Search
SUBSCRIBE
Home Blog Page 1359

Interview: NAHLI

Modestas Mankus
-
0
Interview: NAHLI

NAHLI, a British newcomer with an already exciting discography, recently published her latest piece ‘Catch 22’ alongside rapper and television personality Big Narstie. To talk about the song and current events, NAHLI joined us for an interview.

Firstly, how are you, and how have you been coping with the current COVID-19 crisis? 

I’m actually ok, thank you. I’m happy, I’m settled, I’m doing ok despite everything. I can get a little agoraphobic so staying home is really easy for me actually!! I like being at home. I started painting at home when I felt like my mental health was slipping a bit during the first lockdown and it’s kept me really occupied since. Plus, my girlfriend is a really positive person to be around at all times so she really helps me get out of any difficult head spaces. I just really miss my family.

You recently released your song ‘Catch 22’ with the Big Narstie, how did the collaboration come about and how did the idea for the song evolve?

Big Narstie’s lyrics on this one really made me laugh. I love them. CATCH came from a diary entry I wrote about a guy I was dating for 9 months. (I write in a diary every day and I bring it to studio). I say dating, we just hooked up constantly. He’s a UK rapper and the first time I’ve dated within the music industry. Turns out it was a lot harder than I expected for so many reasons. ‘Catch 22’ was written about all those insecure moments you feel when you’re really unsure about whether the person you’re sleeping with is also sleeping with other people or dating other people…There’s no real way to know. And them telling you they love you all the time is great, but it’s the only security you have. Anyone can say ‘I love you’, but when they can’t actually prove it or commit to you, it’s just a waste of time. The whole relationship was kept under the radar and after a while I just had to walk away from it because I realised that he must have thought I was naive, but I saw through all his bullshit. If I ever called him out on everything, he’d just block my number until he thought of a good enough excuse! Haha!! It’s funny to look back on these situations once you’re settled. That’s the last time I fuck with a Pisces let me tell you.

Narstie was introduced to me by my record label, Rebel Records. Ripps knew Narstie and once I’d finished the tune with DaVinChe, he played it to Narstie and he loved it! So, jumped on the track. I was so excited when I got that call.

You’re hoping to release an EP featuring ‘Catch 22’ in 2021 – do you have any hints on any other tracks that will feature on it?

Yeah! Therapy [Side B]. I’m really excited for it, it’s my best work yet. It’s really cool to watch myself evolve from Side A to Side B. Musically, emotionally. I was really cut up about someone whilst I was writing the last one. Some really emotional studio sessions were had to create that, and those songs are really meaningful to me. Now, I’m stronger, I’m sassier I feel like there’s some advice given in these songs that I’ve taken from past experiences and they’ve been really really fun to write. Lots of laughs this time. Lots of bringing up old situations and just laughing at them instead. Laughing at my previous lyric choices about ‘rather have your dad instead’ from the first EP. I’m just having so much fun with it. You’re going to love it.

In terms of new favourites, have there been any contemporary artists you discovered during 2020? 

I love Princess Nokia, DUCKWRTH, Lucky Daye. Ady Suleiman. Tom Misch. There are so many great artists I’ve come to love this year. But honestly, I spend a huge amount of my time listening to old music. I love Led Zepplin, I love KISS and Motown. I love jazz music, I love Elvis Presley, DARE I SAY IT I LOVE ABBA. I love Radiohead, Muse, Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding. I could go on and on and on. 60’s music is usually blasting through my house while I’m painting.

If you could give any advice to a young kid who wants to become a musician, what would it be?

Just to stop looking at what everyone else is achieving. I had to force myself to stop doing this. I used to think “well how did this person do this and why aren’t I doing this” or “what do they have that I don’t” or “why is this taking so long”. Genuinely I’d get so sad and depressed and low about it until I truly had to step back and learn that…Counting your blessings is a much greater way of achieving personal successes than to grieve over what you don’t have. That’s a negative energy you’re giving out and blessings are more difficult to come to you in abundance while you’re in that headspace. Trust me. Just remind yourself of every milestone, every day you’ve put work in, every single thing you’ve achieved…and keep pushing. A little more every day. It’s taken me what feels like forever to get here, but I’m here. And I’m grateful. And there is nothing missing from my life, because that’s the notion I’m putting forth.

Make sure your circle is strong. That you can trust every single person in your circle with anything. Trust is absolutely everything in this industry. And please, don’t ever ever give up on yourself. This pressure about age that we have, ignore it. It doesn’t mean anything. Keep pushing.

With 2021 looking uncertain, do you have any hopes for a tour in 2021?

I don’t know if 2021 necessarily looks uncertain. That really depends on the way you look at it! 2021 will still continue regardless of what is going on in the world and the way we deal with that is entirely up to us as individuals. We can choose whether the year already looks uncertain which already makes us decide it might all go to shit, which it might…But in that case what can we do to change our year for ourselves. Do more things with our hands. Write a book and become a published author for all we know. Do you know what I mean? Lockdown just gives us an excuse and an opportunity to throw our normal lives to the wind for a moment in time and focus elsewhere on all the things we never had time for before. It’s not ideal, but it’s happening so we may as well embrace it. We have the time to use. I’m always hopeful. I try and believe that everything is going to get better. Touring in 2021 would be a dream, ideal. It would make me so happy, but if it doesn’t happen. That’s ok too.

Finally, do you have words of positive words for other creatives, during these challenging times?

Just keep going. Keep going. Keep going. Every time you wake up with that cloud of doubt over your head when you’re feeling like nothing is going right or your life is on the wrong path or you’re not where you want to be. Just stop for a moment, breathe through those thoughts…they’re just thoughts. Take a walk, recalibrate. Take a moment off your phone and flood your mind with alternative things.

It will get better. It always does. Remember those days when you got your heart broken and you thought the world was falling onto your head and you couldn’t stop it? It stopped after a while didn’t it? That nagging pain in your chest and stomach that comes with grief. It goes away one day. Just like everything. We will all get through this weird time and we’ll see our friends and family again. And we’ll have fun again. But right now, just use this time to work on your core self and your future self will be so ecstatic and proud that you did. And if you ARE struggling. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to people and talk. You can reach out to me too. I really enjoy talking about these things and giving any help I possibly can so please do reach out.

Phoebe Bridgers Announces New EP ‘Copycat Killer’, Shares Orchestral Version of ‘Kyoto’

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Phoebe Bridgers Announces New EP ‘Copycat Killer’, Shares Orchestral Version of ‘Kyoto’

Phoebe Bridgers has announced a new EP called Copycat Killer, out on November 20 via Dead Oceans. Named after a line on the title track of her most recent album Punisher, the project will feature orchestral re-workings of four tracks from the record: ‘Kyoto’, ‘Savior Complex’, ‘Chinese Satellite’, and ‘Punisher’. Listen to a new version of ‘Kyoto’ below.

The four tracks were re-recorded with help from Grammy-winning arranger Rob Moose, who has previsouly recorded strings for the likes of Taylor Swift, The Killers, HAIM, and FKA Twigs. Vinyl copies of Copycat Killer will be available exclusively through Rough Trade – pre-order the EP here.

Punisher arrived back in June.  Bridgers recently launched her own label, Saddest Factory. Check out our interview with Olof Grind, the photographer behind the cover artwork for Punisher.

9 Potent Ways to Use Music to Enhance Your Papers Writing Skills

Our Culture Mag & Partners
-
0
9 Potent Ways to Use Music to Enhance Your Papers Writing Skills

Whenever you have something to celebrate, you invite your close ones and you play the right songs to cheer up the mood. When you want to spend a relaxing Sunday evening, the right background music is essential. Can sound help when you want to stay focused on a particular task?

Research shows that listening to music helps a person’s concentration. However, it has to be the right genre, which wouldn’t distract your mind with lyrics and loud points. Dubstep, heavy metal, and pop music may create an adverse effect.

  1. Play the Right Genre

It’s best to choose instrumental recordings, with no lyrics to distract you. It shouldn’t be too uplifting nor overly relaxing. These are the best genres to play:

  • Classical compositions
  • Sounds from the nature
  • Film or video game music

  1. Use Sounds to Create a Habit Out of the Experience

Most students struggle for days before they start the paper. They don’t find the research and planning process easy. When they finally get to the writing stage, all they can think is: “Can I hire someone to write my paper?” Writing is hard, but this routine is even more demotivating. When they have to write the next paper, they will struggle again. You need to create a pleasant atmosphere, which won’t make you dread the writing experience. Music can help with that.

Imagine this routine: You set up a clean desk, with no distractions around. You make yourself a nice cup of coffee, you play some music in the background, and you start writing the paper. That sounds better, doesn’t it?

  1. Use Headphones

If you want to block out distractions from the environment, use headphones. You’ll only listen to the sounds that helps you focus, and you’ll stop paying attention to the conversations or any noise around you.

