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Artist Spotlight: Molly Payton

Konstantinos Pappis
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Artist Spotlight: Molly Payton

Hailing from New Zealand, Molly Payton is a 19-year-old singer-songwriter currently based in London, where she moved a few years ago with her family. It’s there that she met and became friends with Oscar Lang, who encouraged her to share her first recording on SoundCloud and went on to co-produce her first EP, Mess, which was released earlier this year. It’s a poignant collection of songs that deals in the same kind of intimate songwriting as beabadobee‘s early releases (which Lang also produced), but augments those melancholy, introspective qualities with emotive vocals reminiscent of artists like Julia Jacklin and Angie McMahon. She retains that striking vulnerability on her recently released second EP, Porcupine, but expands her sound to cover a wider sonic palette, from the entrancing indie rock of opener ‘Warm Body’ to the grungy, 90s-inflected melodies of ‘How to Have Fun’ and ‘Going Heavy’. Even when wearing her influences quite prominently on her sleeves – the languid, reverb-soaked tones of the devastating closer ‘Rodeo’ echo early Lana Del Rey with a hint of Angel Olsen – Payton is carving out something uniquely her own.

We caught up with Molly Payton 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.

What drove you to pursue songwriting?

I don’t think it was something I was driven to pursue, it’s just always been the most natural form of self expression for me. Sometimes it’s almost like I don’t know how I feel about a situation until I’ve sat down and put it into words and music. I didn’t even think about uploading anything I’d written until I met Oscar Lang at school and he helped me to record something and put it up on SoundCloud.

Who is an artist that changed the way you think about music?

Leonard Cohen was a really important discovery I made when I was younger. His music was the first music I’d heard where the beauty is found in the lyrics rather than his voice or the production. It really made me rethink how I write music. My favourite Leonard Cohen song at the moment is ‘The Stranger Song’, the lyrics are so beautiful and every time I listen to it the meaning develops a little more.

You wrote your Porcupine EP during your first summer post high school. How did that backdrop inform the writing of these songs?

That time of my life was so emotionally charged. The combination of uncertainty about my future and the feeling of experiencing complete freedom for the first time meant I was making a lot of reckless choices. I think you can hear these feelings in the EP, especially songs like ‘Going Heavy’, ‘Warm Body’ and ‘How To Have Fun’.

How does it feel putting out the EP now that we’re well into autumn? Do you see any of the songs in a different light?

I think when it gets cold I tend to like my music slow and sad, so ‘Rodeo’ has become the most relevant song on the EP to me. I wrote that song earlier than the rest of the EP at the end of my first relationship. It’s about knowing that someone’s going to leave and trying to figure out what went wrong and how to make them stay.

 What was your favourite song to record?

Probably ‘Rodeo’! We recorded it live (except for the slide guitar) in the dark in Oli’s cozy studio in Peckham, and because of that I think we really captured the emotion in the song.

Who would be your dream collaborator?

If I had a time machine I’d want to work with Jeff Buckley. I’ve been listening to him since I went to Dublin for the first time a few years ago and the only record in my hotel room was Grace. There’s just something about his voice and the way he sounded in his live recordings that really hooked me in and made me care about what he was saying, and that’s what I want people to feel when they listen to my music.

What are your plans for the not-so-distant future? Anything you’re particularly excited about?

Obviously it’s hard to make any plans with what’s going on in the world at the moment, but I am off to New Zealand for a couple of months to do a few gigs out there.

Porcupine EP is out now via tmwrk. 

Top 6 Beauty Hacks For Photoshoot

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Top 6 Beauty Hacks For Photoshoot

We love to take photos and post them on various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Photos and Photography now are not just limited to an interest. It’s now become a social trend, and most of us are following this trend.

For women, taking a photo is more delicate than men because women have to look for so many things while taking photos. If you are worried about whether you look gorgeous in photos or not, don’t worry, you don’t always need natural bbl surgery. We bring you the top beauty hacks for Photoshoot that help you to look spectacular in photos.

