ApoCALIPSTICK BLUES (2020) PRESS + REVIEWS

> Interview in UK National Newspaper THE MORNING STAR (OCTOBER 2020) 
> ‘Rishi Sunak should retrain as a human being’ (Real Democracy Movement, OCTOBER 2020)
>  ‘Tickling Tory Chums’ Guest on Episode 3, Queers to the Front Podcast (SEPT 2020)

“So there’s a lot of rage and defiance characterising Efa Supertramp’s new solo album ‘Apocalipstick Blues’ but also moments of great beauty and tenderness… It’s a really really wonderful album.” – ADAM WALTON, BBC INTRODUCING

 

“Effortlessly swaying from defiant outrage to heartbreakingly tender moments of considered existential philosophy. This is a record that shows a lot of growth in this artist and it needs your attention.” – Freedom News

 

“For all the punks, the squatters and the queers – the delightfully titled ‘Apocalipstick Blues’ from Efa Supertramp is the perfect handbook to the real world. It’s full of warmth, sadness, hope, anger and humility… The folk-punk riot grrrl from Pwllheli is true to her word, has stuck to her guns and draws them to shoot the ruling elite right between the eyes.” – Neil Crud, Link2Wales

“Passion oozes through every track on the album… What we have here is a call to arms for those who have the energy to join her on the barricades, and a kick up the arse for those feeling cynical and burnt out.” –  Peppermint Iguana

“That’s brilliant! With the ferocity and imagination Frank Turner would swap his spleen for – that’s Efa Supertramp…” – ADAM WALTON, BBC RADIO WALES

“Efa sings well with great clarity, soul and passion throughout her songs and it’s a mix that can’t fail to leave you impressed and asking yourself if you’re doing enough to do your bit in the world? … Efa sings well with great clarity, soul and passion throughout her songs and it’s a mix that can’t fail to leave you impressed and asking yourself if you’re doing enough to do your bit in the world?” – Dylan Strain, Real Democracy Movement

LIVE REVIEWS

“Her lyrics come from fighting for what she believes in, making a difference, kicking against the pricks. Being a strong voice in a corporate world of greed, a world of celebrity need, of advertising revenue, where people are a disposable commodity rather than human beings. Powerful enough to make you clench your fists and sweet enough to bring a tear to your eye… I wholly recommend you get hold of her bilingual album ‘Rhyddid Yw Y Freuddwyd’” – Neil Crud, Link 2 Wales

 

“Efa sings in Welsh and english with passion, power and an incisive sussed-outness that really hits you live.  The voice is naturally strong, beautiful, and honest. If you are not affected by seeing her live you are broken.  A force to be reckoned with.  Very talented, honest political songwriting.” – Mwstard (mwstard.com)


 

“Although technically third on the bill, given how unknown the two headliners are and the fact that Cardiff was Efa’s home for many years, we suspect that the name Efa Supertramp on the poster is what brought many of the crowd in.
Efa Supertramp is a one person phenomenon. Zine writer, organiser of squatted art galleries, impresario of Aifach Records, half of the band Killdren and singer song writer that is constantly touring progressive spaces and venues throughout Europe. And that is without the political campaigning and activism. It is the singer songwriter hat that Efa is wearing tonight (obviously – whilst zines are fun to read no one wants to see someone on stage writing one).The constant touring has had two impacts on tonight’s performance. The first is the old adage, practice makes perfect. The Efa we see in front of us now is a far more accomplished and polished Efa than the one that first appeared on the Cardiff activist/DIY music scene ten years ago. The second thing is the voice. Apparently loss of voice was a problem on a recent tour, inspiring a zine about losing your voice and how to find it again. But tonight there is no evidence of any vocal problems, it is as sweet as ever, although less shouty than usual on times. We get songs about freedom fighters, kicking against the system and solidarity. Mostly in English but we do get some welsh language stuff thrown in. – Peppermint Iguana

