We wanted to get in touch with your publication today as we would love to showcase to you an incredible new group, The Riversiders.
The Riversiders are a London based four piece- fresh on the music scene. Although still starting out, what we’ve heard from them so far makes it very evident that they are set to excel.
They have a brand new single called Original 2, which comes out on the 24th of this month. Below is a link pre-release link to the single. We would love to see this featured on your publication. Original 2 will be available to stream on Spotify for listeners on the 24th.
“There’s a gap in the market for raw rock and that’s what we are trying to bring back. With this song, Original 2, we tried to capture the energy of a live performance and we think it can be felt through the recording” — Alfie Crews.
The Riversiders have no announced gigs as of yet. However, they will be announcing a headline show on the 27th January and will surely have many more planned for the year.
We at Mammoth PR are so excited to be able to begin working with The Riversiders at the beginning of what is destined to be an amazing career in music for them. We truly believe that bands such as themselves don’t come around too often and we want to ensure they become known within the indie music community.
Rebel girls, Peach Club are fresh on the music scene and without a doubt here to make an impact. Hailing from Norwich, the fantastic four-piece have been tearing up the riot girls world.
Image courtesy of Poppy Marriott
In 2016, they dropped their 1st E.P, The Bitch Dairies which gave the world a powerful welcoming from the band. Two years later and the ecstatic Cherry Baby E.P is released. Peach Club constantly radiate female angst and girl power vibes! Below is a short interview with the remarkable women rocking the bad bitch vibes.
Since forming, how far do you think you’ve come as a band? Becca: As far as being able to play with some of our favorite bands which is a great achievement for us. Kat: Yeah I think considering we’ve only been a band for about 2 years we’ve come really far! We’re so happy and lucky to be where we are.
Who were the key figures which inspired you to become a band? Becca: Playing music, in the beginning, was just something I enjoyed to do and then as the band formed the Runaways really inspired me with the whole ‘girl band’ thing. Now I’d say the members of Sleater Kinney really inspire me personally. Kat: I’ve always wanted to be a pop star after discovering Britney Spears. I guess I’m punk rock’s Britney now haha (I wish). But seriously, bands like Bikini Kill and Deap Vally really inspired me to be in a rock band.
What are your favourite songs to say live? Becca: I just love Mission Impossible. It’s usually the last song in the set and it works wonders. Kat: I LOVE playing Oh My God. It’s absolutely exhausting to play but it’s so much fun. I like our punchier songs!
If you could describe Peach Club in 4 words, what would they be? Becca: My 4 words for Peach Club would be: punk music for everyBODY Kat: Funky Punky Political Tunes.
These bad bitches are the ones to watch, catch them at one of their upcoming dates before. As well as these, Peach Club have extraordinarily exciting news coming! April 12th Dr Martens Store, Norwich April 13th Supporting Shonen Knife (!) The Garage, London
From begging Instagram for their account back to their album debut, we catch up to discuss the world of HMLTD and what’s to come.
After taking a break from touring, social media, and the whole being a band who are actually somewhere besides the studio thing, HMLTD have finally returned. The riotous collective recently signed with Lucky Number for their latest release ‘Loaded‘- a song about material wealth and spiritual poverty. Check out the official video below:
Known for their often bizarre art-house music videos, HMLTD have always been an eye-catching collective. Late August their “vow of silence’ was broken with the announcement of a U.K. tour, which they’re currently on.
How does it feel to be back out on tour?
“It feels good. This tour has been the best UK one we’ve done so far. Usually, venues in the UK are shit, but this time we’ve been lucky enough to play some excellent venues – Picture House Social in Sheffield and The Flapper in Birmingham to name but two.”
How has it been spending the past year or so recording & curating your debut album?
“It’s been a four-year process. Every year for the past four years we’ve thought – ‘the album will be out by January’. Then we’d be dropped by our label, or we’d decide the album wasn’t good enough, and go back to it. Finally, it’s done, we’re all very proud of it, and mainly just glad to get the damn thing out. “
So. Album, when??
