Five Favourites: Tenderness

As someone who had Deep Throat Choir soundtrack me walking down the aisle, hearing the voice of anyone from that incredible collective always feels pretty special. And so the debut solo album from Katy Beth Young (also of Peggy Sue) – aka Tenderness – has been an extremely welcome treat for my ears since its release last month. Showcasing Young’s gorgeously rich vocals as twinkling Americana-tinged hooks ripple throughout, True offers stirring reflections on relationships, grief and the fleeting nature of joy. As a gentle melancholy flows alongside a twinkling uplifting grace, it’s an exquisite testament to Young’s resonant songwriting and the beautiful raw emotion that shimmers through every song. I was lucky enough to hear the album live at St Pancras Old Church a few weeks back; a perfect setting for the moving celestial splendour of Tenderness.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them the most. So, we caught up with Katy to ask about her “Five Favourites” and she’s picked five albums that she feels most influenced the writing and recording of True. Check out her choices below, scroll to down to watch the beautiful video for ‘Day Of Atonement‘, which features Deep Throat Choir singing alongside Katy, and make sure you set aside time to immerse yourself in the full album.

Kim Deal – The 2013-2014 Singles 
This is not exactly an album (sorry!) but I love Kim Deal a lot and she/The Breeders have been a huge influence. She put out these ten singles in 2013-14 without much fuss and I listened to them constantly when I discovered them about a year later – ‘Are You Mine?’ and ‘Beautiful Moon’ are pretty much perfect. There’s surfy guitars and lo-fi drums and Kim Deal’s perfect voice and also absolutely killer lyrics like – “I’m happy for you / but I feel crying”. I’m always aiming for that kind of conciseness and contradiction with my own lyrics. The arrangements are very sparse and simple and satisfying and they sound very alive. It’s like each song has been condensed into its absolute essence, which is something I’ve aspired to do with Tenderness – just letting the song be itself musically and lyrically. They also all sound like they belong together – from the heaviest to the gentlest. True was made over quite a long time, so Euan and I worked really hard to pull some sonic threads through them and make sure they belonged, and this set of songs was a really good touch point for that. 

Big Thief – Masterpiece
The first Big Thief song I heard was ‘Real Love’. In the space of a week about six different friends sent it to me saying “I think you’ll like this” and obviously I did. I love every Big Thief album & their solo stuff too – they are each perfect for a slightly different day, time, mood  – but Masterpiece is still the one I listen to the most. It makes me want to sing along in a way that probably only Mariah Carey ever did before. The song ‘Masterpiece’ makes me want to write loud songs and ‘Lorraine’ makes me want to write quiet sexy songs and ‘Vegas’ makes me want to practice the guitar. 

Allegra Krieger – I Keep My Feet on The Fragile Plane
A lot of my writing influences happen quite slowly without me really noticing, but recording influences are much more conscious. Allegra Krieger was a big one for this album. The sounds and the mood and the space she leaves around things is so captivating. We used it as a reference for vocal sounds and mood a lot. And the songs are brilliant and clever – there’s a real sense of place and time and Krieger can create a whole world or a whole relationship in a couple of lines. This is one of my favourites from the song ‘Lingering’ – “I wanted to tell you something small and stupid / but I couldn’t remember when I saw your face.” I’ll listen to any album that Double Double Whammy puts out now. 

Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning
For better or worse Bright Eyes will probably always be my hand-on-heart ‘favourite band’. I discovered them at my most tender and suggestible age (I was trying to download ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ on Limewire but I’d forgotten what the title was). Oberst’s lyrics have had a profound effect on how I write and what I aim for – they are honest and wise and naive and heartbreaking and hopeful at once. When I was younger, I loved Lifted, or the story is in the soil, keep your ear to the ground the best because it’s noisy and emo and kind of mean, but now that I’ve fully accepted that my soul is part-country I’ve come back around to I’m Wide Awake… It’s a bit of a time capsule for me now, plus it has Emmylou Harris on two songs.

Laura Marling – Song for our Daughter 
This album came out at the very start of the pandemic and I listened to it a lot walking around my local area that summer – which is also when I was writing the songs that would become True. Laura has been an influence forever, but I think at that moment there was something particularly inspiring about the clarity of her voice and her storytelling and the musicality of the arrangement. It helped me give myself permission to make these quieter songs with my voice right in the middle.


Huge thanks to Katy for telling us about her Five Favourites! Watch the beautiful video ‘Day Of Atonement’ below, and make sure you check out True, the debut album from Tenderness, which is out now via Amorphous Sounds.

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FIVE FAVOURITES: Ailbhe Reddy

A raw and relatable record about existing in the emotional ether at the end of a relationship, Dublin-born artist Ailbhe Reddy’s upcoming third album, KISS BIG, is a wholehearted affair that continues to spotlight her talent for empathetic songwriting. Set for release on 30th January via Don Giovanni Records, across nine tracks she dismantles the cyclical nature of love and the ways in which we persist and resist, but ultimately succumb to romance once again when the breakup cycle is complete.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with Ailbhe to ask about her “Five Favourites” and she picked five albums by an eclectic range of artists who have inspired her songwriting techniques. Check out her choices below and scroll down to watch the official video for Ailbhe’s latest single ‘That Girl’ too…

 

1. Fiona Apple – When The Pawn…
I heard this for the first time when I was working an office job in my early twenties. ‘Paper Bag’ came on the radio and I felt like it was written just for me. I was immediately hooked. I went and bought the album that same day and spent months obsessed with it. I, of course, went through Apple’s entire back catalogue and was so inspired by her as an artist and individual. The production, lyrics and vocal delivery still blow me away every listen.

2. Julia Jacklin – Crushing
After I recorded my first album, I got a lot of comparisons to Julia Jacklin (what a compliment!) but I had never heard her. ‘Don’t Know How to Keep Loving You’ came on while I was driving in my car one day and it destroyed me! I pulled over and put the whole album on and listened from start to finish. What a journey. So simple. So perfect. I’ve been a fan ever since and think she’s one of the best songwriters around.

3. Jeff Buckley – Grace
This is a formative one for me. I learned a lot about playing guitar from a book of music from this album. I definitely spent a long time shoehorning nice jazz chords into my songs as a result. I was a kid when I first heard this album — my mum had a copy in her car that she used to listen to. It wasn’t until I started playing guitar that I started really listening to the songwriting properly. By then YouTube existed and I spent hours finding every single video I could of Jeff playing the songs from this album. I got to sing a few songs from this album at a show celebrating the 30 year anniversary of this album a while back, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for his vocal performance.

4. Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
I saw the dance/musical version of this in New York City two years ago and cried my little eyes out. Not just because it was beautifully performed, but because no album reminds me of the pure love I had for music as a teenager as well as this album. When I was 15 or 16 I got a little 8-track and recorded my own version of ‘Chicago’ on it. Still, whenever I hear that song it brings me back to that time. Pure love and awe and discovery. The song itself is rich with imagery and feels like a full novel, and my own memories on top always make it a joyful listen.

5. Big Thief – Capacity
‘Mythological Beauty’ was my introduction to Big Thief, I heard it playing in a friend’s kitchen and was immediately grabbed by it. There was something so mesmerising about Lenker’s vocal delivery and also the lyrics are pretty daaamn perfect. Again – it feels like a novel in a song. How can someone sum up their mother? Such a complex, deep relationship. Yet, she nails it. I got to see the album live in Dublin and was blown away by the band live which kicked off my journey as a long time fan. ‘Mary’ is another song from that album that I think is spectacular, and part of its charm is how different it is from the rest of the band’s discography. I’ve seen it a few times live in different iterations and it’s always been so special.

Thanks to Ailbhe for sharing her favourites with us!

