Bar Pandora - Clementine Valentine - Toria Richings
Bar Pandora is the stage name of UK alt-pop artist Charlie Tophill. The project was named after a literary cafe in La Latina, Madrid, where in 2017 Tophill used to hang out with her friends talking literature, life and feminism over red wine and fizzy sweets. Retrospectively inspired by the empowerment these friendships engendered, she created Bar Pandora in 2021 as a musical project seeking to redress the balance of a life shadowed by self-imposed limitation and baseless inhibition.
Bar Pandora’s melodious alt-pop is playfully sewn together from the offcuts of personal experience. Field recordings, journal entries and improvised fragments bop bewitchingly along to a rich undercurrent of harmonic synths, guitars and dynamic beats. Her eponymous debut EP, released in 2022, was the result of an experimental collaboration with jungle producer Simply Dread and earned Bar Pandora early support and radio play from BBC Radio 6’s Amy Lamé and Tom Robinson as well as praise from The Times newspaper and many more.
Tophill has continued to work with Simply Dread for her upcoming single, ‘Ultramess’, a “collaboration of artistic-differences” resulting in shimmery electro-pop which ripples with restless energy. ‘Ultramess’ is an alluring snapshot of a cynical romance. “It’s not quite a love song,” Tophill says. “It’s more an ode to the wilful ignorance that leads us to love, and the chaos that follows.”
Tophill’s writing is candid, confessional and refreshingly light, and there’s a mischievous streak that peppers her songs and tempers her occasional intensity. “I’m processing a lot of past mistakes through my music,” she says. “While anticipating future f ups which I’m sure will be just as fun to make.”
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Clementine Valentine, the Aotearoa/New Zealand art-pop duo formerly known as Purple Pilgrims, unveil their shimmering new single 'Endless Night' out via Flying Nun Records. With the embrace of their birth names, sisters Clementine and Valentine Nixon mark a significant turning point as they delve into a refined and sophisticated new sound.
'Endless Night' captures the essence of a heroic romance, offering a blend of wide-eyed fantasy and tongue-in-cheek realism. The song comes alive through its intricate layers of instrumentation, entwined vocals, and soaring chorus, expertly produced by New York City's Randall Dunn (Oneohtrix Point Never, Danny Elfman, Jim Jarmusch) and featuring the legendary drummer Matt Chamberlain (David Bowie, Lana Del Rey, Fiona Apple). Mastered by the skilled hands of Heba Kadry (Björk, Beach House, Slowdive), the track shines with its transcendent soundscapes.
The accompanying visualiser, crafted by Motion Graphics Artist Silas McClintock from FUTURA Studio, showcases the painting 'Clementine & Valentine' by acclaimed Aotearoa artist Liz Maw. Merging religious iconography with contemporary themes, Maw's oil-on-board artworks draw inspiration from European old masters while incorporating celebrities and modern figures. Her imaginative depictions often center around women and delve into the concept of the femme fatale.
Reflecting on 'Endless Night', Clementine Valentine shares, “All songs are moments in time trapped in amber, this one feels particularly so. A relic of a past joy, crystallised behind dusty glass. Part self-fulfilling prophecy, part heartfelt sarcasm ”.
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Originally from the UK, singer-songwriter Toria Richings has landed with both her feet firmly planted in all things Americana. With a style of her own Toria’s music has often been described as songs that feed your soul. Toria is a great storyteller and has a huge imagination when it comes to penning songs, she writes with a depth of emotion that will leave your heart feeling every word she sings.
Her latest single release, ‘Fire’, showcases a fusion of Celtic-inspired melodies and poignant lyrics that explore the intricate layers of love. Toria's ballad captures the essence of two people's intense feelings for each other, while one person struggles to fully grasp the depth of the other's love.
In her own words about the track, Toria shared, “Fire is a love song, it is a ballad steeped full of all the emotions you can feel when you find someone you never want to lose. I am really proud of this song. I put so much into creating the right feels, working closely with my producer to make sure we got the right sounds that I had imagined for it from the beginning.”
The song is a testament to the enduring power of belief in love and the willingness to invest in one more night with the person who holds the key to one's heart. Adorned with a sublime lead guitar and pedal steel, ‘Fire’ is a heartfelt masterpiece that will stir your soul.
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