riot grrrl – Page 28 – Get In Her Ears

LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with Prima Queen (12.01.22)

Tash, Kate & Mari were back on the Soho Radio airwaves playing loads of new music from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQ+ artists.

London-based band Prima Queen joined them to talk about their latest single ‘Chew My Cheeks’, what it was like working alongside The Big Moon who were on production duties for the release, and how everyone seemed to re-watch The Matrix during Lockdown in 2020…

Listen back below:

Tracklist
Big Joanie – New Year
ML Buch – I’m a Girl You can Hold IRL
Babeheaven – Don’t Wake Me
Let’s Eat Grandma – Happy New Year
Midwife – 2020
Girl Ray – Murder on the Dance Floor
Catherine Moan – Soda Pop
KEYAH/BLU – Til Bliss
Novaa – You Can F With Me
Skylu – Foreign Concept
Zannie – Mechanical Bull
Softcult – Gaslight
Dakota Jones – Blacklight
Prima Queen – Chew My Cheeks
**Prima Queen Interview**
Rosie Alena – God’s Garden
Worse Off – You Belong Here
Petty Phase – Made To Order
HALINA RICE – Sunken Suns
MAITA – Honey, Have I Lost It All?
Bitch – Hello Meadow
Low – I Can Wait
Lucy Barton – Starlight
Carmel Smickersgill – Questioning
FKA Twigs ft. The Weeknd – Tears In The Club

January 13, 2022July 27, 2023

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Track Of The Day: Softcult – ‘Gaslight’

An urgent, shadowy guitar tune exploring the “sinking feeling” of self doubt in an unbalanced relationship, Canadian duo Softcult have shared their latest single ‘Gaslight’. Taken from their forthcoming EP Year of the Snake, which is set for release on 4th February via Easy Life Records, the track is a melodic caution to listeners, gently encouraging them to recognise the unacceptable patterns of behaviour described as “gaslighting.”

Formed of Ontario-based twins Phoenix and Mercedes Arn Horn, Softcult cut their teeth playing live shows in their local town of Kitchener, before moving on to bigger audiences on the North American tour circuit. Their experiences of playing and working within a male-dominated industry formed the foundation for their current sound, which is born from the desire to reject toxic standards of femininity, challenge misogynistic behaviour and embrace a more equal world. Latest single ‘Gaslight’ continues this narrative, with its poignant lyrics, yearning dual vocals and swirling guitar riffs.

“We wrote this song about gaslighting and how it really messes with your head and your perception of reality,” guitarist & vocalist Mercedes explains. “Being in a relationship that constantly makes you question your decisions and actions, your feelings and emotions, even your soundness of mind. It’s a tactic that many abusers and groomers will use to tear down your defences and make you easier to manipulate. We wanted to raise awareness of this manipulation technique, so that whoever hears the song will be able to recognize those red flags if they encounter that kind of behaviour.”

Watch the video for ‘Gaslight’ below.

Follow Softcult on Spotify, Instagram, Facebook & Twitter

Softcult UK Tour Dates 2022
Thursday, February 17th – Crofters – Bristol
Friday, February 18th – The Victoria – Birmingham
Saturday, February 19th – Heartbreakers – Southampton
Sunday, February 20th – The Key Club – Leeds
Tuesday, February 22nd – The Garage (Attic Bar) – Glasgow
Wednesday, February 23rd – The Deaf Institute – Manchester
Thursday, February 24th – Camden Assembly – London

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

January 7, 2022November 13, 2023

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

EP: BLAB – ‘Word Of Mouth’

The sound of what happens when you fully embrace your choices and lean into the raw power each moment, Southend-based musician Francis Murray aka BLAB has shared her debut EP, Word Of Mouth. Released via Cool Thing Records and formed of three previously released singles and a brand new track, BLAB combines direct lyrics with infectious riffs to push past personal and political frustrations, providing her listeners with sharply observed judgments on both.

Fuelled by her disdain for current political policies, opener ‘Eton Mess’ is a rumbling “anti-fascist anthem” that proudly sticks two fingers up to the establishment. It’s one of two tracks that see BLAB take aim at the crushing nature of conformity, with the restless ‘Insurance’ providing another dose of much needed eye-rolling at conventional ideas of power and success.

It’s on new “anti-love song” ‘If Only’ and astrology-inspired single ‘Gemini’ that BLAB is at her strongest – refreshingly vulnerable with her revelations, but still retaining her rebellious attitude. Lyrically, ‘If Only’ is littered with hetero-normative paraphernalia, culminating in the realisation that you can’t rely on someone else to be the foundation of your happiness. On ‘Gemini’, she filters the pain of unrequited love through an astrological lens, combining catchy riffs with her bittersweet lyrics to work through her mixed feelings.

On Word Of Mouth, BLAB cuts through barbed emotional moments, softens unsettling realisations and firmly communicates her anti-establishment, anti-ego message. “I’m not even really consciously trying to do anything,” BLAB comments about her EP, “I’m just doing what I want, writing what I love and talking about my life.” This approach to song-writing reaffirms the narratives of independence within her music, and we can’t wait to hear more of it in the near future.

Listen to Word Of Mouth below.

Follow BLAB on Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: James Mannion

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

November 30, 2021November 6, 2022

Kate Crudgington1 Comment

Track Of The Day: Softcult – ‘Perfect Blue’

A swirling, emotive reflection on a time laced with frustration, Canadian duo Softcult have shared their latest single ‘Perfect Blue’. Taken from their forthcoming EP Year of the Snake, which is set for release on 4th February, the track is an introspective take on how compromising your creativity to please others can lead to emotional burnout.

Formed of Ontario-based twins Phoenix and Mercedes Arn Horn, Softcult cut their teeth playing live shows in their local town of Kitchener, before moving on to bigger audiences on the North American tour circuit. Their experiences of playing and working within a male-dominated industry formed the foundation for their current sound, which is born from the desire to reject toxic standards of femininity and embrace a more equal world. Latest single ‘Perfect Blue’ reaffirms this narrative, lulling listeners with its soft dual vocals and intoxicating shoegaze-y riffs.

“We wrote ‘Perfect Blue’ about a time in our lives when we felt like nothing was in our control,” explains Mercedes. “In our previous project, we were signed to a label that butted heads with us creatively and wasn’t allowing us to express ourselves authentically. They weren’t interested in the music we were creating at the time, so we became unhealthily obsessed with trying to please them to release anything at all.”

“It felt as though we were putting on an act to survive,” Phoenix adds. “We didn’t feel like our art was representing us. There was a lot we wanted to say, but it was being stifled. We felt like we’d lost our integrity. The song is a reminder to empower yourself by standing up for what you believe in, or risk losing yourself altogether.”

The track is accompanied by a captivating video, produced and directed by Mercedes. “I wanted the viewer to feel like they are entering the mind of someone who is watching themselves transform, powerless to stop their metamorphosis,” she explains about the visuals. “I clearly remember times in my life when I felt pressure to become a version of myself that others wanted me to be, but that version wasn’t authentic to who I was. I felt like I was losing my integrity and my sense of self. I’d look at myself in the mirror and be disgusted at what I saw, unattached to who I had become. There’s a vibe of health anxiety, dysphoria, dissociation, a little horror element in there that I wanted to capture with the visuals. The skin peeling scenes are meant to elicit those feelings, like a snake shedding its skin.”