  1. Use Music to Set the Mood

The right musical vibe can set you in a proper writing mood. Are you writing a serious paper that requires more observation and compassion with the topic? Play classical or film music! If you’re writing a personal essay or something that requires humor, you can play instrumental guitar music in the background.

  1. Songs Will Help You Connect with the Theme

Let’s say you’re writing a history paper with a topic on World War 2. Start a brief research: what music did people listen to during that period of time? Are there any compositions written about those events?

Here’s another example: you might be writing about the Black Lives Matter movement. There are many songs that convey the struggle for human rights. You can search for relevant African-American music; it will help you connect with the theme.

  1. Play Music to Get Inspired

What if you hit the writer’s block? You can’t be productive no matter how hard you try. Maybe some tunes can help you overcome this state. Play original, unique songs and take some time off the project. It may inspire some creative ideas.

  1. Create a Playlist for Writing

You found music that really helped you focus on a particular paper? Save the playlist! It will send a subconscious signal to your brain when you want to get into writing mode next time.

Some tunes will remind you that you managed to slip into that creative space once. When you play them again, your mind will instantly seek and find the same state.

  1. Use Music for Meditation

Have you tried meditating before the writing process? This simple practice is extremely effective in boosting your focus. Search for some Zen music on YouTube; it will help you to calm your mind during the meditation process. After that, you’ll be more inspired to write.

  1. Use Your Favorite Tunes for Brainstorming

A free-writing session can give you more ideas than you assume. Play your favorite music, get a piece of paper, and let your mind go blank. Don’t try to provoke ideas by force. Just write the theme of your project, and your mind will intuitively start collaborating. Write down any ideas, without judging them for being good or bad.

After this brainstorming session, you’ll be left with a list of potential topics and thesis ideas to work with.

The best part about trying to boost your focus with music is that you’ll actually like the process! We’re not forcing you to do something you don’t like. Just choose the tunes that work for you, and see what they can do for your focus.

BIO: Michael Turner enjoys helping students to find their passion in writing. He is convinced that there’s a hidden writer in everyone. We just need to get inspired to discover that creative side.

The Antlers Release New Song ‘It Is What It Is’

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
The Antlers Release New Song ‘It Is What It Is’

After recently returning with their first new song in six years, ‘Wheels Roll Home’, The Antlers have today shared a new track called ‘It Is What It Is’. It arrives with an accompanying music video directed by Derrick Belcham and Emily Terndrup and featuring dancers Bobbi-Jene Smith and Or Schraiber. Check it out below.

“‘It Is What It Is’ is a song about hindsight,” Peter Silberman said in a press release. “It considers what might have changed had you handled things differently back then, and the reluctant acceptance that it’s too late for all that now. It’s the inevitability of changing seasons, transitions that feel like loss in the moment, but come to represent growth over time.”

The Antlers’ last album was 2014’s Familiars. In 2017, Silberman released a solo album titled Impermanence, though the group refuted rumours that they’d broken up. Last year, the Antlers toured and put out a 10th anniversary reissue of their classic album Hospice.

Parquet Courts Announce ‘On Time’ Concert Film, Unearth Previously Unreleased Song

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Parquet Courts Announce ‘On Time’ Concert Film, Unearth Previously Unreleased Song

Parquet Courts have announced a new concert film called On Time in celebration of the band’s 10th anniversary. It arrives on December 10, almost 10 years since Parquet Courts’ first-ever show at Monster Island Basement in Brooklyn. A livestreamed concert will take place at Brooklyn’s Pioneer Works on the same date – tickets are available here. The band has also unearthed a previously unreleased track, ‘Hey Bug’, taken from the sessions for their 2013 LP Sunbathing Animal. Listen to it below.

“If I remember correctly, it would have been recorded at Seaside Lounge in Brooklyn during the fall of 2013,” singer/guitarist A. Savage said in a statement about ‘Hey Bug’. “We were working there with our pal Jonathan Schenke, who had recorded Light Up Gold, but this time in a studio rather than a practice space. We’d have been recording material for Tally All the Things That You Broke and Sunbathing Animal. Editing the sequence for a record is often a tough process, and when it’s over it’s typically such a relief that I’ll purge it from my memory entirely. And now I’m listening to ‘Hey Bug’ these seven years later and thinking what a cool song it is. That period was a frenzy of writing and I know it’s not the only unreleased song from that session.”

As for the livestream concert, the band commented: “Ten years ago our adventure began by playing our first show to virtually no one, and to celebrate we’ve decided to play a show to everyone, virtually.”

