LIVE: Indietracks Festival 27/07/18 – 29/02/18 (PART 2)

(Part 2 of our Indietracks Festival review – read Part 1 here….)

Continuing a completely joyous Saturday, queens Dream Wife take to the outdoor stage. Having not seen them for about three years when they completely blew me away at Visions Festival, they do not disappoint. Oozing their trademark empowering force, Rakel and co. take my breath away once more; such is their immense liberating power. Sparkling with her vibrant charisma, Rakel is the perfect, engaging front woman as Alice and Bella deliver frenzied, defiant hooks. With shout outs to Alice’s super cool grandma (who I was standing next to in the crowd), and a truly stirring performance of ‘Somebody’ (“this one’s about smashing gender roles that need to be smashed”), Dream Wife prove they’re an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

After unsuccessfully attempting to get into the church to catch Spanish band Melenas (they sounded good from the door though!), we chill out for the rest of Saturday evening – preparing ourselves for a Sunday jam-packed full of some of the best new music.

Despite a rainy start, all the lush live music on Sunday certainly brightens the mood. The first example being Brighton band Just Blankets who bring their dreamy harmonies to the indoor stage; the perfect start to the day.

And the rain doesn’t stop us heading to see personal faves Wolf Girl. Alongside many “wet jokes”, they deliver their immensely infectious, thoroughly engaging indie-pop to perfection. As the crowd unites in a buoyant, albeit damp, cheer, I find that singing along to the uplifting hooks and exquisite harmonies of tracks such as ‘Middlesexy’ causes me to complete forget the weather and drift away on waves of Wolf Girl’s sunny energy.

Heading back to shelter for our favourite Feminist Punk Witches Dream Nails on the indoor stage, the DIY spirit and wonderful music continues. Despite having seen them live many times, Dream Nails never fail to totally inspire me. Treating us to a range of songs, new and old, they deliver their message as loud and as clear as ever to an adoring crowd of near 700. With her truly captivating intense energy, Janey leads the way in raging against sexual violence, misogyny and Facism, as guitarist Anya delivers impressive racing riffs, and Mimi and Lucy complete the punk-filled power of this unique band. As they deliver riotous impassioned lyrics such as “Hey mister, get your hands off my sister”, and express solidarity with those coming out as queer with uplifting offerings like ‘Swimming Pool’, a wonderful aura of unity sweeps throughout the crowd – as girls, women and non-binary people of all ages (in front of me a mother bops with her head-phoned baby in arms) dance and sing in solidarity – and I’m reminded once again why these strong-spirited wonder-women are so essential in our lives right now.

After sticking around to dance in buoyant joy to the utterly uplifting and twinkling calypso-like musicality of Tigercats, the empowering mood continues with (yet another GIHE fave), The Baby Seals in the church. With their uplifting charisma and triumphant wit, they champion autonomy and body positivity with wonderfully tongue-in-cheek (and amazingly entitled) offerings such as ‘My Labia’s Lopsided But I Don’t Mind’ and ‘Nipple Hair’, as well as mighty tracks celebrating Masturbation Month. Apologising for mentioning “tits” in a church, The Baby Seals celebrate all things female and break gender boundaries in all the right ways with their superb insightful humour and catchy musical prowess.

Sticking around in the intimate setting of The Church, we’re welcomed by another band who’ve wowed us at one of our nights at The Finsbury – the immensely impressive Sink Ya Teeth. Oozing their addictive, pulsating beats and ‘80s-inspired dance-pop hooks, they continue to prove themselves to be one of the most exciting bands around. As Maria Uzor’s smooth, intoxicating vocals soar, Gemma Cullinford’s pounding, funk-fused bass-lines provide a perfect, groove-ridden soundscape.

As the sun shines once more, we head back to the outdoor stage for North London’s Girl Ray. With their sweet, sunny charisma, each offering is a truly uplifting delight. Flowing with smooth, swooning vocals and catchy jangly melodies, they deliver their dreamy slices of gentle garage-rock with a sparkling grace, and – despite appearing to miss my personal favourite ‘Stupid Things’ – continue to cement their place firmly in our hearts.

