The Era ‘Hidden Heart’
After recently making their debut at TENEMENT TRAIL, The Era have followed up ‘Black Leather Lover’ with a new track called ‘Hidden Heart’. The duo have quickly carved out a niche position in the local music scene – blending the imposing sound of the electric harp with industrial beats, moody vocals and dark, moody atmospherics to create a sound entirely of their own devising. ‘Hidden Heart’ is another hypnotic track – produced by VLURE’s Conor Goldie and mixed and mastered by acclaimed audio engineer Shuta Shinoda (Hot Chip, Ghost Poet, Anna Meredith, Jehnny Beth). Intense, moody lyrics are delivered against the deep, distorted bass-like harp strings and it all makes for a heady, unique sound – full of promise and ambition.
They headline King Tuts on Friday 13th December.
SLIX ‘Moments’
Fast-rising Gourock five-piece SLIX have dropped a surprise new track called ‘Moments’. It’s written about their experiences of playing across Europe this summer, and as such, it’s brimming with youthful optimism and an infectious, jubilant energy. This feeling is channelled through its upbeat melodies, addictive choruses, singalong refrains and hopeful lyrics – it’s all about living in the moment and cherishing the good times. A perfect antidote for the increasingly dark winter nights.
Psweatpants ‘2LeftFeet’
After treating us to ‘HeadOffTheGround’ a few weeks ago, Psweatpants has unveiled the accompanying EP ‘2LeftFeet’. Marking a definitive step forward for the rapper, the new EP is produced by fellow rising star FinnFM, and as such, is imbued with a mix of gritty UK grime, high-energy jungle and old-school rave influences. Impossible to box in, the genre-defying production provides the perfect backdrop to Psweat’s hard-hitting flow and vivid lyrics – as he explores themes of resilience, living in the moment and enjoying it. It makes for an invigorating and infectious listen – the latter track in particular ‘HeadOfftheGround’ moves at breakneck speed against a fierce, club-ready beat. Overall, it’s EP that’ sure to push him in the spotlight even further – and we look forward to seeing what comes next.
Former Champ ‘Volume 2’
Glasgow supergroup Former Champ have shared their second EP ‘Volume 2’, ahead of their sold out show at McNeills tonight. Featuring the previously heard ‘Sorry’ and ‘Hold On’, the four-track collection is full of the fizzing pop melodies, intricate guitar interplay and emotive indie pop we’ve come to know and love from the outfit – as well as their strongest songwriting to date.
Cold Desires ‘Blush’
Introducing Cold Desires – a new UK-based duo made up of Elina Lin and Joe Falconer. The duo have played a key role in numerous excellent projects over the years like The Ninth Wave, Circa Waves and Courteeners, but they’ve now emerged with their own project as an outlet for their own songwriting. ‘Blush’ is the debut single – and it’s a bold, ambitious alt-pop opener that fuses dark, moody indie and electronics to great effect. With pulsing rhythms, powerful vocal harmonies and dark yet unrelenting guitars at its core, it’s a brilliant opener that has us hooked.
“It’s a pulsing visit to uncertainty, anxiety and the dreamlike state you can be in when you start to lose your sense of self,” the band says of their debut single. “When we were writing the lyrics, we really connected over this. Your whole world gets a bit warped and it’s hard to see anything else.”
Blair Davie ‘Coming of Age’
Blair Davie has shared a euphoric new track called ‘Coming of Age’. The singer-songwriter has teamed up with producer Thom Lewis for the track, the man behind many of Sam Fender’s acclaimed releases – and the result is a rich, spirited indie-pop anthem full of energy and personal catharsis.
Speaking about the new offering, Blair explains, it’s “about how growing up, especially those formative teenage years, were some of both the best and worst times of my life equally. It’s a time where you’re so confused, vulnerable and excited all at once. Your friends and you are growing up at different places, exploring, failing, peaking. No one’s got it figured out but no one tells you that.”
Primal Scream ‘Come Ahead’
Glasgow stalwarts Primal Scream are back with their first album since 2016 – and they’re a band re-energised and reinvigorated. Produced by David Holmes, the band are back firing on all cylinders on ‘Come Ahead’ – both personal and political, rallying against the state of the world in a whirl of punk, funk and fiery spirit.
Tune into the playlist below.
