Author: Admin

Avaraj – Everything I’ve Known [Interview]

~ Admin ~ Leave a comment

Describe your sound in 3 words

Vibey, chill, thoughtful

What is your creative process like?

I started creating music because I had a difficult time understanding how I felt about situations, and writing lyrics gave me a way to dig deeper and understand my emotions, so that’s where I start usually. I write lyrics first. Sometimes I’ll listen to some moody instrumentals to get the creative juices flowing, then write something that fits the mood and reflects how I feel. After that I create music for it. I usually want the music and the lyrics to speak to what emotions the listener should feel when listening to the song. I have a tendency to listen to songs on repeat that reflect the mood I’m in, so that’s what I want to offer the listener, something they can really vibe out to and get lost in.

For which lyric you are most proud of?

Wow. That’s a tough one. Most of my lyrics speak to me very strongly at some point, but of the songs I’ve released I think the song World so Cold best reflects my tendencies. The devil on my shoulder is always whispering “life is unfair” and “people are selfish”. That song embodies those thoughts. It’s a feeling everyone has in their darkest days—feeling alone and empty, like no one cares. It’s relatable to anyone and everyone, and that’s why those are the lyrics I’m most proud of.

“World so cold heart so warm/beautiful rose covered in thorns/hurt before defense is up/everyone’s indifferent”

Favourite album of the past decade?

The music I listen to is constantly changing depending on what’s going on in my life, but right now I’ve been really enjoying Kevin Garrett’s Hoax. It’s rare for me to find an album where I don’t skip at least one song, and I never skip anything on this album.

What would be your dream performance venue?

I don’t really have a dream performance venue. I haven’t had a show yet, and I don’t know if I ever will. I get the most enjoyment out of writing lyrics and creating music, so I don’t know if the performance aspect of being an artist is something I’m interested in.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

As cliché as it sounds, chase your dreams. It’s something you hear all the time, but few people do it. I was so worried about what people would think about my music or if their opinion of me would change, and it held me back. I think the most beneficial lesson I’ve had in life is stop basing what you do on the opinion of others. It’s important to care about and understand what others think from an empathetic and self-aware aspect, but don’t let those opinions decide what you do with your time. It’s your life.

What would you say is your biggest vice?

I try not to have vices since they’re a negative behavior, but I do have a tendency to procrastinate, so I guess sloth would be most accurate.

Thank you!

Follow Avaraj
Instagram

Luch Stefano – Night Ride [Interview]

~ Admin ~ Leave a comment

Describe your sound in 3 words

British, Pop, Stories

Tell us a few things about your new song “Night Ride”. What is the main idea behind it?

Night Ride was written just after I passed my driving test, it was a great feeling to finally have that freedom. I had a lot of happy memories driving around with somebody and this song came out when I was playing around on the guitar. I think I had been listening to a lot of FINNEAS and some of those melodies were floating around. I wanted this track to be one I could drive to and just feel good.

For which lyric you are most proud of?

Probably, ‘I ain’t no genie, but I could sweep you off your feet if you just fly with me’ Aladin vibes.

Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?

FINNEAS, Ed Sheeran, Raleigh Ritchie, Eminem, Stormzy are all very random but true inspirations.

What would you change in the music industry?

Apologies, I’m not sure I understand the question. I wouldn’t change anything about the music industry!

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

The best advice I’ve been given is to put my ego aside, a lot of musicians get trapped in trying to be better than others or thinking they’re above things (which as a younger teen I admittedly did) but I’ve learned a lot in working hard and staying humble.

What is the most useless talent you have?

I went viral on TikTok for impersonating a character called Jim from the UK television series ‘Friday Night Dinner’ I hit around 6 million views and that’s probably… my most useless talent haha.

Thank you!

Follow Luch Stefano
Instagram

Medy Lema – Fresh’n’nu [Interview]

~ Admin ~ Leave a comment

Describe your sound in 3 words.

