LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with Cheri Percy (29.05.23)

Tash and Kate were back on Soho Radio’s airwaves playing loads of new music from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists! Mari offered some of her “musical musings” too. The pair talked about their highlights from The Great Escape Festival – which included spotting Courtney Love – and how much they collectively love Hypsoline after they headlined the latest GIHE gig at The Shacklewell Arms. They also enthused about the eclectic mix of tracks on the playlist, including ARXX, Ezra Williams, Touch Excellent, HotWax, GENN, SPIDER, CATBEAR, DEWEY, Midwife, Brutus and more.

Tash also caught up with author and journalist Cheri Percy to talk about her new book Come Away With ESG. Inspired by the story of ESG – one of the most under-rated and influential bands in electronic music – Cheri penned the book which features interviews with founding member Renee Scroggins, alongside cult-figures from 1980s New York and North England. Tash and Cheri spoke about all this and more. You can buy your copy of the book here.

Listen back to the radio show below:

 

We’ll be back on Soho Radio on Monday 26th June from 12-2pm!

Tracklist
ANOHNI and the Johnsons – It Must Change
Hypsoline – With You Gone
ARXX – Ride Or Die
HotWax – Rip It Out
GENN – A Reprise (That Girl)
INDIGOS – Drug Dealer, Faith Healer
FLOSSING – Switch
SOLE – en och en
Headboy – cement
Heff Vansaint – Ladder Rungs
BRUTUS – Brave
My Ugly Clementine – Are You In?
Aldous Harding – The Barrel
Ezra Williams – Until I’m Home
Janelle Monae – Lipstick Lover
jellyskin – bringer of brine
**Interview with Cheri Percy**
ESG – The Beat
DEWEY – The Janitor
CATBEAR – I’ll Meet You At The End
Midwife & Vyva Melinkolya – Hounds Of Heaven
Charlotte Carpenter – Spinning Plates
Carpenters – Yesterday Once More
SPIDER – Growing Into It
Touch Excellent – Record
pink suits – Fake Great Britain
Hole – Awful

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Get In Her Ears Live @ Shacklewell Arms w/ Me Rex, 10.02.2023

For our first gig of 2023, we were lucky enough to host a beautiful sold out night at The Shacklewell Arms, filled with the best music, best people and best vibes. Huge massive thanks to headliners Me Rex, as well as Dream Phone and Jen Denitto for being amazing! Thanks too to Sofia on sound, and to everyone who came down to support the bands, dance the night away, and help us raise £200 for vital organisation, Gendered Intelligence.

See below for some fantastic photos of the night, courtesy of our photographer Jon Mo…

Kicking off the night, London DIY legend Jen Denitto and her band deliver a career-spanning range of scuzzy indie-pop offerings. Covering themes from narcissists to the power of friendship, it’s a wonderfully uplifting set, oozing a unifying sense of joy throughout the crowd.

Next up, Oxford duo Dream Phone (aka my new favourite band) take to the stage. An utterly unique experience, their set offers voice augmentation and synth-driven glitch-pop soundscapes, all fuelled by Jen and Hannah’s sparkling charisma and vibrant energy. With the set lasting just under 20 minutes, every single second is a truly entertaining spectacle (a highlight being a swirling rendition of Papa Roach’s ‘Last Resort’), and I cannot wait to see and hear more from this exciting duo.

Headliners Me Rex take to the stage amidst a sea of adoring fans, treating them to 45 blissful minutes of indie-pop goodness. Oozing a swirling emotion alongside jangling melodies and luscious harmonies, each and every song flows with the band’s stirring lyricism, glistening musicality and impassioned energy; and I can’t help but lose myself in the rich, soothing catharsis that ripples throughout. Having been a mega fan of Me Rex for a few years now, it really is an honour to have them play for us – an experience that exceeded all expectations.

Huge thanks again to the three INCREDIBLE bands who played for us on Friday – what a dream of a night! Next up, we’re at Sebright Arms on 31st March for Gold Baby’s single launch, with support from The Other Ones and Argonaut – nab tickets here!

Words: Mari Lane / @marimindles
Photos: Jon Mo / @jonmophoto

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NEW TRACK: Montauk Hotel – ‘Dive’ (Come Afloat)

A bittersweet reflection on the conflicting feelings that come with returning to your hometown, Dublin-based trio Montauk Hotel have shared their latest single ‘Dive (Come Afloat)’. Marking the indie-pop band’s first release since 2019, the new track is laced with shimmering guitar sounds and soft vocal harmonies, which soften the feelings of discontent and disappointment that are explored in the lyrics.

