WATCH: Empress Of – ‘When I’m With Him’

The marvelous Empress Of has shared a video for her latest single ‘When I’m With Him’- an upbeat reflection on an uneven relationship. The track is taken from her second LP Us, which is due to be released this October.

Empress Of (aka Loreley Rodriguez) released her debut album Me in 2015 to critical acclaim, and her aptly named follow-up record Us promises to be equally as interesting if ‘When I’m With Him’ is anything to go by. Lorely handled all of the production and writing on her debut album, building a strong reputation for being a woman in command of her introspective, self-empowering electro-pop sound.

Alongside the release of her new album, Lorely has announced a collaboration with Chloe for their Fall/Winter 2018 campaign, so expect to see and hear a lot more from her in the next few months. Watch the video for ‘When I’m With Him’ below and follow Empress Of on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Track Of The Day: Noga Erez – ‘Cash Out’ (feat. SAMMUS)

The idiosyncratic voices of Tel Aviv’s Noga Erez and Philadelphia rapper SAMMUS combine in superb style on ‘Cash Out’, the follow up to Noga Erez’s previous knockout single ‘Bad Habits’. Together, the pair “call out the contradicting and chauvinistic pressures piled on women through consumerist society” with defiant, seething flair.

Warped, stretched beats and sharply outspoken lyrics permeate the track, which tackles the toxic double standards women routinely face. Erez explains the track’s purpose further: “The intention is to list out things that can make you a successful woman, in the most twisted, chauvinistic way. What society’s version is contradicts itself (eat breakfast, not too much), and is derived from the image of well-being and wealth that is presented to us alongside commercials about food, food porn etc. It all sums up a person feeling that their mind is exploding from consuming everything that we are fed by society and advertising companies. The song is all from a woman’s perspective.”

It’s this distinct perspective that makes Erez’s new music so ear-catching. Both ‘Bad Habits’ and ‘Cash Out’ mark a stylistic shift away from her highly acclaimed debut album Off The Radar (released via City Slang in 2017), proving that Erez is capable of dismantling her own sound as well as out-dated, patriarchal values. Her lyrical wit is complimented perfectly by SAMMUS’ razor sharp raps, making the context of the track ring out with powerful intensity. Listen to ‘Cash Out’ below and follow Noga Erez on Facebook for more updates.

Photo credit: Timo Kerber

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

WATCH: Tina Boonstra – ‘I Think I See You Now’

Monochrome visuals and meaningful lyrics unite on Tina Boonstra‘s new video for her single ‘I Think I See You Now’. Directed and shot by David Pardoe, the track is taken from her debut EP My Concrete Heart (Will Beat Again), which was released earlier this year via 7Core Music.

Introspective, understated and honest; Tina’s vocal delivery compliments the delicately shot footage that accompanies the song. Inspired by the likes of Wolf Alice and Arcade Fire, the London-based artist writes in a vulnerable, yet determined vein. Tina’s musical style may have been intended for the halls of churches (she was raised in a Christian missionary family), but it’s clear her sound was meant to echo further.

She’ll be playing a headline gig at The Hope and Anchor on October 25th with a full band, so head down to the show to experience her sound in its full glory. Watch the video for ‘I Think I See You Now’ below, and follow Tina Boonstra on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

WATCH: Majken – ‘Lovely Daughter’

Tentative, soft-focused, colourful visuals form the new video for Swedish songwriter Majken‘s single ‘Lovely Daughter’. The track is taken from her upcoming debut album, set to be released this Autumn via Kollektivet Records.

Directed and shot by Amanda Davies, Majken says the footage for ‘Lovely Daughter’ is “conceptual but still intimate and self-revealing” – a perfect reflection of the Malmo-based musician’s songwriting style. Majken has been writing songs since the age of 14 and has a clear intuition for delicate, tender sounds with “sad and sloppy guitar”.

Her debut album was recorded at her home with Damon Tutunjian (Mew, Swirlies), who appreciates lo-fi recordings, 70’s synthesisers and MIDI harp as much as she does. If the rest of her album sounds as sweet as ‘Lovely Daughter’, our ears are in for a treat this Autumn. Watch the video for the track below, and follow Majken on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut