PLAYLIST: March 2023

The Get In Her Ears team have put together another eclectic mix of indie & alternative anthems, alt-pop tunes and electronic sounds for your listening pleasure. We skipped February’s edition of the Playlist, so March is packed with loads of new music! Take some time to scroll through our track choices below and then press play at the end of this post.

Follow GIHE on Spotify to hear all of our previous playlists too.

Fraulein – ‘Pet’
Is it even a GIHE Playlist if we don’t include a Fraulein track? Since Mari first introduced Joni & Karsten to the GIHE team in 2020, we’ve been fans of everything the grunge duo have released, including this new track ‘Pet’. It was a pleasure to have them in the studio chatting about it on our February Soho Radio show, which you can listen back to here.
(Kate Crudgington)

Hot Wax – ‘Treasure’
Full of buzzing basslines, commanding beats and raucous guitar sounds, this track from Hastings trio HotWax flicks between melodic verses and riff-heavy breakdowns, providing listeners with a welcome rush of blood to the head. The band are gearing up for their own mini UK tour this month, before joining The Pearl Harts as main support in May. (KC)

Brix Smith – ‘Fast Net’
The awesome latest single from rock legend Brix Smith, ‘Fast Net’ is propelled by a fierce energy and gritty punk-fuelled spirit. Racing with pummelling hooks alongside Smith’s soaring honey-sweet vocals and immersive charisma, it offers a raging reflection on facing up to your vulnerabilities. ‘Fast Net’ is taken from Smith’s debut solo album, Valley Of The Dolls, out now. (Mari Lane)

Hannah Jadagu – ‘What You Did’
I love this hazy guitar tune from Texas-based musician Hannah Jadagu, who only recently appeared on my radar. Taken from her upcoming debut album Aperture, which is set for release on 19th May via Sub Pop, Jadagu’s bittersweet vocals and reverb-laden riffs are totally infectious. I can’t wait to hear the record in full. (KC)

Lunch Machine – ‘Pipedream Graveyard’
On ‘Pipedream Graveyard’, Belfast-based alt rockers Lunch Machine blend the angst of 90s grunge and melodic pop sensibilities to push past feelings of apathy. Marking their first piece of new music in five years, the track is a grunge-infused take on the futility of planning for the future whilst the planet is slowly collapsing around us. (KC)

Earthlung – ‘Joy¿’
Full of sardonic spoken-word style vocals, cutting lyrics and distorted riffs, this single from Brighton-based band Earthlung is a search for meaning and relief amidst the mind-numbing everyday tasks we undertake in order to keep living our best lives. (KC)

English Teacher – ‘Song About Love’
Out now via Speedy Wunderground, ‘Song About Love’ is the latest single from Leeds band English Teacher. As the sultry smooth vocals of front woman Lily Fontaine flow alongside chiming hooks and steady beats, it offers a wonderfully infectious exploration into the romance that can be found in the mundane; a whirring ode to “doing the chores, instead of doing someone else.” Watch the fantastic, Sims-inspired, video for ‘Song About Love’ here. (ML)

cruush – ‘Stick In The Mud’
“I guess you can say our music has the sweet elements of having a crush on someone, but the screeching of an industrial car crusher…” explains cruush’s vocalist Amber Warren. Say no more, Amber, I love it! This track is taken from the Manchester-based shoegaze band’s upcoming EP Wishful Thinker, which is set for release on 14th April via Heist Or Hit. (KC)

Red Sun Alert – ‘Huge’
Taken from their recent EP Assume Power, this track from Cork-based post-hardcore band Red Sun Alert is an angst-ridden banger. Their new record is full of raging riffs, relentless beats and anthemic vocals, so definitely check it out if you like the sound of this. (KC)

Problem Patterns – ‘Who Do We Not Save?’
The first piece of new music since their visceral 2022 anthem ‘Y.A.W‘ (Yes All Women), I’m a big fan of Belfast-based DIY punks Problem Patterns’ latest single. Released via Alcopop! Records who the band have recently signed to, ‘Who Do We Not Save?’ takes aim at the incompetent Tory government and their continued attempts to privatise the NHS. Giving their listeners a space to release their pent up frustrations, fears and disappointments is a core value of Problem Patterns’ music, and with this track the band have provided another cathartic aural antidote to offset the anxiety of the uncertain times we’re currently living through. (KC)

SPIDER – ‘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, ‘America’s Next Top Model’. Taking aim at her critics via abrasive riffs and candid lyrics, the London-based, Irish musician & producer has channelled her vitriolic energy into another empowering anthem and accompanying video, which acts as a defiant cry for better black representation in alternative music scenes. (KC)