“‘Dive (Come Afloat)’ reflects on the uncertain border that separates present from future, hesitation from release, uneasiness from comfort and deceit from honesty,” the band comment about their new single. “The song discusses friendship, insecurity and feelings of homecoming in a motionless town.” Montauk Hotel capture this feeling of sinking and re-surfacing through their use of crystalline 80s inspired guitar lines, gentle beats and buoyant, lullaby-esque vocals.

Montauk Hotel released their self-titled EP in March 2017, and their 2019 singles ‘Stains’ and ‘White Billboards’ were playlisted on Spotify New Music Friday, as well as receiving support from Nialler9, RTE, 2fm, The Thin Air, The Last Mixed Tape and BBC Radio. Now, with more new music on the horizon, the band are looking forward to returning to the live scene again, after previously headlining shows at Whelans, The Workman’s Club, The Sound House, Bello Bar and Roisin Dubh.

The band have also previously supported international acts such as Goat Girl, PINS and Beauty Sleep, and have appeared at festivals such as Electric Picnic, Other Voices, Groove Festival, Sea Sessions, Vantastival and Sunflower Festival.

Listen to their latest single ‘Dive (Come Afloat)’ below.

Follow Montauk Hotel on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LIVE: Alvvays @ Islington Assembly Hall, 07.10.22

A rainy Friday night in North London and what better way to soothe our dampened spirits than with some shimmering surf-pop sounds…

Thankfully, we arrive at the springy-floored Islington Assembly Hall in time to catch support act Lande Hekt. Though you may know her from her band Muncie Girls, her debut solo album, Going To Hell, was one of my favourites of last year and live, her songs are no less special. Starting off with a few captivating solo offerings, Hekt treats us to beautifully heartfelt songs covering themes ranging from the struggles of coming out, to comforting times with her cat Lola. With a lilting musicality and stirring, luscious vocals, she kicks off our evening with a collection of shimmering soundscapes, all delivered with a raw emotion.

Having been a huge fan of Canadian band Alvvays since falling in love with their self-titled debut album upon its release in 2014, I’m not quite sure why I’ve not yet seen them live, and so it’s with an apprehensive excitement that I await their arrival to the stage – that feeling of having waited so long for something, that you can’t help but worry that it won’t live up to your high expectations…

However, I’m soon to be proved wrong as Molly Rankin and co. take to the stage amidst a sea of adoring cheers filling the packed out venue (it’s the most busy I’ve ever experienced it and I’m a little miffed about being stuck behind one of the tallest people I’ve ever seen, but I’ll try not to dwell on that…). As they kick off the set with the dreamy musicality of second album Antisocialites‘ opening track ‘In Undertow’, I’m instantly immersed in the sparkling splendour of Alvvays’ trademark swirling surf-pop energy. And I feel very lucky to witness the band’s shiny new line-up (with the addition Sheridan Riley and Abbey Blackwell now forming the seamless rhythm section) first hand.

Introducing themselves, Rankin oozes an infectious sense of excitement as she tells us that today is the day of release for their brand new album, Blue Rev, and informs us that the set will consist of some newer songs from the record, as well as “some oldies – gotta include those crowd pleasers too!” before diving into one of said new tracks, ‘Very Online Guy’. With a more synth-driven sound than previous offerings, it fizzes with a whirring energy alongside Rankin’s rippling crystalline vocals.


And from new to old as the band flow smoothly into the first track from their 2014 debut, ‘Adult Diversion’. Propelled by lilting hooks and a buoyant, uplifting energy, the large crowd sway along with a joyous sense of unity to Rankin’s luscious vocal tones, as the raw power of Riley’s thrashing beats shines through. Twinkling with a whimsical allure, ‘Plimsoll Punks’ proves to be another crowd favourite before perhaps the band’s most famous song ‘Archie Marry Me’ sees each and every one of us sing along to each and every word, and I find myself getting quite emotional; the track’s dreamy grace and twinkling romanticism holding a special place in my heart (it was even featured on my wedding playlist), and – despite not being able to see the stage – live, it is every bit as beautiful as I could have hoped for.

Interspersed between the shimmering musical offerings, Rankin interacts with the crowd, oozing an endearing charm – apologising for her lack of vocal strength which is feeling strained as they come to the end of their tour, and receiving mixed reactions as she shares that she was going to wear an Arsenal jersey to the show. However, despite her apologies, her vocals glisten with a soaring majesty throughout truly captivating renditions of ‘Dreams Tonite’ and ‘Party Police’ to draw the set to a close.

After we cautiously make our way to the back of the room, Alvvays return to the stage for a very welcome encore of old favourites. After the sparkling emotion of ‘Atop A Cake’ shimmers with a scintillating allure, the band offer the final track of the night, another one from their debut album, ‘Next Of Kin’ – a perfectly euphoric way to end what has been a blissfully exquisite experience (and it seems my apprehension of being disappointed was totally unfounded).

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Eleanor Petry

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