PREMIERE: ROE – ‘I Dare You’

Embracing the rush of relief that comes with letting go of unexpected or difficult emotions while you’re in transit, Northern Irish songwriter ROE has shared her latest single ‘I Dare You’. Released via The Music Federation, the track is based on ROE’s own experience of being a touring musician and the balancing act of enjoying these precious opportunities, whilst trying not to be overwhelmed with exhaustion.

“‘I Dare You’ is about all the unpredictable emotions that show up when spending days on end together on the road as musicians,” ROE elaborates on her new single. “It’s an incredibly testing side of this industry that fans don’t get to see. The frustration and tears and uncontrollable laughter. Some days it’s such a joy and other days all you want is to be back in your own bed. It’s always worth it but it’s not always easy. The inevitable drives between shows and home are so ridiculous and difficult and new every time. Staying awake so nobody drives alone and the inescapable stop at the closest McD’s are constant but so much happens in that space.”

Underscored by driving beats, observational lyrics and her clear vocals, ROE’s new single is a snapshot of joyful unrest, which builds to an anthemic chorus full of trumpet fanfares. With ‘I Dare You’, ROE has crafted her own brand of “existential indie-pop,” finding catharsis in surrendering to the pressures of life in its more testing moments, and celebrating it in all its raw, unfiltered glory.

ROE will be performing live tonight (31st) at the Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast.

Listen to ‘I Dare You’ below.

 

Follow ROE on Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Photo Credit: Megan Doherty 

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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PREMIERE: Cosmic Ninja – ‘Lies’

Formed in 2016, and with acclaim from the likes of Kerrang! Radio and Tom Robinson at BBC 6Music, Cosmic Ninja have now announced the release of a new EP. Formed of Tamsin Cullum, Jonny Angelini, Robin De Wandelear and Danny Watts, the Bristol band pride themselves on their riotous, queer punk energy, and have previously wowed crowds at events such as Glastonbury Calling, Unite Against Hate and BBC 6Music Fringe Festival.

Taken from the upcoming EP, new single ‘Lies’ fizzes with a gritty, relentless energy. A politically-charged, raging statement of intent against the corrupt Capitalist society in which we live, it builds with a seething power to a sizzling, angst-driven climax. Fusing together the vocals of Tamsin Cullum and Jonny Angelini, alongside immense whirring hooks and frenzied beats, with a racing sense of urgency, it offers an explosive call to arms that’ll leave you – fists-clenched – ready to take on the world with more of Cosmic Ninja’s fierce, electro-punk anthems.

Of the track, the band explain:

“‘Lies’ is about the dishonesty and corruption rife in UK politics. The endless lies and lack of integrity has reached an extreme level… Politics has lost sight of trying to make a better place for everyone and, instead, those with influence climb to the top and pull up the ladder by any means necessary… In most lines of work, you would be held accountable for lies, but, for politicians, it seems acceptable practice… This song is about calling out those lies, seeing through the misconception and positively challenging those walking blindly through corruption.”

Listen to ‘Lies’, for the first time, here:

Dissident Transmission, the upcoming new EP from Cosmic Ninja, is set for release on 8th April.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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PREMIERE: SUSU – ‘Slow Death’

Breathing new life into a rock and roll classic, New York outfit SUSU have shared their new single ‘Slow Death’, a cover of the Flamin’ Groovies 1986 original track. Taken from their debut EP Panther City, which is set for release on 13th November, SUSU have put their own spin on the single with their powerful vocals and interweaving harmonies.

Formed of vocalists and songwriters Liza Colby and Kia Warren, SUSU want to provide listeners with a soundtrack to everyday America. “Whether you are on the bus or not, SUSU will always be USUS,” Colby & Warren explain, and this message of unity is underscored by the sounds of fellow band members Joey Wunsch (guitar), Ronnie Bruno (drums) and Connor McClelland (bass).

On ‘Slow Death’, SUSU have maintained the swirling psych-tinged guitar sounds of the Flamin’ Groovies’ original, with Colby & Warren’s vocals freshening up the classic track. “We aren’t shy about being black women in Rock and Roll. There is an aliveness, an awareness, and a spirituality to SUSU that are both timely and timeless,” Colby explains. That’s exactly what they captured on their previous single ‘Work Song‘ and once again on this latest release.

Watch the video for ‘Slow Death’ below.

Follow SUSU on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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PREMIERE: The Dead Zoo – ‘Mother’

Filled with buoyant guitar sounds and dream-pop beats, London-based band The Dead Zoo are set to share their debut single ‘Mother’ tomorrow on 31st July, but you can listen to it exclusively today on GIHE.

Released via Rock Noir Recordings, the track is a cover of 90s J-Pop duo PUFFY AmiYumi‘s popular single, and has been shared to help raise funds for the #saveourvenues fundraiser.

The Dead Zoo recorded and mixed ‘Mother’ whilst separated during the early days of the covid-19 lockdown period. Sung by front-woman Kaoru in her native language of Japanese, the track is a gentle “mood-lifter” with its jangly guitar sounds and sweet melodies. Kaoru and the band are keen to use this single release to raise awareness about the grass roots music venues who are currently struggling to cope under the restrictions of the covid-19 pandemic.

Kaoru explains the band’s motivations further: “Our version [of ‘Mother’] has gone down really well in our live shows to date. Without the existence of smaller venues and promoters, we would literally not have even been able to get a start. We mustn’t forget that pretty much every UK artist that we now know and love got their start in the sort of places that are now in grave peril.”

All proceeds from sales of the single on The Dead Zoo’s bandcamp page will be donated to the Save Our Venues fundraiser from The Music Venue Trust. You can also pre-save the track here.

 

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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