LIVE (Photos): Grace Petrie – Islington Assembly Hall, 14.03.24

Having last seen Grace Petrie live at local venue Stanley Arts back in 2021, and spoken to her earlier that year, it was great to get the opportunity to see her again – this time with a full live band at Islington Assembly Hall, and oozing even more understated, yet strident, empowering charm than ever before. A truly wonderful and unifying evening, celebrating the release of her new album, Build Something Better (and in anticipation of its exciting top 30 chart position the following day), it was a real pleasure to experience her poignant, politically-charged anthems amongst a filled venue of like-minded individuals. With her lilting folk-strewn musicality elevated and energised with the addition of Robin Gatt on lead guitar, Francesca Knowles on drums, Jasmine Kennedy on bass and Amy Thatcher on accordion, as well as her constant comrade Ben Moss on fiddle, it felt like a particularly special evening; whilst not holding back with addressing issues of urgency with a fierce spirit, Petrie was able to create an atmosphere of joyous warmth and solidarity. Resonant, necessary messages delivered with an infectious energy, inciting us to unite and fight against the forces that seek to oppress us. 

As well as being lucky enough to immerse ourselves in Grace’s live set, we were able to have a quick chat about the new album and tour, see our photos from the night, and snippets from the interview below.

“Build Something Better is probably my most political record for a long while. It was inspired by the general sense of dissatisfaction in modern day Britain, especially the nationalistic undertones that the government are utilising to try and distract from the many ways that people are increasingly unhappy and dissatisfied with living standards here. And that just kind of inspired a lot of angry, political songs.”

“Writing the album, I was very inspired by different folk-rock albums, like Bruce Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball, The Decemberists, and an Australian band called The Maes that I’ve been listening to a lot recently.”

“I’ve been having an amazing time touring it, this is my first time playing with this line-up, and it’s just been absolutely amazing. I couldn’t ask for a better band to lift these songs to an amazing new live level that I’ve never been able to access before. I’ve just been having a really great time!”

GIHE alumni Gabi Garbutt also delivered a really beautiful set as support, before Molly Naylor treated us to her witty and relatable poetry.

Build Something Better, the new album from Grace Petrie, is out now via The Robot Needs Home Collective. And Grace will be heading out to Australia this week for a couple of live dates, before heading back there in May for the Guilty Feminist tour. More info here.

Photo Credit: Paul Dawes / @GRNDglass

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LISTEN: Sheherazaad – ‘Dhund Lo Mujhe’

Having fallen completely in love with American composer and vocalist Sheharazaad last year, with her spellbinding debut single ‘Mashoor‘ being one of my tracks of 2023, I’m so glad to hear that she’ll be releasing her full album, Qasr, next month. Having grown in up in San Francisco in a second generation immigrant household, the Brooklyn based artist focuses on themes of displacement and diaspora throughout the album, whilst fusing together influences from both Western classical music and her own South Asian sonic lineage through her exquisite interwoven soundscapes.

Our second taste of the album comes in the form of colourful new single ‘Dhund Lo Mujhe‘. Propelled by uptempo danceable melodies and sweeping strings, as Sheherazaad’s rich vocals soar throughout, it ripples with a glistening splendour. As stirring waves of sound intertwine with a somewhat buoyant energy, the track’s celebratory tone is at once juxtaposed with a disconcerting undercurrent. A swirling rich cacophony twinkling with a captivating allure, exuding a stark reminder to embrace our own unique joy in the face of damaging stereotypes. Of the track, Sheherazaad explains:

“For me, it brings up this circus of the insane, carnival of the unhappy… It suggests a very specific insanity, that of the immigrant experience. There is implied bloodshed, glamour, hallucination, and schizophrenia... This <song> is about delighting in our wickedness, especially as gender expansive people, where we’ve previously had little control over our sonic narrative in Hindi and Urdu music.”

Produced by Arooj Aftab, and featuring an array of talented international musicians such as Basma Edrees (Egypt), Gilbert Mansour (Lebanon) and Firas Zreik (Palestine), Qasr is set for release on 1st March via Erased Tapes. Pre-order here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Zayira Ray

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Introducing Interview: Samantha Lindo

Having released her debut album. Ancestry, towards the end of last year, Bristol-based artist Samantha Lindo has received acclaim from the likes of BBC 6Music and BBC Introducing, and is a regular on the live circuit, having performed at festivals such as Boomtown Fair and Bristol Jazz and Blues festival.

Having received support from the Arts Council and the Mobo Fund of Help Musicians UK to create and release the album, throughout the collection Lindo reflects on her compelling family history, whilst drawing on themes of climate justice and dual heritage identity with a stirring emotion; her rich, soulful vocals rippling throughout shimmering jazz-tinged soundscapes.

We caught up with Samantha to find out more about her experiences of writing and recording the album. Have a read and make sure you check out the album now!

Hi Samantha, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Are you able to tell us a bit about what initially inspired you to start creating music? 
I’ve sung from when I was small – being in plays and concerts, where people came together around the arts, were some of my most cherished childhood memories. I guess once I was an adult and had been in several different projects singing other people’s songs, I was in a place in my life where I wanted to start exploring my own inner world and my own healing – and I started creating music from there.

