Comic Review: ARXX – ‘Not Alone But Not With You’

The latest in our ‘Comic Reviews’ feature – where illustrator Sally-Anne responds to a new release with her wonderfully unique drawings – we check out the brand new single from total faves, Brighton duo ARXX. Following acclaim from the likes of John Kennedy, BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders and BBC 6Music’s Steve Lamacq for latest catchy alt-pop anthem ‘Deep’, they have now shared another gritty, yet reflective, and unapologetically honest offering – ‘Not Alone But Not With You‘.

Arxx

Of the track, vocalist/guitarist Hanni explains:

“You know that sadness or guilt you feel when you’re surrounded by people you love but you are just missing that other person? Maybe it’s a loved one you’ve lost, maybe it’s a friend, maybe it’s a partner. This last year has been different for everyone but we’ve all had people we’ve missed.” 

‘Not Alone But Not With You’ is out now. Catch ARXX on their upcoming UK tour – tickets here.

Sally-Anne Hickman
@sallyshinystars

Photo Credit: Bridie Florence

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LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with Fears 28.07.21

Tash, Kate & Mari were back on the NYC & Culture channel on Soho Radio‘s airwaves for their third GIHE show! They played a mix of golden oldies – including a tribute to the late Amy Winehouse – and new music tunes from some of their favourite women, non-binary and LGBTQ+ artists.

Irish musician & Tulle Collective co-founder Fears aka Constance Keane also joined them to talk about the reaction to her beautiful debut album Oíche, her upcoming gig plans, and how watching Love Island and Mary Kate & Ashley’s 2002 rom-com When In Rome have helped her through periods of lockdown & Covid-induced isolation.

Listen below:

Tracklist
Amy Winehouse – Me & Mr Jones
Babeheaven – Lovefool (The Cardigans Cover)
Abra – Roses
Evil House Party – Head Held High
Maria Uzor – Innocence
Witch Prophet ft. Stas THEE Boss – MUSA (Remix)
Alewya – Sweating
Denise Chaila – 061
Seraphina Simone – Skin
PET Wife – Sword
Smoothboi Ezra – Without Me
My Idea – Stay Away Still
WILLOW ft. Travis Barker – transparentsoul
Fears – Fabric
**Interview with Fears**
Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra – I Didn’t Love You When I Said I Did and I Don’t Now
F.R.U.I.T.Y – U.P.S
Tirzah – Tectonic
Gazelle Twin – Changelings
Bad Waitress – Strawberry Milkshake
Pretty Happy – Sudocream
Catherine Moan – Drop It!
Crisp&Classy – Boom Bay
BAXTR – In Pop We Trust
Sugababes – Same Old Story (Blood Orange Remix)
Planningtorock – Gay Dreams Come True

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Introducing Interview: Nghtfall

Having spent the last few years garnering streams and fans for their emotion-strewn alt-pop offerings, Toronto based non-binary artist Bradley Milosevic-Hill, aka Nghtfall, has recently shared their heartfelt new single ‘I’ll Be Fine‘. Shimmering with a twinkling musicality and a soaring, anthemic splendour, Nghtfall wears their heart on their sleeve with this raw reflection on identity and being accepted for being your true self.

We caught up with Bradley to find out more…

Hi Bradley, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m an independent queer non-binary artist from Toronto that releases music under the name Nghtfall. 

What initially inspired you to start creating music?
I’ve loved music since a very early age and started writing songs in my head long before I knew I was going to become a musician. It’s really the only thing I’ve ever been this passionate about.

You’ve recently released your poignant new single as Nghtfall, ‘I’ll Be Fine’, can you tell us a bit about this? Is it focused on any particular themes? 
This song is about coming to terms with how people’s view of me has changed since I came out as non-binary. There’s a lot of my fears and anxieties in the lyrics. Especially the feeling that a lot of people’s love is temporary when you know one detail about you would change their view of you completely. I feel so free in being able to express this in my music now, because it’s something I’ve struggled with for a while.

We love your heartfelt, anthemic pop sounds, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
It ranges from modern artists like Nothing,Nowhere and Halsey to stuff I grew up with like Fall Out Boy. Though honestly I get inspiration from all kinds of music.

