The Last Dinner Party: My Lady of Mercy

“With a momentous magnitude and a siren sound it is no wonder The Last Dinner Party have reached such heights.”

The Last Dinner Party – Photo: Cal McIntyre

Feminine rage, feminine love, the mercy it means to be a woman. Chew on us and we will be thankful for the touch, passive to it’s pain. We are expected to endure, our lives an eternal endeavour. Constrained by societal expectations, we are bound to maintain a facade of indifference, as if ‘Nothing Matters’. Yet, deep within our souls, the anger simmers, the fire of resilience burns, combating the persisting notion the prehistoric. This palpable sensation resonates profoundly in the latest offering from the musical ensemble The Last Dinner Party, aptly titled song ‘ My Lady of Mercy’.

Like a composition from the renaissance, the music brims with grandiosity and intricacies. Each note dances and weaves together, painting an evocative portrait of the multifaceted feminine experience. In its graceful melodies and elegantly crafted lyrics, we find solace and validation for the emotions that stir within us. Indeed, the duality of feminine existence is a truth woven intricately into the fabric of this masterpiece. It encapsulates the essence of our longing, our battles, and ultimately, our triumphs amidst a world that often seeks to diminish our power.

The Last Dinner Party

Made up of Aurora Nishevci, Georgia Davies, Lizzie Mayland ,Emily Roberts, and Abigail Morris, the girls met during Freshers’ week at university and started to host gigs in South London. This lead to their discovery after a video of them performing was uploaded and a cascade of record artists got in touch asking to represent them.

Inspired by the saints and martyrs of yesteryear, the women in paint on golden plaques held high, Anne Boleyn, Mother Mary, the woman with a broken toe and a distant gaze on the bus, your best friends mother and your co-workers sister. We are surrounded by a mosaic of muses. This is an unconventional love song, unfettered from expectations here love flows freely, you love these women for who they are not how they make you feel, to love is to toe the line between being selfless and selfish and this song is is a testament to this.

The Last Dinner Party – My Lady of Mercy

We have unbridled passion for people we have a bustling sense of self and we should be merciful with who we are and how we want to be . Mercy does not always mean to be soft it means to be powerful in your approach and compassionate in your delivery.  An orchestral Boudoir, The Last Dinner Party execute their songs in an ethereal way that exude gothic romanticism, leaving you entranced, euphoric but also melancholic – a sense of wanting to be a part of it, this choir of rebellion, rage and authenticity.

Despite is soft, soothing start with an enticing build up this song becomes quite a merciless sound it’s ruthless guitar and propulsive dream a tempest on the stage. My Lady Of Mercy is a piercing piece of poetry. The power, the prowess the poignancy of the premise, the alluring twang of the guitar in the penultimate verse, this song is succulent like a ripened peach plucked from a tree but beautifully bitter like a cranberry. It is ethereal and energetic ,sacred and profound, it is the sound of someone regaining control of their own narrative.

Nothing matters- The Last Dinner Party

With a momentous magnitude and a siren sound it is no wonder The Last Dinner Party have reached such heights. Despite only releasing their debut single, the hedonistic and harmonious “Nothing Matters” earlier this year in April the quintet have already had a major U.S Tour and with their debut studio album, a ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’ set to release January 2024, this storm is making the world their stage.

“‘My Lady of Mercy’ is about being a girl,” the band explained. “A girl looking up at a painting of Joan of Arc for the first time and thinking that she looks so brave and so beautiful that she wants to kiss her. And maybe she also wants to kiss the girl who stands next to her in the school choir.

For me, the song is about being brutal, showing the blood and the guts it takes to create a smiling face. It is a bit tears and laughter, choking on spit throwing fights just to get hit, its about feeling it all in order to feel alive. It is the rain and the thunder tearing your home asunder. It is about, getting hurt and hurting, healing and forgiving and doing it all wrong when you’re trying to do it right, Ultimately, it is a celebration of our shared humanity.

