Track Of The Day: Coco – ‘Rough Water’

Formed in 2019, Coco is a collaborative project consisting of Maia Friedman (The Dirty Projectors), Dan Molad (Lucius), and Oliver Hill (Pavo Pavo), and ‘Rough Water‘ is the first new single since their self-titled debut album last year. Recorded in Joshua Tree, California, this new offering is a departure from the dream-pop sounds on the debut, delivering an epic, rockier sound of guitars and drums.

I felt immediately lifted when hearing the song, bringing to mind the energetic and enigmatic sounds of the likes of The Pixies and The B-52’s. Maia’s celestial vocals are in perfect harmony with the others’, as the trio urge us to “be a mirror”, before the pace briefly changes midway – oozing a reflective inner voice. The song ends on a chant to personal demons or talismans, uplifting our spirits like a “phoenix in the wreckage”; empowering us to steer our own ships. Coco is perfect synergy, the sum of their parts carrying us on a delightful trip with blissful allure. 

Of the track, the band explain:

“The open space out there really lends itself to loud music… It brings about a desire to shout into the emptiness. The lyrics are partly a love letter to the angry spirits and partly a self-entreaty to inhale and relish in the chaos of life.” 

‘Rough Water’ is out now via First City Artists. Next month, Coco head out on a US national tour, supporting Kevin Morby, and will be headlining shows on the West Coast later this year.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

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Track Of The Day: Shoun Shoun – ‘Sway With Me’

Following the release of their genre-defying do-it-yourself debut, Monsters & Heroes, Shoun Shoun’s (‘shoon-shoon’) lead vocalist and guitarist Annette Berlin ventured out into the woods to direct the music video for ‘Sway with Me‘; a droning, fuzz-drenched art-punk experiment.

‘Sway with Me’ – one of many highlights from the Bristol-based four-piece’s psychedelic LP – shimmers in ethereal feedback, disorienting the listener with its soft-loud-soft dynamic. Opening with delicate lo-fi rhythm, Giuseppe La Rezza’s percussive groove and Ole Rudd’s infectious bass-line build to a crescendo of unpredictable post-punk noise. Piercing through its psychedelic melody, Boris Ming’s abrasive violin strings complements Berlin’s eccentric, distorted guitar riffs and evocative lyrics – “Feel your way through time and space.”

Created with the assistance of Adam Hillmann, Sam Wisternoff, and Caleb Bruce, Berlin’s gothic music video for ‘Sway with Me’ hearkens back to both the silent-era of German expressionism and the golden age of home video; a curiosity presented in scratched monochrome, broadcast decades later on cable TV, recorded onto VHS, and rediscovered during a midnight viewing of Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Like the track itself, Berlin’s visual language exemplifies the DIY ethos of the band, complementing Shoun Shoun’s idiosyncratic sound. ‘Sway with Me’ – or its German reprise as Monsters & Heroes closer ‘Schwing Mit Mir’ – is an experimental livewire shock to the senses. The perfect introduction to Shoun Shoun’s uncompromising ingenuity.

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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LISTEN: Indigo Sparke – ‘Pressure In My Chest’

‘Pressure In My Chest‘ is the first track from Australian born/New York based Indigo Sparke’s upcoming album, Hysteria. Profound in its simplicity, the track sets the tone for an album that promises to explore rich emotional depths.

The song begins with soft vocals and guitars, with light touches of percussion shimmering in the background; a gentle track, slow paced with soft notes throughout. As more instruments are introduced, it doesn’t get louder or busier – instead, every line complements every other, so the music swells. It grows bolder as the song ramps up to its most intense point, echoing the sensation of the titular pressure.

The music feels almost minimalist, but only because the different instruments are working together so effectively. They provide a firm foundation for the vocals to dance over, carrying the impassioned feeling of the song; the lyrics float, adrift in the emotion that the song preserves. The lyrics themselves don’t give any direct details of the story that has brought us to this point, but they don’t need to. The sentimental metaphors in the verses, with vague allusions to ambitions and relationships, are universal enough that anyone can project their own personal context onto them.

Regardless of the experiences that cause it, the intensity of the feeling in the chorus is easy to connect to. The lyrics perfectly describe the way that emotions, when they’re powerful enough, feel like they’re manifesting physically and eclipse whatever else is around you in that moment. As a standalone song, ‘Pressure In My Chest’ captures and reflects that sensation. Of the track, Sparke explains:

“In the birth of memory, there is the eternal moment of time. All things exist here. Through night dreams and wishes, and hot tears and laughing stars, I carried myself to the desert to traverse the landscape of history and reconcile the ever present Pressure in my Chest.“

As a teaser for the new album, ‘Pressure In My Chest’ paves the way for a record that is heavy with emotion, beautifully capturing the essence of the most intense feelings people can experience.

Watch the new, Madeline Clayton-directed video for ‘Pressure In My Chest’ here:

Hysteria, the upcoming new album from Indigo Sparke, is set for release on 7th October via Sacred Bones.

Kirstie Summers
@actuallykurt

Photo Credit:  Angela Ricciardi

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Introducing Interview: Zahra Haji Fath Ali Tehrani

Whilst you may have come to know her under the moniker of Despicable Zee, Oxford artist Zahra Haji Fath Ali Tehrani has now decided to use her own name for her innovative solo creations. Taken from her upcoming new EP, latest single ‘Waiting‘ showcases Tehrani’s ability to create sweeping, ethereal soundscapes with a shimmering raw emotion. As unique swirling layers of instrumentation are interwoven with crystalline vocals, this new offering is a beautifully stirring percussion-driven ballad, oozing a truly captivating majesty.

