INTERVIEW: Moonchild Sanelly

Having released her incredible third album, Full Moon, at the beginning of this year, innovative South African artist Moonchild Sanelly has been making waves with her unique, empowering genre-defying creations and joyous live shows. Now, with collaborations with the likes of Self Esteem, Gorillaz and Little Simz under her belt, as well as wowing UK audiences at Glastonbury Festival and appearances on Later… With Jools Holland last year, she’s ready to take the world by storm with this latest trailblazing solo offering and her immense, fearless attitude. 

Ahead of a run of tour dates with Self Esteem in the autumn and an appearance at my most favourite festival, Deer Shed, this summer, I was lucky enough to chat to Moon just as she was getting her costumes together before jetting off to Dublin to headline the Grand Social earlier this week. Her styling and aesthetic are a big part of her performances and image as an artist, she tells me, as she explains that she designs and makes her own outfits – “Having the skill to see it, think it, sketch it, make it, advise on it, has been really useful. Having the power to just create my art… All these things contribute to me being a musician and independent artist.” Moon actually studied fashion before going on to become a songwriter, and she continues to put the skills she learned to use when going out on tour – “I know all the different shows I have coming up, and know all the different coloured costumes I want for the different days, and know all the different stage vibes that I want. It’s going to be a fun one!” And these skills can come in very handy when on the road, too, as she discovered on a recent trip to Germany when her sewing machine broke and one of her outfits was left unfinished – “I literally used safety pins to put it together. I come from doing stuff by hand when I didn’t have the money for the fastest machine, so I had to tap back into that and got my safety pins, and nobody knew – it was a great dress, I killed it! It’s something I do on the regular – I was able to save myself, even though my machine had broken.”

This notion of being able to ‘save herself’ seems incredibly important to Moon; whilst having always been supported in her love of music by her family, and particularly her brother who’s a producer, she prides herself on her independence and the power that comes with not having to rely on anyone else: “When you’re doing you, it’s just really effortless; no one can correct you or incorrect you. There’s no right formula. Not even your mum who fed you formula has a formula for you.” Discussing the sense of freedom that can come with being involved in all parts of the creative process, she tells me that she also likes not having a permanent full band, and decided very early on in her career that she did not want to have to rely on other people: “I didn’t want to depend on someone who wasn’t as hungry as me. I didn’t want them to slow me down.” So, she did it on her own, motivated by the liberation to just create whatever she wants, whenever she wants – “I don’t have to wait for anyone… I can literally just do it.”

Of course, this does not mean that Moon doesn’t value the creative input of other people. An example of someone she loves working with is Johan Hugo, the producer of Full Moon, who she had been determined to work with after being impressed by another of his artists at a festival in Europe that she was playing with Gorillaz. Her manager made contact, and – after discovering that Hugo had already wanted to work with Moon, had many mutual connections, and had previously worked with some of her favourite artists (M.I.A, Santigold) – the wheels were set in motion to work together: “We were meant for each other!”, Moon gushes. This feeling of things being ‘meant to be’ seems to be a key theme of the new album: “Full Moon symbolises a real full circle moment for how I have envisioned my art, and how it should be affecting the world. Everything just seems to have come together.” Working with Hugo, Moon was confident that he’d be able to sync the sound in the way that she wanted, to “connect the music with whatever the story is.” She goes on to describe how he was able to create a safe space for her to work, “away from the hustle and bustle”, so that she was really able to tap out and tune into her vulnerable side – “… it just allowed me to open up, without feeling naked or uncomfortable. I just let whatever emotions were evoked by the music come to life. I wasn’t scared of anything that was happening.” However, whilst Full Moon does offer “an insight into (my) sensitive side”, into the “roots” of Moonchild Sanelly, she is keen to emphasise that it still offers that liberating, empowering and danceable spirit that she has become known for: “I will never let it end in tears, because I will always liberate…”

Discussing the recording process, Moon tells me that there was no specific plan – “I just told stories and it was comfortable and I just let it happen… We didn’t have a manual, we just knew we wanted to make fire.” And I think this really shines through when listening to Full Moon; a real sense of freedom emanates throughout, an openness to being both vulnerable and powerful all at once. This stillness and contentment that Moon felt whilst recording the album differs from her experience with her last two records; recording her 2015 debut Rabulapha!, she was travelling around the world working with different people, whilst 2022’s Phases was recorded during lockdown, “…pretty much on my own, just being sent beats, and I hadn’t met half the people that were producing it.” So, she tells me, “…this one was different because I was with the one producer, making music together, and going with the feelings.” 

