Telekura
Telekura stormed onto the music scene in October with their debut release, ‘clown’. Earning the prestigious title of 'Track of the Week' from 2FM, the Dublin based duo not only received substantial airplay but also secured placements in Spotify's widely followed playlists, including 'A Breath of Fresh Eire' and the globally acclaimed 'An Alternative Future'
The psychedelic-pop duo are kickstarting 2024 with their second single, ‘girls.’ 'girls' seamlessly continues the band’s momentum, serving as a rallying cry for girls to reclaim their position in the world. Embodying the same infectious energy that defined their debut, "girls" is a dynamic and spirited track characterised by pounding toms, wiry synths, and a chorus laden with hooks. Telekura’s musical journey remains compelling, with 'clown' and 'girls' showcasing their ability to deliver a unique and impactful sound.
Frontwoman Rachel spoke on the band’s early successes:
“As a new act, we're surprised and very appreciative of the warm response to clown. Our follow-up, girls, is a sonic happy accident that melds our love for big drums and wonky pop hooks with a topic that we're passionate about”.
Deriving their name from a Japanese telephone- based dating service, ‘Telekura’ consists of Rachel (formerly of Lost Weekend) and Stephen (formerly of We Should Be Dead). Together, the pair blend vivid, bombastic analogue synth-scapes with distant, hazy vocals, which capture the emotional highs and lows of living in the information age. Kaleidoscopic lyrics and seismic guitar riffs are set against dizzying, spiralling arpeggios to convey the sheer chasms that exist between people in close proximity, and the odd sense of closeness between those far apart.
The Beach Boys - Darlin’
[Stephen] The greatest song of all time? Probably! My childhood (particularly my Dad taking over dinner duties on a Friday afternoon) was soundtracked by one of the late era Beach Boys ‘Best Of’ comps, along with The Beatles, Roy Orbison, and more). This song stuck with me all the way.
PJ Harvey - Snake (Peel Sessions):
[Rachel] This version sounds delightfully filthy and my favourite part is at the 43 second mark when she howls 'AhhHHHHHHhhHHHhh' and then caps it off with a big sigh. She reminds me that 'ugly singing' can also be very attractive.
Nirvana - In Bloom:
[Stephen] My first introduction to Nirvana was when a friend gave me a cassette copy of Nevermind. For some unknown reason, Smells Like Teen Spirit was missing from this copy, so for the longest time I only knew In Bloom as the album opener. This is the song that made me pick up the drums and pretty much changed my life. I think this song has it all, a great riff, a great groove, great drumming, a great chorus, great lyrics, and a superb performance. It will always top Smells Like Teen Spirit for me.
Faye Wong - 感情生活 (Sensational Life):
[Rachel] There was a time in my life when I desperately wanted to be Faye Wong. She has an aloof, ephemeral quality that greatly appeals to me and this album and track in particular was a constant companion back in the One-CD-Discman days. I try to avoid pegging genres to musicians, but Faye Wong to my mind was one of the first to seamlessly drift between mainstream pop and cult indie status.
Dazy - Wind Me Up:
[Stephen] Dazy is a one man hit machine from Virginia. I stumbled on his MAXIMUMBLASTSUPERLOUD cassette a few years ago and was blown away. Essentially, this is a collection of all the eps released bundled into 52 mins of pop perfection. Every song is like a lost 90s indie classic, and while Dazy continues to float under the radar, he could and very well should be a household name. Fuzzy pop at its best (and we do love our fuzz).
[Rachel] I think Tokyo Jihen is criminally underrated in this part of the world. They are simultaneously chaotic and polished, and everyone in that band seems to be the Paganini of their own instruments and craft. This particular track OSCA is so stuffed with gems that I find myself going back to it again and again when my songwriting starts to feel a bit stale.
Mandy, Indiana - Pinking Shears:
[Both] Who needs guitars? We love the sounds and songs Mandy, Indiana create, and if there was ever an argument for not making guitars a must in your average indie band, this is it. Definitely inspiring for what we do.
Washed Out - Feel It All Around:
[Both] The debut EP was very inspiring for the Telekura sound. Lush soundscapes, wonderful melodies, and a unique production. Although it’s about 15 years old now, it still gets a lot of plays in the Telekura HQ (as does a lot of electronic stuff from that era).
Lou Hayter - Time Out Of Mind:
[Both] A wonderful talent who used to be part of New Young Pony Club, and also collaborated with Jean-Benoit Duncke from Air on their Tomorrow’s World project (awesome record). This song is from her equally impressive debut album Private Sunshine, it’s pop with a capital P, maybe even H&M pop, but we love these superbly crafted songs, and the production is just killer. It’s throwback, it’s now, and it’s bloody great! Inspirational to all that we do for sure.
[Both] We couldn’t make a ‘songs that have inspired us’ list without The Pixies. As far as love songs with theremins go, this is probably the 2nd greatest of all time (yes, we love The Beach Boys).