Momma – ‘Bang Bang’
New York City four-piece Momma are back – with a bang – on their latest single. This track was co-written by band members Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten when they both caught Covid-19 last year. Making the most of their time in isolation, the pair got drunk together and ended up writing a fun song about great sex, with ‘Bang Bang’ being the result. All of Momma’s songs are mega catchy and this one is no exception. (KC)

Lilies In My Brain – ‘Blue Sky’
Inspired by everyone from Alkaline Trio, to Angel Olsen and Wet Leg, South London-based four-piece Lilies In My Brain create shimmering indie-pop anthems. This track is taken from their album, 21 = 2a + 7, which the band released back in 2021. They’re currently working on their second album, which they’re planning to release later this year. (KC)

Perlee – ‘Lampshade’
Inspired by everything from the nature of unconditional love to the banality of capitalist society, Berlin-based Irish band Perlee are preparing to release their debut album, Speaking from Other Rooms on 21st April. This track is lifted from the record, and its full of glistening guitars and dreamy vocals. (KC)

Lunar Vacation – ‘Only You’
Following the release of their debut album in 2021, ‘Only You’ is the latest single from Atlanta-based Lunar Vacation. Rippling with beautifully lilting melodies, it shimmers with a stirring emotion and sparkling, cinematic grace, offering an irresistibly effervescent slice of indie-pop with shades of the likes of Alvvays and Best Coast. (ML)

Lusa Morena – ‘Where’s The Spark (If Not In You)’
Having wowed us with the fierce charisma of their live show at The Shacklewell Arms last year, London-based five piece Lusa Morena have recently released a twinkling new single. Reflecting on society’s frequent dismissal of – and stigma around – feelings of depression or mental health struggles, ‘Where’s The Spark’ is a beautifully moving ballad, oozing sweeping, glossy riffs alongside front woman Bárbara’s rich, luscious vocals. (ML)

Aisha Badru – ‘Lazy River’
Flowing with a lilting energy, ‘Lazy River’ 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, it oozes an exquisite stirring splendour. Learning To Love Again, the upcoming new EP from Aisha Badru, is set for release in June. (ML)

JFDR – ‘Spectator’
I notice something different each time I listen to this beautiful track by Icelandic experimental songwriter JFDR. Her tender voice and concise, gentle lyrics compliment the glimmering synths perfectly. ‘Spectator’ is lifted from her upcoming album Museum, which is set for release on 28th April via Houndstooth Records. Speaking about the track, JFDR explains “‘Spectator’ is an anthem for the codependent, a lullaby for the ones slightly codependent and for those who have never felt it; a mirror into the raw thought process of someone deep in the trenches of it.” (KC)

Midwife & Vyva Melinkolya – ‘NMP’
I never tire of listening to Midwife’s melancholy sounds, and this new collaborative effort with Vyva Melinkolya is no exception. ‘NMP’ is taken from the duo’s upcoming 5-song album, Orbweaving, which will be released on 12th May via The Flenser. The record is described as “a web like structure – a gauze of sorrow and visceral connective thread” that combines their experiences of hopelessness, calling on a higher power, being alone, and the sublime horror of the natural world. I can’t wait to hear it. (KC)

LANA DEL RABIES – ‘Prayers of Consequence’
The opening track to her recent album STREGA BEATA – which loosely translates as “Blessed Witch” – I love this gloomy, evocative track from Lana Del Rabies. A creator of corrosive, brooding experimental sounds, the Phoenix-based producer and multimedia artist’s new record is a cathartic medium for her innermost thoughts on the human condition, grief and navigating tragedy. You can listen to the album and read about some of the music that inspired her to write it in our Five Favourites feature here. (KC)

MANDY, INDIANA – ‘Pinking Shears’
A brittle, abrasive blend of beats, noise and bittersweet French vocals, this track from Manchester-based four-piece MANDY, INDIANA seethes with a palpable frustration. The track is taken from their upcoming debut album, i’ve seen a way, which is set for release on 19th May via Fire Talk Records. (KC)

DEBBY FRIDAY – ‘Hot Love’
Taken from her upcoming debut album, GOOD LUCK, which is set for release via Sub Pop on 24th March, ‘Hot Love’ is another industrial-tinged, explosive electronic banger from DEBBY FRIDAY. The Nigerian-born, Toronto-based artist continues to provide the soundtrack for messy nights on the dancefloor, and the impact that the intoxicating and toxic people we meet in the hedonistic process. (KC)

