Five Favourites: Aisha Badru

Having previously charmed our ears with the exquisite grace of 2021 EP The Way Back Home and her debut album Pendulum, and with acclaim from the likes of The Line Of Best Fit and Afropunk, singer-songwriter Aisha Badru has now announced the release of her upcoming new EP, due out in June. Following the stirring ‘Lazy River‘, latest single ‘Path Of Least Resistance‘ flows with a lilting soulful energy as it reflects on the apprehensions of new love. Rippling with the rich, shimmering grace of Badru’s vocals, it offers a beautifully soothing heartfelt anthem; showcasing the rich, blissful majesty that we can expect from the rest of the EP.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the upcoming new EP, we caught up with Aisha to ask about the music that has inspired her the most. So, read about her five favourite songs, and make sure you listen to the beautiful ‘Path Of Least Resistance‘ below…

Sarah Jaffe – ‘Clementine’
I stumbled on Sarah Jaffe around the time in my early 20s when I was really starting to get into folk music. I love the raw and emotional honesty that she shares on her album Suburban Nature and her simplistic yet deep lyrics that hold such relatable stories of relationships, heartbreak and life. Back then when I was going through a break up, I had the album on repeat and it made me feel not so alne and hopeless; it made me feel human. This sentiment is one that I hope people find when they listen to my music. One song in particular that was a favourite is ‘Clementine’.

Yuna – ‘Decorate’ 
Yuna was a huge inspiration of mine when I first started writing my own music. I have never been a particularly strong singer or able to hold any impressive notes. My vocal delivery has always been quite simple and my singing often resembles a whisper. Yuna has a similarly soft voice to mine and she’s able to penetrate into deep places with her touching and playful lyrics. I found myself really owning and embracing my soft voice after finding her. There is something very revealing about her conservative approach to music and ‘Decorate’ perfectly displays how you can articulate such profound emotions using a few gentle words and a simple musical arrangement.

Alice Phoebe Lou – ‘Society’ 
You know that feeling when you can feel the message of a song resonating throughout your entire body and soul so much that it gives you goosebumps? That is something that I felt often when I would listen to Alice Phoebe Lou’s earlier songs. She has so many great songs, but one in particular that comes to mind that made me fall in love with her is ‘Society’. Her commentary on society within her lyrics is really moving. You’ll often hear me speaking of broader subjects in my music too. I would say that she inspired the confidence to sing about subjects other than love.

Beautiful Chorus ft. India Arie – ‘I Am’ 
Beautiful Chorus is a harmonising group of women who release spiritual songs that centre around emotional and vibrational healing. Their songs often contain repetitive mantras that have this calming effect on the nervous system while also being extremely uplifting. This song that they released with India Arie is one of my favourite songs, like ever. These women have definitely inspired me to use more soothing sounds and mantra-like lyrics in my music which can be heard in songs of mine such as ‘Rooted’ and ‘Road To Self’.

Lauryn Hill – MTV Unplugged (set)
When I think of some of my earliest music memories, I think of Lauryn Hill. What I love about Lauryn Hill is how she stayed true to who she was while existing within an industry that often tries to shape you into something that you’re not. Her whole MTV Unplugged set speaks so beautifully to that journey of staying on the path of honouring her truth. I find that to be incredibly inspiring and I too will always honour my truth and individuality.

Massive thanks to Aisha for sharing her Five Favourites with us! Listen to ‘Path Of Least Resistance’ here.

Learning To Love Again, the upcoming EP from Aisha Badru, is set for release on 2nd June.

Photo Credit: Jeff Trapani

PLAYLIST: March 2023

The Get In Her Ears team have put together another eclectic mix of indie & alternative anthems, alt-pop tunes and electronic sounds for your listening pleasure. We skipped February’s edition of the Playlist, so March is packed with loads of new music! Take some time to scroll through our track choices below and then press play at the end of this post.

Follow GIHE on Spotify to hear all of our previous playlists too.

