Get In Her Ears Live @ The Shacklewell Arms w/ Problem Patterns, 03.12.2021

On Friday we were back for our second gig since February 2020, and our first time hosting at the glorious Shacklewell Arms, and what a fantastic night it was! Huge thanks to the three totally amazing bands who played (I was blown away by you all!), and to all the lovely folk who came out to support them and fill the venue with the best of vibes… We’re still feeling all the feels, and are extremely grateful to everyone who made it such a dream night.

First up, GUTTS kick things off in a wonderfully riotous way – blasting out their queer sax-punk with an angst-driven energy and magnetising charisma.

Next up, Margate duo pink suits deliver their poignantly charged, utterly immense punk anthems. With just drums, a guitar and the riotous force of their voices, Lennie and Ray offer an inclusive Feminist rebellion to bring about radical change. With a captivating, seething energy, each frenzied offering is propelled by a colossal force, leaving me mind-blown and ready to join their fight for an upheaval of a neoliberal society. 

Having travelled all the way over from Belfast for the gig, I’ve been excited about hosting headliners, Problem Patterns, for a long time now, and they do not disappoint! Continually swapping instruments throughout the set, the Northern Irish Feminist punks cover topics ranging from transphobia and sexism, to the power of female friendship and the damaging effects of toxic relationships. With each poignant, raging offering, the band ooze a swirling, empowering energy and fierce, infectious passion, uniting the crowd in solidarity with both their righteous anger and vibrant, joyous sense of fun. A truly exciting set from one of my most favourite bands.

Massive thanks to the three incredible bands who played for us on Friday and everyone who came along! Join us for our next gig, on 21st January at The Victoria with headliners Fräulein and support from Breakup Haircut and Naz & Ella.

Words: Mari Lane / @marimindles
Photos: Jon Mo / @jonmophoto

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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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ALBUM: YAY MARIA – ‘OYEZ’

YAY MARIA is the supremely talented Maria Machin – a trans and queer musician from Derby, who you probably know as the front-woman of Grawl!x. With this solo electronic pop project, Machin has created an outlet to explore her gender transition. And after listening, you’ll be grateful that she chose to invite us on the journey.

Her long-awaited debut solo album is nothing short of magical. Ambitious and accomplished, OYEZ is a DIY pop record that transcends its humble origins. Its beats, bleeps and harmonies will fill your heart and send pure joy racing around your body. It feels like a celebration of otherness; breaking boundaries with lush orchestration, samples and driving beats without losing sight of its pop sensibility.

The album feels truly immersive. The giddy dancefloor stomper ‘TRU CRUSH’ is a standout, as are ‘PLASTIK PINK’ and ‘SHOPPING CENTRE’ – both sassy, grown-up slices of electro-pop that would be killer singles. Meanwhile, Belper’s Town Crier pops up halfway through the record too, just to let us know that YAY MARIA hopes we’re enjoying ourselves in a cute little nod to Machin’s Midlands’ roots!

Yet, despite these highlights, it’s the anthemic (and brilliantly named) ‘EPIPHANY (IN A CHARITY SHOP)’ that’ll stay with me. In it, Machin reflects on YAY MARIA’s purpose. “This isn’t about me,” she says. “It’s about so much more than me.” And she’s right. At a time where the trans community faces so much hostility, I really hope this album finds its way to the ears, hearts and minds who need it.

A joyful, powerful and important album, OYEZ offers love, solidarity and the inspiring message that being queer is beautiful. Yay to that, Maria!

OYEZ is out now. Buy the digital album on bandcamp now.

Vic Conway
@thepicsofvic

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INTERVIEW: HAVVK

Having been huge fans of HAVVK since they headlined our first gig at The Finsbury back in 2016, we were massively excited about the release of their stunning new album, Levelling, a few weeks back. With support from the likes of Radio X, BBC 6Music and Wonderland Magazine under their belts, the album showcases the Dublin trio’s knack for creating truly immersive offerings, oozing a swirling, ethereal splendour, intertwined with a grunge-tinged grit. Propelled by the haunting, celestial power of front person Julie’s vocals, each track ripples with a captivating grace, creating a collection of exquisitely cathartic soundscapes.

We caught up with Julie to find out more about the album, Dublin’s live music scene and HAVVK’s plans for the next few months… Have a read!

Hello! Hope you’re all well at the moment… Your new, totally beautiful, album Levelling has recently been released, which is super exciting! How has it all been? Has it had the reaction you were expecting? 
Honestly, it’s been so, so nice. It’s been hard to connect with listeners for the last couple of years and it’s made releasing music a bit surreal sometimes. It’s all been a bit Black Mirror. But the reaction to the record was so tangible – we’ve had so many kind messages. And we were really lucky that we got to have an album launch – that one night that we got to scream at each other (from a safe distance) really made up for a lot of that lost connection. People knew the words and were doing their best to break their necks moshing from their seats. It was gorgeous.

And how was it recording and promoting an album during such unpredictable times? 
We were super lucky as we’d literally done our last in-person session in Belfast just before the restrictions got serious. There was still a lot of production work to do but we managed it all through zoom calls during lockdown, with lots of pets (our side) and kids (Rocky’s side) running around in the background too. Even though promoting the tracks during lockdown was really strange and a bit lonely at times, I’m so grateful that we had something so important to focus on during those eighteen months. It really kept us grounded.

