Track Of The Day: Hope – ‘Drop Your Knives’

Praised by Bristol punks Idles and set to headline London’s Sebright Arms on 20th October, Berlin four-piece Hope have shared new track ‘Drop Your Knives’. It’s a visceral exploration of refusal, anger, desire and love, and the track is accompanied by a stark set of visuals, directed by Riccardo Bernardi.

Taken from their self-titled 2018 EP, released via Haldern Pop, ‘Drop Your Knives’ contrasts dark emotions with stomping, upbeat electronics and percussion. The blurred monochrome visuals, interspersed with faded stripes of red, reflect the band’s artistic direction, as singer Christine Börsch-Supan explains: “The black aesthetic is not the same ‘black’ of wave or gothic bands, but the unpretentious black of Talk Talk. A black which lets you forget the jazz, the academics, and the provinces that we come from.”

With their optimistic name and dark outlook, we can see why Hope are catching the attention of audiences and artists alike. Watch the video for ‘Drop Your Knives’ below and follow the band on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Riccardo Bernardi

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LIVE: Indian Queens – Meltdown Festival 2018, London 15.06.18

After watching Hackney trio Indian Queens perform to a packed out Purcell Room at The Southbank Centre last night, we have only one ambition: to become as skilled a guitarist as Jennifer O’Neill. The band were hand-picked by The Cure’s Robert Smith to play his exceptionally well curated 2018 Meltdown Festival, and after their mesmeric, sharply executed performance, it’s easy to see why.

Together, vocalist & guitarist Jennifer, bassist Katherine and drummer Matt create thoughtful, atmospheric sounds reminiscent of bands like Warpaint and Radiohead. Performing against a backdrop of kaleidoscopic visuals – which were a fusion of live footage and urban buildings – Indian Queens played a captivating set, featuring brand new single ‘Pretty Little Thing’, released via Cool Thing Records on the day of the show.

Bare-foot bassist Katherine was animated throughout, delivering her moody bass lines with stylish aplomb, whilst drummer Matt was the driving force behind it all – even after he dropped a stick, he recovered the rhythm seamlessly. Jennifer’s vocals were as magnetic as her guitar riffs, effortlessly anchoring the performance of singles ‘Save Yourself’ and ‘Get No Rest’. She confessed mid-way through that the band had accidentally left their set-lists in the dressing room, but the trio moved from song to song with such ease and precision, this oversight was barely noticeable. Their set closed with a standing ovation, which was unsurprising, but entirely deserved.

If you haven’t caught Indian Queens live yet, a) what have you been doing? They were the secret openers for our March gig at The Finsbury earlier this year, and b) buy a ticket to their headline show at Hoxton Bar & Kitchen in October here. They’re a must-see for those who appreciate hypnotic, alternative guitar tunes.

Photo Credit: Emma Viola Lilja 

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Indian Queens – ‘Pretty Little Thing’

Equal parts driving and delicate, the ever cool Indian Queens have shared their new track ‘Pretty Little Thing’ and it’s as attractive to the ears as its namesake suggests. Released via Cool Thing Records today (June 15th), the single is an infectious blur of hypnotic vocals and shoe gaze guitar sounds.

“’Pretty Little’ Thing started as a childhood memory,” explains guitarist and vocalist Jennifer O’Neill. “My Nan and Grandads’s garden always sounded of birds and far off planes travelling to nicer places. It was a warm feeling and I didn’t want to be anywhere else.” These nostalgic undertones makes ‘Pretty Little Thing’ chime with warmth and understated joy. Jennifer also designed the artwork for the single (pictured below), making this release particularly personal.

Indian Queens are set to play at Southbank’s Meltdown Festival – curated by the inimitable Robert Smith – tonight (15th June) and we can’t wait to seem them live again. Listen to ‘Pretty Little Thing’ below, and follow Indian Queens on Facebook for more updates.

Grab your tickets for Indian Queens’ headline show at Hoxton Bar & Kitchen (12.10.18) here.

Photo Credit: Emma Viola Lilja 

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: New Haunts – ‘Worlds Left Behind’

A soundtrack for the witching hour, New Haunts‘ debut album Worlds Left Behind is a veiled, intriguing exploration of independence. Fusing elements of coldwave, goth, early industrial and synthpop, she’s crafted a collection of distinctive, ominous sounds.

As the album’s title suggests, New Haunts is caught between the world she inhabits and the world she once knew. She explores this on opening track ‘Ingrained’ through urgent vocal harmonies that rise and fall against a backdrop of slow, scratchy drum sounds. It bleeds into lead single ‘Reactions’, a cold but magnetic offering which laments the simultaneous beauty and horror of having emotional connections. It’s connections like these that make the tortured howls on following track ‘Left Me Cold’ feel so sharp. They contrast well with her tentative and pained vocals during the verses, as foreboding synths underscore another moment of painful clarity.

‘Hymns’ and ‘New Haunts’ take listeners on a gentler electronic turn, with some Kate Bush-style wavering vocals, whilst ‘Waves’ breaks through this ambient interlude with jagged synths and more of New Haunts fluttering, urgent vocals. Its dark, glittering defiance flows into the subdued ‘Same Medicine’, followed by ‘Safe Out Here’ which is full of more brooding synths and wavering vocals.

Whispers of insecurity permeate closing track ‘Ice’ – “and I give it my all / as far as I know / as far as I can” – before abrasive synths push through a “concrete truth.” New Haunts may be at the beginning of her solo journey, but her debut record shows she is well equipped for these intriguing sonic ventures. Fans of Zola Jesus and Kate Bush will approve of her gothic noise on Worlds Left Behind.

Listen to Worlds Left Behind on Spotify & follow New Haunts on Facebook for more updates.

Purchase the album from bandcamp here.

Photo Credit: Katie Murt

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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