WATCH: Maria Uzor – ‘Sometimes They Look At You’

Following recent spellbinding singles such as ‘Ventolin’ and ‘Over This‘, Norwich artist Maria Uzor has now announced the release of her upcoming debut solo album, Soft Cuts, due out next month. Having wowed us with the sparkling energy of her live show numerous times, and with acclaim from radio pioneers such as Amy Lame on BBC 6Music and John Kennedy on Radio X, as well as collaborations with the likes of Rozi Plain, Chk Chk Chk and Acid Klaus, we could not be more excited about this… !

A taste of what’s to come, latest single ‘Sometimes They Look At You‘ reflects on crossed wires and clashing perspectives with a sizzling driving energy. Propelled by glitchy hooks and a swirling funk-fuelled groove, it builds with searing electronic beats as Uzor’s fierce majestic allure soars throughout. Interspersing somewhat eerie sounding samples with twinkling interludes, it showcases this innovative artist’s ability to create truly unique soundscapes; ‘Sometimes They Look At You’ offers a fusion of vast layers of sound to create an immersive, invigorating cacophony.

Of the track, Uzor explains:

“I came away from a conversation with someone and wondered why we always seemed to have crossed wires. It was like nothing each of us said ever landed with the other… I realised it was because I was talking from a place of possibilities and they were talking from a place of absolutes. Two very different languages…’Sometimes They Look At You’ is about that… about recognising that language and communication is so much more than the words that come out of your mouth.”

‘Sometimes They Look At You’ is accompanied by a captivating new video, filmed by Andi Sapey and edited by Uzor herself. Watch here:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=aAikaMnzhkM%3Fsi%3DCPX2YCR05TUORbGh

Soft Cuts, the upcoming debut album from Maria Uzor, is set for release on 13th October via Castles In Space. And catch Maria live at a number of live dates to accompany the release, including The Windmill in Brixton on 18th October – see you there!

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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LISTEN: Small Crush – ‘Rumblin’ Tummy’

A re-imagining of an old track, ‘Rumblin’ Tummy‘ by Californian band Small Crush is a heartfelt and happy love song; it revives their old song, ‘Tummy Rumblin’’, with a fresh perspective, taking the core of the track and making it an uplifting celebration of longevity. 

‘Rumblin’ Tummy’ is about staying in love. It’s about still experiencing the giddy euphoria of seeing someone special, even when they’ve been in your life for a long time. It’s sweet and sincere, and all too easy to get caught up in the moment. Soft vocals and twinkling guitars over an upbeat lilting rhythm echo the vulnerability in the lyrics extremely well, with the delivery of every element resulting in an instantly catchy track that is rich with emotion.

The lyrics detail the feelings with a sense of immediacy that draws you in. There are none of the dry adult concerns about compatibility or politics or long term relationship goals – instead, the song is carefree. It revels in the bliss of the moment and the knowledge that “there is nothing I’d rather do than talk to you”. It is simply about the joy of someone’s company and how their presence makes each day a bit brighter than the last; lingering for a moment to appreciate how, as love grows and changes, the feeling of those butterflies only gets more exciting.

‘Rumblin’ Tummy’ doesn’t over complicate the moment, finding significance in simplicity. It focuses on the immediate sensations, capturing them beautifully in both music and lyrics, until anyone listening is fully absorbed into them.

Small Crush are set to release their second album, Penelope, on 15th September via Asian Man Records.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

Photo Credit: Trinity Gardener

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FIVE FAVOURITES: HAVVK

One of the first ever guests on our radio show, and the first headliner of a GIHE live night, Ireland based trio HAVVK have been wowing us over the years with their distinctive-yet-eclectic array of spellbinding-yet-gritty soundscapes. With activism at the heart of all they create – with a focus on speaking out against gender equality – they’ve received acclaim from the likes of The Guardian and BBC 6Music for previous releases such as Cause & Effect and Levelling, and have now shared a poignant new single. Channelling a seething raging energy, ‘Expiry’ reflects on society’s expectations of women to ‘age gracefully’, whilst giving a middle finger to these restrictions on how you should dress or behave. Exuding a fierce sense of urgency, it’s propelled by the raw power of lead singer Julie Hough’s distinctive celestial vocals as the band’s trademark politically-charged rage emanates throughout.