Funky, Groovy, Energetic

Tell us a few things about your new song “Fresh’n’nu”. What is the main idea behind it?

Fresh’n’nu is basically about finding that one person that makes you feel special. Could be a lover, family, friend, it doesn’t matter. We all have that one person in life that makes us hopeful in life and makes us want to do better.

What first for you into music?

Music is in my bones. I’ve been performing and entertaining crowds since age 3 so music is all I’ve known. I love how it makes me feel.

Favourite album of the year?

I’d have to give the flowers to Silk Sonic for best album of the year although I could cheat and give the award to Lil Nas X too.

What is the biggest challenge you faced as an artist so far?

My biggest challenge is honestly the same challenge every year and that’s financial strain with paying budgets out of my own pockets with everything included from videos to photo shoots to studio sessions

In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?

My music is very diverse but if I’d use one word only it’d be Feel Good

When is the last time you danced?

The last time I danced was last night in my kitchen. Hahaha. I dance every day. Even if it’s just a small move.

Thank you!

Follow Medy Lema
Instagram

Janelle Sy’mone – AllNight [Interview]

~ Admin ~ Leave a comment

Describe your sound in 3 words.

Pop. Soul. Loud

Tell us a few things about your new song ‘AllNight’. What is the story behind it?

“AllNight” was written about a crush I had back when I first started doing music. He was a musician and we did a few shows together. Of course , with business being the way that it is, we had to keep everything hush, hush. As it said in second verse, “ Keep our little secret baby….”

Which is your most personal and honest lyric?

My most personal and honest lyric actually comes from a song I wrote called “Prove It To Me”. In it I write, “who’s gonna dry these tears of mine, when I’m crying alone in my room. So I’ll guess I try and sacrifice and do something I’m not that use to.” Essentially, the song was about letting go of control and allowing yourself to fall in love.

What do you enjoy most? Writing music or performing your music live?

Performing live is the best thing in the world to me! Better than anything I can think of—when I’m on that stage, something takes over and I’m invincible— The paradox is the stage becomes the most scariest and the most safest place on earth. There’s nothing like it.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?

My biggest challenge as an indie artist is ultimately—the investment . It takes real work and real money to build your brand and to market yourself correctly. But I look at it like this…. I read once that sometimes the Universe will not move without the proof of your unyielding faith in your destiny. And what’s more unyielding than throwing every extra dollar into a dream that may or may not give you an adequate return?

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I’d tell my younger self that the results are derived from the belief. If you believe in your inadequacy, then the results still validate that belief. My younger self was way more doubtful and critical than I am now, and I would’ve love to help break her free of that negative belief system a long time ago.

When was the last time you danced?

Yesterday. I’m a daily dancer, so it’s an everyday thing for me. Moving my body just reminds me that I’m still here…I’m still alive and blessed.

Thank you!

Follow Janelle Sy’mone
Instagram

Shafto – Someone [Interview]

~ Admin ~ Leave a comment

Describe your sound in 3 words

Old School Rap

Tell us a few things about your new song “Someone”. What is the main idea behind it?

I wanted to write a motivational song to inspire people and show them that even a small change can have a massive impact. I feel if someone works hard and stays focused they can achieve their goals and I wanted this to come across in an uplifting song.

Which is your most personal and honest lyric?

“Now is your time to shine bright,
Step out of darkness into your spotlight
Make that move into your own groove,
It might start bumpy but will end up smooth”

The first line is aimed at myself. It is a reminder to keep my head down and work hard at my craft. When I first started rapping, 17 years ago, it wasn’t very accepted in my small village so I didn’t give it as much effort as I wanted to. Now, luckily, things are different so I wanted to get focused and make the move into my own groove.

Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?

RíRa. He’s a rapper from Tullamore, Co. Offaly and the Godfather of rap in Ireland. His crew, Scary Eire, were formed in the 90’s and have led the way for loads of really talented rappers in the years since.

Is Spotify the music industry’s new Gatekeepers?

