LIVE: Midwife – Cafe Oto, London 18.10.22

“I have a few more songs to play before I release you from this sauna,” joked Madeline Johnston aka Midwife to her sold out crowd at East London’s Cafe Oto on Tuesday night. Armed with her guitar, a pedal board, headphones and her customised telephone mic, she delivered a disarming collection of shiver-inducing sounds for her London live debut, the full extent of which were felt despite the high temperature of the room.

Opening with the beautifully bleak ‘Colorado’ which set the tone for the rest of the gig, Midwife’s evocative, deceptively simple lyrical motifs and guitar loops were entirely hypnotic. Her congregation of listeners were attentive to her considered sounds from the moment she took to the stage, to the point where the noise of ice clinking in a glass felt amplified to the volume of a cymbal smash. Watching the New Mexico-based musician’s considered performance felt like a privileged form of voyeurism.

Fans were granted permission to enter her dream-like, melancholy world, in which introverted tendencies and unrequited yearnings blur and clash with the urgent desire to find connection and understanding. Musing into her telephone mic with her soft vocals, it felt like Midwife was in dialogue with an unknown person at the end of the line, the distance between them simultaneously expanded and minimised as she sang into the receiver, and in front of a room of silent strangers.

Whilst it’s difficult to pick set highlights, tracks from her 2020 album Forever seemed to resonate strongly with the crowd. The tender nature of ‘Language’, the brooding, murky tones of ‘S.W.I.M.’ and the cutting ‘2018’ all left their mark, as well as the poignant opening track on her most recent record Luminol, ‘God Is a Cop’. Pausing to take a picture before her final song – the ambient ‘Sickworld’ –  Midwife left her listeners on a pensive, transient note, encapsulated in the lyric: “I’m not here to stay / I’m just passing through”, before breaking the spell by moving to the merch stand to sell t-shirts and vinyl.

Midwife’s London debut was an understated, intensely memorable affair, heightened by the crowd’s willingness to provide her with their undivided, and much deserved attention.

Follow Midwife on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Cam Smith

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with Big Joanie 21.09.22

Tash and Kate were back on Soho Radio’s airwaves playing loads of new music from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists, and Mari offered some of her “musical musings” too. They enthused about the eclectic mix of tracks on the playlist, their love for London duo Scrounge, and Kate revealed that her fear of technology stems from watching Terminator 2: Judgement Day on repeat throughout her childhood.

They were thrilled to have Chardine, Estella and Steph aka DIY punk legends Big Joanie join them on air again to talk about their latest single ‘Confident Man’, which is taken from the trio’s upcoming second album Back Home, due for release on 4th November. The band also spoke about their recent work organising Decolonise Fest, the inspiration behind the artwork on their new album, working with amazing producer Margo Broom at Hermitage Works Studios in North London, and their top tips for surviving life on the road whilst touring.

Listen below:

 

Tracklist
Noga Erez ft. Missy Elliott – NAILS
Maury Blu, Peaches – Vashti Part One
Lucy Dacus – Night Shift
Scrounge – Starve
O Hell – I Watch The Women
AGAAMA – Blackbox Oracle
Moglii, Palmaria – Volcano
TSHA, Clementine Douglas – Dancing In The Shadows
Tokky Horror – Jazz Music
New Pagans – Better People
SPRINTS – Literary Mind
Amaroun – Brown Skin Beauty
Perera Elsewhere – Who I Am
Big Joanie – Confident Man
**Interview with Big Joanie**
Gustaf – Best Behaviour
Grandmas House – Body
Connie Constance – Mood Hoover
Brutus – Victoria
adults – things we achieve
DIVES – Say
Zahra Haji Fath Ali Tehrani – Waiting
th’sheridans – Luka
Perfume Genius – Queen
Jemma Freeman & The Cosmic Something – Helen Is A Reptile
The Big Moon – Trouble

(you can listen back to the our original 2019 interview with Big Joanie here too)

PLAYLIST: August 2022

The Get In Her Ears team have put together another eclectic mix of electronic sounds, guitar anthems and indie tunes for your listening pleasure. Take some time to scroll through our track choices below, and make sure you press play on the Spotify playlist at the end of this post.

Follow GIHE on Spotify to hear all of our previous playlists too.

