shemakesmusic-uk - Tumblr blog

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WE HAVE MOVED!

I have thoroughly enjoyed running this humble little music blog on Tumblr for the last 10 years but it is time for us to move on!

Our new site is now live! Click the link above to be taken there. This tumblr blog will still be available for the forseeable future as all of our old posts live here but any and all new posts will be published over on the new website.

To all our longtime subscribers: Thank you for all your kind words and support over the years. We hope you join us over at the new and improved site!

To any new visitors: Welcome to the community! We hope you love this blog enough to check us out at our new home :)

Helen Evans - Founder/Editor

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Track of the Week: ‘About Damn Time’ by Lizzo.

Lizzo is back! Since her critically acclaimed Grammy-winning album, 2019’s Cuz I Love You, Lizzo released a summer 2021 collaboration with Cardi B, ‘Rumors,’ and launched her Yitty shapewear line. Now, Lizzo has returned to us with a brand-new single, ‘About Damn Time,’ a funk-pop cut with tons of instant-classic Lizzo-isms (i.e., “It’s thicc o’clock”). ‘About Damn Time,’ which also comes with a video, is the lead single from Lizzo’s fourth LP, SPECIAL, due July 15.

Lizzo gave some context around ‘About Damn Time’ and SPECIAL to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. Here’s what she said about ‘About Damn Time’: “I’m made the song of the summer with ‘About Damn Time’. I’m in my bag, and my bag is music. I’m good at music. It’s what I do. ‘About Damn Time’ can lead into so many conversations. It’s about damn time I feel better, it’s about damn time we get out this pandemic. It’s about damn time we to get the first black female Supreme Court Justice. There’s so many things. It’s about damn time we popped the champagne. It’s about damn time the tequila got here. I have to give props to Ricky [Reed] and Blake Slatkin. I was in my diva bag on this one, because I thought I was done with my album, Zane. I was like, “I’m done, no more songs.” Then they were like, “Yo, we think we got something,” and I was like, “I ain’t coming to the studio unless it’s a hit.” They played a track, I heard the track, and I was like, “I’ll be there in 10 minutes.” You know what I’m saying? When I got there, the idea is disco was revolutionary for a lot of people, disco and funk. This was intentionally disco, funk, something to walk to coming out of this dark time. This was intentional, the genre of music.”

And here’s some more info around SPECIAL: “I think that the music really is going to speak for itself. I’m writing songs about love from every direction, and I hope that I can turn a little bit of the fear that’s been running rampant in this world, energetically into love. That’s the point. I had a lot of fear, and I had to do the work on myself, and this music is some of that work in turning that fear into love. I hope that when people listen to this album, it makes their day just a little bit better, a little bit more filled with love.” [via Stereogum]

Check out more of our favourite songs this week via our playlist below.

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Jockstrap have shared their new single and video, ‘Concrete Over Water’. It’s the latest teaser to arrive ahead of the London-based duo’s debut full-length record, on its way via their new label home, Rough Trade. The band’s Georgia Ellery says: “‘Concrete Over Water’ was written on a summer’s night in 2019 in a flat in Farringdon which was above a pub, and above a train line. The place hummed when the trains went under. “The video was born out of the celestial themes in the song. Eddie [Whelan, co-director] and I created the characters (Moongirl, Voyager, Magma Boy, etc.) to explore the feelings of wonder, inspiration and the search for answers, to reflect what the song represents to me.” Bandmate Taylor Skye adds: “I can’t quite remember producing ‘Concrete Over Water’. I was living in my auntie’s attic at the time and it was extremely hot. Georgia sent me the demo fully written, then I sent her the song fully produced. That was it.” [via Dork]

