ghosting – Get In Her Ears

A playful musing on what could happen if your crush just spared the time to text you back, multi-instrumentalist SOFT LAD has shared her latest single ‘2 Know U Betta’. Taken from her debut EP MAXIMUM FEELS, which is set for release on 1st April, the track is an earnest reflection on what could have been, underscored by buoyant guitars and smooth vocals.

Sophie Gaplin aka SOFT LAD has spent the past fourteen years playing alongside the likes of Tom Grennan, The Breeders, James Vincent McMorrow, Jessie Ware, SOAK and SELF ESTEEM. Now, she’s stepping into the spotlight to share her brand of honest pop, with her second offering ‘2 Know U Betta’ exploring that all-to-familiar feeling of being ghosted by a crush.

“I had a spark with someone and wanted to get to know them more, in a casual way,” Galpin explains about the track. “I was like, ‘I’m not looking for anything serious and there’s literally no pressure here, but we could be having a really nice, fun time if you ever texted me back!’ I knew there was a vibe there and I thought it would be a shame to let it go, but in the end I had to accept that she had her own thing going on, which is totally fair!” Galpin puts this missed romantic opportunity into context via her conversational lyrics and breezy melodies.

Inspired by the sounds of Years & Years, MUNA and Shura, as well as her own experiences of queer love and relationships, SOFT LAD’s debut EP looks set to be a joyful, tongue-in-cheek listen, with singles ‘Singapore’ and ‘2 Know U Betta’ providing the first dose of her pop-infused wit.

Listen to ‘2 Know U Betta’ below.

Follow SOFT LAD on Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Lou Pye

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Fueled by the frustration of being cut off and ignored; Brooke Bentham‘s latest single ‘Control’ is an introspective, moody exploration of how it feels to be ghosted. The track is taken from her debut album, Everyday Nothing, set for release via AllPoints on 28th of February.

Self doubt and insecurity permeate the lyrics in ‘Control’, which centers around Bentham’s own experience of being left behind. She explains further: “It’s about when someone cuts you off entirely. It’s weird when someone does that. I got blocked out with absolutely no reason why, and it makes you question yourself and you just can’t stop thinking about it. you’re just talking to a wall; it’s bouncing back and you end up with this mess in your head.”

This “mess” has translated into brooding guitar noises and hypnotizing vocals on Bentham’s latest single. The track is accompanied by a video, which shows Bentham intermittently staring out of windows and stretching out awkwardly across household furniture, reflecting both the heaviness, and the dark humour in being left hanging by a lover.

Confronted with the mundanities of life and caught between two jobs in London, Bentham has found relief in writing about the smaller, more personal elements of life on her upcoming album. “There is so much frustration in being young and unsure of what you want, especially when your path is creative,” she muses. “You can only hope that it leads you to something fulfilling, so you cling on to the everyday details – burning candles in your bedroom at three AM aged sixteen, or having a bath in the evening at twenty-three, or watching your breath when you step outside in winter. I was reflecting a lot when I wrote these songs, romanticising those moments.”

Bentham is about to embark on a sold out UK tour with Sam Fender as his main support (30th Jan – 6th Feb), which includes two home-coming shows at Newcastle Academy, and a date at Brixton Academy. Bentham’s clear vocals and instinctive lyrics are sure to charm Fender’s crowds. Listen to ‘Control’ below, and follow Brooke Bentham on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Pre-order Brooke Bentham’s debut album Everyday Nothing here.

Photo Credit: Lauren Maccabee

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Tag: ghosting

LISTEN: SOFT LAD – ‘2 Know U Betta’

LISTEN: Brooke Bentham – ‘Control’