Halina Rice – ‘Helix’
What do I love more than dreamy songs full of feelings? Obscure electronica! This track is a big slice of it. It comes from London-based artist Halina Rice, who has announced a new album, Elision, which is set for release on 30th September. This track ‘Helix’ fuses natural and analog sounds together in order to evoke a place that don’t exist – a parallel world. LOVE IT. (Tash Walker)

Nameless Twin – ‘My Eyes Went Black’
I’m obsessed with this debut single from industrial/electronic duo Nameless Twin, aka Alicia Rei Kim and Ryan Osterman. It’s shadowy, heavy, but delicate in places too. Osterman is also in a band called Holy Fawn, who I’m going to see live at the end of September. ‘My Eyes Went Black’ is available to download for free on bandcamp now. (Kate Crudgington)

Obli – ‘Hei’
This is my absolute favourite song at the moment, no words will do it justice! Just please kick back and bathe in its beauty. (TW)

Connie Constance – ‘Till The World’s Awake’
An indie-dance track of her dreams, I feel ya Connie! This is taken from her new album, Miss Power, which is due on 4th November. ‘English Rose’ has still got to be one of my fave songs of 2019. (TW)

adults – ‘things we achieve’
Having charmed us playing live at our sold gig at Sebright Arms last month celebrating/comiserating Charmpit’s last ever London show, South London band adults are fast becoming firm favourites. With this latest single, they reflect on the pressures of living in a capitalist society with their trademark irresistibly blissful, catchy musicality and fuzzy, frenetic drive, with shades of the joyous, danceable allure of Los Campesinos. for everything, always, the upcoming debut album from adults is out in October via Fika Recordings. (Mari Lane)

Big Joanie – ‘In My Arms’
Is it even a GIHE playlist if we don’t include a Big Joanie track? This is the latest single from the trio, taken from their upcoming second album, Back Home, which is set for release on 4th November via Daydream Library Series/Kill Rock Stars. I can’t wait to hear the record in full. (KC)

BRUTUS – ‘Liar’
The latest single from Belgian heavy trio Brutus. Taken from their upcoming third album Unison Life, which is set for release on 21st October via Hassle Records/Sargent House, ‘Liar’ is a heavy lament that criticises the lies we tell ourselves in order to keep a false sense of calm. I’ve been stomping around to this all month. (KC)

Scrounge – ‘HIT’
GIHE favourites Scrounge are back with this belter of a new single, taken from their upcoming debut mini album Sugar, Daddy, which is set for release on 9th September. We’re big fans of everything that Lucy & Luke create and I reckon Mari would book them for every GIHE gig if she could, but you can catch them playing live in East London at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes on 7th September. Pre-order their upcoming album here. (KC)

The Dead Zoo – ‘Do Clean / Do Dirrrty’
London garage-rockers The Dead Zoo have returned with this gritty new single. Speaking about the track, the band explain: “it’s about seeking that unknown place where you can find yourself…this paints a visceral sense of hitting the road, living outside of the law.” (KC)

Deux Furieuses – ‘Know The Score’
The poignant new single from GIHE faves Deux Furieuses, ‘Know The Score’ is an immense, raging anthem confronting society’s failure to properly protect women and marginalised genders from violence. Challenging the patriarchy from the off, the track hits you with its potent, riotous energy and fierce, colossal musicality as the all-too-resonant refrain “say her name” echoes with eerie timelessness. (ML)

Electric Pets – ‘That Way’
The latest single from Electric Pets, ‘That Way’ is a perfectly scuzzy anthem of self love; a two fingers up to society’s expectations of what we should be. Showcasing Emma Buckley’s raw, impassioned vocals, it builds with a fierce emotion to a catchy slice of garage-infused rock. (ML)

Miss Kill – ‘All You Gotta Do’
The latest single from alternative duo Miss Kill, taken from their debut EP Don’t Tell Me Twice, which is set for release on September 16th via AWAL. Described as a song about “feeling completely intoxicated, vulnerable and needing someone to to care, but they are refusing to,” ‘All You Gotta Do’ is full of bittersweet vocals and heavy reverb, reflecting the clouded head space that inspired it. (KC)

A.A. Williams – ‘Golden’
Another superb single from multi-instrumentalist A.A. Williams here. Taken from her upcoming second album, As The Moon Rests, which is set for release on 7th October via Bella Union, ‘Golden’ is full of her haunting vocals and shadowy sounds. (KC)

Beckie Margaret – ‘Untitled’
I am in love with Essex songwriter Beckie Margaret’s recent EP, CIAGA, Vol. 1. Released via Cool Thing Records, it’s an intuitive, tender collection of songs that genuinely had me in tears when I was writing the review. Beckie’s voice and affecting lyrics dismantle me every time. Please, please do check her out. This track ‘Untitled’ is my favourite. (KC)

Victoria Canal – ‘Swan Song’
The latest release from Victoria Canal, a Munich born, Spanish American who is proud of her identity as a queer, disabled, mixed-heritage woman. ‘Swan Song’ is a haunting and personal piano ballad, taken from her upcoming EP Elegy, which is set for release on 16th September via Parlophone Records. Enjoy. (TW)

Gemma Laurence – ‘Lavender’
The latest single from Brooklyn-based “Sapphic folk” artist Gemma Laurence, ‘Lavender’ is an empowering anthem for the queer community. Flowing with lilting melodies and heartfelt lyrics, it showcases the raw emotion Laurence’s vocals with a stirring, shimmering grace. Lavender, the new album from Gemma Laurence, is out on 4th November via Better Company Records. (ML)