Ailsa Tully returns with captivating new single ‘Mothering’ on Dalliance Recordings (Gia Margaret, HighSchool, Wilsen). ‘Mothering’ explores miscommunication, unfulfilled expectations and family ties, accompanied by a bewitching music video. The track is raw and pulsating with words left unsaid. Tully has expanded into new sonic territory through her love of field recordings; making use of objects found in an outbuilding such as rakes, wire mesh and paint pots to create distinctive drum sounds. This adds an industrial quality to the track which, when paired with Tully’s emotive choral elements, earthy bass, and expansive layers of guitar, sculpts an unmistakeable sound and marks a new direction for Tully. Speaking about the song, Tully says: “’Mothering’ is about the distortion between the person you really are, and the person people want you to be. In our relationships, we tend to perceive others through the prism of our own experience and therefore fail to see beyond our own warped view. This is the first time I have explored creating drum parts with found sound, it feels very visceral and exciting, and a step in a new direction. I think it’s the rawest song I have ever made.”

After a successful 2021 including signing to Sony’s Music For Nations, and releasing their debut EP Reincarnate to critical acclaim, Witch Fever return with new single ‘Blessed Be Thy’ which was produced by Pigs x7’s Sam Grant at Blank Studios in Newcastle. Witch Fever are well versed in using religious thematic material to develop their lyricality, and ‘Blessed Be Thy’ sees Amy Walpole tailor language, cadence, and rhythm of a traditional hymn to deliver her own message, “blessed be thy shame / It makes us remember truth / A slow decline, the cursed divine / A place to hang your youth”. Bassist Alex Thompson says of the track, “it just goes heavy", as it boasts a crunchy wall of noise akin to bands like Show Me The Body and Gilla Band.  Alex adds, “it was literally the last song we wrote before we went into the studio but came together really quickly. I think it still has an essence of some of our older material, so it’s a good way to bridge the gap.” Teaming up with long time collaborator Sam O’Leary, Sony’s 4th Floor Creative team, and stylist Matt King (Brooke Candy, Shygirl, Bimini), they delivered a video for ‘Blessed Be Thy’ that’s akin to Blur’s ‘Song 2’, The White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’, and early 00s music channels like Kerrang and Scuzz.

Pussy Riot and Slayyyter have joined forces to release new single 'HATEFUCK'. 'HATEFUCK' arrives with a Danin Jacquay-directed, NSFW video starring both artists. Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova said of the collaboration, "Audio-visual art piece 'HATEFUCK' is the next piece of Pussy Riot's ongoing 2022 cycle Patriarchy R.I.P. that revolves around a super(s)hero character who owns magic superwoman-like qualities and uses these powers to destroy the patriarchy. The song follows 'PUNISH' and 'LAUGH IT OFF', which were released earlier this year and runs in tandem with Pussy Riot-curated exhibit Patriarchy R.I.P. that runs on billboards all across the US, mostly red states." "'HATEFUCK' heroines, vengeful dominatrixes and goddesses, they serve justice by creating a hell on earth for sexual abusers, for privileged exploiters of marginalized, alienated and objectified groups," Tolokonnikova added. "Created under the influence of Hieronymus Bosch's visions of hell." Slayyyter said, "It was so much fun working on this song with everyone. I have always admired Pussy Riot, and to work with Nadya was amazing. I think the song and video embody strong woman empowerment, so I loved that we got to join forces to create it all." [via Line Of Best Fit]

Charli XCX has unveiled the music video for the CRASH album cut 'Used to Know Me.' In the clip, the pop provocateur cycles through a plethora of personas while serving nonstop choreography flanked by two of her dancer pals. “You used to know me, now you don’t/ You used to hypnotize me, did it so easy,” Charli coos as she becomes a dominatrix, cheerleader, ’80s-style aerobics instructor, club kid, and more. “I’m finally free from your control/ I don’t need a kiss goodbye/ I’m on my own tonight, oh.” The singer also can’t resist taking a shot at her record label, flashing the camera with the Atlantic Records logo hiding under her cheer skirt while singing about breaking free of unspecified “control.” (She’s made it no secret that CRASH is the fifth and final album under her record deal with the major label, which began with 2013’s True Romance.) [via Consequence]

Tomberlin releases a video for 'sunstruck,' an unconventional love song and the charming new single from her highly anticipated new album i don’t know who needs to hear this…, out April 29 via Saddle Creek. The video was directed by Ryan Schnackenberg. “This is an aerial view love song that is also not a love song. It is more a love song to forced distance, time alone with yourself, letting go, searching for yourself and the healing that takes place when you make those things an active focus in your life,” says Sarah Beth Tomberlin. “These things are choices, they don’t just happen on their own. You can choose to practice them or you can choose stagnancy. This is a love song to the growth that often can take place if you choose to tend to your own life’s garden.”