After another welcome interlude with the owls and parrots (still not over how amazing this festival was!), final band of the weekend, Scotland’s Honeyblood, soothe our ears as the sun goes down. With a shimmering grace combined with their scuzzy garage-rock anthems and subtle empowering energy, the duo draw an end to the live music with all the perfect uplifting colour and fiery finesse we could have hoped for.

And that’s it; after spending a few more blissful hours dancing away in The Marquee, my first Indietracks is over. The most refreshing and enjoyable of weekends; one which exceeded all expectations. It was simply so wonderful to be a part of an event that so triumphantly champions DIY bands and artists of all genders and genres, in a beautiful location that’s not only family friendly, but a safe space for all, however you may identify.

Unfortunately, it still seems to be unusual to attend bigger festivals these days and not encounter ingrained misogyny or disrespect of some kind, but Indietracks felt like a different world; a safe, joy-filled world, and one jam-packed with all the best music (Also, did I mention there are owls and parrots?!). So, huge thanks to the organisers for creating something so beautiful, and I can only hope that more events start to take a leaf out of your book very soon!

Until next year, Indietracks…

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Interview: Sink Ya Teeth

Having blown us away with their completely captivating live performance at The Finsbury, Norwich duo Sink Ya Teeth are fast becoming one of our favourite bands. With the addictive, pulsating beats and ‘80s-inspired dance-pop hooks of previous singles ‘If You See Me’ and ‘Glass’, they’ve received acclaim from the likes of BBC 6 Music, Pitchfork and The Guardian, and now they’ve shared a new video for latest funk-fused track ‘Pushin’.

Of the video, Maria Uzor explains: “Pushin’s about kinda losing yourself in something; that feeling of euphoria without questioning fully if it’s actually doing you any good… We wanted to explore that idea of an almost child-like devotion in the video.”

We caught up with Maria and Gemma from Sink Ya Teeth to find out all about the upcoming release of their debut album, their biggest influences, and the importance of playing your best at every gig…

Hi Sink Ya Teeth, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about the band?
We’re a two-piece from Norwich, and we make music you can dance to.

How did you initially get together and start creating music?
We were in another band together and that fell apart when the bassist decided to go travelling. The drummer was pretty busy too with loads of other projects, so Gemma and I decided to get something together with just the two us. We basically formed the band to make band practices less complicated to organise!

We’re loving your new single ‘Pushin’ – can you tell us a bit about it?
Sure! It’s off our debut album, which is coming out June 1st. Gem emailed me this tune she was working on last Summer and I really liked it for its sparseness and how it lifted at the end. I had some lyrics knocking around which seemed to fit perfectly; and ‘Pushin’ was born! It explores blind faith and how we can sometimes surrender to things, for good or for bad.

And we’ve heard talks about a debut album coming out soon… are you able to reveal any details about that?
Yes! We’re so excited! We wrote and recorded the majority of it last summer. We got some funding from Arts Council England to develop our recording and production skills, so we were able to focus on writing and recording. It’s a 10 song self-titled, self-produced, self recorded, self designed (Maria designed the artwork), basically self everything album, which will be available on CD and Vinyl and will be released on June 1st through Hey Buffalo Records!

You’ve been compared to the likes of LCD Soundsystem and ESG, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
Maria – I’m influenced by a lot of music and often for different reasons. And my influences can change from week to week. Like if I’m listening to Zimbabwean music, that’s likely to influence the way I layer rhythms or write a bassline. If I’m listening to The Smiths, I might find myself approaching the lyrics in a certain manner. A week of Zapp & Roger and it’s all about the 4/4 chunk and the slickness. There are those artists whom I admire to such a degree that to glean any inspiration from them would produce only a pale imitation and that would just be so awful. I am inspired by their personal truth though, so I guess that’s an influence of sorts; people like Bowie, Grace Jones, Patti Smith, Siouxsie Sioux.
Gemma – It’s hard to pinpoint influences sometimes as often there will be something that comes out in the music that sounds like a song you listened to years ago but were unaware that it was influencing you at the time of writing! ESG has been a long time fave of mine – the bass, the drums, the vibes. But more often than not these days, it’s artists with an electronic element. Currently I’m re-discovering New Order and learning about the bands that influenced them at the time too, like Africa Bambaataa. There’s sooo much more I’ve not discovered yet, so much good stuff outthere, old and new *rubs hands together*.

