NEW HAUNTS – Get In Her Ears

Track Of The Day: New Haunts – ‘Escape’

Born from a desire to take back control of a lonely summer, Bristol based darkwave artist New Haunts‘ (aka Alice Sheridan) has shared her new single ‘Escape’. The song is a sci-fi synth encoded five minutes of yearning yet optimistic self-expression, and is one of two upcoming singles which will be included on her second LP, expected for release in Autumn 2019.

Speaking about the new track, Alice explains: “This song came into existence purely to facilitate my own escapism during a time when life felt very physically and mentally limiting. For various reasons I had to spend a lot of time cooped up on my own last summer, and I’m someone who gets cabin fever after a day so I was crawling up the walls. In order to preserve my own sanity I figured that I wouldn’t write something sombre or disconcerting for once – I wanted to write something dream-like and freeing; an escape-route away from everything. I hope it takes the listener there too.”

Produced by Kindest Cuts, New Haunts will be performing her music live at The Finsbury Pub in London on 29th March in support of Terminal Gods (RSVP here). Listen to ‘Escape’ below and follow New Haunts on Bandcamp and Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Katie Murt Photography

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

March 26, 2019March 26, 2019

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

ALBUM: New Haunts – ‘Worlds Left Behind’

A soundtrack for the witching hour, New Haunts‘ debut album Worlds Left Behind is a veiled, intriguing exploration of independence. Fusing elements of coldwave, goth, early industrial and synthpop, she’s crafted a collection of distinctive, ominous sounds.

As the album’s title suggests, New Haunts is caught between the world she inhabits and the world she once knew. She explores this on opening track ‘Ingrained’ through urgent vocal harmonies that rise and fall against a backdrop of slow, scratchy drum sounds. It bleeds into lead single ‘Reactions’, a cold but magnetic offering which laments the simultaneous beauty and horror of having emotional connections. It’s connections like these that make the tortured howls on following track ‘Left Me Cold’ feel so sharp. They contrast well with her tentative and pained vocals during the verses, as foreboding synths underscore another moment of painful clarity.

‘Hymns’ and ‘New Haunts’ take listeners on a gentler electronic turn, with some Kate Bush-style wavering vocals, whilst ‘Waves’ breaks through this ambient interlude with jagged synths and more of New Haunts fluttering, urgent vocals. Its dark, glittering defiance flows into the subdued ‘Same Medicine’, followed by ‘Safe Out Here’ which is full of more brooding synths and wavering vocals.

Whispers of insecurity permeate closing track ‘Ice’ – “and I give it my all / as far as I know / as far as I can” – before abrasive synths push through a “concrete truth.” New Haunts may be at the beginning of her solo journey, but her debut record shows she is well equipped for these intriguing sonic ventures. Fans of Zola Jesus and Kate Bush will approve of her gothic noise on Worlds Left Behind.

Listen to Worlds Left Behind on Spotify & follow New Haunts on Facebook for more updates.

Purchase the album from bandcamp here.

Photo Credit: Katie Murt

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

May 7, 2018January 6, 2021

Get In Her EarsLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: New Haunts – ‘Reactions’

Inspired by post-punk, early industrial music, synthpop, coldwave and everything in between, New Haunts is a musical force to be reckoned with. Her latest track ‘Reactions’ is a balance of these influences, ringing out with a cold but magnetic energy.

“‘Reactions’ is pretty much about the beauty versus the horror of having emotional connections,” New Haunts explains. “I wanted to encompass both the good and the bad by layering softer, dreamier sounds with bleaker, harsher ones. I play around with opposites a lot in my music – it’s not often I find a subject matter which I feel 100% positive or negative about and that’s a big part of what I love to dissect and examine when I write a song.”

This juxtaposition of themes and sounds work harmoniously on ‘Reactions’. The single is available as a free download from New Haunts bandcamp now. Keep your eyes peeled for her debut album in the near future.