FEATURE: Spotlight: IDER — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Ade Udoma & Michelle Janssen

IDER

_________

THERE are so many great rising acts out there…

PHOTO CREDIT: IDER

that it can be hard deciding which we need to look out for. Of course, ALL great artists need to be augmented and heard but, in the modern landscape, that is simply not possible. How, then, does one determine which acts are worth some serious ear-time?! I think there needs to be that emotional connection; music that is impactful and accessible but has something original working away. Also, I look for artists that have that potential to last: there are so many bands and artists that sound bereft of inspiration and you wonder just how long they will remain. If you are looking for a great new fix then I have to recommend the terrific sounds of IDER. Their latest video, for Wu Baby, shows you what they are all about. There is a kick-ass attitude and physicality with voices that can switch between the controlled to the electrifying. The duo of Megan Markwick and Elizabeth Somerville have been around for a while and, actually, have an album due on Friday – I shall come to Emotional Education very soon. Back in September last year, The Guardian spotlighted IDER and recommended them for further investigation:

“If you’re not a lyrics person, tracks such as Does She Even Know bring enough beautiful, indelible melodies, power synths and ghostly, funky fingerclicks to decorate all the damage and eviscerated hearts. You’ll hear everything from Haim to Frank Ocean and Portishead in Ider’s anxiety dream pop and heartbreak ballads. Their latest track, Mirror, broods over identity, imposed or chosen, but with a steroidal kick fattening their spare sound to radio strength.

The danger is that Ider will become just another three easily digestible minutes, with all the good bones of their underground work blanched in the corporate sunlight. There are plenty of inspirational moments among the introspection, though, enough to suggest that Somerville and Markwick can discover and retain what’s special about themselves”.

The duo have grown since then and have been thrilling audiences up and down the country. I think they are a duo that has immense promise and they have received incredible reviews for their shows. Like all the great duos (‘IDER’ is the mysterious ‘third member’), Sommerville and Markwick produce so much sound and emotion. They do not need endless instruments and force to ensure their music resonates; the sheer connection between the duo summons so much reaction and energy. Their songs are instantly effecting and remain in the head for ages! There is something sister-like between IDER and that translates in their music. Before moving on, I want to bring in an interview they gave with NME earlier in the year that highlights how their sound/lyrics come together and how important their bond is:

“How did you build this particular sound?

Megan: Well we don’t really confine ourselves to one particular genre. We listen to a broad range of different artists and lots of different music, and in terms of our sound and our songwriting, we’re influenced by a lot of different styles. So electronic pop would definitely be there, but so would R&B, dark pop and dark moody elements.

A lot of the lyrics have a strong ‘realness’ to them, and dark imagery. Do you devise those together?

Lily: It varies really, because we’re constantly writing and getting stuff down together because we live together, so in that sense it’s quite natural. A lot of the time it’s so collaborative that ideas and lyrics will be going round and round and you’ll forget who wrote them.

Megan: We’re always like, “did that happen to me or you?”

How important is your personal chemistry when you’re writing and performing?

Lily: I think that chemistry is everything. I would say it’s the most important thing. It’s at the centre and the heart of what we do. The strength of that is what creates everything that we create. When that is at its strongest is when we create the best stuff and perform the best”.

It does seem like, with their album imminent, there will be big demand for IDER around the world. Most of their gigs so far have been in the U.K. but they have performed further afield. Not only is there that alchemy in the recorded music but, on the stage, you really get a sense of oneness that defines all great live acts. It is probably worth mentioning their new album but, on that point of live performances, I want to bring one last interview to the table. When speaking with Bitter Sweet Symphonies earlier in the year, IDER discussed touring in more detail:

“To wrap things up and to bring it back to the live shows… already this year you’ve travelled a lot and played some of your first IDER shows in the Philippines and more shows in the US, additionally you started this tour in Falmouth (a town of significant meaning for IDER). What’s your outlook on performance now?

Meg: “We love touring, don’t we?”

