With the nights drawing in and a wardrobe full of sweaters now is perhaps the perfect time to revisit the well missed heat of summer with The Denabys debut track Sunshine.
Bask in the warmth this single brings. A collage of synths and gentle drumbeats, a musical mosaic to moments in the sun, carefree, jacket free you’re with your friends having fun, spending time with a loved one. There is no work nor school, just the heat and the days ahead. This summer spirit is sure to have you dancing, humming the chorus whilst your stuck in traffic on a drizzly Tuesday. An audible armour against the 9-5.
Whereas the indie quartets second release, My life, reeks of reality, having bills to pay and mouths to feed. There is no reason to rejoice so you may swell rebel, and the best way to do that is to dance.Revisit yourself on your days off, rediscover the places buried under newfound responsibilities, you may be an adult now but you define what that means.
The band, based in Doncaster, are soon to headline Record Junkie in Sheffield, supported by the phenomenal damian luke & the sweet beast. Buy tickets here. This comes shortly after a wild night in Mansfield supporting household name The Publics at The Stag and Pheasant whether spoons. Seeing this lot in your local spoons on a Friday night is a sight you just have to move to.
It’s been a week since Blondie dropped her bombshell of an anthem on us.
Taylor Swift-Anti-Hero
Two years on from pandemic projects Evermore and Folklore Swift is back, taking on us all on a journey through time.We explore diary entries, a first hand point of view of Taylor’s kaleidoscope psyche. Her insecurities are ours, her heartbreak helps us heal, vengeance is a song best sung.
She has been both villain and victim, hero and heroine, a cognitive dissonance of colourful characters, finally learning to love all facets of herself. Outside of the girls next door, revolving relationship door lover, narrative that has shaped Swift’s shadow since her debut album taylor Swift in 2006, that she is still trying to shake off, Swift is everyone of us.There is a scarf somewhere in everyone’s life, a snake in the shadows and a mirror that we can’t quite look into, whether that be a pane of glass, a mother or a father, Swifts songs speak to the souls that have been scorned and rejected.
We are not always the protagonist in our life, sometimes the villain, a side character or the anti-hero. We spend our depressive adolescences blaming the world for the way we are, we dye our hair, we darken our nails, sign petitions and wish for change, In our early adult years, stretching out new skin carrying our selves in suitcases as we travel from each fleeting dwelling like a nomad in the search for who were are, we turn inwards, questing whether we are the problem. Is addressing this possibility enough to tackle it? No. Ironically Taylor’s music video for this single received widespread backlash after viewers found a scene to be fatphobic.
Swift steps onto some scales which spin to reveal the words fat. Swift has previously discussed her issues with self image, exacerbated by paparazzi and media perpetuating her proportions, she would either be too skinny or too fat, she would never be enough.This scale is the personification of herself, telling her not to eat, telling her to sweat it out because she feels she is too big, too much. Being fat is not necessarily a bad thing, just as being skinny is not necessarily a good thing as both can be unhealthy but this scene was meant to portray Swift as the anti-hero, ‘starve yourself to avoid ridicule, starve yourself to stay alive’ which is obviously not the correct message , it is not Swift saying she is fat it is the villanised version of herself trying to convince her she is.Swift has since responded to the backlash by removing this particular scene from the video.
Taylor Swift-Karma lyric video.
Seeing Taylor live during her red tour in 2014 solidified my love for her lyricism. The raw poetry, ink bleeding into a page as tears run down a scrunched up face, the power in each word a weapon, a victory. Karma is my most beloved Taylor Swift song to date so much so I was singling a long to it by the second verse. Revenge does not have to be a meticulous plan , with decoys and burner phones, it does not have to be violence it can be your victories.Yes they burned you but you ar eon fire, new car, new job, heart healed and love found. You do not need to hurt somebody to feel good, do good to feel good.as Swift puts it Karma can be as simple as ‘A relaxing thought’.
