Five Favourites: ARXX

It’s the day us at GIHE have been waiting for… It’s ARXX album release day! If you follow us in any way, you’ll know that the Brighton duo Hanni and Clara are one of our ultimate faves, and we’ve been totally in love with them ever since they first blew us away playing live for us at The Finsbury back in 2018. So, the release of brand new album Ride Or Die has been much anticipated and greeted with all the excitement of our inner teen fan grrls.

The album showcases all there is to love about this utterly unique duo, and their incredible ability to fuse genres into something that is completely their own. From the catchy, pop-fuelled singalong choruses of the likes of ‘Baby Uh Huh’ and title track ‘Ride Or Die’, to the gritty energy and fierce allure of ‘Iron Lung’, and the soaring, heartfelt raw emotion of ‘The Last Time’ and ‘Never Want To Go Back’, ARXX prove it remains impossible to pigeon hole them into any one category, whilst maintaining their infectious euphoric power with each and every offering. Listening to the album, a rollercoaster of feelings rushes through me, and I’m left crying tears of joy and pride. ARXX truly are one of the most exciting – and completely lovely – bands in the universe, and they continue to establish themselves as master creators of the freshest, most addictive and most empowering, indefinable life-affirming anthems, and I couldn’t be happier that they exist.

Anywayy, to celebrate the release of Ride Or Die, we caught up with Hanni and Clara about the five albums that have inspired them the most… Have a read, and watch the equestrian-themed video for the album’s title track at the bottom of this feature!

Clara:

P!NK – Funhouse
This is the first album that I knew inside out. I remember being in the airport and my Mum said I could pick a magazine, and I was looking at one with P!NK on the cover and then one with Taylor Swift. I went with P!NK and became fully (and I really mean fully ) obsessed for the next ten years. This album has the mix of rock vocals but great pop production and I couldn’t get enough of it. I listened in full multiple times a day. It’s the album where all the words are forever in my brain. I’ll always be a fan!

Haim – Days Are Gone
Haim are my all time favourite band and also our big bucket list band to support. I remember buying this album in HMV and then becoming completely obsessed with it. The way Danielle Haim plays and writes drum parts is unlike anyone I had heard before, with most of their beats not being straight. My favourite ever song is on this album – ‘My Song 5’. We went to go and see them play in the O2 last year and I have never felt joy like it. And then Taylor Swift came out and we lost our minds again. This will always be an album I go back to!


Hanni:

Tegan and Sara – The Con
Tegan and Sara are one of my all time favourite artists. The Con is one of the very first records that I fell in love with, and connected with emotionally. I’ve always been so inspired by their freedom to transcend genres and transition with each record. Their sound is constantly evolving and I find that so exciting. The Con is a stunning record, lyrically so captivating and interesting as a songwriter, and it just takes me back to a time where I was falling completely in love with music and the idea of being a musician myself. My favourite track is ‘Soil Soil’. 

Kate Nash – Made of Bricks
This album takes me back in so many ways. I remember I was working at my dad’s work one summer holidays, making teas for some pocket money, and on my lunch break I went to the local record store and spent my earnings on whatever new music I could get my hands on. I chose Made of Bricks and I spent the rest of that summer fully obsessed with this record. Kate Nash writes in such an unapologetically literal and obvious way on this record, it was like nothing I’d ever heard. Hearing that as a young person who wanted to write my own music was like being given the keys to the kingdom. I suddenly understood that all I had to do was write about the things that happened in my life, it was that simple. This record made songwriting feel accessible. After I bought and listened to Made of Bricks that day, I went home and wrote my first song. 


Both: 

Avril Lavigne – Let Go
This is our favourite album! It’s one of the greatest records ever written and you can’t convince us otherwise. There’s no weak songs on this record. It’s pure perfection. This record has been the soundtrack to our tour van since day one. Back then, Avril was the coolest thing in the world and made us dream of being rock chicks (lol). It would be our ultimate dream to see this record played live. If this band doesn’t pan out you’ll see us reform as an Avril tribute act!

Thanks so much to Clara and Hanni for sharing their Five Favourites with us! Watch the video for ‘Ride Of Die’ here:


Produced by Steve Ansell and mastered by Katie Tavini, Ride Or Die – the new album from ARXX – is out now via Submarine Cat Records. Order and find out about their upcoming tour dates here.

Photo Credit: Rosie Powell

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FIVE FAVOURITES: Ilgen-Nur

If Hamburg-based “Slackerqueen” Ilgen-Nur had listened to the doubts instilled in her mind by the petty comments of her male teenage counterparts, she wouldn’t be preparing to release her debut album Power Nap on 30th August via her own label Power Nap Records. “If some stupid boys…hadn’t given me the feeling that I had nothing on my plate, I would have knocked something out four or five years ago at the age of 18/19” she recounts, “It took me so long to rebuild my self-confidence”.

But that’s exactly what she’s done, having released an EP titled No Emotions in 2017, playing slots at The Great Escape Festival, Eurosonic and Spot Festival, and even having her song ’17’ chosen for Netflix series How to Sell Drugs online (fast).

