Track Of The Day: OHMME – ‘Selling Candy’

A sweet new offering of guitar distortion and smooth dual harmonies; OHMME have shared their latest single, ‘Selling Candy’. The track is lifted from their upcoming album, Fantasize Your Ghost, which is set for release on 5th June via Joyful Noise Recordings.

Formed of Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart; Chicago-based OHMME blend driving beats and brooding guitars to create their deceptively simple, catchy songs. On their latest single, the pair repeatedly sing the same six lines over heavy guitars and persistent, crashing percussion to reflect both the excitement and mundanities of childhood experiences.

“‘Selling Candy’ was pieced together from little snapshots of my childhood growing up on my block in Chicago” explains Cunnigham. “It felt like its own tiny world where I could explore my imagination, enjoy independence from my parents, and meet all kinds of people, including the pissed off hot dog vendor from whom I bought a boiled hot dog from as often as I could get my hands on a buck.” This sweet sense of freedom is reflected in the cathartic, noisy breakdown at the end of the track.

Listen to ‘Selling Candy’ below and follow OHMME on Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Photo credit: Ash Dye

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: DEHD – ‘Loner’

After touring Europe with Twin Peaks last year, Chicago’s DEHD are coming to the international stage for the first time. This week the trio announced their new album Flower Of Devotion alongside killer lead track ‘Loner’.

‘Loner’ examines lead singer Emily Kempf’s need for isolation and time to focus on herself, following the band’s recent extensive touring period. Rather than focusing on the negative, ‘Loner’ speaks to the often cyclical nature of life. It’s a theme that runs throughout the album; at every turn, sadness is countered by joy, joy is tempered by sadness. Explaining this theme, Emily says:

“Being alone and grieving is very isolating… but then you come out of your little cave of grief, and your friends and family and partner are all there to pat you on the back and hold you until you have to go back into the cave of grief alone.”

Accepting your own need for isolation, especially during hard times can be liberating. A bittersweet sentiment we can all get behind at the moment.

‘Loner’ certainly provides us with a more polished sound than any of the tracks on the band’s 2019 debut Water, but it still packs the same raw edge that fans have come to expect from the trio. Emily Kempf’s vocal cuts through as distinctive and gritty as ever, backed up by spirited guitar and pulsating drums.

The accompanying video is a trip. Directed by Kempf with collaborator Ryan Hart and shot on location in Joshua Tree, and at beloved Chicago venue The Hideout, the video is a highly surreal clip and well worth a watch.

DEHD’s upcoming new album Flower of Devotion is set for release 17th July via Fire Talk, and is available to pre-order now.

Ellie Ball

Photo Credit: Alexa Viscius

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LISTEN: Ganser – ‘Lucky’

An abrasive jest at the futility of forcing self-growth; Chicago-based Ganser have shared their latest single, ‘Lucky’. Taken from their upcoming album, Just Look at That Sky, which is set for release on 31st July via Felte Records, the track is a brooding cacophony of post-punk noise.

Formed of Nadia Garofalo (keyboards/vocals), Alicia Gaines (bass/vocals), Charlie Landsman (guitar) and Brian Cundiff (drums); Ganser’s music has garnered comparisons to 90s noise-makers like Fugazi, Shellac, and Sonic Youth. Their jolting rhythms, confrontational vocals, and manic riffs fuse together to create defiant, jarring tunes; and new single ‘Lucky’ is a sturdy example of this.

“It’s a commentary on personal feelings of inadequacy, and how these feelings can often result in unhealthy or extreme behaviors.” explains Garofalo. “Especially now, as we are in a time of uncertainty, it feels like we have even less control over what is happening to and around us. Isn’t it shitty when things don’t work out the way we’d hoped?!” The exasperated repetition of lyric “Hell of a day kid” communicates this perfectly.

Ganser took on directing duties for the accompanying video to ‘Lucky’, which blends monochrome footage of the band, along with shots of a volatile encounter between two characters. Watch the video below and follow Ganser on Spotify & Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: OHMME – ‘Ghost’

Buzzing guitar riffs, smooth dual vocals, and yearning lyrics combine on ‘Ghost’, the latest single from OHMME. The track is lifted from the band’s upcoming album, Fantasize Your Ghost, set for release on 5th June via Joyful Noise Recordings.

Formed of Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart; Chicago-based OHMME blend driving beats and brooding, distorted guitars to create their deceptively simple, catchy songs. On ‘Ghosts’, the pair meander through snaking riffs and restless lyrics to relieve the feeling of being stood still. This need to travel and keep on the move influenced their upcoming album Fantasize Your Ghost, which is referenced in the track’s chorus.

The track is accompanied by a colourful video, directed by Austin Vesely. The band explain how the visuals came to life: “We’d been kicking around the idea of doing something like the ‘Pop Musik’ video by M, but darker. There’s a lot of darkness these days, but it’s important to keep dancing. Austin said, “fancy ghosts?” and “can I press order on these California King satin bed sheets?” and we said “Yes, and YES!””

Now that’s the kind of offer you can’t refuse. Watch the video for ‘Ghost’ below, and follow OHMME on Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Photo credit: Ash Dye

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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