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Friday Features: Self-love, vulnerability and escapism find their voice in these new releases

Amid a chaotic world, these artists remind us all to love ourselves and take time to heal
PUBLISHED JUN 6, 2020
Bananagun and Dawson Gamble (Jamie Wdziekonski/ Dawson Gamble)
Bananagun and Dawson Gamble (Jamie Wdziekonski/ Dawson Gamble)

Self-love takes a front seat in the latest releases featured in this week's Friday Features. Ranging from melancholic musings to upbeat indie, artists are sharing deeply personal and vulnerable tales of self-growth and discovery amid a period of great unrest. And this makes these releases the perfect way for us all to take a moment to reconnect with ourselves and refocus on what matters the most.

Bananagun: 'The Master'

'The Master' is the latest release off Banangun's forthcoming debut album, 'The True Story of Bananagun', which marks the group's first full foray into writing and recording as a complete five-piece band, having originally germinated in the bedroom ideas and demos of guitarist, vocalist, and flautist Nick van Bakel. The multi-instrumentalist grew up on skate videos, absorbing the hip-hop beats that soundtracked them, like Self Core label founder Mr Dibbs and other early '90’s turntablists.

Regarding the track, van Bakel states, "The Master is kind of about evacuating yourself from the absurd but typical life of working your arse into the ground for someone else and how no matter where you're working or how high up the ladder you are in that world, there's always a person up higher bossing you around or someone you’re trying to please. I just hate when people flex too much and don't respect people; that’s what the majority of people deal with their whole life. It's miserable and there’s no room for stuff to blossom. The trash that’s suggested in school, movies, and everything; have all your milestones planned out. You wanna make god laugh, tell him you've got your life planned!"



 

With influences that range from '60s and '70s Afrobeat and exotica to proto-garage and beyond, the band's sound encapsulates everything from dusty old records to contemporary indie-pop to tropical psychedelia. And this is perfectly in line with the band's entire ideology. After all, their seemingly innocuous name has an underlying message of connectivity that matches the universality of the music. "It’s like non-violent combat! Or the guy who does a stick-up, but it’s just a banana, not a gun, and he tells the authorities not to take themselves too seriously." Which is, in all its oddity, a rather timely sentiment.

Listen to 'The Master' via Spotify, Apple, or SoundCloud. 'The True Story of Bananagun' is due out on June 26. Pre-order it HERE. Follow Banangun on Facebook, Instagram or via BananagunBand.com.

Dawson Gamble: 'Everything About Me'

Gamble sets off with his debut single 'Everything About Me', a moving take on giving your everything to someone only to have them walk away. Inspired by a number of influences over the course of a few years, 'Everything About Me' started off with its first hook: "I’ve been on the Southside of the city, drinking whiskey." From there it evolves and reshapes itself into a powerful song about being unconditionally vulnerable with someone who seemingly returns the favor before walking out on you, leaving you wondering what went wrong.

But as bleak as that emotion can feel on its own, Gamble's philosophy remains a positive one: "Give ALL of yourself, open up and show that side of you. Yeah, maybe most of the time it won’t end up being reciprocated, but wouldn't you rather be totally 100% yourself throughout the relationship? And though doing so may get you hurt, at least you never compromise who you are as a person to mold into someone’s fake misguided interpretation of who and what you are."

Dawson Gamble (Dawson Gamble)

Ultimately, despite how much the world might try to hurt you or tear you down, there's nothing quite as comforting as knowing exactly who you are and living that truth. And with his debut, Gamble is willing to share everything about himself, no filter.

Stream 'Everything About Me' HERE. Follow Dawson Gamble on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or via DawsonGamble.com.

Grace Gillespie: 'HUH'

"I wrote the lyrics to 'HUH' whilst cycling to work and watching the miserable commuters dragging themselves to places they don’t want to be." With that as the leading thought, it's easy to understand the nostalgic melancholy that underscores this track. Gillespie's gorgeously melodic and emotive voice conveys daily misery perfectly. "The absurdity of the situation struck me," she confides, adding, "and I momentarily saw the scene as if through the eyes of a child, asking — why do we do this to ourselves?" Indeed, why is it that we forfeit our child-like wonder in favor of the mechanical existence we call adulthood? With so many of us recognizing how tired and unhappy we are, mostly because we were forced to confront the voids in our lives during lockdown but even more so now, given the global unrest, we have found ourselves being ushered into a phase of having to take a good, hard look at ourselves.



 

"We become increasingly affected by external factors as we grow older and it becomes increasingly difficult to think like a child again," shares Gillespie. "That innocence and curiosity is lost forever. But it’s still fun to think about, to try and look at things in different ways, as if through the eyes of someone else. Especially in odd times like this, everything becomes warped and strange again. The very idea of normal has been forcefully shifted, and there’s no better time to take a fresh look at things and question why certain things are such big parts of our lives. What is really important to us? Do we even know!"

'Huh' is a wonderful track that captures an adult's desire to reclaim their childhood innocence again, as they try to shed their worries and feel free enough to play again. It's a song of escapism, undoubtedly so, but it's also one that helps one reassess and take stock of where their life is going.

Stream 'HUH' HERE. Follow Grace Gillespie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple.

T Thomason feat Ria Mae: 'Loser Pt. II'

'Loser' first appeared on Thomason's self-titled record released this past September, but it finds new life in his 'Part II Project' that continues the album's story. Featuring Ria Mae, the song is built around the inner monologue many of us have as we work out how to open up to someone about our feelings. Vulnerability is one of the hardest spaces to be in and it's often an even more difficult space to hold for someone else. Being face to face with the idea of loving and being loved is tough. On 'Loser Pt. II', Thomason explores feelings that are often hard to express. His lyrics give these feelings an almost tangible shape and form, allowing it to be the outlet for listeners who have trouble saying what they mean. Along with Mae, he taps into these feelings.

T Thomason and Ria Mae (Katherine Kwan)

Speaking about the track Thomason says, "When I wrote 'Loser', I felt like I was reclaiming a piece of myself. It’s powerful to embrace the awkward, the vulnerable, and the uncertain times in our lives, especially now." On his collaboration with Mae, he adds, "It was a lot of fun to dive back into the song after about a year away from working on it. I loved the idea that Ria and I could change the shape and the form of the song if we wanted to, that we could breathe fresh life into it by having her come into the studio."

Stream 'Loser Pt. II' here. Follow Thomason on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and Ria Mae on Facebook and Instagram.

Nubya Garcia: 'Pace'

Nubya Nyasha Garcia is a British jazz musician, saxophonist, flautist, composer and bandleader. The stunningly talented artist's latest instrumental track, 'Pace', is rue to its name: a beautifully paced piece with lush production that takes you on a healing journey. Garcia wrote the piece keeping in mind the fast-paced life many of us choose to live in this day and age. And while many of us are seemingly willing participants, this era sees us being driven to our limit as we desperately try to keep up with the "non-stop, high demand, relentless machine that operates with us flying around inside".

The track is perfectly set up to reflect the calm before the storm, gently building to a fast-paced instrumental that captures the essence of what daily life feels like, before laying us back down gently in a space that encourages peace. "How can we keep it up without serious consequences for both physical and mental health?" asks Garcia. "The pressure to keep it up is unrealistic. 'Pace' is a reminder that we can change, and that we can choose."



 

Stream 'Pace' here. Follow Nubya Garcia on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify or via NubyGarcia.com.

Friday Features is a column that brings you the week's latest releases that you may or may not have heard yet.

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