alt pop – Page 19 – Get In Her Ears

LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with Cheri Percy (29.05.23)

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 talked about their highlights from The Great Escape Festival – which included spotting Courtney Love – and how much they collectively love Hypsoline after they headlined the latest GIHE gig at The Shacklewell Arms. They also enthused about the eclectic mix of tracks on the playlist, including ARXX, Ezra Williams, Touch Excellent, HotWax, GENN, SPIDER, CATBEAR, DEWEY, Midwife, Brutus and more.

Tash also caught up with author and journalist Cheri Percy to talk about her new book Come Away With ESG. Inspired by the story of ESG – one of the most under-rated and influential bands in electronic music – Cheri penned the book which features interviews with founding member Renee Scroggins, alongside cult-figures from 1980s New York and North England. Tash and Cheri spoke about all this and more. You can buy your copy of the book here.

Listen back to the radio show below:

We’ll be back on Soho Radio on Monday 26th June from 12-2pm!

Tracklist
ANOHNI and the Johnsons – It Must Change
Hypsoline – With You Gone
ARXX – Ride Or Die
HotWax – Rip It Out
GENN – A Reprise (That Girl)
INDIGOS – Drug Dealer, Faith Healer
FLOSSING – Switch
SOLE – en och en
Headboy – cement
Heff Vansaint – Ladder Rungs
BRUTUS – Brave
My Ugly Clementine – Are You In?
Aldous Harding – The Barrel
Ezra Williams – Until I’m Home
Janelle Monae – Lipstick Lover
jellyskin – bringer of brine
**Interview with Cheri Percy**
ESG – The Beat
DEWEY – The Janitor
CATBEAR – I’ll Meet You At The End
Midwife & Vyva Melinkolya – Hounds Of Heaven
Charlotte Carpenter – Spinning Plates
Carpenters – Yesterday Once More
SPIDER – Growing Into It
Touch Excellent – Record
pink suits – Fake Great Britain
Hole – Awful

May 30, 2023May 30, 2023

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Five Favourites: SOFTEE

Having just released her debut album, Brooklyn based artist Nina Grollman – aka Softee – creates sparkling alt-pop soundscapes with a stirring, heartfelt emotion. Oozing a glistening immersive splendour throughout, Natural explores complex themes of identity and transformation with a soulful, uplifting energy.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the release of Natural, we caught up with Softee to ask about the music that has inspired her the most. So, read about her five favourite songs, and make sure you check out the album, and watch the beaut new video for latest single ‘Isn’t Enough‘ below...

Stevie Wonder – ‘Summer Soft’
The first time I heard this track, I was nine years old. My mom played it in the car. I was so into all the key changes and the build of the song. I’m obsessed with Stevie’s voice. As I grew up, my appreciation for the song deepened. For years I thought he was singing about a past relationship. When I finally looked up the lyrics, I realized it’s about the seasons, and aging. It makes me so emotional when I hear it now, because it’s so full of passion and fervour, and it’s about getting older and time slipping by. The dichotomy of these two concepts is so rich. Stevie can truly write about everything and make it timeless.

Charlie XCX – ‘Sucker’
Let me explain. I know this isn’t Charli’s best song, but it’s extremely important to me. The year is 2014, and one of my best friends had an extra ticket to the Bleachers concert in Minneapolis. Charli was co-headlining the show, but I had no idea who she was. I barely even knew Jack Antonoff but I went cause duh, free ticket. Charli comes onstage in Adidas pants (BEFORE they were super trendy) and sports bra, with an inflatable guitar and sunglasses. She has an all girl band. She opens the set with ‘Sucker’. Something in me completely shifted. I was like “oh, THIS is a fucking POP star.” I didn’t know pop could be grunge??? For that album, she was influenced by the Shangri-Las and super cool underground ’90s pop. I was obsessed with her energy and the set brought me an adrenaline high I don’t think I’ve ever topped at a show. To this day I hear this song and I get butterflies.

Robyn – ‘With Every Heartbeat‘
I think my favourite Robyn song changes daily, but today it’s this one. The strings. The simplicity of the beat. This song completely hypnotises you while ripping your heart out of your chest. It’s hopeful while reckoning with the fact that the relationship is over. Robyn is a genius, and one of my biggest influences. I love how simple and powerful her songwriting is. She is endlessly innovative. Her chords and melodies make me want to cry.

La Roux – ‘Automatic Driver’
When this song came out I listened to it on loop for ages! It’s so danceable and fun. A perfect song to walk to on a sunny day when you’re in a good mood!

Little Dragon – ‘Another Lover’
This is me and my fiancé’s song. It’s so infectious, from the melody to the production, to Yakimi Nagano’s vocals, to the driving bassline. This song has it all. I’m a major Little Dragon fan. Their electronic-pop-rnb fusion is so singular to their sound. I am very inspired by it.