  1. Vaseline makes your eyes look bigger

If you dab some clear lip balm or Vaseline in the centre of your eyelid, it makes your eyes catchy. It creates an illusion and makes your eyes look bigger. You should just put some Vaseline on the eyelids, and the rest is magic.

  1. Go matte

You can show the skin tone vibrant and vivid in the photos if you reduce your skin’s oil. The oil from the skin often reduces the glow of makeup, and hence you look due. Make sure you use a matte to reduce this oil from the skin and look vibrant in the photos. You can also use waterproof and oil-free makeup that allows you to look vibrant for a longer time.

  1. Ensure you’re color-matched

If you want to look great in real and in the reel, Color-matching is everything. Color-matching and lighting can change your appearance. You should use foundation and concealer to look perfects in the house; however, this will not work correctly if you go out.

In the natural lights, you need to select makeup accordingly. You should choose the color as per the occasion, and you should look for the camera also. You can’t just choose any color to match; you should try them and look in the mirror to choose the perfect color-matching.

  1. Smudgy Eyeshadow makes your eyes look bigger

If you want your eyes to get noticed in photos, you should try smudgy eyeshadows. These beautiful eyeshadows make your eyes look more significant and impressive. If your face cut is big or rounded, you should try this beauty hack because it will change your photos.

  1. Go a bit heavier on cheek products

Sometimes cameras tend to washout the color, and if you want to look gorgeous in photos and videos, you should use heavy makeup on your cheeks. It will enhance the shape of your cheeks and makes it glow. You can use blush and bronzer to lit it up. It works perfectly fine on the cheeks.

  1. Vaseline makes your lipstick look brighter

Never underestimate the use of Vaseline. There is more than one reason that advocates to keep Vaseline in your purse. When you apply Vaseline on your lipsticks, it makes the lipstick’s color brighter and glowing. These look amazing photos.

Conclusion:

These are the top 6 beauty hacks that you should apply to look elegant in the photos. If you feel tense, you should use ecig to make your mind relax and never forget to smile in photos. Comment below if you have any questions.

Matilda Mann Unveils New Single ‘Japan’

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Matilda Mann Unveils New Single ‘Japan’

Matilda Mann has shared a new single from her upcoming EP Because I Wanted You To Know. Listen to ‘Japan’ below.

Talking about the inspiration behind the track, the singer-songwriter said in a statement: “Over lockdown I binge-watched a TV show called Gossip Girl. (It’s basically about very rich teenagers living in NYC) and whenever they were heartbroken, they would always fly off to Paris or do something extravagant and I thought, if I was 17 and heartbroken (and rich), I’d fly to Japan to cry and distract myself till I got over them.”

Because I Wanted You To Know, the follow-up to this year’s If That Makes Sense EP, is set for release on November 20. It includes the previously released singles ‘Happy Anniversary, Stranger’, ‘Robbed’, and ‘As It Is’.

Read our Artist Spotlight feature on Matilda Mann here.

M41 The Pamir Highway by Øystein Sture Aspelund

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M41 The Pamir Highway by Øystein Sture Aspelund

Øystein Sture Aspelund, a gifted photographer out of Oslo, Norway, showcased a beautiful series in which he explores the M41, or better known as the Pamir Highway. Many travellers consider M41 as one of the most iconic and memorable road trips as it has some genuinely majestic views and interesting experiences.

Writing about the series Øystein said: ” 2019 I drove a two week round trip along the M41, starting in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), making a detour through the Wakhan valley towards Khorog (Tajikistan), and then back to Osh (Kyrgyzstan) on the M41… among the highlights there were hikes towards the advanced basecamp of peak Lenin, driving on dusty gravel roads three days along the Afghan border, going through corrupt mad max style border crossings in remote alpine passes, meeting fellow travellers and friendly locals, and staying at homestays with local families.”

Find more work by Øystein Sture Aspelund here.

