WATCH: Lunar Vacation – ‘Mold’

With a twinkling new excursion, Atlanta-based band Lunar Vacation share their new single ‘Mold’ in anticipation of their debut album Inside Every Fig Is A Dead Wasp, which is set for release in October.

Setting the scene with choral vocals and synth pads that hold the power to stretch for days, ‘Mold’ is captivating from its start, casting off into a dream sequence breathing honest lyrics on the art of balance. Catchy riffs nudge the track into its snappy rhythm and develop Lunar Vacation’s indie-rock disposition into irresistible, danceable dream-pop. Modest, detail oriented drums keep the track swirling, sustaining ‘Mold’s luscious yet driving guitars and honey-sweet vocals. However, it is the chemistry between players that seals the effortless breeze and nonchalant feel of Lunar Vacation. 

A sense of closeness seeps through every crack of ‘Mold’s mix. Its world remains “changing with the seasons” as the track unravels through warm sing-along choruses, and signs off with a sonic shift that hits like winter in slow motion. Reminiscent of the dreamy soundscapes of Snail Mail or Alvvays, Lunar Vacation elegantly share a melancholic experience packaged in a lush, sparkling soundscape.

‘Mold’ is accompanied by a quirkily psychedelic, Wes Anderson-inspired new video. Watch it here:


Inside Every Fig Is A Dead Wasp, the upcoming new album from Lunar Vacation, is set for release on 29th October via Keeled Scales.

Jill Goyeau
@jillybxxn

Photo Credit: Violet Teegardin

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Track Of The Day: Beorma – ‘Her’

A bittersweet, sultry tune lamenting the pain and confusion that comes with heartache, Birmingham-based duo Beorma have shared their latest single ‘Her’. Mixing R&B and indie pop sensibilities with a Prince inspired guitar solo, the track is a smooth, melancholy-tinged reflection on absent love.

Formed of Tom and Ferns, Beorma performed separately in different bands before they began working together during lockdown in 2020. Sending ideas back and forth online, the duo’s collaboration led to the creation of their debut EP Virtual Emotionality, which they released at the end of January. Now, the pair have shared their new single ‘Her’ which captures the inner conflicts of desire and the need for distance when it comes to a breakup.

“’Her’ is probably our most soulful song,” Ferns explains. “I really wanted to just lay it bare on vocals and nothing too fancy, just more about trying to channel raw emotion. Prince is a huge inspiration to me so that’s kinda the vibe I was going for whilst still making it very Beorma emo through the lyrics. I think it’s a really relatable song, we’ve all been through some sort of heartache and it’s never easy, especially not when you’re the cause of it. ‘Her’ is essentially a soulful breakup.”

“‘Her’ is a song that felt like it took forever to finish,” Tom continues. “I had the core of it sorted and sent it to Ferns quite early on in Beorma days, but the structure just never felt right, then at some point Ferns suggested a Prince type guitar solo after the first chorus and it all just fell into place after we put the guitar in there and now it’s one of our favourite songs.”

Listen to ‘Her’ below

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Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Sunken – ‘Show Me Your Mind’

Having previously supported the likes of Babeheaven, and newly signed to 7476 (Matt Maltese, Lizzie Reid, London band Sunken have now shared a dreamy new single. A fierce blend of throbbing bass and sharp synths, ‘Show Me Your Mind‘ is a song “about the subtleties of how someone presents themselves to you“. There is so much scope for exploration in that topic, and this song zeros in on it wonderfully.

The drum beat and the rich bass line form a solid core that carries the song from slower opening bars into its intense ending, as the pace picks up and the synths build until the track swells into bursting emotion. The musicality provides a foundation for Poppy Billingham’s incredible vocals that match its force perfectly. Billingham has a strong, captivating voice that sweeps you into the raw torment of the track.

The lyrics are simple, with repeating phrases that shift as the relationship progresses. They imagine a setting for that feeling that inspired the track; it embodies that sense of being in limbo with someone you can’t quite grasp with any sense of certainty. The lack of specificity allows you to project your experiences of people who are closed off – regardless of how an individual holds their guard up, this song reflects that universal feeling that you’re not getting the whole picture.

‘Show Me Your Mind’ is an intensely emotional song that combines lyrics, vocals and a stirring musicality into a genuine and powerful track. With only slight changes in intonation, it captures the joy in sharing what you know of someone, the fear of what you’re being shut out of, and ultimately the hope that an unfolding relationship may reveal the rest to you. It’s open-ended in a way that’s almost optimistic, but doesn’t shy away from that initial pain.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

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WATCH: Sophie Kilburn – ‘I’m In Love With My Therapist’

A ’90s inspired indie-pop belter, Sophie Kilburn has shared her latest single ‘I’m In Love With My Therapist‘. It’s the second single from her debut EP, following ‘Movements’, which also blew us away at GIHE. Shades of Americana ring out through the song, with the Derbyshire artist reflecting LA’s Sunset Boulevard. Fans of Haim, Phoebe Bridgers, and Maggie Rogers might just find Sophie Kilburn to be their new favourite artist.

A fiery fusion of old-school rocker and modern pop warrior, Sophie Kilburn captivates and commands her due attention. ‘I’m In Love With My Therapist’ is a display of assured and beautifully crafted song-writing. The addictive vocal hook lingers in your mind long after the song has finished. It’s a euphoric release, both emotionally and musically. Fierce guitar riffs, oozing a stadium anthem feel, interlace with the driven percussion and thumping bass line. It is foot-stomping emotion, displaying the strength that comes from being so in touch with your emotions, as Sophie sings of both being lost as well as knowing that she needs to get out. The musical drive and the honest lyrics create a poignant juxtaposition.

In her own words, Sophie describes how ‘I’m In Love With My Therapist’ came to be:

“It was lockdown number two, and I was annoyed at myself for killing yet another plant and the story of the song just fell from my frustration. When you go to therapy, you are trying to understand your emotions and behaviours. Sometimes that digging causes confusion, you start to project feelings – like your longing to fall in love – onto a person who ‘gives you the time of day’. It is quite a morbid thought that the only person who you feel who gets you and you can share anything with, is your therapist… They know everything about you, and you know nothing about them but the consistency of being emotionally intimate with them causes feelings to grow to the point of breaking point.”

The music video, shot with an all-female team led by Marieke Macklon, has shades of the Truman Show, with the cameras watching Sophie closely. It’s obsessive and bordering on invasive, powerfully illustrating the all-consuming nature of anxiety and depression and perfectly expressing the sentiment of the song.


Sophie Kilburn’s debut EP, My Room Made Me Public, is set for release next month.

Jaz Kelly
@surfjaz

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