Ubiquitous across Instagram and TikTok right now, Caity Baser’s single ‘Friendly Sex’ is now available in the form of the official video. Starring Caity herself playing out the song’s story in real time, it sees her in a bedroom, with her Friend With Benefits, as she wrestles with her feelings for him. The video was directed by Callaway Breeze, a longtime collaborator of Caity’s who directed her previous videos Haters and S.T.D. Of the video, Caity says: “WHAAAAT!!?? My first proper music video! I am quite literally bouncing off the walls. I’m so gassed for you to see this! I had the best day ever getting makeuped and things. The storyline is great, the shots are great, the clothes are great - it’s all just GREAT! I love u and hope you love it xx”

Hotly-tipped Manchester punk quartet Loose Articles have revealed the video for their latest single, 'Chaos'. The video highlights the current climate crisis as the band explain: “We wanted to express that this freak weather isn’t about giving us northerners a well deserved break from the cold and rain, but due to the effects of man made climate change”. The single is the title track from their forthcoming second EP that is set for release on July 1 via Alcopop! Records. [via The Punk Site]

London songwriter Matilda Mann shares a new single and video ‘Nice’. ‘Nice’ saw Matilda team up again with producer Rich Cooper (Rina Sawayama, Josef Salvat, Billie Marten), and on the track she explains; “‘Nice’ is my dating rule. If I go on a date and the only word I can think to describe it is “nice”, it’s not worth another date. You’d never describe your best friends or your family as just “nice”. There needs to be a better first word that comes straight to mind.” The track is accompanied by a Camila Noriega-directed video which perfectly captures the track’s thematic essence. Shot during a recent visit to the LA hills, it sees Matilda navigate a series of unsatisfying and all-too-recognisable dates, from the cringeworthy to the ill-mannered, perfectly capturing the track’s thematic essence. On the shoot, she comments; “The music video was so fun to make, up in the desert in LA. We came up with all these date ideas where it’s going terribly, and it ends with me having had enough and walking off to play ‘Nice’ with my band.”

Alt-pop singer KiNG MALA has graced fans with her new single 'cult leader.' The song, accompanied by an alluring visual effort, sees the songwriter overly confident and a bit narcissistic to try and boost her self-esteem. Directed by Conner Landers Sorensen, the three-minute gives fans a glimpse into this new chapter of her artistry. “I’m a cult leader, mind reader, heart eater / Fear feeder, say I’m your favorite preacher,” she sings. Reverberating with a distorted driving beat produced by Rob Auerbach and haunting vocals, the track oozes bold and daring energy. “I want this song to be two minutes of pure unabashed confidence. I want people to let themselves get lost in the fantasy of the most confident version of themselves—even if it’s a bit toxic,” MALA shares. “I want this to be a song people turn to when they want to feel like a badass!” [via Raydar]

[shemakesmusic-uk]

This segment features artists who have submitted their tracks/videos to She Makes Music. If you would like to be featured here then please send an e-mail to helen@shemakesmusic.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you!

Baby O

Olivia Pasqueralli, a.k.a. Baby O, is a Toronto-based queer musician. So far, she has released a handful of singles such as ‘Love Letter,’ ‘Fast Lane,’ and ‘29′. Now, she returns with her feel-good anthem, ‘N.G.B.,’ written about her experience growing up queer in an Italian-Canadian Catholic family. It's a playful and proud song for folks who might be experiencing a lot of self-doubt or are uncertain about their future. "There's a common pattern in my life – and probably in the lives of many women, femmes, and queers in general – sacrificing our own joy just to be pleasant and not abrasive to others," said Baby O. Listen below.

