#also I was looking at this band's show dates on spotify and they had one in a city with the same name as my hometown and I got SO excited

[six-improbable-things]

Raynes songs always go hard, but the lyrics for Tie Me To The Tracks are something else:

"You showed me what you are but I couldn't believe you. Assumed you were a star, and never really wondered why your eyes were burning red."

"I see the carrion crows, I hear the whistle blow, I know it's coming soon. I'll close my eyes, imagine what the big surprise could be and say goodbye. Wish I didn't have to die, but I'm not gonna see you again."

"You can tie me to the tracks if you wanna. You can stab me in the back, and I'll take a moment to relax cause at least I'm not gonna see you again."

[noahsmuse]

close to you ♡

✮ PAIRING: noah sebastian x popstar!reader

✮ SUMMARY: headcannons showcasing the relationship between two opposing ends of the music industry with a popstar!reader and noah sebastian!

✮ A/N: again, thank you all for the support on my last few posts!!! if you have any requests for something you’d like to see me write, don’t hesitate to send it in ᵔᴗᵔ

moodboard inspired by headcannons located -> here!!!!!!! 🪩🎤✨

୨୧ it all started when you mentioned how Bad Omens was one of your favorite bands in a magazine interview and people went CRAZY. bad omens fans eventually found it and started sharing it around, so happy that they share a common interest with an artist they’re very familiar with.

୨୧ this takes noah a few days until he sees what you said as he isn’t on social media as much anymore, i feel like one of the guys would ask if he’s seen it and then they’d show it to him which is how he’d probably find out

-> he had known about you before just from listening one of your songs that has recently blown up and thought it was really good but didn’t think too much about it

୨୧ because you both share the same record label, at some type of party they were throwing is where you both met!!!!! i feel like noah would spot you out first and try to make some type of conversation with you since he remembered about how positively you talked about the band

-> the night ended with you walking out with noah’s number and ever since that night, there wasn’t a single day that went by without either of you having a conversation whether it was via text, call, or facetime. you both also ended up finding out that you had A LOT in common, by the ways you make music, the media you both consume and are really into

୨୧ as your relationship progresses over the phone, the opportunity finally shows itself since you both are on a break from touring, he decides that it’s a perfect time to ask you on a date!!!!

-> he picks you up with some of your favorite flowers in his hand that he had just bought earlier while thinking back to a random conversation you two had on the phone about flowers, opens the car and door for you, and ends up paying for both of the sweet treats & drinks you both order. he’s just such a gentleman and wants to impress you :(

୨୧ and while the date seems to be going well when the two of you end up leaving, your bombarded with flashing lights and cameras all in the both of your faces. noah tries his best to cover you both up the most he can while taking the lead back to his car

-> when he drops you off and walks you back to your house door is also when he officially asks you to be his girlfriend and obviously you accept?!?!

୨୧ i definitely think that your relationship would be more of a “private but not secret” situation since you’re both in the spotlight with fans and paparazzi everywhere waiting to make a new headline about how perfect you both look for each other :)

-> also along with the “private but not secret” idea, people notice how you wear a lot of his hoodies and shirts in your off time along with some bad omens merch that you’ve either stole from him or that he’s gave you (people also see him wearing your merch & putting some of your songs into his spotify playlists as support for you)

୨୧ he’s VERY protective of you considering how much of a following you and him have combined so he always loves to hold your hand or waist just to make sure you’re safe at all times :)

୨୧ you’ve both definitely helped each other through the negatives about being in the music industry with things like writers blocks, burnouts, insecurities, and doubts throughout your careers

-> (since he’s so talented & amazing) he’d definitely help record, write, and engineer songs for your next album or maybe just for fun because he just loves spending time with you while doing something you both enjoy!

