NEW TRACK: SPIDER – ‘daisy chains’

Following on from last year’s smouldering single ‘straight out the oven‘, Irish-born, London-based alt-pop artist SPIDER has returned with a tenacious new anthem titled ‘daisy chains’. Taken from her upcoming new EP, an object of desire, which is set for release later this year, the track is a raucous ode to trusting your instincts and advocating for yourself when others encroach on your space.

“‘daisy chains’ is the epitome of ‘don’t take my kindness for weakness,’” explains SPIDER about her new single. “I wrote it about a really shitty experience where I continued being super kind to someone who invaded my personal space and made me feel really uncomfortable. I just didn’t think I was entitled to feeling weird about it and I didn’t feel like I could stand up for myself either. The lyrics are violent, but the invasion of someone’s space – in any type of way – is violent. Writing this song allowed me to reclaim that moment and properly feel the anger I had towards them without forcing myself to take the high road and ‘be above it.'”

Through her uncompromising lyrics and direct vocals, SPIDER explores these visceral and conflicting feelings. “I like to chase / and I hear that you’re a runner” she taunts over punchy beats and gritty riffs, gladly taking back control after feeling intense discomfort and unease about the situation. ‘daisy chains’ is aural proof that, as SPIDER states in her own lyrics: “I’ve got spine”. Her upcoming EP, and her previous releases (2022’s C.O.A, and 2023’s HELL OR HIGH WATER) all form what SPIDER coins as her “Unholy Trinity of Young Adulthood” collection. Through her music, she explores what it’s like to be a young black woman, coming of age in a Catholic household, and navigating the world and the music industry as a genre-blending and uncompromising new artist.

After watching SPIDER storm the stage at The Green Door Store for The Great Escape Festival in Brighton last year, we’re excited to share the news that she’ll be playing her first ever headline show at London’s Camden Assembly on 20th March. Grab a ticket here.

Listen to ‘daisy chains’ below.

Follow SPIDER on Spotify, Instagram, Twitter (X) & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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NEW TRACK: Hilary Woods – ‘Burial Rites’

After sharing her poignant rumination ‘Where The Bough Has Broken’ – an atmospheric ode to communal growth and memory – Irish artist Hilary Woods has returned with another hypnotic instrumental titled ‘Burial Rites’. Lifted from her upcoming album, Acts Of Light, which is set for release on 3rd November via Sacred Bones, the track is a magnetic, gloomy cogitation inspired by the Gaelic Celtic ritual of Keening; a traditional form of vocal lament when mourning for the dead.

Following on from her second full length record Birthmarks (2020) and her hypnotic EP Feral Hymns (2021), Woods has expanded and experimented with her sound even further on her new album. Written, recorded, mixed and produced by Woods over the two years she spent between the west coast of Ireland and Dublin, Acts Of Light includes a myriad of idiosyncratic sounds.

The record features choristers of the Palestrina choir, together with the voices of the Galway City Chamber Choir, which Woods captured in the Pro Cathedral Dublin. Strings by Oslo-based musician Jo Berger Myhre appear throughout, and all the tracks are interspersed with field recordings that Woods captured during her time spent travelling through the north west of Spain. These influences have culminated into the nine “hypnotic dirges” that make up Acts Of Light, with single ‘Burial Rites’ offering another glimpse at this potent body of work.

The track is accompanied by a visual which Woods created herself. She offers more insight into the making of it: “The video is comprised of 16mm and 8mm hand processed film, together with archive footage and still photographs that convey private and collective rituals as acts of light.” Paired with her stirring and considered instrumentation, these images convey a powerful sense of loss, absence, love and connection, all themes which permeate Acts Of Light.

Watch the video for ‘Burial Rites’ below.

Pre-order Hilary Woods’ upcoming album Acts Of Light here

Follow Hilary Woods on bandcamp, Spotify & Instagram

Hilary Woods Ireland & UK Tour Dates 2023
25/10/2023 IRL Dublin The Gallery space at The Complex
26/10/2023 IRL Dublin The Gallery space at The Complex
30/10/2023 UK Liverpool Kazimier Stockroom
31/10/2023 UK Brighton Rose Hill Arts
01/11/2023 UK London Cafe OTO
02/11/2023 UK Bristol Cube Cinema
03/11/2023 UK Newcastle Cobalt Studios
04/11/2023 UK Manchester The White Hotel
05/11/2023 UK Leeds Headrow House

