LISTEN: GRAWL!X – ‘Hopelessness’

I let out a little squeal of joy when this landed in my inbox. Grawl!x’s first new music since 2020, ‘Hopelessness’ is a dreamy piece of uplifting pop. With the band’s newly expanded line-up, Maria Michael Machin’s beautiful vocals and revelatory lyrics are given the big, bold platform they truly deserve, buoyed by multiple layers of lush melody and instrumentation.

For a song about hopelessness, this electro-infused number feels anything but. It’s simultaneously joyous and vulnerable; a sad song that you can have a proper shimmy to, which emphasises the importance of hope and sharing your feelings.

Formally a solo project, this taste of new music from Grawl!x is infused with a new confidence and energy that we’ve never seen before. With an EP due for release this spring, it feels like they’re a band at the height of their powers.

Spring, the upcoming new EP from Grawl!x, is set for release later this Spring via Reckless Yes.

Vic Conway
@thepicsofvic

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Track Of The Day: Ghum – ‘Some People’

Having been firm favourites here at GIHE for a number of years, wowing us with their immersive live performances and captivating post-punk musicality, London band GHUM have now announced the release of their debut album.

Our first taster of the upcoming album, new single ‘Some People‘ is propelled by a gritty, swirling energy as the raw, impassioned vocals of Laura Guerrero Lora soar throughout. Rippling with a seductive ethereal allure and dark hypnotic splendour, a frenzied, grunge-tinged anthem is created; a colossal, majestic offering showcasing GHUM’s ability to consistently hone their sound and bewitch listeners worldwide.

Of the track, Laura explains:

“This song is about getting to know someone and having the fear of hurting them, because love has turned a bit hopeless and unexciting. Not trusting oneself to be able to love someone after not falling in love for a long time...”

Directed by Lydia Garnett, watch the wonderfully theatrical, tongue-in-cheek new video for ‘Some People’ here:

Bitter, the upcoming debut album from GHUM, is set for release on 17th June via Everything Sucks. Pre-order here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Paul Phung

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Track Of The Day: SPIDER – ‘U GET HIGH / I GET NOTHING’

A dark, atmospheric reflection on the imbalance of emotions in an unequal relationship, London-based, Irish musician & producer SPIDER has shared her latest single ‘U GET HIGH / I GET NOTHING’. Taken from her recent debut mixtape C.O.A. (Coming Of Age), the track is a raw, relatable rumination on being taken for granted by someone you cared for, explored through emotive vocals, brooding electronics and confessional lyrics.

Born and raised in Dublin, twenty-two year old SPIDER harnesses the strong feminine energy of the arachnid she’s named after as a totemic symbol through which she can explore her own emotional resilience. She struggled growing up in a Catholic household as a young Nigerian girl in a predominately white country, but creating music provided her with an outlet for her most unfiltered thoughts. Now, with her mixtape and new single, she continues this narrative of breaking down barriers to share her truth and she does so with provocative flair.

Refusing to be stereotyped by producers and other music industry folk who assumed she was an R&B artist because of her skin colour, SPIDER exerts full autonomy over her music, taking on production duties and coming up with the visuals and aesthetics for all of her releases. On C.O.A, she filters her experiences through a dark-pop, angsty lens to prove that growing up – and fucking up – is a universal experience.

“Activities like drinking and partying are tagged as ‘coming of age’ when white kids do it but demonized when kids of colour do it,” SPIDER comments. “We deserve the right to experience our youth and find ourselves. C.O.A is what that felt like for me, and my hope is that other people of colour will listen to it, hear a situation they’ve been through, and maybe it’ll become their own coming of age moment.”

Listen to ‘U GET HIGH / I GET NOTHING’ below.

Follow SPIDER on Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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PREMIERE: ROE – ‘I Dare You’

Embracing the rush of relief that comes with letting go of unexpected or difficult emotions while you’re in transit, Northern Irish songwriter ROE has shared her latest single ‘I Dare You’. Released via The Music Federation, the track is based on ROE’s own experience of being a touring musician and the balancing act of enjoying these precious opportunities, whilst trying not to be overwhelmed with exhaustion.

“‘I Dare You’ is about all the unpredictable emotions that show up when spending days on end together on the road as musicians,” ROE elaborates on her new single. “It’s an incredibly testing side of this industry that fans don’t get to see. The frustration and tears and uncontrollable laughter. Some days it’s such a joy and other days all you want is to be back in your own bed. It’s always worth it but it’s not always easy. The inevitable drives between shows and home are so ridiculous and difficult and new every time. Staying awake so nobody drives alone and the inescapable stop at the closest McD’s are constant but so much happens in that space.”

Underscored by driving beats, observational lyrics and her clear vocals, ROE’s new single is a snapshot of joyful unrest, which builds to an anthemic chorus full of trumpet fanfares. With ‘I Dare You’, ROE has crafted her own brand of “existential indie-pop,” finding catharsis in surrendering to the pressures of life in its more testing moments, and celebrating it in all its raw, unfiltered glory.

ROE will be performing live tonight (31st) at the Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast.

Listen to ‘I Dare You’ below.

 

Follow ROE on Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Photo Credit: Megan Doherty 

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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