Hands Off Gretel to wind up the week – recorded on the occasion of their 2nd album release party on March of 2019 and preserved for posterity in the form of a video (available for download from the band).
It’s always sad when you read about a band, who you thought had a lot going for them, up and decide the show is over. Hands Off Gretel got started in 2015 as the result of a meet up and formation by frontwoman Lauren Tate, who made it her “mission to ensure that strong young women have a voice in today’s music industry.” Tate was also credited for the band’s videos, album artwork, and designing of the band’s merchandise.
In 2016, they released their debut album Burn the Beauty Queen, which received praise from Ged Babey in Louder Than War: “a massive achievement and over-ambitious album which marks the start of a career that could well see them becoming as big as Nirvana, Marilyn Manson or Miley Cyrus over time….. given the breaks, and skillful management.”
Their performance at The Great British Alternative Festival at Butlins in Skegness was reviewed by Vive Le Rock. Reviewer Paula Frost commented on how Tate “entered with yet another iconic look, this time dressed in gold with lines drawn across her face […] She knows how to get the audience snapping away.”
A second album I Want the World was released on 29 March 2019. Vive Le Rock’s Paula Frost awarded the album 8/10, commenting “It’s not often you get a band who can emit intimidation and cuteness all at once.” Later that year, Tate released a new solo album, Songs for Sad Girls.
Tate has also performed as a solo artist, both predating and since the band’s formation and split and also performs RnB/Hip Hop under the alias Delilah Bon.
Although the YouTube performance is listed as available as a video download (we don’t run videos on this site, by the way) via their website, the website appears to be a dead link and their music is available via Amazon Music. So there’s that.
But if you’re curious like me, give this show a listen and investigate Amazon Music for what’s currently available – may take some digging, but it’s worth it.
In the meantime, dig in.
