As the days (finally) begin to get longer, it’s time to update our playlists! With that in mind, we have curated the coolest queer music releases that have come over the past few weeks to get us through spring and into the summer spirit
RETRO FUTURISM by T.A. Narrative
From Limerick, T.A. Narrative is a musical duo formed by Tara and Anna. Influenced by a wide range of genres from mainstream pop to post-punk, the pair recently released their new EP RETRO FUTURISM.
When talking about the project, T.A. Narrative said: “With this EP, we’ve used musicality as a vehicle to engage in deep self-reflection and navigate the chaos it brings. Our lives are filled with challenges we all face as humans.”
T.A. Narrative’s newest single, ‘If I Was A Man’, is an anthem in which they reflect on feminism, check it out below!
‘Appetite’ by Pastiche
After releasing her EP Freak Show Symphony last year, Pastiche found herself full of insecurities about what would happen next. But, following a brief hiatus from the stage for a few months, she is now ready for a new era.
“I was trying to write something that would keep people happy; something punchy, but not TOO punchy. Something sexy, but not TOO sexy. Something authentic, but subtle enough so that I don’t come off as an ‘angry woman’ with an axe to grind. But what’s wrong with being an angry woman with an axe to grind? I soon realised that everything I was writing was trash because I was creating to please everybody else. It’s not my job to keep people comfortable,” she explained.
The singer recently performed as part of Mother’s Cultúr Club at the St. Patrick’s Day Festival Quarter, and a week after the performance, she released her new single ‘Appetite’.
‘Appetite’ pays homage to the 2009 cult film Jennifer’s Body, and it is a song that masks darker themes beneath its “sexy and flirtatious” surface. When commenting on the single, Pastiche said: “The track is full of cannibalistic imagery, paying homage to Jennifer’s Body and exploring how women are seen as meat in this animalistic world. I think all women from any background can relate to this feeling,”
Pastiche will perform at the 3Olympia Theatre on May 26 as part of the Rock Against Homelessness lineup.
Ride Or Die by ARXX
Founded in 2017, ARXX is an alt-rock duo from Brighton. Earlier this year, they performed alongside Pillow Queens in Ireland as their supporting act. Now, Hanni Pidduck and Clara Townsend, ARXX, will return to the island for their own tour.
The tour will promote their debut album, Ride Or Die, which has been described as “a display of queer love and a cathartic exploration of mental health struggles and heartbreak.”
During an interview with DIVA Magazine, Hanni explained that the writing process for the album was very intuitive.
“On this record, sometimes the music dictated what the song was going to be about. With the song Ride Or Die, we had the music before we had the lyrics, and I just knew that it had to be about something I really cared about – so queerness was what I chose,” she further explains.
ARXX will perform in Dublin, Limerick, Galway and Kilkenny throughout the last week of April.
‘Bad Bitch Alert’ by PrettiBoiRoq X Chanel Jole
To celebrate his birthday, PrettiBoiRoq released his first single since 2018. ‘Bad Bitch Alert’ features Chanel Jole and is a song about self-love and being true to themselves.
PrettiBoiRoq is a gay rapper who grew up in a small town in North Carolina, a place where he felt like he could not be himself. His new single released in spring showcases exactly where he is right now, both in terms of his music career, queer personality and body positivity journey.
“My hope is that I can inspire someone the way so many artists inspired me. I hope kids listening realize that they don’t have to live by gender standards. Gender doesn’t matter. Nor does race or sexuality. Love yourself for the bad bitch that you are,” PrettiBoiRoq said.
‘Stargazer’ by Davie Furey
Davie Furey is currently on tour in Ireland with Paul Brady. The pair performed in Wexford last week and are set to visit six other towns throughout the month until the first week of May.
The queer Irish singer and songwriter recently released a new single called ‘Stargaze’, and this is the third release leading up to his new album, set to be released this year.
“It’s funny how songs show themselves only when they are ready. I came across the lyrics for ‘Stargazer’ whilst going through my old songwriting notes. Clearly, the song is a bit of a recluse but it felt ready to show itself to those who would listen now. We reconnected, I gave it a little bit of a pampering and here we are,” said Davie about ‘Stargazer’.
‘Blue’ by Steven Peice
Earlier in spring, queer artist Steven Peice made his music debut with the RNB track ‘Blue’.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the art of layering voices and blending them together to create an atmospheric vibe in a song, […] trying to use colourful lyrics, but it’s also a little raunchy too. So, it’s a sad bop,” he explained.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CpmvG84M7R4/
‘The Weapon’ by Babylamb
Founded in 2018, Babylamb is an Irish band based in Dublin and Limerick. They are now returning to the music scene as a “self-produced two-piece” composed of OG members Tobias and Rían.
Lead singer and co-producer Tobias commented on the band’s comeback, saying: “I’m really excited to bring Babylamb back with a bang.”
Later this month, Babylamb will release a brand-new single, ‘The Weapon’, and while talking about the band’s new track, Tobias commented: “We went ham on producing ‘The Weapon’, our semi-obligatory queer coming-of-age track, and we couldn’t be prouder of it. It’s sweeping, bouncy and tumultuous, just like my anxious childhood.”
Mark your calendars, ‘The Weapon’ drops on April 28.
So there you have it, seven amazing queer music releases to wipe the dust off your playlist this spring!
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