Irish quintet M(h)aol are digitally releasing their debut EP Gender Studies this Friday, and following on from the exceptional title track they’ve given us another dose of what’s to come. On the new song, “No One Ever Talks To Us”, vocalist Róisín Nic Ghearailt says:
“’No One Ever Talks To Us’ is an amalgamation of our own personal experiences of being in a predominantly female band in a predominantly male genre, but also a synthesis of the autobiographical experiences of Carrie Brownstein, Kim Gordon, Kathleen Hanna etc, and how so often your value in this industry is based on whether the (men) around you find you attractive. I wanted the vocals to sound in parts like I was bored, which is true. We’ve been having this conversation for decades. It’s time to move it on.”
A song that turns a searingly unimpressed gaze into a sonic phenomenon, “No One Ever Talks To Us” is a crackling livewire of provocation. The song’s grinding guitars echo the machinations of their minds as they take up space in their scene, staring down any who might think otherwise and daring them to speak their heinous thoughts aloud. As “No One Ever Talks To Us” progresses, M(h)aol’s wiry industrial sound churns more viciously, ready to chew up anyone who would even dare make any kind of sexually-motivated approach. You step up with pure intentions or you back the fuck away.
The video for “No One Ever Talks To Us” takes inspiration from modern horrors like Jennifer’s Body and The Witch and adds a new dimension of fearsomeness to the song. Watch it below or find the track on streaming platforms.
M(h)aol’s Gender Studies EP comes out this Friday, October 29 (digitally), and January 12 (physically) through TULLE (pre-order). You can find the band on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