ARXX – ‘God Knows’
The latest single from absolute faves, Brighton’s ARXX, ‘God Knows’ offers a perfectly heartfelt and instantly catchy anthem. Embracing their love of all things pop, it veers away from the more gritty sound of previous offerings whilst maintaining the duo’s distinctive emotion-strewn power. Of the track, they explain: “We really pushed ourselves to step into Dua Lipa’s shoes. We were able to live our Cher dreams and dive into the world of auto tune and swoopy synths.” ARXX’s upcoming debut album, Ride or Die, is out on 31st March – pre-order here. Catch ARXX live on tour over the next couple of months (I can’t wait to catch them at Rough Trade East on my birthday!) (ML)

Gabi Garbutt and Du Blonde – ‘Panic’
A perfect collaboration between Gabi Garbutt and acclaimed artist Du Blonde, ‘Panic’ is propelled by a swirling post-punk energy alongside sugar-sweet pop melodies as the two vocals fuse together with a shimmering charm, creating a truly blissful, instantly infectious, indie-pop anthem. Watch the wonderful DIY video for ‘Panic’ here. (ML)

Tiiva – ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ (Wheatus Cover)
Taking a classic 00s anthem and putting their own euphoric spin on it, London-based producer Tiiva’s cover of Wheatus’ ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ is a celebration of queer love. Full of quirky synths and dreamy vocals, the track reflects Tiiva’s own feelings about coming-of-age as a queer person. “I wanted to cover something that I could sing about and be like, ‘yeah that’s me, that’s how I feel’,” Tiiva explains. “The lyrics feel hyper real, my first crush on a girl, feeling invisible in my queerness and wanting to be accepted, to be cool. I feel like this song is such an anthem but also so fun, celebrating how to just be yourself and enjoy it, that’s what the song means to me, and I wanted to share that.” (KC)

Panic Pocket – ‘Mad Half Hour’
The first taste of their upcoming album of the same name, Panic Pocket’s latest single ‘Mad Half Hour’ offers a joyous ode to Spice Girls legend Geri Haliwell, oozing all the playful tongue-in-cheek energy that we’ve come to know and love from the London duo. An instantly catchy slice of fizzing punk-pop, it will have you singing along on first listen; so, don your thigh high boots, scream ‘Girl Power!’ and relish in the nostalgic bliss of this witty anthem. (ML)

Jen Cloher – ‘Mana Takatāpui’
This poignant single from Australian artist Jen Cloher, ‘Mana Takatāpui’ offers a blissful celebration of the indigenous Polynesian people of Aotearoa, New Zealand, the Māori LGBTQ+ community. Showcasing Jen’s trademark luscious soothing vocals alongside a shimmering musicality, it builds with an uplifting energy to a truly joyous unifying anthem. I Am The River, The River Is Me, the upcoming new album from Jen Cloher, is out now via Milk! Records / Marathon Artists (ML)

Girl Ray – ‘Everybody’s Saying That’
Reflecting on themes of new love and self-doubt, ‘Everybody’s Saying That‘ is the latest single from London trio Girl Ray. Swirling with a disco-inspired energy, oozing the band’s colourful charisma and uplifting charm, I just love its funk-fuelled hooks and sparkling danceable allure – a perfect uplifting anthem, that will elevate your spirits, leaving you ready to hit the dancefloor/roller-disco/bedroom with a revived sense of optimism. (ML)

EP: wormboys – ‘smalltime’

Infused with the intense vulnerability they are fast becoming known for, smalltime is the latest EP from wormboys. The Leeds-based four-piece have a distinct sound that mixes an eccentric mashup of genres into a unique experimental style. The EP is made up of three tracks – ‘something pretty’, ‘worm’ and ‘tree’.

something pretty’ kicks off with a solid rhythm; the throbbing bass riff and steady drum beat settle in before the screaming guitar leaps in over the top. Higher pitched vocals ring clear above the growling combination of drums and strings, whilst the vocals wail over the grungy, fuzzy music – a howling tribute to queer hedonism. The lyrics and instruments blend in a way that swirls and flows, evoking smoke and glowsticks and swaying movements that aren’t quite balanced, but aren’t quite ready to topple over either. The track draws you into the intoxicating moment it depicts, then spits you out at the other end wishing for it back.

The next track, ‘worm’, is softer; low strings twinkle gently over a subtler beat. The little tune is almost mournful as deeper vocals carry the lyrics, soft and low, drifting like mist. A second vocal – higher, this time – highlights the melody in a distant, ghostly cry whilst in the background there are crackles that almost sound as if there might be something wrong with your speaker. They ramp up as the song gathers energy into a raw, powerful wail of guitar. Upon a repeat listen, those early crackles are wonderfully foreboding. The combination of the soft vocals and the guitars sound like a trapped scream, as it needles into your head with its fierce sense of neurosis and paranoia. This is a great track for showing off the band’s experimental side, using homemade pedals to create a unique distortion on the strings – it is distinctly wormboys, blasting the honest emotion already at the core of their sound.

