the release of their second album, Talk Talk Talk.

Taken from the album, new single ‘Lizzie‘ reflects on the mixed feelings of having a celebrity or otherworldly crush. Propelled by a retro, rockabilly energy, languid vocals flow alongside the whirring fuzz of jangly hooks, creating a scuzzy slice of riot grrrl-infused surf-pop. With its sunny, playful musicality juxtaposed with a racing, swirling drive, it builds with a frenzied allure to a perfectly uplifting summer anthem. Of the track, Lexi from the band explains:

“She’s cute, she’s passionate, she’s dedicated to her art, but there’s this one thing. She’s a walking contradiction. How does she consistently act in roles, where she plays a truth-seeker, a down-to-earth, relatable woman who’s usually trying to escape some sort of oppressive event or oppressive relationship and then in real life be completely bound to a religion with foundations that are essentially a science fiction novel?“

‘Lizzie’ is accompanied by a JJ Stratford-directed, wonderfully quirky new retro-tinged video which sees the band jetting off into space, donning tin foil hats and plenty of sass. Watch it here:

Talk Talk Talk, the upcoming new video from The Paranoyds, is set for release on 9th September via Third Man Records.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Track Of The Day: Okay, Bye – ‘Wasted’

An anthem that atones for the misspent time and energy directed towards saving a toxic relationship, Exeter-based “pastel punk” band Okay, Bye have shared their latest single ‘Wasted’. Informed by the band’s own experiences of living through such a draining connection, the track is full of relatable lyrics, thudding beats and raucous riffs.

Formed of Grace Harper (vocals & guitar), Abi Crisp (lead guitar, bass & backing vocals) and Tom Gilbert (drums), Okay, Bye released their second EP, Personal Hell, back in July 2020. Since then, the band have been busy playing live shows and working on new music, which comes in the form of latest single ‘Wasted’. The band re-frame their definition of love with the simple lyric “is that romantic / or is that just tragic?” – with Harper’s clear, yearning vocals reminiscent of Gwen Stefani’s during her No Doubt era.

“‘Wasted’ is the wake-up call we all wished we’d had in past relationships,” explains Harper. “It’s a cry of support for anyone stuck in a relationship with someone who drags them down; and an anthem of freedom for anyone who’s broken out of that. We want listeners to feel empowered and deserving when they hear this feisty punk banger – we all need to stop wasting time on those who don’t deserve us.”

Okay, Bye manage to push through these feelings of fear and apathy via garage-punk guitars and commanding beats, urging listeners to face up to the time they’ve lost and use the knowledge as motivation to move on and embrace a happier life.

Listen to ‘Wasted’ below.

 

Follow Okay, Bye on bandcamp, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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