New Track: Ski Lift – ‘Double Yellow’

‘Double Yellow‘ is the latest single by Ski Lift, the project of Welsh born/Croydon-based songwriter Benji Tranter with Elizabeth Walsh on bass and vocals and Adam Fletcher on drums. With its nostalgic sound, enchanting melody, and evocative lyrics, it captivated me on first listen.

The music kicks off with a gritty, grunge-infused strumming of rhythm guitars accompanied by a cool drum groove. The soft vocals gracefully float atop the guitar, while a subtle low harmony accentuates the main vocal line with a touch of melancholy. Eventually, the track drops, with the drums adopting a richer and warmer tone and the track builds for a big chorus marked by a fuzz-laden guitar chop followed by the lyric hook “my little universe” – underscoring the theme of our shrinking world during lockdown – a line you just have to sing along with. As a call-and-response melody follows, the guitars step back to give the vocals a central spotlight.

With shades of ’90s bands like Weezer, whose influence is easy to hear, the track also brings to mind more contemporary artists like Soccer Mommy and Palehound. 

A song written over lockdown, it captures the newfound fascination in the mundane and ordinary that we felt over that time, confined indoors with little to do but embark on our daily walks. The song paints vivid images of common-place things that often escape our notice in ‘normal’ daily life. Of the lyrics, Tranter explains:

“During the lockdown of 2021, I explored my local area on foot most days – Broad Green, Waddon Marsh (overshadowed by the giant gasworks which have since been torn down) and Wandle Park. I became familiar with, and fond of, many little details and aspects I hadn’t noticed in busier times. I felt strange knowing that when life sped back up, I might not see those places again in the same way.”

Having shared a stage with bands such as Holiday Ghosts, ARXX and Mary in the Junkyard, Ski Lift have already received radio play and support from the likes of BBC 6Music’s Tom Robinson and Radio X’s John Kennedy, demonstrating they are a band not to be ignored.

Watch a beautiful live session of ‘Double Yellow’ that the band recorded for Sub Cat Records; really highlighting their tight musicianship and the intricate harmonies they’re able to create.


Catch Ski Lift live on 29th March at The Cavendish Arms’ London Indie Pop Weekender – get tickets here.

Ella Patenall
@ellapatenall

Photo Credit: Jas Kisbee

ellapatenallLeave a comment

PLAYLIST: September 2019

Festival season is over, but new-album-release-season has only just begun! We’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of new music we’ve heard in the first few weeks of September, so we’ve selected a fraction of the finest tracks for you to delve in to. Take some time to scroll through our track choices and make sure you hit play on the Spotify playlist link at the bottom of the page…

The Big Moon – ‘Your Light’
With its catchy chorus, buoyant melodies and feel-good lyrics; ‘Your Light’ is the perfect boost for anyone who’s feeling blue about the current state of affairs. The band performed their synchronized cycling in the accompanying music video in the Essex countryside, and they look at ease singing along to their brand new tune. Their new album Walking Like We Do, is set for release on 10th January 2020 via Fiction Records. (Kate Crudgington)

She Drew The Gun – ‘Trouble Every Day’
Having blown our minds earlier this year at Cro Cro Land, The Wirral’s She Drew The Gun have now shared a new re-interpretation of Frank Zappa’s ‘Trouble Every Day’. Propelled by a raw emotion and impassioned grit,  Louisa Roach’s smooth, distinctive vocals blast out the all-too-poignant, poetic lyricism. With a seething energy and politically-driven tension that builds with each note, it’s a sincere, empowering anthem for our troubled times. (Mari Lane)

Ski Lift – ‘Comfortable Here’
The debut single from London’s Ski Lift, ‘Comfortable Here’ offers an angst-driven diatribe railing against the perceived mundanity of adulthood, while simultaneously surrendering to it. With the distinctive, crystalline emotion of Benji Tranter’s vocals alongside the twinkling harmonies of Anna Vincent (Heavy Heart), it’s an utterly infectious alt-pop anthem for our times. (ML)

SASSY 009 – ‘Thrasher’
“​My music has never been a reflection on happiness​” explains SASSY 009, but her sound is far from melancholy. On ‘Thrasher’ she combines enchanting vocals, jagged synth textures and dense beats to create a transient, anti-party anthem. (KC)

Ella – ‘Esmé’
I am sooo into this track! Fusing modern electro and historic jazz into a dream soundscape, Ella is absolutely killing it. There is also an acoustic video version of this track which is definitely worth checking out. (Tash Walker)

Joviale – ‘Struggle Cuddle’
The wonderful Joviale released her debut EP Crisis via Blue Flowers earlier this month, and like all of the tracks that feature on it, ‘Struggle Cuddle’ is wonderfully sweet and poignant. Her headline show has been re-arranged for Folklore in Bethnal Green on the 12th December, with support from Laura Groves and Fauci. Grab your tickets here. (KC)