Finally, we reach ‘tree’, which chugs to a throbbing start that echoes the distorted crackle of the last track, then drifts into a fuller, rounder tune. It has brighter chords and a simple but catchy riff played over strings that dance around each other. Although it couldn’t be called cheerful, the opening bars are misleadingly bouncy. When the vocals kick in, they are pained, ripping through the false pep and thrusting the feeling into the song – if it didn’t fit so perfectly with the rest of the track, you might imagine the vocal line is unprepared. It sounds spontaneous, spilling out all the pain without plan or direction. The music drops away to let the outburst shine, leaving a sense of isolation in the verses until the instruments leap back in for chorus with a harder punch.

As a whole, smalltime combines three exciting tracks to create a fantastic platform to launch wormboys into the next stage of their career. The EP shows off a huge range of skill in just three short tracks, showing off both a mastery of popular styles as well as an undeniable talent for creating altogether new sounds. 

Kirstie Summers
@actuallykurt

NEW TRACK: Earthlung – ‘Joy¿’

A raucously relatable post punk tune that questions the mundane nature of everyday life, Brighton-based Earthlung have shared their latest single ‘Joy¿’. Full of sardonic spoken-word style vocals, cutting lyrics and distorted riffs, the band search for meaning and relief amidst the mind-numbingly ordinary tasks we undertake in order to keep living our best lives.

Formed of Ebony Grace (vocals & synth), Charles Backer (drums), Folly den Toom (guitar & production) and current bassist Alex Rushmer, Earthlung decided to experiment with their usual 80s-influenced pop sound on their new single. “Although our existing catalogue takes influence mostly from Ambient/Pop, with this track we fully embraced a Post Punk sound,” the band explain. Recorded in the Netherlands at Folly’s Low Road Studios, inspiration for ‘Joy’ sprang from moments of playful ridicule, and evolved into a sound that the band all wanted to embrace. Armed with a distorted riff and a disruptive energy, vocalist Ebony was quick to flesh out lyrics for the track.

“It was a matter of minutes before Ebony started mumbling words (whilst basically rolling on the floor),” the band continue. “She quickly grabbed a pizza box (still warm from the pizza consumed just moments earlier) and a pen, writing out most of the lyrics within minutes. In this moment we encouraged her to make it as cynical as possible. This gave such a clear direction to the track that we all instantly knew we didn’t want to over-complicate things. When we tracked it, the vocals were actually recorded through a harp mic with Ebony inverted hanging off a big leather chair.”

Earthlung channeled the track’s manic, direct energy into an accompanying video, which features vocalist Ebony prowling the streets of Brighton, trying not to choke on an insane amount of cornflakes and rum. The visuals perfectly encapsulate both the cynical and the silly sides of ‘Joy¿’.

Watch the video below.

Follow Earthlung on Spotify, Instagram, Tik Tok & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with First Timers Fest (06.02.23)

Tash and Kate were back on Soho Radio’s airwaves playing loads of new music from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists! Mari offered some of her “musical musings” too. The pair enthused about the eclectic mix of tracks on the playlist, including Circe, Ritual Forms, ALT BLK ERA and Spring & I.

They were also joined in the studio by Charlie and Mel from First Timers Fest. The London-based DIY community of musicians and activists believe that having access to creating and playing music should not be a privilege, it should be a joyful and social experience that empowers everyone. Charlie and Mel elaborated on this ethos, and shared details of the upcoming workshops and gigs that First Timers are hosting this year. You can find out more information and apply to play 2023’s festival by clicking here.

Listen back to the show below:

 

We’ll be back on Soho Radio on Monday 6th March, 12-2pm!

Tracklist
Le Tigre – Deceptacon
Jadu Heart – Sway
Phoebe Troup – Worm Dance
Boygenius – Emily I’m Sorry
Ritual Forms – Down
CIRCE – Undone
Aby Coulibaly – Weekdays
Sylvan Esso – Echo Party
Grandmas House – Desire
Piss Kitti – I’m Jammed
ALT BLK ERA – Rockstar
Jennifer Evans – Very Fond
Karen Jonz ft. CSS – ET
Kara Delik – Strange Attractor
M(h)aol – Therapy
Spring & I – I Hate Your Money
Softcult – Dress
**Interview with Charlie & Mel from First Timers Fest**
adults – all we’ve got // all we need
Coi Leray – Players
t l k – Serenia
ARXX – Ride Or Die
Death Valley Girls – Sunday
Frankie Rose – Anything
HL Grail – OTD
Emily Mercer – Soft Place
Me Rex – Jupiter Pluvius
Destiny’s Child – Girl