Track Of The Day: Prima Queen – ‘Invisible Hand’

A melancholy, but cathartic indie tune that gently explores the raw and un-nerving nature of depression, London-based band Prima Queen have shared their latest single ‘Invisible Hand’. Released via Nice Swan Recordings and produced by The Big Moon, best friends Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden tenderly muse about the metaphorical hands that feel as if they’re dragging you down during periods of poor mental health via their swirling guitar sounds, candid lyrics and soft vocals.

Following on from their previous single ‘Chew My Cheeks‘, also produced by The Big Moon, on ‘Invisible Hand’ Prima Queen articulate a difficult but relatable emotional state with grace and humility. “The song was written at a time when I was struggling with my mental health,” the band explain. “It’s about the experience of blaming yourself for your lows and the exhaustion that comes with trying everything in your power to feel better. Depression is never your fault or your choice – it’s this outside force that isn’t you”

Moving through the motions with impressive elegance and composure, despite the sensitive nature of the track’s lyrics, Prima Queen have crafted a comforting tune that’s both poignant and easy on the ears. They allow listener’s a moment to acknowledge the difficulties of living with depression, without draining their energy or clawing at their mental health, like the ‘Invisible Hands’ the duo sing of throughout the track.

You can catch Prima Queen live supporting Wet Leg and Dream Wife on a handful of their upcoming UK tour dates, and at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton in May.

Listen to ‘Invisible Hand’ below.

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

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Proper. – ‘Huerta’

A punk-infused extrapolation on personal heritage, Brooklyn trio Proper. have shared their latest single ‘Huerta’. Taken from their upcoming album The Great American Novel, which is set for release on 25th March via Big Scary Monsters, the track dives into lead vocalist Erik Garlington’s thoughts about his unexplored Mexican heritage, punctuated by candid lyrics and thumping beats.

Formed of Garlington (vocals/guitar), Natasha Johnson (bass) and Elijah Watson (drums), Proper. have been cutting their teeth on the emo and punk underground circuits in America since 2017. Formerly known as Great Wight, Proper. noticed they were often the only queer people of colour performing in a predominantly white, heterosexual scene, which led to the creation of their new album, The Great American Novel. Described as “a concept album about how Black genius goes ignored, is relentlessly contested, or just gets completely snuffed out before it can flourish,” the record sees the trio resisting the conformity that comes with being taught to ignore your true identity and become “another dull American,” which they lament on latest single ‘Huerta’.

“We’re coming up on our third album and I realized I hadn’t written about my Mexican heritage at all,” Garlington explains. “My grandfather immigrated to the US in the 50s but died before I was born, cutting off the only tie my family has to Mexico. I grew up romanticizing it and it wasn’t until I was older, when my mom and her siblings spoke out about their dad without the filter one uses when speaking around children, that I began to critically examine what heritage and lineage meant. ‘Huerta’ is about looking at the least traveled part of your personality and day dreaming about the possibility.”

Actively evaluating his thoughts about his Mexican heritage throughout the single – “romantacise it to death / just don’t hold your breath” – Garlington and his bandmates offer listeners an insight into what it means to censor or ignore parts of yourself and the impact that can have on your own identity, as well as the wider perception of this identity in predominantly white spaces. “If these audiences are going to be a voyeur to the Black experience, I want them to hear this record and learn about our identity crises,” Garlington continues. Proper.’s unfiltered approach on ‘Huerta’ is a cathartic antidote to this voyeurism.

Listen to ‘Huerta’ below.

Follow Proper. on Apple Music, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Milla Belanich

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: HOST – ‘Not Alright’

An off-kilter slice of synth-pop that buzzes with unrest, Irish musician HOST has shared her latest single ‘Not Alright’. Inspired by feelings of burnout following a one-sided friendship, HOST combines hazy vocals, catchy synth hooks and energetic beats to reflect the cyclical nature of the expired energy she laments in her lyrics.

Following on from her 2021 EP No Reply, HOST continues to build on her raw, confessional brand of synth-pop with this latest release, channelling her disappointments and frustrations into a sound that fizzes with the desire to break free from a situation that’s getting the best of her. Ultimately, she arrives at a place of acceptance, moving away from the toxic friendship and pushing forwards alone.

“’Not Alright’ is about constantly shouldering your friends’ problems, absorbing their stress and not having anyone to reciprocate yours,” HOST explains about the new single. “While already being in a bad place, this can quickly weigh you down mentally and emotionally. You can read their selfishness like a book, you know their next move because this isn’t your first rodeo and eventually, something’s got to give.”

HOST is set to release more new music in 2022. Listen to ‘Not Alright’ below.

 

Follow HOST on Soundcloud, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: CMAT – ‘Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)’

A relatable, country-tinged tune about pushing yourself to unexpected limits to be the life and soul of the party, Irish pop sensation CMAT has shared her latest single ‘Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)’. Taken from her upcoming album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, which is set for release through AWAL Recordings on 4th March, the track brims with CMAT’s trademark witty lyrics, melancholic vocals and catchy choruses.

“This is a song about being defiantly chaotic, because being that, an agent of chaos, is something quite defiant for a girl to do,” CMAT explains about her new single. “It almost didn’t make the album. But then I managed to shoehorn in a line about the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) and I felt happy it was representative of my drinking habits.” All jesting aside, ‘Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)’ is further proof of CMAT’s talents for taking relatable situations and transforming them into chant-worthy, playful pop anthems.

Speaking about her debut album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, CMAT describes her sound as all the former versions of herself “Play-Doh-balled into one big lump.” Fuelled by her passion for writing striking and honest pop songs, the record features previous her singles ‘I Don’t Really Care For You’, ‘No More Virgos’, ‘Lonely’ and the iconic ‘I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!’ and looks set to be one of our favourite albums of 2022.

Listen to ‘Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)’ below.

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

CMAT UK & Ireland Tour Dates 2022

Mar 03: Rough Trade East, London
Mar 04: Rough Trade West, London
Mar 04: Banquet Records, Kingston
Mar 05: Lucky’s, Dublin
Mar 08: Connolly’s, Leap
Mar 09: Golden Discs, Cork
Mar 09: Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Mar 10: Steamboat, Limerick
Mar 10: Dolan’s, Limerick (sold out)
Mar 11: The Academy, Dublin (sold out)
Mar 12: Limelight 2, Belfast
Mar 31: King Tut’s, Glasgow
Apr 01: Cluny 2, Newcastle
Apr 02: Deaf Institute, Manchester
Apr 04: Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
Apr 05: Hare and Hounds 2, Birmingham
Apr 06: Louisiana, Bristol (sold out)
Apr 08: Omeara, London (sold out)
Apr 09: Colours, London (sold out)
Apr 10: Hope and Ruin, Brighton (sold out)

Photo Credit: Sarah Doyle

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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