Joyous news last week from my faves MarthaGunn. After around 7 years of being a band, lots of touring, many brilliant singles and EP releases, they've announced news of their long-awaited debut album (!!!!) Something Good Will Happen, due for release via Communion on September 17th. New single Giving In is out now (video below) and they're heading out on a real life tour (remember those?) later in the year. I love MarthaGunn for their gorgeous harmonies, all too relatable themes and the passion they each exude - a passion to create and to collaborate. They're a really special bunch and I'm so excited to hear the fruits of their labour. Better not wish away the summer months waiting for the record though...
On the new track, frontwoman Abi Woodman shares: "Throughout my life, like most people, I've had my fair share of ups and downs, emotionally and mentally. This song came about after we had been away on tour for about a month. I had been quite ill and had to miss a few shows. I felt like I had left everyone down. When I got back off tour, I just felt really low. The one person I turn to when I'm feeling low, is my mum. I sometimes feel guilty for baring all my worries upon her, afraid to be a burden. This song is about trying to hide how you feel from others. I like to come across as a strong woman, and I am, so in those moments of fragility, my biggest fear is people seeing me as weak. I tend to hide away when I feel like that. I eventually told my mum how I was feeling and the feeling disappeared within a few days. It's so important to share those feelings with someone and talk about them."
"This album is us navigating the relationships of our twenties - the failures and successes. Constantly trying to find out who you are as a person, and constantly growing. You don't always grow the same as the people you are with. Sometimes you are on the same path as someone, then suddenly you're not. The overarching theme through this is losing oneself and rebuilding oneself through doing that, you learn a lot about yourself. You're always going to face challenges in life that are going to tell you that you're not good enough and let you question yourself, and it's a constant daily reminder to look after your inner voice, and to treat yourself well by having boundaries."
"I want to connect with people. The beautiful thing about songs is that you don't have to know someone, but you can connect with them through the same song without saying something. I want this album to be able to help people in some way, and give people courage to leave a situation they know isn't right for them, or for the other person. To go after the person they love and to know no matter how bad things may seem, it's just a chapter. Things always get better."
MarthaGunn tour the UK later this year, starting in Oxford on Sept 30th and taking in venues around the country through October, including London's Moth Club on the 5th. Tickets here.
Pre-order/pre-save the record Something Good Will Happen here.
A new (ish) MarthaGunn tune came out into the world yesterday and I have to say I'm very pleased to have it back! This has long been a live favourite of mine, and I've actually got it on a Communion 7" from a few years back. The track is Honest and it's been given a freshen up, and is more brilliant than ever. I hope the release means that we're stepping ever closer to an album announcement from the band, but singles will do for now... honestly.
The lyric video for the track reflects that it is in part an ode to singer Abi's mum - in a post online she shared that "she is a strong and loving woman. Her strength has pulled me through so many times and I have her to thank for everything. This is why I chose to make the video all about her. Footage shot by my dad in the 90s and edited by me a few days ago."
On the track, Abi explains: "Back in 2016 I did a meditation with my mum. I remember asking in my meditation what I needed to do to get better at writing songs. I was shown a piano. I bought a piano a few weeks later and this was the first song I wrote on it. I didn't really feel like I wrote it. It was one of those songs that just wrote itself. For me 'Honest' is about a few things. It's the death of the person you were before a trauma. The grief you feel, knowing that person will never exist again and that you will always see life through new eyes due to experiencing something major. It's also about the fear of failure and the shame associated with that. The fear of not living up to your own or peoples expectations of you."
"The lyric 'Bereavement of a friend, a version of yourself naturally came to the end' is about breaking the shell for painful growth that is necessary to keep going. The only way to move through a painful time is to grow from it. I find that if you don't choose to grow and keep moving, things become stagnant and you will become depressed. Lastly, it's an ode to my mum. That woman means everything to me."
It's no secret that I'm a big MarthaGunn fan and I'm loving their new track & video! From their debut single Heaven (which was recently re-released), early shows at Bushstock and Notting Hill Arts Club and even booking them to play a showcase at WOMAD Festival a couple of years back (madness!) I've loved watching them grow and discover their groove. The five-piece's friendship screams through the music, they're a really special group. Nowhere To Run is the follow-up to their recent EP Caught Up & Confused.