Rainlights

Rachel Chevat aka Rainlights is a singer-songwriter/producer and engineer based in NYC. After spending two years in London - where she received her Master's degree in Audio Production, Rainlights is now ready to share her dreamy music with the world. Through a life of seeing colors when hearing sounds, Rainlights is inspired by her synesthesia. By using melodies to recreate images sonically, the artist combines her soothing vocals, her storytelling and her cinematic productions to create dreamy-pop/folk records that will make you feel a sense of belonging. Self-written/produced/mixed, ‘When My Phone Dies’ is about the feeling of being alone with no access to distractions. "One day last summer, while sitting on my bed and scrolling through my phone, my screen went black. Instead of immediately grabbing a charger, I looked up from the screen and let the silence of my room wash over me. I hadn’t been home in nearly two years. It was the longest I’ve ever been away. I was living in London and creating a life for myself there. The only thing that made New York (home) still feel tangible was my phone. That’s how I saw the faces of family and friends, that’s how I heard their voices and stayed connected to their lives. If I told you I loved you with a paper and a pen, would it feel more real than this neon blue message? That’s the question I sat with when my phone died." she explains. Listen below.

Rainlights · When My Phone Dies

Olivia Barton

“Halfway through the Lion King, you took my virginity" is the opening line of Olivia Barton's newest single, ‘Erotic’ - cutting right to the chase, in true Barton fashion. Every line reveals more gravity than the one before: "One night you brought out all your toys / I was young, I didn't know I had a choice." Olivia cracks open her most formative and heart breaking relationship for us all to see, having no more energy to make it palatable. A far cry from simply blaming an individual abuser, ‘Erotic’ sheds blaring light on one woman's complicated sexual development, suppressed by a puritanical childhood and reinforced by her first experiences of sex in adulthood. “I almost didn’t even write the song. I got halfway through and thought ‘God, this is too graphic. No one needs to hear this. No one is going to get it.’ And then I realized the worst part, which is that a lot of people will get it. But even still, I wasn’t trying to make a statement or speak for anyone. I just wanted to finally get it out of my body.” Olivia Barton writes songs that sound like stream-of-consciousness journal entries-because they are. With determined grit and radical self compassion, she asks and answers questions in realtime, taking you through a “diary of the healing process” (Sound of Boston). Her upcoming album titled This is a Good Sign is set to be released summer 2022. The 90s inspired folk pop songs live in a playful but raw sonic space somewhere between Sheryl Crow and early Angel Olsen, asking to be both screamed through open car windows and cried to on a solo late-night walk. Listen to ‘Erotic’ below.

Lexie Palms

Originating from the sun-soaked shoreline of Porto and now living in London, singer-songwriter and producer Lexie Palms launches her self released and self produced latest single, the ethereal and soulful ‘Parachute’. Lexie has her focus firmly set on creating emotive songs fuelled with colour, spirit and feeling. Oozing a confident, comforting warmth, her smooth and sultry vocals dust over textured and undulating synth lines, culminating in a proud fusion of her Mediterranean roots combined with threads of her vibrant, modernistic city life. Following on from her debut release ‘Can It Be Me’, and her collaboration with artist Carlos do Complexo on ‘MiSTAKES’, Lexie invokes a more minimalist production to uncover her soulful vocals. Her use of patterns and repetitive lyrics represents cyclical thoughts and the anxieties we face today. 'Parachute’ is a contradictory stream of consciousness transmitting melancholy and serenity in equal measure. Listen below.