I love your soulful jazz-tinged sounds, but who would you consider to be your main musical influences?
I would say genre-wise I would describe my sound as spanning the realms of spiritual jazz, gospel, folk and spoken word. In terms of artists, my sound is inspired by classic artists like Marvin Gaye, Carole King and Minnie Riperton, as well as contemporaries such as Robert Glasper, Cleo Sol, Sault, and Jordan Rakei.

You recently released your debut album Ancestry, which is very exciting! The album reflects back on your family history – are you able to explain a bit about what inspired you to focus on this as a concept? 
During lockdown in 2020 I reconnected with my second cousin in Canada over WhatsApp and zoom. She lived in JA until she was seven, whereas my dad was born in the UK. She was so much more connected to our family history than my dad is, and has pictures, stories and all this amazing information. Viewing it all through the lens of the BLM movement and world issues, gave it all a different dimension. It felt so healing and strengthening to connect to the heritage and history that I’d come from and gave me a new perspective on the future. I felt really inspired to delve deeper into those stories and that process through music. 

And what was the writing and recording process like for you?
It was a multi-layered process. The original jamming and improvising around each story was really intimate: me connecting to my different ancestors and being open to what emerged. I’d then share that with my partner Dylan who might structure some chords and musically respond to what I had heard. Then I took a set of rough songs to Alex Veitch, who workshopped each one with me, disrupting my usual process, and finding different chord flavours and structures. We then took the rough recordings to producer, Doug Cave, who helped me imagine each track as a full arrangement before we took them into rehearsals with the band for several days before we recorded the main full band tracks. After that there was a lot of reflection and layering with various session musicians and recording of all the harmonies. I found the labour of all the harmonies the hardest, whereas the performance of the lead vocals flowed really easily. I honestly loved the process. We did most of it in Doug’s house, and I’d bring home cooked lunches and we’d hang out in the garden so there was a really relaxed but hard working feel to it all.

You also received funding from the Arts Council to help with the album – how did you find the experience and applying for this, and what advice could you give to other musicians when applying?
Find your own narrative, what you are saying and why, and also know who you are wanting to talk to, who your audience is. Think of some measurable goals that will let you know you have made the thing you want to and delivered it to the people you wanted to. Be as specific as possible. And get someone to help you who has done it before. There are also sessions you can go to to give you more information about the funds and how to apply. 

What can fans expect from your live show?
Playing live is my favourite thing about being an artist. You can expect a compelling, moving vocal performance; storytelling that helps you connect with the music and yourself and a new and different way. And the musicians are also at the top of their game, so it will be an all round immersive, beautiful experience, I hope. 

And when you’re out on tour, are there any particular essentials that you like to take with you to keep you going when away from home? 
I tend to prioritise keeping as well as I can. Echinacea & apple cider vinegar to keep colds at bay. Diffuser with essential oils for good sleep. Yoga mat for pre-show stretching and warm-ups, and my massive water bottle.

As we’re an organisation keen to support new artists, we just wondered how you feel the industry is for new artists at the moment? And do you feel much has changed over the years in its treatment of female and queer artists? 
I think the platforming of female and queer artists has increased massively over the last decade. Having had a baby this year, I’m also really excited about groups emerging of mothers in music, exploring how to advocate for and support one another when so much of the industry is way behind on being aware of inclusivity in this area. 

And are there any other new artists you’d recommend that we check out? 
Marla Kether & Holyseus Fly.

Now that the album’s out, what are you looking forward to in 2024? 
My live show at the Bristol Beacon in April, and then festivals in summer. I can’t wait to be playing the album live. I look forward to seeing you at one of the shows!

Ancestry, the debut album from Samantha Lindo, is out now.

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WATCH: Schande – ‘Relevant Campaigns’

Having been a big fan of noise-pop-shoegaze-tinged legends Schande for a while now, with my love of them being revived when they charmed our ears playing our first gig back after covid in 2021, I’m super excited to hear that they’ll be releasing their new album in April this year, via Thurston and Eva Moore’s record label. And now, following last year’s scuzzy ’52 Hz’, they’ve shared a truly enchanting new single.

To be honest, I can’t seem to stop listening to ‘Relevant Campaigns‘ and crying. It’s a thing of pure beauty. Its twinkling grace. The whirring to-ing and fro-ing, like the constant rippling of the tide that keeps going even when everything else seems like it’s stopped. The shimmering hooks that rise and fall. Jen Chochinov’s whispering vocals fading in and out with an understated melancholy.

Written while Jen’s mother was terminally ill, it’s an exquisite rumination on the fragility of life and the strength of love. Of the track, she explains:

“It was a way to conjure love and healing and try to balance out my own fear and anxiety which felt all too consuming. After my mom passed away at the end of 2023, this song being released now feels like a gifted timely reminder to hold on to what was shared while navigating loss. ‘Relevant Campaigns’ is essentially about picking your battles, to really assess where your priorities and energies lay because time is such a finite resource. More to the point it’s about choosing love, hope, and resilience.”

‘Relevant Campaigns’ is accompanied by a really beautiful animated video. Co-created by Sarah Lippett and Duncan Barrett, it perfectly depicts the heartfelt sentiment of the track as the protagonist engages in a stirring silent dialogue with the moon. Watch it here:

Once Around, the upcoming new album from Schande, is set for release in April via The Daydream Library Series, the house record label of Thurston and Eva Moore’s Ecstatic Peace Library collective.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Heidi Weber

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