LISTEN: Circe – ‘Glow (You Always Tell Me I Have This Glow’)

Following on from her previous cinematic release ‘Riot Of Sunlight‘, London-based dark-pop artist Circe has now shared her new single, ‘Glow (You Always Tell Me I Have This Glow’). Taken from her upcoming EP, Drawing Wings From The Light, which is set for release on 19th July, the track bristles with a potent anger, explored through Circe’s seething-yet-poetic lyricism, atmospheric synths and intriguing use of ASMR-inducing samples.

On first listen, ‘Glow’ appears more subdued than Circe’s recent vivid offerings, but it retains her idiosyncratic charm and showcases the shadowy, effervescent side of her song-writing, which her debut EP She’s Made Of Saints highlighted beautifully. Inspired by “a powerful rage” directed against “the slights and casual misogyny of the music world”, her hushed threat of “I am a hurricane” sees her defiantly reclaim a sense of power and self autonomy in the face of this adversity.

From the candid opening lyric – “fucked it up first / so I didn’t have to know” – Circe’s quiet anger smoulders across three minutes. “Move away / so I don’t tear you down too” she sings, her warnings enhanced by the Mach Richter-inspired ‘Nature of Daylight‘ violin parts (which Circe played herself) as well as the sampled sounds of scissors snipping through hair own hair. Blending the biblical story of Samson and Delilah with her own experiences to create the narrative for ‘Glow’, Circe blurs the lines between myth and reality once more, exploring the murky territory that sits in between.

‘Glow’ is accompanied by a stylish lyric video, and the news that Circe will be playing a headline show at The Windmill in Brixton on 21st September. Watch the video below and grab your tickets here.

Circe UK Live Dates 2023
21st September – The Windmill, Brixton – London

Follow Circe on Spotify, bandcamp, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Zak Watson

Kate Crudgington
@kate_crudge

 

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LISTEN: chiika – ‘VILLAIN’

After a year which saw her receive support from BBC Radio 6Music and BBC Asian Network, and perform on both Truck Festival’s Main Stage and the BBC Introducing Stage at The Big Feastival, chiika returns as her villainous, pyromaniac alter-ego – releasing a song about holding onto a grudge and setting things on fire: “…very healthy coping mechanisms of course!”

Exploring the theme of revenge, ‘VILLAIN‘ is for those of us that “just want to burn it all down”; justified angst trading love for hate. Produced and mixed/mastered by Tonie, the track showcases chiika’s ability to evoke evocative imagery of fire and ash through her lyrics (in both English and Hindi), her hypnotic vocals matched only by the intensity of the Hindustani-inspired instrumentation. A slow-burn of progressively punishing percussion and distorted guitar disorder. “This could have been something more / This could have been something so beautiful!”

Taking inspiration form the East of her Indian heritage, and the West of her British upbringing, the Oxford based artist’s cathartic, cinematic power-pop song is set ablaze with a dangerous chorus leading to a satisfying conclusion; “a song which burned like fire,” exploring “facets of personality, situations, and ideas” to enkindle an emotional response. “I was naive and in love… / But I’m bittersweet / Might leave a sour taste on your tongue.”

From her 2021 debut extended play, Unlearning, through last year’s Dounia-inspired EP, Cure, Antidote, Commotion, through to this latest track, chiika’s music is ever-changing; a reflection of her emotionally-driven musical growth and do-it-yourself confidence. “God, I’ve waited for the day / When the villain gets her way.”

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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EP: Emily Magpie – ‘She’

Following her alluring 2020 debut LP, Let’s Talk About the Weather, and last year’s ethereal extended play, When the Space Between Was so Much Less, Bristol based songwriter and producer Emily Magpie steps into the water for her deeply personal new EP, She. Filled with soothing alt-pop melodies shimmering on the surface, it offers a poignant reflection on her own experience being a woman,“which is beautiful and messy!”

Opening with ‘She Said’, Emily, in celebration of her best friends, sings in lush vocal harmony with the most important women in her life; the subtle elegance of sun-drenched guitar evoking summer warmth and better days. Below the surface of the water, haunting lyrical hypnosis from ‘Down in the Deep‘ submerges the listener in raw emotion – a delicate, yet complex, dream-pop soundscape of synth, guitar, and piano, elevating Emily’s mesmerising multi-layered vocals. “My salt bathing lungs / The lines on their tongues / Is that what you sold to me? / Half spun cigarettes / Can’t work with less / The wheel still spins the same.”

Imagining herself “drifting around the bottom of the sea,” Emily explores the feminine – “which exists outside of gender” – encapsulating the light and dark. Closing with ‘Blistered Tongue’, Emily finds herself beyond the aphotic zone; ghostly reflections shimmering to the percussive groove and brooding synth-driven melody. Don’t be afraid! Through atmospheric arrangement, Emily embraces both the sparkling beauty and the melancholic unknown of the feminine, as Kieran Ball and Max Harrison provide additional instrumentation, swirling in Emily Magpie’s effervescent electronic mix. “Feminine energy is badass and there’s a massive history of it being suppressed which it’s important to challenge by us being heard.”


She, the new EP from Emily Magpie, is out now via  Def Pressé. Buy on bandcamp now.

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

Photo Credit: Hannah Lisa

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NEW TRACK: CLT DRP – ‘Nothing Clever, Just Feelings’

Following on from their visceral, incendiary anthem ‘New Boy‘, Brighton feminist art punks CLT DRP have shared their latest single ‘Nothing Clever, Just Feelings’. The title track from their upcoming second album, which is set for release on 8th September via Venn Records, ‘Nothing Clever, Just Feelings’ is a thumping, primal, tenacious offering that champions the immediacy and the transitory nature of thoughts and emotions.

CLT DRP blew us away when they performed at The Great Escape Festival earlier this year, with this new single providing one of many highlights during their set. Fuelled by Annie’s powerful, crystalline vocals, Daphne’s phenomenal percussion and Scott’s jagged guitar FX, ‘Nothing Clever, Just Feelings’ is a cathartic anthem that celebrates the act of feeling your emotions without over-analysing them. “I’m learning to manage my distractions / I’m getting better at talking less shit” Annie sings, her defiance and directness as intoxicating as the cacophony of potent noise behind her.

“This is the title track for a reason!” she explains about the single. “Desperation, anger, confusion—ALL the feelings. I think I spent a lot of time when I was younger trying to be clever about lyrics. I wanted to try and be witty or something ‘mature’. As a younger woman in the industry, I felt like I wasn’t going to be taken seriously writing the way I did. I quickly realised that the music I listen to the most is nothing like that, so why would I try and emulate something I don’t even listen to? The lyrics I connect with are always straight forward emotions or familiar scenarios that I can identify right away when I first hear a song. Being present in the lyrics and emotions are important to me as a lyricist. I want you in the car with your friends screaming the lyrics at full blast cursing your ex! That’s what this song is supposed to do.”

This desire for unfiltered self-expression permeates CLT DRP’s new album. Nothing Clever, Just Feelings touches on themes of queerness, heartbreak, new-found strength in vulnerability and gender fluidity, as well as new-found femininity in humour and the fear of being alone. We can’t wait to hear it!

Watch the accompanying video for ‘Nothing Clever, Just Feelings’ directed by Harry Steel (Haunted Mattress) below.

Follow CLT DRP on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Photo Credit: Bridie Florence

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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