Five Favourites: Ailsa Tully

Following acclaim for previous singles ‘Greedy’ and ‘Parasite’ from the likes of The Line Of Best Fit and Clash Magazine, Welsh artist and GIHE fave Ailsa Tully has now announced the release of her upcoming EP, Holy Isle – due out in September. Taken from the EP, recent single ‘Sheets‘ insightfully reflects on those first moments of waking, as your senses gradually start to stir whilst limbs stretch amid the crisp white linen. Combining lilting melodies with Tully’s crystalline, honey-sweet vocals, it oozes an immersive, delicate emotion and sparkling grace. With a heartfelt splendour, it offers an exquisite slice of folk-strewn indie, resonating with a glistening allure and subtle, yet stirring, sentiment. We can’t hear to the EP very soon!

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the upcoming EP, we caught up with Ailsa to ask about her “Five Favourites” – five songs that she loves the most. Check out her choices below and scroll down to listen to the uniquely captivating ‘Sheets’.

Rozi Plain – ‘Conditions’
Let’s start with this one because it’s a sonic masterpiece. I love how relaxed it is, how fluttery and flighty the synth parts are, the simple directness of the lyrics, and the grounding repetition of the bass riff. It has a wondrous quality like you are an (extremely calm) child on a day out, observing a blustery day by the beach.


Hildegard von Bingen – ‘Spiritus Sanctus Vivificans’
Hildegard von Bingen was a German Benedictine Abbess around in the 10th century and is one of the best-known composers of sacred monophony as well as being a respected writer, philosopher and mystic. I am so intrigued by her, a prolifically creative woman in the Middle Ages who was actually recognised for her work. Her music has an incredible purity and is so evocative of an ancient sacredness which I often feel I need to tap into. It reminds me of walking in the mountains in Wales where I grew up.


Joni Mitchell -‘Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow’
I listened to the album Hissing of Summer Lawns countless times with my Dad in the car. This was where I first fell in love with Joni’s lyrics and her ability to paint these incredible pictures of people and social situations. The power of her emotion and her voice just cut right through, coupled with these incredibly unusual arrangements. Every element is good enough to have made it amazing by itself. Me and Dad would talk about it on many journeys, extremely fond memories.


Sudan Archives – ‘Come Meh Way’
I am a cellist and spent a while trying to work out how to incorporate the cello into my live set up… In the end I gave up and turned to the bass. Sudan Archives made me wish I hadn’t. How she performs with a violin and how she uses it to accompany her voice is so unique to her, very mesmerising. She gets a really cool scratchy, earthy tone and puts it through loads of pedals. Catch her live if you can!

Caroline Polachek – ‘So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings’
I listened to this song all the time when I started dating my boyfriend. It reminds me of feeling all that crazy joyful excitement. It’s just a great pop song!


Thanks so much to Ailsa for sharing her Five Favourites with us! Listen to latest single ‘Sheets’ below:

Holy Isle, the upcoming EP from Ailsa Tully, is set for release 1st September via Dalliance Recordings.

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FIVE FAVOURITES: Phé

Inspired by the unpredictability of modern life and the captivating electronic sounds of La Roux and New Order, Yorkshire-born, South London-based songwriter & producer Phé has recently shared her new EP, Moodboard. Blending her lush vocals with catchy beats, she’s created a collection of alt-pop soundscapes that meander through themes of self-acceptance and personal growth.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with Phé to ask her about her “Five Favourites” – five songs that have inspired the music on her new EP. Check out her choices below and scroll down to listen to her Moodboard at the end of this post.

1. The Strokes – ‘Soma’
It was difficult to pick a favourite Strokes song, most of their lyrics resonate with me, but this one stands out at the moment because I can’t seem to stop playing it. I appreciate songwriters who are aware that they are flawed, especially those who don’t sugar-coat it in their lyrics. Whether they aim to resolve their flaws or not isn’t necessarily what’s important, but it’s their desire to creatively articulate what their weaknesses are in a way that people can relate to that I find inspiring. There’s so much passion and anger in Julian Casablancas’ voice and for some reason whenever I hear it I feel so overwhelmed that I well up, no matter how many times I listen to it. It could be something to do with nostalgia because they narrated most of my childhood, or maybe it’s the fact you can tell there’s so much pain behind it, but the way Casablancas sings just feels incredibly authentic.

2. The Cure – ‘Just Like Heaven’
Love songs are wonderful things and I find it so interesting how timeless they can become through people’s personal experiences of them. This is one of my favourites of all time and I always tend to re-visit it when I’m busy romanticizing my own life in short bursts. Writing songs is such a personal experience, and it’s difficult to not recoil in despair when you listen back to what you’ve made sometimes, usually because you know you’re listening to how you actually feel rather than distracting yourself at all costs. ‘Just Like Heaven’ reminds me that it’s nothing to be ashamed of to express how you feel in your lyrics. It’s easy to get in your own head when you’re working on a project and I often forget that when someone listens to my music they’ll be having their own completely unique emotional response and I find that pretty comforting.

