LISTEN: Sheherazaad – ‘Dhund Lo Mujhe’

Having fallen completely in love with American composer and vocalist Sheharazaad last year, with her spellbinding debut single ‘Mashoor‘ being one of my tracks of 2023, I’m so glad to hear that she’ll be releasing her full album, Qasr, next month. Having grown in up in San Francisco in a second generation immigrant household, the Brooklyn based artist focuses on themes of displacement and diaspora throughout the album, whilst fusing together influences from both Western classical music and her own South Asian sonic lineage through her exquisite interwoven soundscapes.

Our second taste of the album comes in the form of colourful new single ‘Dhund Lo Mujhe‘. Propelled by uptempo danceable melodies and sweeping strings, as Sheherazaad’s rich vocals soar throughout, it ripples with a glistening splendour. As stirring waves of sound intertwine with a somewhat buoyant energy, the track’s celebratory tone is at once juxtaposed with a disconcerting undercurrent. A swirling rich cacophony twinkling with a captivating allure, exuding a stark reminder to embrace our own unique joy in the face of damaging stereotypes. Of the track, Sheherazaad explains:

“For me, it brings up this circus of the insane, carnival of the unhappy… It suggests a very specific insanity, that of the immigrant experience. There is implied bloodshed, glamour, hallucination, and schizophrenia... This <song> is about delighting in our wickedness, especially as gender expansive people, where we’ve previously had little control over our sonic narrative in Hindi and Urdu music.”

Produced by Arooj Aftab, and featuring an array of talented international musicians such as Basma Edrees (Egypt), Gilbert Mansour (Lebanon) and Firas Zreik (Palestine), Qasr is set for release on 1st March via Erased Tapes. Pre-order here.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Zayira Ray

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WATCH: Loose Articles – ‘I’d Rather Have A Beer’

Following acclaim from the likes of Craig Charles on BBC 6Music and John Kennedy at Radio X for last year’s EP Chaos, and set to share the stage with Foo Fighters this summer, Manchester band Loose Articles have now announced the release of their debut album later this year.

Our first taste of the album, ‘I’d Rather Have A Beer‘, roars into existence with fuzzy guitar riffs and a bouncy, upbeat rhythm that is instantly catchy. 

The lyrics, delivered in an amazingly dry Mancunian accent, begin reflectively. The opening lines reminisce about the diets and parties of youth, narrowing in on the way teenage girls shape their lives and themselves with the primary aim of impressing boys who wouldn’t make the same effort back. The high energy beat and sense of humour in the vocals give a clear impression that these memories are invoked with some fondness, but nonetheless that they are best left in the past.

The music drops away for the chorus to really drive home the key message of the track: “Now that my thoughts are clear / Instead of you / I’d rather have a beer”. It directly addresses every unsatisfying hook-up from their past and makes it clear that whatever influence they used to have is long gone. Their opinion doesn’t matter, they’re not getting what they want, they are being left behind with the other regrets.

The song as a whole is a warning – about relationships that aren’t going anywhere and people who won’t make the same effort for you that they expect from you. It’s about investing your time and energy into something that has no chance of ever paying off. A reminder to stick with the people who love you and have your back, and to cast aside the time-wasters in favour of a nice drink. It recognises the lingering impact of early connections with the line “high school foolishness affects you when you’re older”, but reminds you that you’re not alone.

There is a real feeling of solidarity about the song. You can feel a bond forming with the band over the shared experience of frustration and the hard lessons you learned from the naive decisions you made in your youth. The joy of the racing musicality invites you to laugh about those embarrassing moments from before you knew better, knowing that you make better choices now.

A perfect, post-punk ode to prioritising your own self worth, having fun with with your pals (over a nice pint) and moving on with your life. Watch the wonderfully chaotic new video here:

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

Photo Credit: Sinead Ferguson

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WATCH: Alice SK – ‘On The Road’

Having received acclaim from the likes of BBC 6Music’s Steve LaMacq, London-based alt-folk artist Alice SK has now unleashed new aspects of her musical spectrum with twisted music video for latest release ‘On The Road’. The song and video brilliantly tell the cautionary tale of a toxic relationship, taking us on an emotional rollercoaster as the cracks start to show. 

The scene is set with slow, soft keys and SK’s luscious, smokey vocals, but as song escalates around the emotional chorus – “Momma says he’ll take my heart, turn it to ash / I’m on the road…” – we begin to realise she is trapped. As the romance turns sour in the second verse, we’re able to feel her pain as the tempo increases when she battles with her inner voices and towards the realisation that “there’s no turning back” from the choices she has to make to regain her power.

Juxtaposing a lilting folk-strewn musicality with a hauntingly poignant raw emotion and sense of foreboding, ‘On The Road’ showcases Alice SK’s beautifully resonant lyrical storytelling perfectly.

Watch the eerie, Seb Gilmore directed, new video for ‘On The Road’ here:

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

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New Track: Ski Lift – ‘Double Yellow’

‘Double Yellow‘ is the latest single by Ski Lift, the project of Welsh born/Croydon-based songwriter Benji Tranter with Elizabeth Walsh on bass and vocals and Adam Fletcher on drums. With its nostalgic sound, enchanting melody, and evocative lyrics, it captivated me on first listen.

The music kicks off with a gritty, grunge-infused strumming of rhythm guitars accompanied by a cool drum groove. The soft vocals gracefully float atop the guitar, while a subtle low harmony accentuates the main vocal line with a touch of melancholy. Eventually, the track drops, with the drums adopting a richer and warmer tone and the track builds for a big chorus marked by a fuzz-laden guitar chop followed by the lyric hook “my little universe” – underscoring the theme of our shrinking world during lockdown – a line you just have to sing along with. As a call-and-response melody follows, the guitars step back to give the vocals a central spotlight.

With shades of ’90s bands like Weezer, whose influence is easy to hear, the track also brings to mind more contemporary artists like Soccer Mommy and Palehound. 

A song written over lockdown, it captures the newfound fascination in the mundane and ordinary that we felt over that time, confined indoors with little to do but embark on our daily walks. The song paints vivid images of common-place things that often escape our notice in ‘normal’ daily life. Of the lyrics, Tranter explains:

“During the lockdown of 2021, I explored my local area on foot most days – Broad Green, Waddon Marsh (overshadowed by the giant gasworks which have since been torn down) and Wandle Park. I became familiar with, and fond of, many little details and aspects I hadn’t noticed in busier times. I felt strange knowing that when life sped back up, I might not see those places again in the same way.”

Having shared a stage with bands such as Holiday Ghosts, ARXX and Mary in the Junkyard, Ski Lift have already received radio play and support from the likes of BBC 6Music’s Tom Robinson and Radio X’s John Kennedy, demonstrating they are a band not to be ignored.

Watch a beautiful live session of ‘Double Yellow’ that the band recorded for Sub Cat Records; really highlighting their tight musicianship and the intricate harmonies they’re able to create.


Catch Ski Lift live on 29th March at The Cavendish Arms’ London Indie Pop Weekender – get tickets here.

Ella Patenall
@ellapatenall

Photo Credit: Jas Kisbee

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