୨୧ he LOVES to come and support you during your performances wither it’s at a festival or during your own headliners!!!! fans usually notice him either sitting side stage or in the grassy areas around the pit where he’ll be watching you, sometimes they see him singing along to your songs and even taking photos & videos of you up on stage, he just loves watching you doing what you enjoy :)

-> and same thing for when you go to their concerts & festivals that bad omens is performing for ♡

୨୧ whenever the both of you start going down a flight of stairs or a hill, he’ll always run in front of you so he can hold your hand to “prevent you from falling” (when really this is just a way for him to hold your hand) because of how you’re usually always wearing shoes with a heel that could potentially harm you

୨୧ he’s always talking about you no matter it’s whether about making music with you or the cute little date you both went on the other day, he’s just so obsessed and amazed that he’s your boyfriend

-> and yes, the boys do make fun of how he doesn’t shut up about you but they also usually ask about how you’re doing or how the date that he mentioned he was going on with you went :)

୨୧ you two are like the people’s prince & princess!!! everyone loves you guys & the little “opposites attract” dynamic since you’re usually in brighter colors with sparkles while he’s wearing all black. interviewers are always asking about y’all’s relationship, the fans love you both and everything you guys do is iconic!!!!!!!

🪩 ☆⌒｡˚✧✨

[nevermore-grimes]

The Elemental Rhythm Tumblr Dashboard Simulator!!! 🎵

I was going to make a part two for my last tumblr dashboard simulator, but then I was like, “Lemme make one for my paracosm’s band AU!” and now here we are.

Also a quick note: The urls and pfps are the same as they are the first part for the sake of ease.

TW: Crude humor

🎤 the-elemental-rhythm ☑️ Follow

Catch our latest single, a cover of Vana’s BEG!, coming to anywhere you stream your music!

🔥 not-ember-blade Follow

I have so many questions. First of all, who tf owns this account? 🤨

💄 hopeless-hottie Follow

Uhhh… We all do? Do you not have access to it?

🔥 not-ember-blade Follow

No??? Wtf???

💰 i-am-iron-man Follow

Yeah, well, your PR team strongly advised against it, so no Elemental Rhythm tumblr for you, Red.

🔥 not-ember-blade Follow

Damn…

🪞 mirror-mirror Follow

Dude, you’re asking all the wrong questions. I just wanna know who bought the verified checkmark.

💧 sweetest-otaku Follow

I did! I wanted us to look official. ☺️

🪞 mirror-mirror Follow

Well, now we look like desperate sellouts.

💧 sweetest-otaku Follow

Oh.

#I thought it was cute at the time #Sorry

(9,293 notes)

🎤 the-elemental-rhythm ☑️ Follow

Check out our full discography, now compiled together on Spotify! It'll be coming to other streaming services soon!

🔥 not-ember-blade Follow

I'm fully convinced my sister's making most of the posts on this account. 🤣

💧 sweetest-otaku Follow

Did I make it that obvious? 😅

#Whoopsies! #I guess I do make them all sound super cheery #but that's just because I love us! #Hehehe!

(1,898 notes)

❤️ a-random-fan Follow

Ahhh! The Elemental Rhythm made the perfect choice for their lead singer! I just love how Nevermore always puts her whole Embussy into every song.

🔥 not-ember-blade Follow

...My what?

#Also #You know the others sing too right? #Like I'm not THE lead singer #I'm one of four #Also please never mix my former hero name with the word 'pussy' ever again

(213 notes)

🪞 mirror-mirror Follow

Yo, i-am-iron-man. Dude. When's our next tour?

💰 i-am-iron-man Follow

First of all, I'm your manager. Don't call me dude.

🔥 not-ember-blade Follow

What do you want us to call you then, dude?

💄 hopeless-hottie Follow

I vote we start calling him daddy~ 😏

💧 sweetest-otaku Follow

...I'm not doing that. 😳

🪞 mirror-mirror Follow

I miss when this thread was about our tour dates.

#Can we go back to that? #Please? #For my mental health

(429 notes)

🔥 not-ember-blade Follow

A member of my PR team just called me, sobbing and begging me to shut the fuck up- 💀

#Like damn #I'm not gonna #but damn

(236 notes)

🔥 not-ember-blade Follow

They don’t. They fuckin’ love it! Never miss a show. Front row, in fact.

And neither should you! I'll send you a ticket to our next show so you can see us perform Kiss Me You Animal by Burn the Ballroom live. I think you’ll enjoy it. 😌

#I don’t know about flailing #but there will be much moaning #See ya there anon!

(10,528 notes)

💰 i-am-iron-man Follow

I need to have a discussion with my band in regards to their social media usage. Clearly, PR isn't doing their job very well.

💄 hopeless-hottie Follow

Does this mean I can't promise to flash my tits if we hit a million streams on our latest single?

💰 i-am-iron-man Follow

WHAT??? DON'T DO THAT!!!

