Interview: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Ozo).
Image Credit: Emily Marcovecchio The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Ozo). Last week I had the opportunity to chat with what may well be the future of shoegaze, or as they have coined it ‘doom-gaze’- a moniker which certainly rings true. Fronted by Isle of Wight-born Jess Baker alongside her younger sister Boo, Ugly Ozo explores feminine rage through the lens of supernatural horror. Steadily becoming a regular fixture on the UK live circuit across past 12 months, often seen performing in fairy wings, her debut single comes off the back of a performance at the Isle of Wight festival back in June and notable recent shows with Sunfruits, Hotel Lux, Shelf Lives, The Pill and ELLiS·D. Following on from an initial series of dates with Lauran Hibberd last Autumn, Ugly Ozo will embark on their biggest UK tour to date this September, supporting the indie-pop singer/songwriter across 9 UK concerts. Aside from their musical brilliance and well-deserved attention, our conversation also reveals two women as powerful as the music they create. Words by Isaac Phelan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sffWlIKanDw Ugly Ozo is an intriguing name that suggests something both raw and otherworldly. Can you share the story behind the name and how it represents your music and identity as a duo? ‘Ozo’ came from this story I found about an old guy in Wyoming who met an alien while out hunting, who introduced themselves as ‘Ausso One’ (pronounced like Ozo). I thought it was so weird, and it kind of stuck after that. I feel like it does represent our music in a sense that it’s unusual, and it suggests that there’s a story to be told. How has your relationship as sisters developed into this musical partnership? We’ve always shared similar music tastes, and I definitely inflicted a lot of my inspirations onto Boo growing up. Now she’s older and developed her own tastes, we share so much of it and always want to find new things to be inspired by. I started to encourage Boo to write and contribute ideas towards my own songwriting, and it’s kind of gone from there- she’s like my quality control department. And she writes a sick bassline. Coming from the Isle of Wight, a place with its own unique culture and history, how did your upbringing influence your musical journey and the themes you explore? I think there was never much to do growing up on the Isle of Wight, it’s a very quiet place where not a lot happens. I hated school and left to be homeschooled when I was about 12, and I ended up doing a lot of interest-led stuff for the first year or so. In this time I found how much I loved music and playing guitar, as well as realising my fascination for anything paranormal. For a while I did genuinely believe I was going to be a ufologist when I grew up- to be fair I’d still be up for it one day. I think the two interests just naturally combined over time, and now I’ve accidentally ended up writing songs about Bob Lazar and Area 51. Your music delves into powerful themes like feminine rage, revenge, and the supernatural. What draws you to these themes, and how do they resonate with your personal experiences? I was a victim of SA/rape in 2020 by someone I had been friends with for a long time. It affected my life so much and changed me as a person, and left me with so many emotions I didn’t know how to deal with. When I wrote remains, I didn’t initially know it was going to be about that experience- it ended up just flowing out of me and I found the whole process quite cathartic. I feel like music is such a powerful tool for expressing how you feel without fear, and writing that song has kind of given me something tangible and positive to hold onto coming out of that period of my life. As for the supernatural- I’ve seen ghosts and UFOs since I was a kid, and just find the whole thing so interesting! My friends laugh at me but I think it’s cool. Image Credit: Alia Thomas The supernatural elements in your music add a fascinating layer to your storytelling. How do these themes connect to your overall artistic vision? The supernatural is something I’ve had an affinity with for as long as I can remember, and I feel like ugly ozo wouldn’t be complete without it. I like ugly ozo being presented in a way that is unusual and a bit spooky. I detect an element of post-punk grunge in remains, akin to Daniel Ash’s Bauhaus. How does gothic art rock influence your creative process? I love eerie guitars and things that sound a bit dissonant and dark. When I go to write a song, I usually start with an idea and then go, ‘how can I make this creepier?’