Five Favourites: Supersaurus

Self described “non-binary fronted indie-pop girl band”, London-based Supersaurus’ influences range from MUNA to The 1975, and with acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1 and BBC Introducing, they’re really starting to hone their place as esteemed creators of sad-pop bangers. Reflecting on queer love and being part of the LGBTQ+ community, latest single ‘Let U Down‘ offers a swirling electro-pop energy as it soars with instantly catchy singalong refrains and a shimmering emotion-strewn splendour.

We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate ‘Let U Down’, we caught up with each member of Supersaurus to ask about the music that has inspired them the most. So, read about their favourite albums – there’s four of them, so actually only four choices this time, but we’ll let them off! Have a read and make sure you take a listen to ‘Let U Down’ now!

Tayla’s Pick:

Pale Waves – Unwanted
There’s actually so many albums that I could choose from for so many different reasons either because they have a personal nostalgic meaning to me and/or they’re just purely no skip albums for me. But if I was to pick one at this very moment in time I’d have to go with Pale Waves – Unwanted. I’ve been a fan of their music for a while, ever since I first heard ‘Change’ a while back and then recently just suddenly had the urge to binge listen to all their stuff again after seeing them at Truck Festival. When I get obsessed with a song or an album trust me, that’s going to be on repeat for a good few weeks at least and the songs on this album really made me feel a lot, which is mainly what I look for. Don’t get me wrong, I love lyrics and all that but for me to really be obsessed with a song it’s got to make me feel a certain kind of way – and this album does just that. If I’d have to pick a favourite off the album I’d probably go with either ‘Lies’, purely for the insane amount of energy and the cool guitar riff, or ‘Reasons To Live’, which – ironically after saying that the lyrics aren’t the main reason that draws me into a song – the lyrics for this one did just that. An all round banger album for me – plus they’re sick live, which makes listening to their stuff even better.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FsLwaNLwbVo%3Fsi%3DoawMP5czUtXGPzqG

Lauren’s Pick:

Kings Of Leon – Come Around Sundown
Come Around Sundown is an album I’ve come back to again and again since I was about 17. I never get tired of listening to it from start to finish, and it remains one of the select few albums I keep in my car. Originally, it had this new feeling of reflection that Kings Of Leon managed to write into their songs, a sense that you’ve been here before even though you’ve never heard it. Now it’s got the added nostalgia of driving around town with college mates (as well as many other KoL albums). I was introduced to the album by an old band mate, and I remember us being amazed at the ending of ‘The End’ – the beautiful, almost mystical keys that seem never ending but a perfect fit. Musically, the album has influenced my drumming to be more creative, following rhythms of different band members more than just the bass. It’s also a great lesson in playing what is necessary for the song. Some of the tracks on the album have huge choruses, but Nathan never goes over the top. 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=4B-t-WDRuXQ%3Fsi%3D8SO3EbZpnua7sGWh

Bec’s Pick:

Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
I have a strong attachment to this album, mainly because of the way I felt when I first heard it. I was hooked, instantly. It was kind of fated to be a pretty significant album for me. The day it was released (Valentine’s Day), I was driving back from a weekend in Wales with my girlfriend to watch Caroline perform; the weather was pretty shocking but kind of added to the atmospherics of the album, and I was about eight songs deep when I realised that I could listen to this album, on repeat, forever. ‘Blood and Butter’ started and, if I am being honest, I was shook to my very core – bagpipes! She had only gone and done it. From that point on, it became my favourite album. Accidentally, Caroline has ended being my most seen live act, she was my last gig before lock down and the first one out of it. And, with each iteration, she has added more to her live show; this last time watching her with a full live band really brought this album to life. The opening track from the album, ‘Welcome To My Island’, exploded to life with loud guitars and thumping drums, and I just beamed… This is what music is all about. The past few years I’ve really been getting into more electronic indie pop music, and this album still uses a lot of live instruments, including guitars. Which for me is key – live is king. This album is full of incredible left of centre pop moments which lean into catchy hooks without being cheap. ‘Bunny Is A Rider’ is a perfect example of not taking yourself too seriously, but landing the finish. Dido, Grimes, and Bagpipes. Sold.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hxgcz_6GKX0%3Fsi%3DdirJl01J79Y_6u12

Benji’s Pick: 

Jimmy Eat World – Clarity
I kinda can’t not pick Clarity by Jimmy Eat World. It’s the only album that can make me sad and happy at the same time. It’s a weird one, because it’s my favourite album but I really don’t listen to it very often; it makes me feel too much, and I could do without that! But it’s a masterpiece, more albums should open with a ballad. It was either this or Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance, but I think Clarity has the edge.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gWb6bb5hnBU%3Fsi%3DwS9VuCmOJIYwHLsx

Massive thanks to Supersaurus for talking about their favourite albums with us!

