LISTEN: Bad Sounds & BROODS - 'Move Into Me'

Last year kicked off brilliantly with an EP from the dream duo Bad Sounds - Escaping from a Violent Time, Vol. 1. It's such a brilliant collection of tracks. A year (ish) later, they're back, and not quite as we know them... they've just shared Move Into Me, a track featuring BROODS. A fellow sibling duo, they travelled from LA at the start of 2020 to work with the brothers, who they'd toured with the year before, and made this slice of magic.

On the track, Bad Sounds share that it is "about growing closer with someone you love. Georgia (Broods) managed to write her lyrics in a way that felt so specific to what had been happening to her, but at the same time feels like something that so many people can relate to." 

BAD SOUNDS · Move into Me (feat. Broods)

It's the first time that the pair have released a track with such a prominent vocal from another artist, but it's something they've been interested in exploring since the start of the project. Callum explains that "when we started Bad Sounds we always dreamed that it would be a collaborative project, where we'd meet a bunch of like-minded musicians and write songs together and our friends would feature on our music. But we had a lot to learn before we were able to reach that point. We really couldn't have made something like this 2 years ago." 

"Since writing and recording this song we've spent almost a whole year collaborating with other artists and friends. It really feels like the next phase of Bad Sounds, it feels like it's growing into something that's much more than we could achieve on our own, and I think that's something we really value. Especially after spending so much time away from our friends and loved ones due to the pandemic." 

Having spent the last year working from their Bristol studio with the likes of Arlo Parks (on the track Bluish from her debut album), VC Pines, Max Pope, Rose Gray (and many more) on their own music, the duo have an EP of their own coming soon, and there might be more features involved...

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WATCH: Valley Maker - 'Instrument'

Just a couple of weeks until the treat that is a brand new Valley Maker record arrives in our lives. Announced a few weeks ago, When the Day Leaves is due via Frenchkiss Records on 19th February. Stunning new track Instrument joins recent singles No One Is Missing and Mockingbird in creating some firm (and exciting) foundations for a beautiful record. The video for the track follows on from that for Mockingbird and is again filmed and directed by Joseph Kolean and Zach Gutierrez, featuring footage that Austin himself captured on a Super 8 camera in the North Carolina mountains. 

There's something so special about these nature-led music videos, showing the wildlife of far-flung areas to my own, that I'm loving so much at the moment. That sense of escape and discovery. Here, there's power and worry too, with the track and video touching on climate change and natural disasters, and the effects that we have on the planet. Austin comments that "through mixing mediums and blending human and natural worlds, we wanted the 'Instrument' video to visually be in conversation with what we created for 'Mockingbird', and with the landscape of the album cover." 

"I wrote 'Instrument' as a meditation on the challenges of persevering, of loving the world and other people, and of maintaining a hopeful vision for the future in these times we're living through. The uncertain future of our planet, with climate change and related natural disasters, always feels very present for me in these considerations. So the song and video reflect both upon anxieties and affections for our world; they explore what it means to remain a part of it all, to carry on amidst human and elemental uncertainty."

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WATCH: Arlo Parks - 'Hope'

You really don't need me to tell you just how special Arlo Parks is, do you? Her much anticipated debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams was released via the legends at Transgressive Records on Friday. Despite only dispatching on Thursday, my signed copy of the album on vinyl managed to arrive to my door on Friday morning and I was delighted to get my hands on it - the excitement of taking a first listen of the album via a physical copy instead of Spotify! I miss getting to browse in record stores so much, and the feel of a brand new record is such an exciting thing. It's a truly stunning collection of tracks. So many that we've all come to know and love so much through lots of radio play and support all over - the likes of Caroline, Eugene and Black Dog, and so many more instant favourites in the rest of the record. 

Among them, current single Hope is delivering a ray of sunshine in stressful times. Thinking about it, hope is exactly the sentiment that Arlo's music makes me feel. There's so much delicate and raw passion buried throughout her music. The writing and delivery of those gorgeous vocals makes it feel as if Arlo is singing to you and you only - "you're not alone, like you think you are." It's a hug disguised as a song. Listening to Arlo is pure joy and ecstasy. The emergence of a true star of our times... she's such an exciting artist moving from strength to strength. 

The video for the track (above) sees Arlo collaborating with film-maker Molly Burdett (Hurt, Black Dog) alongside director of photography Robbie Ryan (Marriage Story, The Favourite) for a short film starring Arlo herself. A meander through intimacy and friendship - it's as stunning as the track itself. 

On the video and the song, Arlo says "this video to me is a warm, vibrant exploration of friendship and introversion. I think there's something so powerful about the saturated, filmic textures, the human portraits and depictions of euphoria. The song surrounds isolation, being present in your pain and knowing that you're not the only one on the planet feeling low. I think especially in times like these it's important to focus on the inevitability that things will get better." 

You can buy and stream Collapsed In Sunbeams here.

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WATCH: Anna Leone - 'Once'

New Anna Leone, yes! Following from most recent single Wondering, new track Once is divine. It's produced by Paul Butler and is released via AllPoints/Half Awake. Anna is a self confessed video game & sci-fi obsessive, who loves escaping into other universes and found her love for storytelling through it. Though still battling debilitating stage fright, Anna has certainly moved on from acoustic covers in the privacy of her room - she originally picked up a guitar to perfect favourite tracks from the likes of Bon Iver and Laura Marling - and Once is the latest in a string of gorgeous tracks. 

On the track and video, Anna explains "the narrative loop comes from the idea of being stuck in your ways, going through the same patterns, but then choosing to break out of that and do things differently. Towards the end I reconcile with the past, symbolised by the little girl. I choose to embrace what once was in order to move forward. It was incredible getting to shoot the video in that beautiful environment. The weather was really unpredictable - we went through almost all four seasons in one day."

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ALBUM NEWS: Ben Howard - 'Collections From The Whiteout'

I got a hint of the arrival of this track early, and got to listen to it a day before it was premiered by Annie Mac on Radio 1. Felt a little smug. It's out in the world now, along with some very exciting news! Ben Howard releases his fourth studio album Collections From The Whiteout on 26th March. It's a record far removed from his debut, with the press release describing it as "songs written from headlines scanned, or news stories scrolled past. Ben has taken those snippets and let his curiosity take control, creating an aural scrapbook that reverberates with tape loops and guitar FXs." 

Produced alongside Aaron Dessner (The National, Sharon Van Etten, Taylor Swift) this is the first of Ben's records to have production from outside of Ben and his band. Aaron brought his extensive contact list along for the ride, and alongside longstanding guitarist of Ben's band Mickey Smith, the record features Yussef Dayes (one of the UK's most innovative young drummer/producer's), Kate Stables from This Is The Kit, James Krivchenia from Big Thief, Kyle Keegan from Hiss Golden Messenger, and Aaron himself. As well as Thomas Bartlett (St Vincent's go-to pianist) and Rob Moose (string arranger for Bon Iver and collaborator of Laura Marling, Blake Mills and Phoebe Bridgers). 

Talking about the video, which was shot in Bulgaria and directed by Cloe Bailly, Ben comments that "this was a nonsense idea loosely thrown together on the Old English rhyme, 'back to back they faced each other, drew their swords and shot each other' with a bit of animal hysteria thrown in. Cloe somehow transformed a basic countryside shoot 'em up into an amazing tale of delightful retribution. Cloe is a queen of dark comedy and I'm so grateful that as friends we got to work together on it. The eclectic Bulgarian cast and crew somehow managed to pull this off in strange times. It was all the more entertaining in a completely foreign language."  

Pre-order/pre-save the new record Collections From The Whiteout here.

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WATCH: MICHELLE - 'FYO'

"Why do I turn to you to tell me who I am?" 

What a treat! There's a brand new MICHELLE track out today. Really loving this project... with songwriting from Sofia D'Angelo, Julian Kaufman, Charlie Kilgore, Layla Ku, Emma Lee and Jamee Lockard and production from Kaufman and Kilgore, they're a group of born and bred New Yorkers making some of my favourite music at the moment. Recent singles UNBOUND and SUNRISE were two of the best tracks I heard last year. New single FYO is a powerful reflection on the four lead singers' experiences growing up with mixed race identities. It's all sorts of brilliant. Featuring the four singers, the video is directed by the band's own Layla Ku and Emma Lee (and it's also brilliant.) 

On the meaning behind the track, Jamee explains that "FYO is about belonging to different worlds, but feeling rejected by both. Growing up as a mixed-race minority in the US, my self concept was warped by other people telling me what I am and am not, pushing and pulling me between identities. Although my feelings of cultural dissonance still ebb and flow, now I have the vocabulary, support system, and perspective to unpack that inner conflict on my own terms. We should never give others the authority to define who we are." 

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WATCH: Home Counties - 'Modern Yuppies'

Genuinely shocked to find that I've never featured Home Counties on the blog... I've been really loving their Redevelopment EP released in September - the title track and Dad Bod are tunes! Listening back currently, I'm getting quite a Lucy Leave vibe from that EP. New track Modern Yuppies sees the band switch a guitar-laden vibe for a synth-driven sound, partly out of choice, and partly from not being able to reunite with their producer during lockdown. They bought a second-hand analogue synth and a drum machine and this is the first of two self-produced singles to be released via Alcopop! Records.

Vocalist Will Harrison notes on the shift in direction that "synths and drum machines were already something we were very keen to explore and 2020 provided us with an unexpected amount of free time to experiment. We dialled the disco influences up to the max and totally embraces that 70s-cop-drama vibe for this pair of stand-alone singles. It feels like a bold declaration of who we are and it definitely gives a clearer taste of where we're heading for our next EP." 

