Track Of The Day: Emma Kupa – ‘Nawlins’

Having recently announced her upcoming debut solo album, and following last single ‘Nothing At All’, Emma Kupa has now shared ‘Nawlins’. Already a big fan of her band Mammoth Penguins, I’m no less in love with Kupa’s solo material, and this latest offering showcases why. 

Inspired by a period of travel and meeting new people, ‘Nawlins’ flows with lilting, folk-strewn melodies and Kupa’s distinctive raw vocals. Filled with a reflective, heartfelt lyrical storytelling and effervescent uptempo musicality, it builds with glistening whirring hooks to a stirring slice of perfect indie-pop. Of the track, Emma explains: 

“‘Nawlins’ is a song about a period when I was travelling around a fair bit visiting family for various reasons – a wedding, a elderly relative with cancer (see my song Katie NYC) and I’d end up hanging out with fun people I was put in touch with through friends and family here in the UK. It’s always good to know someone in a new place who can show you round, especially if you’re on your own.”

I just can’t get enough of the sunny yet reflective chiming offerings of Emma Kupa, and truly find everything she creates to be blissfully soothing and subtly uplifting.

‘Nawlins’ also features on Jeanie Finlay’s documentary about Indietracks – aka the loveliest festival in the world. And listening to this song just leaves me longing to sit in the damp grass in Derbyshire, local beer in hand; the sound of owls, steam trains and dreamy indie-pop wafting through the air. Bring on 2021…

Made with the help of Emma’s neighbour Sara (and her dance students), and edited by Darren Hayman, watch the beautifully choreographed new video for ‘Nawlins’ here: 


Listen to ‘Nawlins’ on Spotify now. It Will Come Easier, the debut solo album from Emma Kupa, is out 18th September via Fika Recordings. 

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Debbie at Wolf James Photography

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Track Of The Day: Dream Nails – ‘This Is The Summer’

Both an energetic and a sardonic insight into the climate crisis we’re currently facing, feminist punk witches Dream Nails have shared their latest single ‘This Is The Summer’. Lifted from their upcoming self-titled debut album which is set for release on the 28th August via Alcopop! Records, the band prove once again that their activism is as sharp and essential as their riotous punk sounds on this latest offering.

“‘This Is The Summer’ is a song about how our climate is breaking down irreversibly,” explains Dream Nails vocalist Janey Starling. “Colonial capitalism, waged by UK governments and corporations for centuries, has ravaged our earth. We need to be urgently fighting for migrant rights so the UK welcomes climate refugees displaced by countries hit by extreme weather. We must demand transparency from oil companies who relentlessly put profit before people, even as the world burns.”

Starling’s vision is passionately and equally shared by her band mates Anya Pearson (guitar), Mimi Jasson (bass) and Lucy Katz (drums), who all play humorous parts in the track’s accompanying video. Directed by Guen Murroni and filmed with a women, non-binary and trans crew, the footage is a fast-paced blend of shots from recent protests in London, the band parodying newsreaders, and a live performance they filmed in a scrapyard during the August 2020 heatwave.

Pearson elaborates on the context of both the track and the video: “We wrote ‘This Is The Summer’ in the heatwave of 2018, recorded it in another heatwave in 2019 and now we are releasing it in yet another heatwave! Our video for the track shows how the current pandemic, white supremacy and climate change are not separate issues but interlinked. The song is about the brazen complacency of getting drunk and catching a tan in the park while the world burns.”

Fuelled by the need to change the world around them and inspire others to do so, Dream Nails will be celebrating the release of their debut album with a live stream performance on the 5th September. You can join in the fun by pre-ordering the album, which will also get you a link to the party (pre-order link here).

Watch the video for ‘This Is The Summer’ below and follow Dream Nails on bandcamp, Facebook and Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Bitch Falcon – ‘Test Trip’

A rapturous blend of urgent riffs and charged percussion, Dublin trio Bitch Falcon have shared their latest single ‘Test Trip’. Lifted from their debut album Staring At Clocks, which is set for release via Brighton label Small Pond on 6th November, the band seamlessly blend the heavy and melodic together to create a cathartic slice of shoegaze inspired sound.

Formed of Lizzie Fitzpatrick (vocals/guitar), Barry O’Sullivan (bass) and Nigel Kenny (drums), Bitch Falcon have been firm favourites of GIHE since they played live for us at The Finsbury Pub with Trash Kit in 2017. Since then, they’ve shared stages with the likes of Girl Band, Fontaines DC, Torche, Black Peaks, and Pussy Riot.

Exploring the fleeting feelings of running away and escaping your situation, ‘Test Trip’ is a formidable fluctuation of loud and quiet, filled with equal parts soothing and abrasive elements. Listen to the track below and follow Bitch Falcon on Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Order Bitch Falcon’s debut album Staring At Clocks here.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Blonde Maze – ‘Not All Flowers Bloom’

Having been a huge fan of New York artist and previous guest on our radio show Blonde Maze for a long while now, I was excited to see that she has shared a brand new single.

Reflecting on the realisation that even though something is beautiful, it may not last forever, ‘Not All Flowers Bloom’ is an an utterly dreamy offering. As chiming beats and twinkling hooks accompany the beautifully luscious vocals, a truly euphoric electro-pop soundscape is created. Of the track, Blonde Maze expands: 

“Something may grow but not fully bloom. This song is about the acceptance and awareness of that realization. The cover art is a girl watering a flower that’s dying, trying to revive it. But she’s also looking out into the field of blooming flowers, because she knows in the back of her mind, her blooming flower is somewhere out there.”

‘Not All Flowers Bloom’ is a perfect example of Blonde Maze’s knack for creating exquisite soundscapes. I could listen to everything she creates on a loop forever – I just find her music so completely calming and blissfully cathartic. Essential listening for these anxiety-inducing times. 

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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