Track Of The Day: Zahra Haji Fath Ali Tehrani – ‘They Say’

An intuitive wish for peace of mind for her self and for her son, musician & producer Zahra Haji Fath Ali Tehrani has shared her new single ‘They Say’. Full of hypnotic steel pan drums and body percussion inspired by a type of Persian prayer, the track is a meditative reflection on connecting maternal instincts to protect with the universal energies of love and survival.

Informed by her recovery from trauma and her hard won emotional resilience, ‘They Say’ is Zahra’s way of coming to terms with her difficult past and finding light in the darkness. Repeating the reassuring mantra of ““It’ll pass they say / time heals they say” in her lyrics, she gives the sentiment space to reverberate gently within listener’s heads, helping them to slow down and become present too.

The track is accompanied by a celestial set of visuals featuring Zahra and directed by Nia Fekri. Inspired by Celtic folkore, the power of the moon and the ebb and flow of water, the video shows Zahra moving amongst these elements, mirroring the unexpected depth of emotions, both positive and negative, that she encountered on her journey to recovery. Flowing with good intentions, ‘They Say’ is a tender, positive affirmation of personal strength.

Watch the video for ‘They Say’ below.

Follow Zahra Haji Fath Ali Tehrani on Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Dawn Parsonage

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Five Favourites: SUEP

Led by SuepLord (Porridge Radio, Garden Centre, The GN Band) and Brain Wastefield (UK top model), London based SUEP are now a fully formed band with the addition of GN (The GN Band, Joanna Gruesome, The Tubs), Freakin’ Deacon (PC World, Garden Centre), and T-Mr.9 (Head of Pastoral Care). Interweaving jangly hooks with a whirring, psychedelic haze, the band recently released their debut single ‘Domesticated Dream‘. Oozing a vibrant, quirky energy, a joyous clatter of percussion swirls alongside uptempo electro-driven melodies and sweeping, honey-sweet vocals. A perfectly eclectic scintillating soundscape.

We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate SUEP’s new single, we caught up with Sueplord to ask about her “Five Favourites” – five songs that she loves the most. Check out their choices below and scroll down to watch the unique new video for ‘Domesticated Dream’.

The Flirts – ‘Passion’
I only heard this song kind of recently, my friend Liam put it on in one of our YouTube sessions that me and my housemates often did during lockdown. It’s just so good and I reckon it’s quite theatrical, I really want to sing and act out all the words and dance along every time I hear it. I just looked up that The Flirts were formed by Bobby Orlando who worked with Divine and the Pet Shop Boys who I also love. I’ve been playing this song every time I DJ at the moment, and when I was on Green Man radio this summer I accidentally put on the extended mix which is just under 10 mins long but no one complained, that’s why I know it’s a good ‘un. There are a few performance videos of the song on YouTube and they are all amazing. I have definitely tried to use the song as a kind of exercise video by dancing along to their moves in my living room.

The Umlauts – ‘Boiler Suits and Combat Boots’
Ahh man I love the Umlauts so much, this is the first song of theirs I heard. It doesn’t have a video but it’s just such a great vibe and tune that I think I can get away with it. Porridge Radio played with them at two Library shows in Ashton and Widnes last month and there weren’t many people there and in Widnes it was a matinee performance, but they rocked it so hard, they sounded so large and full and it was literally impossible for me not to dance. I’ve listened to this song so much that when the synth solo came in I was singing along… They are stand up people as well. I can’t wait to hear their next single and the album. They are on Prah Recordings that are putting out some incredible stuff at the moment.

Jona Lewie – ‘I Think I’ll Get My Hair Cut’
Ok, this song is the song that I wish SUEP had written. But my man Jona wrote it. Jona Lewie is such a huge inspiration to me and Josh from SUEP. All of his songs have incredible hooks with a twinge of humour, which is exactly the genre I love, and I think it’s definitely a genre. One that Paul McCartney also fits into. I love that throughout the song he’s trying to be more attractive and popular and he’s concluded that to do that, he needs a haircut, but at the end of the song he realises he’s trying too hard and actually his hair is great. We’ve all been there. The synth riff that comes in goes straight to my heart every time I hear it, and I’ve heard this song a lot, I know all the words. By writing this I have concluded that SUEP should maybe cover this song. Keep your ears to the ground.

