Ones To Watch 2018

We’re approaching the beginning of a new year – the perfect time to celebrate new music. As we leave 2017 – and all it’s thrown at us – behind, we’re ready to venture into 2018 alongside some of the music we’re most excited about for the upcoming year.

Have a read, and keep your ears peeled for these incredible bands and artists over the coming months…

Having recently supported GIHE faves PINS on tour, and received much acclaim for their eponymous debut album from the likes of Mojo and Q Magazine, London collective Madonnatron would seem to have had a pretty successful 2017.

We’ve been in love with these four awesome women since their captivating cacophony left us completely spellbound at The Finsbury back in March. And now, with the seething vocals and haunting discordant hooks of tracks such as ‘Sangue Neuf’ and ‘Headless Children’ having provided an eerily majestic soundtrack to much of this year, we’re quite sure that the beguiling ‘Witch Prog’ of Madonnatron will be headed for big things in 2018. (Mari Lane)

We currently hold the record for “how many times you can feature Queen Zee on a roundups/playlist” article – and it’s one we’re proud to be upholding. The Liverpool-based band blew us away with their visceral, politically switched on sounds at The Garage in October, and we’ve been hooked on their punk-like anthems ever since.

Fronted by Queen Zee, the group use their platform to shout back against transphobia and homophobia, as well as supporting and celebrating equality. They’re set to record and hopefully release their debut album in 2018, as well as hitting the road again in support of The Marmozets. Make sure you put your ‘Idle Crown’ on, and get behind this incredible set of talented individuals in 2018. (Kate Crudgington)

Having blown us away with their completely captivating live performance at The Finsbury, Sink Ya Teeth are fast becoming one of our favourite bands. With the addictive, pulsating beats and ‘80s-inspired dance-pop hooks of singles ‘If You See Me’ and ‘Glass’, they’ve showcased their ability to create utterly infectious, uptempo offerings, and we cannot wait to hear more.

With praise from the likes of BBC 6 Music, and support slots with Chk Chk Chk already under their belt, this Norwich duo are sure to be continuing to seduce many an ear throughout 2018. (ML)

Although we’ve been aware of them for some time, Slowcoaches caught our full attention this year with the release of their brilliant track ‘Complex’ – a snarling comeback to the music industry’s misogynist bullshit.

Comprised of Heather (bass & vocals), Neil (drums), and Oliver (guitar), the band are a grunge-fuelled, alternative force to be reckoned with. With wicked tracks like ‘Living Out’ and ‘Complex’ behind them, we’re excited to see what 2018 holds for this talented trio. (KC)

With support from the likes of BBC Introducing and Amazing Radio, and an ever growing reputation for their vibrant live performances, London collective Kid Cupid have been alluring our ears with their blissful electro-pop for some time.

Now, with the recent release of latest single ‘Easy’, they’ve shown themselves to be true masters of their craft; creating utterly euphoric layers of sound alongside Laura Shaw’s rich, soulful vocals. With shades of the likes of Oh Wonder and Little Dragon, we cannot wait to hear more of Kid Cupid’s dreamy, sonic delights throughout 2018. (ML)

 

We’ve made no secret of our love for Essex songwriter Beckie Margaret, and we want everyone’s ears to be blessed with the sound of her impeccable voice.

Inspired by the likes of Lucy Rose, Jeff Buckley and Bon Iver, Beckie’s songs are tender, intuitive, and effortlessly delivered. She’s still at University in the final year of her song-writing degree, but there’s something about her music that can’t be learned from the pages of a textbook. Signed to Cool Thing Records, we’re confident the future for this talented vocalist, writer, and producer is blindingly bright. (KC)

Receiving support across the industry from the likes of Joe Talbot (IDLES) and BBC 6 Music’s Tom Ravenscroft and Steve Lamacq, Birmingham trio Table Scraps are certainly worth paying attention to.

Creating dark and gritty garage-punk, with tracks such as ‘My Obsession’ and latest single ‘Sick Of Me’, the band deliver thrashing riffs and stomping beats, fuelled by a ferocious force. A perfect example of raw, raging DIY music at its best.

Now, with their debut full-length album Autonomy set for release in February, the enraged, empowering energy of Table Scraps looks set to take the world by storm in 2018. (ML)

If you’re a fan of ambient electronic music with a melancholy edge, Temples Of Youth are a band you need to invest in. The Winchester duo sent divine shivers down our spines when they headlined our December show at The Finsbury, and we’ve been spinning their recent self-titled EP in an attempt to stay hypnotised by their magnetic sounds.

