The entirely independent all-female alt-rock trio House of Women have inspired a first wave of excitement after releasing just three introductory tracks. Their current single ‘Hypocrite’ has landed Radio 1 airplay from Alyx Holcombe and Nels Hylton, building upon incendiary sets at All Points East and 2000trees. Now House of Women today release their debut EP ‘People Printing’ via their own label. It is launched alongside a new video for ‘Hypocrite’.
If you’re yet to discover House of Women, ‘Hypocrite’ is a compelling introduction. At first, Kyla Lanai’s voice drifts ethereally like a Gen Z Hope Sandoval, its serenely beguiling beauty casting a spell as the band ratchet up an air of foreboding tension around her. And then the track erupts into a fireball of caustic grunge dynamics, her vocal soaring into a visceral wail of anger and recrimination. Its power is heightened by the band’s masterful control of loud/quiet/loud dynamics, staying patiently restrained until the moment comes to detonate its full visceral ferocity.
‘Hypocrite’ and the previously released ‘Few Too Many Times’ both feature on the ‘People Printing’ EP. It is completed by four brand new tracks in the shape of ‘6.0’, ‘Sid’s Song’, ‘Elsa’s Lullaby’ and ‘The Arc’. All its songs were written by House of Women and the EP was produced by Jonathan Hucks (Dream Nails, False Heads) during sessions at Vale Studios in Worcestershire.
Still all in their late teens, House of Women – Elsa Malazogu (guitar), Poppy Miller (guitar) and Kyla Lanai (vocals, piano) – met while studying at a music college in East London. They bonded over a shared love for classic ‘90s influences which set them apart from their peers: Alice in Chains, Mazzy Star, PJ Harvey, Sonic Youth, Nick Cave and Jeff Buckley, and their musical passions extend to contemporary artists with a similar authenticity and intensity too, including Fontaines D.C., Turnstile and IDLES.
‘People Printing’ EP tracklist:
- ‘Few Too Many Times’
- ‘6.0’
- ‘Sid’s Song’
- ‘Elsa’s Lullaby’
- ‘The Arc’
- ‘Hypocrite’