#/ like even on here and throughout my internet life there were literally ALOT of people I had no business being friends with or friendly —

[dollythots]

See, I don’t like feeling like I have to follow a hive mind and stifle my interests just so I can have friends and loved ones. Like, I’m sorry, I’m not putting up fronts anymore. I want to be my natural self. . . If something I say bothers you, unless you have the courage to be mature and tell me directly, instead of just unfollowing or even blocking me, then I never needed you as a friend. I’m sorry if that hurts, but that’s the way it is.

[princeleyjeans]

Unpopular opinion: Amanda is a big part of trikey not because she’s the bitter soon to be ex-wife, but because she has a history with both parties in the ship.  The game gave away she and Trevor had history sometime before she caught M’s eye and may have been a romantic interest either in an untouched background plot or in some of the minds of story developers, hence the off comment random dialogue you can get between T an Amanda if he’s in the house while she’s chilling in the living room.  By no means am I saying “Amanda is trikey! she brought them together by being so unlovable that M turned gay just to escape her” fuck no! If anybody thinks that then please leave the fandom because you clearly gotta catch up on school, or reading, or common sense!  What I mean is, trikey itself, isn’t purely “M and Trev are so in love, look at them! so perf, so pure, so easygoing!”, it’s all three of them, because that’s how it always was back in the day, it was M, shuffling between his relationship with Amanda and the one he had with Trevor, and throughout the game, it hints some sort of brief period of interest between Trevor and Amanda, meaning at one point, T an Amanda, may have actually been sweet on each other and even when M came along, T could have secretly been dealing with one of those “He’s mine! But so is she! But what if he leaves me if I take her?” You know, it’s not an easy mindset, which is probably why it wasn’t in the story plot, at least the one actually portrayed to us via gameplay/interactions.  Trikey isn’t the threesome ship of Amanda/Michael/Trevor, but it’s sort of on the end of the spectrum of it, like imagine the gta fandom as a whole and around it are little circles of ships, the threesome ship and trikey are just touching, there’s a tiny piece of each circle touching to create this small, almost undetectable colour merge, but it’s there, and it has tons of unseen story! untouched background we could only imagine!  Am I saying we should think of Amanda when we think about trikey? Not unless you want to? Personally, I look at the whole story, how they got there, the past, old feelings and hard to deal with emotional crap involving her, what they had, what their future holds, etc etc. Alot of ships just focus on so and so, being gay, being adorable and suffering in their own corner rather than expanding on everything around them.  Watch Grace and Frankie on netflix, it’s about two 70 something women whose husbands have come out and are getting married to each other, and instead of looking at their relationship which has been this while 20-year affair, the show looks at how the ex-wives are handling this life-changing event, they focus on Soal an Robert too, but not so much you’re there wondering “What about the girls? Can we see how they’re dealing with all this? They were married to these guys and had no clue for 20 years!”  I see the trikey ship like that, everyone is involved! literally, it’s not just “Michael has this big life-altering epiphany and goes on an adventure to find himself and accept he loves Trevor” or “M accepts he’s not entirely straight and has to deal with all this hardship before T loves him back and they can be dysfunctional as a couple”  when I see trikey, the camera pans all around the room, you see Amanda dealing with the crumbled marriage and their past which has now been ripped to shreds because all these old comments and fears and whatnot are all surfacing and as much as she’s played it off as “my friends are jelly lol”, she can’t, and when your partner comes out as gay, there’s gotta be confidence issues! like suddenly irrationality can kick in and you can be like “did I do this?!” Even tho it’s just your emotions being thrown all over the place, you can wonder “Was I such a horrible person that they fell for their best friend just to run away?”  I see trikey realistically, and that means having ALL the emotions, all the irrational thoughts and agony and rage, even tho fandoms and the internet, don’t like to consider stories like this where someone, not the person coming out, can be upset or in pain over losing their partner. Because if you’ve been in a relationship and they’ve suddenly turned around and gone “I’m gay, our entire marriage is over and I’m leaving to go find my real partner”, imagine how much that would fuck you up? Yes, be happy for that person because they are now able to go and be free, but you’re allowed to mourn your past, the life you two created together, fake or not. You are allowed to be sad, and hurt, and be angry at that person because that part of you, is kinda over, and for some, it could’ve happened ages ago and they could have healed or begun healing but the other person just kept it going for whatever reason, right or wrong.  (No, this is not a diss at anyone unable to come out for whatever reason. This is simply an eye-opening post and if you can’t handle that and decide to lecture me, I will block you, post your crap on my insta and let the world bask in how glad they are not to be me having to deal with idiots who refuse to take the option of the open exit)  Trikey is more than Trevor and Michael, it’s more than just two angry dudes realising they love each other and embracing it, embracing each other and learning to get along to a point they can live in somewhat decent conditions.  Trikey is...heartbreak, it’s divorce, it’s a man unable to accept himself and go be happy, dragging along a co-dependant wife who herself can’t bring the scissors close enough to cut the rope on their toxic af marriage.  It’s two people who’ve grown up together, for one to decide they want more, that there is more to life and so has decided to chuck everything he’s ever known aside to go find this happiness he seeks, knowing, he might never find it but it’s worth trying, so much so, he’s fine to leave the second person to follow him through hell and back, to find the first person and basically give his wife the middle finger.  I know it’s always more than that, but in her mind, it is a middle finger, it’s a thousand middle fingers, it’s like the entire world is giving her the middle finger and that messes with someone, good, bad, both, neither, it messes with them.  Okayyyyy, gonna leave this here, not tag it because hooo boy, my ass can not justify spreading it to a wide audience, but at least if it’s just here, I have a little ground to stand, even if it is just “well you choose to look at my blog...bitch. Come at me”  yeahhhhhhh I didn’t....think this throughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[jafreitag]