We’re confident that tracks like ‘Amber’ and the beautifully articulate ‘Churches’ will propel the pair further in to the spotlight in 2018. We also recommend you check out their superb cover of Nirvana’s ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ – it’s urgent and unforgettable. (KC)

With 2017’s highlights including supporting Desperate Journalist and Nelson Can on various tour dates, Manchester trio LIINES have fast been gaining attention from the likes of John Kennedy, The Quietus and BBC Introducing throughout the year, and we’re loving their gritty, post-punk sounds.

As the pummelling beats and raw vocals of tracks ‘Disappear’ and ‘Blackout’ blast into the ears with all the brooding, impassioned energy you could ever desire, we’re desperate to hear more from LIINES and wait with excitement for what they have in store for us in 2018.

We’re also extremely excited to announce that LIINES will be headlining for us at The Finsbury on 9th February with Bugeye, Suggested Friends and Duck. See you there! (ML)

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Highlights Of The Year 2017

As we near the end of the year, we wanted to reflect on some of our highlights of 2017; to draw attention to the times when, despite all the shit going on in the world, women in music have inspired us, motivated us, and shown themselves to be positively awesome. So, though we don’t know what 2018 might bring, let’s celebrate these incredible women in all their patriarchy-smashing glory! 

Whilst it’s easy (and natural) to agonise about the harassment and adversity that female musicians face in the industry, it’s even more important to organise and shout back against the injustice of it all: and that’s exactly what Slowcoaches bassist & vocalist Heather Perkins did on ‘Complex’. She wrote the song as a response to the sexual assault allegations against artists in the press at the time. Singing about a male lead singer who “really needs a hand, one’s in the other, and the other’s in his pants”, Heather sounds confident in her assertion that his story “holds no weight”, and the rage and distrust in her lyrics resonated with Mari & I profoundly. (Kate Crudgington)

“Don’t let the bastards get you down, don’t let the arseholes wear you out.”
Wise words from Kesha. A woman who’s provided much inspiration for us this year in her determination in the ongoing legal battle against producer Dr. Luke, amid accusations that he “sexually, physically, verbally and emotionally” abused her for years.

After everything she’s been through this year and with the release of her latest album Rainbow – a collection of powerful and motivating anthems – Kesha’s shown herself to be a super strong inspiration of a woman. If songs like ‘Woman’ and ‘Bastards’ don’t make you want to get up, feel empowered and give a whopping middle finger up to the patriarchy, I’m not sure what will.

And, though the battle is far from over for Kesha, let’s give her credit for having the strength to speak out publicly against abusive men, giving us all a bit of inspiration to fight and not let those bastards get us down. (Mari Lane)

Since the release of their single ‘Somebody’ earlier this year, Dream Wife‘s live shows now feel twice as liberating. ‘Somebody’ is an anthem about recovery and reclaiming your body, but the trauma that lurks behind the sexual assault which sparked the song still puts a lump in my throat. Having said that, it was a sheer joy to watch Rakel, Alice & Bella perform the song to their sold out crowd at Scala in October, who echoed back Rakel’s life-affirming lyric “I am not my body, I’m somebody”. If you haven’t seem Dream Wife live yet, I urge you to come to their show at Heaven in 2018. You won’t regret it. (KC)

Having played on the Rising Stage for the last four years, it was a joy to see all-female collective Deep Throat Choir get a turn on the main Mountain Stage at Green Man Festival this year. Since I last saw them two years ago, the group had grown in both size and power. Dressed in matching vibrant oranges and pinks, they succeed in brightening a rather grey last day of the festival, treating us to a mix of covers and originals from their wonderful debut album Be OK. With everyone singing along to personal favourite ‘Baby’ being a pretty emotional highlight, it was a simply euphoric experience watching these wonderful women create such perfect, intense harmonies and sweeping vocal melodies. Epitomising the exceptional power of women coming together to create, Deep Throat Choir unite their voices to summon a force that is truly awe-inspiring. (ML)

When Wolf Alice effortlessly performed ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’ under the sparkling mirror-ball lights at their Alexandra Palace headline gig in November; I swooned so hard I thought I might drown in my own heart-shaped tears. Their perfectly executed set was laced with tracks from debut record My Love Is Cool (‘Lisbon’, ‘Bros’, You’re A Germ’ & ‘Silk’) as well as a healthy dose of new material from second album Visions Of a Life, (‘Heavenward’, ‘Formidable Cool’ & vicious lead single ‘Yuk Foo’). I’ve seen them live many times before, but I left Ally Pally feeling confident I’d witnessed something special, and I’ll definitely be catching them again in 2018.(KC)

Whilst the #MeToo campaign this year has signalled the start of a change for the better – bringing the issue of violence against women into the public eye, with perpetrators (finally) beginning to see some consequences to their actions – domestic violence against women and children continues to occur every minute of every day. And, with the government continuing to make life-threatening cuts to vital services, charities like Feminist direct action group Sisters Uncut are more necessary now than ever. 