Ailbhe will be playing a London headline show at The Lexington on 21st April to celebrate the release of KISS BIG – tickets are on sale now!

Watch the video for her latest single ‘That Girl’ below.

Follow Ailbhe Reddy: website, bandcamp, TIDAL, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Su Mustecaplioglu

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Five Favourites: Umarells

Having just shared their debut EP, One More Day, Manchester-based dream-pop group Umarells create lush, glistening soundscapes, fizzing with a rippling raw emotion. Combining elements of shoegaze, grunge and indie-pop, they offer heartfelt reflections on themes such as grief and failed relationships, each song offering their own unique sparkling musicality.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, following the release of their debut EP, we caught up with Imogen, Josh, Ryan Sarah and Fuchsia to find out about the five albums that inspire them the most. Read about their five favourites, and watch the beautiful video for stirring single ‘June‘, below…

Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
I first heard Natalie of Weyes Blood’s gorgeous Carpenter-esque voice on Drugdealer’s 2016 album The End Of  Comedy. When Titanic Rising was released in 2019 it resonated as the theme of an era of my life. Blending ‘70s pop vocals with romantic space age synth cynicism I was hooked from my first listen and rushed to see the masterpiece live in Manchester venue Yes’ pink room. ‘Picture Me Better’ – a song written about the loss of a friend – perfectly encapsulates heart wrenching grief and the hope to hear the impossible “call from beyond”. A song that inspired me to pour my own grief into our song ‘One More Day’.

Burial – Untrue
I vividly remember the first time I stumbled upon this album while exploring a friend’s CD collection. It was a revelation – nothing I had ever heard compared to its dark, gritty sound, interwoven with ethereal melodies and harmony. So melancholic. I often listened to it on my bike rides home through the city centre at 5am, after finishing my shift at a nightclub; feeling as though I was the only soul awake in the world. It’s perfect for those late nights when you’re caught between the desire to drift off and the inability to do so. The sampling on this album is incredible; the original sources are so cleverly transformed that I found myself spending hours online trying to uncover their origins. It’s a remarkable masterclass in genre-bending and structure, carving out its own distinct niche within the electronic scene. Its sound remains refreshingly futuristic, even today.

Pixies – Doolittle 
All amazing tracks and completely seminal. I became obsessed with Pixies when I was fifteen, after loading up my mp3 player for a school trip to Sorrento. I’d heard that Nirvana’s loud-quiet-loud structures were ripping off Pixies, so I downloaded some songs from Limewire. Listening to them on a coach driving along the West coast of Italy really cemented the tracks for me and I was kind of blown away by it. The guitar work is just perfect to me – simple driving bass lines, and Joey’s surf inspired riffs and bends are just amazing. The range of sounds in Frank’s voice means the album never gets boring and it contrasts with Kim’s vocals so well. To top it off, ‘Gouge Away’ is just the best final track on an album for me.

The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
My favourite album changes constantly, but if I had to choose one right now I’d pick Siamese Dream. My first introduction to Smashing Pumpkins was at about seven or eight years old hearing them on The Simpsons episode ‘Homerpalooza’. A few years later when I hit my full-on emo phase I delved into their back catalogue and Siamese Dream was the album that stuck out to me. I’ve never got sick of listening to it. Billy and James’ guitar playing on this record is just insane to me. The dynamics of the album too are just so great, the fact you’ve got heavy songs like ‘Geek USA’ but the softer songs like ‘Luna’ and ‘Disarm’ but they work perfectly together when listening to the album in full. Billy’s lyrics as well – “Fool enough to almost be it, cool enough to not quite see it. Doomed.” on ‘Mayonaise’, incredible. Whenever I’m writing new music I find this is the album I reference the most.