You recorded the album with Belfast legend Rocky O’Reilly at Start Together Studios, and have worked with him quite a lot previously. What is it that you love about working with him, and marks him out as different from other producers? 
Rocky has become such a good friend of ours. He has such an amazing ear for how to bring out different layers of our music and his knowledge of synths and pedals and plug-ins is astounding. The first time we recorded with him, he had set up a wall of amps for Matt and we’d never seen or heard anything like it. They’ve created such a welcoming, inclusive space at Start Together which can be rare to find in studios and honestly, anywhere in the industry.  

You’ve described the album as being about growing up and how our perceptions change over time – can you tell us a bit more about this and the themes running throughout the release?
If you include the age gaps between us, we’ve spent almost all of our collective 20s and 30s together as a band. And along the way, we’ve gone through major life moments together – losses, moves, break-ups, and we’ve had some big, big conversations along the way too. We’ve seen how much your priorities can change. We wanted to make a record that started at one end of a life and ended at the other, and broke out some of those moments where you have to make a choice that will probably stick with you for the rest of your life. A lot of the songs are about the important relationships that crystallise us as people (even if we didn’t know it at the time), or the ones we have to let go of and make our peace with. It’s really about trying to get perspective on how much time we have in the world – which is a massive, scary, silly thing to think about, but it can really magnify the moments that matter. And we’ve tried to capture some of those in Levelling.

‘Home’ or ‘Hold On’ may have to be my faves on the album – they just really seem to resonate (though every song is beautifully majestic!). Do you have a favourite song on the album, and if so why?
For me it’s ‘Automatic‘. That song just made me so happy from the minute we started recording it – I felt like I was in the band that fifteen year old me always wanted to be in. I love the humour in the lyrics, the playfulness of the verses before we smash into the choruses, and the absolute wall of sound from Matt’s guitar part and Sam’s drums in the chorus. And I just love that it’s a love song about friendships and some of the most important women in my life. That’s a very satisfying thing to shout about on stage.

I was just alerted to the fact that the first ever gig I hosted, which you headlined at The Finsbury, was five years ago today! That was such a dreamy night. But over the years, has there been a particular show you’ve played that stands out as a highlight? 
I’m gonna throw all of my previous answers to this question out of the window now because we’ve just had our album launch in Dublin after eighteen months of zero gigs and it was an absolutely magic night! Finally being back in a room with humans and playing the new songs for the first time was incredibly special to us. I had just forgotten how much it meant – and not just to ourselves. There were so many people in that room who also hadn’t been to a live show yet – so really, I felt like the gig was about way more than just ourselves. It was about everyone remembering how much the live music community meant to them.

And how is the live music scene in Dublin at the moment? Would you say it’s back on its feet after the pandemic? 
As I type, we’re waiting for the Irish government to ‘clarify’ a bizarre new easing of restrictions which is allowing clubbing to re-open while live music still can’t go on at full capacity and all audiences still have to be seated. Yes, you did read that correctly and no, that does NOT make sense. I think that illustrates the situation pretty well – I’m delighted to see clubs opening and that there’s some changes happening (and obviously that we got to have any kind of album launch!), but every time there’s an update live music and theatre seems to be at the bottom of the priority list. Promotors and musicians are really confused and frustrated over here – it is such a slap in the face as a country that really prides itself on culture, that this isn’t reflected back by the funding and decisions made at government level.

You’ve been a band for quite some time now (and we’ve been fans all the way!) – would you say the music industry has changed much over the last few years? And, in particular, do you think it’s improved in its treatment of female/non-binary/LGBTQIA+ artists? 
It’s hard to measure any kind of change in the industry just now as it’s been such a strange couple of years. Yes, there’s definitely been some progress and I feel like my identity is more reflected back in the industry than it was when we started out – there are more women, NB and queer folks on stage, on the radio, on panels etc. but there’s miles to go. I’m more excited about what’s next. As a community, we’ve had a lot of time to reflect on our needs over the last couple of years and we’re kind of at a point of ‘restart’ right now. I personally feel more empowered now to put up boundaries and to call out discriminative behaviour – speaking to other artists I know in Ireland especially, there’s a mutual feeling that if we’re getting back to business, we are going to have higher standards for ourselves and for each other. I hope this will have an upward effect on the industry.

As we’re a new music focused organisation, are there any upcoming bands or artists you’re a fan of that you’d recommend we check out? 
Yes! I am currently swooning over M(h)aol, Runah, Pretty Happy, Fears and Bobbi Arlo.

Finally, what does the rest of 2021 have in store for HAVVK? 
You’d think I’d be sick of my house by now but honestly, we’ve been looking forward to a bit of a rest and a refuel before next year. We’ve not just put out our own album this year, but we’ve also worked on a tonne of releases on our label, VETA Music. So apart from a few live sessions, I think the priority is to get back to basics: eat well, rest up and maybe do a little writing – hang out with the cat! My brain still doesn’t quite understand how to switch off at the moment, so that’s my biggest goal for the rest of the year before we get on the road next year (spoiler). 

Massive thanks to Julie for answering our questions!

Levelling, the new album from HAVVK, is out now via VETA Music.

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