Track Of The Day: O Hell – ‘Untangle’

A shadowy, captivating soundscape that documents a personal metamorphosis, Brighton-based artist and producer Lucy Sheehan aka O Hell has shared their latest single ‘Untangle’. The follow up to their debut single ‘Down’, the track sees Sheehan unravel their feelings of disconnecting from a past relationship, carving a new narrative of self-autonomy via shuddering synth lines, twitchy beats and crystalline vocals.

After years spent touring and recording music in alternative bands around the UK, Sheehan has ventured into fresh sonic territory under their new moniker O Hell. Influenced by a love of eclectic, brooding soundscapes and a desire for creative independence, their debut single ‘Down’ was an “exercise in refusing compromise.” With new single ‘Untangle’, Sheehan explores this process further, finding catharsis and strength in deconstructing yourself and re-building a new identity.

“I wrote ‘Untangle’ when I was living alone in a cabin,” Sheehan explains. “This song came up and felt like a rare moment of clarity, that I was in the process of becoming an ‘I’ rather than part of a ‘we’, and that process could either be a brutal erasure or in fact a rebirth. The song is about disentangling from a person, who you can no longer discern yourself from, where the ‘I’ has become lost in ‘us.’”

“I was getting interested in making beats and then cutting it up at random – removing the odd snare, hat or kick with my eyes closed, so I landed with this slightly twitchy beat that immediately inspired the rest of the song. I was listening to a lot of Christine & the Queen’s La Vita Nuova and Nine Inch Nails, so when Ben Hampson and I got it in the studio, it was a delicate process of finding that hyper-pop dynamic, balanced with deranged sonic details.”

O Hell will make their live debut supporting Thyla at the Hope & Ruin in Brighton on 25th May.

Listen to ‘Untangle’ below.

Follow O Hell on Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Annie Dorrett

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Talk Like Tigers – ‘Sacred Feminine’

In anticipation of their debut double-EP release, Newcastle’s Talk Like Tigers reveal ‘Sacred Feminine’ – a feminist-indie-pop anthem. As identical twins and a two-piece indie band, the duo manifest a captivating presence the moment that their creative efforts join together.

Charlotte and Stephanie blend the melodies of indie-pop’s catchy merit with wisps of other outside influences like retro synth-pop and dreamy alternative pop. What remains steady in the vividness of Talk Like Tigers’ lyrical takes, which paint colourful images via the pair’s lush, velvety vocals. The vocal harmonies in ‘Sacred Feminine’ are a fierce, distinguishing element that adds a fizzing energy to the track. Many producers feel that this kind of oral chemistry is exclusive to siblings, so to hear the synchronisation of these gifted twins is quite the exhibition.

While switching between synths, guitars and snappy drum pads, the duo glitter ‘Sacred Feminine’ with quirky rhythms that are both abstract and infectious, symbolising the multi-faceted aspects of femininity. Celebration is a central sentiment as listeners are transported to a space where both the beautiful and the strong nature of femininity merge to reflect the goddess-like qualities of the phenomenon.

Talk Like Tigers summarise that their track “is a powerful, anthemic song about femininity and female worth.” ‘Sacred Feminine’ honours femininity, vulnerability and intuition as absolute strengths in this empowering anthem.

Watch the sparkling, uplifting video for ‘Sacred Feminine’ here:

Talk Like Tigers are set to release their debut double EP in May. Keep your eyes and ears peeled!

Jill Goyeau
@jillybxxn

Photo Credit: Lee Scullion

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Track Of The Day: VERO – ’22:12′

A tender, melancholic offering that laments the feeling of being taken for granted, Stockholm-based trio VERO reveal their softer side on their latest single ‘22.12’. Taken from the band’s upcoming debut album Unsoothing Interior, which is set for release on 6th May via PNK SLM, the track is an urgent, hazy musing that the band have dubbed as their “official cry song.”