. I like my music to feel like the soundtrack to an old Halloween VHS tape. As sisters, how do you navigate the creative process together? Do you have complementary roles, or do you find yourselves challenging each other creatively? I (Jess) do most of the songwriting, and Boo tells me what’s good and what I can do better. She can be savage but I trust her judgement- she’s 5 years younger than me so I need her to keep me relevant. She helped me direct the music video for remains too, and she had some really cool ideas. It’s so fun working with her because she is genuinely my best friend, and we always joke that we share one singular brain cell between us. The blending of alt-rock, grunge, and eerie surf guitars creates a unique sound. How do you go about crafting this blend, and what influences your choice of sonic elements? I was mostly self-taught on guitar and learned everything just by playing songs I love. One of my biggest influences
⋆｡⋆𐙚 New Single Release ⋆｡: Slow Team “A Lover’s Mind”
⋆｡⋆𐙚 New Single Release ⋆｡: Slow Team “A Lover’s Mind” Following a fairly quiet period since their last release in July, Leeds-based three-piece Slow Team have returned with an erratic, visceral blend of youthful romanticism and hopelessness in their new single, ‘A Lover’s Mind’. 08.03.24 Words by Jasmine Siefert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGr1fNsgsU8 Formerly known as Bloodhound, ‘A lover’s Mind’ marks the second single release for the band under their new name, and is arguably their most captivating release yet. With the band themselves describing the single as ‘having something two-faced about it’, the track most certainly represents that peculiar, tumultuous ebb and flow that is falling in love. It is a blending of the upbeat and the broody, the hopeful and the hopeless. After a moody, atmospheric opening instrumental, the first verse introduces a lover’s mind as a hub of disarray as Max proclaims: ‘I love you more than I love myself’, yet ‘all I get is lies’. It interrupts the romantic sentiment of giving oneself entirely to love, reframing it as something that is rather detrimental, a form of self-destruction. Paired with the generally grungy, fuzzy instrumental which alters its pace from slow to fast throughout the track, Slow Team paints love as discord, as the fantasy of perceiving this love through rose-tinted lenses begins to crack. In a brief return to a more mellow verse, Lucy’s vocals haunt the layered, spacey instrumental as she echoes Max’s epiphany that love has never made him feel ‘so blind’. He finally understands that within this blind love, he has abandoned himself. The song then seems to burst open as it purges out the mellow and gives reign to the feral. A whirring, fuzzy bass accompanies the rumbling drums and grungy lead guitar, subtly fading in and out repeatedly. Mimicking a sort of physical pulsation, this undulation marks the moment the song truly comes alive. It marks the moment the band creates the space to feel entirely, subsequently allowing for catharsis. In a song which brings to the fore the disorder and non-linearity of falling in love, closing out the song on one singular, shaky note on the guitar grants the listener a final moment to process the chaos that came before it. It gives pause to simply remind us that love, to love, and to be loved, is inherently a turbulent, unpredictable process, hence we must be wary not to abandon ourselves within that process. The sheer amount of passion and energy that is imbued throughout ‘A Lover’s Mind’ grows beyond the recorded track. Discussing performing the single live, the band note: ‘It takes everything we’ve got to play it live’. So, for the Slow Team fans up north, you can next catch the band giving it their all live either on the 11th of March at Oporto, Leeds, or on the 14th of March at Rough Trade, Nottingham. Southerners can catch the band throughout April, with performances at Boileroom, Guildford on the 23rd, and in Brighton on the 27th (venue TBC). View this post on Instagram A post shared by SLOW TEAM (@slowteamband) You Might Also Like
｡✵✫Gig Review✫✵: The Old Blue Last Presents flirting. With Special Guests Pigeon Dog