🪞 mirror-mirror Follow

"You ladies"? 🤨📸

💰 i-am-iron-man Follow

Oh, come on. Don't twist this around. You know what I meant.

🔥 not-ember-blade Follow

Me watching everyone in the notes flame Tony for accidentally sounding sexist:

🔥 not-ember-blade Follow

Also, to the person who said "You'd know a thing or two about heart problems" in response to his tags, you may be going to hell, but you have my utmost respect. 😭

#Also I laughed so hard I started choking #and one of my boyfriends had to do the heimlich on me #So thanks for the failed assassination #I'll still be seeing you in hell #just not yet #lmaooo

(13,840 notes)

🎩 petition-to-kill-the-fedora Follow

The petition to get Nevermore to stop wearing fedoras is currently at 1,257 signatures. Let's keep it going!

🔥 not-ember-blade Follow

First of all, it's one fedora. ONE. Second of all... Y'all hate it that much?

#This ain't a democracy #No amount of signatures is gonna get me to trash my hat #but damn...

(258 notes)

💧 sweetest-otaku Follow

not-ember-blade mirror-mirror hopeless-hottie Do you guys watch our fan edits, too? I think I fell down a hole. Chase said I was watching them for three hours straight but it only felt like two minutes. 😅

🪞 mirror-mirror Follow

The first and only one I saw of myself was a thirst edit. Never again.

💄 hopeless-hottie Follow

Speak for yourself! I watch fanmade thirst edits of myself every morning!!! They're like affirmations, but in video form while that one mashup of Pony by Ginuwine and Bloodline by Ariana Grande is playing.

🔥 not-ember-blade Follow

I'm with Gif on this one. I watch thirst edits of myself at least once a day. My favorites are the ones to random German songs.

💧 sweetest-otaku Follow

I mean, I was talking about the cute edits where we're all dancing... or holding hands... or singing... or other cute and non-sexual stuff, but good for you...

#Now let's stop talking about this #You two worry me

[get-back-homeward]

Ram Revisited

Paul and Linda record their album Ram from October 1970 to March 1971, and it is released May 17, 1971. By May 26, John already had his infamous response, recording How Do You Sleep. This song gets a lot of attention for how cruel it seemed. One of John’s defenses by the album’s launch was that Paul had written special messages to him on Ram, only Paul didn’t print the lyrics so you couldn’t hear them. He mentions it a couple times, in print...

and at St Regis hotel press conference for the album release:

JOHN: But... I was laughing at [Ram] later, but first, I was saying, “Oh! Hmm. Oh, I see. Oh, that’s what he thinks,” huffing and puffing. That’s the first thing I heard on his album, was all this – this message, you see. [x]

JOHN: It’s just a moment of anger. But I just put it down on paper. And also, I’m answering Paul’s last album, which mostly because he didn’t hand out a lyric sheet, [people] don’t know what he was saying [on it]. [x]

JOHN: You mightn’t hear ‘em, but I can hear ‘em, and I know Paul. [x] 

and during live interviews, where he gets cut off from finishing his point every time. But he seems particularly bothered by the lack of printed lyrics.

JOHN: Little messages that Paul sent to me on Ram. Which, funny, I publish my lyrics you see. He doesn’t, so you have to listen. [x]

It’s tempting to laugh at this, if you think it’d just an excuse for HDYS, or call him kookoo, if you think he’s just obsessed with Paul and reading things that aren’t there. But I find the comments rather curious in light of idea that the Beatles, particularly John and Paul, had a shared language that dates back to when they were kids in Liverpool and was used as late as 1969 as seen in Get Back. By design, the language is used to protect and exclude, so any analysis by outsiders will probably be utterly meaningless. But I thought I’d take it on face value that John was hearing something the average listener couldn’t without printed lyrics to try to understand the root of the anger that drives HDYS.

As a thought experiment, I decided to relisten to Ram for the first time while reading the lyrics, with an eye for words I couldn’t hear (or misheard before) along with album themes. Full disclosure, I’ve always listened to this album while working on something else, so while I may be have seen looked up lyrics for a song or two independently (Too Many People, Back Seat), I didn’t read them while listening to the song or consider them in the context of the full album, all of which create a different experience. I used Spotify’s lyrics function while listening to the 2012 remastered album, so any lyric variations may be Spotify’s fault.