Keren Ilan – ‘Take Her Down’
I cannot and will not stop talking about Keren Ilan who is one of my favourite artists at the moment. Her EP This Morning, Yesterday dropped a month or so ago and I just love it, already a big fan of the title track, for this month’s playlist I’m choosing ‘Take Her Down’ also from the EP but almost the inverse of This Morning, Yesterday but just as good. (TW)

Jorja Chalmers – ‘Human Again’
Australian multi-instrumentalist Jorja Chalmers has played with Bryan Ferry for the past decade, and now she’s sharing her solo LP Human Again on 20th September via Italians Do It Better. The eponymous single is an intoxicating affair, with Chalmers’ charming vocals floating above cinematic synth textures. Bliss. (KC)

Chelsea Wolfe – ‘Deranged For Rock & Roll’
Chelsea Wolfe released her new album Birth Of Violence earlier this month, and I spent an entire evening fan-girling over its haunting beauty (read my review here). It features this track ‘Deranged For Rock & Roll’, which smolders with moody confidence. “These songs came to me in a whirlwind” explains Wolfe about her new music, and what a turbulent, devastating whirlwind it must have been. It’s a privilege to be able to weather the storm with her. (KC)

Nova Twins – ‘Vortex’
Amy & Georgia have unleashed this belting new single ahead of their sold out show tonight (18th September) at Sebright Arms. Full of their trademark thunderous, distorted bass lines and in-your-face lyrics, ‘Vortex’ will be the live highlight of their set. (KC)

Breakup Haircut – ‘Why Can’t I Be Cool Enough To Move To Berlin?’
Taken from their brand new EP What Did You Expect, I Got It Off The Internet?, Breakup Haircut’s ‘Why Can’t I Be Cool Enough To Move To Berlin?’ showcases perfectly what this band are all about. Having formed just a few months ago at First Timers Fest, they deliver joyous lo-fi punk with witty lyrics that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Catch them live for us at The Finsbury on 11th October! (ML) 

Chartreuse – ‘Three Days’
Chartreuse a four-piece band from the Black Country and this track, ‘Three Days’ was my Track of the Show on Hoxton Radio a couple of weeks back. What a great start with this debut loose-limbed, country kissed soul music. Just lovely. They’ll be playing at EartH in London on 30th October, get down there. (TW)

Mexican Radio – ‘Night Of The Nihilist’
With their third album due out later this month, Berlin-based Mexican Radio pride themselves on their visceral energy and quirky unique, ‘uniformed’ style. Complete with pumping beats and glitchy electro hooks, latest single ‘Night Of The Nihilist’ is an intense, energy-fuelled synth-punk anthem with shades of the likes of LCD Soundsystem. (ML)

GHOST CAR  – ‘Awkward’
‘Awkward’ by Ghost Car is such a strong slice of garage rock, from right here in East London, made up of Clara, Laura, Maria and Maeve. It is their latest single and they tell us to expect a whole load more of that bubblegum badassery from their upcoming album! (TW)

Rapsody – ‘Ibtihaj’
My current obsession. North Carolina artist Rapsody recently released her album Eve, a poignant collection with each song dedicated to a different influential black women. Featuring Wu Tang’s GZA, ‘Ibtihaj’ is probably my favourite track from the album and is named after Ibtihaj Muhammad, a fencer who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics, and was the first American Olympian ever to compete while wearing a hijab. I just love this song’s immersive groove and all it represents! (ML) 

Get In Her EarsLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Ski Lift – ‘Comfortable Here’

London’s Ski Lift herald their arrival to our ears with their debut single ‘Comfortable Here’. Comprised of Benji Tranter, Anna Vincent (Heavy Heart) and Jovis Lane (Show Boy), Ski Lift’s debut release offers an angst-driven diatribe railing against the perceived mundanity of adulthood, while simultaneously surrendering to it.

Propelled by jangly hooks and a whirring energy, ‘Comfortable Here’ oozes shades of early noughties emo rock, whilst bringing its own decidedly 2019 poignance, voicing a sentiment that no doubt many 20-somethings will be able to relate to – “Maybe I’m in a rut, but it’s comfortable here…”. With the distinctive, crystalline emotion of Tranter’s vocals alongside the twinkling harmonies of Anna Vincent, it’s an utterly infectious alt-pop anthem for our times; filled with the frustration of the futility of life, yet offering a shining glimmer of optimism.

Listen to ‘Comfortable Here’:

 

Catch Ski Lift live at their single launch on Friday 20th September at Sister Midnight Records, Deptford.

 

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Keira Anee Photography

Get In Her EarsLeave a comment