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with Ilgen-Nur to ask her about her “Five Favourites” – five albums that have influenced her songwriting techniques. Check out her choices below, and make sure you listen to her brand new track ‘Nothing Surprises Me’ at the end of this post.

 

1. Kate Nash – Made of Bricks
This album is probably the reason why I’m writing music. Made of Bricks by Kate Nash was the first album I purchased that wasn’t something that was considered “mainstream” or some sort of music I got to know through TV or the radio. Actually, my sister recommended it to me after hearing the song ‘Foundations’ which I feel like to this day is an iconic indie song for an entire generation. I was immediately drawn to the story-telling songwriting and I remember listening to this album over and over again for years and years (starting when I was 11) and just getting obsessed over the lyrics, remembering every single lyric and getting lost in the characters Kate Nash was singing about. For example, ‘Mariella’ — I even have a reference to that song in my own song ‘Cool’! I remember practicing the songs on my piano over and over again and spending endless hours watching Kate Nash interviews. After all, she was my first proper role model and I am more than thankful for that. Through her, I discovered bands like Nirvana and Hole and Bikini Kill. Kate Nash taught me that I don’t have to be professional in playing an instrument to create something that I like, which I cherish to this day. And oh ‘Nicest Thing’ is still a classic to cry to!

2. Hole – Live Through This
When I first started getting into Hole, I read an interview with Courtney Love in which she said “I want every girl in the world to pick up a guitar and start screaming” — I believe that this statement was the ultimate reason why I asked my parents to get me an electric guitar for my 16th birthday. I started playing a bunch of Hole songs on guitar which was super fun and to this day, I love playing ‘Miss World’ on guitar. It’s so simple, yet so energetic. Ultimately, after watching all these videos of Courtney Love perform and re-watching all these dark and dreamy Hole music videos I felt like for the first time in my life I was allowed to scream and be angry at the world. It felt, and still feels liberating to this day. Obviously at the beginning of my Hole fandom I didn’t really get what most songs were about, yet later re-connected and understood the themes of sexual abuse, trauma and feeling angry and empty. It’s a powerful album to me, and it’s also probably one of my favorite artworks.

3. Elliott Smith – Either/Or
This one I have only discovered a year ago or so. Whilst hanging out at my bassists place ‘Between the Bars’ came on and I was drawn to it immediately. My guitarist and roommate had Either/Or on vinyl and I couldn’t stop listening to it, I put it on almost every morning for months, got completely sad and lost in all the songs. I was surprised that it literally took me this long to discover Elliott Smith, but I’m also thankful and excited about it. I’m very drawn to his guitar sound and the overlapping of vocals and the general lo-fi sound. I actually once got asked if the title of my first EP No Emotions is linked to Elliott Smith’s song ‘Waltz #2’ where he sings “she shows no emotion at all, stares into space like a dead china doll“ — but at the time I didn’t even know the song, only later listened to it randomly and that line came up and I was super perplexed and didn’t know what to say. I felt even more connected to his whole persona and music. ‘Angeles’ is by far one of my favorite songs generally and on this album.

4. Jeff Buckley – Grace
Every time someone plays ‘Lover, You Should’ve Come Over’ in the van whilst we are on tour, I believe at least one person in the car cries. I don’t know what else to say, other than this is an amazing album to cry to and be melancholic and dramatic. It’s also just perfect to me, and I feel like it’s extremely underrated among other musicians. I actually don’t think that a lot of my friends who play guitar music know or love this album, but I feel like it’s that one album everyone can find a song on that they connect with. Jeff Buckley’s voice is so beautiful, and I don’t even know how and what he plays on guitar because it’s definitely nothing simple but it sucks you in like crazy. His lyrics are so pure and magical, one of my favorites by him on this album is on the song ‘So Real’ – “Love, let me sleep tonight on your couch / and remember the smell of the fabric of your simple city dress”. And “We walked around ’til the moon got full / like a plate”. It’s by far one of my favorite albums, it’s quiet and it’s loud and dramatic – it’s everything. I’m definitely influenced by Buckley’s singing even though I would never compare my voice to his.

5. Soko – I thought I was an Alien
Soko is not only my fashion and makeup inspiration, but also taught me so many things. I love all of her songs, but this debut album is special to me. It’s extremely raw and Soko doesn’t shy away when it comes to being in touch which her negative emotions and being completely honest with her listeners. I love her stories and her calm voice, and I like the way she’s switching instruments when she’s playing live (even though I haven’t seen her live yet, unfortunately). She has this one song on this album called ‘I Just Want To Make It New With You”, which initially made me pick up my bass more when it came to song writing. Overall, Soko was my first queer indie icon and every one of my queer friends has cried at least once to the “We Might Be Dead By Tomorrow’ video. I love Soko, and I’m so excited for her future records and videos.

Thanks to Ilgen-Nur for sharing her favourite with us. Follow her on Facebook for more updates.

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment