Introducing #217 - LASHADE
Manchester-based LASHADE recently released their debut single ‘Simmer’. We caught up with them to find out a little about both the track, and themselves.
Hey LASHADE - how are you? So your debut track is finally out - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Hello! I’m great thank you, it’s been an exciting few days. We’ve been sitting on this track for a long while, so it’s amazing to finally share it with the world. It’s the perfect single to launch this new project with and the response so far has been wonderful.
It is called ‘Simmer’ - can you tell us what it's about?
Sure, so in terms of the lyrics, Simmer is written from the viewpoint of taking the lead in seducing a woman whilst, at the same time, hoping for a power exchange where you can completely surrender to her. It’s got big switch energy! On a more atmospheric level, Simmer plays on the contrast between wintery, cold imagery and fiery, lusty desire. It is what it says on the tin, really - hot and bubbling but also restrained and not quite allowed to spill over.
You are based in Manchester - what are your favourite things to do there? Where do you go for adventures?
Yes, whilst a lot of our music making actually happens in London, LASHADE is strongly rooted in Manchester. One of my favourite things to do here is just to walk around the city - it never fails to inspire me and make me feel at home. There are always new places to discover and histories to learn about - I’ve been reading a book called ‘Manchester: Something Rich and Strange’, which I really recommend. I’ve recently been enjoying walking by the canal in Castlefield and Ancoats, especially now that the weather is getting nice. In terms of nights out and culture, there are always good films and exhibitions happening at HOME, and the clubs that I go to most regularly are Deaf Institute, Hidden, White Hotel and Soup.
It's a city with a huge LGBTQ+ presence, how important has that been for LASHADE?
So important! Manchester is where I grew up and where I began to discover my queerness, so these things are definitely intertwined for me and are foundational to LASHADE. In my personal life most of my friends are LGBTQ+, and the majority of events and club nights I go to are queer spaces e.g. Bollox, Kiss Me Again, Crossbreed. I want my artistsic side to start showing up more in these communities and to begin working regularly with other queer muscicians and visual artists. As you will see with Simmer, the visual element of this project, and the queer, kinky, gender-fluid aesthetic, are almost as important as the music. I know that this is something I’ll have great opportunities to explore here in Manchester. Gigs are not a priority at the moment but I would also love to perform live at local queer and kink nights in the future.
What are the key influences in your music?
Musically we are influenced by a wide range of artists and genres. Current inspirations that come to mind are Unloved, Boy Harsher, Art School Boyfriend and Public Memory. I’ve actually just created a playlist called Night Shade that features these artists and builds a sonic world around Simmer (I will share a link for this). It’s also really interesting to hear what other listener’s compare you to; so far we’ve been described as an ‘edgy London Grammar’ and ‘modern-day Portishead’. Not going to complain about that! Thinking more thematically, I’m often drawn to music which feels kind of cold, soulless and alien, but at the same time very sexy, moving or life affirming. Music that feels glossy and sci-fi but also deeply human - this is a vibe that I want to channel through LASHADE. This definitely ties into the fact that I am strongly influenced by kink/BDSM concepts and aesthetics. Four Chambers, House Of Iris, Nonothing and Paraphilia Collective are just a few of these queer/kinky influences.
Link to playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/32sInJm2LUxEvb9BIuZzaa?si=502802a375514bbd
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never listened to your music before?
LASHADE is dark, sexy and dreamy. Our vision is to create vivid atmospheres using lush, cinematic soundscapes, underpinned by sensual and haunting vocals. Genre-wise we are dark electronica art pop, building our own niche of ‘synth noir’ or ‘cinematic pop’. It’ll be exciting to see our evolution over the next few releases - watch this space!
