Five Favourites & Video Premiere: Femegades – ‘Daddy Says’

Having previously received acclaim for singles ‘Speechless‘ and ‘Be Alone‘, and wowed crowds headlining Camden Rocks Presents, grunge-rockers Femegades have now announced the release of their new EP, Not All Men, set for release in September. To celebrate the announcement, the band have shared a brand new video for stirring single ‘Daddy Says’. Gentler in tone than previous offerings, heartfelt ballad ‘Daddy Says’ poignantly reflects on the somewhat challenging subject matter of a father encouraging his daughter into the sex industry. As front person Em’s honey-sweet vocals lilt alongside the backdrop of strummed Americana-inspired hooks and a catchy musicality, Femegades showcase their ability to tackle hard-hitting subjects; giving a voice to issues that society may prefer to shy away from.

We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the release of the stirring new video for ‘Daddy Says’ and the upcoming EP, we caught up with Femegades to ask about the music that has inspired them the most. See below for their choices of their five favourite songs, and watch the new video for ‘Daddy Says’ at the bottom of this feature.

Fugazi – ‘Suggestion’
A song by four dudes calling out the harassment of women. The dynamics they employ sonically to build up and release tension – it really is a masterpiece. And, given our female/male co-writing dynamic in the band, it is such an inspirational song for us; a great example of how switching gender roles for a song can still produce something so powerful. It shows you don’t need to be constrained by only writing from the perspective of the female character. The live version sung by Amy Pickering really takes it to another level as well.

Pete Yorn – ‘Life On A Chain’
I received Pete Yorn’s album as a gift when I was quite young and only really listened to it years later, which made me say to myself – what were you thinking?! The album is great as a whole and this song really hits home.I love the vibes of rock meets folk meets acoustic. Not often that I can tolerate an album from start to finish, however this one is definitely one I can listen to on repeat and really influenced a lot of the sounds in the music I played early on.

Angus & Julia Stone – ‘The Devil’s Tears’
Always a sucker for sibling musical ensembles but Angus and Julia just hit differently. Their simplistic yet emotionally charged songs really showed me that taking it back a step and playing on those heartstrings using minimalism can really resonate.

Jewel – ‘Who Will Save Your Soul?’
Always been a fan of Jewel – her vocals, her lyrics, her energy – it’s a lot of what I aspire to be able to put forth when writing or performing. She’s just so damn cool and I love it.

Taking Back Sunday – ‘MakeDamnSure’
A bit of high school nostalgia here, but Taking Back Sunday just give me a rush of energy that’s infectious. Absolutely feel like I can lose myself listening to them.

Massive thanks to Femegades for sharing their Five Favourites with us! Watch the affecting brand new video for ‘Daddy Says’ here:

Not All Men, the upcoming new EP from Femegades, is set for release on 1st September via Regent Street Records.

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Five Favourites: Sir Jude

Having had previous singles featured in popular TV shows such as ‘Catfish’ and ‘The A List’, Australian artist Sir Jude has now announced the release of her upcoming debut album, Revelations, and shared a sweeping new single with the world. Propelled by a stirring, glitchy energy ‘Madonna‘ reflects on the dichotomy of the Madonna concept – the virgin and the whore. As her rich vocals soar over a gritty electro-infused soundscape, an instantly catchy cinematic alt-pop anthem is created.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the release of ‘Madonna’ and the upcoming debut album, we caught up with Sir Jude to ask about the music that has inspired her the most. See below for her choices of her five favourite songs.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Wet Sand’ 
Growing up, I was such a big Chili Peppers fan. Still am of course. It was the soundtrack to many defining moments, particularly my first love. My journey to discovering them as a band was led by pure intrigue – none of my friends listened to them and I was mesmerised by the sound of psychedelic rock. The lyric in this track – “you don’t form in the wet sand” – I thought was so delicate and beautiful. Despite it feeling like a song about lightness, there is this sense of tragedy and vulnerability. I think Anthony Kiedis mastered that; most of their songs have this wonderful element of dichotomy. Later I watched an interview of Flea talking about how the song for him is a special love song, about the darkness of love, and I deeply resonate with that.  

Imogen Heap – ‘Hide and Seek’
This song was a staple for my teen years! I had first heard this on my favourite show at the time – which I’m admitting was The OC. I think for most people, it was unlike anything else they’d heard before. For me, I wanted to know more. I think Imogen Heap is one of the most talented composers and is an absolute force for women in music. I’m so grateful to her for being so authentic and bold in everything she does. This song inspired a whole era of songs I set to write at 13 or 14 (most of which were terrible). But one song it inspired, titled ‘Sailor Ships’, was the very song that brought me to Abbey Road Studios in London, with my friend and collaborator Bryce Jacobs, and that moment was so special.  

Arctic Monkeys – ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ 
This song gets most of its lyrics from the John Cooper Clark poem of the same name. I first heard this and gasped. I’m not the most romantic person, but for the first time I felt like these words were ones I could understand. It’s honestly a little creepy when you read it aloud, but I think at the heart of the song it’s about loving someone so deep that you want to know and be with every single part of them, and that’s pretty beautiful. I feel like such a sap admitting that, but it’s just lovely.  

Kavinsky ft. Lovefoxxx – ‘Nightcall’
I had heard this song before seeing it in Drive. The movie and the scorpion jacket only added to the iconic etch it made in my mind. The way the album, Out Run, opens is so epic; it paints this glorious mental movie soundtrack that is otherworldly and genius and just so cool. It’s the best nighttime driving song there is. Again, there is this sense of love and tragedy that I resonated with because the concept of the album itself felt so tangible.  

The Naked and Famous – ‘The Sun’
I lean very heavily towards songs that make me feel as though I can cut a quick movie montage of my life in my head. Every time this song plays, I feel so empowered and capable – like something is about to happen. It’s dramatic and aggressive and the lyrics bring about a feeling of frustration, like this person is about to explode; like they’re finally at a turning point. The line “and what the hell have I done” inspired my own song – ‘What the Hell Have You Done’. I just remember feeling so heard in that line. It does something to me every time I hear it. And the whole album is a classic; I think there are a lot of people that can listen to a song from that album and have it take them back somewhere years ago.  

Massive thanks to Sir Jude for sharing her Five Favourites with us!

‘Madonna’ is out now, and Revelations, the upcoming debut album from Sir Jude, is set for release soon!

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Five Favourites & Video Premiere: Piney Gir – ‘The Seventh Dial’

Following acclaim for her otherworldly latest EP Alchemy Hand, and having recently shared stages with the likes of Gaz Coombes and Noel Gallagher, London based artist and self-proclaimed witch Piney Gir has now shared a magical new video for latest single ‘The Seventh Dial‘.

Having always been a little witchy, rebelling against her super strict Christian-Kansas upbringing – finding comfort in nature, connecting with creative souls and sensing different energies – she has only recently publicly defined herself as ‘a witch’. And what better way to celebrate this than to share a mystical new video. Floating with a lilting energy and resplendent grace, ‘The Seventh Dial’ oozes a majestic effervescent splendour and colourful ethereal aura as Piney’s honey-sweet vocals flow with a swirling psychedelic allure. A bewitching offering that’ll draw you into the soothing, sparking majesty of Piney Gir’s world.

To celebrate the release of ‘The Seventh Dial’, we spoke to Piney about her Five Favourites – five songs that have inspired this release the most; the witchiest tunes that she relates to and have influenced her on her magical journey. Read about her choices below and make sure you watch the beautiful new video for ‘The Seventh Dial‘ at the bottom of this feature!

This Is The Kit – ‘Moonshine Freeze’
I love this song, firstly because it has that kind of magical-mystical groove thing moving throughout the track that just keeps going like a perpetual-musical rolling-river. Lyrically she talks about the cycle of three, which is literally a reference to Neopaganism; she talks about natural order which appeals to my inner green witch. This Is The Kit will always have a special place in my heart because it’s the first gig I saw after all the Covid lockdowns. It was a show at the Barbican and masks were mandatory, only every 3rd seat was full – it was certainly a ’new normal’ at that point… It was such an emotional show, and they were the perfect band to see for that moment, my gateway back into live music. I may have had a little happy cry.

 Nina Simone – ‘I Put A Spell On You’
Nina Simone puts a spin on this classic blues song originally by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins with lush string orchestration reminiscent of Gerswhin. She smooths out the track with her bewitching, jazz-piano skills, and her voice preserves the raw energy of the original version – it has a gritty, almost other-wordly quality to it! Nina Simone walked among us, but she was not one of us, she was like a voodoo high priestess on another dimension channelling her magic that sometimes feels a little bit dangerous. 

Kate Bush – ‘Cloudbusting’
When I was a kid I used to pretend to make a witch’s potion in the garden – I’d get the biggest pot I could find and fill it with flowers and leaves, berries and twigs. I’d stir the pot and say “Drink the brew… he he he…” in my witchiest voice… One thing I used to fantasise about was having the ability to change the weather – I wanted so badly to unleash sunlight on the grey days. It’s in this song that Kate Bush fantasises about the same thing, and in this video she’s a child too! This song makes me feel more connected to her and also connected to that happy memory as a carefree witchling trying to change the weather! These lyrics say it all and I believe this to be true: “I just know that something good is gonna happen… but just saying it could even make it happen.”