“Very soon!!“
In terms of making the album, have there been any inspirations/ influences that have played a part in the process?
“I think everyone who worked on the album has been an influence on it, to a greater or lesser degree. Mike Horner, for example, who engineered most of the album, was the reason the album sounds as good as it does.“
How was it to be banned from Instagram?
“We begged them to give us our account back and Instagram kindly did. We’ve learned our lesson and there will be no more nudity on the HMLTD insta.”
You’ve always worn quite artistic outfits, would you say fashion is a big part of your image?
“Yes, we breathe Versace.“
Where do you see HMLTD being in 5 years?
“Gearing up to release our debut album.“
There’s recently been quite a blend between the music industry & politics. As a band, how do you see the current socio/ political status of the UK affecting you right now?
“Brexit will make international touring a lot harder, and eventually it might impact negatively upon the UK music industry. But a far bigger issue is the environment. If the country and its politicians but half as much effort into the climate as we have wasted on Brexit, the UK would be in a much better place.“
We thank HMLTD for their time and are excited to see what happens with their album.
Hailing from Manchester are indie funk quartet, No Hot Ashes. Prior to their headline set at The Boileroom, Guildford, Abi managed to briefly catch up with them.
How did the band come about? “Well we started in high school really, knocking about, and then we were just kinda mates for a while we all played. And then about 2014 we released the first proper song, I mean we fell into each other didn’t we? We could all play instruments & we were all together at that time. We had nothing else to do”
Favourite song to play live? “Smooth has become a bit of a favourite amongst all of us, all the other songs are a bit complicated. Any of the easy ones, any of the ones that sound a bit easy, they’re our favourites.”
If you could tour with any artist, who would it be? Referencing the support “Soda Cat I’d tour with them. We would love Chic, Nile Rogers, any of the old ones, George Clinton- any of the old funk players. Bootsy Collins.” What’s your favourite venue to play ? “This’ll (Boilerroom- Guildford) be a good one, tonight. We’ve got a lot of favourite places to play, where we come from ,Manchester, there’s a place that got shut down called Sound Control. The flapper in Birmingham got shut down too. There’s loads of place everywhere.” Do you have any pregig rituals? “Well we’ve started to try to get into one really, we just all get really hyped and knock each other about. Stick on a bit of 70s funk (try get some tunes on). It’s not particularly ritualistic either it’s just if we get the time. We get a bit excited when we stay in hotels as well. yeah in hotels we get all ritualistic- chicken beheading and all that shit”
Where do you get music inspiration? “Everywhere and anywhere. We’ve kinda of always said this but there’s nothing we steal it from particularly. We’ve all always liked 70s 80s funk. I mean everything we here from chart music through to the weirdest stuff like Sodacat. We’ll just all take it from whatever we can find and we all listen to different kinds of shit” “We pick out something we like in any music” Favourite bands in Manchesters music scene right now? “We like The Blinders, The Blinders are our mates- Spring King we’re a big fan of them. To be honest it’s hard because there’s not a scene as such, everyone’s just trying their best (all doing their own thing)” How has the tour been so far? “Tiring, very very tiring. (It’s just getting started). Yeah it’s been fun. Yeah we have a lot of fun at the actual gigs but there’s so much travelling. We’re all in between a lot of things like jobs and girlfriends and money and bank accounts. It’s nice seeing new cities as well like going to new places.”
Try catch them at one of their upcoming tour dates!
Since the beginning of film in 1878, the industry has grown & bloomed throughout the following 20th & 21st centuries. Film has become a form of escapism; to leave behind the real world & submerge yourself in an alternative world. Whether it be horror, dramas, sci-fi, or even simply a chick-flick, there’s something for everyone. Here, we take you through, what could be considered, some of the must-watch films. From ghastly gripping dramas to chilling psychological thrillers, here are some of the best.