Disco Shrine: The Liner Notes Interview

The internet is weird.

Late last summer, I received an email from a guy named Scott Brown. I know alot of Browns in NWI, and one is named Scott. He runs a breakfast place in town, and his daughter is the Sweetheart of Downtown Valpo – my dear amiga CBB, and my best friend’s best friend.

I see Scott sorta regularly at Brown family events. Super nice guy, great dad, great grandpa. Quick with a handshake and a smile. We’re on good terms, but not like email tight. So why would he email me and title it “Inspiring New Visuals Indie Electro Artist”? Huh?

Different Scott Brown, turns out. The SB who emailed me promotes music. Here’s what he said (bold is him):

“Hi there, 

  We are excited to send you the new visuals by indie/electro pop artist Disco Shrine. Entitled “Up in the Air” the video and song narrate the struggle her parents faced when immigrating to America from Iran and is the perfect anthem for the current situation in America. Disco Shrine is also known as a sought after DJ and has toured extensively throughout the US, as well as having been featured in outlets such as The 405 and Earmilk, among others.

Thanks so much for watching and for your support!”

I immediately hit OM on Slack to ask if he had met a Mr. Brown at a blog conference or something. Nope. Apparently, Liner Notes crossed the radar of an A&R guy on the Left Coast. Not sure how, not complaining. Anyway, my brother’s grad school “partner-in-crime” is a badass woman of Iranian decent, and her parents immigrated to the U.S. around the time of the revolution there in the late ’70s. So I was intrigued enough to listen to “Up in the Air.” Glad I did.

Disco Shrine is the nom de musique of Jessica Delijani, and she, too, is a badass woman of Iranian descent. The email from SB called her the “pop spark plug behind Disco Shrine,” and added that she “makes music that plays around with the contrast between high energy electronic beats and sensual melodies.” More SB: “By embodying the mission of empowerment, Disco Shrine thrives off of being an outlet for listeners to be carefree, accepted, and liberated through dance music.” Great stuff, but enough mansplain. Let’s let Jessica talk about “Up in the Air” herself:

“This song is about my parents immigrating to America from Iran after escaping the Iranian revolution in the 70’s. ‘Up in the Air’ paints a picture of them literally up in the air on their plane ride over to America, leaving the past behind and looking towards their new future. It’s also symbolic of their whole lives suddenly being up in the air, uncertain, and not knowing what to expect at all.  It’s more so in my mother’s perspective and the strength she had to leave her whole life behind to bring a better life for her children and family. “ 

Jessica was born/raised in the San Fernando Valley, and grew up with watching traditional Persian jam sessions with her family. She taught herself how to play guitar and banjo, and started writing and performing folk music as a teenager, before debuting as Disco Shrine in 2015. I dropped a few DS songs on playlists last summer, and connected with her via Instagram. Eventually, I sent her some interview questions, which she was kind enough to answer.

JF: Hi. Before I get to real questions, I have a silly, preliminary one. What should I call you? Disco Shrine? DS? Jessica?

DS: Hey, Jason! People call me Jess and sometimes Disco. I answer to any and all, haha.

JF: Are you a lyric-first or a music-first person? Like do you find the melody, then put words to it, or vice versa?

DS: Honestly, I have worked both ways. I think I tend to come up with the melody first, and then lay out lyrics. But some of my favorite songs I’ve written have been when I have something I need to get out, and those lines or lyrics end up remolding the song.

JF: What’s your workflow?  Notebooks, voice memos, both?

DS: Millions and millions of voice memos and notepad (the app).

JF: Where have you played? The email that I got from a PR guy mentioned “all of the quintessential LA landmarks” and some fests. Any shows or sets stick out?

DS: This year has been a wild year of checking venues off of my bucket list and some that I didn’t even know I wanted. I played Santa Monica Pier, which was crazy, because Santa Monica Pier was iconic for my parents, when they first immigrated here. So to see their daughter performing a big festival (Pier 360) was crazy for them and really special for me.

Playing Baby’s All Right in New York was also pretty magical. The crowd was so amazing and fun. I ended up crowd surfing and getting this gnarly scar on my leg … totally worth it.

I’ve also created this strange pattern of playing really unconventional places this year. I played this warehouse party where I performed on an old geometro car. I had my music video release party in a Barber Shop and I also threw my single release party for Everyday at a Laundromat.

I’ve also created this strange pattern of playing really unconventional places this year. I played this warehouse party, where I performed on an old Geo Metro car. I had my music video release in a barber shop, and I also threw my single release party for “Everyday” at a Laundromat.

The biggest reason behind doing this release party in a Laundromat is because of everything a laundromat is symbolic of (workin’ hard, the everyday hustle, helping local businesses, the fact that they’re usually immigrant owned or used, etc…)! I would never have had the same opportunities and freedom to pursue what I love, if my parents didn’t immigrate to America. “Everyday” is all about seizing that opportunity and not taking it for granted. And what better way to celebrate that than through a Laundromat Party!

I also just played at a large benefit festival called The Billy Ball with Charli XCX, Dorian Electra, Allie X, Vincent, Daya, Leland, Chester Lockhart, etc. All proceeds go towards helping a young artist get life saving cancer treatment. It was a dream come true playing in front of such a huge crowd of people that were so receptive, especially for such a good cause.

JF: Have you toured much? And what’s that like? What’s the life of a “indie/electro pop artist” on the road?  I’m imagining it’s you and tidy cases, and not so much instruments, cables, and speakers.

DS: I have toured and travelled a lot this year. Half of it has been for live shows, and the other half has been for DJing. It’s so much fun, and it feeds so much of my soul, but it definitely gets exhausting at times, too. What I love most about it is just connecting with the crowd and meeting people across the country. Whenever I play shows out of town, I usually keep the set up pretty minimal. It’s usually just me, a dj, and maybe back up dancers. I’ll have a live band for my hometown shows

JF: I dropped “Soft Fur” onto a recent playlist between Moses Sumney and Blood Orange – good company, haha. Who are your influences? Anybody you want to single out? I just checked out your Disco Diamonds playlist. I saw Empress Of on there, and her new record is great.

DS: Love both of them. It’s so hard to answer that question, because I feel like who I’m listening to is constantly changing, and I admire different things about different artists that help me grow. So it’s really not just any few people I take from. I think I tend to love and listen to a lot of badass pop artists like Empress Of, Elohim, Hayley Kyiko, etc. Some of my faves from this year are Dorian Electra, Phem, Holychild, Zella Day, Mallrat, and the queen Ariana Grande.

Gwen Stefani, circa No Doubt, is definitely my spirit animal on stage. I feel like I always tell myself to channel Gwen before I hit a stage.

JF: Genre-wise, how would you classify DS? What do you think about the state of electronic music? What do you find interesting, and what do you find boring? What would you change?

