TRASH LOVE
Cruel Hearts Club are the unapologetically shout it out loud female trio who are changing perceptions and proving to the world that you can have it all; that you can be a mother, partner, role model and a kick ass rock chick all rolled into one and that you can give each role your all and succeed on all fronts!
They deliver a fiery cocktail of grunge with punk rock attitude, with double-shots of romance and decadence! Cruel Hearts Club’s early singles ‘Hey Compadre’ ‘Suck It Up’ and ‘Blame Me Too’ have earned them much critical acclaim plus some petty major radio airplay from the likes of Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio X. The next step in their bid for world domination comes as they unleashed their debut EP ‘Trash Love’ yesterday (20th August).
Trash Love is a four track EP consisting of lead single ‘Sink This Low’ (which is released alongside a pretty awesome video see below) plus previous release ‘Dirty Rotten Scum’ along side new releases ‘Animal’ and ‘Where’s The Summer Gone’
If you’re new to the Club then ‘Sink This Low’ is perhaps the perfect introduction for you. It’s an instantly commanding track demanding your attention with its vitriolic Distillers-meets-Bikini Kill attack, ‘Sink This Low’ boasts a barbed bubblegum pop hook from sisters Edie (vocals, guitar) and Gita Langley (vocals, guitar, bass, synths), with a T-Rex stomp and a bluesy undercurrent.
As with the rest of the ‘Trash Love’ EP, this track was recorded during hasty and hedonistic sessions at The Albion Rooms, Margate with Carl Barât on production duties.
Front woman Edie says of the track;
“It’s about people fucking you over, but now the tables have turned,” We’ve been playing it live for ages, but it took on a new energy when we re-recorded it at The Albion Rooms.”
The rest of the ‘Trash Love’ EP keeps the intensity at fever pitch. ‘Animal’ is every bit as feral as its title suggests, but with taut disco beats from drummer Gabi Woo and sweeping cinematic strings infusing its grit with glam. There’s a more reflective tone to the power-pop stylings of ‘Dirty Rotten Scum’ the tale of two star crossed lovers who take on the world. A song that Edie describes as feeling “very close to our lives, with a little glitter on top.” They cap off the EP with the emotionally charged, single-take performance of ‘Where Has The Summer Gone?’ – which is an ode to a troubled friend who is no longer with them.
The EP’s livewire energy reflects the band’s passion for raw, intense and uninhibited music that’s entirely authentic to who they are. But it’s also the product of circumstance. With seven children between the three band members, Cruel Hearts Club schedule their band activity around the needs of their families, making them work faster and more intensely than their contemporaries.
It proves that motherhood doesn’t have to be the end of ambition, especially in the context of music. “I know of women in bands that are mothers, but they’re usually the ones that were famous before having a baby,” explains Edie. “I feel proud that I’m able to talk about my kids. It doesn’t mean that you’re too old, or that you’ve missed your chance. It’s important that we’re all allowed to express ourselves musically.”
The elder of the two sisters, Gita grew up on a commune in Norfolk but the family had relocated to a more conventional life in Derbyshire by the time Edie was born – or as conventional as a ten-person family supported by an ocarina craftsman can be expected to be. They both first explored music through classical training, with Gita particularly excelling when she went on to study violin at the Royal Academy of Music. Edie also plays the cello.
In the years that followed, whether individually or together, the sisters collaborated with the likes of Lou Reed, Muse and The Streets. But the appeal of firing up the amps and channelling their talents into something more visceral was irresistible, leading them to form Cruel Hearts Club with Gabi Woo in 2019. They’ve already supported Sting, who is now a long-term supporter, as well as Iggy Pop and The Libertines. Their next aim is to embark upon an extended headline tour of their own.
Cruel Hearts Club are set to support Sting next April during his six-night residency at the London Palladium and will also play a huge show as openers at Heritage Live at Kenwood House, on a bill which is headlined by James and that also features Feeder, Maximo Park, The Snuts, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. and The Sherlocks. It was set to take place this weekend, but unfortunately had to be postponed due to bad weather.
Cruel Hearts Club are a no-nonsense trio of proper bad ass gals who are setting the bar for working mothers everywhere, proving that girls truly do rule the world x
FOLLOW CRUEL HEARTS CLUB
Words by SALLY NEWMAN
The songbird 