｡✵✫Gig Review✫✵: The Old Blue Last Presents flirting. With Special Guests Pigeon Dog Late on Valentine’s night, the Vice-owned Old Blue Last performance area was packed almost wall to wall – it was a crowd we didn’t push through in an attempt to respect the loving V-day spirit (so apologies for the not quite up-to-par photos). 19.02.24 Words by Caitlin Taylor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_JhRCqUGi0 We wandered in pretty late as we were coming from Camberwell and arrived towards the end of Pigeon Dog’s set. We only got to experience the last two songs, but both were intriguing enough to put Pigeon Dog on our ones-to-watch list. Their Drummer George Bailey was unfortunately unable to perform but Maya Raykov and Dorota Dutkova still put on a captivating grungy, guitar-heavy performance with their replacement drummer. If you’re curious to hear more, their 2021 EP ‘Stink’ follows themes of queer love and toxic masculinity and is available to listen to now. They’re also supporting Nella at the George Tavern on February 19th. Headlining were the decently illusive “anxiety-pop” band flirting. who self-describe as “a group therapy project, set to a Sofia Coppela soundtrack”. Similarities to The Cranberries and Sinead O’Connor were immediately obvious in lead singer Poppy Waring’s vocals but with a heavier instrumental backing. She noted that this was a particularly special night because their first headline gig was also on Valentine’s Day and the last time they were at the Old Blue Last was in 2018 when their first EP was released. The first half of their set was reasonably calm but they stepped things up in the second half after warning the crowd that “you should get some earplugs if you don’t already have any”. A particular stand-out moment was their cover of All The Things You Said by t.A.T.u., another band with creative ideas about capitalization and full stops. They played around during the set, featuring spoken word sections, heavy guitars and even venturing into performance art when at one point Waring drifted off the stage, downstairs, and onto the floor where she gently writhed around as the crowd peered down at her. At the end of their closing song, one by one each member of the band walked off stage, leaving their instruments in front of their amps creating deafening feedback that acted as a dramatic full stop to their performance. Going to gigs should be more normalized on Valentine’s Day – whether you’re single or in a couple a sweaty dancefloor full of equally passionate people who are watching bands who truly love what they do is much more intimate and maybe even romantic than dinner and drinks. Both Pigeon Dog and flirting. have been around for a few years now so have music out online and a few gigs in the near future to check out. Also special shout out to Aqualine who’s set we sadly missed. View this post on Instagram A post shared by flirting. (@actualflirting) You Might Also Like
✧E-Chat✧✉: Night Tapes
“We all lived in the same house a few years back and had our own projects happening, but living together jams started happening organically and Night Tapes- which was us in the evenings after work recording the vibe on cassette tapes crept up on us. “ ✧E-Chat✧✉: Night Tapes Forged in the afterhours and rich with the sounds and stories of the city, London-based band, Night Tapes’ craft a serene concoction of colourful layers and woozy melodies, playing stage to the bands stream of consciousness. ❤➤➤ 01.02.24 Words by Amalia Castle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEf0xM0FIg0 The trio rounded off the year with their vibrant single ‘Drifting’, an atmospheric soundscape that contrasts the track’s bright qualities with naked sentiments on new-age romanticism. Lead singer Iiris Vesik, tells TNAM about the bands inspirations, the magic of her home town in Tallinn, the exciting process of creating ‘Drifting’ and what’s coming up for Night Tapes in 2024 so far. Hey guys, how are you! What have you been getting up to since the release of your most recent single ‘drifting’? Heioo! Iiris here! We’re good! The start of the year has been emotionally slow/ I was ill a couple of times and in a general bear mood. But since the new moon things have started moving again & drifting seems to be picking up speed which is really nice to see/read. I probably should stop reading comments, but atm it’s been really nice to see comments popping up like little hits of dopamine. all though I should stop soon. You guys have told the story of how you all met studying in London & making music, how did you first start collaborating, and ultimately figure out that your sounds were compatible? Where did the name Night Tapes come from? We all lived in the same house a few years back and had our own projects happening, but living together jams started happening organically and Night Tapes- which was us in the evenings after work recording the vibe on cassette tapes crept up on us. What influence would you say your time spent together in London and your individual experiences growing up in Tallinn and the New Forrest have had on your musical style? I think there’s a magical vibe in Tallinn- I grew up in Old Town for the first 9 years of my life & talked to ghosts apparently (according to my brother). I have a bog behind my grandparents home where i stayed a lot as a kid. I carry a bit of Estonia with me everywhere I go so I think some of it does always end up in songs. I can only imagine it’s the same for the boys. Iris For Night Tape’s Single Cover ‘Drifting’ You’ve mentioned this most recent single was produced in a day! How was the process putting together ‘drifting’ and how do you combine your individual styles on new projects like this? It was Richie’s demo he brought to the session sounding pretty similar to the end version already. We were pumped to hear it with Max and got the song to where it is lyrically and structurally in a day. 31st of July 2023 was a great day. sometimes things just happen & things kinda come out like a sneeze. Just a moment and it’s there. It’s a gift when that happens because usually songs take 4 years with us (lol). This new single ‘drifting’ is sonically super colourful and uplifting but is matched with some sentiments on romance and love being a waste of time. This is such a fun contrast, what’s the story behind the meaning of the track? lyrically it was more of a stream of consciousness kinda thing. The line “romanticism must die” has always been a big emotional trigger for me & i’ve been carrying that line around for a while. with this song i was finally able to use it. By now i’ve figured out what it means for me, but I’d rather not tell and have people have their own interpretations. I can say though that I think the ideologies of romanticism in the 18th century for love are outdated and we should ask ourselves if the ideals back then still serve our love lives. I think they don’t. At one point you gotta ask yourself- is this a magical attraction or is it a trauma attraction actually (not that trauma attractions aren’t useful in bringing trauma out – it’s easier to heal something you are aware about). I think it’s more about the time and place and less about the one fated person for everyone. Something super special in your music is not just the big, dream-pop sounds in your production but the commentary in your lyrics, whether it’s on complex relationships or larger societal issues, where do you pull inspiration for the stories in your lyrics? I’m just collecting stories, words and feelings while living & weaving them into songs. trying to always leave something that’s true for me in there. Following some of the moodier, woozier tracks on your third EP ‘Perfect Kindness’, where are you hoping to take listeners with this new single? Are there any particular moments that inspired the bright, shimmery feeling in this track? I think we’re trying to make something we want to listen to. You’ve got a show alongside Sans Soucis, Circe and Ebbb in January, which I’ve already grabbed my tickets for! What else can we expect from Night Tapes in 2024? Yaaass! See you there! We’ve finished a new EP so look out for new songs coming up! Super pumped for them! making some more visuals with Owain Morgan (who did the video for drifting) and super excited to do that! Also, we have already started to write the next thing and we’re putting together a tour for this year to promote the new EP “Assisted Memories” coming out on the 26th of April. View this post on Instagram A post shared by
New Single Release: Velvetine “Everyday Masquerade”
New Single Release: Velvetine “Everyday Masquerade” Velvetine’s latest single is a dreamy shoegaze ballad with a gothic rock twist. ‘Everyday Masquerade’ is a self-referential confession about the highs and lows of what it means to be an artist. 18.01.24 Words by Olivia Bloore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnBxtB_UohA Velvetine are a four-piece band based in London, who describe themselves as blending influences of post punk, art rock and alternative music. Composed of Mia Scarlet, Ross Fernyhough, Joshua Rowell and Gabriel Powell, the band has so far released three singles: ‘Curtainsong’, ‘Hideaway’, and most recently ‘Everyday Masquerade’. Their latest single is an ‘ode to inspiration’ – the song pays homage to restless artists, and their bittersweet, constant need to create. With over five minutes of ethereal textures and a slow harmonic rhythm, we feel as if we too get lost in the inescapable masked ball of daily life. The most memorable feature of the track is its disorientating, lucid dream-like production. The song begins with a prominent bass hook riffing over a relaxed drum beat, supported by a rich shoegaze texture of synths and guitars. The guitar drawls are symptomatic of the Southern Gothic ‘dark country’ genre; with heavy reverb and panning, they add further space in the dreamy mix. Scarlet’s ethereal vocal is saturated with delay, reverb and sounds as if it is double tracked with whispers – a technique commonly used by My Bloody Valentine. She sings ‘hiding in my room from the world outside’ with a half-spoken vocal fry to encapsulate the boredom of an artist’s rut, and the monotony of everyday life. The vocal line becomes more melodic as the verse develops; the chorus sings a rumination ‘the need of creation, inspiration is dressed up, wasting time’ over soaring backing vocals. Scarlet’s voice is rich, with an edge of grit and power, whilst seamlessly blending into the dreamy rock instrumental. The bridge builds suspense, as the bass line picks faster rhythms and the drums punch through the texture. The vocal line rises in pitch, as we feel a climactic sense of rage at having to perform at this monotonous ‘masquerade’. However, before long the song collapses back into the familiar chorus, as we are eased back into the familiar feeling of wishing for ‘inspiration’. ‘Everyday Masquerade’ establishes Velvetine’s unique sound as a post-punk take on art rock and shoegaze music. We look forward to further releases from the band, and hope for an upcoming debut EP or album. You can catch Velvetine at gig venues across London, including at Two Palms on 26th January. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Velvetine (@velvetineband) You Might Also Like Dream, General and Greater London, New Discovery, New Releases, Post Punk, Shoegaze, Single, Velvetine
NEW SINGLE RELEASE – CABL ‘See You In a Year and a Half’
NEW SINGLE RELEASE – CABL ‘See You In a Year and a Half’ The fresh Irish band you didn’t know you needed 08.01.24 Words by Kyle Roczniak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6h2aUsjuLY There’s an ever-growing sea of new artists trying to hit a breakthrough these days, making it rare that one captures the attention of listeners in the way that this one has. Introducing CABL, a Dublin-based 4-piece whose latest single ‘See You In a Year and a Half’ was spawned from their first time playing with drummer Eoghan Lynch. ‘See You In a Year and a Half’ is the title track from the band’s upcoming EP, expected January 12th, and is a satisfying smoothie of noisy ambient shoegaze (it doesn’t take much to notice the plethora of juxtaposing guitar pedal sounds) with noticeable post punk influences, be it the driving bassline or the punchy backbeat. The perfect blend. Frontwoman Ava Durran’s ethereal vocals are reminiscent of Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser, and her lyricism is clever and draws on the emotions – “I’ll leave it all, come back and still I wish it was / But it never will be”. Durran’s writing focuses on heavy themes of longing and regret. CABL’s broad influences range from County Kerry’s Junior Brother, to viral sensations and indie folk legends Big Thief. The contrast of the band’s inspirations and their own music, however, is arguably their unique selling point, solidifying them as capable and adaptational, and able to balance earworm melodies and layers upon layers of thick textured ambience. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CABL (@cabl.band) You Might Also Like
NEW SINGLE RELEASE – Cosmic Strip ‘Another Day’
NEW SINGLE RELEASE – Cosmic Strip ‘Another Day’ Cosmic Strip has returned to the alt-rock music scene with force after releasing their latest single ‘Another Day’, ending their five-year hiatus. 21.12.23 Words by Hannah Bentley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfenIdCZJS8 The London-based indie rock project was founded in 2015 by the lead singer Camella Agabaylan. The French-English artist described her style as “French. Goth. Punk.” during an interview with Fred Perry magazine, which has certainly influenced the band’s aesthetic. Their Instagram account features black and white images of Agabaylan stylishly smoking a cigarette and moody portraits of the singer distorted by light reflections. She’s a fan of Lana Del Rey and credits Elliott Smith for guiding her musical self-expression. ‘Another Day’ provokes an uplifting sense of nostalgia with its youthful sound. The single would be right at home in a 90s coming-of-age soundtrack. Agabaylan explains how the song reminisces on her past: “The track is a celebration of the friendships I had while hanging out in Hastings. It remembers the good times, reflects on how these friendships inevitably drift apart, and mourns those that we have lost along the way. The lyrics are me imagining what it would be like if I were no longer around, and about the memories that I hope we can hold onto.” Compared to the band’s earlier work, which relays a calmer psychedelic sense of musicality, this song accesses that same dreamy, atmospheric landscape in a different way. In ‘Another Day’, Cosmic Strip have leaned further into elements of the rock genre through loud drums and big guitar. Despite being overly formulaic, the soft vocals of Agabaylan juxtaposing the grungy guitar chords and heavy drums produces a hazy, almost ethereal sound. This is disrupted at the end with a final crescendo where the track takes an animalistic turn. The singer lets loose and shouts into the microphone as the guitar and drums swell with intensity, presenting the listener with the perfect opportunity to aggressively play their air guitar. Cosmic Strip recently played a successful show at The Lexington in Angel, with their next live performance yet to be announced. You Might Also Like
NEW SINGLE RELEASE – NewDad ‘Let Go’
NEW SINGLE RELEASE – NewDad ‘Let Go’ 11.11.23 Words by Gracie Rogers Irish alternative-rock band NewDad are back with another single ahead of their debut album, ‘Madra’, releasing 26th January 2024 https://youtu.be/xM6WlqCV_G0 Blending new wave influences like The Cure and Pixies with shoegaze and dream-pop influences (Slowdive, Curve, Lush), the four-piece blur heavy guitars with singer Julie Dawson’s ghostly, ethereal vocals. ‘Let Go’ is ‘one of the darker songs from the upcoming album, as the band lean back into their alt-rock roots. With intense lyrical themes, the track’s repeating motif, ‘I can’t let go’ builds and builds to an almighty guitar crescendo. The fresh new music video, directed by Zack Arlo, sees the group performing at the ultimate gothic house party, with distorted shots and hand-held cam footage giving the song a further boost of grunge. NewDad took their name from a random online generator, a decidedly gen-z decision which suits them perfectly. They have found success with their previous Eps ‘Waves’ and ‘Banshee’, and take their thematic inspiration from both lived experiences, and characters from film and television. ‘Ladybird’ on their 2022 EP took its inspiration from the popular Greta Gerwig movie of the same name, and took the band in a dream-pop direction which established them with a younger crowd. However, their return to alt-rock could not come at a better time, as Gen-Z have begun to embrace an alternative revival founded on the music of their parents’ time. Fans of The Cranberries or Wolf Alice will find something they love in NewDad’s decidedly contrasting sound, filling the space between Cara Joshi’s bass guitar and Dawson’s other-worldly vocals with layer upon layer of thick guitar rhythms. If the track peaks your interest, the band are embarking on a UK tour throughout February and March 2024 to mark the release of ‘Madra’. Here at The New Age Magazine, we’re very excited to see if the rest of the album follows in the style of ‘Let Go’, and we’re hopeful it will be the soundtrack to a dark British winter. You Might Also Like
NEW SINGLE RELEASE – Eaves Wilder ‘Freefall’
NEW SINGLE RELEASE – Eaves Wilder ‘Freefall’ 16.10.23 Words by Teguan Harris Eaves Wilder explores pure hedonism and releases herself from trauma in her unearthly new single, ‘Freefall’. London-born and raised Eaves Wilder unleashes a heartfelt and raw single that resonates with survivors of trauma, titled ‘Freefall’, released under her label, Secretly Canadian. ‘Freefall’ is her third single release of the year, following ‘Better Together’ and ‘Are You Diagnosed’, featured in her stunning 2023 EP ‘Hookey’. Wilder frees herself from trauma and the inability to let go in ‘Freefall’, urgently welcoming intimacy after healing and recovery. Wilder is on a vulnerable and raw journey of hedonism and letting go, creating space for her listeners to resonate and realise when they are ready to begin again after such hurt. Harnessing her early obsession with 60’s Motown records, Lily Allen and The Sunday’s Harriet Wheeler, Wilder began songwriting around the age of eight. Wilder wrote ‘Freefall’ when she felt ready to move on and allow herself to let go again, as she urges to do everything and feel everything at once. With intimate lyrics and ethereal melodies, it is unsurprising that this divine single has already gained popularity and noticeability since its release; ‘‘Freefall’ has made her Next Wave on Jack Saunder’s BBC Radio 1 show ‘Radio 1’s Future Artist’, where she gave an insightful interview on the show on BBC Sounds. Wilder has a habit of earning that title, where she was named Next Wave at ‘Radio 1’s Future Artist’ with her single ‘Are You Diagnosed?’ earlier this year. Wilder has exciting opportunities lined up for her, as she is set to headline Abbie McCarthy’s Good Karma Club on October 17th with support from Girlband and is also headlining Golden Slippers at Blacks in London on November 20th. She has also previously supported Last Dinosaurs on their sold-out show at Lafayette last September, headlined The Social last February with the support of Tummy Ache, Jacoténe and TV Room, and performed at one of the most anticipated events of the year, Glastonbury, last June for BBC Introducing. From exciting opportunities to being named Next Wave at Radio 1’s Future Artist, Wilder is evidently on the rise as a rising alternative and indie music star. With her unique and dreamy talent and sound, Wilder’s next move is exhilarating to predict. You Might Also Like Eaves Wilder, Greater London, Indie, New Discovery, New Releases, Shoegaze, Single
NEW ALBUM RELEASE – shaene ‘time lost / time regained’
NEW ALBUM RELEASE – shaene ‘time lost / time regained’ 27.09.23 Words by Lea Grnova Shaene’s Debut Album ‘time lost / time regained’: An Emotional Journey Through Music, Identity, and Resilience. Embracing the transition from summer’s warmth to autumn’s introspective chill, shaene has gifted the world her debut album, “time lost / time regained.” The melodies within this musical offering resonate with a haunting and beautiful melancholy, perfectly mirroring the contemplative mood that the changing season often ushers in. Comprising musicians from the local DIY scene and shaene herself, the band includes Nicole Johnson (Mage Tears) on keyboard and backing vocals, Ben Parry (Fuzz Lightyear, Divorce Finance), Varun Govil (Fuzz Lightyear) on bass, Josh Taylor (Fuzz Lightyear) on drums, and shaene, the songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist. In “time lost / time regained,” shaene boldly establishes her presence in the realm of emo-revival. Her musical journey began as a solitary bedroom recording project during the throes of lockdown, and it has since blossomed into a fully-fledged band. The result is a sonic landscape that gracefully weaves together the rich tapestry of emo and shoegazing music, offering listeners a glimpse into the emotional depths of the artist’s soul. Released on the 1st of September 2023, this debut album serves as a resounding testament to self-reliance. Every note, every emotion, has been meticulously self-recorded and produced by shaene herself. It’s not merely an album but a portal into the innermost recesses of shaene’s psyche. It stands as a testament to her remarkable technical prowess and unwavering dedication to her craft. The thematic breadth of the album is nothing short of impressive. True to its enigmatic title, “time lost / time regained” invites listeners on a profound journey through shaene’s past, exploring its enduring influence on her present-day relationships. It dives deep into the complexities of mental health, the heartache of familial estrangement, and the nuances of the trans experience. Ultimately, it arrives at a poignant message of acceptance, recovery, and the courageous decision to break free from the cycle of pain. One standout track on the album, “snot,” holds a special place in shaene’s heart. She explains, “I wrote it years ago, before publicly embracing my identity as a trans individual. The song is a poignant reflection on my experience growing up, shedding light on the ‘otherness’ I felt during that period.” “Snot” and the other tracks on the album showcase a raw, unfiltered sound that places a profound emphasis on deeply personal and emotionally charged lyrics. Shaene’s delivery is heartfelt and impassioned, lending her poetic and introspective lyrics the depth and authenticity they deserve. Through her music, she fearlessly delves into themes of personal struggle, the intricacies of human relationships, and the transformative journey of self-discovery. In a world thirsty for music that speaks to the soul, “time lost / time regained” by shaene is a poignant and evocative offering that promises to resonate deeply with those who embrace its ethereal melodies and thought-provoking lyrics. If you’re eager to experience shaene’s live performance, mark your calendars for October 14, 2023, as they’ll be taking the stage at Live at Leeds. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness this exceptionally talented emo lo-fi band in action. Secure your tickets now at liveatleeds.com. https://youtu.be/3Y7hGkBA7zA?list=OLAK5uy_kMs46rfYm0ImUyiMtZYYK5OkE_BU94BwU You Might Also Like Album, Leeds, Lo-Fi, New Discovery, New Releases, shaene, Shoegaze