We caught up with Zahra to discuss about what has inspired her to create over the years, the influences behind ‘Waiting’, her experience of the music industry, and more. Have a read, and then make sure you watch the accompanying beautiful video for ‘Waiting’, made with Oxford/London-based textile artist Shoshana Kessler.

Hi Zahra, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourself? 
I’m Zahra – a community connector working alongside various organisations in Oxford, mainly to explore diversifying music and space. I’m the director of YWMP which is a twenty two year old music education charity supporting young people to access music – whether that be trying an instrument out for the first time or booking their first show. I’m a percussionist who learnt how to use music production software and now I make beats with my voice and sounds around the room I’m in. I’m also a single parent who is passionate about alternative education; I’m a survivor of domestic abuse; a second generation immigrant raised up in the most unaffordable city in the UK. Navigating the hurdles I’ve faced hasn’t been easy, but supporting others to create and channelling the stress I experience through making music of my own has helped me through some of the toughest times. 

Are you able to tell us a bit about how and why you initially started creating music? 
When I was a kid I used to help my mom clean student houses, and I remember sitting in one of the living rooms with a guitar and plucking the strings open for maybe thirty minutes straight whilst she was busy scrubbing the bathrooms and upstairs bedrooms – I was pretty scared I’d get caught making noise but something about the drone, the vibration of playing this guitar had me hooked. I ended up having a couple of lessons at school but didn’t take to it so well, then a bit later on I got a drum kit from someone my dad worked with for twenty quid. I learnt to set it up from the manual it came with and started drumming along to my favourite tracks at the time. I then found a local music project which helped me start writing, recording and performing live, and stumbled across Kate Garrett (the founder of YWMP) who listened to what I had to say and provided a space for me to play without judgement; this was exactly what I needed as a teenager and her support provided me with a great platform for the future.

We love your beautifully ethereal sounds, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
Thank you! I would say drum patterns and solid vibrations get me going across all genres. I listen to a lot of R’n’B, pop, afrobeat, dancehall and songs from the SWANA region. Seeing artists live feels like a rehearsal, I tend to get more inspiration for my music that way rather than the music I vibe to day-to-day. It’s kind of odd to me that what I create just comes out, I don’t plan or have a fixed idea of what I want – I try not to tamper with things too much once they are down and just aim to capture the moment rather than replicate a sound/genre/artist.

You’ve recently released your captivating new single ‘Waiting’– Are you able to tell us a bit about it? 
I spotted a friend walking across the street and they were locked into whatever they were doing, but beaming and super content with their pals en-route somewhere. I just started jotting stuff down that day on my notes app – I was in my bubble taking my kid to the park but noticing that kind of joy from a distance felt special, I was a part of it in some way. We’ve all done it, put the outward projection of someone on a pedestal – whether it was genuine or not, I felt connected in that moment to something bigger than me and the turmoil that was unfolding in my personal life. I started to build a track around the feelings I was experiencing around that time; the want to move on from a long and difficult break-up that was muddled up with a family court case, but trying to be patient with myself, allowing myself the time to begin to heal but also protect myself in new encounters. I wrote a loop on the steel pan, bass and with a quick vocal line for a completely different project, but it seemed to fit pretty well with these lyrics and the song kind of grew around it – its the happiest song I’ve ever written, and to be honest it’s really not that happy…

Being based in Oxford, do you get to see lots of live music? Would you say it’s recovered since the pandemic?
Tough question – I’ve notices a lot of touring acts avoid Oxford. I’m not surprised with the lack of live music venues, but we do have one great promoter who never fails and that’s Divine Schism. I have been so supported by them, both as a punter showing up to gigs with my kid just looking for somewhere to be, and being given the chance to perform with some of my favourite people. They are challenging what other promoters are doing in the city by making a point of diversifying their line-ups and making shows as accessible as possible without being tokenistic. I think Oxford’s music scene still need s a good shake up, but first of all we need a decent grassroots live music venue, preferably not run by older cis-het white men. 

And what can fans expect from your live shows?  
All I can hear in my head is the Wealdstone Raider saying “You’ve got no fans!” Seriously though, if you come to one of my shows I will likely be joined by Julia Meijer and Darcie Chazen who accompany me on steel pan, drums, other bits of percussion and vocals. We all swap around and attempt to recreate some of the layers of my tracks live, which is fun. Expect sad songs with uplifting chats in-between. I have reimagined some of my older Despicable Zee tracks with this setup too. 

How do you feel the industry is for new artists at the moment? And do you feel much has changed over the last few years in its treatment of female and queer/LGBTQ+  artists? 
I do feel it’s a tough time for emerging artists, things are oversaturated and the focus has switched so much to tiktok – short tracks with a race to get getting play-listed. It seems to be a product of the lack of live music over the recent few years and a backlog of unreleased music from major acts. I would say that marginalised artists have built spaces to emerge from and those are being highlighted more – the excitement to be together and take up space is key right now which is making a huge difference, and seeing an enquiry being made into misogyny in music across the UK is promising. I’m seeing more marginalised people in positions of power in a gig setting – doing lighting/sound/promotion and rebuilding many of the grass roots music/creative/queer spaces/scenes. Its not a huge change, but definitely noticeably different from when I was growing up and playing in punk bands. 

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any other upcoming artists you’re loving right now that you’d recommend we check out?
Julia Meijer, Tiiva, Jenny Moore, Uwade, Dream Phone…

What does the rest of the year have in store for you? 
I have some shows coming up in London and Oxford, a second music video for ‘Waiting’ coming out soon and maybe even another single before the year is out…! Next up I’ll be supporting Jenny Moore at Servant Jazz Quarters on 14th September – tickets here.

Massive thanks to Zahra for answering our questions! Watch the new video for ‘Waiting’ below:

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