LISTEN: GRAWL!X – ‘Hopelessness’

I let out a little squeal of joy when this landed in my inbox. Grawl!x’s first new music since 2020, ‘Hopelessness’ is a dreamy piece of uplifting pop. With the band’s newly expanded line-up, Maria Michael Machin’s beautiful vocals and revelatory lyrics are given the big, bold platform they truly deserve, buoyed by multiple layers of lush melody and instrumentation.

For a song about hopelessness, this electro-infused number feels anything but. It’s simultaneously joyous and vulnerable; a sad song that you can have a proper shimmy to, which emphasises the importance of hope and sharing your feelings.

Formally a solo project, this taste of new music from Grawl!x is infused with a new confidence and energy that we’ve never seen before. With an EP due for release this spring, it feels like they’re a band at the height of their powers.

Spring, the upcoming new EP from Grawl!x, is set for release later this Spring via Reckless Yes.

Vic Conway
@thepicsofvic

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Introducing Interview: Bestfriend

Following last year’s debut EP, places i’ve lived, LGBTQ Vancouver/Toronto based bedroom-pop duo Bestfriend have now announced the release of their upcoming new EP, due out in the summer. Ahead of the EP, they have now shared an utterly dreamy new offering. Reflecting on the optimistic feelings of a new crush, ‘Someplace Else’ oozes a lush, ethereal soundscape as sugar-sweet harmonies flow with a shimmering, uplifting energy.

We caught up with Stacy and Kaelan to find out more…

Hi Bestfriend! Welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?
Stacy: A tough one right off the bat! I should format this one like a tinder bio. Stacy, 6’11 (if that matters). 
Kaelan: Kaelan, I have no bio but my anthem is set as a song from the ’90s so you know I’m really cool.

Are you able to tell us a bit about how you initially started creating music together?
S: Instagram DMs. I love the internet.
K: One of those “I follow you because I’m good friends with your good friend but we’ve never met” kind of situations for like five years before that. Funny.

I love your dreamy electro-pop sounds, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
S: Thank you! I have a lot of songwriting influences and a lot of production influences, which I suppose is actually the point of this question you’ve asked here- lots of songwriters I love are generally really quiet, sad, indie singer-songwriters: Julia Jacklin, Big Thief, The National, to name a few. Production-wise, Kaelan and I have the exact same inspo artists, so I’ll let him take that one. 
K: We both listened to a whole lot of absolutely anything Justin Vernon did growing up. Quite the fella. 

You’ve just released your new single ‘Someplace Else’, taken from your upcoming EP, places i’ve left, which is set for release in the summer. Are you able to tell us a bit about the EP? Are there any particular themes running throughout it?
S: Yes! I’m so excited! places i’ve left is the sister EP for places i’ve lived, which we considered to be, like, a series of love letters to our past lives – college life, relationships, friendships, all of the places we used to live, et cetera. places i’ve left is going to close this era out for us, and is really going to be a series of songs that are forward-looking: What are we doing now? What are we dealing with now, good or bad? What are we, as people, but also as Bestfriend, going to do from here?

How have you found recording and promoting an EP during these strange times?
S: Love this question, because the answer is that it really hasn’t changed for us at all! We’ve been making music remotely since 2018, figuring out promotion and releases remotely. 

How do you feel the industry is for new artists at the moment? And do you feel much has changed over the last few years in its treatment of female and LGBTQ+ artists?
S: Oof, I definitely have a lot of feelings about this. New artists in general I think are turning what I think is one of the weirdest corners to have come around in a long time in the industry. We now have this chance for literally everyone and anyone to put their music out there and be heard. The only music I listened to in high school was music I learned about through word of mouth, one-off random shows I’d go to, the radio… Now, it’s just a matter of, like, going to Spotify/Apple Music/whatever DSP and literally typing in “new music”. So, on one hand – awesome, getting your music heard is less of a problem, but on the other, you’re really hard-pressed to find a way to stand out in a super saturated digital world of networking, business, “working the industry”, all that. And I think, personally speaking, it’s become a small percentage less about just the music, and a lot more about the Music Business. As for the treatment of female/LGBTQ+ artists, lots of feelings on this as well. It’s amazing that we’re now at a point where LGBTQ+ folks are openly singing about their experiences without the veiled pronouns layered within metaphors. It’s really freeing. It feels amazing. But I think it’d be remiss to not say that there’s still a long way to go. I’m finding that intersectionality in LGBTQ+ music is still insanely difficult to come by, and LGBTQ+ artists are still sort of being tokenized as LGBTQ+ artists, and not just… Musicians. Not to sound like a pessimist! Silver linings everywhere. Just lots of work to be done still.

You’re based in Vancouver and Toronto, how is the music scene there? Do you feel that the live music community there has recovered since the pandemic?
S: Vancouver, not really yet. Though I’ve definitely been seeing more and more shows happening, so I’m really excited for it to come back.
K: I could write essays about the Toronto indie rock scene of the late ’00s & early ’10s. Definitely don’t think the city has found its groove again post-pandemic but we’ll get there. Seasons for everything.

 As we’re a new music focused site, are there any other upcoming artists or bands you’re loving right now that you’d recommend we check out?
S: Hoodie Browns & The Neighbourhood Strangers – insanely cool group who have been playing lots of local shows here and I think have been working on some releases. Keep an eye out for them. I cannot stress enough how cool they are. 
K: I’ll actually just take the opportunity to hop on the back of what Stacy said and shout out a truly great live show I cannot wait to see again. Busty and the Bass – they’re a group of like 8-10 dudes that met while at school for music and just said “hey, let’s write the coolest like, electro soul adjacent music ever and put on shows with all the coolest instruments (which we of course all mastered at music school) and make everyone dance all night.”

In addition to the EP release, what does the rest of the year have in store for Bestfriend?
S: Live shows! Writing! A lot of fun stuff!

Massive thanks to Stacy and Kaelan for answering our questions!

places i’ve left, the upcoming new EP from Bestfriend, is set for release this summer.

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Track Of The Day: My Idea – ‘Cry Mfer’

‘Cry Mfer’ is the title track from My Idea’s upcoming debut album. It’s melancholic with a nostalgia that simultaneously channels ’80s shoegaze and the perfect US alt-pop you’d find on ’90s teen TV soundtracks (and yes, fellow ’80s babies, I’m talking Dawson’s Creek). Yet the song’s glitchy, steadying beats give it a modern electronic twist that brings it right up to date.

The band, comprising of Palberta’s Lily Konigsberg and Water from Your Eyes’ Nate Amos, admit they were both spiralling when they made ‘Cry Mfer’; it’s a sort-of soundtrack to their collective breaking point. You can hear that sense of chaos in the bittersweet lyrics, and in the song’s urgency. However, Konigsberg’s sweet and spiky vocal that oozes atop the dreamy production still make ‘Cry Mfer’ feel like a polished pop gem.

By channelling their pain into pop perfection, My Idea has bring us a song that you can both sob and shimmy to. Now sober and – in Konigsberg’s words – “getting my life together”, the band’s future potential feels limitless. 

My Idea’s debut album, also entitled Cry Mfer, is set for release on 22nd April via Hardly Art.

Vic Conway
@thepicsofvic

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PLAYLIST: Transgender Awareness Week 2021

At Get In Her Ears, we stand every day with our transgender and gender non-conforming siblings. We support trans and non-binary artists because they create some of our favourite music, and because trans rights are human rights and we send our love, solidarity and joy to all the trans community today, and every day.

This week has been Transgender Awareness Week, and ends with Transgender Day of Remembrance tomorrow 20th November, so today we wanted to uplift and spread awareness of just some of the incredible transgender and non-binary artists who we love to blast out of our speakers on a regular basis. Read about our choices below, and take a listen to the full playlist here.

If you need support during Transgender Awareness Week, or at anytime in the future, you can always reach out to Switchboard LGBT+ via their website or by calling 0330 330 0630.