Lexie Palms · Lexie Palms - Parachute

Bitter Suite

Bitter Suite is a former two piece, recently turned 4 piece indie band based in Glasgow. Each member has played in past and present bands of different styles to bring a mix of influences and collectively, members of Bitter Suite have toured Europe, played a sold out King Tuts and performed as part of Celtic Connections. 2 members – Sam and Angus – also make up part of the alt rock band Scunnurt. New single 'Anywhere' was written by lead singer and rhythm guitarist Eve Sutherland, recorded and mixed by bassist Robert Campbell with lead guitar from Sam Braes and drums from Angus Richardson. The song was developed fairly quickly and recorded on a whim in Robert’s home studio. The band has a lot of different influences as they all have pretty different taste in music however this track was largely inspired by Alvvays, Big Thief and Wolf Alice. Whilst the lyrics to ‘Anywhere’ tell the story of a naive longing, the music grabs hold of the optimism to pull you up to dance. Listen below.

NNENNA KING

After the release of her single ‘Focus On Me’, NNENNA KING is back with another soulful single ‘Good Guy’. ‘Good Guy' is a perfect blend of Soul, R&B with Hip Hop elements. NNENNA has stayed true to herself by making her sultry tone the centre of attention. Being often compared vocally to the likes of Lauryn Hill, Lianne La Havas and Amy winehouse, the single introduces the commanding vocal of NNENNA, delivering a relatable and catchy lyrical narrative. The lyrics are direct, purposeful and get straight to the point. The inspiration for the song came after NNENNA dated a guy who called himself a ‘Good Guy’, but as time went on NNENNA began to see his true colours and began to question how good the guy actually was. NNENNA is stating exactly how she feels about the situation and isn’t holding back. The single is produced By Jamie White, an up and coming producer from Bedfordshire who specialises in Hip hop and is able to incorporate traditional Hip Hop sounds with a fresh contemporary twist. Listen below.

GALAXII

GALAXII is the pastel-coloured electro-pop sensation guaranteed to brighten your day. Hailing from Northern England, GALAXII grew up in a musical family - the perfect launching pad for her own career. Honing her craft over the last 14 years, she gained a music production degree from Leeds Conservatoire, gigged across the UK in bands of varying genres, performed at conventions and on live radio, and even supported acoustic star Ben Howard. Now in 2022, she's developed her own brand of Pop, taking inspiration from K-Pop and Japanese electronica. Her sound is a cheerful melting pot of bubblegum Pop, Game Boy bleeps, Trap breakdowns, LoFi beats and more, but don't mistake her for being 2-dimensional - her music can have a badass bite when it wants to. GALAXII's debut EP, Unapologetically Me was released on March 14. EP track ‘Never Turn You Down’ is her happy, hyper electro-pop track that's influenced by J-Pop styles - “I threw in some legit Game Boy sounds for that nostalgic nerd feel,” she explains. “Lyrically, it's the perfect soundtrack to catching feels for a friend and taking your relationship to the next level." Listen below.

GALAXII · Never Turn You Down

Check out more of our recent submissions via our playlist below!

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JJ Rosa releases brand-new attitude-filled single 'Rockstar'

Manchester-born, London-based artist JJ Rosa returns with a bang with her brand-new single ‘Rockstar’ featuring Lexy P today.

Having recently signed a global distribution deal with Sony/The Orchard/IMA, she will release ‘Rockstar’, through her own independent record label, JJUICY Music. The self-produced track features guest rapper Lexy P meanwhile, epitomising her unique sound of full punchy grooves drenched in attitude, raw emotion and drive. The single also showcases her expertise as a guitarist, with intricate Hendrix-esque bursts of guitar.

‘Rockstar’ follows the narrative of what a strong, powerful woman JJ Rosa is as she battles her way through a male-dominated music industry curating a message to those at the very top.

Speaking on the track, she commented: “’Rockstar’ came about as a personal representation of my past experiences getting signed as a young impressionable female starting out in the music industry, the battles I’ve faced since feeling like the inferior sex and how I’ve now fought my way out the other side and become ‘stronger than I’ve been before. Having had a number of discriminating experiences, of which a couple have been serious, where I’ve been made to feel like a ‘puppet on a string’ or in other words, used and powerless! I wanted to write something empowering not just for the listeners but also for myself. Creating this song (every musical element, not just writing the lyrics) has felt like therapy.”