Taylor Swift-Vigilante Shit
She also taught us the former. Found some dirt on someone you can now bury? An ex cheated on you but you’ve got proof of them misbehaving at work? Drop them in it. Someone buys you a drink and stories your leg, leans in for a kiss and you say yes. In the morning the remind you they have a family? Find their phone, tell those people. Vigilante Shit, a dark enigma that is cutthroat on concise in telling you Swift is not the villain, she’s the mastermind , you might be able to trip he run but she’ll knock you down and take your wife too.The jazz sequel ending to this song adds a more appealing ambiguous edge to the bold bass of the track. This song definitely wears the violent fantasies of midnight and the arguments we have in the shower. Many fans believe this track is hint to Taylor Swifts amplified relationship with Ye and Kim- Kim and Swift are now friends whereas Ye has seemingly lost it all. What do you think?
Taylor Swift-Bejewelled video
Speaking of taking back power, Swift proves she is still the light in this dark night, shimmering stars that carpet the sky as we lay awake and try not to cry, through rage, through loss there are diamonds. Water reflects light so let yourself cry whilst you chase those jewels, do it all for you. Fifteen years of songwriting and storytelling and Swift is still shining, eyes bright, posture bold, she may feel like a monster on that hill but with that height you’re close enough to the stars to be considered part of the solar system.
Ever been so in love that your subconscious falls too?
Jordon, Robert,Adam,Nikki and Nathan.
A gentle piano, played in the distance lulls a listener closer to the sound before an effervescent guitar tears the peace up. A dream disrupted by the waves of reality. Emerging from the Manchester music scene Drian are breaking through the indie narrative with unconventional guitar ballads and beats that demand a mosh pit.
Their latest track, Dreaming, talks of an idyllic vision of love, a figure that follows your thoughts before consuming them entirely, they sit at your desk, follow you to your bed, where you drift off just to see them again. With the jolt of the guitar and a consistent drum beat, like the heart after the first glimpse of a potential new love, the song accelerates from ballad to an impassioned indie anthem.
Consciousness becomes servitude, an unjustified sacrifice tearing you away from your fictitious lover and your fairytale. You only open your eyes, try to work but are constantly distracted by rushed shadows and quick silhouettes, is that them by the water cooler or running to the loo? Will they disrupt your afternoon? A flicker of eyes and your held in their view, looking at them but they stare on through. That is the darkness of dreaming, reality becomes a disappointing nightmare when those you love do not see you. Frontman Jordan’s angelic vocals add to the surreal nature of the music, a listener feels both haunted by this presence yet hopeful for what may happen.
Jordon, Robert,Adam,Nikki and Nathan.
Your slumber becomes an escapism, when the love you have for this person controls your soul. Behind closed eyes they linger, candlelit roses at dinner. Dreaming is the only way to make them stay and this persistent presence is embodied by the distorted vocals at the end of the song. This ethereal nature is echoed throughout the track with hauntingly beautiful backing vocals, delivered by Nikki on bass and Robert on guitar, which embolden the spirit of this song.
Initially this track was rushed together as a set list filler, something to prolong the 5 pieces’ stage presence, however after it was used as an opener to their live debut Dreaming was met with enthusiasm that would see crowds chanting for an encore.
Drian’s debut single, released earlier this year on the 26th August, Keep Us Alive is distinctivley different to this track in the sense it is more upbeat, it is exhilarating to listen to, forcing you awake to face whatever reality you have built for yourself. A product of post pandemic pent up energy this song is about vowing for better, for repairing what is irreplaceable. It demands a crowd to jump.
Jordon, Robert,Adam,Nikki and Nathan.
Formed in November 2021 Drian’s energetic reputation was cemented after a slew of live gigs, establishing them as true indie pioneers. The quintet is made up of Jordon, frontman and vocalist, Robert on guitar, Adam on lead guitar, Nikki on bass and Nathan on drums. With their debut single already reaching over 6k streams it is clear that this band are one for the playlists.
Evolve Music 