Track Of The Day: draag – ‘Trauma Kit’

Anxious thoughts melt away in a swirl of hazy guitars and uplifting electronics on ‘Trauma Kit’, the latest single from L.A. indie-shoegaze five-piece draag. Following on from their previous track ‘Ghost Leak’, ‘Trauma Kit’ continues to unravel the tensions that went in to creating the band’s upcoming EP, Clara Luz, which is set for release on 21st February.

Draag was originally a solo project fronted by Adrian Acosta, who was trained as a mariachi singer by his Father. After exploring the worlds of underground punk, no wave, and experimental jazz, Acosta soon met and added Jessica Huang, Nick Kelley, Ray Montes and Shane Graham to draag’s lineup. Together, the five piece create music that’s garnered comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth.

The band have shared a dramatic set of visuals to accompany ‘Trauma Kit’, directed by Devonte Johnson, and co-directed by band members Acosta and Huang. They compliment the track’s cinematic, all-encompassing sound.

Having been tested by illness and personal turmoils throughout recording, draag’s new track and the collection of songs on their upcoming EP are about dealing with trauma, and how simultaneously difficult and empowering that can be.

Listen to ‘Trauma Kit’ below, and follow draag on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Devonte Johnson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Brooke Bentham – ‘Control’

Fueled by the frustration of being cut off and ignored; Brooke Bentham‘s latest single ‘Control’ is an introspective, moody exploration of how it feels to be ghosted. The track is taken from her debut album, Everyday Nothing, set for release via AllPoints on 28th of February.

Self doubt and insecurity permeate the lyrics in ‘Control’, which centers around Bentham’s own experience of being left behind. She explains further: “It’s about when someone cuts you off entirely. It’s weird when someone does that. I got blocked out with absolutely no reason why, and it makes you question yourself and you just can’t stop thinking about it. you’re just talking to a wall; it’s bouncing back and you end up with this mess in your head.”

This “mess” has translated into brooding guitar noises and hypnotizing vocals on Bentham’s latest single. The track is accompanied by a video, which shows Bentham intermittently staring out of windows and stretching out awkwardly across household furniture, reflecting both the heaviness, and the dark humour in being left hanging by a lover.

Confronted with the mundanities of life and caught between two jobs in London, Bentham has found relief in writing about the smaller, more personal elements of life on her upcoming album. “There is so much frustration in being young and unsure of what you want, especially when your path is creative,” she muses. “You can only hope that it leads you to something fulfilling, so you cling on to the everyday details – burning candles in your bedroom at three AM aged sixteen, or having a bath in the evening at twenty-three, or watching your breath when you step outside in winter. I was reflecting a lot when I wrote these songs, romanticising those moments.”

Bentham is about to embark on a sold out UK tour with Sam Fender as his main support (30th Jan – 6th Feb), which includes two home-coming shows at Newcastle Academy, and a date at Brixton Academy. Bentham’s clear vocals and instinctive lyrics are sure to charm Fender’s crowds. Listen to ‘Control’ below, and follow Brooke Bentham on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Pre-order Brooke Bentham’s debut album Everyday Nothing here.

Photo Credit: Lauren Maccabee

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Indian Queens – ‘Bubblewrap’

A beguiling lament about the state of the planet, London three-piece Indian Queens have shared their latest single, ‘Bubble Wrap’. The track is lifted from their upcoming debut album God Is A Woman, which is set to be released via Cool Thing Records later this year.

Formed of sisters Jennifer (guitar/vocals) and Katherine (bass) O’Neill, and lifelong friend Matthew Dudan-Bick (drums), Indian Queens were born and raised in Hackney Wick. Influenced by the restless city that surrounds them, the trio’s soundscapes reflect both the darkness and the light on a personal, and a universal scale.

Underscored by a genuine fear surrounding the current climate crisis, ‘Bubblewrap’ smolders with its dense beats, atmospheric guitar and Jennifer’s captivating vocals. “We were born in plastic bags / conveniently stored / bubble-wrapped indoors”, she muses in the chorus, conjuring up images of over-protection and suffocation. Despite the track’s haunting context, Indian Queens still manage to lull their listeners into acceptance, and hopefully into action against the forces escalating climate change.

2019 saw Indian Queens invited to play Robert Smith’s Meltdown at Southbank Centre, sharing a line-up with Nine Inch Nails and My Bloody Valentine. If they continue to release music as compelling as their latest single, 2020 looks set to be another successful year for the trio. Listen to ‘Bubblewrap’ below, and follow Indian Queens on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Kana Waiwaiku

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: POLIÇA – ‘When We Stay Alive’

A sound that was formed in the flux between injury and recovery; When We Stay Alive, the fourth album from Minneapolis band POLIÇA, proves that mental and physical wounds can be galvanized in to beguiling soundscapes that acknowledge the impact of personal trauma.

When vocalist Channy Leaneagh fell off her roof while clearing ice in early 2018, she broke her L1 vertebrae and severely damaged her spine, leaving her in a brace with limited mobility for months. Half the tracks on When We Stay Alive were written prior to Leaneagh’s accident, and half were crafted during, and after her recovery. Together, bandmates Ryan Olson, Drew Christopherson, Ben Ivascu, Chris Bierden and engineer Alex Proctor have crafted a cohesive album that allows space for optimism, and development in self-autonomy.

Perhaps a reflection of Leaneagh’s physical restrictions whilst making the record, many tracks on When We Stay Alive have a searching, restless feel to them. Opener ‘Driving’ has an effortless kinetic energy, whilst the shifting percussion on the buoyant ‘TATA’ reflects a communal frustration against wider forces damaging the environment. The various, overlapping synth textures on ‘Fold Up’ explore feelings of isolation – “‘cos I’m lonely in my head / Oh it’s only in my bed” – whilst the smoldering ‘Little Threads’ quietly seethes with a mixture of desire and sadness.

“I don’t want to deny something happened – this is not about repression – it’s about taking the power back from the past, holding the power in the present, and creating a new story for myself,” explains Leaneagh. Her meditative nature shines through on ‘Feel Life’, as her pensive vocals lilt over a cautious soundscape, gently awakening her senses. The brooding ‘Be Again’ builds upon this, with its dense beats and echoing synths.

Familial and romantic relationships are explored on ‘Steady’ and ‘Forget Me Now’. On the first, Leaneagh takes a moment to “see herself” without the support of her wider family. One the second, she dissects what makes two people bring out the worst in each other. Colourful synths permeate penultimate track ‘Blood Moon’, in contrast with final track ‘Sea Without Blue’. The painful revelations in the lyrics – “Don’t say you’ll make it up to me / you never do” – are made easier to accept by the ebb and flow of sounds, and the thoughtful spaces between verses and choruses.

In Leaneagh’s search for for self sustenance, POLIÇA have created a diligent body of work on When We Stay Alive. The music and the lyrics encourage listeners not just to “Stay Alive”, but to thrive in the face of adversity. And that’s exactly what the Minneapolis band have done here.

Order your copy of POLIÇA’s new album here. (Released via Memphis Industries)

Photo Credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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