As well as the fantastic creative partnership she has with Hugo, Moon has enjoyed collaborating with many other artists over the years; with each different relationship unique in the way that they worked together. One of the people she’s worked with most recently is GIHE favourite Self Esteem: “I call my collaboration with Self Esteem like elite energy because it was so effortless. We were just having conversations, and then they were the song.” Going on to talk about their closeness and the cathartic nature of writing certain songs together, Moon elaborates: “We just have things in common – like being independent artists, and dealing with mother fuckers, and so that’s how ‘Big Man’ came to be.” Similarly, ‘Plain Sight’ (from Self Esteem’s recent album, A Complicated Woman) was inspired by negative press that Moon had been receiving that she did not feel able to write about: “So, when I was with Rebecca, I was able to write for her because we were going through the same thing but in different spaces and times, which was super emotional. We talked about all our shit, and then we cried.”

With other artists, however, the process has been very different. Whilst featuring on ‘My Power’ with legends like Beyoncé and Tierra Whack in 2019 merely involved sending over recordings of her music to someone she had not met, with artists like Little Simz “…it was just a really chilled vibe”. Having been something that Moon had always wanted to do, and having met Little Simz through her work with Gorillaz previously, finally getting to properly work together on a track (‘Flood’) was a dream come true. Whoever she’s working with, Moon tells me she has one goal – “… my approach is always to deliver”. She is determined to create her art freely, on her own terms, whether that’s solo or collaborating with others. 

This freedom of being able to create is something Moon feels passionately about, not just for herself but for others, and is something that can often be difficult for people living in South Africa. Reflecting on this and the way that things are gradually starting to change, she tells me that “social media’s definitely contributed to young people being able to share and create music without gatekeepers…” Young people being able to have more access to music without being attached to labels and managers enables a sense of freedom that has not always been possible, and this is something that Moon is grateful for: “You upload music, get lots of hits, are able to gig. That’s how it happens, and it’s beautiful to watch.” Although there’s still a long way to go, seeing more artists from South Africa being able to tour internationally, and with more opportunities being open to them, leaves Moon hopeful for the future. 

Touring internationally is thankfully something Moon has been able to do, and is going to be doing more of later this year, with appearances booked at various festivals including personal favourite Deer Shed in Yorkshire. She describes how she’s feeling about this with one word: “EXCITED!”. I share this excitement as I tentatively admit that I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing her live before and ask what fans can expect: “I KILL. We’re going to run out of body bags. The Freedom Demon shall be evoked.” You’ve been warned, Deer Shedders – prepare for a truly euphoric and empowering experience in which you’ll “own your body and your existence, and know who you are. You’ll just feel everything.” I can’t wait. Despite being excited about performing, however, Moon isn’t as much of a fan of the “whole hay and squatting thing” at UK festivals and tells me that her one requirement is “a flushing toilet, please and thank you.” I empathise with this sentiment and encourage Moon to book her camping in the lovely glamping of Tangerine Fields at the festival, where there are lovely flushing loos and even showers and hairdryers on offer. 

Moon is no stranger to UK festivals, however. Last year, she wowed crowds at Glastonbury with not one, not two, but ten live appearances there – “… it was the most shows we’ve ever done in one weekend”, she beams, “It was gorgeous. It was ridiculous. It was epic.” Not surprisingly, named as one of the highlights of the weekend, it seems like it stands out as a really special and memorable experience for Moon as she cheekily reflects: “We worked our butts off, and we shook them too!”