Talking about the track, Abi shares "I am absolutely obsessed with all things love, it's just all I write about [...] it's beautiful and heartbreaking how lives can intertwine and fall apart. I think about lives as lines being drawn - sometimes you are parallel, and then you divert, maybe you crossover again, maybe you don't."
"'I push you away then I get sad when you don't stay' - this lyric sums it up. Living far away from someone you love is not easy. I thought for a long time that it would be easier to ignore my feelings and hope that one day our paths would cross again. We live different lives, and I never wanted to get in the way of each other's dreams. But now I've realised, the only time we have is now, so if you love someone, just go and fucking tell them before you lose them forever."
The final piece of the puzzle is here. Say When is the fourth and final track from the incredible Caught Up & Confused EP from MarthaGunn, released on Friday. I ADORE this band. They've given me years of joy across so many brilliant singles and I'm over the moon for them to be working on their debut album. For now, an EP is more than welcome and it is superb. Lyrically and sonically, this is such a treat. You can and really really should listen to the full EP here & grab it on 10" vinyl here.
On the new single, frontwoman Abi says: "I remember writing this song so vividly. I'd been to a Halloween party with my brother. We were both hungover the next day and decided for some crazy reason to write a song. It all happened very fast and started with the intro bass loop and drum pattern. The song was written within the hour and immediately felt very special."
It feels like only a moment since I was last being all sorts of excited about new MarthaGunn on the blog but it's that time again!!! Caught Up & Confused arrived a few days ago, and is the title track of the bands' second EP, due in late August. There's a vinyl version of the EP available for pre-order here. The video for the track was made during lockdown, filmed on iPhones and edited by Edwin Burdis - as they've posted online "we had to make DIY film sets in the darkest room in our houses. Humph & Al shot theirs in a toilet" - amazing.
Two exciting pieces of MarthaGunn related news to share today. First up, a brand new (ish, I'm slow to share it) track, called It's Over. I'm really digging this one. Over to frontwoman Abi to tell us about the track... "We might not be able to play shows right now but that's won't stop us releasing music! I felt empowered writing this song. I was bored of writing sad break up songs. This one is a reminder that not every break up has to be sad, sometimes it's the best thing that can happen to you." Listen below!
Secondly - you're free at 6pm tonight, right? Where else would you be? The first week or so of lockdown should've seen the band touring the UK, so Abi took to Instagram to play a track or two live each night of the tour, with her bandmates and other guests (Flyte, Bear's Den, baker to the stars Frances Quinn and the like...) hopping onto the streams to play and chat. It was a great run of streams, and has no doubt led to the Into The Song idea. Curated by the band's label Communion Music and happening on their Instagram, Abi will be hosting the likes of Dizzy, Flyte, Willie J Healey, Samantha Crain, Night Flight and more, playing and discussing a track each. Tune in from 6pm on the Communion Instagram.
You don't need me to tell you that everything is a bit of an apocalyptic nightmare at the moment - I hope you're all staying safe and keeping your heads. All I can say is thank goodness for music. No matter how dark times get, it's always a great relief to know that music will be here to bring joy through those times. On that note, as gigs get cancelled (understandably) around the world, lots of artists, including many of those who I write about here, are placed into difficult situations, as in an age of streaming, they often rely on income from live shows. If you're in a position where you are able to, be sure to support your favourite artists at the moment - buy their CD, buy their merchandise, support their online pages if they're on Patreon or similar, and stream them to your heart's content.
Back to the new (ish) music! MarthaGunn, the total stars, recently shared a gorgeous acoustic performance of Heaven. It was the first track they released a few years back, and they've recently released a new version of the track. I'm adoring this live version. Abi's vocals are, as ever, sublime, as are those 5-way harmonies. Also - if ever a band screamed 'hair goals' - just saying.
As currently stands, MarthaGunn head out on a UK tour this month with a bunch of brilliant support acts across the tour, tickets here. Be sure to follow the band on their socials below in case of cancellations.
