ALBUM: She Drew The Gun – ‘Behave Myself’

Personifying the spirit of rebellion, She Drew The Gun‘s uncompromising, genre-defying third LP, Behave Myself, is a rallying cry of fuzzy psych-pop hooks and lyrical protest, unafraid to fight the social and political dystopia we find ourselves heading towards.

Founded by Merseyside-based songwriter Louisa Roach, She Drew The Gun’s musical evolution parallels the decline of our political climate; beginning with 2016’s optimistic indie rock of Memories of Another Future, through to the political dissent of psychedelic sophomore effort, 2018’s Revolution of Mind, and now the immediacy of Behave Myself‘s punk flavoured pop revolution. Opening with the infectious basslines and disorientating synth assault of ‘Origin Song’, Roach introduces her lockdown long play with a certain degree of restraint, before tearing into the persistent inequality promoted by the societal mainstream on track number 2, prompting the question: “Who do you think is ‘Next On The List'”?

The anthemic title track ‘Behave Myself’ is for everyone standing together in feminist solidarity. Exploding into a cataclysm of throbbing basslines, true shred guitar, and spoken word social commentary, Roach shows off her strong pop sensibility but does not shy away from her deep-rooted punk rock attitude – “Get ready for my dangerous soul”, You can’t control her… Louisa Roach will not behave herself! “I am the rage of all women condensed to the point of explosion.” 

The dreamy melodies of ‘Diamonds in Our Eyes’ are followed by ‘Cut Me Down’, a grungey, post-punk protest anthem inspired by the Las Tesis feminist protest song of Chile, known as ‘The Rapist Is You’ or ‘A Rapist in Your Path’. Amplified by hard-hitting drum strikes, driving basslines, and a piercing guitar solo, Roach fights “deeper, faster, harder, cheaper, stronger, further, smarter!” And her frustration doesn’t falter during the scathing lyrical observations of ‘Class War (How Much)’, a psych-pop war song on class divide and “the parasitic vampires sucking our blood.”

The shimmering electroclash of synth and spoken word stream of consciousness on ‘Panopticon’ further showcases Louisa Roach’s evolution of sound; distorting any preconceived opinion of She Drew the Gun through eclectic inspiration and experimentation. The raucous fuzzy soundscape of ‘Innerspeak’ leads into dystopian mood shifter ‘All Roads to Nowhere’ – a juxtaposition of metallic melancholy and ethereal psychedelia – before closing with the vocal warmth of ‘The Rose’s Tale’.

Produced and mixed by Ross Orton at McCall Sound Studios, Behave Myself‘s intelligent, socially-charged lyricism, justified anthemic angst, and DIY political pop amplifies the voice of dissent through punk rock rebellion with a feminist vibe. Challenging us to observe, analyse, and critique a failing system, She Drew the Gun’s unsettling, authentic record is the unstoppable soundtrack for the rebel to revolt to; the sound of collective conscience awoken.

Behave Myself is out now via Submarine Cat Records.

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

kenwynneLeave a comment

PREMIERE: Tiger Mimic – ‘Silence Of The Night’

Following last year’s powerful singles ‘It Was Still Dark’ and ‘Where The Fire Used To Be’, and with acclaim from the likes of BBC Introducing and John Kennedy, GIHE faves Tiger Mimic return to blast into our ears with a glorious new offering.

Propelled by an immense, eerie energy, ‘Silence Of The Night’ reflects on the grim reality that women have to navigate on a daily basis. As the rich, sleek vocals of front woman Jess soar with a soulful power, swirling riffs fizz with a scuzzy splendour, building with a stirring tension and anthemic musicality to an impassioned statement of intent. Hitting the ears with a sweeping magnificence, it oozes shades of the quirkily haunting sound of early Arctic Monkeys, or the fierce, politically-driven passion of Liverpool favourite She Drew The Gun. Driven by an empowering sense of urgency, here Tiger Mimic offer a poignant call for justice and accountability at a time when we so desperately need it.

Listen to ‘Silence Of The Night’, for the first time, here:

Produced by Rees Broomfield, ‘Silence Of The Night’ is out on Friday, 8th October, and is the first of three new singles to come from the band. Pre-save it here. Catch Tiger Mimic live at The Victoria on 9th December, tickets here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Robert Alleyne

mariangelicalaneLeave a comment

WATCH: She Drew The Gun – ‘Class War (How Much)’

Liverpool’s She Drew The Gun continue to storm out the blocks with the announcement of their upcoming new album Behave Myself, set for release in September. And now they have treated us to a poetic middle finger to the Tory government, seething with corruption, on the second single to be taken from the album – ‘Class War (How Much)’. 

The track gets rolling with a catchy bassline before the languid rhetorical refrain of “how much did you get paid for that?” kicks in – questioning the ethics of high-level nepotism in military contracts and PPE deals. Shiny synths cut through perfectly, pairing well with the accompanying animated ’80s arcade music video and humorously contrasting ‘Class War’s morose subject matter. She Drew The Gun’s singular half-spoken half-sung vocals are centre stage here alongside some playful electric guitar licks, boosting the witty wordplay of lyrics like “I’m a weapon of mass distraction”.

The Merseyside-based musician explains of the track:

“It’s about how much we let corruption go in plain sight and accept a politician’s answer when these people are at the front of a ruthless class war being waged against those of us who live on the wrong side of Capital.” 

‘Class War (How Much)’ joins the excellent ‘Cut Me Down’ as fiery, politically-minded tasters of She Drew The Gun’s increasingly exciting upcoming album – Behave Myself – set for release on 24th September via Submarine Cat Records. Pre-order here.

Leonie Bellini
@teenpeachmovie

Leonie BelliniLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: She Drew The Gun – ‘Cut Me Down’

“Deeper, faster, harder”. The stunning opening single from She Drew The Gun’s third full-length release is a revelation in sonically perfect protest – and it demands to be turned up loud. The swirling melody of that instantly catchy refrain combines strikingly with a bite of heavy punk, resulting in a formidable anthem that bursts out of the speakers – an enticing masterclass in attention-grabbing rock. Flawless production from Ross Orton on ‘Cut Me Down’ amplifies the grungey, driving bass, while hard-hitting drums mirror the lyrics’ spirited rebellion.

The band is the project of Merseyside-based Louisa Roach, who reveals the track was “inspired by the Las Tesis protests in Chile which brought a new level to the idea of a protest song, where hundreds of thousands of women took to the streets and sang ‘The Rapist is You’. The police, the government, the judges, the system was not designed to look after women’s’ rights and it still does not, so I will have to fight ‘Deeper, faster, harder, cheaper, stronger, further, smarter’ just to get even with you.”

A flavour of incredible music in store from the upcoming album, ‘Cut Me Down’ is an entrancing, unsparingly energetic hit of defiant politics, and an outstanding testament to the unstoppable musical force of She Drew The Gun.

Behave Myself, the upcoming new album from She Drew The Gun, is out 24th September via Submarine Cat Records. Pre-order here.

Leonie Bellini
@teenpeachmovie

Get In Her EarsLeave a comment