3. La Roux – ‘Let Me Down Gently’
It would have felt like one big whopping lie if I didn’t add La Roux as one of the main influences for this EP. Her approach to song-writing has been a real inspiration since I stopped writing songs with a guitar and moved towards a more electronic sound. I found it quite difficult to establish the kind of music I wanted to create at first and always felt like I was restricting myself, and the fact I wasn’t great at guitar probably didn’t help. Once I started using synths and making beats it pushed me in the direction that I’d been trying to go in, and it finally started to sound like my lyrics were matching the instrumentation. I find her style effortless with how she manages to be completely raw and direct in her lyrics, at times verging on cynical, alongside these really catchy synth melodies that are so simple but so effective. She manages to paint a world that is colourfully futuristic whilst staying honest with herself and the people around her, and that’s is the kind of world I want to live in.

4. Orange Juice – ‘Rip It Up’
I think anyone who makes music finds it incredibly frustrating sometimes because it’s a challenge to articulate yourself when there’s so many different ways you could do it. I didn’t really have much of an idea where I was going to go stylistically with this EP at first, but I was listening to a lot of folk and 80’s music at the time I was writing it and I guess that guided me through. As frustrating as it is, I also love the trial and error process of song-writing, and I took on the whole ripping-it-up-and-starting-again concept quite seriously because that’s what I did half-way through, and I’m glad I did because once I started re-writing it that’s when my thoughts started to come together and I had more of an idea of what I needed to say and how I wanted to say it.

5. Sudan Archives – ‘Come Meh Way’
Sometime last year I was listening to Sudan Archives on a walk round the moors in Yorkshire and I thought “God, I would kill to be able to play like that.” I ran home and dusted off my Mum’s old violin that was hibernating in the attic and started to teach myself. I’ve never heard anyone play the violin like Brittney Denise Parks, something about it is so haunting and atmospheric and adds a dimension to her songs that makes them so unique, and every time I listen to her I feel so moved. I love how her lyrics and violin seem to speak to each-other, and in this track her lyrics are rounded and gentle compared to this piercing violin arrangement – together it just produces such a mesmerizing sound and it definitely influenced elements of Moodboard.

Thanks to Phé for sharing her favourites with us!
Listen to Phé’s Moodboard EP below.

Photo Credit: Anna Rakhvalova

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PLAYLIST: January 2018

The festive period is over and we’re almost seven whole days in to 2018. Where did the time go? Who knows? The only thing we really know is our shiny new January playlist is well worth investing some listening time in. Chuck it on while you’re at your brand new gym, cooking up that healthy new dinner, or simply not surrendering to the overwhelming pressure that surrounds the ‘NEW YEAR NEW ME’ outlook…

The Big Moon – ‘Happy New Year’
2017 was a tough year, but it would’ve been tougher without our favourite garage-rockers The Big Moon. Their laid back anthems have covered love, loss, and “pull(ing) the other one”; and ‘Happy New Year’ is the perfect ambivalent alternative to ‘Auld Lang Syne’. Plus, there’s a suave dance routine you can mimic in their music video. All you need is a suit and some sass. (Kate Crudgington)

The Distillers – ‘I Am A Revenant’ 
“Another year has passed and I’m alright…”
Not going to lie, I’ve been pretty obsessed with Brody Dalle since first hearing Sing Sing Death House as a hormone-filled sixteen year old back in 2002. Her impassioned growl, ferocious snarl, and punk-inspired swagger was the perfect raging accompaniment to the trials and tribulations of teenage-dom. So, I was gushing with excitement to see The Distillers’ teaser this week for new material coming up in 2018 because even now, as a slightly more balanced thirty-one year old, I’m still in need of a raging accompaniment to life. (Mari Lane)

Pumarosa – ‘Sacerdotisa’
London electro-post-punk five-piece Pumarosa have released a new Spanish version of their debut single ‘Priestess’. In an interview with Q, vocalist Isabel Munoz-Newsome said: “politically, there’s this separatist theme and the Spanish government is shutting it down in a violent way. You can’t just shut down an opinion…I hope that this will translate and they’ll hear them.” I loved the original and I love this version. 2018 will no doubt hold a lot of political change and we definitely need a soundtrack for that. (Tash Walker)

Pretenders – ‘I Hate Myself’
Drank a life-ruining amount of gin on New Years Eve? Failed to start your new exercise routine? Considering signing up to Tinder again because you don’t want to die alone? Just me? Ah, sod all that ‘NEW YEAR NEW ME’ nonsense. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of self-deprecation, especially when you’re being schooled in it by rock n roll’s finest: Chrissie Hynde. (KC)

Green Pitch – ‘New Year Departure’
I came across Green Pitch in 2009 because I was mad about a band called The River Phoenix, and their lead singer provides the male vocals on this morose, melodic call and response track. It’s a bit heavy on the heart-strings, but give the rest of Green Pitch’s stuff a listen if you like melancholy, alternative sounds. (KC)

