Latest News
HAWK reveal new single ‘Can’t Explain’!
“… Julie Hawk separates riffs from
raff with punch and poised intensity."
- Disorder Magazine
“…waves of heavy percussion and
intertwining riffs." - DIY
"...a raucous dip into empowerment..." - The Line Of Best Fit
“…stunning…” - Noisey
Following their previous majestic release, Sin, Berlin-based HAWK return with the sweeping passion of new AA-side Can’t Explain / Below, out now via Veta Records. Both singles are available to stream on Spotify and buy on iTunes now.
Can't Explain premiered on Disorder Magazine and is also available to stream on Soundcloud and Spotify now.
Can’t Explain is another example of HAWK’s acute social awareness and ability to create powerful soundscapes with a unique, compelling elegance. It was written as a reaction to people’s ignorance and the power privilege has to erase the voices of those who need to be heard. A gritty slice of grunge-filled indie, its propelled by thrashing riffs and a seething passion. Can’t Explain showcases the soaring power of Julie’s vocal at its most intense, as a potent sense of urgency rages throughout.
Below is also available to stream on Spotify and Soundcloud now.
Inspired by Irish history, the Catholic church and its mistreatment of women, Below oozes a twinkling, ethereal splendour as the spine-tingling emotion of Julie Hawk’s celestial vocals flow. With a rich, haunting grandeur, a shimmering delicacy is juxtaposed with a searing passion and dark undertones, conveying the track’s message with a captivating grace. Julie explains “as an Irish woman, both looking back at how women were treated in the past and the desperate lack of progress today, I feel betrayed by my country. We’re still fighting for basic reproductive rights for women and seeing an embarrassing response from our government.”
HAWK originally formed in London in 2014. They now produce all music themselves and have also recently started working with Rocky O’Reilly (And So I Watch You From Afar) to help develop their post-rock sound. In addition to their musical endeavours, front woman Julie is also a skilled illustrator and has recently launched Female Fronted Drawn Together - a project through which she has created a playlist of admirable female bands/musicians and created an illustration to accompany each song.
Since the release of critically acclaimed singles such as Take It Away, Mirror Maze, Once Told and most recently, Sin, HAWK have received support from Noisey, Stereogum, Wonderland, DIY and The Line Of Best Fit to name but a few. Combining an abrasive edge with a beguiling grace, activism is at the heart of all HAWK create, with their music covering a range of topics including inequality, gender-preconceptions, and generalisations faced by different social groups.
Catch HAWK live on 22nd November for The End Festival at The Lexington, London - Tickets
AA-side Can’t Explain / Below is out now via Veta Records. You can listen to HAWK now on Spotify and Apple Music.
East of My Youth announce new single ‘Go Home’!
“...fizzing synth-infused pop…”
- BEAT
“Stylish and soothing…” - Clash
Icelandic duo East of My Youth return with another soaring, synth-infused single, Go Home, out now via West Of My Future Ltd. It is available to buy and stream on iTunes and Spotify now.
The single premiered on BEAT and is also available to stream on the band's Soundcloud page.
Opening eerily and filled with atmospheric electronica, artist Thelma Marín Jónsdóttir’s rich vocal compliments the musicality perfectly. As a result of Herdís Stefánsdóttir’s compositional background, off-kilter beats, humming synths, a quirky bass line and soaring harmonies are gradually added to the track to create something truly majestic and unique.
Talking about the track, Herdís explains “I was sitting in the studio and playing around on my MicroKorg synth, listening to A$AP Rocky. The song came really easily. We were in such a good mood the we went downtown and Thelma bought herself new shoes and then we went back to the studio and had some wine and danced.”
East of My Youth was formed in May 2015 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Since then, Herdís and Thelma have already received praise from a number of well-regarded publications including i-D, The Line of Best Fit and Clash to name but a few. They have also wowed crowds at festivals such as SXSW, Iceland Airwaves and Sonar Reykjavik and now hope to charm further listeners with their captivating, musically rich compositions.
Go Home is out now via West Of My Future Ltd and available to buy and stream on iTunes and Spotify now.
Maria Kelly announces new single ‘Hollow’!
"...beautifully mastered and Kelly's
high-calibre artistry is evident in
every note."
- Earmilk
"...Kelly’s art is an immersive experience, imbued with honesty and enthused with youthful exuberance. We love it."
- Wonderland
"...a glorious concoction full of ear-pleasing tones and immense emotion...."
- The Line Of Best Fit
"...silky smooth vocals that spin widely
relatable tales." - Consequence of Sound
Following the release of her stunning debut EP, The Things I Should, Irish artist Maria Kelly returns with another poignant yet profound new single, Hollow, out now via Veta Records. It is available to stream on Spotify now.
The single premiered on Earmilk and is also available to stream via Maria's Soundcloud page.
The single deals with the disappointment that comes with never quite getting through to someone. Maria explains “It came about when I had to be brutally honest with myself about the state of a relationship. It’s so easy to trick yourself into thinking that everything is fine, but this song represents that moment you snap, get angry and want to confront the problem.” Hollow opens with Kelly’s signature delicate vocal, entwined with a subtle whisper track, creating a powerful sense of secrecy and sorrow. Combined with Kelly’s intricate guitar plucking, earnest songwriting abilities and a captivating string arrangement, Hollow is once again a prime example of Kelly’s unique ability to create beautifully melancholic indie-folk.
This release is the first of Maria’s that she has arranged herself; “I never had the confidence before, as I had convinced myself that I just wasn’t very good at arrangement. But after giving myself the chance, being patient and with the incredible strings and electric coming from Matt Harris (HAWK), I’m really proud of how this track turned out and I hope others like it as much as I do.”
