Photo by Laura Prieto Martin
Having already debuted with the ‘Now We’re Getting Somewhere’ EP in 2024, Scottish artist SHEARS follows up her effervescent single ‘Bad Dream’ with ‘Arcade Machine’.
A modern day electronic music producer who writes, records and mixes from her home studio in Leith as well as independently releasing her music, both singles are from her forthcoming debut album ‘We Are But Chemicals’ due in late 2025. SHEARS takes inspiration from strong willed independent women in music such as Robyn, Grimes, Marina and Self Esteem, something that is particularly channelled in her vocals.
Often dance flavoured and ranging from the garage beats that shape ‘Bad Dream’ to the more straight fours of ‘In The Dark’ and spikier offbeat shuffles of ‘Slow Burn’, SHEARS’ songs are catchy pop statements that retain an artful quality with well-crafted sound design. Lyrically they reflect her personal experiences as a woman in a still sexist music industry. She is also part of Glasgow’s female and non-binary songwriting collective Hen Hoose, funded by Creative Scotland.
Visualised by an animated video created by Genevieve Ryan exploring the feeling of being stuck, SHEARS said of ‘Arcade Machine’: “This song is about control. Someone was giving me unsolicited advice on who could help ‘boost me’ in the music industry without knowing that having someone else control my music and actions was my worst nightmare. I could only imagine being controlled like an arcade machine.”
A slice of boisterous infectious pop, ‘Arcade Machine’ comes with drum ‘n’ bass rhythms, enticing synths and relatable existential angst.
‘Arcade Machine’ and ‘Bad Dream’ are available on the usual online platforms
https://www.instagram.com/imshears
https://www.threads.com/@imshears
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2xlYBgG5r6QTLpmF1u04nK
Text by Chi Ming Lai
1st May 2025
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