Pulp Fiction, 1994 Directed by Quentin Tarantino Tarantino’s iconic film has evidently become a cult favourite amongst film lovers. Though a reappropriated collage of his foreign, noir influences, Pulp Fiction is widely regarded as innovative in terms of the Hollywood narrative. Furthermore, it possesses perhaps the greatest dialogue of all time.
The Shining, 1980 Directed by Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick had forever been an incredibly artistic director. His 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining is now one of the most loved & known horror films of all time. Infamous for its array of vibrant interpretations from film fanatics, The Shining is a psychologically terrifying confusion of ambiguity. Symbolic both in terms of narrative and imagery, it is on the surface an intriguing study of the human psyche, not to mention the film that revolutionized tracking shots with the invention of Steadicam.
Blue Velvet, 1986 Directed by David Lynch Lynch’s masterpiece exploring the horrors beneath suburbia uses the aesthetics of the American dream and the seedy underbelly of Americana, with dream-like cinematography, to create a certain surrealistic beauty to the film, investigating disturbed characters and female subjugation.
The Basketball Diaries, 1995 Directed by Scott Calvert This coming-of-age film adaptation of the book, of the same name, by Jim Carroll follows the heartbreaking story of a boy who loses it all to heroin addiction.
The Godfather, 1972 Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Known as one of the greatest films of all time, The Godfather is a truly iconic mob drama. With The Godfather, Coppola had the choice to make it into a drama mafia story. Instead, he chose to film it as a strong metaphor for the experience of an Italian Immigrant in America during the 1940’s.
Trainspotting, 1996 Directed by Danny Boyle Irvine Welsh denied several directors the rights to his novel detailing the troubled lives of heroin addicts in Brit-pop crazed, socially unjust Edinburgh. It was only when Boyle suggested his vision of creating a slick and funky interpretation of what other directors wished to create a social realistic piece with that the rights were sold. The result is a heavily stylized sub-cultural phenomenon with perhaps the greatest soundtrack of all time.
Lost In Translation, 2003 Directed by Sofia Coppola One of few films to earn a female director an Oscar nomination, Lost In Translation is a dreamy exploration of two confused souls falling, awkwardly, in love against the backdrop of a globalized Tokyo’s neon haze. Nuanced character studies, criticisms of appropriation, a dreamy shoegaze score and cinematography awash with colour create one of the most beautifully suppressed love stories.
Paris, Texas, 1986 Directed by Wim Wenders German director Wim Wenders crafts a story of a lost man in adoration and alienation, extracted from his hapless wanderings through the American desert and given new purpose through his young son and lost partner. This film displays perhaps the most beautiful cinematography, with pastel sunsets, vibrant neon motels and the bleak landscape of Americana, hospitable only to the lost and loveless.
Incendies, 2010 Directed by Denis Villenueve Based around a militant female communist during the Palestinian civil war, Incendies focuses on dark themes of female subjugation and incest. Punctuated with powerful imagery, compelling performances and impressive connoted symbolism, it is a roller-coaster ride of loss and shock, with analytical commentaries on the religious and military state of contemporary middle eastern politics, and perhaps has of the most incredulously nauseating twist endings.
The Skin I Live In, 2011 Directed by Pedro Almodovar Another twist ending comes from the pioneer of queer cinema Almodovar. It’s difficult to prove a synopsis due to the films frequent unexpected twists and turns, but it follows an unstable surgeon on a quest to create a fully synthetic skin for burns victims proceeding the death of his wife in a car crash. Almodovar is a master of narrative pacing and provides bizarre, surreal imagery in this effort that may burn itself into your memory.
Un Chien Andalou, 1929 Directed by Luis Bunuel This art-house short was co-directed by infamous surrealist artist Salvador Dali. An allegorical narrative of the disturbing and the macabre, it is an early example of the surrealist cinema movement that provoked audiences to vomit in cinemas – mainly over the incredibly innovative slicing of the eyeball.