I've got a lot of love for MarthaGunn and I just have to share their latest single - which is sublime, as ever. Arriving last week on Valentine's Day, We Don't Need Each Other is their song for the "happily single" (thanks!) Who needs a love song? As the band described when sharing the track online - "so many people are dependent on a partner or feel they can't cope without another person in their lives. I've been that person. People often think it's strange if you've been single for too long, but these are all outdated ideas. I wanted to write a song that stood up for choosing to be single or at least trying to stay single and resist temptation to fall into a comfortable relationship." Listen below...
MarthaGunn head out on a UK tour in March with a bunch of brilliant support acts across the tour, tickets here.
22nd March: Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
24th: Broadcast, Glasgow
25th: Think Tank, Newcastle
27th: The Castle, Manchester
28th: Dead Wax, Birmingham
30th: Heartbreakers, Southampton
31st: Louisiana, Bristol
1st April: Hope & Ruin, Brighton
2nd: Courtyard Theatre, London
Last week I shared the new (but also kind of old) MarthaGunn track to the blog. As I'd scheduled the post a few days before I was already slightly behind as they shared the music video just before my post went live. As well as that, having just wrapped up some touring across Europe supporting Palace, they've announced a tour of their own for next Spring. Check out the video for Heaven below...
The tour dates are below and tickets are available here.
22nd March: Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
24th: Broadcast, Glasgow
25th: Think Tank, Newcastle
27th: The Castle, Manchester
28th: Dead Wax, Birmingham
30th: Heartbreakers, Southampton
31st: Louisiana, Bristol
1st April: Hope & Ruin, Brighton
2nd: Courtyard Theatre, London
A new MarthaGunn song, which is technically an old MarthaGunn song, but new. They've just brought out a new studio version of Heaven, which if I recall correctly was their debut single a few years back (at least, one of the first.) As such, it was the starting point of my live for the band and has always been a live favourite so I'm really glad to see the return of the track and I'm loving this version.
Frontwoman Abi Woodman, when sharing the track to the band's social media, explained that: "I am not comfortable being comfortable. I always want more. Sometimes I don’t know whether to accept the beauty of simplicity or to self-sabotage to find something greater. When I wrote ‘Heaven’, I was playing out a fantasy in my head and exploring a path I could only dream of taking. A few years on and I have stopped living in fantasies. I go after everything my soul desires. Heaven is a song for anyone dreaming of something more."
I've shared quite a few MarthaGunn related posts on the blog lately, but they most definitely deserve all of the love! They've just shared a lyric video for recent single Love & Emotion, which features footage of the band shot in Pembrokeshire in Wales. Soundtracking one of my favourite tracks from the band so far, the video offers fans an insight into a place that is "sacred" to the band.
Talking about the video, the band explain that "we have spent a lot of time [in Pembrokeshire] over the past 4 years. It's quiet, usually empty, and there isn't a great deal going on. To us, just being there is inspiring. We move all the furniture, set up all our instruments and just spend the days finding new MarthaGunn songs. There has been many a late night spent around the kitchen table. Emptying our minds, talking about everything and nothing. Our fears, our loves... It helps us deeper understand each other."
On Sunday I had the absolute pleasure of joining thousands of music fans in (very) West London's Gunnersbury Park for this year's Citadel Festival. My third one-day metropolitan festival of the year, it was a gorgeous day of live music, surprisingly decent weather and brilliant company. I was there to review and found it particularly amusing when the guy on the press box office asked "what publication are you with?" to which I bemusedly gave the name of my tiny blog as confidently as if it were the NME itself.
A reduced train service combined with a fault on the line held me up and meant that we missed the start of MarthaGunn's set but thankfully caught the majority of it, heading in the direction of recent single Saint Cecilia once we'd made it through security. Playing on thestage closest to the festival entrance, they opened up proceedings beautifully for those just arriving, showcasing brand new tracks and old favourites to the crowd at the Communion Presents stage. Closing the set, early single Heaven was a highlight, and I'm quickly realising that lead singer Abi is my hero.