Watch Tracy Chapman Perform ‘Talkin’ Bout a Revolution’ in Rare TV Performance on ‘Seth Meyers’

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Watch Tracy Chapman Perform ‘Talkin’ Bout a Revolution’ in Rare TV Performance on ‘Seth Meyers’

Tracy Chapman made a rare television appearance on last night’s episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers. The 56-year-old songwriter delivered a performance of ‘Talkin’ Bout a Revolution’ from her self-titled debut, making a slight lyrical tweak by singing “Talkin’ ’bout a revolution/ Go vote” as the word “VOTE” appeared behind her. Watch it below.

“This is the most important election of our lifetime. It is imperative that everyone vote to restore our democracy,” Chapman said in a statement prior to the televised broadcast, her first since 2015.

Meyers added: “I’ve always thought Tracy Chapman’s music skips your ears and goes straight to your heart.  I’m so honored and excited to have her on the show. She’s living proof you can be a great artist while also speaking out for what you believe in.”

Grammys Rename World Music Category Due to “Connotations of Colonialism”

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In 1991, the Grammys introduced the world music album category, which was intended to recognize “international non-Western classical music, international non-American and non-British traditional folk music, international cross-cultural music based on the previously mentioned genres as well as international recordings of world beat, world jazz (with a higher percentage of world than jazz music), world pop, and cross-cultural music.” Now, the Recording Academy has announced that the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album has been renamed Best Global Music Album.

A statement explaining the Recording Academy’s decision reads: “As we continue to embrace a truly global mindset, we update our language to reflect a more appropriate categorization that seeks to engage and celebrate the current scope of music from around the world. Over the summer we held discussions with artists, ethnomusicologists, and linguists from around the world who determined that there was an opportunity to update the best world music album category toward a more relevant, modern, and inclusive term. The change symbolizes a departure from the connotations of colonialism, folk, and ‘non-American’ that the former term embodied while adapting to current listening trends and cultural evolution among the diverse communities it may represent.”

This year, the award went to Angélique Kidjo for her album Celia. Earlier this year, the Recording Academy also renamed its “urban” categories. The nominees for the 63rd Grammy Awards will be announced on November 24 at 9:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. ET.

Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner’s Big Red Machine Cover Aimee Mann’s ‘Wise Up’

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Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner’s Big Red Machine Cover Aimee Mann’s ‘Wise Up’

Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner’s Big Red Machine have shared a cover of Aimee Mann’s ‘Wise Up’ as part of Eaux Claires’ For Wisconsin voter initiative. The performance also features the National’s Bryce Dessner, Bryan Devendorf, Scott Devendorf, Ben Lanz, Jon Low, and Mina Tindle. Watch the clip below.

“We recorded this cover of ‘Wise Up,’ one of my very favorite Aimee Mann songs, for beautiful Wisconsin,” Aaron Dessner said in a statement. “Her lyrics keep coming into my brain these days. The stakes couldn’t be any higher in this election and it may come down to a handful of votes. Text 56005 to VOTE. Thanks so much to Ben, Bryan, Bryce, Mina, Jon, Scott and Justin for joining me.”

The cover is the latest performance shared as part of For Wisconsin’s video series. Previously, Bon Iver debuted a song called ‘Your Honor’ in tribute to the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, while yesterday Feist covered Cat Stevens’ ‘Trouble’.

Why Gaming Is Not Taboo Anymore

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Why Gaming Is Not Taboo Anymore

On the verge of a second lockdown in the UK, it becomes more and more important to address enduring misconceptions about the gaming industry. It is hard to pinpoint precisely where gaming clichés come from. They seem to have always been part of the cultural mindset. 

