#ThrowbackThursday: GIHE w/ Jelly Cleaver 22.08.19

Due to the current lockdown/coronavirus situation, we’re unable to make it in to the Hoxton Radio studio to broadcast our weekly live new music show from 7-9pm. Instead, we’re sharing previous show recordings as #ThrowbackThursday sessions, so you can still enjoy 2 hours of new music & chats with some of our favourite artists each week.

Today, we’ve picked our August 2019 show with London-based jazz musician Jelly Cleaver. She spoke to Kate & Mari about her her DIY ethos, her activism, and her jazz punk fusions. Jelly currently has a new single released via Nice Swan records. The track is called ‘Feeling Fine’ and features vocals from Shunaji & Maddy Coombs. You can listen to it here.

Listen back to the show here:

Featured Artists
BONES UK
Calva Louise
El Tee
Minimals
Danika Smith
Lyrah
Ennieloud
Babeheaven
Liar Liar
ALTA
Glossii
Sunbloom
Grizzly Coast
Cat Apostrophe
Jelly Cleaver
Stanlaey
Jenny Hval
Seazoo
Toni&Mash
Noga Erez
Cozy Slippers
Galileo’s Fan
Kim Gordon
Jaayns
Chastity Belt
Ru Paul

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Re-Covered: Sally Anne’s Illustrated Favourite Albums

If you’re anything like us, throughout Lockdown you may have been seeking refuge in some of your favourite records, perhaps rediscovering some old classics along the way. So, for this new feature, illustrator Sally-Anne Hickman re-imagines her favourite ten albums of all time by painting their covers in her own unique style, using watercolours.

Check out the second of Sally-Anne’s choices below, and keep your eyes peeled for the rest over the next few weeks… 

Janis Joplin- Pearl
Feisty blues rocker Janis Joplin was regarded as the best female rock singer of her generation and was a true original. The album Pearl, her final in her brief life, was more polished than her previous releases with a big band sound backing her undeniable vocal power. The songs are emotionally powerful and perfectly show her range of dynamics, from her softer blues singing to her tormented rasp which she was widely known for. Janis was a ’60s wild child who was not afraid to let it all hang out.

 

Sally-Anne Hickman
@sallyshinystars

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EP: Julia-Sophie – ‘Y?’

Describing herself as finally finding her hullabaloo within the storm, new electronic artist Julia-Sophie jumped onto the scene supporting GIHE faves Sink Ya Teeth. Last week she released her debut EP, Y?, and we cannot stop listening to it.

This record draws you in from the outset. Lead track ‘Breathe’ envelopes you with its sound as the pulsating title lyric repeats, leaving it reverberating around your head after only the second listen. At points, especially on ‘x0x’, I feel that I can hear the influences of Gazelle Twin, where I am sat watching this music performed in a darkened auditorium with a light show that electrifies the stage as the music electrifies your ears.

Of the record Julia-Sophie explains “I came to point in my life when I realised that I had been coasting through life and in these songs, rather than carrying on floating I chose to rip myself open and see what would come out the other side.”

Y? is a sublime four track record of emotionally intelligent electrifying electronica. Music which builds and layers, over and over, resulting in an almost painfully blissful experience. I’m completely addicted and have not enjoyed an EP this much in a long while – Julia-Sophie is clearly an artist who has a solid understanding of producing, removing boundaries and letting music speak for itself. I cannot, and do not want to stop listening. 

Listen to Julia-Sophie’s EP Y? here. Follow Julia-Sophie on Instagram for more updates.

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LISTEN: Fears – ‘two_’

**Content Warning: Talk of self harm and mental health issues.**

A poignant meditation on some of her darkest hours, Constance Keane aka Fears has shared her latest single ‘two_’. The experimental pop artist has transformed her struggles with self-harm into a gentle, cathartic new offering, specially commissioned for the Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts Festival.

Today marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week here in the UK & Northern Ireland and Fears is helping to raise awareness of this with the self-directed accompanying video for her track. The visuals feature repurposed footage of Fears and her family, depicting the non-linear path of recovery from trauma. She tenderly confesses in her lyrics “If not for my family / I’d never have healed,” a sentiment that’s reflected in the footage she’s chosen to share.

Two years on from receiving inpatient treatment in a hospital in Dublin, Fears now uses her musical creations as a form of therapy. “Creativity was, and still is, such a huge part of recovery for me,” she explains. “So to be part of a festival showcasing the creativity of people with mental health issues is incredible. I think when it comes to budget cuts for the mental health sector, creative resources are too often the first to go, so it’s great to see a group celebrating the significance of being creative in maintaining positive mental health.”

For many who suffer with mental health issues, the road to recovery requires immense amounts of patience and a huge shift in perspective. Fears extrapolates on this further: “For me, there is no final point where I’ve ‘gotten better’. I am better than I was before, but ‘better’ isn’t a destination. It’s about learning, maintenance and forging trust in myself.”

“It’s important for me to discuss the topic of self harm; it’s something I’ve been trying to figure out how to approach for a while now. I don’t endorse self harm. It’s an unhealthy coping mechanism when you’re distressed; but it’s also incredibly common. Within the improving awareness and discussion around mental health, I feel self harm still carries the weight of secrecy and shame. I have lines on my leg from hurting myself a few years ago. They’re most likely going to be there for a very long time. I want to wear shorts in summer. I’m going to wear shorts in summer.”

Fears’ determination and honesty in the face of adversity makes listening to ‘two_’ all the more poignant and necessary. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues discussed in this post, please reach out to Mind or other mental health charities.

Follow Fears on Spotify & Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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