New Track: Aisha Badru – ‘Lazy River’

Having previously charmed our ears with the exquisite grace of 2021 EP The Way Back Home and her debut album Pendulum, and with acclaim from the likes of The Line Of Best Fit and Afropunk, singer-songwriter Aisha Badru has now announced the release of her upcoming new EP, due out in June.

Our first taster of the EP comes in the form of stirring new single ‘Lazy River‘. Flowing with a lilting energy, the track reflects on the journey of emotional healing and the time that this can take. Rippling with the shimmering grace of Badru’s vocals and a twinkling folk-strewn musicality, ‘Lazy River’ offers a beautifully soothing heartfelt anthem, showcasing the rich majesty of what Badru can create. A blissful interlude of cathartic calm.

Of the track, she explains:

“It’s about the healing process after loss. Emotional healing is a journey. True healing takes time and there should be no shame or urgency in any step of the process.”

‘Lazy River’ is accompanied by a beautiful new video, directed by Laura-Lynn Petrick, choregraphed by Nyda Kwasowsky and featuring dancer Amara Barner. Watch it here:


Learning To Love Again, the new EP from Aisha Badru, is set for release on 2nd June.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Jeff Trapani

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WATCH: SPIDER – ‘America’s Next Top Model’

Taking aim at her critics via abrasive riffs and candid lyrics, London-based, Irish musician & producer SPIDER has shared a video for her latest single ‘America’s Next Top Model’. Written in response to the backlash she received, and the whitewashing she witnessed on popular online platforms, SPIDER chooses to thrive in the face of adversity on her new track.

Born and raised in Dublin, SPIDER harnesses the strong feminine energy of the arachnid she’s named after in order to explore her own emotional resilience. Creating music provides her with an outlet for her most unfiltered thoughts, with her genre-blending debut mixtape, C.O.A. (Coming Of Age) (2022), establishing her narrative of growth and self-autonomy. Now, with ‘America’s Next Top Model’, SPIDER has channelled her vitriolic energy into another gritty, empowering anthem, which acts as a defiant cry for better black representation in alternative music scenes.

“I started ‘America’s Next Top Model’ after a conversation with my friend Earl Saga about how safe music can feel right now,” SPIDER explains about the context of her new track. “We found it really interesting that in a time where artists have the most freedom to make the most opinionated art, it sometimes feels as a collective like we are shying away from it.” These thoughts are reflected in the accompanying visuals for ‘America’s Next Top Model’, which feature SPIDER expressing herself without fear, surrounded by characters who personify the online voices who are attacking her artistry.

“The video is about my own experiences online, and accepting the fact that if people already feel the need to get rid of me, that means that I’m doing something right,” she continues. “I’m asking the people who target the content of minority creators, ‘why the fuck are you so scared?’ People don’t feel the need to silence something that’s not making an impact. So while it hurts and it’s confusing and it’s scary and slightly scarring, it’s only an indication that the message is being received. I hope ‘America’s Next Top Model’ stirs that revolutionary spirit, and is a big hit of confidence for those who need it.”

With the release of her cathartic, necessary new anthem and a homecoming show at The Road To The Great Escape Festival in Dublin on May 9th, it seems that SPIDER is going from strength-to-strength, and she has our full support!

Watch the video for ‘America’s Next Top Model’ below.

Follow SPIDER on Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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NEW TRACK: ALT BLK ERA – ‘Rockstar: LUNAR’

After sharing their blistering nu-metal inspired track ‘Rockstar’ at the end of last year, genre-defying sister duo ALT BLK ERA are showcasing their softer side on latest single ‘Rockstar: LUNAR’. Beautifully contrasting with the band’s usual visceral, heavy sound, ‘Rockstar: LUNAR’ is an earnest reflection on an unhealthy relationship, gently edging listeners towards acceptance and finding strength in their vulnerability.

Formed of sisters Nyrobi and Chaya, ALT BLK ERA create tenacious alternative anthems designed to express their vivid personalities. Inspired by the likes of Ho99o9, Nova Twins, Hacktivist and Billie Eilish, they blur the boundaries of punk, nu-metal and trap to form their riotous, anthemic sounds. Refusing to be pigeonholed, ALT BLK ERA enjoy exploring their musical dynamic further by releasing ‘SOLAR’ and ‘LUNAR’ versions of their songs. Nyrobi’s Solar energy represents her wild, raucous spirit, and Chaya’s calmer, more introverted energy is represented by Lunar.

Their original single ‘Rockstar’ was a volatile, all-consuming wall of noise, but on ‘Rockstar: LUNAR’, the duo filter the heaviness of romantic infatuation through a different lens. Full of tender vocals, evocative piano sounds and confessional lyrics, the track is a poignant rumination on an emotionally harmful relationship. The pair find solace in opening up about the difficult reality of loving someone who is bad for you, and have showcased their impressive, seamless ability to move between music genres in the process.

Listen to ‘Rockstar: LUNAR’ below:

ALT BLK ERA UK Live Dates 2023
Mar 18: CH Hirscheneck, Basel
Mar 31: UK Bodega, Nottingham
Apr 05: UK Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
May 25-28: UK Bearded Theory, Derbyshire

Follow ALT BLK ERA on bandcamp, Spotify, Tik Tok, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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WATCH: English Teacher – ‘Song About Love’

There is so much to adore about English Teacher’s latest offering, ‘Song About Love’. So much, in fact, that they really didn’t need to win me over by bringing characters from the legendary computer game, The Sims, into the song’s video. But I’m so glad they did! My inner nerd sighed happily as I watched pixelated people shimmy to front-person Lily Fontaine’s soaring, melodic vocal, buoyed by a pounding post-punk bassline. 

Released on the cult Speedy Wunderground label, ‘Song About Love’ explores the romance you can find in the mundane, or, in Fontaine’s words, it’s about “doing the chores instead of doing someone else”. It’s produced by Speedy Wunderground’s Dan Carey and feels more polished and elevated than the Leeds-based band’s earlier work. The simple, repetitive lyrics – along with the sparkling synth and production – make for a proper pop song, which you can imagine blaring out of speakers all summer long. 

‘Song About Love’ is English Teacher’s first release of 2023 and it really announces the band as ones to watch this year. With this banger under their belts, they’re ready to build on the momentum they kick-started in 2022 – following high-profile support slots and the release of their debut EP. And I can’t wait to see them rise!

Watch the fantastic, Sims-inspired, video for ‘Song About Love’ here:


Vic Conway
@thepicsofvic

Photo Credit: Tatiana Pozuelo

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