As if all of my 2017 Communion dreams had come true, next up on the stage were Banfi. I caught some of their set at Bushstock recently, but couldn't see much from the back of the venue so it was great to see them again - my tenth time seeing them live and always a treat! Newly appointed manager/bassist Scott Miller (of Dry The River fame) fits into the band perfectly. They too delivered a set combining old favourites She Comes Home, Never Really Cared and Happy When You Go seamlesslywith brand new tracks from the debut album they're working on. (Can't wait!!)
Next, with a gap in our schedule we had a break from the music, and explored more of the festival site. Near the main stage we found an area hosting a range of comedy, science and circus performances. We were drawn in by some dance, and were shortly being a little bit mesmerised by some diablo skills in the Roundhouse Presents area.
After a while of watching and repeatedly exclaiming "how? HOW?!" at the mind-boggling talent on show, we headed back towards the Communion tent, walking via the main stage and catching some of The Coronas on the way. After enjoying their new track So Caught Up recently I was really looking forward to checking out what Melbourne's The Teskey Brothers had to offer. Despite their early afternoon slot, they filled out the tent and played blues rock to a hugely enthusiastic crowd, hanging off their every word and over the moon at the addition of a harmonica to the mix. As their bio says, "onstage, singer Josh Teskey's smoke whiskey voice defies expectation, flooring audiences." Their new album Run Home Slow is out August 2nd!
We stuck around at the Communion stage afterwards - as I said in my preview of the festival, the quality of their booking means I could've happily stayed there all day. Next up was Matthew And The Atlas - my fourth time seeing the band, but the first out of the surroundings of a church venue (twice at Bushstock Festival and once at a special Bear's Den Christmas show.) Vocalist Matt Hegarty and his incredibly talented band ran through a set featuring two of my favourite tunes, On A Midnight Street and Pyres, before treating us to a peaceful rendition of Elijah. Watch out for a post on his brand new video later this week!
Cue a dash for food and a rush to the main stage, where we managed to catch the end of the DMA's set. Hailing from Sydney, I'd never listened to them before and quite enjoyed what we saw - it was pretty clear that they were well loved. In parts it felt like the vocals of Blossoms tied with the guitar lines I love from The Vaccines - a solid combination indeed. We managed to make our way through the crowd and get much closer to the front for the set I'd been most excited for, the opportunity to see one of my absolute favourite bands live again. Friendly Fires delivered a hell of a performance, with frontman Ed Macfarlane showing us his signature (and frankly marvellous) dance moves from the first notes of opener Lovesick right through to closing track Kiss Of Life. I'm not really one for much dancing at gigs but it's impossible not to find your hips swaying along to these guys. In a completely joyous set (complete with a LOT of singing along on my part) the band ran through tracks from their self-titled debut album, the utterly sublime second album Pala and singles from upcoming album Inflorescent, due for release 16th August. It's been a long wait and from the tracks we've heard so far, I think it'll have been worth every second.
Feeling completely elated from their set, we quickly headed back to the Communion stage to catch the second half of Jade Bird's set. She was a last minute addition to the line-up, replacing Matt Corby due to illness, and what a welcome addition. I've been wanting to see her live for a while and really enjoyed the set, full of tracks from her recent self-titled debut - the only sad thing is that I think I missed her playing my favourite track, Uh Huh. I guess I'll just have to go and see her play again!
In a miraculous turn of events, we managed to get back to the front row in time for the stage's (reasonably early, at just after 7pm) headline set from one of my favourite bands, Bear's Den. It was my fourth time seeing them on the So that you might hear me run of shows and it was an absolutely triumphant return to the hometown stage after months of touring the album across Europe and the US. In a typical 21st century move, a guy on the front row was streaming the cricket live on his phone, holding it up for those around him to watch before the band started, and an amusing moment in the set arrived when the crowd cheered and clapped for a while after the second or third track. The band looked chuffed and I joined in, thinking it was sweet that the crowd loved them so much, before realising that it was because we'd just won the cricket.
In an hour long set (my only complaint is that this passed far too quickly) showcasing favourites from all three albums, the crowd proved themselves to be very much in love with the group, singing at the top of their lungs and clapping along at every opportunity, and occasionally resorting to cries of "we love the Den!!!" between tracks. It was my 11th (I think) time seeing the band but felt just as exciting as the first, with the opening banjo notes of final track Agape still instilling a lot of joy. After a Highlands & Islands tour of Scotland next month they're touring the UK later in the year, and have just announced a show at London's Eventim Apollo for 20th February - full dates here.
After catching up with some friends we headed back through the festival site to the main stage to watch some of the headline set from Catfish and the Bottlemen. For some reason I've never really taken a proper listen to the band, and mostly know them from what I've heard on the radio, but as we walked across the park, I could hear their first album hit Kathleen and couldn't help but speed up to get closer ("I know this one!"). With the morning's train woes in the back of my mind, we didn't stay for the whole set so that we could beat the crowds back to the tube, but from what I did see they proved themselves more than worthy of the top spot on the billing.
All in all I totally loved my first Citadel Festival and would certainly recommend it to people looking for a family friendly Summer festival that has things other than just music on offer. If the line-up next year is anything as strong as yesterday's (bear in mind that I missed Bastille and a host of other brilliant artists) then you'll be in for a treat.
This one isn't strictly new, but it's super exciting to have this track back! MarthaGunn took their previous releases off of the likes of Spotify to start from scratch with recent singles Saint Cecilia and Love & Emotion - but fans have called for the old tracks to come back and they've re-released Honey, Let Me Know. The best news. I can't wait to see these guys for the first time in a couple of years this weekend at Citadel Festival - looking forward to hearing old tunes and new!
Ridiculously excited to share that I'll be heading to this year's Citadel Festival next Sunday (July 14th) to watch some of my favourite bands and write about it for the blog. One of the coolest blog related perks to date. It's my first time at the festival, a single day event in Gunnersbury Park in West London which started back in 2015 with the particularly impressive co-headliners Bombay Bicycle Club and Ben Howard. The likes of Foals and Tame Impala have since headed line-ups full to the brim with a programme of live music, talks, workshops and even a spot of yoga. Fun and educational for all the family. With Catfish and the Bottlemen heading up a very strong line-up this year I am very much looking forward to it and keeping my fingers crossed for good weather on the day!
Testament to the quality of the line-up, I'm probably most excited about the artists playing (and headlining) one of the smaller stages this year, as Communion Music (that indie label that I ramble about quite a lot) are curating the secondary stage. MarthaGunn and Banfi kick off proceedings, before Cleopatrick, The Teskey Brothers, Matthew and The Atlas and recent Bushstock Festival headliner Matt Corby.The stage's headliners (and some of my favourite chaps in the world) are Bear's Den, returning to the UK for a huge hometown set after a pretty much non-stop run of touring across Europe and the US since the release of their album So that you might hear me back in April. The latest Communion Presents on Radio X show is worth a listen - Maz was joined by Davie from Bear's Den for a Citadel takeover with music from acts playing across the festival - listen here.
You could in all honestly stay at the Communion Music stage all day and go home feeling that you've got your money's worth. Personally, I'll be tearing myself away from the barrier there and heading to the main stage to catch another of my absolute favourite bands, Friendly Fires. I've been a big fan of the band for years and finally got to see them live last April at their comeback O2 Brixton show - lead singer Ed's dancing was as infectious as I'd expected and if you're heading to the festival these really should not be missed. With their last album released back in 2011, they'll be playing tracks from upcoming record Inflorescent, due for release in August.
They'll be followed up by Bastille - a brilliant live act who's stage set up at Glastonbury (currently catching up on the iPlayer) was on another level. The festival happens to coincide with lead singer Dan Smith's birthday (Bastille Day) so it's bound to be a bit of a riot! Welsh indie-rockers Catfish and the Bottlemen bring proceedings on the main stage to a close, with tracks from their recent album The Balance which reached number two in the album charts back in May. I've not seen them live before so I'm intrigued to catch their set as I know a lot of people who have a lot of love for the band and their shows!
The likes of DMA's, Tinariwen, Dream Wife, Fontaines DC and Talos complete the music line-up across a few stages, while a range of workshops, talks, quizzes and other events take place during the day - Peppa Pig is even making an appearance. Not to mention a bunch of London's best street food outlets to choose from.
