Track Of The Day: Kinney – ‘Unravel’

An ethereal escape is immediately abound in ‘Unravel’, the latest release from LA based indie-electronic artist Kinney. Following on from her 2020 EP So Glad You Exist, the track depicts one piece in the spiralling puzzle of Kinney’s deja vu centered vision.

With elements of minimal acoustic guitar, euphoric vocal layers to dynamic production components, Kinney’s artistry is difficult to pinpoint. ‘Unravel’ is a song without isolation, following no script but emotion. The track begins with solitude – nothing but Kinney’s echoing, choral vocals and a modest guitar track. But during this time, it slowly begins to simmer with electro-tinged hooks, basking in its own lustral reflections while expanding gradually. Lyrically exploring vulnerable moments and the anxieties of massive shifts in our lives, Kinney is experiencing her fears just before she leaps.

On the cusp of diving into a new way of being, ‘Unravel’ is a satisfying anthem for rebirth that captures sonic metamorphosis reminiscent of Bon Iver and FKA Twigs. It is evident that Kinney’s artistic voice knows no bounds of genre nor wisdom. Kinney’s ‘Unravel’ pushes for risk taking with hands of sweeping sonic fluidity. A truly majestic soundscape.

Watch the stirring video for ‘Unravel’ now, which was created with Kinney along with a crew of friends, including Valentina Ayeyu as director, Ben Goodman as DP and Brooke Burgstahler as producer.


‘Unravel’ is out now via Bad Owl, an indie label and creative house focused on promoting female vocalists.

Jill Goyeau
@jillybxxn

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WATCH: SOFT LAD – ‘Singapore’

An upbeat, cathartic reflection on the tender and important time between a break-up and moving on to something new, SOFT LAD has shared her debut single ‘Singapore’. Full of relatable lyrics, shimmering melodies and soft vocals, the track is a comforting exhale providing listeners with an optimistic moment of clarity.

SOFT LAD aka Sophie Galpin has spent the past fourteen years as a multi-instrumentalist playing alongside the likes of Tom Greennan, The Breeders, James Vincent McMorrow, Jessie Ware and most recently SOAK and SELF ESTEEM. Now, she’s stepping into the spotlight to share her brand of honest pop, with her debut single focusing in on the multi-faceted nature of queer relationships. “Now I don’t have to wait for your updates, honey / well I can heave a sigh for the last time, and leave you behind” she muses, her vocals floating over buoyant riffs and driving beats.

“This song describes a break-up and that bit initially after where you look back for one last time, then take that first step forward as a person on your own in the world,” Gaplin explains about ‘Singapore’. “You feel like shit, and your friends tell you that you’re going to be fine and although intellectually you can rationalise it, you can’t truly feel it for a while until you get the perspective. And intertwined with that feeling of loss, you also have this feeling of relief of at least knowing where you stand and breathing it all out. You suddenly have time and re-realise you can do whatever you want at any given time.”

Accompanied by a video directed by Olivier Richomme and Sarah Jenny Johnson, ‘Singapore’ is SOFT LAD’s optimistic statement about life after love, and it’s gentle euphoria is infectious.

Watch the video for ‘Singapore’ below.

Follow SOFT LAD on Twitter & Instagram

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Queen Cult – ‘A Song About Consent’

Following acclaim from the likes of BBC Introducing for their debut single ‘Shindigger‘, and support for explosive recent offering ‘Show & Tell‘, Cheshire band Queen Cult have been fast making a name for themselves. Consisting of front person Maisie Johnson and bassist Leila Jacklin, as well as Brodie Carson on drums and Piers Jarvis on guitar, the band pride themselves on their LGBTQ+ identity and sharing their queer, politically-charged messages with the masses; and, having recently pulled out of Hit The North festival due to allegations against promoter SSD Concerts, their dedication to smashing the patriarchy and standing up for what’s right remains steadfast and unwavering.

With a gritty, seething energy, brand new single ‘A Song About Consent‘ offers an all-too-resonant message about the challenges women and girls have to face every day in the face of the male gaze. With an impassioned, angst-driven power, it’s a swirling statement of intent, raging with a poignant fervour against men’s entitlement over our bodies. As front person Maisie fiercely proclaims that “consensuality is a thing”, she assures us that our voices should be heard; that we are entitled to have control over own bodies, and should feel safe in this knowledge. With a blazing grit, the track pulls no punches as it rages against the culture of victim blaming and society’s expectation that we are responsible for changing ourselves to protect us from harm, rather than holding the perpetrators of abuse to account. Of the meaning behind track, Maisie comments:

“Watching the news about the murder of Sarah Everard by a policeman hit us immensely. Seeing it unfold into what didn’t seem real. We questioned our upbringings, what our mothers told us whilst growing up. Things to remember to keep safe. And realising just how messed up that is. We wrote this song because we were shook by the idea of having to change anything about simply existing as a woman in this world. We do not stand for inequality. We do not stand for abuse. We stand for consent, decency and respect.” 

Another immense slice of pop-infused rock ‘n’ roll from Queen Cult, ‘A Song About Consent’ builds with a stirring tension and soulful raw emotion, alongside sweeping fizzing riffs, to offer a completely necessary and ferociously poignant listen, fuelled by a colossal, and instantly catchy, musicality. So, blast it into your ears, immerse yourself in its riotous catharsis, and stand up and join the fight against the patriarchy now!