Unfortunately, yes. If you want your music heard, it has to be on Spotify. Everyone knows about it but not everybody knows about the lack of support for the artist. To get any bit of money from Spotify you would need massive listenership that only huge established artists would get.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

It’s definitely to just be yourself. A lot of talk in the hip hop community in Ireland is the use of American or English accents when rapping. For me, to be taken serious and to enjoy making and performing songs, I need to use my own voice and my own accent and talk about topics that are relevant to my life.

Thank you!

Follow Shafto
Instagram

NineTiss – Take Me Home feat. Annabelle

~ Admin ~ Leave a comment

Songwriter and performer NineTiss oscillates between different musical styles including Rap, R&B and Soul to best transmit his music and texts in all its forms. In an era sometimes noisy, where listening is rare, his music is like a walk with a sweet tempo..

He returns on June 18, with his new single Take Me Home from his next EP Juste après l’orage. This title represents for him a new breath, He goes out of his comfort zone and experiences Afrobeat sounds, a style of music that he listened to throughout his childhood and that he loves enormously.
It is a lovely, sunny piece accompanied by the sweet voice of Annabelle. A feminine signature that is often found in NineTiss music.

After a harsh winter in which melancholy, boredom and weariness were very present in his daily life, his passion for music reminded him that the light he needed was already in him. It inspired him to prepare his EP Juste après l’orage that breathes the sun, freedom and joy of life.
A 4 tracks accompanied by singers Annabelle, Cuanto and Cornic.

A project that will accompany us all this summer to take full advantage of the reopening of the bars, of a life a little brighter that we were all looking forward to..

Follow NineTiss
Facebook/Instagram

Electrik Ants – Place To Be

~ Admin ~ Leave a comment

Electrik Ants Defy Classification With Genre-Bending First Album

Dallas-based Electrik Ants are releasing their six-track live studio album Stories Untoldon May 6, 2021 to all platforms.

Recorded on January 6, 2020, no one in Electrik Ants knew what the year or COVID-19 would have in store. Encapsulating the energy of a group described by local media as the “next must-see band” and “busting at the seams with talent,” the Best New Act Award winners recorded live to embody their notoriously vibrant shows–honed playing the likes of the Backwoods Music Festival and opening for Grammy-winner Shaun Martin.

Writing music together since their instruments were pots and pans, Electrik Ants was formed by two brothers who listen to as much Tchaikovsky as Skrillex, as much Thelonious Monk as UGK, and debate Frank Zappa or Gorillaz with regularity. In doing so, Electrik Ants are pioneering the “Hip-Hop Fusion” genre they’ve helped create.

Follow Electrik Ants
Facebook/Instagram

https://soundcloud.com/user-186676609/place-to-be-1

Leesha-Z ft. Esme Lark – Sail Away [Interview]

~ Admin ~ Leave a comment

Describe your sound in 3 words.

Dreamy, honest, immersive

What is the story behind your new song “Sail Away”?

Luiza says: Sail Away was written in the summer, when we were all longing for a change of scenery after such a long COVID lockdown. I was dreaming about that lovely feeling when you step off a plane in a foreign country , and the air is hot and balmy, the trees are different and everything is telling you you’re somewhere refreshingly far away. That led to daydreaming about the lush, indulgent feeling of floating on the water without a care in the world…. so far removed from what life was actually like during lockdown in London- especially the home schooling!!!! So, it’s a song about escaping for a moment to have some “me” time, and how it’s not because you’re disregarding everyone else, but because you’re allowing yourself to prioritize yourself every once in a while.

Do you like the idea of collaborating? Is songwriting a lonely process?

Elisha says: I love it! There are so many great musicians out there that have so much to offer in terms of experience and perspective. I have gained so much from working with others. Songwriting has never seemed to be a lonely process for me because sometimes I prefer the solitude to dig deep inside, and then when I can share what I come up with, I experience a connection with the one I’ve shared it with.

