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’.

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. 

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.

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.

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.)

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

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

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WATCH: English Teacher – ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’

After a summer of smashing it at festivals, Leeds’ English Teacher continue to remind us why they’re everyone’s favourite new band with ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’. The new single – the band’s first since signing to legendary label, Island Records – brims with confidence, wit and originality, but who would expect anything less?  

Despite the song’s novelty title, front-person Lily Fontaine’s lyrics are pure poetry. Written while living in Pendle, Lancashire, they’re an ode to northern grit, strength and notoriety. Fontaine likens herself to the area’s raw, wild landscape, the legendary Pendle witches, and Charlotte Bronte; like these, she is both everywhere and nowhere in the town. 

And you can hear this contradiction in the song’s instrumentation. The band’s angular, post-punk guitars collide beautifully with soaring shoegaze-infused harmonies, before crashing back down to earth once with snippets of arresting spoken word. Of her inspiration behind the track, Fontaine expands:

“...growing up in and around Pendle, how witnessing the social, economic and political issues that exist around there in juxtaposition with the beauty of the landscape and the characters that live within in it, has shaped me into the artist and person that I am. These semi-rural stories leak into most of my writing; in particular, this song tackles delusions of grandeur and inferiority from the perspective of a small town’s local celebrities. It’s split into two halves.”

The song is so special, so original, and, like the world’s biggest paving slab, it really sticks out! Nobody is making records like English Teacher right now. Bring on the album!

Produced by Marta Salgoni (Bjork, Animal Collective), English Teacher’s ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ is out now via Island Records. Watch the new video (directed by Claryn Chong) here:

Vic Conway
@thepicsofvic

Photo Credit: Tatiana Pozuelo

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WATCH: HotWax – ‘Drop’

Having won us over with previous impassioned offerings ‘Treasure‘ and ‘Rip It Out’, Hastings band Tallulah, Lola and Alfie – aka HotWax – are swiftly taking over the UK music scene. With acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio One, NME and The Independent, and support from artists such as Courtney Barnett and Wolf Alice, to name a few, the teenage trio are continuing to mark themselves out as definite ones to watch. Now, following the release of their debut EP A Thousand Times earlier this year, and signing to Marathon Artists, they’ve shared a colossal new single.

Mixed by Alan Moulder (Foo Fighters, Wet Leg), ‘Drop’ is propelled by pulsating beats and raging hooks as it builds with a raucous energy and fierce allure to an epic grunge-fuelled anthem. Although somewhat nostalgic in their ’90s grunge and ’00s indie references, HotWax have once again managed to create something completely fresh; ‘Drop’ blasts into the ears with the band’s distinctive ferocious drive and blistering power, leaving me excited to hear what this immense band on the rise come up with next.

‘Drop’ is accompanied by a wonderfully wacky new video, directed by Josh Quinton. Featuring aliens coming to earth in a decollage spaceship to infiltrate the band’s brains and make them shred even harder, all whilst styled in Fall ’23 Charles Jeffrey, it showcases the band’s colourful humour and style alongside their mammoth musical talent.


‘Drop’ is out now via Marathon Artists, and is released amidst an incredibly busy summer for HotWax. As well as already wowing packed out crowds at The Great Escape, Dot To Dot and Mad Cool, they are set to play alongside The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs (and Angel Olsen and Amyl And The Sniffers – we can’t wait!) next Friday 25th August at All Points East , and will then be heading to Reading and Leeds where they’ll headline the BBC Introducing Stage. See the full list of HotWax’s upcoming live dates, including their Autumn tour supporting Royal Blood in the UK and North America, here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Chiara Gambuto

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PREMIERE: Charlotte Carpenter – ‘Spinning Plates’

Having charmed our ears as a guest on our radio show, and with 2017’s Shelter EP, East Midlands artist Charlotte Carpenter has previously shared stages with artists such as Marika Hackman and George Ezra. Now, having received acclaim from the likes of NME and BBC Radio 6Music, she has announced the release of her debut album later this year.

Taken from the album, new single ‘Spinning Plates’ offers a poignant reflection on the power structures and misogyny within the music industry. Propelled by a fierce energy, Carpenter’s gritty, raw vocals flow alongside catchy Americana-infused hooks. With a stirring sentiment that is all too relatable – lyrics such as “I’m just trying to be a better sister / daughter / lover…” highlighting how women’s worth is so often only seen as important within their relationship to men -, the track oozes an impassioned blues-soaked allure as it builds with a glistening, anthemic drive. A striking call to arms to fellow women and marginalised groups within the industry, ‘Spinning Plates’ offers a defiant return to form from this innovative artist, showcasing her ability to fuse together her trademark soulful musicality with a cathartic, empowering spirit.

Of the track, Carpenter explains:

“There’s a lot to unpack in this song… from societal pressures on the roles you are meant to fulfil as a woman, alongside the struggle of keeping up a relentless positivity to being a musician – and how impossible it is to ever get the balance between the two.”

Watch the new video for ‘Spinning Plates’ here:

‘Spinning Plates’ is set for release tomorrow, 17th May. Catch her live (supporting SOFT LAD and Kelli Blanchett):

14th July – The Finsbury, London 
27th July – The Victoria, Birmingham
28th July – Black Prince, Northampton
30th July – The Castle, Manchester 

Photo Credit: Fraser West

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