The War on Drugs Share Live Cover of Warren Zevon’s ‘Accidentally Like a Martyr’, Announce Podcast

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
The War on Drugs Share Live Cover of Warren Zevon’s ‘Accidentally Like a Martyr’, Announce Podcast

On November 20, The War on Drugs are releasing a new live album titled LIVE DRUGS via frontman Adam Granduciel’s Super High Quality Records. Today, they’ve shared a new live cover of Warren Zevon’s ‘Accidentally Like a Martyr’, a song Granduciel described as “so simple and so true, you should ever be lucky to write a song that simple.” Listen to it below.

In addition to the LIVE DRUGS track, the band have also announced a new podcast called The Super High Quality Podcast. The four-episode series is set to premiere the same day the album comes out and will feature guitar tech and band confidant Dominic East in conversation with the band as they discuss how they curated the performances that appear on LIVE DRUGS.

The War on Drugs recently debuted a new song called ‘Ocean of Darkness’ on Fallon. Their most recent album was 2017’s A Deeper Understanding.

Artist Spotlight: Swallow Cave

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Artist Spotlight: Swallow Cave

At a time when live concerts still seem like a distant reality, it’s easy to forget that certain shows exist for the sole purpose of escaping that reality. For Swallow Cave, the Bristol-based quartet consisting of vocalist Polly Jessett, guitarist Florrie Adamson-Leggett, bassist Sarah Currie, and drummer Isobel Waite, a dream gig would take place inside an episode of Twin Peaks – which is to say, it would feel a lot like an actual dream. It’s no surprise, then, that their brand of dream pop evokes that Lynchian vibe: new single ‘Cold Moon’ swirls around bluesy guitars and languid vocal melodies, before Polly’s poignant voice cuts through that ethereal soundscape in the chorus to inject a sense of humanity into the track’s shoegazey mix. Delving into themes of mental illness, it’s the band’s strongest release so far, following the similarly pensive early 2020 single ‘Nostalgia’, as well as their cavernous 2018 EP The Shoe Demos. For a group whose music aims to capture the dark, elusive corners of the mind, Swallow Cave never fade into the background – Sarah’s bass lines are steady and hypnotic, Florrie will often rip through a hazy guitar solo – a subtle reminder that, even when stuck in a liminal state, the smallest things can still feel inescapably present.

We caught up with Polly of Swallow Cave for this edition of our Artist Spotlight series, where we showcase up-and-coming artists and give them a chance to talk about their music.

How did you form Swallow Cave?

The first seeds of Swallow Cave were sown when Sarah (bass) and I were travelling in Australia, we had both been heavily into music during our teens and kind of lost touch with it for a while but at this point in time we were both really finding our passion for music again. We visited ‘Swallow Cave’ and joked about starting a band of that name and discussed at length how we would sound etc. Neither of us had played our instruments for a few years and I’d always assumed through lack of trying that I could not sing or write songs. Fast forward a couple of years and we were back in England, I’d started writing some songs (following the advice of an Aussie pal who adamantly insisted that everyone can sing) and took them to Sarah who then roped in Izzi (drums) and we went from there.

Without using any genre terms, how would you describe the band’s sound?

We have always hated trying to describe our music to people even when using genre terms so this is a difficult one haha but words that we hear used to describe us a lot are cinematic and dreamy, there’s also been mention of David Lynch and cowboy hats when trying to describe us.

How do your musical influences vary across the group?

As a group we have a pretty big crossover area of music that we all love and that influences the band which is quite broad and hard to define from Beach House to Elvis and loads in between. I would say Sarah brings a lot of influence from 60’s rock n roll and french ye-ye music. Florrie has a lot of 90’s alternative influences like Yo La Tengo and Stereolab whilst Izzi is a big fan of Talking Heads, The Beatles and disco stuff.

You released The Shoe Demos EP back in 2018. In what ways has your approach to songwriting evolved since then?

So the songs on The Shoe Demos were the first songs I’d ever written and our first experiences of trying to be a band, we rehearsed as a 3-piece every week for a few months with essentially no idea of what we were doing but just enjoying figuring it out together. We put those songs online with no real expectations other than hoping to find a lead guitarist and get some gigs out of it. Since Florrie joined us on guitar and we started playing regular shows we started to feel more like a real band and that has definitely given us more confidence in our songwriting abilities and our collaborative creativity.

I read that ‘Cold Moon’ was written after a walk one morning and feeling everything around you intensify. Could you talk more about the experience that inspired the track, and the process of channelling it for the song?

