Her Picture ‘Can’t Think’
Following the release of their EP ‘Don’t Try to Comfort Me’ last year, Her Picture have been fairly quiet – but they’ve emerged before the end of the year with the brilliant ‘Can’t Think’. It marks another evolution for the group – direct in its musicality and lyricism, yet full of subtle touches that elevates it to something entirely gripping and refreshing. Centred around personal reflection, it’s dark, haunting, heavy and utterly captivating.
They said: ‘Can’t Think’, in simple terms, is about the fear of being known and seen. Particularly, the track explores the mortifying experience of being perceived when you’re not at your best and wanting to hide from the judgement of others. As a creative, there’s extreme pressure to keep adapting yourself and keep climbing that achievement ladder but sometimes that can’t be sustained because of what’s going on in your personal life. I think that’s where the central conflict of the song comes from; how do I make a career out of being spectated when I’m terrified of how others perceive me, and the control I need to give up to allow that relationship between artist and audience to develop myself.
“I was also reading a lot of body horror work at the time, particularly Jenny Hval, and that inspired the lyricism in Can’t Think. The idea of rotting away to evade being seen is a big image used, which is sort of playfully in conversation with contemporary Gen Z humour around “rotting in my room”, but it’s also a means to regain control of the body, self-effacing on your own terms before anyone else can erase the idea of you.”
Lauren Mayberry ‘Vicious Creature’
Lauren Mayberry, the frontwoman for electro-pop band CHVRCHES, today releases her debut solo album Vicious Creature.
Vicious Creature is both a startling new era in Mayberry’s artistry, and the culmination of two decades of life in a band that came before. Across its songs, she writes about sexuality and empowerment from a profoundly personal perspective for the very first time, reconnecting with the icons of her youth (Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, PJ Harvey and Kathleen Hanna) as well as ‘90s British girl groups such as All Saints and Sugababes, whose music made a formative impact on her in the 2000s.
Rianne Downey ‘Lost in Blue’
Currently on tour with Paul Heaton, Rianne Downey has her own solo debut album due for release next year, and she’s shared a first preview in the stunning ‘Lost in Blue’. A confessional and personal track, she’s described it as a ‘sad girl anthem’ about coming out of a toxic relationship. It’s an immaculate slice of country pop – tinged with sadness yet lifted by its dreamy, upbeat melodies. “I was claiming my identity back after losing it to this toxic situationship,” she says.
Hen Hoose ‘EP3’
Local female/non-binary-led songwriting collective Hen Hoose have released their third and final EP of the year – once again pairing artists together from across the scene to create another gripping body of work. If you’ve not checked out EP1 or EP2 yet, make sure to do so. This final one features collaborations between producer K4CIE and rapper XZO, Elisabeth Elektra and Carla J Easton, Kiana and Tanya Mellote, Sarah Hayes and Ray Aggs, and AMUNDA with Nightwave, who worked together on the lead single, Pressure, which was released last month. It’s a celebration of the diverse range of talent that exists in our music scene – and each one brings something fresh and exciting to the project. Check it out below.
‘New Ground’ is the new single from Scottish singer-songwriter Kirsteen Harvey, set to feature on an upcoming EP titled ‘Senses’. Born from a voice note sent to her homesick sister in America, it’s a beautiful ballad that speaks of personal strength, familial love and expanding your horizons. Opening in gentle fashion, her lilting vocals paired with an acoustic guitar and uplifting fiddle, it gradually expands in its final moments with drums and bass – a sonic reflection of its own lyrical words of encouragement.
The Too Late ‘Dream’
Glasgow four-piece The Too Late have shared a new indie-pop-rock number called ‘Dream’. Collaborating with Majesty Palm’s Cameron Robertson who produces the track and Jamie Holmes for mixing duties, the band explore a relationship that reveals itself to be something it wasn’t. Striking a balance between rose-tinted nostalgia and wistful regret, it’s a driving anthem – full of catchy choruses, vibrant synths and riffs. Check it out before the play the Garage in Glasgow on 1st February.