Fish Tank, 2009 Directed by Andrea Arnold British cinema, along with French expressionism, has pioneered the social realist movement. Arnold’s post-Loachian drama following a working class 15-year-old girl in her exploration of maturity and her illicit affair with her stepfather. The film uniquely uses a 4:3 ration to convey a sense of being trapped in one’s deprivation, and involves incredible performances from its cast, heightening its bleak tone.
Honourable Mentions:
Moonlight, 2016
The Exorcist, 1974
The Wizard Of Oz, 1939
To Kill A Mockingbird, 1962
Clueless, 1995
Apocalypse Now, 1979
Psycho, 1960
Dogtooth, 2009
Eraserhead, 1979
Taxi Driver, 1976
Spirited Away, 2001
The Royal Tenebaums, 2001
The Piano Teacher, 2001
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, 1992
Co-written by Abi (user: @visions0falife) and guest-writer, Morgan Till.
Completed as part of my English Langauge A Level NEA
We are living in 2019, a year of liberalism, progression- yet why is there still an evident gender gap in the music industry. From festival line-ups being heavily dominated by male artists to a lack of media representation for women, it is clear there is a problem- often rooting from misogyny.
A key lasting problem for women in the industry are festival line-ups. Festival line-ups are supposed to be somewhat diverse, yet it is clear the bills are heavily showcasing male artists more so than female. Why is this? Some may argue that there are just more “stronger” male artists/ bands, but is this really true? In reality, there most likely is a lot of deep-rooted misogyny; either coming from those who organise, attend or play. Yet not are all so bad. There is major contrast from Coachella owner, Phillip Anschutz, being a well-known homophobe and misogynist to Emily Eavis, co-organsior of one of the largest festivals in the world, who recently told The Guardian “(Glastonbury) are working toward 50/50. Some years it’s 60/40. It’s a challenge for us and we’ve really taken it on and I’m always totally conscious every day that the gender balance should be right.” However, for festivals, things are beginning to improve. The gender imbalance is gradually decreasing as a rise in female artists means the bookies are looking towards something over than the same boring old
Yet things aren’t all too bad. Regardless of the fact that generic indie bands, lead by the same white, sleep deprived looking male, are dominating NME headlines, there are good changes being made. Even NME themselves are attempting to improve the gap in media coverage. Their new Girls To The Front feature does help in giving female artists who are struggling a platform to speak out, they’re even putting on free gigs to promote these artists to readers.
The industry itself isn’t all to blame for the deep rooted misogyny; the audience following it do contribute too. Rock and alternative music can still be seen as very male orientated, likewise can other genres such as grime, rap and !!!!. Pop seems to be the main genre of the industry women are breaking into. Billie Eilish. Lizzo. Lana Del Rey. Clairo. Charlie XCX. All of which are women who have suddenly blown up in the charts and festival bills.
Battling this long standing issue in the industry is not just down to the women. Male artists have begun to stand up and call out the heavy flaws of misogyny that has caused struggle for so so many female artists. Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes are a band who have always fought in this struggle. At every gig, they dedicate a song for only female and non-binary fans to crowd surf- prior to such lead Frank Carter threatens the life of any man who dares to assault, grope or inappropriately touch any women in the crowd. During one of the most celebratory moments from this years Reading Festival, Frank told the crowd “we dedicate it to some very special people in the crowd. People that wake up every day to threats of domestic assault, sexual assault, verbal assault, misogyny – the list goes on. Ladies, this song is for you: this is your song. If you’ve ever wanted to crowdsurf through fear of being touched inappropriately by some anonymous twat in this crowd, this is your chance to crowdsurf in a safe environment where every single male member of this audience will treat you with the love, the respect and the kindness you deserve as their equal.”. Being in the crowd for this I can say, honestly, I have never felt so overwhelmed with happiness as I was thrown up on a friends shoulders then experienced my first ever female-only mosh pit- iconic. Inclusivity and safety within gig environments is what we need!