‘Let U Down’ is out now, and we can’t wait to hear more from this lot!

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Five Favourites: Breakup Haircut

Having wowed us live with their scuzzy, joyous punk-pop at our January gig at The Victoria, First Timers Fest alumni Breakup Haircut have just released their debut album – Punk Dancing For Self Defence. A collection of joyously lo-fi pop punk reflecting on themes ranging from social anxiety and break-ups to bi-erasure and existing in a Capitalist society. Propelled by a jangly, uplifting energy with gritty angst-driven undertones, the band’s colourful charisma and sparkling charm shines through each track with a striking relatable poignancy, creating an utterly necessary listen. Whether you need cheering up with some buoyant danceable anthems, or simply want to immerse yourself in the band’s raw emotion and relatable, resonant reflections on life, Punk Dancing For Self Defence will provide you with the aural comfort you need right now.

We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the release of their debut album, we caught up with members of Breakup Haircut to ask about the music that has inspired them the most. See below for their choices of their five favourite albums, and listen to latest single ‘I’d Say Yes‘ at the bottom of this feature.

Ripley:

Pat Benatar – Greatest Hits
I could pick my favourite Pat Benatar album, but I’m going to pick specifically the random ‘Greatest Hits’ album that my Dad bought off a market stall when I was a teenager and we were living in the USA. It was one of the first albums that I basically ‘permanently borrowed’ from my parents’ music collection. I fell in love with the intense and energetic ‘80s rock sound. I have always particularly loved music that generates energy and feels kinetic and I don’t think I’d heard anything that sounded so huge, epic and all big emotions before at that age (and as a teenager, I was of course relating to big emotions particularly strongly at the time). Their music had an intense energy and sincerity that I really connected with. Pat Benatar’s powerful and emotive voice; her aspirationally cool, badass attitude in her singing and lyrics, plus Neil Giraldo’s amazing guitar solos were also a big draw. Pat Benatar is probably best known for ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ and ‘Love is a Battlefield’ in the UK (both awesome songs). I think their music was a lot more popular stateside than here, as a variety of their songs used to be played on rock radio there a lot. My favourites were songs like the emotional and epic ‘Promises In The Dark’ (the bridge vocal build and following emotional guitar solo is so amazing that I often end up listening to that section an extra time after finishing the whole song), and the inspirational ‘Invincible’ that makes you feel badass and ready for anything (it’s also a perfect inspirational training montage song).

Ishani:

Kimya Dawson – Remember That I Love You
I don’t get a whole lot of time to listen to new music – my partner actually spends a lot of time doing that, and makes this big playlist of releases of the year I should listen to which is hanging over my head. But a staple of my favourites in rotation is Remember That I Love You by Kimya Dawson. I found it when I was around 13 or 14, I remember seeing her at St Martin-in-the-Fields when I was 15 or so and meeting her. But I feel like that’s an album that has stayed with me through my years, because Kimya Dawson is someone that I take a lot of inspiration from, even a decade later – I think her work is so simple and poignant that it is really cutting. I love it because that allows for its hooks to be catchy without complication, something that relates down to the core. It’s pop, but it’s totally anti-pop. Everyone in the world would be better for listening to it once in a while, just to remember that the human condition is just a lot – and hearing it in such a simple way is kind of gutting.

Delphine:

Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American
I think I‘ll have to pick Bleed American by Jimmy Eat World. This album came out whilst I was in a difficult period in my life and somehow, this album enabled me to allow myself to feel. ‘The Middle’ is to this day one of my favourite songs of all time. It was a pep talk and in song form. I’ve always struggled with lack of self-esteem and being self-critical so it was a good reminder that doing your best is all you can do and it’s okay to not succeed at the first try. It also reinforced the idea that one shouldn’t listen to people being overly critical when they know nothing about you and your circumstances and that you should do what you want rather than what other people say you must want. 

