Track Of The Day: daze – ‘star signs’

Following a debut EP that raised £240 for Mind, ‘star signs’ is the new track from indie dream-pop duo daze. Written in February, the band say they’ve aimed for a mix of “sparkly guitars and warm synths” to create a perfect summer vibe.

I think they have absolutely nailed that. If nothing else, daze have proven that they are extremely competent when it comes to bringing their concepts to life. The fact that they manage to write, produce, mix and master the track entirely from their bedroom is a testament to their talent.

The different layers of the song fit together so well that it feels a lot more polished than you’d expect from even the most technically proficient homebrew. Having said that, I don’t think it’s lost any of the raw charm of DIY tunes. It has a lot of warmth and energy that only comes from a piece of art that someone has poured their heart into as they craft it.

The song itself is light and relaxed, but upbeat. The strings twinkle over the rich synths, eddying gently from riff to riff in a way that you can’t help but get carried along. Between the sparkles, the flow and the way it eventually fades away, ‘star signs’ captures the brightness and colour of summer sunsets using only sound.

It really is impressive how daze have managed to make such an evocative piece of music; a soundscape that inspires you to close your eyes and completely lose yourself in the scenes it creates. Particularly given it hit me with exactly that sensation on one of the drizzliest, dreariest days of the summer so far.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

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PREMIERE: CRISP&CLASSY – ‘Boom Bay’

Feminist LGBTQIA+ electro-pop duo CRISP&CLASSY (aka producer Kat Knix and singer-songwriter Plushy) pride themselves on bringing sexual liberation and self-acceptance to the UK pop scene. Now, having captured our attention earlier this year with vibrant dance-floor anthem, ‘Basic‘ – a collaboration with GIHE fave Rookes – they have shared a brand new euphoric offering.

Oozing all the sumptuous summer vibes and colourful energy you could ever desire, ‘Boom Bay’ fuses together an eclectic palette of genres to create something wonderfully uplifting. Interweaving funk-fuelled Raggeton beats with synth-driven soundscapes as sensuous vocals exude an empowering lyricism, it’s impossible not to become utterly immersed in its blissful, sassy splendour and sparkling, soulful drive. Celebrating self-love and our connection with each other (“Self love is my husband / Confidence is my cousin”), ‘Boom Bay’ is the place to be: a sunny, sonic delight that will exhilarate and inspire; “a utopian luxury resort where everyone is welcome. Here you can be whoever you want to be; express yourself in any way you desire.” 

Treat your ears to ‘Boom Bay’, for the first time, here:

Find out more about CRISP&CLASSY and the new single in the interview below:

Hi, CRISP&CLASSY, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?
We are a LGBTQ & Feminist musical love affair comprised of Scandinavian producer Kat Knix and Transylvanian songwriter Plushy. Our mission is breaking preconceptions and speaking about the unspoken. Our love for diversity and desire to break free is universal and gets translated through our iconic bops. CRISP&CLASSY is a spoiled and ignorant child; always in your face, screaming their lungs out to be heard. Because every day is riot day!

How did you initially decide to start creating music together?
Kat Knix was a proper indie rock chick in her teenage years back in Stockholm, while Plushy worshipped the pop divas and joined R’n’B dance classes in Transylvania. We met in London in 2013. Plushy was still a music student at that point and Kat was a part time DJ, so music made us bond. It was only after a few years of failing to write anything good together because of too many bottles of wine, when Kat asked Plushy to be her backing vocalist on her solo project. After performing together under Kat Knix, they eventually decided to officially unite their forces and create something never seen before. And CRISP&CLASSY was born. Mixing our music backgrounds, CRISP&CLASSY is a marriage between electronic synths, pop hooks, and dance and reggaeton beats. Both of us being ’90s kids, CRISP&CLASSY naturally carries a twisted ’90s sound, inspired by queens such as Janet Jackson and Madonna.

You’re about to release your euphoric new single ‘Boom Bay’. Can you tell us a bit about what inspired this track? Are there any particular themes running throughout it? 
The first idea for ‘Boom Bay’ came from Kat last Spring. Plushy was working out in Hackney Marshes and got sent a voice memo from Kat: “I made a beat and we should make it a song inspired by an ’80s aerobic tape with a matching video…” Eventually the concept kind of travelled from there to being an anthem of self love, and we started imagining this video where the water element in the production would be visually mirrored. We imagined it to be the perfect combination between Kat’s reggaeton beats and Plushy’s New York voguing chords over the chorus. ‘Boom Bay’ is a utopian luxury retreat in the CRISP&CLASSY world where everyone is welcome. Here we celebrate ourselves and one another. 

The track follows your epic collaboration with GIHE fave Rookes on vibrant single ‘Basic’ earlier this year – how did this collaboration come about? And how was it working with Rookes? 
Rookes pitched us the idea on a drunken night out and we simply had to join in! After several Zooms discussing the concept and Kat spending time on the production, we met up in the studio and recorded the lyrics that glued the track together, and eventually became the main concept! Rookes has taught us a lot. She is a veteran in the music industry and has not only mentored us, but also opened so many doors. Working with her was a lot of fun and we thank her for the love during our drunken wild Zoom meets! 

And you have a debut album set for release later this year, which is very exciting! Can you tell us any more about this? 
Fried Futuristic Electric guitars and Luxury Alien Spit in a glass by the beach – that’s all we have to say. You will be completely infatuated once you’ll be blessed with it! And a music video for ‘Boom Bay’ will be released along with the album, stay tuned!