A week on from International Women’s Day 2019 and we are still continuing our celebration. Here is our annual post in which we celebrate the most empowering, women in music who defy the mainstream genre. From riot girls Witch Fever to the soft-sound of Still Corners, ranging from established artists such as Blood Red Shoes to exciting newcomer BLLE, here are some of Let It Happen’s favourite picks & the bad bitches vocalising their opinions on the matter of women in the music industry.
Blood Red Shoes @bloodredshoesuk
Hailing from Brighton is the incredible rock duo, Blood Red Shoes- consisting of the badass Laura-Mary Carter and Steven Ansell. Since their formation in 2004, the duo are still, to be considered, a hugely underrated band despite having consistently produced effortlessly brilliant music.
How key is it for the industry to push female fronted bands/artists?
“I think it’s been a long time coming , when I started playing in 2004 things even then were very different it was hard pushing forward in the rock world and to be noticed or respected really. It’s still hard now but I feel a real change coming and I think the industry have responsibility In that and they need to push female fronted and female solo artists not because they are female but because they are good. Because there has always been amazing music made by women but it used to take a backseat especially outside of pop music. Now is the time for the industry to take notice of all the amazing music out there made by women and not try and mould it but support it.”
What are the best female artists around right now?
“Right now, I think Anna Calvi has really found herself and it’s very inspiring to me. Others I love are Sharon Van Etten , Self Esteem , Queen Kwong , Big Thief , The Joy Formidable, Kate Clover, Our Girl- to name a few.”
Peach Club @peachclubband
Bad bitches, Peach Club, never fail to impress. Their array of blistering femme angst tracks will forever prove them to be talented.
What do you see the future for females in the music business to be?
“We hope the future is going to look brighter, more inclusive of all non-males and more diverse. We (non-male bands) work so hard to get the recognition we deserve so hopefully in the future it will be a bit easier. “
Do you still feel as though there is an inequality within the industry? “100%. A lot of promoters don’t think non-male bands are profitable so won’t put them on their bills, and festival lineups are a joke. There are so many incredible non-male bands who don’t get enough support from the industry even though they’re incredible, just because they’re not cis men. It’s completely unfair! We just wish promoters would put more of an effort in to widen their audience and create more diverse bills/lineups. Hopefully soon they’ll realise not everybody wants to see the same cis white male bands all the time.“
BLLE @iamblle
On her main inspiration: “ I look up to a lot of women in music. Miley Cyrus has been a massive inspiration my whole life, everything she stands for is amazing. “
What are the main challenges you face as a women in the music industry? “People tend to not value your opinion as highly because you’re a girl and patronise you when you bring ideas to the table or challenge them. Luckily I’ve worked with some amazing men who value my ideas and talents”
iamblle.com
Witch Fever @witchfever
Mancunian riot girls Witch Fever are a girl group we could not miss out in our celebration of women in music. Describing themselves as a band in only five words concluded were; Hairy, queer, feminist doom punk.
Do you think it’s harder for females to be successful in this industry?
“Yes it’s definitely harder! Especially when it comes to working with industry professionals, for the most part, it feels like there’s very much a ‘boys club’ attitude. And particularly within alternative/heavy scenes, there is a lack of inclusivity for women, trans & non-binary people. Men take up most of the space and we wanna take it back. We’re fucking over it. Also it’s so frustrating when it’s assumed we can’t carry and don’t know how to use our own equipment properly.”
Nina Dallyn @nina_dallynmusic
Hailing from Brighton is independent songwriter & artist Nina Dallyn. Through co-producing all of her music, she has managed to curate a beautifully mellow sound, beaming with an aura of calmness. Included as her favourite female artists right now; Billie Eilish, Jorja Smith, H.e.r and Kali Uchis.
Regarding the future of the music industry for women: “All I know is that there should be equal number of women than men in the music industry especially producing, engineering and executives as that is where the biggest imbalance is. Inspire young women not to be afraid to produce and master their own work- and not have to send it off to men to do it for them.“ Nina also stated “at the moment, the gender imbalance is not decreasing which needs to change”
Sequin Sally @sequinsally
What are the main challenges you face as a women in the music industry?
