LISTEN: Witch Weather – ‘Hazy’

Following on from their previous release ‘Don’t Need‘ – a brooding blend of grunge-infused riffs and punk attitude – Pennsylvania-based indie/punk/goth duo Witch Weather have shared their latest single ‘Hazy’. Taken from the band’s upcoming self-titled album which is set for release on 13th October, the track is a fuzzed up, buoyant reflection on seasonal mood changes and transient feelings of hopelessness.

Influenced by bands such as Siouxsie and The Banshees, Against Me!, Fugazi, Screaming Females and Depeche Mode, Witch Weather create “sad queer indie punk for your sad queer enjoyment.” Formed of guitarist & vocalist Kaitlynn Autumn and bassist & vocalist Juliann Frances, the duo work through feelings of confusion, frustration and self-loathing on their upcoming record, all aided by hefty guitar licks and rumbling bass lines. The lyrics on the album are also inspired by Kaitlynn’s experience of being a trans woman, learning to be confident in her identity and following her journey from “confused to closeted, to out and doing her best.”

On ‘Hazy’, the band reflect on feelings of self-hatred and the effects of seasonal depression, all underscored by Kaitlynn’s riffs, considered lyrics and Juliann’s thundering bass lines. “Hazy is a song meant for anyone who’s ever felt lost and directionless and maybe just doesn’t even quite want to be alive,” explains Kaitlynn in more detail. “The thought, ‘what am I doing here, how did I let myself get to this point’, was a pretty common one at the time that this song was written. Whether that thought be in reference to being at a truly awful job, stagnating in transition, or a whole host of other problems that were going on…”

“It was a challenge to write, but definitely something that was really rewarding and let us know that we were going in the right direction creatively. Lyrically it felt really cathartic to write as well, and is mostly in reference to a really tough ‘mental health relapse’ that happened over the winter. While that time is over now, the song still holds true and even as the writer, it keeps finding new ways to be relatable in day to day life.”

Listen to ‘Hazy’ below.

Follow Witch Weather on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & TikTok

Visit Witch Weather’s website here

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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NEW TRACK: Witch Weather – ‘Don’t Need’

A brooding blend of grunge-infused riffs and punk attitude, Pennsylvania-based indie/punk/goth duo Witch Weather have shared their latest single ‘Don’t Need’. Taken from the band’s upcoming album which is set for release in October 2023, the track is a cathartic anthem about letting go of hypocrisy and refusing to let people keep you from achieving your full potential.

Influenced by bands such as Siouxsie and The Banshees, Against Me!, Fugazi, Screaming Females and Depeche Mode, Witch Weather create “sad queer indie punk for your sad queer enjoyment.” Formed of guitarist & vocalist Kaitlyn Autumn and bassist & vocalist Juliann Frances, the duo work through feelings of confusion, frustration and self-loathing on their upcoming record, all aided by hefty guitar licks and rumbling bass lines. The lyrics on the album are also inspired by Kaitlynn’s experience of being a trans woman, learning to be confident in her identity and following her journey from “confused to closeted, to out and doing her best.”

“’Don’t Need’ was me finally figuring out how to write an angry song,” Kaitlynn explains about the new single. “Normally when I try to do it the song turns into something sad and depressing but in this case we finally executed the way I would have liked. Especially on the album version of the track. Lyrically it’s about being fed up with being taken advantage of. Recording the guitar solo made me want to explode, it’s not hard to play by any means I just kept messing it up.”

“’Don’t Need’ was really fulfilling for me to sing since I have been really self-conscious about my voice,” adds bassist Juliann. I was always told I wasn’t a singer and that was the first time I felt I accomplished something vocally. Prior to this single, I pretty much only wrote and played my bass lines. I was and still am a part of songwriting decisions like song form, theme, etc. But this was the first time I performed something else on a recording which led to me doing backups on other tracks as well. it’s been a good confidence booster because even though I took vocal lessons in college, and no shade to that teacher, I just still hadn’t really found my voice, and now ‘Don’t Need’ has allowed me to start that journey.”

From their sharp focus on having their voices heard, to their raw punk spirit, Witch Weather’s new album looks set to be a frenzied, tenacious statement of independence and we look forward to hearing it in full.

Listen to ‘Don’t Need’ below.

 

Follow Witch Weather on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & TikTok

Visit Witch Weather’s website here

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Stay Sleeping ft. Spike Pop – ‘The Dark’

An evocative dark-wave gem that filters feelings of hesitation and anxiety through a vampiric lens, London-based musician and producer Stay Sleeping has shared her latest single ‘The Dark’. Featuring fellow London-based musician Spike Pop and released via independent Birmingham label Ezi Deth Rekords, the track is a haunting rumination on understanding lust, desire and learning to recognise the forces that form your own identity.

Formed in London as her own solo project after playing in several different musical outfits (including feminist post-punk/synth-pop trio Candy Cane), Stay Sleeping aka Izzy is a goth latinx who is heavily influenced by the shadowy sounds of electronics and death-wave. Working from her home DIY studio, she crafts bewitching soundscapes that provide a glance behind the veil of fear, anxiety and appetite, exploring them through her bittersweet, gothic tunes.

“I guess the song is about getting over the fear of knowing yourself and being able to be ok with it,” explains Stay Sleeping about her new single ‘The Dark’. “Whether that’s coming to terms with your mental health, sexuality or just life in general. Especially with everything that’s been going on in the world.” Stay Sleeping explores these feelings through the medium of a female vampire in the track, who is ultimately hesitant to explore her bloody fantasies.

Listen to ‘The Dark’ below.

 

Follow Stay Sleeping on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Penelope Trappes – ‘Nervous’

A graceful, evocative soundscape that tentatively traverses the inner thoughts of an anxious woman, Australian-born Brighton-based artist Penelope Trappes has shared her latest single ‘Nervous’. Taken from her new album Penelope Three, which is set to be released on 28th May via Houndstooth, the track ripples with a sense of mystery and disquiet, both of which are beautifully reflected in the accompanying video.

Forming the final part of her musical trilogy, Trappes’ upcoming album reflects on healing from grief while harnessing the unique power of her voice to tell tales of resilience and the restorative power of love. Utilizing her lived experiences as a mother and swiftly defying the limiting ageist and sexist industry ideas about women’s creativity, on ‘Nervous’ she masterfully layers her clear vocals over sparse beats and atmospheric electronics to hypnotic effect. “I’m digging up the underworld with visual motifs, and a mystical, gothic darkness that symbolises my struggles,” Trappes says of her new music, exhuming her feelings and finding joy and liberation in expressing the darker aspects of the emotional spectrum.

“In mid 2020 I began renting a strange and unique house in Brighton…I used the odd space and time to film the video for ‘Nervous’,” Trappes explains. “It delves inside the mind of a nervous smoking woman, which takes the form of an oppressive strange house. Inside, she is confronting the balance between the masculine and feminine within her, which take the form of two spirit characters. Outside there are expansive but liminal moments of reprieve from the claustrophobia, but she invariably gets drawn back into the anxious loop of her own mental entrapment.”

Watch the video for ‘Nervous’ below.

Penelope Trappes UK 2021 Live Dates
13 May The Great Escape, Brighton *Live Stream*
23 Sept The White Hotel, Manchester
24 Sept The Alchemy Experiment
25 Sept Future Yard, Birkenhead
26 Sept Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester
30 Sept The Rose Hill, Brighton
21 Nov St Pancras Church, London
24 Jul SNNTG Festival, Hannover
*supporting Leifur James

Follow Penelope Trappes on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram and Facebook

Press Credit: Agnes Haus

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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