Where will you be this Saturday, 6th May – diligently swearing your allegiance to the new king at the coronation ceremony like a good little peasant? Alternatively, you could join the #NotMyKing protests happening in central London and other towns and cities across the UK, or spend the entire day downloading/streaming The Krown Jewelz‘ “Scrap The Monarchy” track like your own sanity depends upon it. After which, the smart cats in London will be rockin’ out with Joyzine rock royalty, Ghost Car, who headline The Grace in Highbury this Saturday (tickets available from Dice here). This is set to be the band’s last UK show for a while as they focus on birthing their follow-up to last year’s dazzling debut album, Truly Trash. If their long-player passed you by, then do check out our smashing review here, before racing to your local record emporium and procuring your very own copy.
However, I digress… It can feel like a bit of a tired tradition (much like the monarchy) for bands to have their music re-worked by every DJ Tom, Dick or Harry, but a quality remix still has the power to open doors to new audiences, and to break down, elevate and turn those original songs inside out to reveal an amped-up behemoth and/or dance floor banger. It can be a double-edged sword, of course, but, when executed with good intent and a hand-chosen roster of remixers, it can provide a jolly interesting insight – for the listener as much as the songwriters themselves. Such is the case with Ghost Car’s upcoming Truly Trashed remix EP.
The latest track released from the EP is Du Blonde‘s remix of “Sex“. Originally a guitar shredder with peppy keys and raucous vocal melodies which sees guitarist Maeve attack lead vocal duties, Du Blonde has stripped the track down to reveal the song’s inner core. Musician, Du Blonde (aka artist/video producer, Beth Jeans Houghton) claws through the track’s meaty riffs and adds her own sweet, harmonious backing vocals along with a most unexpected string arrangement.
Speaking of working on the remix, Du Blonde explains, “‘Sex’ is such a banger and being let loose with the stems was like getting a free pass to an auditory fun fair.” Meanwhile, Ghost Car exclaim, “We were blown away but unsurprised with how epic this remix is. We loved how it kept the sort of Undertones vibe in the chorus but with the iconic Du Blonde stamp. Maeve wants to incorporate the harmonies in the verse when we play it live and the breakdown/ending with Beth’s vocals and the strings… I mean, come on!”
The EP aims to raise awareness and funds for the charity Mermaids, which provides specialist help and support to gender-diverse children, young people and their families. Speaking of the organisation, Ghost Car say, “Mermaids is a charity we have been passionate about for years, considering ourselves trans allies and hoping to do as much as we can to advocate for this very special and important charity, that is so vital in the UK for young people right now more than ever”. Du Blonde, who identifies as non-binary and transgender, took to Instagram to promote the remix, stating, “At a time when governments all over the world are trying their hardest to take away the rights of transgender people, passing anti-trans laws and removing access to life-saving, gender-affirming health care for both adults and children, support for charities like Mermaids is needed more than ever.”
The Truly Trashed remix EP is released on 14th July and also features Shamir‘s somewhat hip hop-flavoured “Basta“, in addition to remixes from Dream Wife, Delilah Holliday, Qlowski and The Dead Zoo, which will be unveiled over the coming months.
Ghost Car’s ‘Truly Trashed’ remix EP is released on 14th July via One Little Independent and all proceeds will be donated to UK charity, Mermaids.
The band will be playing the following shows on…
6th May: London, UK – The Grace (tickets)
7th June: Paris, FR – Supersonic (tickets)
8th June: Toulouse, FR – Le Ravelin
9th June: Bellocq, FR – Very Good Trip Festival
Discover more of Ghost Car’s music and follow them on their socials: Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp / Spotify.
Check out Du Blonde on their socials and media channels: Instagram / Facebook / Bandcamp / Spotify.
You can find out more about the vital work that Mermaids do on their website: www.mermaidsuk.org.uk
Article by Mandy Bang @mandybang
Cover artwork by Shrey Kathuria
Ghost Car photo by Patrick Smith
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