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

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