Gaptooth‘s latest single ‘They Cut We Bleed’ celebrates the work of Sisters Uncut; featuring powerful footage from their protests, it rages against the government with a frenzied, impassioned energy and powerful force. With shades of the likes of Le Tigre or MEN, it’s the perfect call to arms that we need now more than ever. Drawing our attention to the issue with the raw honesty of horrific facts and figures (“In the UK on average two women a week are murdered by a partner or ex-partner…”), accompanied by catchy, whirring beats, Gaptooth offers an empowering voice for all we should be saying right now; inspiring us to get up, unite and take action to create the positive change that so urgently needs to happen. (ML)

It feels odd to call this a ‘highlight’, but I want to include it here because I remember reading the statement and thinking “YES! GOOD FOR HER!”. High profile women like Kesha, Alice Glass & Taylor Swift publicly called out the men who had abused or sexually harassed them this year, and it paved the way for female musicians in smaller bands to do the same.

Estrons vocalist Tali Källström used the band’s Facebook page to inform fans that Paul Draper had sent her inappropriate messages prior to their dates supporting his band, and consequently she’d decided to cancel the shows. She wrote: “I have experienced sexism, misogyny and prejudice, but this time, enough is enough. I will not pander because I want success. I was asked to sweep this under the carpet, but I can’t. I want to play alongside musicians that respect me and like me for my music and personality, not because they are sexually interested in me.” Tali is a fierce front-woman who’s not afraid to ask for more, and I hope her words have inspired other women in the industry to speak out against similar types of behaviour. (KC)

We’ve been big fans of Julie Hawk for a while now – writing songs with her band HAWK that draw attention to reproductive rights and the mistreatment of women in her Irish homeland. However, this year – in addition to continuing to create powerfully enchanting music – she started a new creative venture, ‘Female Fronted, Drawn Together’. 

Putting together a playlist of wonderful female artists, new and old, who have inspired her in some way, she created a unique illustration to accompany each song. Including some of our favourites – Bitch Falcon, Dream Nails, Skinny Girl Diet, PINS and The Julie Ruin – it’s provided the perfect, empowering soundtrack to 2017. Julie has now started the next instalment of ‘Female Fronted Drawn Together’, and we urge you to check out all her wonderful illustrations on her Instagram page.(ML) 

Listen to our Get In Her Ears Highlights Of 2017 playlist, including our Tracks Of The Year and songs from our favourite Albums Of The Year.

 

Mari Lane / @marimindles 
Kate Crudgington / @kcbobcut

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WATCH: Slowcoaches – ‘Complex’

Whilst it’s normal to agonise about the harassment and adversity that female musicians face in the industry, it’s even more important to organise and shout back against the injustice of it all – and that’s exactly what Slowcoaches bassist & vocalist Heather Perkins does on brand new single ‘Complex’.

Perkins has some insightful, valid  observations about the new track and we thought they were worth sharing in full below:

“The music industry really feeds toxic masculinity by putting male artists on a pedestal. ‘Complex’ is a response to the sexual assault allegations against artists that were in the press at the time I wrote it. There’s still a really dirty side to the industry – particularly with the encouragement and portrayal of male artists in rock music to god-like status. All too often, the system is adhering to an archaic, misogynistic interpretation of ‘punk’ that makes guys think they’re invincible, that they have an authority over women’s bodies.”

“It sweeps the artists up, way out of their depth and then there’s no one there to support them in dealing with this stuff in the right way when they eventually get called out. We came up with the concept of the video when we were talking about this – the idea of a split self – that there are parts of the personality that are always hidden from view. Pulling the curtain away, kind of peeling back those layers – the bright light exposing all the grubby stuff underneath.”

The single will be available this side of the new year on screen-printed 7” vinyl, backed by a cover of Fang’s ‘The Money Will Roll Right In’. The band are touring the UK over the next month, so check which date you can go to below, and learn the lyrics to ‘Complex’ in the meantime. Follow the band on Facebook for more updates.

Slowcoaches Oct/Nov 2017 Headline Tour:
18/10/2017 – UK, Liverpool – Shipping Forecast
19/10/2017 – UK, Manchester – Soup Kitchen
20/10/2017 – UK, Sheffield – The Rocking Chair
21/10/2017 – UK, Leeds – Lending Room
23/10/2017 – UK, Newcastle – Think Tank Underground
24/10/2017 – UK, Glasgow – Broadcast
25/10/2017 – UK, Nottingham – Bodega
27/10/2017 – UK, Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach Downstairs
28/10/2017 – UK, Exeter – Cavern – Indie Club
30/10/2017 – UK, Bristol – The Louisiana
31/10/2017 – UK, Oxford – Cellar
01/11/2017 – UK, Brighton – The Joker
02/11/2017 – UK, London – Boston Music Room

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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