 

Jackie Shane – ‘Comin’ Down’
As always, I can’t resist adding soul singer Jackie Shane to our playlists. Her wonderfully smooth vocals, sophisticated style and defiance in the face of transphobia in the early ’60s all make her a true GIHE icon. (Kate Crudgington)

Ms White – ‘Fuck Men’
I’m ashamed to say that I hadn’t heard of Ms White until this year, when Belfast artist F.R.U.I.T.Y thankfully introduced me to her by including this track in their recent Five Favourites feature for us. A wonderfully empowering anthem from the trans artist and for people of all genders; I challenge you to listen to this and not feel motivated and ready to face the world. (Mari Lane)

Thigh High – ‘Go Slow‘
I had the pleasure of interviewing Thigh High last year and I recommend you check out their full back catalogue – a band truly dedicated to celebrating and centring queer and trans joy in their music! (Tash Walker)

Ezra Furman – ‘I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend’
Having come out as a transgender woman earlier this year, and sharing beautiful images of herself with her child, Ezra Furman has long been a favourite of mine, since I first fell in love with her 2018 album Transangelic Exodus. This song, taken from 2019’s Twelve Nudes, is a beautiful reflection on identity, as Furman describes it – “a romantic song of transgender longing…” (ML)

The Crystal Furs – ‘Miss Hughes’
Portland band The Crystal Furs returned to our ears earlier this year with own unique brand of queer jangle pop. Tying together the band’s penchant for writing about cities with vintage b-movie vibes, ‘Miss Hughes’ is a playfully twinkling offering, complete with organ melodies and honey-sweet vocals. (ML)

Bitch Hunt – ‘Shapeshifter’
GIHE faves Bitch Hunt originally formed at the amazing First Timers fest, and this year released their debut EP via Reckless Yes. The title track of the EP, ‘Shapeshifter’ is a stirring slice of effervescent punk-pop, reflecting on themes of transition and gender identity, and how we are consistently ‘shape-shifting’ depending on our circumstances. A beautifully poignant offering, oozing a sparkling sense of optimism. (ML)

Chuck SJ – ‘Sink Your Teeth In’
This single is taken from DIY multi-instrumentalist Chuck SJ’s upcoming debut album Resist.Recharge.Revolt. Full of atmospheric guitar riffs, sparse beats and glitchy electronics, it’s an industrial-tinged rumination on the forces that construct, influence and sometimes dismantle our ways of thinking. Chuck is also one half of punk duo Byenary who you can check out here. (KC)

Adult Mom – ‘Berlin’
Consistently my most listened-to artist over the last couple of years, non-binary musician Stevie Knipe – aka Adult Mom – creates the most beautifully heartfelt music. I’m sending extra love to them at the moment as they were diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year and are currently in recovery. I can’t wait to hear more gorgeous music from them when they’re ready. (ML)

Smoothboi Ezra.- ‘My Own Person‘
We’re big fans at Get In Her Ears of non-binary Irish artist Smoothboi Ezra, whose music so often touches on the melancholy but with such richness it is such a pleasure to listen to their music which is often SO relatable to all of us in the queer community. (TW)

YAY MARIA – ‘Template’ (feat. FRANX)
Having previously captivated our ears as the front person of Grawl!x, trans artist YAY MARIA recently released her wonderful debut solo album, OYEZ. Made in collaboration with Nottingham-based queer artist and musician FRANX, ‘Template’ is filled with a stirring lyricism that celebrates self-love, whilst oozing a dry wit, drawing attention with a raw honesty to the mundane issues of modern life; the parts of life that are often expected of us – the ‘template’ we are expected to live by – but by no means are appropriate or desired by all, particularly those in the queer/non-heteronormative community. (ML)

PET Wife – ‘B.L.O.O.D.O.R.A.N.G.E.’
Love what I’ve heard from PET wife so far! I came across them only a couple of weeks ago. PET wife are a trans/non-binary couple and art-pop duo from Bushwick, Brooklyn. This single is accompanied by a music video, that they describe as an homage to the vampire lesbian exploitation films of the 1970s, with an all-trans/gender non-conforming crew and queer cast. (TW)

