Our weekly fix of the best new music as Julia Mason (aka The Decibel Decoder) brings us her new music review with singles from Scrounge UTG and Baby Said Take Everything
Artist: Scrounge
Track: UTG
Scrounge’s new song UTG channels influence of bands such as Fugazi, Unwound and Sonic Youth. It's taken from their upcoming Ba Da Bing! album, Almost Like You Could which is set for release on 18 April.
Scrounge remain deeply engaged with their community, both in their lyrics and in their ethos. “Living as part of the queer community, and being queer myself, leads me towards supporting every person’s truth,” Lucy Alexander (vocals, guitar) shares. This is especially true of UTG, a track which comes from the heart and feels intensely personal. Delivered with a vocal not only strong and powerful, but with determined grit. "Tell me what's the worst thing we could do?" Alexander repeats over and over. There is a quiet defiance here, the vocal dominating the track as it should, layered over the guitars and drums which provide the foundations for the vocal to proudly lead the song.
“We’re inspired by those around us, and we write about what we care about. Art has always existed for us as a means of catharsis, a way of expressing something we might not be able to otherwise, and we hope our music can be that for other people too,” says Alexander. Indeed the duo first bonded over their mutual love of SOPHIE. “She radicalised the structure of sound, and revealed herself through it,” Luke Cartledge (percussion) explains. “That was a massive inspiration when we started playing together, stripping everything away to open up new possibilities as artists and as people."
Scrounge have also released a short podcast exploring their creative process and the themes of Almost Like You Could.
* * *
Artist: Baby Said
Track: Take Everything
Portsmouth's Baby Said share new single Take Everything from debut album BS out 7 March. They're also set for SXSW in Austin which is the pair's first time in the US. Speaking of the track they say, "Take Everything is about the feeling of passing through life wearing a grey lens. It’s about feeling like you’re giving your all whilst others are just taking and despite all your effort, whatever you do is never good enough. Take Everything shows the exhaustion of trying for others even though they are abandoning you.’’
Take Everything is a song which showcases the guitar and vocals of Baby Said. Sitting at the rock end of the music spectrum it's not afraid to have its quieter sections, reflecting the themes of the track. The frustrations of a lack of self worth and attempting to please those around you are then emphasised in soaring vocals and electrifying guitar riffs.
Comprising Italian/Punjabi sisters Veronica (20) and Jess (18), Baby Said's musical journey began at a very young age. Veronica first picked up the acoustic guitar at the age of 6, inspired by a band of guitarists she saw at church. She pursued her passion for music by completing all her guitar exams up to grade 8, transitioning from classical guitar to electric guitar. Jess, on the other hand, started playing acoustic guitar at the age of 4, often playing alongside her sister. After experimenting with keyboards and piano, Jess was drawn to the bass guitar after watching the live performance of Måneskin at Sanremo in 2021.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss out on gig info and our latest deals
Comments