Aldous Harding – ‘The Barrel’
There’s something kind of otherworldly about Aldous Harding and this song summarises her off-kilter, elegant style perfectly. Her lyrics are like poetry, so I’m not entirely sure what she’s on about, but the great thing about poetic lyrics is that they can mean whatever you want them to mean. For me, Aldous represents an outsider, and back in the day she would have definitely been burnt at the stake in Salem along with me and all my friends (she’s dressed like a Salem witch in this video!). Perhaps that scar in our matriarchal history is not something to celebrate, but it’s important that we don’t forget the suffering of the women that paved the way for women today, and it’s songs like this one that helps me find a way to honour our herstory.

The Warlocks – ‘Song For Nico’
As a believer in equal opportunity, I thought it might be nice to celebrate our brothers from another mother – The Warlocks – because not all witches identify as female, and not all warlocks are male – it’s not really about gender, it’s about equality. This song celebrates Nico, goddess of The Velvet Underground, and is a deep cut from The Warlocks second album Rise and Fall. It came out a long time ago now, but the psych-rock, reverb-drenched guitars sound timeless; Nico will always be a will-o’-the-wisp for me, and apparently she inspired The Warlocks too!

Massive thanks to Piney Gir for sharing her witchy Five Favourites with us! Watch the beautiful new video for ‘The Seventh Dial’ below:

Alchemy Hand, the latest EP from Piney Gir, is out now via Reckless Yes.

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Five Favourites: Sound Of Ceres

New York-based audiovisual project Sound of Ceres create otherworldly, immersive visuals to accompany their celestial soundscapes. With new album, Emerald Sea, shimmering dreamscapes tell the story of how the universe comes to know itself. Written in three acts, it follows two deities who trail each other through the furthest reaches of experience, featuring poignant narration from Marina Abramović throughout. A truly captivating experience that’ll enliven the senses with its majestic cinematic splendour and orchestral grandeur.

We spoke to Sound Of Ceres – vocalist, lyricist and costumer K, songwriter and producer Ryan, songwriter and musician Derrick and costumer and light designer Jacob – about the five videos that have inspired their visuals and fed into their unique, innovative ideas for Emerald Sea. Have a read about their choices below and then watch the beautifully haunting video for album track ‘Arm Of Golden Flame‘ at the bottom of this feature.

The Smashing Pumpkins – ‘Tonight, Tonight’
This video, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, takes me into my own early 1900s Lumière brothers fantasy. Turn of the century times when La Fée Electricité (Loïe Fuller) wore handmade dresses, seen dancing in light projections when harnessable electricity first presented itself. The handmade set pieces, opacity fades, physical world one can immerse themselves into makes this video transportive to me.
– K

Björk – ‘Hidden Place’
The visuals for ‘Hidden Place’, directed by Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin and M/M (Paris), made me realise that a music video doesn’t need a million cuts to be interesting. This is one entrancing camera shot the whole time, and has been the single biggest influence on my own video/visualiser work, which usually features a simple visual composition that moves or changes slowly over the entire length of the song.
– Ryan

Björk – ‘Isobel’
Directed by Michel Gondry, this is a synesthetic masterpiece. In my opinion, Gondry pulled off one of the most ambitious things a music video director can do: create a true visual parallel to the music that is equally dynamic and agile as their imagination. I love the surreal compositions (and visual effects) that blend nature and flowing water with Björk. I also love the black and white noir texture throughout.
– Derrick

Smoke City – ‘Underwater Love‘
Directed by Tim Macmillan and John Lynch, this is one of my favourites. The colours and contrast are perfect in a way that you can only get from actual film stock. The whole video is essentially just playing with time: a lot of delightful water shots played in reverse, and just when you start to wonder if all this backwards, Jean Cocteau-like stuff is able to carry a whole video, they throw in some really stunning, ghostly ‘time slice photography’. This video came out two years before everyone would see this method used in the first Matrix movie, and IMO, ‘Underwater Love’ uses it to much prettier effect. The whole thing is just sparkling and sexy and fun. Serious eye candy!
– Jacob

Virgina Astley – ‘Waiting To Fall’
Here, Virginia Astley performs ‘Waiting to Fall’ for an appearance on BBC2. This was filmed at the Coventry Electric Wharf in 1982, where the beautifully weightless song somehow fits perfectly into the backdrop of gleaming industrial (moving!) machinery.
– Ryan

Massive thanks to Sound Of Ceres for sharing their Five Favourites with us!

Emerald Sea, the immersive new album from Sound Of Ceres, is out now via Joyful Noise Watch the beautifully haunting video for ‘Arm Of Golden Flame’ here:

Photo Credit: Todd Eckert

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