Catherine Moan – ‘Fools’ (Depeche Mode Cover)
This is a fun, polished cover of a Depeche Mode b-side from Philadelphia-based electro-pop artist Catherine Moan. Her buoyant electronics and infectious rhythms give this slice of ’80s alternative music nostalgia a welcome sultry twist.
(KC)

SOPHIE – BIPP (Autechre MX) 
A pioneer in electronic music who we sadly lost earlier this year. Like so many of the people I have learned about in our British queer history, SOPHIE will live on in their music and the memories we all hold of how that music makes us feel. (TW)

Gordian Stimm – ‘Breath Diet’
I’m such a big fan of everything electronic artist & producer Gordian Stimm creates. This track is taken from their instrumental EP Flirty Lucre for Public Sector, which they released earlier this year. Their debut album, Your Body In On Itself (released by Amateur Pop Incorporated) also makes for a super listen. (KC)

LOTIC – ‘Burn A Print’
Berlin-based artist & producer LOTIC’s mission is to “live life to the fullest by not giving a fuck about what anybody thinks,” something she clearly and defiantly communicates on this track. With a name that means to “to inhabit rapidly moving water,” Lotic’s chaotic yet fluid soundscapes truly embody her passionate, fighting spirit. (KC)

HUSK – ‘My Innocence’
Manchester based trans, non-binary artist HUSK prides themselves on celebrating queer joy and equal rights in their shimmering, euphoric pop anthems. ‘My Innocence’ is the perfect accompaniment to having a dance with loved ones and uniting in the celebration of queer love and diversity. (ML)

F.R.U.I.T.Y – ‘U.P.S’
Belfast-based queer artist Dan O’Rawe – aka F.R.U.I.T.Y – released their debut EP earlier this year. Taken from the EP, ‘U.P.S’ offers a wonderfully quirky, futuristic soundscape whilst reflecting on themes of identity. As twinkling hooks flow with a cinematic splendour, it’s a glistening, uplifting slice of alt-electro-pop. (ML)

Arca – ‘KLK’ (feat. ROZALIA)
Arca is a trailblazing trans artist who has been pushing boundaries in the electronica scene for years now. I love her music, especially right now where I cannot quite scratch that live gig rave itch. Turn this up loud, close your eyes and dance dance dance, you’ll feel free. (TW)

Mavi Phoenix – ‘Boys Toys’
Mavi Phoenix is someone that we interviewed a couple of years back now, but who spoke so eloquently about equality and the importance of queer music in the world. Phoenix has found a home in their new sound and also in the pronoun “he”. This track is taken from their debut album of the same name, which was released earlier this year. This is all about Phoenix being reborn, which is what happens in the accompanying music video to this track. ‘Boys Toys’ is as important as an exploration for Phoenix’s gender identity as it is for his artistic work. And on top of all that, it’s an absolute tune. Enjoy. (TW)

Khx05 – ‘Trouble’
I have Nova Twins to thank for introducing me to North Carolina-based artist Khx05. They feature on the duo’s compilation album Voices For The Unheard, a blistering collection of alternative anthems that showcase the eclectic, tenacious range of talent from artists of colour in the heavy & alternative music scenes. Khx05 is one of the most interesting artists I’ve come across this year and I urge you to check them out. (KC)

Kae Tempest – ‘People’s Faces’
Coming out as non-binary last year, Kae Tempest is one of the most necessary and innovative artists around. The glaringly honest and completely relevant social commentary of ‘People’s Faces’ showcases their unique poetic skill at creating relevant and hugely emotive social narratives. But a subtle glimmer of hope also shines through; the comfort we gain from those we love, and the comfort we can offer them just by being there.(ML)

Shamir – ‘Cisgender’
I’ve been such a fan of Shamir for years and really admire how they’re constantly developing their sound and not shying away from being their true self. ‘Cisgender’ is a simply beautiful and moving reflection on their non-binary identity: “I’m not cisgender / I’m not binary trans / I don’t wanna be a girl / I don’t wanna be a man / I’m just existing on this god forsaken land.” Solidarity and love to you Shamir, always. (ML)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6lXUbSdmpTi9fwqa9fbMDc?si=f1f7e035c5424a44

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