Encouraged by poor representation in films and the media, gamers are typically depicted as awkward and asocial individuals who lead a solitary existence, preferably recluse inside dark and humid basements. It is time for Hollywood and ourselves to stop stereotyping gaming as a creepily violent and lonely hobby. If there are still traces of guilt regarding gaming, these need to be eliminated before heading for another excruciatingly long lockdown. After all, video games are allowing many of us to maintain both their wit and sanity in self-isolation. And here’s why we all need to welcome and embrace our inner gamer: 

You don’t need excessive equipment to play a game

As the PlayStation 5 remains a big financial commitment for the occasional gamer, many entertaining alternatives are not only quarantine-friendly but accessible to lesser experienced gamers. Boredom in quarantine is inevitable. The first lockdown coincided with a peak in video game demands. But, for those who are not keen on purchasing sophisticated gaming equipment, video games remain accessible to all budgets. You can find plenty of quality free games that are laptop- and family-friendly. It’s hard to get by the lockdown without either a laptop or a smartphone, and thankfully gaming doesn’t need all the faff of an expensive console and a VR set to be enjoyable. Killing time without killing your wallet, it’s fair to say that not many hobbies have a budget-friendly option. 

It’s an inclusive hobby

Gaming is a diverse universe that encompasses not only various interests but also different skills and levels. The idea that only experienced gamers can enjoy video games is inaccurate. Platforms such as thegameslover.com actively encourage gamers of all backgrounds and experience levels to discover and explore the latest titles. Firstly, most gamers nowadays allow players to select the appropriate difficulty level, including a story setting that enables the game to carry out and move the player further, even if they can’t tackle some of the challenges. Additionally, with hundreds of categories to choose from, there is genuinely a game for each gamer. 

It’s more beneficial than people think

After hearing for years how damaging gaming can be, it’s time to redress the balance. Studies have revealed that video games could help individuals overcome dyslexia by encouraging concentration in a continually changing and fast-moving environment. Puzzle-solving games have also shown considerable cognitive improvement, slowing down the ageing process in the brain for older players. Finally, rather than being solitary, gaming also helps players make social connections through collaborative platforms or even social media channels. 

There’s a sense of cultural trend

Games are part of a moving cultural movement. There’s a reason why celebrities are happy to give their face and voice to video games: they recognise it as a form of art that carries the same weight as films or books. Culturally, games that are associated with big names, such as Cyberpunk 2077 with Keanu Reeves, bring a new cultural dimension to the hobby. 

As the countdown for the next lockdown has already started, we need to learn to make peace with one of the most popular quarantine hobbies, gaming. Budget-friendly, inclusive, beneficial, and culturally enriching, it’s hard to find any reason not to turn into a player in quarantine. 

Album Review: Ariana Grande, ‘Positions’

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Album Review: Ariana Grande, ‘Positions’

thank u, next might have been anchored by big, ubiquitous singles, but part of what made it such an affecting highlight in Ariana Grande’s career was its subtly understated nature. The album’s minimalist, mid-tempo instrumentals gave space for some of the singer’s most starkly confessional lyrics as the songs processed grief and personal trauma with both elegance and vulnerability. In that context, Positions feels less like a detour than a natural step forward for Grande, who here revels in a similar kind of hushed, low-key atmosphere while projecting even more maturity and confidence. But while the singer once again hits a lot of the right notes, the musical component of her new album leaves a lot to be desired, laden with strings that suit Grande’s graceful delivery but fail to capture the thrilling heights of her past work.

Which is somewhat fitting, because the album is less about tracing the highs and lows of the singer’s personal life than trying to crystallize a moment of stability and newfound contentment. Grande wrote the album while settling into a new relationship, and Positions comfortably – perhaps too comfortably –  glides from one sultry R&B jam to the next while also providing a glimpse into the anxieties that come with trying to make that romantic attraction last. ‘34+35’ is obviously the most explicit of the bunch (just read that title again), and Grande’s infectious exuberance makes it one of the most fun cuts on the album: “If I put it quite plainly/ Just give me them babies,” she quips. When she sings “no more playing it safe” against slinky production on ‘nasty’, it’s clear she’s not kidding, because she quickly follows it up with “I just want to make time for you/ Swear it’s just right for you/ Like this pussy designed for you.”