When I think of the Last Dinner party I think of Ophelia  immortalised by John Stuart Mills, of Catherine The Great, Kristen Dunst as Marie Antoinette and the remarkable  Mia goth in X. I imagine stories full of poisoned love letters, lipstick on tongues and smeared on fingertips, people wearing each others messes and mending them into masterpieces. Seeing the all female quintet live was like being invited to a party you never meet the host of, you leave fulfilled but later on discover a gaping ache burning in your insides, the longing to be a part of something as powerful as them, which is why we are all invited to their’ Last Dinner Party.

Tickets for their upcoming UK tour are available here.

Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers

So this is what it means to be all grown up…

Teen Jesus and Jean Teasers taken by Michelle Pitiris

Doodles in your daily planer, a pen leak in your zoom meeting, ruler drumsticks at grey desktops. When did life get so dull? You swear you used to be fun.

Australian band Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers know all about this rude awakening called adulthood, the daunting realisation that you’re on you’re own and all your friends live far away.There’s food in the fridge going out of date and you’ve got bills to pay, but who’s to say you’re no fun anymore?

I Used To Be fun by Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers 2023

Made up of Anna Ryan (guitar and vocals), Scarlett McKahey (guitar), Jaida Stephenson (bass) and Neve van Boxsel (drums) the band are setting the tone for new wave indie pop. Formed during a sleepover when they were all in their mid teens back in 2015 in which the teen friends were watching Richard Linklater’s School of Rock. Their song I Used To Be Fun is an allegory of growing up.

From their latest album I LOVE YOU, I Used To Be Fun utilises jagged vocals and shredded guitar riffs the band dissect the notion of ageing, stripping back the once comforting embrace of childhood for the island of independence only to realise , the choices and decisions we make now impact our own lives and shape our future. Embracing adulthood means embracing the uncertainties and complexities that come with it, as we learn to navigate the intricacies of relationships, career paths, and personal growth. It is a time of transformation, self-reflection, and personal growth, where we come to understand that being an adult is not merely about age, but about taking ownership of our lives, embracing our passions, and charting our own course in this vast and ever-evolving world.

Up for almost anything now

Everything’s too much

Got one foot out the door I guess this is growing up

No excuses or reasons for why I couldn’t come

Should I leave the lights on?

With an electrifying display of musical prowess and unparalleled harmonies, this talented band captivates audiences with their unique blend of self-deprecating humor and heartfelt songwriting. Their evolved sound has expanded the boundaries of their music, showcasing a newfound confidence that resonates throughout their diverse repertoire.

Their duet with The Grogans on track ‘Salt’ a sound makes strength out of sand after a situation left a soul stranded, scrabbling for something to keep them in place, so beautiful and raw, Salt has depths flooded with both direction and desperation a powerful allegory of building yourself up again, a testament to resilience whilst the title track I ❤ You aches over fixation and unrequited love and the subsequent regret navigated in Never Saw It Coming. Band dynamics, personal relationships and camaraderie all feature strongly, demonstrating that through union, good humour and self awareness can overcome adversity’, that a voice that is heard becomes the most powerful weapon against the disbelievers, sometimes to heal our wounds is to show them.

Salt by Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers. 2023

This follows on from the vulnerable elements effortlessly explored their rambunctiously passionate and poignant debut EP Pretty Good For A Girl Band. It lays the foundations for who they are as a band and what they stand for, challenging any preconceived perceptions this band creates their own prophecy.

Escaping the boundaries of gender identity, they are simply the defining sound of the new era of the music industry, a witty two fingers to those that have denied them the voice to their own musical prowess, their auditory abilities simply because who they are does not fit with predetermined ideals.Despite these prejudicial conceptions the EP is not filled with bitter bangers instead using the opportunity to hold up a mirror to the naysayers, trailblazing the way for a constructive conversation that challenges these archaic beliefs that is holding the industry back.

 Scarlett McKahey (guitar) ,Anna Ryan (guitar and vocals), Jaida Stephenson (bass) and Neve van Boxsel (drums) make up Teen Jesus and Jean Teasers. Credit to Ruby Boland.
Miss Your Birthday by Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers 2022

One of my favourite tracks on this EP the infectious ‘Miss Your Birthday’. This anthem is not just about catchy beats and addictive melodies, it’s a powerful reminder of finding strength when you feel powerless. With their unbreakable bond, undeniable passion, and raw talent, this band is about to blow your mind! Despite the energetic elevation of the track it covers deep distress felt by those facing independence and isolation for the first time, evocative of the lockdowns of 2020 as well as the daunting planet of adulthood.

I need a break from living near the freeway

All the high beams keep me up too late

Don’t take this the wrong way it’s not to do with you but I’m running out of clothes and I need a clean bathroom

Need a break from living out a suitcase

Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers captured by Michelle Pitiris

Guitarist Scarlett McKahey explained that it was a haomge to homesickness, the fine edge between ‘wanting to be back at your Mum’s cosy house without abandoning your new ‘grown up’ life. “. Sometimes to go home does not mean to give in, it allows you to get back to your roots so you can grow again.

Navigating adulthood often feels like being trapped in an intricate escape room, where the clues are written in a language you struggle to decipher. Despite having a place to call your own, you find yourself living out of a suitcase in your childhood bedroom, longing for the comfort of your mother’s cooking. Your housemates, who often seem to be in a perpetual state of chaos, add to the overwhelming journey of adulthood. Although you may have convinced yourself that you’re ready to be a grown-up, deep down, you realize that you’re still a child trapped in a 20’s something’s body, trying to make sense of it all. It can be quite overwhelming at times, so sometimes you have to miss someone’s birthday, if only you could miss your own.

Since 2015 the band has built up quite a repertoire full of soul wrenching ballads, energetic anthems and choral inspired pop classics. Supporting Foo Fighters in Melbourne in December they are on to BIG things and should be on your playlist, especially if you’re not quite ready to grow up yet and you’re definitely still fun…

Indie Powerhouse The Redroom, release latest single “Coffee”

Like a shot of espresso…

The Redroom by Chloe Dunscombe

What does falling in love sound like? The turbulence of a tentative trumpet player, tumultuous like the trombone? Colourful like the sax? It feels like sipping coffee on a sleep Sunday morning, like a hand waiting to catch you. there is a sense of hope, like the rising crescendo of an orchestra reaching its peak.

Coffee by The Redroom

New release from indie powerhouse The Redroom, ‘Coffee’ explores the effervescent nature of falling in love, through jazz infused instrumentals, new feelings flourish ,the fizz of that first kiss, the grip of the optimistic abyss of not knowing if it’ll happen again, it is the existing of the chrysalis you’re ready to unveil your wings again, this time hopefully they’ll be noticed.

The song itself is metamorphic, showcasing the beginnings of the band and alluding to their future. Vocalist and lyricist Jess Lewis Ward explained that she wrote ‘Coffee‘ when she was 16, during the first lockdown:

I left it in a back pocket for a few years then circled back to it when the band started to explore a different style of writing. It went through quite a few phases before the final finished product, but I feel like it encapsulates our new sound, alongside my younger self. I guess you could say it’s about young love and feeling love romantically properly for the first time.”

Known for their intricate narratives and roadmaps through humanity, The Redroom release music that boasts a poignant tale, such as their previous release The Woman From Nowhere”, ‘Coffee’ continues on this legacy with it’s complex portrayal of a first love, whilst also exploring a new avenue for the band, one that sets them out to be the on ones to watch list for 2024, especially with their Headline show on September the 1st at iconic Newcastle venue The Grove, celebrating the release of their new single.

Continuing to mesh the old with the new, The Red Room have mastered the art of creating their own multi-genre sound backed by Lewis-Ward’s talent for colourful, witty and insightful storytelling. ‘Coffee’ is the band’s first step into a form of new age indie-pop song writing, combining the likes of layered brass with the band’s signature acoustic sound.

That signature sound comes through with an explosion of energy, there is joy in each lyric, groove in each instrumental and power with leach layered harmonies all punctuated by the keyboard and the saxophone.  An eruption of emotion, evocative of the rush you feel when your hand brushes theirs, your eyes hold their stare. Exhilarating and optimistic this song is an audible coffee.

Upcoming shows 

Deaf Institute (Headline show), Manchester, Friday 29th September

Gathering Sounds Festival, Stockton, Saturday 30th September

Follow the band on social media to keep up to date with new releases and gigs.