The Friday Dispatch
Julia Holter, SXSW, Whitelands, and Nine Inch Nails
Julia Holter on Alice Coltrane
There are a lot of Alice Coltrane recordings that I come back to, for my mental health [laughs], but "Turiya and Ramakrishna" is one that makes me feel really crazy when I listen to it. There’s a piano solo that comes in after a little while that just affects me so much. It’s like there’s something chemical in my body that changes when I listen to this music. It instantly calms me, but not in a New Age-y way.
When I listen to it or experience it – and this is actually true of Simone Forti’s work, too – it brings me to the feeling of embracing the most important thing about being alive. It’s very abstract and I don’t know how else to put it, but when I experience this music I’m like, ‘Oh, this is the centre, this is where everything means something and, wow, I’m feeling a lot right now.’ I don’t mean this in a religious way, although of course Alice Coltrane was very religious, but that feeling feels to me like a sort of spiritual experience. That’s probably the easiest way to describe it, as some kind of sublime thing.
There are a lot of other things I love about this song. I especially love the way she incorporates the blues harmonies and gives them this really embellished quality that maybe comes out of her interest in modal and Indian music. Her combination of the blues harmonic world and embellished modal world with raga-inspired elements is unique, I think.
As told to Alan Pedder
HotWax, Chiedu Oraka and Divorce lead line up for Best Fit's SXSW party tonight
HotWax, Chiedu Oraka and Divorce join DBMK, waterbaby and Victoria Bigelow at Best Fit's official 2024 SXSW showcase in Austin, Texas tonight.
Oraka and Bigelow are new additions to the line-up. Born from the belly of the beast in Hull's council estates, Northern rapper Oraka's bars are unflinching social poetry which portray the Black, working-class experience from the frontlines of the north - with lashings of its colourful slang for good measure.
A young woman with heart and soul, Victoria Bigelow’s moody yet hopeful music has drawn comparisons with Weyes Blood, Angel Olsen, and Mazzy Star, but it’s her life, her voice, and her honesty, that gives her a sound all of her own. Telling stories of heartbreak, adversity and bittersweet hope, Bigelow takes love, loss, and longing, and transforms them into music that speaks to the heart of the modern world.
Best Fit’s official SXSW party, supported by AMUSE, runs tonight from 8pm to 2am at the Swan Dive Patio, 615 Red River Street, Austin, TX 78701.
Win a Pair of Tickets to SON Estrella Galicia’s Brighton micro-festival
SON Estrella Galicia’s micro-festival series is taking a day trip to Brighton with an event at The Prince Albert on 23 March, with headline performances from Panic Shack and Plantoid.
Cardiff-based quartet Panic Shack are set to headline the event, with Brighton's own Plantoid, who recently released their debut album, Terrapath. DJ sets from Kike Louie, Lee Petryszyn and Henry WP will take place throughout the event.
Estrella Galicia’s beer experts will be providing an exclusive What Does Your Beer Sound Like? tasting workshop, showcasing the brand’s artisanal and multi-sensory approach to their craft. Local vendors Carlito Burrito will be the gastronomic partners for the event, and there will be beer pairing recommendations for which these events have also become known.
While the event sold-out fast, we’re giving you the chance to win a pair of tickets.
Something Old, Something New
Every week, one of Best Fit's writers or editors share their recommendations of two records they love - one from the past, one from the present. This week, Best Fit writer Kate Crudgington on Whitelands’ Night-Bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day (2024), and The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails (1994).
On the surface, this debut offering from London-based shoegazers Whitelands is a heady, romantic rush of reverb and lush gauzy vocals. But dig a little deeper into what inspired it, and you’ll appreciate it even more.
Initially formed from DIY grassroots music initiatives like First Timers Fest and Decolonise Fest, Whitelands are gently dismantling the expectations and stereotypes surrounding the traditionally white-male oriented guitar music scene. Together, vocalist & guitarist Etienne, drummer Jagun, lead guitarist Michael, and bassist Vanessa create disarming and poetic songs that are underscored by the sincere desire to shift the narrative around what musicians of colour are capable of.
Musically, Slowdive are undeniably the band’s biggest influence, but Whitelands hold their own when it comes to lyrical inspirations. Etienne’s songwriting is heavily informed by everything from philosophy (The album title is taken from the book ‘The Prophet’, by Kahlil Gibran), to his own experiences of ADHD, depression and heartbreak. He manages to make these topics feel accessible via his soft, floating vocals and hazy guitar tones, which range from melancholic to euphoric throughout the record.
Released via Sonic Cathedral, Night-Bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day is best appreciated during an uninterrupted listen, so that you can really immerse yourself into Whitelands’ shimmering, atmospheric sounds.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, The Downward Spiral is the second album from Trent Reznor, the now critically acclaimed musician and award-winning composer behind Nine Inch Nails. It’s a record that manages to combine flashes of rage and intense self-flagellation, alongside chilling vignettes of angst and vulnerability, all of which its creator experienced during its conception.
At its core, The Downward Spiral is a reflection on addiction, pain, apathy and a tortured testament to the adversity of the human spirit in spite of these afflictions. It wasn’t designed to appeal to a mass fanbase, but Reznor’s searing, brutal honesty struck a chord with listeners back in 1994, and still continues to be a source of comfort and catharsis for new fans today.
From the incendiary riffs of opener ‘Mr Self Destruct’ to the piston-like percussion on antagonistic anthem ‘March Of The Pigs’, to the infamously radio-unfriendly chorus of ‘Closer’ and the raw poignancy of closer ‘Hurt’, The Downward Spiral repeatedly assaults and triggers the senses.
Reznor recently reflected on The Downward Spiral as a “time capsule of what 28 year old me had to say, and it still excites me and breaks my heart.” That feels like an apt summary of one of his most potent and influential records to date.
Three things to get excited about this week
The artist: Canada’s Aidan Bello is playing the showcase circuit route at this year’s SXSW to promote alt-country project His His in advance of his second EP later this year. “This is my second time [at the festival], but definitely better than last,'“ Bello tells us. “It’s also sweet to meet a bunch of artists and industry folks that I’ve exchanged emails with over the last few years!” Bello’s next single with His His, “outside,” will be out on 15 April.
The lineup: Love it or hate it, this year’s Glastonbury lineup is out. Dua Lipa, SZA, and Coldplay will all be gracing the Pyramid stage, while Shania Twain will take the Legends slot. Other names include Blondshell, Arlo Parks, Peggy Gou, and Avril Lavigne.
The return: After five years, Kate Nash is releasing a full-length EP. The long awaited project, 9 Sad Symphonies, is set for release on June 21 and is available now for pre-order. Speaking of the release, Nash says: “I've climbed through the sewers of this industry and so my goal is to make good music I believe in, to have longevity, and have good live shows,” says Kate. “I don't feel competitive with the industry anymore. I've been in the game for twenty years, and I'm in my own league now.”
Listen to the week in new music by following our Discovery playlist
Dropping at midnight every Thursday, follow our 20-track playlist for a taste of the best new music from the most exciting breaking artists.
These are the songs our editors and writers have on repeat right now, taken from the hundreds of tracks released in the last seven days. Leading the selection this week are amazing cuts from MRCY, Divorce, Nuha Ruby Ra, BIG SPECIAL, and coverstar Wisp.