We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the release of ‘Expiry’, we caught up with Julie and Matt from HAVVK to ask about the music that has inspired them the most recently. So, read about their five favourite songs and watch the new video for ‘Expiry‘ below!

Julie’s Choices:

Cherym – ‘Abigail’
We were dead set on having fun with this record and making obnoxiously fun hooks that people could sing along to. So I went down a rabbit-hole of listening to much poppier rock than I usually draw influence from. Cherym are masters of this kind of writing, with their poppy hooks and clever, sassy delivery. You can hear this on all their songs, but I especially love ‘Abigail’ and ‘Take It Back’.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Zx4DcyA4gc0%3Fsi%3DKYluFk5UlkOjC-NR

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – ‘Maps’
Okay, so I have always been a massive Yeah Yeah Yeahs fan so this maybe doesn’t belong specifically on this list. I draw a lot of inspiration from Karen O’s witting and performance style. But there was a particular vibe we were trying to nail down for one of our songs while we were in the studio. We couldn’t quite put our fingers on this until one of us put ‘Maps’ on, which obviously we’ve all heard a hundred times. But something clicked in that moment – the stripped back instrumentation, the loneliness of the vocal, and the slow build throughout. We were about to have a ‘sad indie prom night’ moment. 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=oIIxlgcuQRU%3Fsi%3D33dJZAcwpi0jaFEZ

Matt’s Choices:

Dirty Dishes – ‘Thank You, Come Again’
Before we started recording, we spent a whole day with our producer Rocky O’Reilly talking about what we wanted to make and listening to influences. Rocky mentioned a band called Dirty Dishes who I’d never heard of. We listened to them a huge amount before and after the recording sessions. They become a staple in the car on the journey up and down from Belfast where Rocky’s studio is. Their album Guilty is mega. ‘Thank You, Come Again’ is just a really great song and the use of feedback and distortion had a big impact on how the guitars and bass on our recordings ended up sounding.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=DRaxPczUxDY%3Fsi%3DOURT3BuWN7cpAeeG

Bachelor – ‘Sand Angel’
Another band we talked about during our  preproduction chat. The guitar hook for ‘Sand Angel’ is really great. The space in the track, use of reverbs and unusual structure of the song was a starting point for quite a few of our tracks. There’s a lot of harmonies on that song as well. As a 3 piece we wanted to try and make more use of harmonies on the album to fill space and add more layers to the live show.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=VrHvr7sYU_s%3Fsi%3D8F__wYTHqmNYEMaX

Matt and Julie:

Two Inch Astronaut – ‘Snitch Jacket’
This was actually slightly after the recordings were finished but I bumped into this band via Spotify algorithms suggesting I should. I can’t stop telling everyone how good this band is. So here I am doing it again. They are good.’Snitch Jacket’, and ‘Can You Please Not Help’ are just great pieces of music that I keep coming back to. (Julie chiming in here to tell you that Matt is correct, listen to this band.)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=tSNUPcL-gdY%3Fsi%3DGNG1tl38m4fsPX7E

Massive thanks to Julie and Matt for sharing their Five Favourites!

‘Expiry’ is out now via Veta Records. Watch the new video here:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=r-fdqo4L5J8%3Fsi%3DCuFoMwU6o-2gmQyn

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PREMIERE: CATBEAR – ‘I’ll Meet You At The End’

Having been charming our ears for some time now, and having recently toured with indie legends The Subways, London duo CATBEAR now follow the success of their stirring last single ‘I Choose Love’ with a brand new release.

A love song for the apocalypse, ‘I’ll Meet You At The End’ is propelled by deep propulsive beats as swirling synths ripple alongside honey-sweet vocals with a blissful allure. Reflecting on the power of connection, even in the darkest of times, it builds with an anthemic whirring splendour to an utterly immersive soundscape, oozing an all-encompassing shimmering grace. Taking the listener on a soaring sonic journey, it’ll instantly captivate; showcasing the impassioned power that this innovative duo are able to create.

Listen to ‘I’ll Meet You At The End’ for the first time here:

‘I’ll Meet You At The End’ is set for release tomorrow, 12th May. And catch CATBEAR at The Great Escape today, where they’ll be debuting the track live!

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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