LISTEN: Noise Noir – ‘Deep Blue Sea’

A a riff-heavy, grunge infused reflection on the destructive nature of depression and anxiety; Noise Noir have shared their latest single, ‘Deep Blue Sea’. Released via We Can Do It Records, the track’s gritty guitars, brooding bass lines and commanding vocals attempt to dismantle the stigma around mental health.

Formed of Kelly Chard (vocals), Anthony Hill (guitar), Elis Sarv (bass), and Luis Bezzi (drums), Noise Noir blend riotous riffs, crashing percussion and charged lyrics to create their unruly sounds, and new single ‘Deep Blue Sea’ is model example of this. The track was recorded by Matt Noades at Rubber Factory Studios and mixed by Tobias May (Sleeper, Yonaka, CLT DRP).

‘Deep Blue Sea’ is about “The feeling of depression, anxiety and how much it affects your everyday tasks.” explains vocalist Kelly Chard. “I feel like a lot of people don’t understand how easily and sometimes quite drastically it can change your emotions. It can feel like your own mind is against you and stops you from doing something as simple as getting ready or going to the shops.

There’s a lot of imagery in the song likening depression and anxiety to drowning and being drawn in by the devil. The chorus is a struggle with wanting to break free but being dragged back down again. I know a lot of people struggle with mental health issues and I want this song to be an anthem for them. Going through all this is extremely difficult and it makes you a stronger person; even if others might perceive it as weakness.”

Listen to Noise Noir’s single below and follow the band on Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

 

Photo by Keira-Anee
Edited graphics by Kelly Chard

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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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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LISTEN: Nat Vazer – ‘For A Moment’

A gentle, lo-fi reflection on loves past and present; Nat Vazer has shared her latest single, ‘For a Moment’. Taken from her second album, Is This Offensive And Loud?, which is set for release on 29th May via Hotel Motel Records, the track quietly broods with nostalgic tenderness.

Since the release of her 2018 EP, We Used To Have Real Conversations, Vazer has toured with Lime Cordiale and supported the likes of Last Dinosaurs, #1 Dads, Carla Geneve and The Magic Numbers. Her understated but infectious indie melodies, coupled with her smooth vocals mean Vazer’s tracks radiate with a humble indie buzz; and ‘For a Moment’ is another shining example of this.

“[The track] is a love song about an ex-work colleague,” Vazer explains. “There is a strange time-warping feeling you get sometimes when you fall for someone hard, where time can appear to stand still while everything around you seems like a blur. ‘For A Moment’ indulges in that fantasy. It’s about chasing something forbidden, a longing for someone you can’t really be with and the overwhelming fear of the possibility.”

Vazer’s blending of fantasy and fear is something we find very easy to indulge in. Listen to ‘For A Moment’ below and follow Nat Vazer on Spotify & Facebook for more updates.

Is This Offensive And Loud? is now available for pre-order on vinyl, digital and CD via Bandcamp here.”

Photo Credit: Jay Donohue

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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EP: Stef Fi – ‘Girlhood’

A poignant reflection on grief, growth, and grappling with the repercussions of a racist world; Stef Fi has shared her debut EP, Girlhood, via Sistah Punk Records. Best known as the vocalist & guitarist of black feminist punk band Big Joanie, Stef Fi (aka Stephanie Phillips) has shared four alt-punk tracks that provide “sketches of a girl” resisting hate, and trying to find hope in the harshest of realities.

Mellow opener ‘What Remains’ broods with quiet intensity, setting the pensive, yet resistant tone of the EP. “Open wide and swallow divine” Stef directs, over steady beats and ominous guitar riffs. Her punk attitude breaks through on following track ‘Nowhere’. The quiet, uncertain lyrics of the verses contrast well with the distorted riffs and defiant words in the chorus.

“This town will be the death of me”, muses Stef on the eponymous ‘Girlhood’. The song was inspired by the footage of police attacking a young black girl at a Texas pool party in 2015. Extrapolating on what the victim may have felt, Stef delivers the line “I had spoken then I saw, I knew it was my time to fall” with calm resignation and maturity, powerfully contrasting with the violence the young girl experienced. It’s a jarring listen, but one that’s delivered with care and gentility.

‘The Garden’ closes the EP, with its rolling riffs, rumbling percussion, and more of Stef’s yearning vocals. Despite being rooted in inequality, Stef Fi’s Girlhood is a considerate, tender offering that showcases her talent as a songwriter, and as a woman who is dedicated to spotlighting the struggles of others.

Order your copy of Stef Fi’s debut EP on bandcamp. Follow her on Twitter for more updates.

Photo Credit: Nick Paulsen

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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