Stream: Either Way - Sway Clarke

Either Way is the new track from Sway Clarke, and his first since deciding to turn his back on the world of major labels.

Without adhering to a strict genre, Either Way sits somewhere between soul and indie - Clarke’s vocals set against a bubbling electronic melody, crisp handclaps and multiple layers of stuttering rhythms.

Describing the track, Sway says:

“Either Way is just about having options, but still feeling stuck as fuck. It’s like when you find out your partners been peeping your homie, and as mad as you want to get you know you ain’t leaving them. A tragic beauty.”

Check out Either Way below:

Stream: Hideaway - Geowulf

Geowulf have just announced their forthcoming debut album Great Big Blue and along with it they have unveiled the first single to come from the album, Hideaway.

Having met on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, duo Star Kendrick (vocals) and Toma Banjanin (guitars/vocals) have actually spent all of their time since forming Geowulf separated by geography. With Toma in London, Star has divided her time between Sweden, Berlin and Australia whilst trying to relocate to London permanently. Describing that isolation, Star says:

”It's either been all on or me all of a sudden feeling really alone or isolated from the project. Initially it was really good [for my songwriting]. I'd never seen myself as a songwriter or doing music, so it gave me a chance to be a bit introspective. But now I'm feeling ready to integrate again."

At its heart, Hideaway is a 60s influenced pop record that on first blush Toma actively disliked:

"It was a pristine pop song and I personally really didn't like it.”

Having spent some time disassembling the track, the duo were able to rework it into a whole new track, now a highlight of their live sets:

”Hideaway is a favourite in our live set. The song is about feeling like you’ve been completely transparent with someone only to realize they haven’t truly let you in.”

Hideaway is a gorgeous intro to new album Great Big Blue, due out on 16 February on 37 Adventures. The band will play the Lexington on 28 February to celebrate the album’s launch - you can grab tickets here.

Geowulf - Hideaway Taken from the forthcoming album 'Great Big Blue' released on February 16th 2018 via 37 Adventures. Pre-order debut album Great Big Blue here http://smarturl.it/GreatBigBlue Stream / Download Hideaway: http://smarturl.it/GeowulfHideaway Produced and mixed by Duncan Mills. P & C 37 Adventures 2017

Stream: All Of Our Time - Amaya Laucirica

All Of Our Time is the first track I’ve really listened to from Amaya Laucirica, but it’s actually the second single to be taken from her forthcoming fourth album Rituals.

Amaya started working on Rituals in 2015 whilst living in Berlin. Following a period of playing live in Berlin and a solo tour of Spain she returned home to Australia where she assembled the band behind Rituals.

There’s a Cocteau Twins thing happening here, but it also reminds me of the Psychedelic Furs with a little bit of an added grain to it. That makes it kind of perfect for these Stranger Things times - whispery melodic vocals and a dreamlike sound make this feel otherworldly.

All Of Our Time is about the strengths and weaknesses that emerge over the course of long-term relationships. Amaya explains:

“The weakness is that the spontaneity disappears and the fire needs to be reignited over time. The strength is that their love has the patience to endure this time.”

Rituals is set for release on 2 March 2018 on Opposite Number. Look out for a UK tour supporting the album, with dates to be announced.

Stream: Dislocate - Age

Fabulous Irish / Australian duo Age are back with their follow-up single to their debut Peaks, and it is another piece of beautiful Balearic atmospheric audio.

Dislocate starts slow - soft keys, warm pads and low bass as David Dwight and Jen Cosgrave’s vocals gently skip along the surface. Things gradually build, a synth line appearing and forming the track’s backbone and, before you know it, what was a gentle piece has suddenly become something bigger and brighter: an optimistic love letter, determined to carve out its own narrative. “If you tell me, I’ll believe you”, the pair sing, not caring for any truth but their own.

I’ve a thing for happy sad records made for dancing to. This one is enough to make me full-on swoon. Those lyrics defy explanation, but there is a beautiful insistence their within them: “I don’t want to know, if you don’t want to go... we can always let them down”.

I've had one of those days that defies explanation, a number of ups and downs. Hard to pin down, just like this record. Sometimes things have a way of coming together in the end and in a way it feels like maybe everything will be okay. As I stood up on my train home to get off, Dislocate was still playing in my ears. I suddenly realised I was doing a little shimmy-like dance, all on my own to music no-one could hear but me. And I had a little smile and moved on... Because sometimes you gotta just go with what you feel.

Stream: Sick Burn - Mega Emotion

Sick Burn is the new track from Norwich outfit Mega Emotion, who are understandably fond of a quote from The 405 which describes them as “Part Pixies noise-fest, part 80s synth sunset.”

Personally I can safely say that the horizontal synth vibes and crunchy chaos of Sick Burn has swiftly made Mega Emotion my favourite thing about Norwich. And that’s a pretty sick burn on my brother, because he actually lives there. Sorry to all my family.

This track is an attempt put the incredibly unpredictable year that was 2017 behind us all. Having faced a tough period of illness, death and heartache, Mega Emotion created Sick Burn as a ‘hymn to friendship and optimism in a totally bleak world’. So buckle up and get ready to flash the world a v sign. I never liked the world much anyway (don’t worry, I’m totally joking here).

Catch the band on tour this week: 23 Nov - supp. Mammoth Penguins - The Owl Sanctuary, Norwich, UK 26 Nov - supp. Mammoth Penguins - The Lexington, London, UK

Look out for Mega Emotion’s debut album MOVE, M0THERFCKER* next year. And no, I have no idea if I need the asterisk, or the zero in the word ‘motherfucker’, nor what happens if I write it not in all caps. Frankly at this point, I’m just doing what I’m told. Enjoy it whilst you still can, because 2018 is just around the corner and frankly I have no idea what to expect. Love you, and goodnight.

It's almost the end of 2017. And if this year has been a soul crushing one for you, then Sick Burn is your new mantra. A mantra to pick yourself up, hug your friends, and tough out the vileness that life can throw you. It's been a difficult year for Mega Emotion's Jan, Lisa and Iain too. Facing illness, death and heartache, the friends (since school) turned up their instruments and wrote a slow-building hymn to friendship and optimism in a totally bleak world. Mega Emotion play drums and percussion over electronic beats and build walls of sound that loop dirty baselines against pumping synths and scuzzy guitars. They wear floor-length ceremonial robes, with faces dusted in glitter and stars swept through their hair. The band’s self-released debut BRAINS won Steve Lamacq’s Roundtable on BBC 6 Music. Their demo material has been championed by BBC Introducing and played by DJs including John Kennedy, Mark Radcliffe, Tom Robinson, Tom Ravenscroft, and Nemone.