Being in the position to tour and perform to thousands of people is not something Moon takes for granted as she recognises the challenges that people from marginalised communities face in the industry, and the stigma that can so often be placed on certain groups – “Like, with femme presenting women who are queer, they think sex. And with butch presenting or more masculine people, they can’t be soft.” Discussing this further, Moon reflects on the evolution of Little Naz, how he was “palatable” for the homophobes, “…but then, when he came out, he lost a lot of followers, because you can’t be flamboyant”. This specific stigma surrounding gay men in music is something she has noticed is still not being commercially accepted, but “I feel like we, as women, have got more of an advantage, because we already know the formula of how to get the market.” However, Moon acknowledges that not everyone has her confidence – “I have a lot of famous friends that don’t want to share their sexuality… And this comes from a fear of rejection.” This fear is something that sadly seems to be prevalent amongst queer artists, and is absolutely justified considering the political climate at the moment; the hate speech, the way that the industry “seems open to abusers, to those violating other peoples’ rights, but not to homosexuality…” If we are to move forwards from marginalised communities being more than a “niche” and being more commercially accepted, Moon feels that representation is incredibly important: “With regards to my being queer. With regards to my being a successful black artist. With regards to whatever the world sees me as. I bring that magic. All the different faces that I represent. And I do it proudly and loudly. And fearlessly. Fuck fear.” Whilst others may have seen what Moon has achieved as impossible, she has succeeded and continues to move forwards with passion, determination and joy. “It takes people like us to shine the light”, she clarifies, and shine she does, as a beacon of what can be achieved. If aspiring artists were to be able to see more people like her, to see themselves represented, I feel this could really help to inspire, to motivate, and to reassure; to take away some of that fear that holds us back. I’m sure that when aspiring creatives see Moon being her truly authentic self up on stage, on TV, hear her on the radio, this will empower and ignite that spark in them.

As I thank Moon for her time, and for being such an inspiration and joyous presence in the industry, she assures me that she’s going to continue moving forwards and creating, innovating: “This shit is my life. I don’t want to be confined, I don’t want to be still. Every other job I’ve had, I’ve lost or quit. But now I’m in the right place.”


Huge thanks and love to Moonchild Sanelly for speaking with me. I cannot wait to be taken away in a body bag after the immense experience of seeing her live at Deer Shed festival in July! Tickets still available here.

Mari Lane
@mari_getinherears

Photo Credit: Grace Pickering

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INTERVIEW: Eilis Frawley

Having been big fans of all Berlin-based musician and songwriter Eilis Frawley does for a number of years now, we were excited to welcome the release of her debut album Fall Forward earlier this year. An eclectic collection of striking compositions focused on topics ranging from sexism and feelings of displacement, to personal reflections on self care and nostalgia, it showcases Frawley’s resonant lyricism and immense percussion skills, with a sparkling, empowering energy.

Following the album release, and ahead of Frawley’s UK tour which starts tonight at Brighton’s Rossi Bar and ends on Sunday 1st June here in London at Shacklewell Arms, we caught up with her about her inspirations behind the album, her thoughts on the music industry and her top tour tips. Have a read below, and make sure you catch her live over the next few days!

Hi Eilis! Welcome to Get In Her Ears! Are you able to tell us a bit about what initially inspired you to start creating music? 
Hey Mari! It’s always a pleasure to connect with GIHE! I started playing violin at a very young age, and towards the end of high school I turned to percussion and got very involved with the music department; it was like a family for weirdos and I loved it, it was such a supportive place to practice and learn and develop musicality. I started out in classical music and was always drawn to the row of people standing at the back of the orchestra, often not doing so much, but when they played, it felt like those few people could change an entire mood in seconds – I was totally mesmerised. I didn’t start playing drum kit properly until I moved to South Korea after my university studies – there I met the most impressive absolutely no-bullshit female musicians, we formed a band and quickly I became obsessed with song writing, playing drum kit and creating original music. 

We love your beautifully striking, genre-defying sounds and the empowering energy that shines through in your unique songs and percussion-focused musicality, but who would you consider to be your main musical influences?
Aw, thank you! Someone who has stuck with me for a long time is Tune-Yards – I love the upbeat, very energetic chaos they create whilst diving into some heavy topics. Otherwise, I’m a big fan of Ghostpoet, and lately the Moor Mother/Sumac album, and also the Julien Baker/Torres album have been on regular repeat. 

I’ve been really enjoying listening to your recently released incredible and poignant new album, Fall Forward! The album reflects on themes ranging from misogyny and inequality, to personal feelings of grief and mental health struggles – are you able to tell us a bit more about this and what inspired your songwriting?
I wrote a lot of these lyrics during the pandemic; I’m originally from Australia (currently living in Berlin), and the borders were closed – for the first time in my life it wasn’t possible to go home, and this was very alienating. I spent a lot of time thinking about the past, and how I want the future to look. It’s personal, but I think the feeling of being misplaced is not uncommon to most people. Living in a big metropol it can be lonely, it can be exhausting, it can be misogynistic daily; these songs were a chance to build my own world to get some of these feelings out. 