You’re based in Toronto – in ‘normal’ times, how is the music scene there? Is it a good place for an emerging musician?It’s definitely a great place to watch live music, but I wouldn’t say it’s a super good place for emerging artists. It’s so competitive and a lot of the live music in the city is dominated by established US artists that often play there as their only show in Canada for that tour. I don’t really think about the local scene when it comes to my own music that much, but it is a great place to go to shows.

How have you been connecting with your audience and other musicians during the pandemic?
Maybe it’s because everyone’s been inside but I feel like I’ve made more connections than ever through social media this year. I do a lot of remote collaborations even before the pandemic so this past year or so has almost been better for a lot of what I do in a weird way. Plus it’s given me more time to find ways to connect with new audiences online.

And has there been anything/anyone specific that has been inspiring you, or helping to motivate you, throughout these strange times? 
I’m a huge movie & tv nerd so I’m always getting inspired by that. I’ve gotten really into David Lynch’s movies over the pandemic & recently read his book on creativity. I just find him such an incredible and inspiring artist. Also, I bring her up all the time, but Savannah Brown is someone whose writing and poetry I am such a huge fan of and find super inspiring. I wish I could write as well as her!

How do you feel the music industry is for new artists at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
It definitely is, and a lot of the conversations I have with other artists reflects that. However, there’s so many cool things you can do outside of “the industry” with social media to connect with an audience. You just have to be creative with it.

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any other upcoming artists that you’d recommend we check out?
There’s this local band Softcult that I discovered recently that makes super great music with a lot of feminist messages in it. I’ve had the chance to talk with them a bit on social media and they’re super nice too.

Finally, what does the rest of 2021 have in store for Nghtfall?
I’m going to be releasing regularly till at least the end of the year, so just expect a lot more music!

Massive thanks to Bradley for answering our questions!

Listen to Nghtfall’s latest single ‘I’ll Be Fine’ here:

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WATCH: Sophie Kilburn – ‘I’m In Love With My Therapist’

A ’90s inspired indie-pop belter, Sophie Kilburn has shared her latest single ‘I’m In Love With My Therapist‘. It’s the second single from her debut EP, following ‘Movements’, which also blew us away at GIHE. Shades of Americana ring out through the song, with the Derbyshire artist reflecting LA’s Sunset Boulevard. Fans of Haim, Phoebe Bridgers, and Maggie Rogers might just find Sophie Kilburn to be their new favourite artist.

A fiery fusion of old-school rocker and modern pop warrior, Sophie Kilburn captivates and commands her due attention. ‘I’m In Love With My Therapist’ is a display of assured and beautifully crafted song-writing. The addictive vocal hook lingers in your mind long after the song has finished. It’s a euphoric release, both emotionally and musically. Fierce guitar riffs, oozing a stadium anthem feel, interlace with the driven percussion and thumping bass line. It is foot-stomping emotion, displaying the strength that comes from being so in touch with your emotions, as Sophie sings of both being lost as well as knowing that she needs to get out. The musical drive and the honest lyrics create a poignant juxtaposition.

In her own words, Sophie describes how ‘I’m In Love With My Therapist’ came to be:

“It was lockdown number two, and I was annoyed at myself for killing yet another plant and the story of the song just fell from my frustration. When you go to therapy, you are trying to understand your emotions and behaviours. Sometimes that digging causes confusion, you start to project feelings – like your longing to fall in love – onto a person who ‘gives you the time of day’. It is quite a morbid thought that the only person who you feel who gets you and you can share anything with, is your therapist… They know everything about you, and you know nothing about them but the consistency of being emotionally intimate with them causes feelings to grow to the point of breaking point.”

The music video, shot with an all-female team led by Marieke Macklon, has shades of the Truman Show, with the cameras watching Sophie closely. It’s obsessive and bordering on invasive, powerfully illustrating the all-consuming nature of anxiety and depression and perfectly expressing the sentiment of the song.


Sophie Kilburn’s debut EP, My Room Made Me Public, is set for release next month.

Jaz Kelly
@surfjaz

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