“I think image is more scrutinised as a woman in the industry, it’s something you’re instantly conscious of – boys can rock up to gigs in an old tee with their guitar and still get taken seriously but fronting a band as a woman the expectation is for you to LOOK good before you even play – the judgement is already heavy. People also don’t believe that I write my music or are shocked to find that out – I think they think the boys in my band have written it haha! It’s like an undertone of bias constantly in favour of men, a man is playing a guitar so he must have written that riff, I just stand there and sing but I’ve written all that music… I’m not just “a singer”, I wrote that bassline, that riff, all of it – I kinda get a little buzz though when I get the reaction of “wait, what, you wrote that?”
Since their incredible debut that was gifted to the world last November, Black Honey have busily spent their time touring, and now are back with I Don’t Ever Wanna Love. We were also luckily able to catch up with the band about the new music- as seen below. Both the song and the music video are genuine masterpieces. I Don’t Ever Wanna Love is an electric yet subtle ballad of a backwards love song.
Black Honey have forever been ones to curate a story within their music videos, with this recent addition being no exception. The bubblegum motel aesthetics of the music video are, honestly, to die for. Just watch it & allow yourself to be transported into a world of cinematographic beauty.
What was the creative process behind the music video?
“We turned up to my friends’ pink hotels in Ibiza with a wig in a flight case and some good cameras and basically improvised it from there.”
How does it feel to be releasing music again after touring for so long?
“It feels amazing we have been writing a lot of music so we are stoked to show you a sneak peek of what’s to come.”
What is the story behind the latest track?
“It’s a frustration on my expectations of love that movies and books give us.”
Since having been travelling & touring, has it influenced any of your new work?
“Not consciously but it’s probably filtering through in everything we make.”
2019 marks the fifth year of the iconic War Child Brits Week. In support of the charity, War Child, an A-list of exciting current artists leave the arenas & take to much smaller stages. The War Child have shows have always had an impressive line up and 2019 shows a continuation of such.
From 11th to 22nd February, there will be a variation of artists playing in small venues around London. The 10 day durations commences with Idles, the brutal, yet “woke”, punks, on 11th February at the 100 Club, with Tom Odell finishing off the round of shows at Omeara. Artists such as The 1975, AJ Tracey & Jess Glynne also feature; with Enter Shikari and Bring Me The Horizon taking over The Dome for two nights.
How to get tickets:
A prize draw to try win tickets to all shows has opened, closing 23:59 04/02/19, available by paying a donation of £5 to War Child. Alternatively there will be a limited number of tickets on sale for O2 Priority on Wednesday 16th January, with general sale on Friday 18th January.
The full listings of all the shows can be seen below:
Slowly, lights faded away. Wolf Alice took their place on stage and commenced, what was going to be an incredible night, with Heavenward. Ellie Rowsell’s angelic voice floated delicately throughout the song. In contrast to the heavenly opening song, the audience was suddenly thrown into a whirling mosh pit as Yuk Foo began. The entire audience shrieked along to every single lyric. St Purple & Green was later played. The visuals paired with the glowing green & purple tones filled the room beautifully.
Further down the set came fan-favourite, Silk. The belowing audience could almost overpower Wolf Alice. Two songs later came Formidable Cool.
Finally came the iconic Moaning Lisa Smile. Thunderous guitars thrashed along to the melody. The audience fell into a sweaty pit. Rowsell danced around the stage, singing to the crowd. Visions Of A Like was then played, followed by Fluffy. Wolf Alice exited the stage and immediately the demands of encore began.
Returning to the stage, they started the encore with Blush. Lights faded to a soft pink hue. Blush live was a truly beautiful experience that night. The set ended with Giant Peach as Rowsell threw herself into the crowd on the final lyrics.
Abi Barthrop: portfolio 