You’ve previously supported Chk Chk Chk and Mary Epworth on tour, but has there been a particular live show of yours that stands out as a career highlight so far?
Maria – Opening for Chk Chk Chk was such a blast! And we got to play venues like The Electric Ballroom too, which was amazing. Another moment that stood out for me was in February when we opened for Moon Duo at XOYO. When we were forming Sink Ya Teeth, Moon Duo were one of the bands we talked about being inspired by, so to then support them two years later was a beautiful and surreal moment.
Gemma – There’s been loads, and all for different reasons, but I think I’m gonna go with supporting Chk Chk Chk at Leeds Brudenell Social Club. The whole night had such a great vibe, I really liked the venue, the audience were so friendly, and its always a pleasure to watch Chk Chk Chk, so that gig had it all really! Another one I loved was playing with Eton Crop in one of Norwich’s undercrofts last year. It was one of those small, intimate, punk gigs. Brilliant.

And how is your local music scene – do you get out to see live music much?
Maria – God, haven’t been to a gig in months! Too bloody busy! We need a manager!
Gemma – What Maria says! But there are several good venues in Norwich, and a thriving music scene, both for local bands and visiting bands. Norwich Arts Centre is a good place to check out local bands supporting larger national bands. And the Owl Sanctuary. There are also several promoters that help with local acts, so there are plenty of
opportunities to play when you’re just starting out.

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any new/upcoming bands or artists you’d recommend we check out?
Maria – Birds of Hell is a great Norwich-based artist. He’s got a bit of the Sleaford Mods about him. Loves a good rant but theres a real tenderness there too. I really like what Goat Girl are doing too. Looking forward to their album in April.
Gemma – I can recommend some Norwich bands to check out – GRACELAND (dreamy vocals, post-punk basslines), Birds of Hell (what Maria said), Mega Emotion (synth-guitar pop), Ben C Winn (for fans of Ian Dury), Broads (electronic duo), Peach Club (riot grrrl)…

And how do you feel the music industry is for new bands at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
I’d like to think that if your music is good enough then you will get noticed, but you’ve got to work really really hard with it too. For no money, in all of your spare time. And that’s still no guarantee you’ll get noticed. That’s never been any different though. It’s definitely more difficult to get noticed when you don’t have a label or a team around you. It’s that chicken and egg situation. We got noticed at a gig in Norwich. Someone in the audience (now a good friend!) saw us, loved us, tweeted about us, and he happened to have friends in the industry who checked us out cos of it. So kids, you should always play your best at every gig because you just never know who is watching!

Finally, what does the rest of 2018 have in store for Sink Ya Teeth?
We have some UK wide spring dates in Bristol, Brighton, London and Birmingham (supporting A Certain Ratio. Legends!), A Manchester all dayer at the O2 Ritz in May with The Membranes, Lovely Eggs and LIINES, album launches in Norwich and London, IndieTracks festival. And the album release, of course, on 1st June! Hopefully we’ll get to write some more songs over the summer in-between rehearsing for a tour in October that we’re currently planning.

Sink Ya Teeth, the eponymous debut album, is out 1st June. Catch Sink Ya Teeth live:

24th March – Fiddlers Club, Bristol
25th March – The Haunt, Brighton
21st April – The Garage, London
5th May – O2 Ritz, Manchester
31st May – Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich
7th June – The Social, London
30th June – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
29th July – Indietracks Festival, Derby

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PLAYLIST: February 2018

February might be the shortest month of the year, but it’s been a near impossible task for us GIHEs girls to scale down our choices for this month’s playlist. We’ve been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new music that’s been flooding our inboxes, and we’re excited to finally share some of our favourites with you. Have a listen, head down to some of the gigs we’ve mentioned, and hold tight for another month of marvelous new music.