How have you been connecting with your audience and other musicians during the pandemic?
Our community of amazing creative people in all areas has made us feel extremely loved. We were so lucky to shoot our ‘Boom Bay’ music video during the pandemic, and worked with incredibly talented people. So many musicians made a lot of music during the pandemic, and we’ve kept our people close. We’ve also started C&C TV on our YouTube channel, for our fans to still be able to escape to the CRISP&CLASSY world, as gigs have been out of the question for quite some time. On C&C TV we are completely letting go; ridiculing ourselves while celebrating our love for ’90s cooking shows and make-up tutorials. 

And has there been anything/anyone specific that has been inspiring you, or helping to motivate you, throughout these strange times? 
Creativity has been like therapy for us during the pandemic, and we’re so glad that we can always turn to each other for unlimited love and encouragement; especially during these hard times. Plushy was very happy Lady Gaga dropped an album during the pandemic. He is also continuously obsessed with Bree Runway who’s helped him make it through. Kat has become a true yogi, and the pandemic has made her realise she can’t live without gong baths! Hanging out with drag queen extraordinaires like Miss Dylan and Styled By Voodka has certainly lifted our spirits during the pandemic. And on the other hand, the pandemic has made us less distracted. As we both are restless souls and suffer from serious FOMO! 

Of course, we’re all missing live music at the moment, and understandably all have quite mixed feelings about the return of events. But do you have any tentative plans for any gigs coming up in the near future? 
We can’t wait to get back into gig life in the fall! London shows are coming up soon, so y’all better get ready!

And what can fans expect from your live show? 
The CRISP&CLASSY World is a safe haven, where you can be yourself and let your hair down, like treating yourself to a relaxing day at the beach. When the sun sets, you take your restless oozing body to a nearby bar. That’s where we will be, soothing your sunburn with our uplifting beats and nasty lyrics. And there you are; feeling yourself becoming one with the CRISP&CLASSY world, and you’ll never want to leave!

Finally, as we’re a new music focused site, are there any other upcoming bands or artists that you’d recommend we check out?
Our friend Arnie Wrong’s club nostalgia songs will put words on your heart ache, while getting you back on your feet and feel your most powerful ever! She just released her new tune ‘Strange Love’, defo a must listen!

Massive thanks to CRISP&CLASSY for answering our questions!

‘Boom Bay’ is out tomorrow 25th June. And it’ll be followed by an iconic music video directed and produced by BAFTA Awarded Scholars Leo Lebeau and James Bell, plus the release of CRISP&CLASSY’s debut album, Xtra Crispy, at the end of the summer.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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LISTEN: Georgia Chanel – ‘Realise’

Balmy and confessional, ‘Realise‘ is the second single from West Midlands born singer songwriter and producer Georgia Chanel.

Revelling in R&B and neo-soul influences, ‘Realise’ opens with mesmerising cinematic instrumentals over which Georgia’s voice glides like butter to warm toast. This is a heady, all-consuming song which not only shines a light on Georgia’s singing talents but her gift for storytelling too – the lyrics are confessional, introspective and intimate. Word by word Georgia takes us through a series of epiphanies about a past love before settling on the truth of the matter: “I never knew you, I never knew you, I never knew you”. It would be heartbreaking if it weren’t so delicately anthemic, cathartic even. 

Where this could easily be a track of defeat, Georgia lifts us towards empowerment instead. That precise interplay between the bitter and the sweet is what makes this such a perfect accompaniment for our capricious British summer time, whether it’s roof down in the heat or raindrops pelting against mismatched fences, this song will weather well. Somewhere in the background synths and saxophones chime like birds warbling into the wild, creating an other worldly atmosphere. There’s a rawness and a heart here: an authenticity – an artist to watch out for and a song to remember.

Tutku Barbaros
@tutkubarbaros

 

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Track Of The Day: Koppies – ‘Hospital Song’

A gorgeous contemplation on passing through the motions of life, indie-folk band Koppies have released their new single ‘Hospital Song’. Koppies, the South African-British collective of five long-term friends and collaborators, all musicians with their own acclaim, are finally united on record and the result is utterly captivating.

There is a spaciousness in ‘Hospital Song’. Victoria Hume’s commanding vocal leads the piece, with soft and arpeggiated piano playing accompanying. The effect is beautifully stark, freeing space in both the higher and lower registers that other artists may feel they need to fill. The choice to keep this composition simple is a sign of confidence in the songwriters – an instinct to hold back and preserve the raw emotional core of the song. Later, minimal, droning, synthesizers appear as well as stuttering, driven drums. These later additions create a sense of urgency, pushing the tempo and pace of the music (perhaps reflecting the growing anxiety of hospital visits) – though that sense of space remains. The rhythm sections seem to become the heartbeat of the song, bringing a new sense of life to the music. 

Koppies blending of traditional folk instrumentation with synthesizers creates a unique ambiance which is both parts nostalgic and contemporary. This combination beautifully represents memories of the past fusing into present experiences, just like when Hume sings “I think of being twenty-one, we were all stoned, everything blows…” 

The vocals are hypnotic and convey a sense of detachment from the music and reality as Hume sings “… a storm broke on your house” with an eerie sense of calm. This creates a beautiful contrast. Though the lyrics are deeply personal, when Hume sings, you may hear your own stories and experiences reflected back at you, providing reassurance. 

Of the track, Hume explains: “It’s a pretty literal song about a period of time when my mother was unwell, and the strangeness of driving to and from the hospital along these beautiful Dorset roads that I’ve driven since I was a teenager, heading out to see friends.”



Once you give ‘Hospital Song‘ a listen and inevitably want to hear more, don’t worry – you won’t have to wait long! Koppies’ self-titled debut EP is set for release on 2nd July via Lost Map Records.

Jazmine Kelly
@surfjaz

Photo Credit: Jacqui van Staden

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