New Music: Ayka – Hey Punk!

Turkish-Norwegian Ayka (Ayça Lingaas) was born in Liverpool. Her mother was studying at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts at the time, and her father was also a musician. It shouldn’t be a surprise then that Hey Punk! shows Ayka has a knack for creating winning, winsome indie-pop.

Eleven by Ayka

The song features on Ayka’s five-track Eleven EP and is two-and-a-half minutes of bubblegum indie fun. There’s a pastoral quality to the song (the EP was workshopped on a farm outside Oslo), but also an engaging mix of edginess and introversion within the glam/shoegaze feel of the arrangement.

The vocals are like uncertain sunshine, warm with a hint of cloud, giving the lyrics a ‘lived’ and relatable quality. There’s a lot of wit and insight on display here too, as the lyrics recount a party experience where shyness and desire meet head-on.

You can stream Hey Punk! and the Eleven EP, which is out now via Luft Recordings, on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music. Ayka’s Facebook and Instagram socials are the places to go for more listening options.