Track Of The Day: Stainwasher – ‘See Thee’

A bittersweet, ambient soundscape inspired by the need to push through seemingly immovable barriers, Swedish songwriter Stainwasher has re-released her single ‘See Thee’. Taken from her debut album The Outer Layer, which she shared earlier this month, the track is a dreamy blend of soft vocals, atmospheric reverb and poetic lyrics that tenderly explore what it feels like to re-frame your thinking.

“I wrote ‘See Thee’ a few years ago, but I was never pleased with the production until this year, and it was such a nice feeling to finally release it,” Stainwasher explains. “An old version of it was actually my most liked song on SoundCloud, however I always felt thought it needed more. The lyrics refer to obstacles that I felt held me back in life, and when I wrote it a couple of years ago, I thought it was me who created these obstacles. Now, I know that they didn’t have to be obstacles at all, only circumstances.”

Acknowledging this growth and slowly building up her emotional resilience helped Stainwasher to shape the sounds that form her debut album. On The Outer Layer, she contrasts her darker emotions with bright, ambient electronics and dreamy reverb, soothing listeners with her elusive, lullaby-esque vocal throughout the record.

“I would say most of the songs are more lo-fi and a bit rawer than before, if you can call something that has a thousand tons of reverb raw,” Stainwasher comments about her new record. “I’ve been listening to a lot of slowcore and some Doom music in recent years, which you probably can tell. I have woven some irony into the lyrics which made me giggle like a creep in my little home studio too.”

Stainwasher’s ability to tap into her “creepy” thoughts and transform them into beguiling, cinematic sounds is what makes listening to her music so enjoyable. On ‘See Thee’ and with her debut album, she continues to showcase her talent as an emerging electronic artist.

Listen to ‘See Thee’ below.

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

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: WOLFS – ‘Take Me On’

An antagonistic anthem fuelled by driving beats and grungy guitar riffs, London-based duo WOLFS have shared their latest single ‘Take Me On’. Inspired by the need to reject the frustrating misconceptions that others often project on to us, the track is a riotous call to arms, full of cathartic vocals and defiant lyrics, urging listeners to persevere in the face of adversity,

Formed of drummer Rhi, and guitarist and vocalist Hannah, WOLFS were initially a four piece who formed via the Gumtree website. Just a few days before the band were set to record their first EP however, two of the members left, so Rhi and Hannah continued as a two-piece and have been making music together ever since. Despite living over one hundred miles apart for the first few years, the pair somehow made the band work, and both eventually moved to London after cutting their teeth on the Oxford and Reading live music scenes.

This resilient beginning has clearly shaped the duo’s sound and tenacious attitude to songwriting, something which their current single ‘Take Me On’ is brimming with. “‘Take Me On’ is a song that channels the frustrations of sexism and the people who underestimate you, which I think everyone can relate to in some way,” the band explain. The track is accompanied by a monochrome video, filmed at Glasshouse Studios in Oxford, which shows the pair performing live in the studio.

Watch the video for ‘Take Me On’ below.

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

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Wise Up – ‘Conjure The Feeling’

Fueled by their desire to make music that’s fun to play and that connects with their listeners, Dublin-based trio Wise Up have shared their debut single ‘Conjure The Feeling’. Full of grungy riffs, snaking bass lines and clear vocals, the track is an infectious offering of alternative noise, encouraging listeners to “embrace it all”, let go and stop sweating the small stuff.

Formed of Aoife from Dublin on drums, Garry from Cork on guitar and vocals, and Courtney from Canada on vocals and bass, Wise Up have been jamming and recording together since March 2022. After performing together at Gary & Courtney’s wedding reception, the trio decided to take Wise Up’s sound out into the “dodgy clubs” of Ireland, impressing their crowds of “drunk lads who who stay out late on a Wednesday night.”

Citing Pixies, Pavement, Yard Act, Chastity Belt, Courtney Barnett and Big Thief as their main musical influences, the band are motivated by the need to cut loose and enjoy the songs they’re performing, rather than agonising over being cool or counting the number of heads in the room. Wise Up are busy working on new recordings at Camelot Studios in Dublin, and will be booking more gigs around the city in the future, so keep your eyes peeled for more info from them soon.

Listen to ‘Conjure The Feeling’ below.

 

Follow Wise Up on Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Photo Credit: @paulmaxwellphotography

Kate Crudgington
@kcbobcut

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Track Of The Day: Helen Ganya – ‘young girls never die’

An electronic exploration of the pain and endurance that women face in their struggle for self-autonomy, ‘young girls never die’ is the latest single from Brighton-based artist Helen Ganya. Taken from her upcoming album polish the machine, which is set for release on 18th November via Bella Union, Ganya has taken the unsettling, sexist double standards surrounding ageing and dismantled them over glitchy beats, crystalline vocals and jagged electronics.

“Someone made a graph of a male celebrity which showed that as he continued to age his girlfriends stayed the same age,” Ganya comments about the inspiration behind her new track. “This vision kept sticking with me and I saw it everywhere – of the individual girl not allowed to grow, replaceable when she does. All the while our collective insides rot from a lack of full autonomy. The individual girl is often not allowed to grow. Instead there’s this sort of festering.” This “festering” is epitomised in Ganya’s candid lyrical motif: “young girls never die / they just rot inside.”

On her upcoming album polish the machine, Ganya – who previously performed under the moniker Dog in the Snow – seeks to unravel the toxic societal and patriarchal threads that have bound her, and weave a new narrative, edging more towards hope and truth. “I’ve always slightly feared the ordinary,” Ganya comments, “It never really represented how I feel and how many people feel.” With ‘young girls never die’ and across her new record, Ganya carves out her new version of “ordinary” with tact and grace.

Listen to ‘young girls never die’ below.

Follow Helen Ganya on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Helen Ganya UK Tour Dates 2022
Tuesday 25th October – London – Paper Dress Vintage
Wednesday 7th December – Brighton – Folklore Rooms

Photo Credit: Nicole Ngai

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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