Big Thief – Two Hands
This is such a beautiful album – the lyrics are so raw and heartfelt – it’s such incredible story telling. The album flows from really soft gentle tracks to heavy gritty ones so effortlessly, and everything about the way it’s recorded sounds so natural. It came out when I first got back into playing music after a really long break and I would just listen to it on repeat. The whole album reminds me of a time when I really started to feel comfortable with myself and listening to it still reminds me of that. Seeing them live at the Apollo last year was an awesome experience!

Huge thanks to Umarells for sharing their five favourites with us! Watch the beautiful new video for stirring single ‘June’ here:

One More Day, the debut album from Umarells, is out now via Fear Of Missing Out Records.

Photo Credit: Kitty Handley

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FIVE FAVOURITES: girlhouse

A creator of intuitive, catchy indie-pop anthems, Portland-born Nashville-based musician girlhouse aka Lauren Luiz’s debut self-titled EP rings with an earnest charm. Inspired by her relationships, personal learning curves and navigating a new life in L.A, the record balances the joys and frustrations she experienced whilst living in the City Of Angels.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with girlhouse to ask her about her “Five Favourites” – five songs that have inspired her song-writing techniques. Check out her choices below and scroll down to watch her video for her recent single ‘Pretty Girl in LA’ at the end of this post.

1. Sharon Van Etten – ‘Seventeen’
I made the girlhouse EP when I was in the last year of my 20’s and this song became a big part of the soundtrack for that time in my life. The production is so simple but also so huge. I think it lends itself to the story so well. Everything sonically about this song is incredible. Sharon’s vocals also shred in this song. I wish I could go back in time and talk to myself when I was a teenager. I think I would tell her to talk slower and stop trying to be everything for everyone. The music video is so simple and tells the story so perfectly.

2. Big Thief – ‘Shark Smile’
Adrianne Lenker’s style of writing has been a big inspiration for my lyrics for a while now. I think her storytelling and melodies are so poetic and creative, I listen to her songs and it really makes me want to push myself to be better. This song is about a car accident where someone dies but it doesn’t feel sad, it’s really dark and complex! I wanna write songs like that. It was so hard picking just one Big Thief song. The first time I heard them I was on tour while I was driving late at night. I didn’t want to stop driving so I could get through their whole catalogue. I can’t remember where we were or where we were driving to, but it fit perfectly.

3. Phoebe Bridgers – ‘Smoke Signals’
I, like many people with a pulse, am obsessed with Phoebe Bridgers and the honesty in her lyrics. This album put me in a dark place for a long time but art is supposed to do that sometimes, it made me feel things! Phoebe is another one that really makes me wanna be better. She and I used to live in the same neighborhood in LA, I saw her at a yoga class one time in eagle rock and wanted to say Hi so badly, but I got nervous. I think I read that this song was about someone trying to get her attention or breaking up with someone? It’s hard to push someone away, doesn’t feel good ever. I really appreciate her writing about things that aren’t necessarily pretty or perfect.

4. Decemberists – ‘Make You Better’
Picking one Decemberists song is like picking my favourite dog, nearly impossible and a viscerally painful process. This was the first band I ever stanned HARD. They’re from the Pacific Northwest as well so I’ve seen them play Edgefield (an amazing outdoor venue in Oregon) COUNTLESS times, it’s possibly the best vibe in the world. Writing with Colin Meloy has been a goal since I was 12. I picked this song because I feel like it represents how I feel about most of the relationships I’ve had in my life/ I used to be all about seeing the “potential” in people instead of accepting who they are in the moment and that was shitty of me. You gotta let people be people.

5. Lucy Dacus – ‘Night Shift’
For me, there is no better breakup song than this one. I love how the lyrics feel like a letter or a journal entry. It reminds me of being in the valley in LA for some reason, I feel like most of the people I dated and had break-ups with lived in the valley. Lucy’s style of singing feels so effortless and easy to listen to, I don’t feel like she’s trying to do anything cool, she just is the coolest!

Watch the video for girlhouse’s new single ‘Pretty Girl in LA’ below.

Follow girlhouse on Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Alex Justice

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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