You’ve described your sound as a “translation of my life into music” – can you explain this and tell us more about your songwriting and recording process? 
I write lyrics one sentence at a time, often in the notes on my phone whilst on the bus or train or having a coffee, then after some time I combine lyrics of similar themes and see where to go from there – it’s a collage of my experiences and thoughts. Musically, I often have an idea – maybe a drum beat or bass line that the song grows from – and maybe a rough idea of how I want the vocals to fit, and from there its trial and error, building different layers to support the vocals and vice versa. 

Having been involved in the industry for a number of years – both as an artist, and as a teacher and facilitator – how would you say your attitude towards creating music has changed? 
The one thing that’s remained the same throughout all these years is that there is never enough time to actually create music – for me it doesn’t just happen, time needs to really be carved out and dedicated to writing. The more I’ve gotten involved in the music scene, the more I think it sucks! I think as an artist you’re expected to do so much more now, create new music constantly – be a content creator, pay for PR, tour constantly, pay up front for your own records/merch, it’s rough. But I’m very much looking forward to spending a summer in Berlin, swimming in the mornings and writing songs in the afternoons – this feels like a reward to myself after the release of Fall Forward and three months of pretty much constant touring.  

We’re really excited to see your live show at The Shacklewell Arms on 1st June, with your new full band! What can we expect from the show, and what do you like most about performing live? 
I’m so happy to be taking this album to The UK, especially as I’ll be joined with my new live band – I think you’ll agree they are incredible! You can expect a slightly heavier version from the record, but still with these moments of sensitivity and pop throughout. Both my bandmates sing like angels, so thats a pretty fantastic new addition, and there will also be live projections. I really enjoy the moments the songs transform to a live version, moments where structures get stretched; where we are really playing together, giving the songs a new life. No night is the same, and that feels exiting. 

Is there a specific gig you’ve played over the years that stands out as a particular highlight for you? 
Ohhh, thats a hard question! The first one that comes to mind was in March we played in Giessen, a small Germany city. It wasn’t too crowded, maybe forty people, but every single person was really there for it – dancing, cheering – and we had some great after show chats. 

And, when you’re out on tour, are there any particular essentials that you take with you to keep you going? These are my Top three tour tips: I always pack lavender perfume pouches in my luggage so my clothes always smell like lavender, not tour bag. I try and run every second morning, to get some alone time and stretch out after sitting in a van so much. I pack a t-shirt to wear only on the very last day so I return home feeling fresh.

As we’re an organisation with a focus on supporting new and marginalised artists, I just wondered how you feel the industry is for them at the moment? And do you feel much has changed over the years in its treatment of female and queer artists? 
Personally, I feel like we’ve taken a step back. I feel like in the DIY communities and collectives there’s a lot of space for Female* and LGBTQIA* artists, however as soon as there’s money involved, it feels like it’s still very much male dominated. I’m working in a venue and there’s still significantly more men on stage, as well as promoters and concert goers – I find it exhausting. As a queer female musician, however, I do think the interactions I have at gigs have improved – there’s a lot less comments like “Oh wow, you play the drums” than I received ten years ago. That’s some progress!

And are there any other artists that you’re enjoying listening to at the moment that you’d recommend that we check out? 
Two collaboration albums I’ve been loving are The Film by Sumac and Moor Mother and Send a Prayer My Way by Julien Baker & Torres. From Berlin check out Anti-Corpos, Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys, Plattenbau, 13YC, LawnChair, Matching Outfits, Crowbaby, Okra.

Finally, aside from the very exciting upcoming UK shows, what does the rest of 2025 have in store for you? 
We’re playing a few festivals over the summer, and then I’d like to spend the rest of the year writing new music. After almost three months of touring I’m excited to be home, cook my own food, sleep in my own bed and get some of these song ideas out of head and into reality.

Huge thanks to Eilis for answering our questions! Make sure you check out Fall Forward now, and catch Eilis Frawley live in a town near you this week – we’re excited to have her play at the Shacklewell Arms this Sunday 1st June, along with lo-fi faves all cats are beautiful. Free entry, but RSVP on Dice now to avoid disappointment!