La Lune – ‘He Breathes Colour When I Feel So Grey’
‘He Breathes Colour When I Feel So Grey’ is such a beautiful sentiment and such a visual image. La Lune’s email popped into my inbox and within a couple of clicks I was listening… melting into my ears with its slow electronica and gentle murmuring vocals. A big slice of me. It’s taken from La Lune’s debut EP Bliss which is out NOW. (Tash Walker)

Complicated Animals – ‘Show Me’
If you dig 80s music, David Lynch films, and “dreamy synth-pop songs” – you’re going to love Complicated Animals latest single. The Brazilian-American duo’s track is a lush electronic exploration of the magic that happens when we experience pure, genuine human emotion in a world where most of our interactions are dictated by technology. (FYI – If you’re heading to see Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird in a UK cinema this month, listen out for Monica da Silva’s song ‘Back To His Girl’, which is featured in the scene where Lady Bird is trying on prom dresses) (Kate Crudgington)

Sink Ya Teeth – ‘Pushin’
Having blown us away with their completely captivating live performance at The Finsbury last year, Norwich duo Sink Ya Teeth are fast becoming one of our favourite bands. Following the completely addictive sounds of ‘If You See Me’ and ‘Glass’, new release ‘Pushin’ is propelled by pounding beats and funk-fused bass hooks. Add Maria Uzor’s smooth, soaring vocals into the mix and the result is an utterly infectious, whirring soundscape that’ll have you up on the floor in no time. (Mari Lane)

Olivia Nelson – ‘Hideaway’ (K, Le Maestro Remix)
‘Hideaway’ came out in the dwindling days of 2017 and now it’s been freshened up by producer K, Le Maestro. Always one to go weak at the knees at the slightest hint of a remix, I have fellow GIHEs gal Kate to thank for giving me the heads up on this one. Strong beats, strong vocals and strong samples. Needless to say we’re stoked to have Olivia as a guest on Get In Her Ears Radio Show on the 8th February, so be sure to tune into that! (TW)

Black Gold Buffalo – ‘Lay It Down’
“Your mind will fester and your head will roll” sings Black Gold Buffalo‘s front woman Keziah Stillwell on new single ‘Lay It Down,’ a song she wrote about overcoming anxiety. It’s a well-crafted, slow-burning, beautiful track that I can’t wait to hear live at The Waiting Room on February 7th (gig details here). (KC)

After London – ‘Bitter Man’
If you’re looking for a slice of anthemic, alternative indie-rock, look no further than After London’s ‘Bitter Man’. The five-piece released their eponymous debut EP last month, and it’s a record that proves they’re well-rehearsed, wickedly talented, and ready for their launch party at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on 7th February (RSVP here). (KC)

Soccer Mommy – ‘Cool’
I’m trying (and failing) to play it cool whenever I hear one of Soccer Mommy’s new tunes. She released the brilliant ‘Your Dog’ a few weeks ago, and she’s followed it up with the equally impressive ‘Cool’. I can’t wait to listen to her debut album Clean in full (released via Fat Possum Records on March 2nd) and hopefully hear a few of the tracks lives when she performs at Moth Club on March 6th. (KC)

Carolyn’s Fingers – ‘Her Howl’
‘Her Howl’ is the first official release from experimental pop band Carolyn’s Fingers and I just love it’s unexpected twists and turns with the vocals & samples plucking their way throughout the track. Carolyn’s Fingers sing about love, mental health, mythology and queer and social politics – this track in particular is about depression in what they describe as a weird but hopeful way. ‘Her Howl’ is 100% DIY, recorded and produced by themselves. Enough said. Get listening. (TW)

Partner – ‘Everybody Knows’
The latest single from our favourite Canadian duo, ‘Everybody Knows’ tells of the paranoia following one too many bong hits. Filled with a jangly guitar fuzz and delightful, sparkling harmonies, it gives a nostalgic nod to ’90s punk-pop whilst maintaining its own refreshing wit and sunny energy. Complete with impressive, racing licks, it’s a wonderfully infectious offering that’ll leave you longing for another hit of Partner’s playful, uplifting sounds. (ML)

Dream Wife – ‘Act My Age’
“Do I amuse you? Do I confuse you?” – Dream Wife’s vocalist Rakel confronts her listeners in trademark sweet & shouty style on this superb new track, taken from the band’s self-titled debut album (released via Lucky Number last month). Fearless on stage and now on record; Dream Wife’s debut is a joyful declaration of defiance and self-autonomy, designed to motivate listeners in to embracing life, love, and the fires that spark when you overcome adversity. (KC)