I can’t remember why but I had been feeling particularly low one evening, sitting in my room late at night and going to those darker places in the mind. The following morning I got up early and went for a walk around Bristol Harbour, it was just one of those moments where you feel everything very intensely and I was wondering how my mind could have gotten so low the night before. I guess I just started questioning myself on all of it and essentially started writing the lyrics in my head, I rushed the end of the walk to get home and grab my guitar and that was it really.

What was it like recording the song? What do you feel producer Ali Chant brought to the track?

We recorded as a live take all spaced around Ali’s studio and then worked into it afterwards adding vocals and layers. Working with Ali was really great, we had a few ideas and so did he so we just tried things out to see what worked but ultimately he gave us the platform to record our song the way we wanted it. There were lots of bits and pieces to play with in the studio, we wanted to build layers and add depth but were also aware of not wanting to overcrowd it so the process was really about striking a balance, adding and taking away certain elements until we felt it was right.

What’s next for Swallow Cave? Anything else you’re excited to share in the near future?

We are just laying low at the moment due to obvious reasons, but we’re really excited to work on new music together and hopefully have an EP to release in 2021. When we start playing live shows again we want to be playing pretty much a whole new set which will be exciting.

‘Moonlight’ Director Barry Jenkins Remixes Wilco’s ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’: Listen

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
‘Moonlight’ Director Barry Jenkins Remixes Wilco’s ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’: Listen

Barry Jenkins has remixed the entirety of Wilco’s classic 2001 record Yankee Hotel Foxtrot with the help of Houston-based collective The Chopstars. “Some Americana for the timeline given recent events,” he tweeted when sharing the project on Monday. “#YeehawAgenda is alive and well.” The Moonlight director’s reworking is titled Yankee Purple Foxtrot – listen to it below.

The filmmaker has put out a number of remix collections in collaboration with The Chopstars, including reworked versions of Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest and Painted, the Moonlight soundtrack, as well as the OST for Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk.

In related news, it was recently announced that Jenkins will be directing The Lion King prequel. Last month, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy released new solo album called Love Is the King.

Rico Nasty Reveals Release Date for New Album ‘Nightmare Vacation’

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Rico Nasty Reveals Release Date for New Album ‘Nightmare Vacation’

Rico Nasty has revealed the release date for her upcoming debut album Nightmare Vacation. It comes out December 4. Check out her announcement below.

Earlier this year, the rapper released the song ‘iPhone’, a collaboration with 100 gecs that was billed as the lead single for the new record. The album’s second single, ‘Own It’, followed in September. More recently, she shared the track ‘Don’t Like Me’ featuring Don Tolliver and Gucci Mane.

Nightmare Vacation follows her 2019 collaborative LP with Kenny Beats, Anger Management. 

Vessel Announces New EP ‘Passion’, Releases New Song

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Vessel Announces New EP ‘Passion’, Releases New Song

Vessel has announced a new EP: Passion comes out on November 18 via Paplu, their new label with violinist Rakhi Singi. The EP includes the newly unveiled track ‘Movement III (if the telephone rings i’ll be saved)’, which arrives with a video directed by Pedro Maia. Check it out below, and scroll down for the EP’s cover artwork and tracklist.

The 3-track project is inspired by Brazilian writer Claire Lispector and her book The Passion According to G.H. Proceeds from the sale of the EP will be donated to mental health charity Mind. “Given the nature of the piece and what it draws from, it felt right to offer something back to people that are there for others when things turn bad,” Vessel, real name Sebastian Gainsborough, explained in a statement. “Mind have helped me a lot in the past. We live in difficult times, and services like theirs need support.”

Speaking about the EP itself, Vessel added: “The music came from, or was a response to my long-term, on-again off-again relationship with depression and anxiety. It’s not intended to be a conclusive or literal statement about mental health, but a personal expression of the messiness of the mind.”

Passion will mark the follow-up to Vessel’s 2018 album  Queen of Golden Dogs. The new project was originally commissioned by Somerset House and co-produced with Rakhi Singh.

Passion EP Cover Artwork:

Passion EP Tracklist:

1. Movement I (love is before love)
2. Movement II (trust)
3. Movement III (if the telephone rings i’ll be saved)

1...1,3581,3591,360...1,618Page 1,359 of 1,618

Quick Access

Our Culture

Helpful

© 2025 Our Culture Mag Limited. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 2/1/2025) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 2/1/2025). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Our Culture Mag Limited.