Camera Obscura – ‘New Year’s Resolution’
Whilst not a new song, I couldn’t not include this beautifully reflective offering from Camera Obscura’s epic 2013 album Desire Lines as we venture into 2018, and I vow – as I do every year – to “write something of value”. This heartfelt track gets me every time, especially since the tragic loss of Carey Lander over two years ago. (ML)

Sudan Archives – ‘Come Meh Way’
Sudan Archives is the music project from Brittney Denise Parks, a self-taught violinist, vocalist and producer – citing influencers from Sudanese fiddlers to experimental electronica. The almost unemotional vocals layered on top of the West-African folk fiddle, mixed in with percussion from hand-claps to tambourine, make this a concoction I’ve not come across before, and I can’t get this track out of my head. (TW)

Night Shades – ‘Caveman Crawl’
Formed back in 2014 when Shaun Blackwell and Clare McNamara arrived in London from New Zealand and met drummer Niall Kavanagh, Night Shades released their Evil Dreams EP in October last year. Taken from the EP, ‘Caveman Crawl’ is a raw, explosive blast of grunge-inspired rock ‘n’ roll. A hauntingly alluring offering that leaves us excited for what this promising band have to offer in 2018. (ML)

Witch Fever – ‘Carpet Asphyxiation’ 
I just love the raw, frenzied cacophony and shrieking vocals of this explosive track from Manchester based grunge-punk band. Describing themselves as “making noise with our big muffs”, Witch Fever will be headlining our first live night at The Finsbury of 2018 next Friday, 12th January, and we could not be more excited! (ML)

The Nyx – ‘Only One’
We are so excited to have The Nyx performing alongside Witch Fever at The Finsbury on the 12th, and we can’t wait to hear this new track live in the flesh. The band are going to be releasing a new tune to coincide with the appearance of every full moon this year, so keep your eyes peeled for more releases from these talented, tenacious women. ‘Only One’ isn’t up on Spotify yet, so listen to it below. (KC)

Rage Against The Machine – ‘War Within A Breath’
Whilst Zach De La Rocha’s lyric “Everything can change, on a New Year’s Day” is a direct reference to the date the Zapatistas revolted against the Mexican government in 1994, it’s  the perfect mantra for anyone who thinks 2018 is the year to become more politically engaged. If I can learn this tiny piece of background info about ‘War Within A Breath’ from a quick Google search, there’s no excuse for us not to switch ourselves on to politics in 2018. Let’s not have a repeat of 2017 (please?) (KC)

Soundgarden – ‘The Day I Tried To Live’
The start of a new year often causes us to reflect on those we’ve lost over the last twelve months. For me, personally, Chris Cornell passing away in 2017 was massively affecting. I heard the news the same day I was diagnosed with Endometriosis, and immediately turned to the majestic dark solace of his creations, just as I had on first falling in love with him as a discombobulated teen. I find this track from 1994’s Superunknown particularly poignant; and the suicide of musicians such as Cornell and Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington recently, a real wake up call to the issue of mental health in the industry. (ML)

Moglebaum – ‘Phone’
Moglebaum are a five-piece electronic act from Germany, and ‘Phone’ is taken from their upcoming record Grown Heat. It’s an ever-changing electronic track whose samples, beats and vocals deliver something new each time I listen. This is the perfect track to slip into during the dark first month of 2018 – January, we’ve got you. Self-defined as “Organic Electronic” could these guys be the 2018 trend we’ve all been looking for? Get listening and get talking. (TW)

Bloom Twins – ‘Talk To Me’
Teaming up with charities to raise awareness of pressing issues is not a new concept for the Bloom Twins. 2015 saw the twins joining forces with UNICEF, covering John Lennon’s iconic ‘Imagine’, in a campaign for children’s rights across the globe. This time, they’re combining action with their harmony-strewn electro-pop with latest single ‘Talk To Me’, in which they raise awareness of the importance of talking about mental health. (ML)

Poppy Ackroyd – ‘The Calm Before’
Composer Poppy Ackroyd, is a trained pianist, violinist and producer, and this track is taken from her upcoming album Resolve (released on 26th Jan via One Little Indian Records). ‘The Calm Before’ is almost entirely made up of clarinet sounds, even the percussion was created using layers of clicking clarinet and bass clarinet keys, starting with a looped and chopped rhythm taken from an improvisation that appears throughout. I think it’s breathtakingly beautiful, and I can’t wait for the album. (TW)

David Bowie – ‘Lady Grinning Soul’
The world lost the Starman two years ago in January 2016, and I’m still not over it. Whilst picking a favourite song from Bowie’s diverse and impeccable discography is always a struggle, I’ve chosen ‘Lady Grinning Soul’ because it was one of the first tracks that struck a chord with me when I arrived (very late) to the Bowie-loving party. (KC)

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