On the track's lyrics, he adds "the song is a comparison between the young urban professionals of the 1980s to those of today. It discusses the differences, the way that arrogance and conservatism have made way for self-doubt and socially 'liberal' political positions. Ultimately however, they are both plagued by the same condition - of constantly needing more." 

On the video, Will explains that "a zero budget video feels very fitting for Modern Yuppies. The song was written and recorded in the November lockdown when we found ourselves unable to go back to the studio. Stuck inside, we spent the month sending the stems back and forth. The plan was to emerge from lockdown and head straight to London for a photo and videoshoot in December but things did not go to plan and we soon found ourselves trapped again. We actually put this video together the day before the single release. I think you can see the isolation taking its toll on us. I spent my hour of daily exercise playing synth to some local sheep." 

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LISTEN: Clara Mann - 'Thoughtless'

Monday, again?! Hope you've all had a lovely (snowy?) weekend... I've been really getting into a spot of birdwatching and rediscovering my love for photography through wildlife recently, and spent much of the weekend staring at birds at my local nature reserve and through my window. Snowy weather guides me towards the sort of music that gives that same warm feeling you get sitting by a fire, and this new Clara Mann tune does just that. 

Thoughtless follows debut Spotify release (after some lo-fi Bandcamp demos) I Didn't Know You Were Leaving Today - in both we are utterly transported by Clara's intimate and unique vocals. For me, they offer up something that feels at once new while harking back to more traditional folk music. The track is taken from her upcoming debut EP, entitled Consolations, which is due on Feb 24th. The EP was recorded remotely in Clara's bedroom, with producer Benjamin Spike-Saunders mixing in his. It's hard not to make that connection with the homely, heartwarming feeling that the tracks bring. 

Clara Mann · Thoughtless

Speaking about the new track, Clara explains "I wrote this over a summer where I was totally adrift - it was quite a lonely time, and I felt that, in a bid for some kind of connection, I was making myself vulnerable to the wrong people. Thoughtless is a recognition of that unhealthy tendency in myself, as well as being about the way people can take too much of someone, without even realising." 

On the influence of water through the track, she writes "there's a lot about water in the song, about the sea, the waves. I grew up by a river in France, and I think have always felt most at home in landscapes with water nearby. It's a mixture of finding it comforting and familiar, but also being aware of he power of the current, the tide, or the swell, and feeling helpless and fragile next to them. The guitar part in Thoughtless unintentionally mimics the rise and fall of waves, and I like the way the melody floats above it. I remember finding it quite painful to write - it felt very raw. I was very into Sorolla's paintings at the time, and the way he paints light - I wanted to do that with music, with my words." 

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WATCH: Ailsa Tully - 'Parasite'

"Wouldn't you love to control me?!" 

Happy Friday (we made it!) - in a week filled with a lovely selection of new tunes from the likes of The Staves, Anna Leone, Clara Mann, Memorial and so many more, here's one from one of my favourite new discoveries of last year. With her second single via Dalliance Recordings, it's Welsh songwriter Ailsa Tully, whose track Drive was one of my favourites of 2020. New track Parasite is an introspective, personal and passionate protest track of sorts, crying out against toxic relationships and gender power dynamics at play within the music industry.

The video for the track shows parasitic plants winding around vines, taking control. The visuals mirror Ailsa's journey through the lyrics of the track - on lines such as "I am naive, I make this so easy" we see her as this person perceives her, a feminine product to be shaped without much opposition. Always maintaining both composure and fragility through the vocals, the situation reverses as Ailsa sings "I could break you down, you parasite" on the chorus. 

She shares that "Parasite is a confrontational song written for a controlling and manipulative person. It explores the insidious manner in which sexism takes form, particularly within the inner workings of the music industry."  

Follow Ailsa Tully - Facebook | Instagram.

ALBUM NEWS: Low Island - 'If You Could Have It All Again'

Some glorious news for your Thursday which I've been desperate to share for a few days now. A new track from the Low Island chaps alongside news of their debut album. Ahhhhhhh!!!!! Feel Young Again is taken from If You Could Have It All Again, due on 16th April. It's a typically DIY affair from the quartet who manage their creative output, self-producing and self-releasing via their own label Emotional Interference. There's something kind of heartwarming about that - knowing that the music sounds exactly how the artist wants it to. In this case, it sounds brilliant, as always. These guys know how to tug on the heartstrings through endlessly danceable indie-pop. 

In the new track, a song which repeats the vocal "I will set you free" you lose yourself amidst the gorgeous and oh-so-Low-Island soundscape. This is a special one. I am itching to hear the record! Talking on the single, Carlos explains that "Feel Young Again is about a toxic relationship; not with a person, but with a part of yourself that you need to let go of. A part of yourself that is doing you harm but because of familiarity and a fear of change, you can't give it up. It's about taking that thing, feeling or frame of mind for one last dance before finally letting it go."

Pre-order/pre-save the debut album here (!!!)

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