#half gringa

Half Gringa

Petal

BY JORDAN MAINZER

A couple Tomorrow Never Knows gems and an annual treasure.

Petal & Bernice, Schubas

Petal’s Magic Gone was one of our favorite albums of last year; contributor Lauren Lederman wrote that it “documents a moment for Kiley Lotz...where coming to terms with her own queerness and mental health comes to a head.” Expect to hear lots of the latest record tonight at Schubas.

Toronto whimsical indie pop band Bernice will play songs from last year’s inventive Puff: In the Air Without a Shape. The band, led by singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Robin Dann, takes equal influence from soundscapes and  R&B and quiet storm to make for a wonderfully percussive and soulful take on a genre that too often suffers from preciousness sans feeling.

Seattle grunge pop band Great Grandpa and Sir Babygirl (the queer pop project of Brooklyn-via-New Hampshire artist Kelsie Hogue) open.

Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, Lincoln Hall

When we interviewed Sarah Shook last year after seeing her perform a stripped down acoustic set at Bloodshot Records, she said that her band “amplifies all the emotions and really draws out the spirit of the thing.” So it sounds like seeing her with the proper Disarmers is the way to go. Shook also mentioned to us that she has plenty of new songs (she played a new one at Bloodshot), though it remains to be seen whether she’ll perform any of them in her headlining slot tonight. The band is likely to play one or both of the two new songs they released towards the end of last year, the quintessentially high and lonesome “The Way She Looked At You” and the honky tonk “Devil May Care”.

Mount Moriah frontwoman H.C. McEntire and Half Gringa, the moniker of songwriter Izzy Olive, open.

Tedeschi Trucks Band, Chicago Theatre

On today's episode, I talk to musician Isabel Olive AKA Half Gringa. Originally from Carbondale, Illinois, Isabel has been playing as Half Gringa - a nod to a childhood term of endearment as “la Gringa” in her Venezuelan family and her bicultural experience growing up in the United States - since the late 20-teens. Her first album Gruñona was released in 2017 and her second Force to Reckon in 2020. Earlier this year, she released the Ancestral Home EP, and this summer she'll be on tour supporting Iron & Wine!

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Half Gringa - Ancestral Home

Ancestral Home is a really nice indie rock ep by solo act Half Gringa. the play blends folk and rock incredibly well, and her vocals are really nice! the tracklist does a phenomenal job of showcasing Half Gringa's creativity and versatility as an artist, and it's frankly just a really nice listening experience! my favourite tracks are:

Sevenwater

leaning heavily into the folk sensibilities of the album, Sevenwater is, quite simply, beautiful. there's a distinct mood to this album as a whole, but i think it's set best on this track. the song itself is about fearing the end of things, trying to escape it or stop the wheels turning to delay what may be inevitable. it's a sobering song in its own way, but incredibly poetic in how it deals with a common fear. definitely one of the more impactful songs on the play, for me!

No Kind of Fire

the final track on the play, No Kind of Fire is one that really ties together some of the ideas that permeate throughout this album. there's this focus on one's blood, and what we inherit from our ancestors - intuitions, understandings, and traumas - which really comes to a head in this song, which says in no uncertain terms that these things are an inalienable part of the fabric of our lives. again, a very moving idea, and one that showcases Half Gringa's ingenuity phenomenally.

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Here we will be sharing the best live session videos we’ve discovered on YouTube in the last few days. We hope you find your new favourite band/artist! 

Half Gringa performing ‘1990′ live at Paste Studios in Chicago.

Just Stef performing an acoustic version of ‘Miss U Miss Me’ live.

WARGASM performing live in the K! Pit at Blondies, London.

Ray BLK performing ‘Mine’ for Vevo’s ROUNDS series.

Here we will be sharing the best live session videos we’ve discovered on YouTube in the last few days. We hope you find your new favourite band/artist! 

Half Gringa performing ‘1990′ live for Audiotree.

Sir Woman performing ‘Making Love’ live for OurVinyl sessions.

Priscilla Block performing ‘Thick Thighs’ live for SiriusXM.

Demae performing ‘Use It’ live in the Colors studio.