Watch the new video for ‘A Song About Consent’ now:


‘A Song About Consent’ is out now. Catch Queen Cult live in Manchester at The Castle Hotel on 18th November – tickets here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Debbie Ellis / A Supreme Shot

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Introducing Interview: Sister Ghost

With accolades such as winning ‘Best Live Act’ at Northern Ireland’s Music Prize in 2019 and airplay from the likes of BBC 6Music and BBC Radio 1, Derry based Shannon Delores O’Neill and Maeve Mulholland – aka Sister Ghost – have just released their brilliantly entitled new EP Stay Spooky. Taken from the EP, latest single ‘Buried Alive’ oozes the duo’s distinctive swirling, gritty power as soaring impassioned vocals and catchy hooks rage with a seething energy. A perfect slice of sparkling rock ‘n’ roll, exuding a much-needed empowering raucous spirit.

We caught up with Shannon to find out more about the new single, what inspires Sister Ghost’s sound, her thoughts on the industry at the moment and more… Have a read and listen to new single ‘Buried Alive‘ now!

Hi Sister Ghost, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?
I started Sister Ghost while I was in uni at Belfast. It’s brought so many cool moments to my life, such as supporting LeButcherettes, Pussy Riot and Shellac (meeting Steve Albini and getting his plectrum was amazing!). One of the greatest moments was winning Best Live Act at the 2019 NI Music Awards – getting to stand on the famous Ulster Hall stage where Zeppelin played Stairway for the first time was cool. That award meant a lot too because we were two women, playing loud rock music, with no big team around us – totally a win for grassroots rockers. Sister Ghost started off as a means for me to make the music I always wanted to make, and it’s evolved into a band that is all about a great and energetic live performance where the audience should have as much fun as we do.

Are you able to tell us a bit about how you initially started creating music together? 
I’d been writing and performing as Sister Ghost for a few years but met Maeve at Girls Rock School NI in 2017 (I was directing and she was learning bass) and we got on well, so I asked her to join in 2019 and it’s been going great. During the pandemic I was able to have the time to write an album’s worth of material and I sent those demos to Maeve who then wrote her bass lines – she’s always on hand to help with any technical side of things when I need a hand. The same process led us to writing the new EP Stay Spooky that came out earlier this month.

I love the gritty, seething energy of your sound, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
Thank you – I like that description, it reminds me of the song Seether by Veruca Salt, who are a huge influence on Sister Ghost for sure! The songs on the new EP are the best example I feel of a mash-up of two particular eras of music for me: lots of ’90s stuff like L7, Soundgarden & Radiohead and then ’60s folk/psych infused rock like CSNY, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Mamas and Papas, The Doors, The Byrds etc. Kate Bush and her iconic level of artistry and not bowing down to anyone, has always been something I look to as well.

You’ve just shared your immense new single ‘Buried Alive’, which is super exciting! Are you able to tell us a bit about this? Are there any particular themes running throughout the song?
I wanted to write about the experience of feeling smothered under the weight of responsibilities as well as when you feel that pressure to question yourself and where you’re at in life. Equally, I also wanted to acknowledge the realisation that everything that’s happened before has led you to where you are now – with purpose, and the gratitude and comfort you can feel in knowing that.

How have you found recording and promoting music during these strange times?
It’s actually been my most fruitful time for writing, literally just because the pandemic meant that moving back home to the countryside with not much else to do meant I could just be with my guitar, laptop and notebooks. It’s been shitty not being able to play many shows and live-streams are kind of a buzzkill too (even though they were necessary at a time). But the sooner we get back out on a series of gigs the better – I’m trying to manifest a busy 2022 for Sister Ghost!

You’ve recently played an exclusive, limited-capacity in-store show in Starr Records, Belfast – how was that experience for you? 
It was really great – the room was perfect, filled with candles and plants and it was the first time I got to play my new 12 string guitar as well (I’m a guitar nerd for sure). It was just so much fun to get to perform in a full band set-up for the first time since Friday 13th March 2020, which was also in that same record shop! It was so nice to see friends we hadn’t seen in a long time as well.

And how is the live music scene in Northern Ireland at the moment – has it ‘recovered’ after the limitations of the last couple of years?
Not really in all honesty – our government only just allowed a return for standing gigs on October 31st so we’re way behind.

How do you feel the industry is for new artists at the moment? Do you feel much has changed over the last few years in its treatment of female and non binary artists? 
Someone recently told me they felt it was an easier time for the brand new, just out-of-school artists right now because they had all that time during the pandemic to try out stuff without having the pressure to be out gigging straight away etc. I think it’s probably a bit of this and that really, I think the internet is helping a lot of people gain a following these days, more so than just being out gigging in the real world – cutting your teeth like I did as a teen in bands etc. In terms of your second question, I just think people who hold power need to keep making sure their venues and spaces are free from toxicity. I also think that work needs to continue on calling out the patriarchal systems and ways of thinking we experience on the daily, so that people of all gender identities feel validated and safe in every walk of life.

And, as we’re a new music focused site, are there any other upcoming artists or bands you’re loving right now that you’d recommend we check out?
Yes! Heart Shaped – Kendall is originally from Houston but has been based in Belfast for a few years now – we met through Girls Rock School NI. Mom Friend – Emily is based in Georgia, USA and we met at Girls Rock Santa Barbara.

Finally, what does the rest of 2021 have in store for Sister Ghost?
Preparations for the debut Sister Ghost album… Woohoo!

Massive thanks to Shannon for answering our questions!

Stay Spooky, the new EP from Sister Ghost, is out now. Buy on bandcamp now.

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