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Bailey Tomkinson announces new EP California Fire; shares new single ‘Deja Vu’

Announcing the forthcoming release of her highly-anticipated EP Califonia Fire, St. Ives-based singer and songwriter Bailey Tomkinson teases us with another snippet of the big release by returning with the warming track ‘Deja Vu’. The woozy Americana-toned single effuses elegance with its charming instrumentation and softly sung lyricism reared deep from Bailey's evocative emotions.

Unravelling a melancholic, almost lullaby-like chorus, ‘Deja Vu’ gifts us with a hazy concoction of shimmering guitars, soothing drums and gentle harmonies - a combination of pure bliss. Mixed by John Cornfield (Oasis, Muse) and produced by Gareth Young (Sugababes), ‘Deja Vu’ shares the impressive strength of Bailey's heartfelt songwriting whilst also showcasing an artist confident in her musicality.

“’Deja Vu’ is very much rooted in my Kernowfornia sound - I wanted it to evoke the spirit of the surf and sunsoaked romance, dreams and endless possibility," says Bailey. "It’s about a feeling that something can be new and exciting but also strangely nostalgic.”

Photo credit: Matt Snelling

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DMNIQ releases new single ‘Show Me the Way’

DMNIQ (pronounced 'Dominique') is an alternative pop LGBTQ artist, songwriter, composer and producer from Windsor, UK. She has gained influences from the likes of London Grammar, Coldplay and SYML and has been a fan of classical and film music since a very early age.

'Show Me The Way' is something a little different from DMNIQ, a unique guitar based pop track intertwined with cinematic style percussion layers, piano and ambient pads, co-written and produced by Sam Clines.

The track explores the array of natural emotions we go through as someone leaves us. Lyrically, the song may offer listeners some sort of acceptance and healing in moving forward from this loss. It reminds us of the love we have for others and the love we must have for ourselves.

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Jenny Berkel releases new single 'Lavender City'

On the new single, ‘Lavender City’, from her upcoming album, These Are The Sounds Left From Leaving, Jenny Berkel examines the existence and effect of lies in a more intimate setting. With its crescendo-ing strings (Colin Nealis), insistent percussion–pushed forward primarily by the vibraphone–and harmonies (Kacy Anderson of Kacy & Clayton), ‘Lavender City’ is a breakup song about the moment the discrepancy between who somebody says they are and who somebody shows themselves to be becomes too great to ignore.

"Everything on this album is tinged with the madness of how language and information is being used in a post-Trump, heavily gaslit world where our perceptions of reality have become distorted,” says Berkel. ‘Lavender City’ is a “more intimate look at lies–it’s a breakup song about gaining the capacity to see more clearly again. But it’s also about looking beneath the lies to see what’s inside.”

Photo credit: Rima Sater

[shemakesmusic-uk]

All Things Blue release psych-touched indie-pop gem ‘Garbage Love’

LA dream-punk duo All Things Blue release their new single ‘Garbage Love’ lifted from new 3-track EP Nothing Special which is also out now, and follows the pair's widely acclaimed debut album Get Bit, released in 2020.

New single ‘Garbage Love’ grapples with one aspect of life too all-encompassing to understand through tangible logic or information: 'Love'. “It’s not real, these chemicals that we feel. Like suddenly I’m alright again, I don’t have time for that”, vocalist Coombs sings amidst lilting guitars, delicate synths and psych-imbued production.

Speaking on the release India Coombs said: “Typically when I’m asked to decide between career and love life I choose career. I enjoy the time that working on projects fills and I love having the privilege to create art. However, nothing fully takes hold of my mind, barring me from the distressing thoughts of existential dread like the feeling of loving someone…”

Photo credit: Anna Maria Lopez

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Shooting Daggers announce new EP; share single ‘Liar’

You could say that feminist/queercore punk trio Shooting Daggers have been ‘nailing it’ since the release of their first single 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl’ last year.