Formed of teenage friends Julia Boman & Amanda Eddestål and Clara Gyökeres who they befriended whilst DJ’ing on the Stockholm nightclub circuit, VERO create music inspired by an eclectic range of influences. Their main purpose, aside from creating anthems with shades of 90s alternative icons Sonic Youth, is to challenge the idea of what a modern guitar band is supposed to be. That challenge started with previous singles ‘Beg!’, ‘Cupid’ and a cover of Shame’s ‘Concrete’, but now the trio reveal a different kind of emotional rawness on their new release ’22:12′.

“From the whining, lonely guitar in the intro, to the painful lyrics about leaving the party early and feeling defeated…in a way, the song is an ode to someone else’s happiness, of which you have no part in, and that hurts,” VERO explain about the track. Through yearning vocals, distorted riffs and confessional lyrics, the band tackle feelings of inadequacy and loneliness with grit and grace, providing an aural tonic for those whose bones are also aching with an unrequited love.

Listen to ’22:12′ below.

Follow VERO on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Pre-order VERO’s debut album Unsoothing Interior here

Photo Credit: Dan Kendall

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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VIDEO PREMIERE: Problem Patterns – ‘Y.A.W’

**Content Warning: mention of misogyny & violence towards women**

A powerful, necessary anthem for women and girls who have spoken out against violent misogyny only to be told they’re “just a bitch who can’t take a joke,” Belfast punks Problem Patterns have shared a video for their poignant new single ‘Y.A.W’, which we’re premiering exclusively on Get In Her Ears.

Recorded at Start Together Studios with the support of the ‘Scratch’ development programme at the Oh Yeah Music Centre, the track is a visceral rumination on the universal rage and despair that permeates our consciousness in the wake of public violence towards women, in particular, the misogynist killings of Sarah Everard and Aisling Murphy.

Their first official single since their 2020 release ‘Big Shouty‘, Problem Patterns’ ‘Y.A.W’ seethes with a righteous fury, underscored by Ciara’s King’s buzzing basslines, Beverley Boal’s striking guitar riffs, Bethany Crooks’ thudding beats and Alanah Smith’s crystalline vocals. An acronym for ‘Yes All Women’ – antagonising the social media excuse ‘Not All Men’ – on ‘Y.A.W’ Alanah steps forward on vocal duties, demanding “Who do we call for help / When the help seems like a threat to me?” as her bandmates unleash a cathartic cacophony of relentless, rage-fulled sound around her.

“We’re trying to help people get through certain situations, or speak to situations that people are having at this moment. It’s hard to hold things back,” guitarist Beverley explains about the purpose of Problem Patterns’ music and the context of ‘Y.A.W’. This desire to antagonise, expose and shift the narratives around women’s safety is something the band have believed in from day one, and something which their collective hero, Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna, encouraged them to keep shouting about. “She’s been part of relighting the fire,” continues Ciara, “and the trust and confidence we have in ourselves as a band.”

Officially released tomorrow (16th March), 100% of the profits from the Bandcamp sales of ‘Y.A.W’ will be split between Cara-Friend and Women’s Aid Northern Ireland. The track is accompanied by a striking performance video, shot and directed by Brendan Seamus with art direction from Billy Woods. It captures the raw, frenzied energy of a Problem Patterns’ gig, something GIHE followers will relate to after their debut London performance with GIHE at The Shacklewell Arms back in December 2021.

Together, Problem Patterns use their collective talents to create riotous feminist punk anthems that provide comfort and catharsis in equal measure, with this latest single being a powerhouse example of both. Watch the video for ‘Y.A.W’ below.

Follow Problem Patterns on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Problem Patterns Upcoming Tour Dates 2022
06.04.2022 – Bob Vylan & Problem Patterns Tour (Cork, Cyprus Avenue)
07.04.2022 – Bob Vylan & Problem Patterns Tour (Galway, The Loft)
08.04.2022 – Bob Vylan & Problem Patterns Tour (Belfast, Deer’s Head)
09.04.2022 – Bob Vylan & Problem Patterns Tour (Limerick, Kasbah)
10.04.2022 – Bob Vylan & Problem Patterns Tour (Dublin, The Grand Social)
12.06.2022 – Supporting Bikini Kill (O2 Academy, Glasgow)

Photo Credit: Carrie Davenport

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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