Tag: ACMies single releases

Issue 8 – SINGLES REVIEWS: Woman on Your Screen, Emma Hampton

Posted on by Ngaire Ruth

I wrote this song after seeing a beautiful woman on TikTok in a gorgeous, seductive red dress and thinking, ‘Wow, I’ll never be her.

      As someone with OCD, this song feels like those intrusive thoughts are taking the microphone and saying, ‘You can be stable, you can be loved, but if you’re not sexy, then what’s the point?’ When I sing this song live, a lot of women relate to it on different levels – whether it’s about their relationship to their partners, or their idea of how the patriarchy sees them.’

      To me, listening to Woman on your Screen is a charming pause; it reminds me of gazing at a snow globe, every snowdrop falling at its own pace, spiralling, floating, gliding till it settles. Hampton is a chanteuse, reminiscent of 50s and 60s icons like Julie London, Helen Merril, and the wonderful Ella Fitzgerald. These are formidable artists denied their true female subjectivity because they were given songs to sing. Hampton’s songwriting is authentic to her experience, and the lo-fi self-production is a fragile thing of loveliness – I am so bored with Logic stealing the show and making everyone sound the same. 

      ‘I produced this song by myself, using my phone’s microphone and a very helpful video on how to mix poor-quality recordings,’ she explains to me.  ‘It turned out amazing, and I learned a lot about how to make the most of what I’ve got!’

(NR) 

What do you think? Do you want a review? Contact buzz@acm.ac.uk

Woman On Your Screen

Issue 8 – SINGLES REVIEWS: Erase Me, Replace Me, Samira Manners

Posted on by Ngaire Ruth

Words: Nicole Porter

The third single from Samira’s EP ‘the house we built’ sheds light on the grief and hurt that comes with a relationship ending.

Set over acoustic folk guitar and earthy drums, Samira’s ‘erase me, replace me!’ holds its anger at a past lover while equally reeling in the confidence of knowing that person will always remember you and, subsequently, how they treated you in the sarcasm of its lyrics: “I will always haunt these walls”.

The chorus, layered in beautiful harmonies, captures the self-trust and resilience that anchor someone through hard times. The song moves seamlessly into the second verse, which complements the emotions discussed in the chorus. However, the verse is more playful and cheeky while also being highly exposing and personal: “never good enough, well it should be my middle name,” showing the scars left behind, even though the relationship no longer exists. 

For me, the highlight of this song comes in the pre-chorus; Samira’s emotional delivery highlights the inner turmoil between what you know is true and what someone is telling you as Samira sings “Pull the rug on our love, make it my mistake, but how am I to blame?” Her voice begins to boil over, and the final chorus serves as catharsis for the journey she was thrust into. 

If ‘erase me, replace me’ is an indicator of what’s to come, Samira’s next EP will be a triumph of beautifully emotive storytelling. 

Erase Me, Replace Me

Send us your thoughts? Are you after a single, EP or live review? Contact thebuzz@acm.ac.uk

Issue 7 – SINGLE REVIEWS: House We Built, Samira Manners

Posted on by Ngaire Ruth

Words: Ngaire Ruth

The bus driver’s playing Radio One; Samira’s song House We Built comes on next. The school girls at the back of the bus shout for him to turn it up; they’re waiting to join in with the chorus: “We lay the brick foundations down, all the beams straight from the ground, seven years in the making, never thought we wouldn’t make it…”

And the change-up for the outro chorus…? The back seat teenage singers wait excitedly for that part, catching each other’s eyes to check they’re coming in at the right moment, singing to each other.

You don’t need a crystal ball to see this future scenario; stream Samira’s single House We Built. We talk about her songwriting process and share the next single in our UP NEXT interview. 

What do you think? Contact thebuzz@acm.ac.uk

Issue 7 – SINGLE REVIEWS: Someone I’ll Never Know, Elisa Scarito

Posted on by Ngaire Ruth

Someone I’ll Never Know is a masterpiece, perfectly capturing the feeling of losing someone you never got to meet. Words: India Langley (guitarist)

Coming to the end of her first year at ACM Clapham, Elisa Scarito is already proving that throwing yourself into every opportunity and showing dedication pays off big time.

Friday, 19th June marked the release date of this upcoming artist’s second single: Someone I’ll Never Know.

The song immediately pulls at your emotions with its heartbreaking piano intro, filling you with sorrow and catharsis for anyone who’s lost someone. The lyrics begin to paint a picture of a moment where Elisa is with her grandma, who is sharing stories about her grandpa, whom she never met. Her lyrics are beautifully crafted, really capturing the experience of losing a loved one before you ever knew them. As a listener whose grandfather also passed away before they were born, this song really captures what this absence of someone you should have met feels like. The difficult grief you feel as you realise you’ll never be able to meet them, and can only experience their personality through stories.

As the music moves into the chorus, you can truly feel the singer’s heartbreak, as she comes to terms with the situation. 

As the second verse comes in, the story continues into the days after her conversation in verse one, and as this happens… the music thickens. This complements the lyrics perfectly by highlighting the emotional processing that happens when time passes. Where initially you feel the shock and despair of the loss, as you begin to process this, your emotions begin to complicate things too. The instrumental perfectly captures this.

If you thought the earlier parts of the song were emotional and powerful, the second half will blow you away. As it comes in, it builds, and the tension builds in your chest before it hits the final chorus. This last chorus is flooded with a desperate and frustrated longing for her grandfather that can no longer be suppressed.

Elisa perfectly encompasses this niche experience with her strong vocal delivery and musical composition. Every layer has clearly been carefully thought out to build a beautifully tragic picture of her experience. If this were a portrait instead of a song, many would mistake it for a photograph. If you’re feeling a similar sense of loss, this song is just what you need to release your emotions and feel your feelings. I’m sure that her grandpa would be extremely proud of how incredibly talented she is.

India Langley is studying guitar at ACM Clapham, London. She is in charge of the band and artist billings for the ACM Metropolis Blue record label. Contact her via thebuzz@acm.ac.uk