New Track: The Empty Page – ‘Level Sedentary’

In a world that moves so quickly, it’s refreshing to hear a song that praises slowness. The second single from previous GIHE headliners The Empty Page’s second album, ‘Level Sedentary’, is an empowering slice of ’90s-inspired indie rock, which applauds the time we spend doing nothing at all. 

Front person Kel explains: “I heard John Cooper Clarke say something like, you need two things to be a writer, a pen and idleness. I want to celebrate idleness in this song.” And the band certainly does. Kel’s gritty vocals are long and languid as she sings about being flat and still, buoyed further by fuzzy layers of instrumentation courtesy of guitarist Giz. 

The song’s middle section is a chaotic clash of experimental piano and doom-laden distorted guitar, reminiscent of Sonic Youth. This helps to make ‘Level Sedentary’ a whopping four and a half minutes long, so it’s far from a punchy pop banger. Instead, it’s a song that you can really bask in and savour; much like those idle, lazy days that Kel sings of.

Produced by Morton Kong, ‘Level Sedentary’ is out now.

Vic Conway
@thepicsofvic

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New Track: Weekend Recovery – ‘No Guts All The Glory’

The second track taken from their forthcoming LP Esoteric, ‘No Guts, All The Glory’ solidifies the fuzzy guitars and catchy refrains fast becoming central to Weekend Recovery’s sound. Much like their first single ‘Chemtrails’, the band’s latest release blends emotional delivery and screaming guitars that make for one hell of an earworm.

‘No Guts, All The Glory’ hits you with fierce drums right from the start. The beat comes in loud and hard, before guitars and vocals quickly ramp up to full energy and stay there. The drums are quick, the guitars are fuzzy and the vocals are so rich with feeling you can’t help but be absorbed into the narrative. In true Weekend Recovery style, the lyrics pull no punches. Without going into the he-said-she-said details, the track calls out the lies and hypocrisy of someone going out of their way to take credit for other people’s achievements – “Well don’t you wanna take the glory, someone else’s work of art!”

Two vocalists sing alternate lines, giving the track a sense of ambiguity. They could just as easily be yelling at each other as ganging up on a third subject who has offended them both. Either way, the hurt is unmissable. Both vocalists evoke utter disdain and contempt for whoever has inspired the song. They lash back in a blunt, uncompromising refusal to play along. They can acknowledge the manipulative behaviour, but rise above it and get on with their lives – “You can brag about me, I won’t talk about you”. There’s even a trace of laughter behind the words, as if mirth has become the only reaction left when watching someone try so hard and still fail to take you down.

This playful undercurrent suits the light, upbeat melody and bouncy rhythm – it makes the song a joy to listen to. The rage in it is cathartic whilst acknowledging the absurdity of people who choose to create more drama in a world that has enough problems already.

Esoteric, the upcoming album from Weekend Recovery, is set for release this Spring.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

Photo Credit: Jess Johnson

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New Track: lobby – ‘in the wall’

‘in the wall’ is the debut track from new London supergroup lobby – a collaboration made up of Lottie Pendlebury (Goat Girl) and Toby Evans-Jesra (leather.head), with trusted friend Josh Gormley on drums. As a fan of their two other bands, I was intrigued to hear this new project. 

‘in the wall’ opens with a clean ’90s midwest emo styled-guitar riff followed by a satisfyingly driving drum beat on the toms. It’s like a warm embrace and I’m instantly captivated. Pendlebury and Evans-Jesra’s soft honey-like vocal harmonies enter before she drops out and Evans-Jesra continues with a low vocal drawl, reminiscent of The National’s Matt Berninger, with a hint of Elliot Smith.

A beautifully atmospheric track, it blends folk and alternative rock – creating warm summer vibes with a hint of nostalgic melancholy, bringing to mind artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Big Thief. There are ethereal synth lines intertwining between the vocals and a fiddle-like violin part, giving it a folky flavour until – half way through the track – a sax and synth are introduced, offering the listener a pleasant surprise and adding to the already textured soundscape. The song becomes more chaotic, lifting it to an enchanting new dimension. 

The track was recorded and mixed by Jamie Neville Neville (Pumarosa, PVA) at Teeth Studios in South East London. On recording the songs Evans-Jesra explains:

“We recorded this song in 2021 with Jamie at Teeth Studios, a place we were really drawn to after hearing our friends in Gentle Stranger’s record. It had a really unique live improvised and kind of erratic sound that felt fitting for Lobby. It’s an old song of mine that Lottie and Josh brought a really fresh and creative energy to.” 

‘in the wall’ is a strong debut from lobby, who have already played gigs at iconic London venues like The Shacklewell Arms and Ivy House. Their music blends genres and times, and I will be keeping a close ear to the ground for their next release and future gigs. 


Ella Patenall
@ellapatenall

Photo Credit: Josh Evans-Jesra

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WATCH: English Teacher – ‘Song About Love’

There is so much to adore about English Teacher’s latest offering, ‘Song About Love’. So much, in fact, that they really didn’t need to win me over by bringing characters from the legendary computer game, The Sims, into the song’s video. But I’m so glad they did! My inner nerd sighed happily as I watched pixelated people shimmy to front-person Lily Fontaine’s soaring, melodic vocal, buoyed by a pounding post-punk bassline. 

Released on the cult Speedy Wunderground label, ‘Song About Love’ explores the romance you can find in the mundane, or, in Fontaine’s words, it’s about “doing the chores instead of doing someone else”. It’s produced by Speedy Wunderground’s Dan Carey and feels more polished and elevated than the Leeds-based band’s earlier work. The simple, repetitive lyrics – along with the sparkling synth and production – make for a proper pop song, which you can imagine blaring out of speakers all summer long. 

‘Song About Love’ is English Teacher’s first release of 2023 and it really announces the band as ones to watch this year. With this banger under their belts, they’re ready to build on the momentum they kick-started in 2022 – following high-profile support slots and the release of their debut EP. And I can’t wait to see them rise!

Watch the fantastic, Sims-inspired, video for ‘Song About Love’ here:


Vic Conway
@thepicsofvic

Photo Credit: Tatiana Pozuelo

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