Lily: “Yeah. I would say songs for us—and probably a lot of artists—find a real… you really settle into a song when you tour it, and that’s true for all the music that we play live. I think you find a real home for it in a weird way.”

Meg: “Yeah, and just to add to that, seeing how people react to different songs. You know, like, there’s certain songs that do so well for us—other artists I would imagine also agreeing—live, they just come to life more and I think that’s just because people are reacting to it in the room. So, songs can go on completely new adventures I think.”

Has the way you approach performance informed any other aspects of who you are as individuals and musicians?

Meg: “You get more confident. In our live shows we like to connect with people, and we like to engage, and we like to meet people, we don’t get exhausted really by meeting people and talking to people. Like, we are quite extroverted in that way.”

Lily: “And we really enjoy that because it makes it feel so much more connected, it makes more sense of everything for us.”

Meg: “Yeah I think it’s definitely helping us grow as artists outside of the show. So, afterwards when we’re meeting people whether it’s just selling merchandise or whether it’s in an interview it helps to kind of bring people into our world a bit more—because we’re best friends and IDER is all about our friendship… I don’t know, I feel that’s what we bring, we become friends… not to sound too cheesy but we—“

Lily: “We let people in to that.”

Meg: “So I think that’s what we have been learning as we tour”.

The world is full of vacuous Pop and I do think that there is this revival and growth of sub-genres that is revitalising the scene and providing a great alternative. I am going to be reviewing IDER at the weekend because I think their music is full of life and highlights. They are quite digestible and never too forceful but there is plenty of colour and emotion bubbling and bursting.

PHOTO CREDIT: Rory James

I will conclude shortly and underline why you need to see IDER and listen to their music but, with Emotional Education out on Friday, some reviews have already come through. The Line of Best Fit have been especially positive in their review:

“Emotional Education showcases the growth IDER have made in just three short years. Returning even just to the sparse, confrontational sounds of 2017 EP Gut Me Like An Animal, the richness of this debut full-length is thrown into brilliant contrast. Live instrumentation plays no small part in this progression, making particular impact on standout cut “Busy Being A Rockstar”. The track – a heartbreakingly frank ode to an often-absent father – features a live brass section to great effect, whilst pointing towards a future of larger-scale performances that seems to beckon the pair.

Coherent despite a refusal to adhere to genre-based constraints, Emotional Education is heartbreaking yet hopeful, relatable yet precise. It refuses to shy away from the mental health crisis currently facing Markwick and Somerville’s generation, yet leans unashamedly into no-strings-attached nostalgia on closing track “Slide”. As complex and multi-faceted as any woman in her early twenties, IDER’s debut LP is an album made for people like those who wrote it, and is all the stronger for it”.

This year has been synonymous with fantastic female artists and I think the likes of IDER are underlining that. In another review, the writer emphasises the qualities of this remarkable duo:

“Electro, melodic and unlike anything I’ve ever heard, this record from IDER is full of raw synth-focused anthems. The London duo rock harmonies with none of the twee connotations you’d perhaps expect. Instead, themes of mental health, absent fathers and 20-something anxieties are all covered with a backdrop of dance beats and radio friendly choruses.

Easy listening but with a deeper meaning, Emotional Education displays unique voices that blend together deliciously make IDER stand out in a world of empty pop. The lyrics are bold, with clear direction taken from Lana Del Rey’s melancholic genre; it’s an essential grown-up ‘girl power’ record for millennials. Add exemplary track Wu Baby to your summer playlist”.

Between their incredible live shows, the close harmony of Megan Markwick and Elizabeth Somerville and the wonderful music they produce, I do feel like IDER have a very long future ahead of them. Make sure you download or buy Emotional Education and, if you can, see them perform (check their social media channels for more details). When the album is released, there will be demands from abroad and I think IDER’s music translates really well. This year has been a competitive one for music but I feel like IDER stand out and they are primed for a very golden future. Check them out and show them some love on social media. As the sun is out and it is most definitely summer right now, IDER’s music adds extra spring but it offers something deeper and cool – a perfect blend of sounds and sights. If you do not know this incredible twosome then rectify this and make sure you…