Amongst a clutch of rave reviews of the single, they have become a ‘must see’ on the grass roots punk circuit, on top of that the band were invited to support Amyl and the Sniffers at their recent London shows and also asked to play Desertfest 2022. Their upward trajectory seems inevitable.

Perhaps it’s because they are ‘the real deal’. Shit kicking UKHC full of youthful fury and shorn of vacuous posturing. Fierce and committed in what they believe in, as how they play. Case in point being their latest track ‘Liar’. The band says: ”‘Liar is a song about breaking the silence over abusers, a song that calls them out for who they really are with no more excuses. This is a really important song to us and we would like to spread this message, to not only the victims of rape and abuse, but also to the entire community, encouraging people to not engage with abusers and to stop trying to justify their rapist friends.”

‘Liar’ is taken from Athames the band’s debut EP set to be released on 20 May by New Heavy Sounds.

Shooting Daggers · Liar

[shemakesmusic-uk]

bülow shares new EP booty call, listen to the title track

Alternative pop singer and songwriter bülow shares new EP booty call via Republic Records/Universal Music Canada. The new EP highlights the new sound from bülow, which has been unleashed with previously released tracks ‘Playin’ Me Back’ and ‘Don’t Break His Heart’.

Here is a quote from bülow on the track : "’booty call’. it’s not a sad song. its not about pining after someone. more longing for a connection with no strings attached. i want to give power to this word. its always seen as such a negative thing. it doesn’t have to be."

bülow · Booty Call

Photo credit: Peter Nikolai

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Personal Trainer share new single ‘Added Sugar’

Personal Trainer, the project of Nashville-based singer-songwriter, Kayla Mickelsen and producer, George Seay are sharing their new single, ‘Added Sugar’ which is out now via Acrophase Records (PWNT, nickname jos, Ginger Root). It comes as another preview of their forthcoming EP, Reflex which is out April 27.

Blending diary-like songwriting with vintage production techniques, the sound of the duo lands the project into a bedroom-pop world, fusing lovelorn lyrics with intimate sounds drawing on a sound in a similar world to the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Remi Wolf, Caroline Polachek, etc. The last advance single to be lifted from Personal Trainer's new EP dives into a darker sound. ‘Added Sugar’ is full of brooding synths and sustained guitars that compliment the track's lyrics. It finds the band turning to the sounds of Beach House and The Marias for inspiration creating introspective indie-adjacent sounds.

Speaking about the new track, Mickelsen says: “This song feels like it's a good transition from the lo-fi, bedroom pop sound our first EP displayed, but progresses towards a more expansive soundscape towards the end of the track. ‘Added Sugar’ stands for any sort of vice someone has, whether that being nicotine, binge-watching, over-consumption, or the continued pursuit of unhealthy love. I wrote this song to detail the depression I experienced at the height of the pandemic. I started to smoke a cigarette every once in a while after dinner and felt a lot of guilt around it: a friend of mine said “everyone needs a vice, sometimes.” That line is explored in the lyrics.”

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Riches releases new single ‘The Frequency’

International collaborators Catherine McCandless (Young Galaxy) and Wynn Holmes are sharing ‘The Frequency,’ their third single as Riches, composed with Sweden’s Dan Lissvik (Studio/Atelje).

A gothic piece of dream pop which is inspired by the “desire to step outside of the limits of ourselves,” ‘The Frequency’ shows the group evolving into a full band sound to chart the experience of togetherness.

“The frequency is: being swept up, being in love, longing and belonging, soothing and alive. It is a calling on the ethereal to take on form, on music to bring touch and connection over the frontiers of physical walls and distances,” explain the artists.