Fraulein – ‘Pet’
Is it even a GIHE Playlist if we don’t include a Fraulein track? Since Mari first introduced Joni & Karsten to the GIHE team in 2020, we’ve been fans of everything the grunge duo have released, including this new track ‘Pet’. It was a pleasure to have them in the studio chatting about it on our February Soho Radio show, which you can listen back to here.
(Kate Crudgington)

Hot Wax – ‘Treasure’
Full of buzzing basslines, commanding beats and raucous guitar sounds, this track from Hastings trio HotWax flicks between melodic verses and riff-heavy breakdowns, providing listeners with a welcome rush of blood to the head. The band are gearing up for their own mini UK tour this month, before joining The Pearl Harts as main support in May. (KC)

Brix Smith – ‘Fast Net’
The awesome latest single from rock legend Brix Smith, ‘Fast Net’ is propelled by a fierce energy and gritty punk-fuelled spirit. Racing with pummelling hooks alongside Smith’s soaring honey-sweet vocals and immersive charisma, it offers a raging reflection on facing up to your vulnerabilities. ‘Fast Net’ is taken from Smith’s debut solo album, Valley Of The Dolls, out now. (Mari Lane)

Hannah Jadagu – ‘What You Did’
I love this hazy guitar tune from Texas-based musician Hannah Jadagu, who only recently appeared on my radar. Taken from her upcoming debut album Aperture, which is set for release on 19th May via Sub Pop, Jadagu’s bittersweet vocals and reverb-laden riffs are totally infectious. I can’t wait to hear the record in full. (KC)

Lunch Machine – ‘Pipedream Graveyard’
On ‘Pipedream Graveyard’, Belfast-based alt rockers Lunch Machine blend the angst of 90s grunge and melodic pop sensibilities to push past feelings of apathy. Marking their first piece of new music in five years, the track is a grunge-infused take on the futility of planning for the future whilst the planet is slowly collapsing around us. (KC)

Earthlung – ‘Joy¿’
Full of sardonic spoken-word style vocals, cutting lyrics and distorted riffs, this single from Brighton-based band Earthlung is a search for meaning and relief amidst the mind-numbing everyday tasks we undertake in order to keep living our best lives. (KC)

English Teacher – ‘Song About Love’
Out now via Speedy Wunderground, ‘Song About Love’ is the latest single from Leeds band English Teacher. As the sultry smooth vocals of front woman Lily Fontaine flow alongside chiming hooks and steady beats, it offers a wonderfully infectious exploration into the romance that can be found in the mundane; a whirring ode to “doing the chores, instead of doing someone else.” Watch the fantastic, Sims-inspired, video for ‘Song About Love’ here. (ML)

cruush – ‘Stick In The Mud’
“I guess you can say our music has the sweet elements of having a crush on someone, but the screeching of an industrial car crusher…” explains cruush’s vocalist Amber Warren. Say no more, Amber, I love it! This track is taken from the Manchester-based shoegaze band’s upcoming EP Wishful Thinker, which is set for release on 14th April via Heist Or Hit. (KC)

Red Sun Alert – ‘Huge’
Taken from their recent EP Assume Power, this track from Cork-based post-hardcore band Red Sun Alert is an angst-ridden banger. Their new record is full of raging riffs, relentless beats and anthemic vocals, so definitely check it out if you like the sound of this. (KC)

Problem Patterns – ‘Who Do We Not Save?’
The first piece of new music since their visceral 2022 anthem ‘Y.A.W‘ (Yes All Women), I’m a big fan of Belfast-based DIY punks Problem Patterns’ latest single. Released via Alcopop! Records who the band have recently signed to, ‘Who Do We Not Save?’ takes aim at the incompetent Tory government and their continued attempts to privatise the NHS. Giving their listeners a space to release their pent up frustrations, fears and disappointments is a core value of Problem Patterns’ music, and with this track the band have provided another cathartic aural antidote to offset the anxiety of the uncertain times we’re currently living through. (KC)

SPIDER – ‘America’s Next Top Model’
Written in response to the backlash she received and the whitewashing she witnessed on popular online platforms, SPIDER chooses to thrive in the face of adversity on her new track, ‘America’s Next Top Model’. Taking aim at her critics via abrasive riffs and candid lyrics, the London-based, Irish musician & producer has channelled her vitriolic energy into another empowering anthem and accompanying video, which acts as a defiant cry for better black representation in alternative music scenes. (KC)

Momma – ‘Bang Bang’
New York City four-piece Momma are back – with a bang – on their latest single. This track was co-written by band members Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten when they both caught Covid-19 last year. Making the most of their time in isolation, the pair got drunk together and ended up writing a fun song about great sex, with ‘Bang Bang’ being the result. All of Momma’s songs are mega catchy and this one is no exception. (KC)

Lilies In My Brain – ‘Blue Sky’
Inspired by everyone from Alkaline Trio, to Angel Olsen and Wet Leg, South London-based four-piece Lilies In My Brain create shimmering indie-pop anthems. This track is taken from their album, 21 = 2a + 7, which the band released back in 2021. They’re currently working on their second album, which they’re planning to release later this year. (KC)

Perlee – ‘Lampshade’
Inspired by everything from the nature of unconditional love to the banality of capitalist society, Berlin-based Irish band Perlee are preparing to release their debut album, Speaking from Other Rooms on 21st April. This track is lifted from the record, and its full of glistening guitars and dreamy vocals. (KC)

Lunar Vacation – ‘Only You’
Following the release of their debut album in 2021, ‘Only You’ is the latest single from Atlanta-based Lunar Vacation. Rippling with beautifully lilting melodies, it shimmers with a stirring emotion and sparkling, cinematic grace, offering an irresistibly effervescent slice of indie-pop with shades of the likes of Alvvays and Best Coast. (ML)

Lusa Morena – ‘Where’s The Spark (If Not In You)’
Having wowed us with the fierce charisma of their live show at The Shacklewell Arms last year, London-based five piece Lusa Morena have recently released a twinkling new single. Reflecting on society’s frequent dismissal of – and stigma around – feelings of depression or mental health struggles, ‘Where’s The Spark’ is a beautifully moving ballad, oozing sweeping, glossy riffs alongside front woman Bárbara’s rich, luscious vocals. (ML)

Aisha Badru – ‘Lazy River’
Flowing with a lilting energy, ‘Lazy River’ reflects on the journey of emotional healing and the time that this can take. Rippling with the shimmering grace of Badru’s vocals and a twinkling folk-strewn musicality, it oozes an exquisite stirring splendour. Learning To Love Again, the upcoming new EP from Aisha Badru, is set for release in June. (ML)

JFDR – ‘Spectator’
I notice something different each time I listen to this beautiful track by Icelandic experimental songwriter JFDR. Her tender voice and concise, gentle lyrics compliment the glimmering synths perfectly. ‘Spectator’ is lifted from her upcoming album Museum, which is set for release on 28th April via Houndstooth Records. Speaking about the track, JFDR explains “‘Spectator’ is an anthem for the codependent, a lullaby for the ones slightly codependent and for those who have never felt it; a mirror into the raw thought process of someone deep in the trenches of it.” (KC)

Midwife & Vyva Melinkolya – ‘NMP’
I never tire of listening to Midwife’s melancholy sounds, and this new collaborative effort with Vyva Melinkolya is no exception. ‘NMP’ is taken from the duo’s upcoming 5-song album, Orbweaving, which will be released on 12th May via The Flenser. The record is described as “a web like structure – a gauze of sorrow and visceral connective thread” that combines their experiences of hopelessness, calling on a higher power, being alone, and the sublime horror of the natural world. I can’t wait to hear it. (KC)

