Track Of The Day: Maria BC – ‘Good Before’

An atmospheric rumination inspired by the joy you can find in a moment of spontaneity, Maria BC has shared their latest single ‘Good Before’. Taken from their debut album Hyaline, which is set for release on 27th May via Fear Of Missing Out records in the UK, the track is an uplifting, ambient offering that sees the songwriter embrace a sudden influx of new inspiration.

Following on from their dreamy debut EP Devil’s Rain (2021), on Hylaine, Maria BC has created another tender collection of songs that “Let the world wash over you…rather than trying to pin it to one single thing.” This immersive quality was captured beautifully on previous single ‘The Only Thing’ but ‘Good Before’ filters these tendencies through a slightly poppier lens, whilst retaining their soothing vocals and tentative guitar picks.

“I wrote ‘Good Before’ in 2019, before any of the other songs on Hyaline — and before any of the songs on Devil’s Rain, for that matter,” Maria explains. “I put it away for a while because I thought it was too poppy, but eventually I got over that. Now it holds a special place in my heart. Some of the lyrics came to me on the highway, when the sun was starting to rise, and I was running on no sleep, just Dunkin’. It’s unusual for lyrics to come to me ~in the wild~ like this. I like to block out time to sit in a spot and write. That’s just my style. When inspiration comes to me out of nowhere, I’m immensely grateful.”

Listen to ‘Good Before’ below.

Follow Maria BC on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: Ulysses Ortega

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Scrounge – ‘This Summer’s Been Lethal’

Having continued to impress us over the last few years with both their breathtaking live energy and the unique, genre-bending sound of their recordings, South London duo Lucy and Luke – aka Scrounge – have now announced the release of their upcoming debut album, and we couldn’t be more excited. Having received acclaim from the likes of Radio X’s John Kennedy and BBC 6Music’s Steve LaMacq, they have recently shared the first taster from the album.

Flowing with a twang of rippling hooks alongside Lucy’s gritty, raw vocals, ‘This Summer’s Been Lethal‘ builds with a bewitching tension and potent beats, creating a stark, fizzing soundscape. Oozing the duo’s trademark deep stirring allure and dark, compelling energy, an added uptempo edge propels the track, inciting a small glimmer of hope in these uncertain times. A swirling, immersive wall of sound, here Scrounge have showcased how they are consistently honing their sound; adding innovative layers to create resonant, cathartic anthems for the present day.

Of the track, the band explain:

“‘This Summer’s Been Lethal’ is a retrospective track rooted in uncertainty, desperation and disappointment despite all the excitement of summer… Recorded on the hottest day of the year, we wanted to make something dismal yet danceable. With its pulsing drum patterns and ringing guitars, this track reminds the listener to persevere through the pessimism.”

Scrounge are heading to SXSW this month, and we could not be happier for them!

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Track Of The Day: Prima Queen – ‘Invisible Hand’

A melancholy, but cathartic indie tune that gently explores the raw and un-nerving nature of depression, London-based band Prima Queen have shared their latest single ‘Invisible Hand’. Released via Nice Swan Recordings and produced by The Big Moon, best friends Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden tenderly muse about the metaphorical hands that feel as if they’re dragging you down during periods of poor mental health via their swirling guitar sounds, candid lyrics and soft vocals.

Following on from their previous single ‘Chew My Cheeks‘, also produced by The Big Moon, on ‘Invisible Hand’ Prima Queen articulate a difficult but relatable emotional state with grace and humility. “The song was written at a time when I was struggling with my mental health,” the band explain. “It’s about the experience of blaming yourself for your lows and the exhaustion that comes with trying everything in your power to feel better. Depression is never your fault or your choice – it’s this outside force that isn’t you”

Moving through the motions with impressive elegance and composure, despite the sensitive nature of the track’s lyrics, Prima Queen have crafted a comforting tune that’s both poignant and easy on the ears. They allow listener’s a moment to acknowledge the difficulties of living with depression, without draining their energy or clawing at their mental health, like the ‘Invisible Hands’ the duo sing of throughout the track.

You can catch Prima Queen live supporting Wet Leg and Dream Wife on a handful of their upcoming UK tour dates, and at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton in May.

Listen to ‘Invisible Hand’ below.

Follow Prima Queen on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Proper. – ‘Huerta’

A punk-infused extrapolation on personal heritage, Brooklyn trio Proper. have shared their latest single ‘Huerta’. Taken from their upcoming album The Great American Novel, which is set for release on 25th March via Big Scary Monsters, the track dives into lead vocalist Erik Garlington’s thoughts about his unexplored Mexican heritage, punctuated by candid lyrics and thumping beats.

Formed of Garlington (vocals/guitar), Natasha Johnson (bass) and Elijah Watson (drums), Proper. have been cutting their teeth on the emo and punk underground circuits in America since 2017. Formerly known as Great Wight, Proper. noticed they were often the only queer people of colour performing in a predominantly white, heterosexual scene, which led to the creation of their new album, The Great American Novel. Described as “a concept album about how Black genius goes ignored, is relentlessly contested, or just gets completely snuffed out before it can flourish,” the record sees the trio resisting the conformity that comes with being taught to ignore your true identity and become “another dull American,” which they lament on latest single ‘Huerta’.

“We’re coming up on our third album and I realized I hadn’t written about my Mexican heritage at all,” Garlington explains. “My grandfather immigrated to the US in the 50s but died before I was born, cutting off the only tie my family has to Mexico. I grew up romanticizing it and it wasn’t until I was older, when my mom and her siblings spoke out about their dad without the filter one uses when speaking around children, that I began to critically examine what heritage and lineage meant. ‘Huerta’ is about looking at the least traveled part of your personality and day dreaming about the possibility.”

Actively evaluating his thoughts about his Mexican heritage throughout the single – “romantacise it to death / just don’t hold your breath” – Garlington and his bandmates offer listeners an insight into what it means to censor or ignore parts of yourself and the impact that can have on your own identity, as well as the wider perception of this identity in predominantly white spaces. “If these audiences are going to be a voyeur to the Black experience, I want them to hear this record and learn about our identity crises,” Garlington continues. Proper.’s unfiltered approach on ‘Huerta’ is a cathartic antidote to this voyeurism.

Listen to ‘Huerta’ below.

Follow Proper. on Apple Music, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Milla Belanich

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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