Becky Hill, David Guetta – ‘Remember’
Something a little different. I cannot contain how much I love this song. I have listened to it maybe a million times. The video is fine, don’t let it distract you from the lyrics:

“It’s only when I’m lying in bed on my own
And I wake up and I don’t see your name on my phone
It’s in the moments where I think that I’m better alone
That’s when I remember, that’s when I remember
Every time I walk past your house in the rain
And I tell myself that you were the biggest mistake
And just when I think I’m finally doing okay
That’s when I remember, that’s when I remember’

It gets me so deep every time. And it’s a huge club classic slam dunk. The amount of times I’ve been driving and yelling every word. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry with some kind of joyous sad tears. Nice one as well to Becky Hill, her voice is smash hits good. And David Guetta, all I can say is thank you. I’d just like to shout out to another song I would have put on this playlist that the rest of the band would have probably hated: Avicii – ‘Wake Me Up’ (definitely a song I wish I had written).

Alessi Brothers – ‘Seabird’
Damn, when this song drops and the vocals come in! The way the vocals are produced as well, they are so loud but so perfect. Normally I like vocals a bit buried, but this song has just got it. The lyrics are so beautiful and also is that a drum machine??? Also mega fade out vibes. It has it all.

Massive thanks to Sueplord for sharing their Five Favourites! Watch the video for ‘Domesticated Dream’ here:

‘Domesticated Dream’ is out now. It was recorded with producer Matthew Green (Sniffany & The Nits, The Tubs, etc.) at
SuepLord’s old house, which was once a youth centre in Surrey Quays, with the old sports hall being made into a makeshift studio where SUEP laid down a mini album worth of songs in two days, and later mixed by Mike
O’Malley (caroline, Girl Ray).

Track Of The Day: KIN – ‘The Runaways’

Having previously charmed our ears with the sounds of ‘L.O.V.E’ and ‘Sharing Light’, and with over 310,000k streams of their songs on Spotify, London trio Grace, Ritu and Adam – aka KIN – have now shared another ambient new single.

Oozing a glistening, emotion-strewn splendour, ‘The Runaways‘ reflects on the mixed feelings of leaving a settled life and started afresh somewhere new. As the distinctive celestial allure of Grace’s vocals flows alongside chiming hooks and a shimmering energy, it’ll gently tug at the heartstrings with its poignant lyricism and a heartfelt ethereal majesty. Taking the listener on a mystical adventure, it’ll immerse you in a sparkling sense of romanticism, creating a stirring ode to finding a sense of belonging – a feeling of being home, not necessarily in a place, but in a person who you feel a deep connection with; a sentiment depicted beautifully in the accompanying self-directed video. With an exquisite emotive charm and captivating musicality with shades of The XX, ‘The Runaways’ is a perfect slice of blissful alt-pop that’ll cast you under its sparkling spell on first listen.

Produced by Josh Tyrell (Lana Del Rey, Mark Ronson), ‘The Runaways’ is out now via 3tone Music.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

WATCH: DEBBY FRIDAY – ‘FOCUS’

Inspired by her decision to fully embrace her creativity and push her talents to the limit, Nigeria-born, Vancouver-based audio-visual artist DEBBY FRIDAY has shared her latest single ‘FOCUS’. Full of jagged electronics and sultry, commanding vocals, the track is accompanied by a striking set of visuals featuring and co-directed by Friday and Ryan Ermacora.

“I wrote this song in 2019, when I first started thinking about writing an album and the possibility of pursuing my creative passions as my career was making itself known to me,” Friday explains about ‘FOCUS’. “I kept debating with myself, ‘do I want this? or do I not want this?’ It’s a heavy question. The video also speaks to this. The whole process was like undergoing some sort of fire baptism. It was difficult and chaotic and supernatural. I felt like I was the mountain, cracking open and spilling forth.”

Cauterizing her conflicting thoughts with impressive flair, Friday’s efforts have resulted in a distinctive sound and aesthetic. She elaborates on how the accompanying video was created: “Getting the logistics of everything together was the most stressful part. It’s not everyday that you have to figure out how to make an avalanche and take fire bullwhip cracking lessons. Thankfully, I had a really supportive crew the whole way through. It took a lot but I feel like this song and video marks a turning point for me that I can’t exactly name yet.”

Watch the video for ‘FOCUS’ below.

Follow DEBBY FRIDAY on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo credit: Laura Baldwinson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut