TINA SANDWICH unveils her eagerly anticipated debut EP tomorrow – ‘For The World’.
The artist, real name Tilly O’Connor, first seized our attention with her fizzing debut single ‘Up All Night’ in 2022 – a track we described as ‘instantly addictive’ and a bridge between grungy indie sleaze and early noughties pop. Since then, she’s had us on tenterhooks with each excellent release, quickly establishing herself as one of the most exciting emerging acts in the Scottish scene.
Her debut EP is set to propel that momentum even further, living up to all that early potential and more. It opens with the stunning ‘World Moves’ – her intimate, vulnerable vocal more emphatic and angsty as the song progresses over arpeggiated synths and increasingly muscular Radiohead-esque guitars. Previously released single ‘I Want’ is a bonafide indie-sleaze banger while ‘4TW’ is a moment of personal catharsis – set against a peppy, infectious instrumental that feels like it’s arrived straight from an early noughties film soundtrack. The brilliant ‘Joni’ is an appropriate finale – a poignant moment of nostalgia and reflection that considers ideas of home and the cyclical nature of emotions, all while leaving us with warm glimmers of hope.
It all comes together to create a really exciting EP that you don’t want to miss. What’s more, it’s being launched at Nice N Sleazy this week on 8th August, where there will be bingo, raffle prizes and an intimate performance from the frontwoman herself. Get your tickets here.
Ahead of the release, we caught up with the singer who gave us an exclusive track-by-track run-through of the new EP – sharing her inspirations and the story behind each track.
World Moves
Opener ‘World Moves’ dances in the inbetween space of admiration and jealousy over glitchy synths. Alanis Morrisette style vocals and angst over Radiohead-esque instrumentation. It opens with seagulls as a kinda scene setting, in-joke. ⅘ of the band met in Aberdeen and they’re really big and mean and aggressive up there. It sounds kinda relaxing but could mean trouble is afoot.
It’s almost unsettling and dreamy at the same time. Morven (Pearling) who plays bass with me helped record and ‘verb out some of the vocals in the final crescendo. Was magical final touch.
I Want
‘I Want’ has all the screeching urgency of an indie sleaze hit, contrasted with the world weary lyrics of someone living through late stage capitalism. I’ve been seeing a lot about “recession pop” being back. Those 2010’s song about working hard all week and dancing it all away at the club. “I Want” is about partying and forgetting your troubles for a bit, but not lose sight of what caused those troubles in the first place.
4TW
‘4TW’ takes the form of a conversation between two sides of the self and asks – was this all for you, or for the world? The disconnect between the person you want to be, and the expectations of others. Fun fact – I draw this cartoon frog called Felipe (or Lipe for short) and I wrote this song as though it was the theme song to his animated show in the 90s.
This song is linked in my mind to the first track ‘World Moves”. They’re exactly the same length, lyrically linked. Almost like they’re in conversation with each other. It’s a time capsule reflecting on my experience coming out of lockdown, adjusting to a new world and deciding to put my all into music. Taking inspiration from Breeders, the Beth’s and Oasis, this track almost wrong-foots the listener into floating away on the late Summer haze it creates. However the lyrics in the final refrain jolt you back to reality with the thick thud of changed weather.
Joni
Existential track ‘Joni’ closes out the EP. Written in the low ebb of a blue black winter, it reflects on ideas of home and the cyclical nature of our emotions. The days get shorter, longer and shorter again. With each season bringing the promise of hope.
‘For The World’ arrives tomorrow, 8th August. Get tickets to the launch here.