“Among the new breed, there are plenty of young, strong, loud women performers emerging this year. Efa Supertramp is a bilingual Welsh singer-songwriter with a great new album Rhyddid Yw Y Freuddwyd.” – Attila The Stockbroker,  Morning Star

 

“Her songs were an odd blend of Joni Mitchell-esque folk and a raw punk sound akin to more modern artists such as Louise Distras, Against Me!’s Tom Gabel / Laura Jane Grace, in the early days of the band, to name a couple. But it worked, and the transition between intricate melody and full-blown aggression was pretty damn seamless.”  – Louder Than War (louderthanwar.com)

“Efa Supertramp with her stripped-down, acoustic cries for freedom is just perfect. ‘They call this a fight’ is an exquisite celebration of everything we hold dear, the feelings, emotions and passion that go hand in hand with the politics. She invites us to check out tomorrow’s Sunday Times. Slightly nervous yet deeply chuffed that Rupert Murdoch’s “flagship newspaper” will be demonizing her other project Killdren in a truly desperate attempt at slagging off the Glastonbury festival. “The real blank generation’ is a screaming tirade against consumerism. ‘All my friends are freedom fighters’ is dedicated to Anna Campbell, a real freedom fighter from our ranks, who fought injustice wherever she found it and was murdered along with many of her adopted Kurdish sisters by a western-backed dictatorship. Massive lump in my throat for that one.” – Review of Glastonwick Festival,  Final Hours

“Efa Supertramp is a Welsh folk punk singer songwriter with a kick ass raspy voice and songs full of piss and vinegar. I have been following Efa for a few years now, after discovering her via the joys of punk zines, and I have been waiting for this album with very high expectations. Needless to say I was not disappointed. Even though half of the songs are in Welsh and I have no idea what they are about, that just tells you how highly I rate this album! There is 1000% more passion and honesty in these songs than in any of the commercial trite money grabbing bullshit that pollutes our televisions and radios these days, and I can’t wait to hear what Efa does next.
Favourite songs: Do Anything For Money, All My Friends Are Freedom Fighters, Candle Light” – 10 Awesome Albums of 2015, Pursuit of Expression.

“Next up the revelatory Efa Supertramp from Wales delivers acoustic punk-rock songs in English and Cymraeg full of passionate rage, detailing lived experience and heartfelt dreams of a better world. Stressing the need for solidarity, especially with the junior doctors, she launches into the glorious They Call This a Fight from her superb Rhyddid yw y Freuddwyd (Freedom is the Dream) album. Do Anything For Money follows, with its emotionally charged: “I cannot understand why you do anything for money and you cannot understand why I do anything to be free.” Jack Shit is a tale of the treatment a refugee and prisoner unfairly imprisoned and the superb All My Friends Are Freedom Fighters is about police infiltrators of protest groups. Her songs are not the standard three-chord thrash but have lovely tempo and tone and when she sings Golau Glas in Welsh the emotion in her voice wins through any language barrier. Stunning.“ –  Bob Oram, The Morning Star

“The evening is started by Efa Supertramp, an excellent one-woman band; undaunted by the fact that it’s just her and guitar, Efa kicks off in fine form, songs like Do Anything For Money and I Could Be Free, as well as some Welsh-language numbers, are excellent. It’s impressive how one person on stage with a guitar can convey punk attitude so intensely and keep a waiting crowd happy.” – Buzz Mag (buzzmag.co.uk)

“There’s no doubt that her songs are genuine reflections of her life experiences and dreams of a better world based on mutual aid, solidarity and freedom. From the simple teenage angst lyrics of her oldest songs like “I Could Be Free”, “Do Anything For Money”, “Waiting For The Sun To Rise” and “Smash Your TV” to the more mature and political songs such as “They Call This a Fight”, “Jack Shit” (written about people in the detention centers and prisons) and “All My Friends Are Freedom Fighters”; or from the brighter and positive songs like “Forgetting The Time” and “Candlelight” to the songs in Cymraeg, which are my favorite on the record, Efa Supertramp’s record is diverse and totally worth a listen.” – DIY Conspiracy (diyconspiracy.net

 

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