Australia's Sia Furler really doesn't need an introduction- she's been in the music game for over a decade and has collaborated with Christina Aguilera, David Guetta, Afrojack, Ne-Yo, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Rihanna, Leona Lewis, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Rita Ora, Britney Spears, Jessie J, Beck, Zero 7, and Celine Dion. She co-wrote, "Titanium" with DJ David Guetta, and "Wild Ones" with rapper Flo Rida. She released her debut solo album OnlySee in 1997, her sophomore album Healing is Difficult in 2001, her third album Colour the Small One in 2004, then Some People Have Real Problems in 2008, and We Are Born in 2010. She recently recorded "Kill and Run" for The Great Gatsby soundtrack and her sixth studio album is set to be released in March 2014. "Elastic Heart" was recorded for Catching Fire, the second film in The Hunger Games triology.
CHVRCHES recently released their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe on Virgin Records this September. The Scottish synth-pop group is composed of Lauren Mayberry (lead vocals, additional synthesizers and samplers), Iain Cook (synthesizers, guitar, bass, vocals), and Martin Doherty (synthesizers, samplers, vocals). They recently released a cover to Whitney Houston's "It's Not Right But It's Okay"- listen to the cover below. Also, check out an excerpt from an interview with Lauren Mayberry andRain City Rock Camp for Girls. You can reference the full article, here. Have you had any experiences where you felt like sexism contributed to how you were treated? "At a soundcheck once when I was a drummer, I checked all the different pieces of the kit. The next logical step is to check the whole kit, as is the standard pattern. But the soundguy said check the kick and I didn’t hear that because he didn’t have a microphone, so I checked the whole kit. He came up and totally dressed me down in front of the room and was said, “You need to listen to people. You think you totally know what you are doing but you would learn something if you took a minute and listened to people.” And because I was like 18, I quietly had a little sulk. But then I was like, “He never would have said that to a six foot two guitar player guy.” I was like, “Wow, I thought that was a myth, but that totally happened.” Another good one where me and my other drummer from my other band had booked a tour of the UK and we got to play a gig in London. He went around front to get them to open the back door. I was trying to go in the back door after I had reverse parked a splitter van and the bouncer was like, “Sorry, girlfriends have to stay upstairs until sound check is done.” Most of the time I’ve been lucky to be in bands with guys who are like very aware and supportive. So, I mean, I would never want to be tarring everyone with the same brush. But occasionally you come up against a dinosaur who doesn’t seem to realize that the 50’s aren’t happening now." What do you do to combat that when they happen? "I used to find it really upsetting, hence the kick drum crying thing. Now I guess it pisses me off more. I try to say one assertive thing to the person and then just walk away. I don’t know if I want to get into a massive debate with somebody in the middle of a venue. So I think, no, if I just continue doing things as good as if not better, maybe that’s the best way forward. Also, it’s been helpful to have TYCI [the women’s collective Lauren founded: http://www.tyci.org.uk, https://soundcloud.com/tyciblog]. It’s been helpful in terms of meeting other women in the community. That feels like a positive thing to do. With this kind of stuff I sometimes worry it’s quite easy to be like, “This is rubbish. That’s terrible.” And concentrate on the negative stuff and not say anything about the positive stuff. My angle is to be aware of the negative stuff but try to focus on the amazing number of female musicians who are doing great things and try and bring out that somehow. I’m an idealist. Probably won’t work, but we can try." Kelela (Kelela Mizanekristos) a Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter affiliated with the record label and movement Fade to Mind is set to release her debut mixtape, CUT 4 ME, October 1st. Kelela describes the sound she would like to create as follows- "I would like to do Brandy but weirder,” she says. “Something that would resonate with most people, but make them feel a little uncomfortable.” -FACT Magazine. "Keep It Cool" is the newest single released from CUT 4 ME, following "Enemy" and "Bank Head." Brighton's Abi Wade (cello box voice) released her debut EP, And Blood And Air in early 2012 followed by a 2-track album featuring "Heavy Heart" and "Faker" later in 2012. This summer she released the single "Boxer" via Love Thy Neighbor- you can watch her perform "Boxer" live below for Piccadilly Press. You recently released your new single “Boxer”. What’s the story behind the song? When did