Brighton alt-rockers Shallow Honey return with a jagged-edged roar in the shape of new single ‘WHAT YOU MADE ME DO’, out today. A simmering, slow-burn grunge-pop tune with a satisfyingly snarly payoff, it’s a solid step forward for the band — and a sure-fire highlight of their upcoming LOUD WOMEN set supporting Twat Union at The Prince Albert, Brighton on 22 June.
Produced by Steven Ansell (Blood Red Shoes), this track sits somewhere between sulky and seething. Rai’s vocals veer from calm explanation to boiling point — a performance that mirrors the lyrics perfectly. “Like holding a beach ball under water – you can only push it down for so long,” she says of the track, and you can hear the moment that emotional buoyancy gives up the fight and smacks you in the face.
Musically it’s all scuzzy bass, controlled noise, and layered tension — not flashy, but it knows what it’s doing. The band sound tight and considered, not just kicking off for the sake of it. This is the sound of a band who’ve clocked some miles and are sharpening their tools.
Backed with two older but previously unreleased B-sides (‘Aim Low’ and ‘Start the Ride’), the single plays like a well-aimed middle finger at being underestimated, ignored or pigeonholed — something any woman in a band has likely experienced more than once.
You can catch Shallow Honey live with LOUD WOMEN supporting Twat Union on 22 June at the Prince Albert in Brighton. Bring earplugs and your unresolved feelings.