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INTERVIEW: Eska

ESKA’s been such an innovative creator for the last decade, having wowed listeners with her incredible eponymous debut album back in 2015, collaborated with legends such as Grace Jones and Baxter Dury and been a key part of a number of exciting projects including a Royal Opera House commission and Meltdown Festival. Now, she’s showcasing her exquisite musical prowess and songwriting ability with the release of her brand new album, The Ordinary Life Of A Magic Woman. Propelled by an uplifting power, it showcases ESKA’s empowering, glistening energy and a captivating majestic splendour as she offers poignant reflections on motherhood, creativity and life as an African-British middle-aged woman.

We were lucky enough to catch up with Eska to find out more about the album, her creative journey and the process of getting to know herself. Have a read, and make sure you check the album out now – it’s out today!

Hi Eska, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Hope you’re doing well today. Are you able to tell us a bit about what initially inspired you to start creating music?
The initial kick would have been my dad’s eclectic vinyl collection, which would have included Oscar Peterson and Duke Ellington, alongside Phil Collins, old Madonna. He’d buy us vinyl as well – he’d ask us what we wanted to listen to, so we’d have the likes of Japan and Kate Bush in our collection. That love for diverse styles of music was echoed by my incredible music teachers in secondary school who also showed us that all kinds of music was for us, whether that was Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’, Handel’s ‘Messiah’ or Purcell’s ‘Dido’s Lament’. We were given all that alongside Bob Marley. So, that also just made me retain an openness. In terms of instrument, I’ve got a lot to thank the recorder for because that was the instrument that I initially learnt to read music with, so it holds a very special place in my heart!

I love your soulful, gritty genre-defying sounds and the empowering energy that shines through in your songs, but who would you consider to be your main musical influences?
This is always a really difficult question to answer, just because I listen to A LOT of music, and as I evolve, my listening tastes evolve. And it also depends on whatever project I might be doing at the time; whatever I’m writing for, I’ll be listening to music for inspiration. At any given moment in time, it really can change drastically, and I remain open to that. The interesting thing is that, over time, you can educate your ears to get into the groove of music that maybe – years before – you would have never listened to. I find that really interesting – one has to train one’s ears to listen to music. There are some things that we might naturally gravitate to, and there are a host of reasons as to why that is, but I find that I have to – for my work, if I’m to be true to being as creative as I can be – try and keep that childlike openness and curiosity. For this new record specifically, there are probably a host of people that I was listening to at the time, but it was a heck of a lot of different music!

You’ve just released your new album The Ordinary Life Of A Magic Woman, which is super exciting! Are you able to tell me a bit about the writing of the album and the themes running throughout it?
I wanted to bring in my ordinary, everyday life. That woman, the magic woman. The woman who enables me to be Eska the artist. It’s an ode to her. Her triumph against the resistances that she has to work against in order to be an artist; living in South East London, seeing the gentrification of her neighbourhood, the cost of living crisis, all the global narratives that we’re all familiar with. All of those things. Raising a ten year old as a single parent. Yet still having this compulsion to make art, feeling that it’s an important legacy for myself, as well as for my daughter. In making this record, I felt that is was important to acknowledge that; to make these statements about this woman who has lived her life as a first generation African Brit, and the way that she’s lived it. All of these experiences, and this is what she sounds like. I thought that was really interesting. I sound like this because of all of my history – how else would I sound, growing up in South East London, a kid of the ‘80s and ‘90s? To me, this is how a woman with my story, my background, sounds. And I think that’s interesting as an offering to others in terms of personal artistic expression, and how we put all of our history into what we make; all of our identity. To see what comes up when we’re just being honest, being true to ourselves; to see what it sounds like for Eska to be alive today with all of that history and all the things that she’s experienced. All of those influences, from her dad, from school, from friends, from being in bands; what does that woman sound like today? 

You’ve mentioned that, in part, the album reflects on your experience as a mother – how do you find balancing motherhood with a career in music, especially as by day you home educate your daughter?
The key is getting enough sleep! That is really about it. The key is wellbeing. As I get older, I want to ensure that wellbeing becomes a focus because I want to be around to see my daughter grow into a woman. I want to be around to enjoy that phase of my motherhood. So, wellbeing is key to all of it. If mother is well, then Eska is well – it has to be in that order. 

