Track Of The Day: Ruby Gill – ‘Public Panic Attacks’

If ever a song spoke directly to me, then it is ‘Public Panic Attacks’ – the resonant new single from Ruby Gill, a South African born, Melbourne-based musician and writer (and bird-watcher!). Its matter-of-fact and humorous lyricism follows a string of acclaimed releases since 2018, including the emotive folk-strewn splendour of ‘Your Mum’ and ‘you should do this for a living’.

The song starts off softly with delicate picked guitar as Ruby sings “Give me a second to breathe… heave my heavy heart….”, before leading us into the oncoming panic attack in a parking lot. The music speeds up with beautifully strummed dream-pop hooks, and a gently tapping rhythm as she tries to work out the cause – “is it the party or is it love…?” – as the backing vocals echo, creating a spellbinding atmosphere and build-up of tension throughout.

The bridge has the poignant lyric “am I scared of coming home, or is it the fear of being alone?”, before the gorgeous guitar solo glides seamlessly towards the abrupt conclusion “It has to..Stop!”

Certain to invoke rousing sing-a-longs, this anxiety anthem is as charismatic and infectious as they come. We all exhale with Ruby as the track draws to a close, transporting us to a happier place. Panic attacks have never felt so good.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

Photo Credit: Al Parkinson

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Track Of The Day: Cheerbleederz – ‘Nail Biters’

With their new track ‘Nail Biters‘, London trio Cheerbleederz have released an anxiety anthem that perfectly captures what it’s like having an internal monologue hell bent on torturing you.

The song feels simply constructed. It’s got a steady rhythm, lively guitar and backing vocals that weave around each other beneath the lead lines. Its complexity creeps in as the track goes on until it echoes the anxiety at its core; whilst the vocals begin softly, the lyrics describe anxiety that persistently nags at you and – while it lingers in the back of your mind as you go about your day – it never goes away. While the lead vocal puts the general pressure into words, the backing vocals reflect the teasing voices behind the scenes that induce the undue stress.

As anxiety finally takes over, the song ramps up into a panic. The lyrics stay the same, but everything gets louder, with the lead vocals becoming sharper and more emotive – you can feel the distress as it all finally becomes overwhelming. The repeated line “no worries if not” as the energy builds really captures the way anxiety makes you feel. It’s desperate to not take up space, not to burden anyone, not to cause any unnecessary problems. It’s insistent that there are no worries when the song as a whole is, in fact, about all-consuming worry.

‘Nail Biters’ encapsulates what anxiety feels like, in a fun way – a way that makes you feel seen. It’s reassuring to know that there are other people out there who overthink, and a gift to know that some of them are so talented that they can boil the awful experience down into a two-and-a-half minute indie-pop banger.

Cheerbleederz are set to release their upcoming debut album, even in jest, this summer via Alcopop! Records.

Kirstie Summers
@Actually Kurt

Photo Credit: Rich Mandell

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Track Of The Day: My Idea – ‘Breathe You’

With the final single from their debut album, New York duo My Idea rip up the rulebook. ‘Breathe You’ feels radically vulnerable. The intimacy of the lyrics and production make for uncomfortable listening: it’s the musical equivalent of hearing your neighbours arguing through paper-thin walls. 

The band, made up of Palberta’s Lily Konigsberg and Water from your Eyes’ Nate Amos, have talked about their latest album soundtracking a collective breaking point. And you can hear that so clearly in this duet. Amos’ lo-fi, electronically enhanced vocal collides starkly with the purity of Konigberg’s voice, stopping you in your tracks. And the conflict builds further with the song’s urgency and almost grotesque imagery that paints a picture of obsessive lust. 

Of the track, Amos explains:

“‘Breathe You’ was never really intended to be on the album. I made the hook/beat in the middle of a night when I was unable to sleep and sent it to Lily as a sort of ‘check out how ridiculous this is’ joke; she recorded the verses and sent it back within a day. This was during a really difficult time for both of us and we were processing our emotions in very different ways – I buried my sadness inside of humour and Lily wore hers on her sleeve… In spite of the absurdity of the song at a basic level, it ended up being as honest and accurate as anything we’ve made…”

Releasing ‘Breathe You’ as the last single of their first album is a stroke of genius from the band. It’s such an interesting song, both musically and lyrically, that you can’t help but wonder what they’ll do next! 


Cry Mfer, the debut album from My Idea, is out now on Hardly Art.

Vic Conway
@thepicsofvic

Photo Credit: OK McCausland

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Track Of The Day: Tan Cologne – ‘Topaz Wave’

A captivating, soothing reflection on a memory of “surfing in a red tide algea bloom”, New Mexico based duo Tan Cologne have shared their latest single ‘Topaz Wave’. Taken from their upcoming new album which is set for release later this year via Labrador Records, the track is a peaceful, hazy musing on the natural phenomenon of phosphorescent algae, explored through atmospheric guitar twangs, gentle percussion and lullaby-esque vocals.

Formed of interdisciplinary artists Lauren Green and Marissa Macias, Tan Cologne are deeply influenced by the “sonic modalities…of earthly and otherworldly landscapes.” They create sounds that are inspired by their natural surroundings in New Mexico, and in 2020, the duo released their debut album Cave Vaults on the Moon in New Mexico, a collection of beguiling, experimental soundscapes that focused on the theme of growth.

With their latest single ‘Topaz Wave’, the band continue to reflect on the power of nature, with a sound that shimmers and meanders like the natural phenomena it’s based on. “The song carries a memory of surfing in a red tide algea bloom with the waves flickering and illuminating the ocean energy,” Tan Cologne explain. “We wrote the song beside an arroyo, a dry river bed, in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. The sides of the arroyo walls are shaped like curved waves – reflecting the experience of tidal and earth transformation, and how the desert land was once ocean.” The arroyo can be seen in the track’s accompanying video, directed by Carly Short.

Watch the video for ‘Topaz Wave’ below.

Follow Tan Cologne on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Photo credit: Marissa Macias

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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