Blue Crime – ‘TYR’
I’m a bit late to the game on this one but as they say better late than never. Born in an Amsterdam bunker, Blue Crime are an experimental doom-pop/new wave four-piece self-described as a “trip from the disarming to the wrenching”. This track is taken from their debut EP TYR, released back in 2015 on their very own Meduse MagiQ label – an all female arts/music collective. ‘TYR’ draws you in with its hazy guitar and atmospheric vocals, like slowly falling into an endless kaleidoscope of music mist. Bliss. (TW)

The Nyx – ‘Patience’
Our favourite London rockers have released another new single to coincide with the appearance of another full moon, and we’re hooked on their powerful riffs and affecting vocals. We’re 99.9% sure The Nyx will be appearing on our monthly playlists for the remainder of 2018. #sorrynotsorry (KC)

Suggested Friends – ‘Mother Fucking Tree’
Taken from their fantastic self-titled album, this track oozes the band’s uptempo, ‘tweemo’ punk-pop and twinkling charm, showcasing the band’s infectious melodies and luscious harmonies as they tell frank, witty everyday life stories. Also, with amazing lyrics like “I thought you had a halo, but it was just the backlight from your iPhone…”, what is there not to love? We cannot wait to see them live next Friday, 9th February, at The Finsbury along with LIINES, Bugeye and Duck (RSVP here). (ML)

Kesha – ‘Praying’
Though I couldn’t bring myself to watch the whole of the Grammys last week, I did watch the full performance of Kesha performing ‘Praying’, taken from last year’s Rainbow. Though this song appallingly lost out to Ed Sheeran in the awards, her incredible, emotive performance of the track is the clear winner in my opinion. Surrounded by a mass of women dressed in white (including Cyndi Lauper and Camila Cabello), it was an exceptional, empowering moment in the face of all Kesha has had to go through with Dr Luke, and the challenges women in the music industry face in general (highlighted by the lack of women winning awards at the ceremony!). (ML)

Lady Gaga – ‘John Wayne’
Lady Gaga had to cancel 10 of her upcoming tour dates last week, after announcing that she was in chronic pain due to suffering from fibromyalgia (a condition which can cause pain all over the body). I’m gutted I’ll have to wait even longer to see The Grammy award-winning singer, but I’ve got good company and good gin lined up to drink the pain away. I’ll be raising a glass to her swift recovery whilst simultaneously belting out the lyrics to this Joanne track. (KC)

EMA – ‘Breathalyzer Instrumental’
This epic track is taken from EMA’s recent EP Outtakes From Exile, and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s twenty minutes of intriguing noise which broods somewhere between intense awareness, and a need to be aurally anesthetised. An intoxicating sonic assault that should not be skipped! (KC)

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Track Of The Day: Sink Ya Teeth – ‘Pushin’

Having blown us away with their completely captivating live performance at The Finsbury, Norwich duo Sink Ya Teeth are fast becoming one of our favourite bands. With the addictive, pulsating beats and ‘80s-inspired dance-pop hooks of previous singles ‘If You See Me’ and ‘Glass’, they’ve received acclaim from the likes of BBC 6 Music, Pitchfork and The Guardian, and now they’ve shared a brand new track.

Produced in the living rooms of Gemma Cullinford and Maria Uzor, ‘Pushin’ is propelled by pounding beats and funk-fused bass hooks with shades of the likes of the thumping electro-punk of LCD Soundsystem. Add Uzor’s smooth, soaring vocals into the mix and the result is an utterly infectious, whirring soundscape that’ll have you up on the floor in no time.

Of the track, Maria explains:

“It’s about addiction… not necessarily to drugs, more about just looking for a way out when things get a bit ropey. And then that almost spiritual feeling you get when the pressure is released. You gotta be able to dance it off… ‘Dance till you feel better’ as James Brown said.”

 

‘Pushin’ is out today, ahead of the release of Sink Ya Teeth’s debut album later this year.

 

Mari Lane
@marimindles

 

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