As someone who’s been involved in the industry for over two decades now, how did the writing and recording of this album differ from your previous releases? Did you incorporate any new ideas or processes into the creating of it?
There was a huge focus on the production side of the record, for me developing my own production skills. This album isn’t as acoustic as my debut solo album, so there’s a lot more going on. From a technical point of view, I really challenged myself to sit with the music and get with a load of YouTube tutorials! I just wanted to hone my craft really. I also really wanted to learn to enjoy what Eska enjoys; this is Eska getting to collaborate with Eska. I was able to learn what I enjoy about my voice, learn what I enjoy about sound. Learning myself has been so much fun. That’s not to say that there haven’t been other artistic contributors and co-writers or co-producers, but it has been such a delight to find myself at this juncture thinking, “Hey Eska, you’re a lot of fun to work with!” The realisation that you’re worth investing in; your ideas are worth something. I’m just really enjoying myself and my ideas, honouring myself and my ideas. It’s a really powerful thing! 

You’ve performed live at a number of really special events – including a beautiful evening celebrating Joni Mitchell at The Roundhouse last year, which I was lucky enough to attend! But is there a particular time you’ve performed that stands out as a highlight for you throughout your career?
Well, to me, the most immediate highlight is the London Rough Trade East in-store recently, marking my return to live performance in my home town – that was such a thrill! I was with my new band, and it really felt like such a huge highlight for me. Other highlights include opportunities to collaborate with different emerging artists, and work with ‘normal’ everyday people in the creative process; I got to do this with the lyric piece for the song ‘Human’ on this record, where we had six people contribute movement pieces towards the montage of movers that we put together for the piece. That was an extraordinary moment. I love it when I get to be part of a journey of making. My work is about community and connection, about making artistic social commentary through my work and involving others in the process at a particular level, which can in turn enable them to go on a journey, with me, that might be foreign to them. Work like that, participatory work, always excites me. And that component of my work has been a huge highlight of my career.

How do you feel the industry is for female and queer artists at the moment? And do you feel much has changed over the years?
It’s hard to say, as I’ve had a ten year hiatus from solo work, as a solo artist. So, it will be interesting to see what the industry reception will be like towards an artist like me, to music like this. In this digital age, when there’s been so many changes in terms of the infrastructure. I don’t know, I guess I can be my main case study – hit me up in twelve months, and I can give you an update!

And are there any other artists that you’re enjoying listening to at the moment that you’d recommend that we check out?
I know I’m biased, but go check out Wonder Hackett! She’s my daughter. She’s only ten, but she’s been featured on a couple of records with her dad, Jesse Hackett – Metal Prayers and Teeth Agency – and there’s something extraordinary about her child voice. Something really other worldly and captivating. Check her out!

Finally, what does the rest of 2025 have in store for you?
The live manifestation of this record! As well as the further development and completion of the writing of my debut opera, Woman And Machine, commissioned by the Royal Opera House. I hope that will be debuting in 2027! 

Huge thanks to Eska for answering our questions!

The Ordinary Life Of A Magic Woman, the new album from Eska, is out today. Listen / buy here. Catch Eska live – details here.

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Introducing Interview: Brain Leak

Centered around the complex introspections of Manchester-based Tara-Gabriella Engelhardt (Adjustments, Julia Bardo), Brain Leak are a brand new project bringing together like-minded musicians from the scene, and already creating quite a stir. Enlisting the help of Giulia Bonometti (Working Men’s Club), Jess Branney (Peaness), Sidonie Hand-Halford (Orielles) and Ellie-Rose Elliot (Blanketman), Engelhardt transforms poignant contemplations on life into gloriously hazy indie anthems. Combining a glistening raw emotion with a fizzing gritty energy, debut single ‘Trying‘ is propelled by the delicate celestial power of Engelhardt’s vocals, offering a beautifully resonant reflection on attachment and the challenging emotional experiences that can accompany it. We’re super excited about this new project, and can’t wait to hear more from Engelhardt and co. this year!

To celebrate Brain Leak’s debut single release, we caught up with Tara about how Brain Leak came to be, her main inspirations and writing process, platforming marginalised artists, and more. Have a read below, and make sure you watch the gorgeous new video for the ‘Trying‘ below!

Hi Brain Leak, welcome to Get In Her Ears! How are you doing today?
Hello! I’m really good today, thanks. It’s a very bright and clear winter’s day in Manchester, which makes me happy. I hope you’re doing well!