Growing up in Mayo, Ireland, Maria spent many years developing her sound into a delicate blend of atmospheric-alt-folk. First taking influence from the story-telling elements of Irish-trad, as well as artists like Regina Spektor and Lisa Hannigan, her music aims to share deeply personal, humanising and heartbreaking experiences. Maria has already played numerous shows in both the UK and Ireland supporting the likes of James Vincent McMorrow, KT Tunstall and Billie Marten, as well as playing at this year’s Great Escape Festival and Electric Picnic. Maria has previously received praise from various online publications including Consequence of Sound, The 405, Wonderland, Mahogany, The Line of Best Fit and Radio X.
Maria Kelly recently won the honour of playing at Ireland's acclaimed Other Voices music festival in Dingle. You can also catch Maria live at the following dates, with tickets available here:
16th November - Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge
17th November - Róisín Dubh, Galway
19th November - Servant Jazz Quarters, London
20th November - Sofar Sounds, London
23th November - Spirit Store, Dundalk
24th November - Upstairs Dolans, Limerick
25th November - Connollys of Leap, Cork
26th November - Debarras Folk Club, Clonakilty
2nd December - Other Voices - Dingle, Kerry
Hollow is out now via Veta Records and is available to stream on Spotify now.
Best Girl Athlete shares new single ‘Lucy / Frayed’!
"... beautiful in all its melancholic
majesty."
- Mahogany
"... heart-stopping."
- The Skinny
"…groove-riddled folk-pop...”
- The Line Of Best Fit
Katie Buchan - aka Best Girl Athlete - is back with another emotion-strewn single, Lucy, out now via Fitlike Records. The single also includes b-side Frayed and both tracks are available to stream via Spotify and iTunes.
Lucy / Frayed premiered on Mahogany and are available to listen to now via Best Girl Athlete's Soundcloud page.
Lucy was inspired by the Luc Besson film of the same name and written at a time when Katie was considering her future study paths. It’s a bitter-sweet, sweeping piece of cinematic pop, anchored by a beautifully lifting string arrangement performed by Pete Harvey of King Creosote/Modern Studies fame. B-side Frayed deals with the brutal reality of knowing you are losing a loved one. Filled with twinkling piano melodies that flow seamlessly alongside the subtle power of Buchan’s fragile vocals, Frayed oozes a swirling, heart-wrenching splendour; interweaving elements of indie-folk with pop sensibilities akin to Lucy Rose, Frayed is a truly majestic track.
Lucy is taken from Best Girl Athlete’s self-titled sophomore album. Written prior to reaching the age of eighteen alongside her musician father, Charley, Katie continues to establish herself as a mature singer-songwriter with a creative vision that, not only surpasses expectations but confirms the young musician as a prominent and original talent, justifying her host of admirers that includes Richard Hawley and Simone Felice.
By the age of sixteen, Katie had already toured the U.S and Europe and released an album that was nominated for a Scottish Alternative Music Award. Carve Every Word was named the second best Scottish album of 2015 by Ravechild and received acclaim from the likes of The Line of Best Fit, Clash, Folk Radio, Artrocker, The Sunday Herald and BBC Radio Scotland’s Vic Galloway and Roddy Hart. Now, with her self-titled sophomore album already released, Katie’s innovative sound continues to propel her even further forward into the minds of the music loving public.
Lucy / Frayed is out now via Fitlike Records, and is available to stream via Spotify and iTunes.
Dream Nails share new video for ‘Tourist’!
"…powerful, timely and massively
catchy…"
- Louder Than War
"…screeching ferocity and infectious melodies…"
- NYLON
"'Tourist' is already a pivotal moment in their live set, a scorching evisceration of 'male saviour' bullshit." - Clash
"A political push that’ll send any audience member reeling." - Dazed
London’s self-proclaimed ‘Feminist Punk Witches’ Dream Nails have followed the fury of last year’s Deep Heat with brand new single Tourist, out now and available on Spotify, Deezer and iTunes.
The new video for Tourist premiered on Beyond Retro and you can watch it now via the band's YouTube channel.
You can also listen to Tourist now via the band's Soundcloud page.
Tourist is a powerful song about emotionally predatory men who are drawn to women when they’re vulnerable. Front woman Janey Starling explains “it’s about men who present themselves as a hero but all they really want to do is fetishise sad girls, make them emotionally attached and then abuse that power. We can smell those guys a mile away and they’re creepy.”
At times like this, it’s more important than ever to have politically-charged bands set on combining activism with fantastic music. Dream Nails succeed in doing just that. Racing with infectious riffs, jangly melodies and the seething passion of Janey’s distinctive vocals, Tourist oozes a sparkling punk-force and intense contagious energy akin to the likes of Riot Grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill.
Having already built a reputation in London and across Europe for their riotous live sets, Dream Nails have also drawn in crowds headlining the Sisterhood stage at Glastonbury, as well as supporting bands such as Cherry Glazerr, Bleached and Petrol Girls. Now, with support from well-regarded sites including Dazed, Nylon and Refinary29 to name a few, Dream Nails hope to continue to inspire and empower with their latest impassioned release.
Catch Dream Nails live at the following dates:
23rd November - The Vauxhall Tavern, London
24th November - The Black Heart, London - Tickets
6th December - The Victoria, London - Tickets
15th December - The Montague Arms, London - Tickets
21st December - The Victoria, London - Tickets
20th January - Amersham Arms, London - Tickets
Tourist is out now and available on Spotify, Deezer and iTunes.
Dream Nails’ latest EP Dare To Care is out now, and available on Spotify, Bandcamp and iTunes.