Jordan:

Biffy Clyro – Puzzle 
My pick is Puzzle by Biffy Clyro. I can’t remember how old I was – but it felt like a whole lifetime ago – I was at this super house party. The conversation is going great and I heard ‘Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies’ come on. It was the first time both me and my friend had heard it and it instantly grabbed us. You’ve got the big build up and the shrill strings in the pre-chorus. I think we both dropped what we were doing to try to find the CD so we could steal it. For a good 9-15 months it was in contact rotation with other music we would listen to. We’d play ‘Now I’m Everyone’ whenever someone had a match or needed hyping up. I wasn’t really drumming at that time but when I started, this album became more important in trying to replicate the sound. The drumming on the album is especially interesting as it’s semi-technical and semi-mental. Some parts you just have to feel where the notes are, rather than learning the specific sticking. You also have songs like ‘Love Has a Diameter’ which are more soppy but still can maintain a strong groove and pace.

Band Combo Decision:

Green Day – American Idiot
With four of us in the band and five albums to choose, we decided to pick one album each and one shared choice. American Idiot was a young Ripley’s gateway album to a life-long obsession with rock and punk music, one of Ishani’s first discoveries from her brother’s speakers, the album that rekindled Delphine’s love for everything rock ‘n’ roll after a short stint into EDM.
Ripley’s favourite track: ‘Letterbomb’. An underrated high energy song from the latter end of the album. I always loved the intro build to this and the high energy mixed with nihilism vibes that this song gives off. It just sounded so huge, dramatic and intense to me when I was younger, with the driving bass and drums and sweeping guitar melodies. It’s one of those songs where it feels like it has so much energy that it has spare to hand over to you, and you can’t help but feel energised and ready to go by listening to it.
Ishani’s favourite track: ‘Homecoming’. I was always more of an early Green Day fan, like Dookie/Nimrod, but this came out at a time when I wasn’t paying that much attention to music beyond what came muffled out of my brother’s room. He played this a lot – I love the highs and lows, the harmonies, the theatricality of it – it feels like it was written for a stadium, it’s almost dadly. 
Jordan’s favourite track: ‘She’s A Rebel’. American Idiot was the first album I was excited to buy. I was taken up to central London with my grandma and we went into the Virgin Megastore in order to get a copy. It was so catchy and well produced, and it’ll always be remembered fondly. I say that I rarely ever listen back to this album now because having tracks 3 to 6 actually being eight songs has got to be the most colossally stupid fucking idea ever conceived. Why would you do that? ‘She’s A Rebel’ is my favourite and I have to sit through ‘Give Me Novacaine’ in order to get to it. Terrible. 
Delphine’s favourite track: ‘Jesus of Suburbia’. Mostly because it covers all the topics that encompass what a generation of disenchanted kids would feel strongly about. Green Day has always been engaged in their lyrics and giving the finger to the establishment. I guess, in this album, it’s that song. 

Massive thanks to Breakup Haircut for their amazing album choices for their Five Favourites! Listen to their latest single ‘I’d Say Yes’ now:

Punk Dancing For Self Defence, the debut album from Breakup Haircut, is out now via Reckless Yes. Buy on Bandcamp now.

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Five Favourites: Dude York

Set to release their new album next week, Seattle trio Dude York pay tribute to adolescent romance and early noughties ‘mall punk’ with their whirring scuzz, catchy jangling hooks and gritty vocals. And we cannot get enough.

We think one of the best ways to get to know a new band/artist is by asking them what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with Claire from Dude York to talk about her ‘Five Favourites’ – five songs or albums that have influenced her songwriting techniques, or simply take her back to a specific feeling or time. Check out her choices below, and make sure you watch the band’s new video for ‘Should’ve’ at the end of this post.

Jimmy Eat World – ‘Your House’
This is one of my absolute favourite songs and Jimmy Eat World in general was a big influence for me on our new record. Play this song very loud driving somewhere sentimental in your car, you might feel feelings! Our single ‘Falling’ is kind of about falling in love in your late 20s to the soundtrack of your early teens, and it’s supposed to start as a sonic reference to this song (and a lyrical reference to Dashboard Confessional if anyone is keeping track). I think there’s a lot to admire about this band; I love how expressive Jim Adkins’ voice is without being cloying, and the way he uses harmonies really intentionally and loud. Bleed American in its entirety is a pop record that can’t or at least shouldn’t be pigeonholed, it moves through totally different sounds seamlessly. They are masters of wordless bridges and hooks, so good lyrics would probably just mess them up. I have also done the important experimental research on a few tours now: If you wear a Jimmy Eat World shirt you will only meet nice people and have pleasant conversations, it’s a good energy.