You’re quite the supergroup with members from The Orielles, Peaness and Adjustments – so, are you able to tell us a little bit about how you all came together to form Brain Leak, and what inspired the new project?
Ahh thank you, that’s kind of you to call us that! I am very lucky that my best friends are also some of the best musicians I know. In January 2024 I showed Giulia one of my songs entitled ‘Hide’ and she loved it. Her excitement about the song and confidence in me was the catalyst that made me take my songwriting more seriously. I was already gigging and writing with Adjustments and had only been playing guitar for a mere year and a half by that point, so my solo stuff wasn’t massively on my radar as something to pursue. In the months that followed, I kept writing. I recorded ‘Trying’, which Giulia helped me to produce and, in the summer, I asked Sid, Jess and Giulia if they would want to play for me and they said yes! We had already recorded bits together for the other songs in the set, so their parts were already taking shape. With a good few rehearsals to learn and tighten the songs, before we knew it, we had our first gig supporting Floodlights at Deaf Institute in November. I then asked Ellie Elliott (Blanketman/Splint) if she would step in as dept drummer and she said yes, and has just nailed the gig we played in Hull. I’m very grateful for how seamless getting this talented group together has been. I’d say the main inspirations for this project came from my desire for connection and self-expression. I picked up the guitar in 2022, with a desperate need for an emotional outlet when I was going through some grief, primarily so that I could incessantly sing and play along to Roy Orbison. I found it incredibly cathartic (who wouldn’t? Roy really knew how to emote). I have always written poems and excerpts, and after becoming more comfortable with basic chords, I naturally began to synthesise my writing with melodies. There is something very powerful about the connection between melody and words, and I have found songwriting to be a radically therapeutic process. Music is so special because it helps you to connect with yourself as well as others. I really enjoy when people come up to me after a gig to talk about one of the songs. It starts a dialogue about things most people don’t generally feel comfortable talking about, even though so many of us have similar experiences. I like that Brain Leak can instigate these conversations.

You’re about to release your debut single ‘Trying’ – I love the way it combines a glistening raw emotion and fizzing gritty energy! What are the main influences behind the track?
Thank you so much! It really means a lot to me that you feel that from it. The song is influenced by the things I learned from intensively looking inward: the messy intertwining of my attachment to substances and my attachment to love; having realisations about my past behaviour and taking responsibility. When I wrote it in Feb 2024, I was six months into my recovery from addiction, in regular therapy and deep diving into YouTube videos about attachment styles, co-dependency and neurosis by a woman named Heidi Priebe (10/10, would recommend). I was connecting dots left, right and centre about where my dependencies originated from. It was overwhelming to be realising so much. It was as if I was being forced to experience all the emotions from my past that I thought I had successfully numbed out when I was still using substances. I was seeing clearly how I was responsible for my choices in life, and I was holding myself accountable. From all this combined, ‘Trying’ was born! 

And are there any specific musicians or artists who particularly inspire your writing?
When I actually write, I don’t have other artists or musicians in mind, I just write whatever comes out, if that makes sense. But in general, I have a few musicians in mind that inspire me a lot. Nilüfer Yanya is a big one. Her catchy, unpredictable melodies, emotional lyrics and incredibly tight instrumentals make her the whole package deal for me. My dream is to support her. I’ve found the songwriting and delivery of Jack Merett from Famous to be incredibly inspiring. I don’t understand how he’s managed to capture such raw feelings in recordings, it’s very special. I sincerely think he’s one of the most talented artists out there. I’m also inspired by the energy of Ought and Cherry Glazerr. Ought for their uplifting and cathartic vibes and Cherry Glazerr for the somehow both chilled and upbeat feeling she gives. I could go on.

How was the song writing process for you, was it quite a different experience from what you’ve been used to in other bands that you’ve been in? 
Yes, it was a very different writing experience. When I was Julia Bardo’s session drummer, I just came up with straightforward parts that would support the song. Then, with Adjustments, usually we are all jamming and when I’m feeling good about what I’m playing on drums, I’ll tune into the guitar sounds the boys are playing and experiment with melodies as we all play, based on whatever suits what they are playing. Then we’ll go over the jams, pick favourite parts, discuss a structure and build from there. This was totally different because every bit of the song from structure to tone is up to me, there’s no one to draw from or bounce off. It was also far more personal content that I was writing about. It was quite a weird process now that I’m reflecting on it! I came up with the bridge first, which doesn’t feel typical. It was after speaking at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting about how unstable I felt, I analogised my instability to the feeling of being on a constant seesaw. I felt compelled to start with that. I didn’t feel like it was a chorus or a verse, so I wrote the chorus and the verses around it. The whole song was also much slower. It was more of an emotional ballad. The more I played it, the more it naturally sped up, but I kept the bridge slow. Then with it recorded roughly, I thought a bit about the drums but mostly figured them out when I took it to be properly recorded with Lewis Johnson-Kellett, who gave some helpful direction. Jess came in and did some cool tremolo guitar bits, Giulia came up with a bass part and the song was finished! It was interesting to be doing it without a band and to be in the driver’s seat with so much creative control, especially as I am still very new to guitar. I’m just glad Manchester is full of amazing musicians who are happy to offer their expertise.