Ailbhe Reddy – ‘Shoulder Blades’
Previous guest on our Soho Radio show Ailbhe Reddy has shared this poignant new single. Her skill for capturing a moment – in this case the unique way the light defines her partner’s body – makes listening to her music such a bittersweet pleasure. (KC)

Seraphina Simone – ‘Milk Teeth’
GIHE fave Seraphina Simone – who for the beady eyed among you, may have seen her singing backing vocals and being part of Self Esteem’s dance troupe over the last year or so. This track is taken from Seraphina’s recently released EP of the same name, and of course we are huge fans. Seraphina will be joining us in the Soho Radio studio for our October show! (TW)

Hypsoline – ‘Space Babe’
I’ve only recently been introduced to Brighton band Hypsoline, but I just can’t get enough of this track’s gritty hooks and swirling, electro-tinged energy – all delivered with an immersive, scuzzy allure. And I cannot wait for Hypsoline to play live for us, supporting Currls at their London EP launch at The Shacklewell Arms on 1st December – get your tickets on DICE now! (ML)

Jadu Heart – ‘Cocoon’
The latest release from electronic duo Jadu Heart otherwise, known as Alex Headford and Diva Jeffrey. It’s been almost two years since they recorded their last record Hyper Romance. This latest single is dreamy stuff. (TW)

Jemima Coulter – ‘Dancing With Lara’
Having recently released their debut solo album, Grace After A Party, Bristol-based artist Jemima Coulter creates beautifully heartfelt folk-strewn offerings. I just love this track’s shimmering musicality and raw, heartfelt vocals; a stirring, emotion-rich dreamscape which reminds me of dancing with my wonderful flower person Lara at my wedding. (ML)

Wallis Bird – ‘I Lose Myself Completely’
Following the acclaim of 2019’s poignant Woman, Irish born/Berlin based artist Wallis Bird has now released her seventh studio album, Hands. Showcasing Bird’s unique, vibrant brand of alt-pop – combining fizzing ’80s-inspired blissful soundscapes with an empowering energy and stirring sentiment – it reflects heartfelt and resonant themes with a raw emotion, delivered through an uplifting, cinematic musicality. (ML)

Mega – ‘If Not My Heart’
Having received acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1, NME and The Independent, London-based artist Mega has recently released her new EP Colour Your World. Combining her influence of legends such as Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone with inspiration from her Ugandan heritage, she creates instantly uplifting anthems oozing an exquisite heartfelt splendour. (ML)

Lande Hekt – ‘Backstreet Snow’
Though you may also know her from her band Muncie Girls, Lande Hekt’s debut solo album, Going To Hell, was one of my favourites of last year. Back with sparkling new single ‘Backstreet Snow’, she showcases her luscious vocals alongside perfectly jangly melodies and a heartfelt lyricism, creating stirring, emotion-strewn indie-folk. Lande Hekt’s second album, House Without A View, is set for release on 23rd September. (ML)

Sophie Jamieson – ‘Sink’
Sophie Jamieson, the new Bella Union signing who is set to release her album Choosing on 2nd December. ‘Sink’ is the lead single from the record, and Sophie is currently on tour across the UK check out her socials for those dates. (TW)

LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio – Teenage Dreams 24.08.22

Tash, Kate and Mari were all physically in the Soho Radio studio together for the first time EVER for this month’s Get In Her Ears New Music show! They played an eclectic mix of tracks from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists.

The team also took some time to reminisce about the tunes that helped them through their formative years in their special #TeenageDreams section at the end of the show. Kate opted for pure angst with a classic Avril Lavigne anthem, Mari was raging away to The Distillers in her local rock club, and Tash was very busy pretending to understand the full context of Alanis Morissette’s ‘You Oughta Know’ at the tender age of twelve.

Listen back below:

 

Tracklist
Garbage – Cherry Lips (Go Go Baby)
Connie Constance – Till The World’s Awake
Victoria Canal – Swan Song
Beckie Margaret – August Nights
Mannequin Death Squad – Super Mental Psycho
BRUTUS – Liar
Halina Rice – Helix
Nameless Twin – My Eyes Went Black
Midnight Ambulance – Smoke and Sweets
A.A. Williams – Golden
Big Joanie – In My Arms
Electric Pets – That Way
Femegades – Daddy Says
Jadu Heart – Cocoon
070 Shake – Skin & Bones
Seraphina Simone – Milk Teeth
LOLAWOLF – Whole House
Midwife – Enemy
Obli – Hei
AGAAMA – Sarehole Mill
Gemma Laurence – Lavender
Sophie Jamieson – Sink
Fruity – BT9
Kindred Fawn – Neon World
**Teenage Dreams Section**
Avril Lavigne – Losing Grip
The Joy Formidable – The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade
Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy
The Distillers – City Of Angels
All Saints – Never Ever
Alanis Morissette – You Oughta Know
Olivia Newton John – Hopelessly Devoted