Even if Grande is playing it safe on the relatively economical Positions, she does so without stepping away from the more vulnerable side she displayed on her last couple of records. Somewhat surprisingly (then again, maybe not), the record has a lot in common with Charli XCX’s how i’m feeling now, which was released earlier this year, in that it explores romantic intimacy in the COVID-19 era by delving into both the euphoric feelings as well as the insecurities that it brings along. “I just wonder, baby, if you’re gonna stay,” she admits on ‘six thirty’, “Even if, one day, I lose it and go crazy.” On the stand-out ‘safety net’ featuring Ty Dolla $ign, she begins by marvelling at how far the relationship has come in such a short span of time, then confesses, “I’ve never been this scared before/ Feelings I just can’t ignore.” It’s a much more effective duet than the mediocre ‘off the table’ with the Weeknd, which sticks out mostly for not being ‘Love Me Harder’.

Interestingly, the fears that Grande outlines on Positions have less to do with growing out of love than worrying about how her own mental state might affect the health of the relationship. It’s why the line on the title track and lead single isn’t “hopin’ history doesn’t repeat itself” but “hopin’ I don’t repeat history”, and why she proceeds to list out all the ways in which she’s determined to make the relationship work. On ‘love language’, she feels compelled to assure her partner it’s the small things he does that help her calm down (“You can talk your shit all night/ You the medication when I’m feeling anxious”); but as she admits on the final track, ‘pov’, she still isn’t sure how to accept the same kind of validation from others: “I’d love to see me from your point of view,” she harmonizes, implying that she might not be able to yet, but maybe she’s starting to see herself for who she really is.

The album’s mellow, overly polished instrumentals don’t always match up to the complexity of what she’s trying to evoke, but there are moments where Grande’s performance is so potent that it barely even matters. ‘my hair’, perhaps the best song on the album, subverts the listeners’ expectations about what could be just another sex jam (“I want you to touch it softly/ Like the way you do my mind”), before revealing a deeper, more delicate emotional core as she invites her lover to run his hands through her signature ponytail. “This ain’t usually me/ But I might let it down for ya,” she sings. Placed in the middle of the tracklist, it feels less like a point of resolution than part of the process, the way Positions feels more like part of a natural artistic progression than a statement on its own. The album might not be quite as breath-taking as the best that Sweetener and thank u, next had to offer, but in learning to trust her own voice and rely less on big, radio-friendly hooks, Grande suggests she might have something even better in store for the future.

This Week’s Best New Songs: Busta Rhymes, Black Country, New Road, Ailsa Tully, and More

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This Week’s Best New Songs: Busta Rhymes, Black Country, New Road, Ailsa Tully, and More

Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this segment.

This was a bit of a slow week, but there are still a few tracks worth shouting out. Kendrick Lamar returned with a feature on Busta Rhymes’ Michael Jackson-sampling new single ‘Look Over Your Shoulder’, a laid-back track in which the two rappers trade verses about their love for hip-hop; J.I.D. showed off his lyrical versatility on an excellent new freestyle (that’s not available on streaming services); Lorely Rodriguez aka Empress Of launched a new label and enlisted Amber Mark to sing on her incredibly catchy new song, ‘You’ve Got to Feel’; recent Dalliance Recordings signee Ailsa Tully served up a dreamy, mesmerising new cut titled ‘Drive’; and finally, UK experimental rock outfit Black Country, New Road knocked it out of the park with ‘Science Fair’, the intensely harrowing new single from their upcoming debut album.

Best New Songs: November 2nd, 2020

Empress Of feat. Amber Mark, ‘You’ve Got to Feel’ 

Busta Rhymes feat. Kendrick Lamar, ‘Look Over Your Shoulder’

Song of the Week: Black Country, New Road, ‘Science Fair’

Ailsa Tully, ‘Drive’

J.I.D, ‘Cludder Freestyle’

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