LANA DEL RABIES – ‘Prayers of Consequence’
The opening track to her recent album STREGA BEATA – which loosely translates as “Blessed Witch” – I love this gloomy, evocative track from Lana Del Rabies. A creator of corrosive, brooding experimental sounds, the Phoenix-based producer and multimedia artist’s new record is a cathartic medium for her innermost thoughts on the human condition, grief and navigating tragedy. You can listen to the album and read about some of the music that inspired her to write it in our Five Favourites feature here. (KC)

MANDY, INDIANA – ‘Pinking Shears’
A brittle, abrasive blend of beats, noise and bittersweet French vocals, this track from Manchester-based four-piece MANDY, INDIANA seethes with a palpable frustration. The track is taken from their upcoming debut album, i’ve seen a way, which is set for release on 19th May via Fire Talk Records. (KC)

DEBBY FRIDAY – ‘Hot Love’
Taken from her upcoming debut album, GOOD LUCK, which is set for release via Sub Pop on 24th March, ‘Hot Love’ is another industrial-tinged, explosive electronic banger from DEBBY FRIDAY. The Nigerian-born, Toronto-based artist continues to provide the soundtrack for messy nights on the dancefloor, and the impact that the intoxicating and toxic people we meet in the hedonistic process. (KC)

ARXX – ‘God Knows’
The latest single from absolute faves, Brighton’s ARXX, ‘God Knows’ offers a perfectly heartfelt and instantly catchy anthem. Embracing their love of all things pop, it veers away from the more gritty sound of previous offerings whilst maintaining the duo’s distinctive emotion-strewn power. Of the track, they explain: “We really pushed ourselves to step into Dua Lipa’s shoes. We were able to live our Cher dreams and dive into the world of auto tune and swoopy synths.” ARXX’s upcoming debut album, Ride or Die, is out on 31st March – pre-order here. Catch ARXX live on tour over the next couple of months (I can’t wait to catch them at Rough Trade East on my birthday!) (ML)

Gabi Garbutt and Du Blonde – ‘Panic’
A perfect collaboration between Gabi Garbutt and acclaimed artist Du Blonde, ‘Panic’ is propelled by a swirling post-punk energy alongside sugar-sweet pop melodies as the two vocals fuse together with a shimmering charm, creating a truly blissful, instantly infectious, indie-pop anthem. Watch the wonderful DIY video for ‘Panic’ here. (ML)

Tiiva – ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ (Wheatus Cover)
Taking a classic 00s anthem and putting their own euphoric spin on it, London-based producer Tiiva’s cover of Wheatus’ ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ is a celebration of queer love. Full of quirky synths and dreamy vocals, the track reflects Tiiva’s own feelings about coming-of-age as a queer person. “I wanted to cover something that I could sing about and be like, ‘yeah that’s me, that’s how I feel’,” Tiiva explains. “The lyrics feel hyper real, my first crush on a girl, feeling invisible in my queerness and wanting to be accepted, to be cool. I feel like this song is such an anthem but also so fun, celebrating how to just be yourself and enjoy it, that’s what the song means to me, and I wanted to share that.” (KC)

Panic Pocket – ‘Mad Half Hour’
The first taste of their upcoming album of the same name, Panic Pocket’s latest single ‘Mad Half Hour’ offers a joyous ode to Spice Girls legend Geri Haliwell, oozing all the playful tongue-in-cheek energy that we’ve come to know and love from the London duo. An instantly catchy slice of fizzing punk-pop, it will have you singing along on first listen; so, don your thigh high boots, scream ‘Girl Power!’ and relish in the nostalgic bliss of this witty anthem. (ML)

Jen Cloher – ‘Mana Takatāpui’
This poignant single from Australian artist Jen Cloher, ‘Mana Takatāpui’ offers a blissful celebration of the indigenous Polynesian people of Aotearoa, New Zealand, the Māori LGBTQ+ community. Showcasing Jen’s trademark luscious soothing vocals alongside a shimmering musicality, it builds with an uplifting energy to a truly joyous unifying anthem. I Am The River, The River Is Me, the upcoming new album from Jen Cloher, is out now via Milk! Records / Marathon Artists (ML)