Luiza says: As a saxophonist, I perform in a lot of bands and groups and I LOVE that, but it’s never my own music. Writing these songs has opened up a creative outlet that I hadn’t nourished for a long time, and I’m not going to stop!

What do you enjoy most? Writing music or performing your music live?

Elisha says: I much prefer writing music. I’m shy to perform.

Luiza says: Probably the best place I have been lucky enough to perform in has been the Royal Albert Hall in London, and also the famous jazz club Ronnie Scott’s was a big tick on my bucket list.

What would be your dream performance venue?

Elisha says: My dream performance venue would be if you were to set up a grand piano in a garden, under the shade of a tree, near water, and have the audience far enough away that I don’t notice them.

Luiza says: A dream venue would probably be a cool stadium gig- but our songs being sung!!!

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

Elisha says: Not everyone is going to love you, or like you. But those who do are special, so treasure them and forget the ones who don’t.

Luiza says: “Don’t expect anything to land in your lap.” My mum has been a huge inspiration to me, in terms of work ethic and never ever giving up, and rolling with the punches. She’s also made sure my sisters and I have always been very grateful for any opportunity and experience that has presented itself. Something I live by, and am constantly drilling into my son is “never be responsible for ruining anyone’s day.”

What is the best concert you have ever been to?

Elisha says: As a Canadian piano player, I quickly became a huge fan of Diana Krall. She performed at the Jubilee in Calgary. She walked out on stage in a pretty dress, bent down to pick up her earring that she had lost during rehearsal, sat down at the piano, set the earring on the edge of the piano, and then started playing. She didn’t stop once. No intermission, no breaks. She just played all the way through her set, as I sat there with my jaw in my lap. She was amazing. Plus she had the coolest merch I’ve ever purchased from an artist.

Luiza says: I thought Foo Fighters at Wembley was amazing, and I got free tickets once to Madonna’s show in Wembley arena, which was inspiring in terms of sheer inventiveness and stage presence. But in all honestly, the best ever show was probably my first ever big stadium gig at 17, when I saw Bon Jovi, supported by Van Halen. The combination of my mad crush on Jon Bon Jovi (!!) and love of the band, plus it being my first mega gig, blew my mind and was a formative music loving experience.

Thank you!

Follow Elisha Rae Haldorson
Facebook

Kevan – Doors [Interview]

~ Admin ~ Leave a comment

Describe your sound in 3 words

Raw, Dark, Sexy

Tell us a few things about your new EP Doors. What is the story behind it?

Doors EP is the first step of my solo career after more than a decade of making music. It’s just the beginning and I wanted to start off with important topics for me such as abandon, money, motivation and nostalgia.

Which is your most personal and honest lyric?

Call Me is very personal, even though I never make up anything in my lyrics. I hate lies, I hate when people be cappin’ in the lyrics, saying things they’ve never done or they don’t even think. All of what I write is raw, honest and most likely related to someone if I’m talking about a person.

Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?

Yes I have many: if you like dubstep check MVMMOTH out, if you like Spanish R’n’B/ alternative I have Siempre Best or Veve Milah for you, if you like Italian music go listen to Enrico Nadai and if you like Alternative Pop Francesca Monte is going to be your first go to artist.
For some serious drumming look for: Daniel Baiolla, for EDM listen to Vursov, Luis Rodriguez, Juliann James and for chill techno listen to Raphael Karell.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?

Being able to pursue my artist career has always been quite hard.
We still live in a dimension where artists are not seen as professionals until huge success.
I really hate it and I hope I can change this sick vision that many people have towards artists and the music industry in general.
Every artist should become an entrepreneur at an early stage of their career and think big. This was the hardest part for me to figure out, it took a lot of sacrifices and time to be able to write, produce, release and promote my music.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Learn every aspect of your job, don’t waste any minute of your time, don’t chase or change for somebody and don’t look for shortcuts.

You’d give up making music for…

In case not making music could save lives, I would stop.
But until now it’s always been the opposite so I guess I’d never give up making music.

Thank you!

Follow Kevan
Instagram