No Doubt – ‘Sixteen’
I remember listening to this song with fresh ears when I was first starting to make music which required a.) figuring out how to sing and b.) figuring out how to write harmonies. The first 30 seconds stopped me dead in my tracks when I realized Gwen Stefani’s basically just yelling? In key? And it actually sounds amazing?!? At the time I didn’t have much of a singing range basically because I was afraid to be loud or sound bad at all before getting it right, but I loved how these harmonies sounded so I tried singing them alone in the car or the basement to see if it was even possible to hit that note and when I did it I felt like I had unlocked a superpower. It’s hard to choose a No Doubt song though, so I have to give honourable mention to ‘Simple Kind Of Life’ for having some of the most inspirational lyrical honesty and delivery for me. I always felt it was a special song in that way, but revisiting it this year at the same age she wrote it (and let’s just say during my Saturn return, although I think it may have been a few months late), it hits me that much harder. When she says “you seem like you’d be a good dad” you can actually hear the smirk on her face and it’s the best.

Yuck – ‘Operation’
I just love so much about how this song sounds. I’m not always drawn to vocals being mixed way down or being so fuzzy you can barely tell what they’re saying because it can feel intentionally buried, but in this song everything has enough space to be appreciated. The vocals are just another fuzzy instrument, not more or less important in the melody than the guitars and it all trades off with every section elevating into the next effortlessly. So I guess what I’m trying to say is, I think this song is (bad pun intended) well designed. And just really good.

Weezer – ‘I’m Your Daddy’
Weezer is a huge influence on me and sure, maybe I wouldn’t even play guitar if it wasn’t for “the early stuff” but that’s not as funny as this song. I’ve had a side project Weezer cover band for MANY years (despite only playing something like 5 shows) with a very specific premise: we play only songs the casual fan has never heard of and the serious fan hates. Usually, if I’m getting ready for one of these shows I’ll be playing the songs at Dude York practice and Peter or Andrew will say “what’s that?” and I’ll say “Goat Reward” and they’ll say “oh” or “maybe it should be a Dude York song?” and usually it’s too hard to divorce myself from the source material to even consider it, but I have to admit I did it with this song! I don’t remember whether it was before or after that but around the same time I heard the Rivers Cuomo episode of Song Exploder and he described doing essentially the same thing as part of his song writing process, copying something from a song he liked and then distancing himself and intentionally hiding the source material until he can’t remember where it came from, revisiting it and writing a new song around it. So that’s how I know it’s ok. He wouldn’t mind, he does it too.

Josie and the Pussycats – The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
This movie came out when I was 11 years old and every single one of my friends had the soundtrack, knew every word, and we were all saying the same thing back and forth to each other, “Why isn’t this a real band? Why is this so much better than any real bands? Why can’t whoever made this soundtrack just become a real band because this is probably so much better than whatever they are doing right now?” This is obviously the narrow view of a pre-teen with limited googling ability in 2001, but in retrospect I think there was still some truth in it. The soundtrack really resonated with me at the time because the idea of this band from the movie coupled with the songs to back it up hit a sweet spot between the energetic sound of the dude rock bands on the radio I was leaning towards and the feminine energy I could actually relate to. That’s not to say those bands didn’t exist and thankfully I think there are more now than ever, but at the time it was hard for me to find anything that satisfied quite like Josie. We played a halloween covers show in 2014 where we dressed up as the Pussycats and played three of the songs and it was so fun. They were just fun to play and sounded great! Or at least I think they did, there’s no video evidence and it was a DIY show… But I think it re-opened the door to those songs in my mind, there’s no reason why bands like Josie and the Pussycats can’t be real. 

Massive thanks to Dude York for sharing their awesome Five Favourites with us! 

Falling, the upcoming album from Dude York, is out 26th July via Hardly Art. Watch the video for latest single ‘Should’ve’ here:

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