Girl Ray – ‘Everybody’s Saying That’
Reflecting on themes of new love and self-doubt, ‘Everybody’s Saying That‘ is the latest single from London trio Girl Ray. Swirling with a disco-inspired energy, oozing the band’s colourful charisma and uplifting charm, I just love its funk-fuelled hooks and sparkling danceable allure – a perfect uplifting anthem, that will elevate your spirits, leaving you ready to hit the dancefloor/roller-disco/bedroom with a revived sense of optimism. (ML)

LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with Fraulein (06.03.23)

Tash and Kate were back on Soho Radio’s airwaves playing loads of new music from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists! Mari offered some of her “musical musings” too. The pair enthused about the eclectic mix of tracks on the playlist, including 1000 Beasts, Grandmas House, Alewya, Hannu Hu, LibraLibra, Nyokabi Kariũki and more.

They were also joined in the studio by Joni and Karsten aka grunge duo Fraulein. The London-based band spoke about the inspiration behind their recent single ‘Pet’ and chatted about the making of the accompanying video, shot by Lily Doidge. Joni also spoke about leading the guitar workshop for this year’s edition of First Timers Fest, and Tash and Kate validated Karsten’s continued admiration for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Fraulein will be playing live at The George Tavern in London on 27th April. Click here for the rest of their upcoming UK tour dates & tickets to their shows.

Listen back to the show below:

We’ll be back on Soho Radio on Monday 3rd April, 12-2pm!

Tracklist
Queen Latifah & Monie Love – Ladies First
1000 Beasts ft. Laura Elizabeth Hughes – Burning Flower
Alewya – Sweating
King Isis – in my ways
Miya Folick – Get Out Of My House
Grandmas House – Desire
Sona Koloyan – In The Air
JFDR – Spectator
Hannah Hu – Thirty
Jean Genie’s Massive Hugs – The Ferret
Shit Present – Fuck It
Earthlung – Joy
Periscopi Invertit – Ball pla de Tirig
Sidney Sinclaire – Aphrodite
Full Pelt – Better Off (chosen by Girls Rock London)
Lunch Machine – Pipe Dream Graveyard
Ezra Williams – Deep Routed
Fraulein – Pet
**Interview with Fraulein**
tummyache – Alive Again
AnnieMUSIC – The Way It Feels
Nyokabi Kariũki – Nazama
Girl Ray – Everybody’s Saying That
LibraLibra – Mother’s Ruin
Brix Smith – Fast Net
Aisha Badru – Lazy River
Jackie Shane – Any Other Way

New Track: Aisha Badru – ‘Lazy River’

Having previously charmed our ears with the exquisite grace of 2021 EP The Way Back Home and her debut album Pendulum, and with acclaim from the likes of The Line Of Best Fit and Afropunk, singer-songwriter Aisha Badru has now announced the release of her upcoming new EP, due out in June.

Our first taster of the EP comes in the form of stirring new single ‘Lazy River‘. Flowing with a lilting energy, the track reflects on the journey of emotional healing and the time that this can take. Rippling with the shimmering grace of Badru’s vocals and a twinkling folk-strewn musicality, ‘Lazy River’ offers a beautifully soothing heartfelt anthem, showcasing the rich majesty of what Badru can create. A blissful interlude of cathartic calm.

Of the track, she explains:

It’s about the healing process after loss. Emotional healing is a journey. True healing takes time and there should be no shame or urgency in any step of the process.

‘Lazy River’ is accompanied by a beautiful new video, directed by Laura-Lynn Petrick, choregraphed by Nyda Kwasowsky and featuring dancer Amara Barner. Watch it here:


Learning To Love Again, the new EP from Aisha Badru, is set for release on 2nd June.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Jeff Trapani