The time has come to introduce you to the final artists for our first gig of Summer ’21… fasten your seatbelts, we’re going punk.
The Swedish translation of ‘fika’ is ‘to enjoy coffee with friends, taking time to savour the moment’. Being present in the moment and having fun with friends is taken literally by the trio from Leeds with the same name. FIKA are an immensely likeable band who love what they’re doing, and boy do they do it well.
Made up of Gracia (drums), Alanah (guitar and vocals) and Eva (bass and vocals), FIKA float between the realms of grunge, punk and indie. Their music has a dynamic energy, similar to Dublin 4-piece Pillow Queens, as well as stunning compositions not too dissimilar from Dream Wife or our fav set of local rockers, VENUS GRRRLS. Having formed in Leeds, they build on the already fertile ground for dedicated, DIY bands which aren’t afraid to band together and push boundaries.
I’m sure we don’t need reminding how difficult the past year has been for musicians, but lockdown really put the brakes on FIKA and their schedule of releasing music. Their last day of studio time fell exactly before Boris’ announcement, and only now are they releasing the music they recorded prior. BUT! Don’t get it twisted, it’s completely worth the wait.
Today, FIKA have released their debut single ‘Change’ and it’s everything we wanted and more. There’s a real punk sensibility to this one, not just in the subject matter, but right down to the mechanics with hazy vocals, charging basslines and crashing percussion. According to the band, “We wrote Change right after the last election, we were feeling let down and frustrated.” Punk and politics have had a long and complicated history, from the likes of Riot Grrl to RAR gigs within our very own city with Gang of Four, it’s a genre that lends itself to discourses of liberation and empowerment. Through ‘Change’, FIKA capture a feeling felt by many across the country and manage to spin these emotions into something a bit more hopeful: “It was our way of telling people that there is power in numbers, and that things will get better” (p.s. the ending is a belter!)
It’s been a funny old year for the trio, they’ve worked individually rather than as FIKA as a whole, but they’re raring to get stuck back in and we’re so excited to see them on the 25th. For their first gig since the pandemic began, be sure to come on down and join us as we wish them a warm welcome back!!
Take a listen for yourself:
Bloom Sessions 