Between Friendly Fires, Bear's Den and more I'm excited to see some of my favourite artists and to hopefully discover some new bands next weekend. Tickets for the festival are available here and you can download the official Citadel app to check out timings and other info on the day.
It's that (glorious) time again - time for a new MarthaGunn track. I absolutely love these guys - they're come across as some of the sweetest people in music, hardworking, incredibly talented and they fill me with some serious hair envy. Brand new track Love & Emotion, released yesterday, is the second single of their current campaign, following up Saint Cecilia. Sharing the track online, the band's lead singer Abi explained that "I wasn't prepared for what this song was telling me, my sub conscious spoke for me a long time before my conscious mind could pull away. Love & Emotion had a powerful voice, one I couldn't ignore, one I was just facilitating."
If you like what you're hearing, you can catch MarthaGunn at Omeara in London on 13th June as part of Communion Music's SWITCH evening. They're also playing a set at the label's festival Bushstockon 15th June (I am crossing my fingers I can catch this while volunteering at the festival!)
Although I already shared the track itself a couple of weeks ago, I'm eager to share the stunning new video from MarthaGunn for their recent single Saint Cecilia. I've loved these guys for a couple of years and the new track and video (created by the incredibly talented Dan Harris) mark the start of an exciting year for the band, I can't wait to hear more new music! They're heading out on their first headline tour this month, taking in shows in Bristol, London and Manchester, before playing the likes of The Great Escape, Bushstock, Hidden Herd and Citadel festivals. Watch the video to get a little taste of the atmosphere of a MarthaGunn show, and then grab yourself a ticket!
This has been a long time coming and is very much brilliant news - Brighton's MarthaGunn are back with a new track! Following the recent announcement of their first UK tour in Bristol, London and Manchester at the end of April, they're releasing the first product of months of work in the studio and I already absolutely can't wait to hear more. Equally excited to see more of the artwork as Dan Harrisis Creative Director for the project - he's an incredible photographer whose work I really love!
For now, here is Saint Cecilia. Introducing the track online, the band explain that "When you ask yourself a question, instinct will usually answer. This song is about ignoring those guiding voices. A restless longing for change despite an unwillingness to do so." Listen below (and here on Spotify) and if you like what you're hearing, grab tickets for the upcoming shows here!
Really excited about this news! One of my favourite new bands of the last few years, MarthaGunn, have just announced their first headline tour. I've seen them live a couple of times and can tell you that this definitely isn't to be missed! They've been hiding away in the studio and I absolutely can not wait to hear new music, which they'll hopefully be debuting in troves at these shows. Formed in 2015 in Brighton, the five-piece draw from modern influences such as Tame Impala and Mystery Jets, and the 70s song-writing of Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles. Check out the tour dates below after listening to this beautiful track!
MarthaGunn play: Louisiana, Bristol (29th April); The Waiting Room, London (30th); Soup Kitchen, Manchester (1st May) before heading back to Brighton for a set at The Great Escape. Grab tickets for the tour here.
I posted about them just a couple of weeks ago but couldn't resist sharing this beautiful session from MarthaGunn, one of my fave new bands of the moment. They've been busy in the studio over Summer and took a break from a recording session to perform their tune Honest for The Crypt Sessions, a lovely stripped back version where Abi's vocals take the forefront. In love with these guys and reckon you should be too - keep an eye on their Facebook for future show announcements and new tunes!
One of my favourite discoveries of the past couple of years and a highlight of my time at The Great Escape back in May, MarthaGunn have shared a live video from their time playing a bunch of shows in Europe! From a support slot with AnnenMayKantereit in Vienna, here they are performing Hell For Leather... if you like what you're hearing be sure to check out Honey, Let Me Know, another total corker, and the cover of Earth, Wind and Fire's September they performed with AnnenMayKantereitearlier in the year - it's got over 700k views!
The band being back in the UK hopefully means that they'll be back in the studio making more of their beautiful music for us, and if you're based down South you can catch them live in Brighton supporting Flyte at Patterns (dream line-up) on 16th September!