You grew up in Cardiff, but are now based in Manchester – how does the DIY music scene compare in each city? 
I haven’t actually lived in Cardiff since I was 16 so I don’t know much about the DIY music scene. But from what I gather, it’s got a lot going on, with the beloved Moon club and Clwb Ifor Bach still being at the core of things. I really love Manchester for its DIY nature. People here have put so much time and effort into events and spaces that bolster the community. So much of life revolves around music here, from band stuff to DJ nights and everything in between. I’ve been to a fair few DIY parties in the various mills with some amazing DJs. Partisan Collective has been instrumental in the DIY scene in Manchester, creating an exciting but also safe community. People will often have gigs in their practice spaces which has been fun over the years. The arts and music scenes overlap a lot, putting events on together, which is very wholesome. I practice at Islington Mill, which is such a creative hub and lots of collaborating across the arts go down. It’s a very energetic and authentic place to be, especially for music.

You’ve already been playing live with Brain Leak, with a sold-out show at YES in Manchester already under your belt, which is pretty impressive! How was that for you, and were you expecting such an amazing reaction so early on? 
Thank you!! It was quite a mad experience to see the room so full. We had friends we knew were coming so I expected people to be there, and I had played Hot Take with Adjustments the previous year and it was well promoted with a pretty good crowd but that was all I expected. I really felt the energy of the crowd that night, which made it a very fulfilling gig to play. After the show, a couple of people told me they had teared up at one of the songs and I ended up talking in depth with someone about addiction and love etc and that is something I didn’t expect. It was really cool, and I hope that kind of thing continues. Love it when people cry at my songs!! Just kidding.

And what can fans who’ve not yet seen you live expect at your gigs? 
I really like this question. Expect lots of passion and emotion. I tend to feel the songs quite deeply as I sing them and get a bit lost in them. The girls are very tight. With the incredible voices of Giulia and Jess on backing vocals and the trancey drums that both Sid and Ellie nail, I think the set is quite powerful. Expect a front row sonic experience of my diary. Even if you’re at the back.

Generally, when you’re out on tour, or playing shows, are there any particular essentials that you like to take with you to keep you going?
Yes! So: Vocalzones (a must. Jess has a cute tin she keeps them in), camcorder (for dressing room messing around), herbal teas (you never know if a venue will have them), my faux fur coat (I wear it for the first song to feel comfortable and ease into being up on stage), one litre water bottle, I have a worry stone that’s very soft I like to hold when I get nervous. I think that’s it! 

As we’re an organisation with a focus on supporting new and marginalised artists, I just wondered how you feel the industry is for them at the moment? And do you feel much has changed over the years in its treatment of female and queer artists?
I have definitely noticed more female and queer artists getting noticed in the last few years, which is definitely good. There are people such as yourself who give such a cool platform for these artists and that genuine encouragement and support also seems more prevalent today. A friend of ours has put on a day festival in Liverpool for a few years called “Bitch Fest”, which is focused on female artists and that’s really cool, so there are people looking out. I think with these things, there are always going to be people boosting marginalised groups up for the right reasons, there will be people putting them forward with ulterior motives and there will be organisations that turn away from the whole thing. It’s hard for me to comment more than that when I haven’t been in the industry for very long and have never dealt with anything corporate that a label comes with.

And are there any other exciting new artists or bands on the Manchester scene that you’d recommend we check out?
Yes! Modema, Lili Holland-Frick, Dove Ellis, Wyatt. I’m drawing a blank after that but I’m sure there are plenty more!

Is there anything else you’d like to add about upcoming plans or particular thoughts you’d like to mention?
I have plans to record one song at the end of Feb and another sometime before summer, but no release plans yet. We have also just been asked to support She Drew The Gun in February at Factory in Manchester, which is very exciting!

Huge thanks to Tara for answering our questions! Watch the beautiful new video for ‘Trying’ below:

Photo Credit: Alicia Fretter

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