Track Of The Day: SPIDER – ‘U GET HIGH / I GET NOTHING’

A dark, atmospheric reflection on the imbalance of emotions in an unequal relationship, London-based, Irish musician & producer SPIDER has shared her latest single ‘U GET HIGH / I GET NOTHING’. Taken from her recent debut mixtape C.O.A. (Coming Of Age), the track is a raw, relatable rumination on being taken for granted by someone you cared for, explored through emotive vocals, brooding electronics and confessional lyrics.

Born and raised in Dublin, twenty-two year old SPIDER harnesses the strong feminine energy of the arachnid she’s named after as a totemic symbol through which she can explore her own emotional resilience. She struggled growing up in a Catholic household as a young Nigerian girl in a predominately white country, but creating music provided her with an outlet for her most unfiltered thoughts. Now, with her mixtape and new single, she continues this narrative of breaking down barriers to share her truth and she does so with provocative flair.

Refusing to be stereotyped by producers and other music industry folk who assumed she was an R&B artist because of her skin colour, SPIDER exerts full autonomy over her music, taking on production duties and coming up with the visuals and aesthetics for all of her releases. On C.O.A, she filters her experiences through a dark-pop, angsty lens to prove that growing up – and fucking up – is a universal experience.

“Activities like drinking and partying are tagged as ‘coming of age’ when white kids do it but demonized when kids of colour do it,” SPIDER comments. “We deserve the right to experience our youth and find ourselves. C.O.A is what that felt like for me, and my hope is that other people of colour will listen to it, hear a situation they’ve been through, and maybe it’ll become their own coming of age moment.”

Listen to ‘U GET HIGH / I GET NOTHING’ below.

Follow SPIDER on Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Beauty Sleep – ‘I Love It Here I Hate It’

In an infectious, fantastic overhaul of alt-pop, Belfast duo Cheylene and Ryan – aka Beauty Sleep – capture our undivided attention with their most recent single ‘I Love It Here I Hate It‘. Fresh off of their SXSW debut, the excitable nature of Beauty Sleep is infectious throughout the track in such an earnest way. 

The band’s shimmering pop disposition paired with irresistible melodic grooves make for a sonic setting that immediately pulls us in, and never lets go. Delving into a discussion of duality, Beauty Sleep drench their art-pop nature with a fresh palette of enchanting string instrumentation that makes ‘I Love It Here I Hate It’ its own universe. Draped alongside deep synth beds, twinkling guitar leads and danceable bass lines, Beauty Sleep facilitates an energising mix oozing a rich orchestral splendour.

Personal voice samples layered into the track furthers the vastness of Beauty Sleep’s vision, creating an intimate touch on a song that otherwise feels universal. The humanity of duality throughout ‘I Love It Here I Hate It’ seeps from every note. As the illustrious, soaring vocals explain “I used to be the one who wanted to get out… Now I’m grown I just wanna be home”, we feel the band’s vulnerability become cathartic. What first feels like a guilty confession, the phrase “I Love It Here I Hate It” gains validation, and then ultimately celebration by the track’s end. 

Beauty Sleep have meticulously captured a journey of reflection, realisation and acceptance in ‘I Love It Here I Hate It’. Of the track, they explain:

“We are all so in-between, all our identities are uncertain. And I think that makes us so powerful and we should celebrate it, rather than letting it ruin our self-esteem. It’s about trying to claim our own identities and inspire others to do the same. There is power in that. There Is power in owning who you are, and connecting with others through your complicated identity.”

Jillian Goyeau
@jillybxxn

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Track Of The Day: Breakup Haircut – ‘Out Of My Way (I’m Not Getting On The Nightbus)’

Having wowed us live with their scuzzy, joyous punk-pop at our January gig at The Victoria, First Timers Fest alumni Breakup Haircut have now announced the release of their debut album, which we could not be more excited about!

Taken from the album, latest single ‘Get Out Of My Way (I’m Not Getting On The Nightbus)‘ offers an ode to those of us who may not be too fond of big social gatherings. Flowing with a jangly, uplifting energy, it oozes a snarly wit as the band’s colourful charisma shines through. Another example showcasing Breakup Haircut’s ability to combine a radiant sparkling charm with a striking relatable poignancy. Of the track, Ishani from the band explains:

“I bill this as a song about hating parties, but I don’t actually hate parties. I just hate that I have to deal with the dichotomy of FOMO or being out past midnight and having to spend four hours or £60 (or both) getting home. I have held the belief for a while now that the best amount of people is four or less, so this song is in the spirit of that.”

Watch the quirky new video for ‘Out Of My Way (I’m Not Getting On The Nightbus)’ here:


Punk Dancing for Self Defence, the debut album from Breakup Haircut, is out on 15th July via Reckless Yes.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Akil Kanukuntla

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Track Of The Day: EFÉ -‘KIWI’

A laid back, breezy mix of dreamy vocals and hazy guitar riffs, Dublin based musician Anita Ikharo aka EFÉ has shared her latest single ‘KIWI’. Taken from her upcoming EP, VITAMIN-C, which is set for release in June, the track is a charming slice of indie pop that showcases the young artist’s ear for catchy melodies and sees her fully relaxing into her songwriting capabilities.

Co-produced with her best friend who.killed.romeo and mixed by Ben Baptie (Rex Orange County, Little Simz, Moses Sumney), ‘KIWI’ is EFÉ’s first new release since her 2020 self-made debut EP, What Should We Do This Summer?. Featuring singles ‘Garden’ and ‘Table For Two’, the record propelled EFÉ into the spotlights of the London and Miami music scenes, an experience that overwhelmed, but did not deter her from writing the songs for VITAMIN-C – with ‘KIWI’ being the first taste of what fans can expect from the record.

Accompanied by a music video which was conceptualised, directed and edited by EFÉ and her friends, the visuals reflect the artist’s fears about being unprepared and insecure in a situation she’s not entirely comfortable with. Full of bright colours and playful imagery, the footage beautifully underscores ‘KIWI’s buoyant sound.

“The video has a storyline of a girl who goes camping, she’s brought her laptop, fairy lights and cute magazines, but she can’t light a fire or even hunt for food,” EFÉ explains. “She is super scared cause she sees a bear but then she falls in love with the bear. It was definitely hard to make because it was very necessary that the right location was chosen as well as the right bear costume and right people to work with. I did cry a whole lot, scared nothing would come out right. I had so much fear around the video because of the huge pressure I put on myself to make it good. I also worked on some of the editing and colour grading so there was a lot I had creative control over. I think it was worth it in the end though and shows that hard work and the right people around can really pay off!”

Being around the right people has helped EFÉ blossom into the indie pop artist she is, something which was also aided by reading Rachel Chinouriri’s open letter to the music industry – in which she explained how she has been consistently and wrongly stereotyped as an R&B artist throughout her career – in January this year. Inspired by Rachel Chinouriri words, EFÉ simply wants to make her own music without the incorrect input of those who are clearly not listening to her music.

Listen to ‘Kiwi’ below.

Follow EFÉ on Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Tik Tok

Photo Credit: Adam Kelleher

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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