DS: I would say that I make really melodic, upbeat music that you can bob your head to on a drive or on a dance floor. I love that the sky is the limit right now. A lot of mainstream music is experimenting with genres and non-formulaic type pop, which I think is pretty cool, because it opens the door to experiment more – and, hopefully, makes people more open-minded.

JF: And what about the state of the music industry?

DS: Ugh, I can’t even with this …

JF: Turning to “Up in the Air,” it’s obviously personal. Would you share some of your parents’ story?

DS: “Up in the Air” was written shortly after I found out about the crazy journey my parents went through to get my family to America. I was so inspired by the tale I heard, one that involved escaping prison, fleeing the country, and finding a way to get a greencard to America. I was in such disbelief that it was my mom and dad that did something so brave for the hope of a better future, and it really inspired me. That’s how “Up in the Air” was born. We wrote and finished it in an hour with my friend/producer Samuel Jacob Lopez, Jr. (coqui).

In a lot of ways it breaks my heart to think about other people trying to get to America and not being able to do so. Everyday I think about what my life would be like if I didn’t have the freedom and opportunities that I have. And it’s sad that there are others out there that are trying to have the same opportunities, but are being stopped.

JF: Favorite place in the world?

DS: Lake Como Italy was the most breathtakingly beautiful place I have ever been to, and it’s crazy that a place that looks that beautiful exists in this world. So, yes, Lake Como.

JF: You’re LA-based, so best restaurant in LA? Best bar in LA?

DS: My go-to spot is this amazing tex-mex brunch restaurant called Homestate in Los Feliz. Their breakfast tacos are bomb. They’re also right next to this coffee shop Go Get Em Tiger. Getting coffee their after breakfast tacos is sort of a Sunday morning ritual.

Fave bar is the secret tiki room at Cliftons in DTLA.

JF: Favorite food?

DS: Mexican food! Whenever I leave LA, I always find myself missing good Mexican food the most.

JF: Favorite and least favorite words?  For the latter, my best friend/wife would say “moist,” but that seems too easy.

DS: I just hung out with a bunch of my Australian friends – shoutout to Oh Boy, Tanssi, Lover, and Tekie. They’re amazing musicians, and they taught me so many Aussie phrases that I love. I think the one that stuck the most was “redhot”. It basically means sus or suspicious.

JF: The new single, “Everyday,” with Omenihu just dropped. How did that collaboration come about?

DS: Omenihu and I met at School Night earlier this year. He photobombed a photo I was taking on the stairs, and we ended up laughing and talking for like an hour. He was living in Austin at the time and told me he was planning on moving to LA. We just got along really well and kept in touch over the next few months.

Then I ended up writing Everyday, which is all about moving to a new place and having all the odds against you, but persevering and taking advantage of the opportunities you have. And I knew I wanted Omenihu on it because he was going on the same journey – soon to move to LA in pursuit of his dreams and not knowing anyone here, facing challenges, etc. So the timing of it all was really perfect. I sent him the song, and he loved it and ended up sending me his verse back in a voice memo the same day. It was really serendipitous.

JF: What are you working on? New material? Shows? This is your chance to shamelessly  plug anything.

DS: Yess haha! I just threw my release party at a Laundromat in Los Feliz which featured special guests Wes Period (just toured w/ Macklemore and Kesha), Phem (just toured w/ Lil Xan), Dorian Electra (toured + featured w/ Charli XCX), Mood Killer, Dance Yourself Clean etc… Who are all artists I admire so much and are each killing it in their own lanes. Next year, I plan on releasing way more music and throwing even weirder release parties.

I have a show on 1/21 at The Echo too

There you go. I’ve done four interviews with musicians so far on LN. All have been fun, but the first three were people that I know, so they were pretty easy. I stretched a bit to do this one, and Jess couldn’t have been nicer – reachable, relatable, and genuinely sweet. Big thanks to her, and best wishes for a huge 2019!!

You can check out Disco Shrine on Spotify. Here’s a playlist that I compiled of her material so far. It’s all good, and well worth your time.

And here are her links:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/discoshrine/

Website: https://discoshrine.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiscoShrine

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoshrine

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/discoshrine

More soon.

JF

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