Hilary Woods European Tour Dates 2023
05/12/2023 FR Lyon Le Sonic
06/12/2023 CH Geneva Cave12 *
07/12/2023 IT Ravenna Bronson *
08/12/2023 IT Busto Arsizio Circolo Gagarin *
09/12/2023 IT Cornuda Tipoteca Italiana *
10/12/2023 IT Bologna Circolo Dev *
12/12/2023 DE Munich Rote Sonne *
13/12/2023 DE Berlin Arkaoda *
14/12/2023 DE JenaTRAFO *
15/12/2023 DE Dresden Schauburg *
16/12/2023 PL Warsaw Jassmine *
17/12/2023 LI Vilnius St. Catherine Church *
18/12/2023 LV Riga Vagonu Hall *
19/12/2023 EE Tallinn Kino Sõprus *
* – as special guest to Jozef Van Wissem

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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NEW TRACK: Coolgirl – ‘High Altar’

Following on from her previous single ‘Silverlight‘ – a synth-soaked exploration of the intense, transitory nature of infatuation – Dublin-based artist and producer Lizzie Fitzpatrick aka Coolgirl has shared her latest single ‘High Altar’. Taken from her upcoming EP, Failed Reboot, which is set for release on 8th November via VETA Records (HAVVK, Sive, DYVR, Maria Kelly, St. Bishop), the track is a hypnotic blend of magnetic synths, intriguing samples and atmospheric beats.

GIHE fans will recognise Fitzpatrick as the front person of grunge trio Bitch Falcon, but under her new solo moniker she uses electronics to create vivid, sometimes ambient, sometimes upbeat soundscapes. After releasing a handful of singles over the past few years and performing live alongside the likes of HAVVK, Alyxis and Plus One, Coolgirl is preparing to share her new EP, with ‘High Altar’ offering further insight into what listeners can expect from the upcoming release.

Created in her bedroom studio, on ‘High Altar’ Coolgirl creates a mesmeric blend of analogue synths, modellers and samples – including the sound of knocking on a radiator – to showcase the “emotional aspect of dance music”. By using an upturned bass melody and rolling cutoffs to evoke an “intense sadness”, Fitzpatrick takes listeners on a bittersweet, euphoric journey into her thrilling, experimental world.

Coolgirl’s upcoming EP Failed Reboot will be released on digital platforms and on cassette tape too.

Watch the visualiser for ‘High Altar’ below.

 

Follow Coolgirl on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Follow VETA Records on bandcamp, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: EFÉ -‘KIWI’

A laid back, breezy mix of dreamy vocals and hazy guitar riffs, Dublin based musician Anita Ikharo aka EFÉ has shared her latest single ‘KIWI’. Taken from her upcoming EP, VITAMIN-C, which is set for release in June, the track is a charming slice of indie pop that showcases the young artist’s ear for catchy melodies and sees her fully relaxing into her songwriting capabilities.

Co-produced with her best friend who.killed.romeo and mixed by Ben Baptie (Rex Orange County, Little Simz, Moses Sumney), ‘KIWI’ is EFÉ’s first new release since her 2020 self-made debut EP, What Should We Do This Summer?. Featuring singles ‘Garden’ and ‘Table For Two’, the record propelled EFÉ into the spotlights of the London and Miami music scenes, an experience that overwhelmed, but did not deter her from writing the songs for VITAMIN-C – with ‘KIWI’ being the first taste of what fans can expect from the record.

Accompanied by a music video which was conceptualised, directed and edited by EFÉ and her friends, the visuals reflect the artist’s fears about being unprepared and insecure in a situation she’s not entirely comfortable with. Full of bright colours and playful imagery, the footage beautifully underscores ‘KIWI’s buoyant sound.

“The video has a storyline of a girl who goes camping, she’s brought her laptop, fairy lights and cute magazines, but she can’t light a fire or even hunt for food,” EFÉ explains. “She is super scared cause she sees a bear but then she falls in love with the bear. It was definitely hard to make because it was very necessary that the right location was chosen as well as the right bear costume and right people to work with. I did cry a whole lot, scared nothing would come out right. I had so much fear around the video because of the huge pressure I put on myself to make it good. I also worked on some of the editing and colour grading so there was a lot I had creative control over. I think it was worth it in the end though and shows that hard work and the right people around can really pay off!”

Being around the right people has helped EFÉ blossom into the indie pop artist she is, something which was also aided by reading Rachel Chinouriri’s open letter to the music industry – in which she explained how she has been consistently and wrongly stereotyped as an R&B artist throughout her career – in January this year. Inspired by Rachel Chinouriri words, EFÉ simply wants to make her own music without the incorrect input of those who are clearly not listening to her music.

Listen to ‘Kiwi’ below.

Follow EFÉ on Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Tik Tok

Photo Credit: Adam Kelleher

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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