Riches · The Frequency

[shemakesmusic-uk]

fanclubwallet shares new single 'Trying to Be Nice'

Canadian artist fanclubwallet shares a new single ‘Trying to Be Nice’, the latest cut from her forthcoming debut album You Have Got To Be Kidding Me, out May 20 via AWAL. ‘Trying to Be Nice’ surges with guitar and bright, driving synth. Despite its self-questioning lyrics, the song buzzes with a danceable melody.

fanclubwallet comments; "’Trying to Be Nice' was written over the course of a couple years. The first half of the song includes lyrics I wrote on the Greyhound to my hometown after deciding to move back home, and the second half was written a few years later in a studio in the woods. Both parts of the song were written at different times when I was feeling really unsure of myself. It's all about wondering what people think of you and questioning what you think of yourself.”

Photo credit: Ian Filipovic

[shemakesmusic-uk]

TOKiMONSTA releases new single 'Loved By U' ft. morgxn

Known for constantly moving art and music forward into uncharted waters, TOKiMONSTA continues to set the standard by releasing her new single ‘Loved By U’ ft morgxn.

An idea born before the pandemic, ‘Loved By U’ started when morgxn and TOKi were introduced at Charli XCX’s Halloween party. Fast forward to the lockdown where, according to TOKi, “morgxn sent me a very special vocal he had written in London just before the lockdown. The message and lyrics resonated so deeply that I had to create a song that truly represented how I feel.”

Toki's cascading board work glows with morxgn’s emotional delivery to create a swirling, euphoric experience born from the deep emotions and isolation. She explains  “After 2 long years of physical separation from our loved ones, this song is a celebration of togetherness and our love for each other.”

TOKiMONSTA · Loved By U

Photo credit: Ross Lawrence

[shemakesmusic-uk]

The Toronto-based band, Tallies are sharing their new single, ‘Hearts Underground’ which comes in tandem with news of the band's second album, Patina which is out July 29, via Kanine Records (US), Hand Drawn Dracula (Canada) and Bella Union (UK/EU). The latest single, which comes with a video made up of public domain footage, directed by Justis Krar, arrives following a string of recent tracks.

Coming produced by Graham Walsh (of Holy Fuck, previously helmed records by METZ and Alvvays) alongside Dylan Frankland of the band at Palace Sound, Baskitball 4 Life and Candle Recording in Toronto, the new record arrives as a true labor of love, one that was delayed due to the pandemic but ultimately is a truly rewarding collection for the band. It pricked the ears Cocteau Twins' Simon Raymonde – a hero of the band – who signed Tallies to his Bella Union label, providing "a light at the end of a dark tunnel" according to Sarah Cogan of the band.

The juxtaposition of light and dark is a strong theme in the music of Tallies. While many of their tunes are upbeat, with Frankland’s breezy guitar lines drenched in reverb, soaring over Cian O'Neill’s propulsive drumbeats, Sarah’s lyrics can add a hint of shadow to even their most jangly tunes. This idea is also apparent in ‘Hearts Underground’, a track that describes the slippier side of personal relationships over effervescent indie-pop – undercut, of course, by a deliciously discordant guitar solo.

Speaking about the new single, singer Sarah Cogan says: "This song is that little voice that kicks yourself. The voice that says, “why’d you do that?” In this case, it was about how it holds me back, sometimes for the better. It’s about self-sabotage. Sometimes you wish this little voice would speak up sooner and not just after the fact. I wrote a song about that little voice that I’ve heard my whole life; it’s a reflection on times when I’ve held back too much or when I wish I’d held back more.”

Patina:

01. No Dreams of Fayres 02. Hearts Underground 03. Wound Up Tight 04. Catapult 05. Heavens Touch 06. Special 07. Memento 08. Am I The Man 09. When Your Life is Not Over

Photo credit: Kate Dockeray

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Here we will be sharing the best live session videos we’ve discovered on YouTube in the last few days. We hope you find your new favourite band/artist! 

Wet Leg performing ‘Too Late Now’ for BBC Radio 1′s Sound of 2022 sessions.

Molly Payton performing ‘While You’re Driving’ live for the Line of Best Fit.

The Haunt performing ‘Love You Better’ live from Paste Studios in Austin, TX.

Interlay performing ‘Rot’ live for Audiotree.

Diavol Strâin performing ‘Herz der Niemand’ live in the KEXP studio.