you write it, and how did it come about? "It was a midnight doodle, I think I scribbled something like “it caught me left hook, but you'd never hurt me my love”. I was musing over the idea of the fight within a relationship. The idea of sides within any social scenario really, and likening it to boxing, the imagery of opponents enclosed in a boxing ring with no escape." - Drunken Werewolf. London-based quirky indie/folk duo , Worry Dolls (Zoe Nicol - Vocals, banjo, ukulele, guitar and Rosie Jones - Vocals, guitar, mandolin, banjulele, stomp) performed at Glastonbury Festival this summer and have supported both Joan Armatrading & Rachel Sermanni. The duo is inspired by "drag queens, old people, stories, traveling, dreams, unconventional relationships…" Worry Dolls released their first EP in February 2013, as well as a single, "Oliver" for Folkroom Records. Listen to the song "Polaroids" from their debut EP about "being afraid of forgetting who we are and growing old." -For Folk's Sake. New York electro-pop duo Phantogram released their newest track "Celebrating Nothing" following the single "Black Out Days" (which received a shoutout on WHERE MY GIRLS AT? You can listen to "Black Out Days" here). Phantogram is currently working on their sophomore album. Luckily prior to that they are releasing a self-titled EP, out September 30th viaRepublic. Polica was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2011 by Channy Leaneagh and Ryan Olson who had previously collaborated in Gayngs. Polica's first album, Give You the Ghost, was released on Valentine's Day in 2012. Their sophomore album, Shulamith is set to be released this October via Totally Gross National Product. Two singles from the album have been released "Tiff" featuring Justin Vernon, "Chain My Name", and now "Smug". You’ve often spoken about how important your daughter is to you. Does that relationship have any bearing on your music? Channy: "It is always part of my mind and my frame of reference. It definitely has a bearing on how serious and how dedicated … maybe not that, but I guess the pressure I have on myself to put in a good days work. My parents and her father – lots of people – are working to take good care of her when I’m gone and to make it possible for when I’m on the road with this band. I’m supporting her with this band. You feel like you’ve got to work hard and make it worth everybody’s time, and wanting to do a good job and to be a good role model for my daughter." -Music Feeds. The Internet was formed by Syd the Kyd and Matt Martians of Odd Future Collective (OFWGKTA) back in 2011 and now includes Patrick Paige (producer and bass), Christopher Allen Smith (drummer and engineer), and Tay Walker (keyboard and vocals). Syd and Matt created their first album, Purple Naked Ladies back in 2011 and recently released their new LP, Feel Good which features the track, "Dontcha." Watch the video to "Dontcha" below. What advice would you give to young women who are aspiring artists, who look at you and say, “I want to be like Syd!” Syd: "Don’t try to be like nobody. [laughs] Try to be someone you would admire... Try to be someone you would admire, that’s what I always did. You know I didn’t always like myself at all. You know? In high school, I realized that the goal is to be someone you would admire. Be someone you would like. Yeah, try to be someone you would admire, and try to do whatever you do to the best of your ability because then no one could tell you anything! [Laughs]... Well, to be honest I still want to stay behind-the-scenes. This whole like, being a singer is still kind of taking some getting used to. We’ll see how it goes, but, as far as being comfortable with myself, I began to take my own advice. I started trying to be someone I wanted to be, I started trying to be someone I would admire, and it worked. I don’t know, I just started letting go, and saying, "Fuck what everyone else thinks!” like If I want to do this, if I want to cut my fucking hair, I’m going to cut my hair, you know? If I want to dress like this, I’ll dress like this. I just stopped worrying about others’ opinions, and began worrying about my own opinion. ” -Mass Appeal. Shout out to my boyfriend for sending me this song! :-) Say Lou Lou (twin sisters, Elektra and Miranda Kilbey) spent years traveling back and forth between their homes in Sydney, Australia, and Stockholm, Sweden. Their first single "Maybe You" was released in 2012 via French label Kitsuné. The dream-pop duo created their own label, à Deux- and released the single, "Julian" in March 2013 (the single was released through Downtown Records in the U.S.). "Maybe You" and "Julian" were included on their EP, Julian (released in May 2013) along with the track "Fool of Me" featuring Chet Faker. They decided to effortlessly cover Tame Impala's "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards", check it out below. |
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