Hen Hoose Collective tease new album with ‘Sirens Call My Name’
Written by MALKA, Emma Pollock, Carla J Easton and Inge Thomson, ‘Sirens Call My Name’ discusses the joy of finding home through connection
Hen Hoose Collective, the female and non-binary-led project spearheaded by musician Tamara Schlesinger, have released brand new single ‘Sirens Call My Name’ in anticipation of upcoming album The Twelve, set for release on Friday 23 January.
Recorded during an intensive week-long writing and recording retreat at Black Bay Studios on the Isle Of Lewis, the album brings together the talents of 12 women and non-binary artists aged 30 to 60 ‘to live, work and create collectively’. On the retreat, Susan Bear, MALKA (the pseudonym of Schlesinger), Inge Thomson, SHEARS, Carla J Easton, Frances McKee, AMUNDA, Djana Gabrielle, Emma Pollock, Jill Lorean, Cariss Crosbie and Ray Aggs explored themes of empowerment, sisterhood, belonging and release in genres as diverse as punk-disco, riot grrrl rock, and alt-pop.
The album will be brought to life in a special launch show as part of Celtic Connections Festival at Tramway, Glasgow, on Friday 30 January, featuring many of the the Hen Hoose Collective's contributors.
‘Sirens Call My Name’, which hit streaming platforms this week, is a lithe mixture of electric and live instrumentation, and was written by MALKA, Emma Pollock, Carla J Easton and Inge Thomson. It’s an ode to finding home through connection, and is described by Easton as ‘cinematic’ and ‘disco-infused’. Listen to the song below.
Schlesinger said: ‘This was the first time members of the Collective came together in one space to write and collaborate as one. The experience was one of the highlights of my career - watching the incredible work as it took shape and seeing the bonds that formed during that time was something really special. It’s so rare to have an entire week dedicated solely to writing and recording music with no distractions. The process was fast-paced and intense, but the creative energy and the music that came out of it was so inspiring.’
In 2024, Schlesinger hit the number four spot in our annual Hot 100 list for Hen Hoose’s contribution to Scottish music. We wrote: Whether you watched Since Yesterday: The Untold Story Of Scotland’s Girl Bands, witnessed Elisabeth Elektra prowl the stage at Big City, delved into Siobhan Wilson’s Flowercore album series, or enjoyed the SAY Award-nominated Kathryn Williams and Withered Hand album Willson Williams, you’ll have encountered Hen Hoose’s enriching influence. Schlesinger has founded a collective that gets more creatively fertile with every passing year.’ Read the full article here.
The Twelve Tracklist:
1 ‘Wipe Out’
2 ‘Rich (Katy’s In Space)’
3 ‘Out My Mind’
4 ‘Sirens Call My Name’
5 ‘Promise’
6 ‘Game For Two’
7 ‘Ego Death’
8 ‘In Control’
9 ‘Blessings On The Day’
The Twelve will be released by Hen Hoose on Friday 23 January; tickets for the Hen Hoose Collective’s Celtic Connections show are on sale now; main picture: Siggy Stansfield.