Massive thanks to Softee for sharing her Five Favourites with us! Watch the video for latest single ‘Isn’t Enough’ here:

Natural, the debut album from Softee, is out now via City Slang.

May 23, 2023May 23, 2023

mariangelicalaneLeave a comment

New Track: Emily Magpie – ‘Down In The Deep’

Having been supported by the likes of Nabihah Iqbal on BBC 6Music and supported bands such as This Is The Kit and Let’s Eat Grandma, Bristol based Emily Magpie has been charming us with her whimsical dream-pop soundscapes for some time, and has now announced the release of her upcoming new EP, She. A project which is both deeply personal, and highly relatable, the collection offers a moving reflection on the self; exploring our place in society whilst showcasing her distinctive alt-pop sound.

Taken from the EP, new single ‘Down In The Deep‘ reflects on Emily’s experience of being a woman with a sparkling intimacy. Flowing with whirring keys and lilting melodies, it oozes a raw heartfelt emotion, instantly immersing the listener in a captivating, stirring majesty. With Emily’s trademark hypnotic splendour, her rich crystalline vocals shimmer with a celestial allure as the track builds with an ethereal twinkling grace. A blissfully soothing soundscape.

Of the EP as a whole, Emily explains:

“I created this EP to explore my own experience of being a woman- which is beautiful and messy! I wanted to extend this out in a universal way to others, all with their own unique stories and voices. The feminine, which exists outside of gender. There’s beauty, celebration, darkness and the unknown. Feminine energy is badass and there’s a massive history of it being suppressed which it’s important to challenge by us being heard.”

She, the upcoming EP from Emily Magpie, is set for release on 7th June via Def Pressé. Pre-save here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Hannah Lisa

May 10, 2023

mariangelicalaneLeave a comment

GUIDE & PLAYLIST: The Great Escape Festival 2023

Event: The Great Escape

Where: Brighton (various venues)

When: Thursday 10th – Saturday 13th May 2023

Ticket Info:
Full Weekend ticket: £105 / 2 Day ticket: £80.00 / Day ticket: between £40-55 (ticket link here)

General Info:
We’re excited to be heading back to The Great Escape Festival to tread Brighton’s pebbled beach and trek around the city trying to catch some of the best female, non-binary and LGBTQ+ new music talent! Spread across three days, the festival aims to showcase an eclectic array of artists to excited fans and music industry members. There’s also conferences and other music events running alongside the main festival.

In the lead up to Brighton, there’s a series of showcases in Glasgow and Dublin for The Road To The Great Escape. They will run from the 6th-9th May. Full info here.

Running parallel to the main festival is The Alternative Escape! Check out the venues that are getting involved and the full line-up for it here.

The Late Escape will also kick in once everything else is in full swing. It will feature after hours sets from dance and electronic artists at a number of Brighton venues on Friday May 12th and Saturday May 13th. More info here.

Who’s Playing: Full line-up & timetable here

GIHE favourites ARXX, Brimheim, Problem Patterns, Human Interest, Seraphina Simone and CLT DRP will all be singing by the seaside over the long weekend, but we’re excited to discover some brand new artists too. Below is a list of acts we’re keen to catch at the festival.

You can get to know them better by listening to our accompanying Spotify Playlist at the end of this feature, or you can listen back to our Soho Radio x Great Escape special show with SPIDER here.

Who GIHE recommend you catch:
Whitelands, Brimheim, Problem Patterns, Phoebe Go, JFDR, Cristale, ARXX, Girls Of The Internet, Alice Low, Blondshell, DEBBY FRIDAY, Witch Fever, CLT DRP, Coach Party, SPIDER, SPRINTS, Alice Longyu Gao, Gena Rose Bruce, Cumgirl8, Nuha Ruby Rah, Seraphina Simone, cumgirl8, CATBEAR, Trout, Lambrini Girls, Berry Galazka, GROVE, PVA, Delilah Holliday, Moonchild Sanelly, Mandy Indianna, Jessica Winter, PVA, Maeve, NikNak, King Hannah, The Oozes, FLOSSING, Heartworms, RUTI, Bobbi Lu, Amrit Kaur, King Isis, Baque Luar, Alien Chicks, GENN, Projector, Helen Ganya, Rauchen, O., LUCI, Gen & The Degenerates, NEY LIQA, Sans Soucis, October & The Eyes, Hinako Omori, Penelope Trappes, Jessie Marcella, Marysia Osu, CIEL, Dull, English Teacher, Flip Top Head, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Mindy Meng Wang & Tim Shiel, Boyish, HANYA, HotWax, Human Interest, Lime Garden, Nice Biscuit, The Big Moon, The Last Dinner Party.