Starting from the top. The album begins with Too Many People, which opens with an indiscernible line that’s a play on words.

Piss off cake-->piece of cake. I had no idea that’s what he was singing at the start. For 20 years, I heard this line as “this I got to say-ay-ay”. That said, “piss off cake” still doesn’t tell us much. I’m with this guess that this phrase is an in-joke turned nasty, like a firing shot John heard right at the start.

Two “mistakes” are mentioned here. The first mistake gets a lot of attention (”going underground”, “took your lucky break and broke it in two”) and is generally attributed to John asking for a divorce/leaving the band, though I question it (see below). But the last mistake is the hidden dagger I never heard without looking up the lyrics:

“I find my love awake and waiting to be...” followed by the stinger chord is an unfinished sentence. The verb ‘be’ is doing all the work, suggesting a missing past participle left unsaid. John is no stranger to using simple verbs to stand in for prohibited ones, as Norwegian Wood and Don’t Let Me Down show. Paul stops just short of making it vulgar, but the implication is there. By making the arena in bed, the suggestion is inherently sexual--not only in the unfinished sentence but also in the 1-minute guitar solo climax that follows, complete with dog howling. This makes the dagger a sexual taunt, and I keep trying to hear other interpretations, but I only hear one: Literally this could have been you in my bed but you blew it and now I have her. Not ever but never again. It’s a closed door. Slammed in your face. Now what can be done for you? as the guitar goes wild. Suggestive of bedroom fun you’re shut off from.

Okay, I can see how that could ignite someone’s anger, especially one prone to jealousy.

The trouble I have with this is timing. If “first mistake” is the divorce meeting (Sept 20) then what is the “last mistake” that deserves this sexual taunt? Paul always talks about the divorce meeting as if John declaring he’s leaving the band and wanting a divorce (from him) as the same moment. Maybe the “first mistake” is mislabeled, as John’s “going underground” wish begins in 1968 with Yoko and his controversial public actions from nude album covers to bagism events (not to mention private actions like covering personal debt and bringing outsiders into the recording studio) that caused a schism at Apple at its crucial first few months. Paul talks about summer 1968 as a difficult time for him, where he felt like everything was falling apart. Dick James their publisher is watching all of this and making business calculations. By March 1969, in the middle of their honeymoons with their wives, he decides to sell Northern Songs.

Would John pinpoint his "first mistake” as Yoko? IDK. He’d know when his relationship with Paul got rocky, at least professionally. They seem to be arguing about this underground direction as early as May 1968 (NYC), perhaps even earlier. In interviews, Yoko seems to focus on this part, which may indicate her feeling it was about her.

But if the “first mistake” is May 1968 and in the realm of music/business/professional, then the “last mistake” is the final straw and it’s personal.

Don’t let them tell you what you want to be

Paul recounts September 20 as if John betrayed him, getting him to sign the EMI contract before telling him he wanted the divorce. Paul felt tricked, like the rug was pulled out from under him. The hidden dagger in the song works the same way.

The second track, 3 Legs, begins innocently enough (When I walk on my horse upon the hill). It seems like empty nonsense until this accusation:

It’s a explicitly John-directed lyric: Paul’s emotional state is caused by John’s actions. I still hear “you let me down” (recalling Don’t Let Me Down) even though the original lyrics sheet says “left” and these printed ones say “laid.” So it’s worth taking a closer look at the rest.

This is a weird lyric taken literally. Paul’s doodling a three-legged thing and a three-legged dog on the lyrics sheet for this song. The dog doesn’t look like any of the dogs they had at the time to my knowledge. Dog could be a stand-in for another word John understood.

I enjoy @jobey-wan-kenobi’s​ idea of “three leg” as surrealist imagery that suggests an off-kiltered scene and reflects the writer’s state of mind. Both John and Paul spoke about being inspired by surrealist art and using it in lyrics to mask.

Didn’t John talk about having a reoccurring dream of flying above the clouds as a kid? I believe he used it to justify his whole egocentric interpretation of Strawberry Fields. But this flying seems the opposite of an ego trip:

He’s so unstable, the listener could knock him down from his flight with a feather.

But you know it’s not allowed

Ram On is the nearest to the title track but only a wisp of a thing, so it gets lost in the attention to Too Many People. I swear every time I hear it, I hear it another way.

Is it about needing love quickly? You’ll take anyone who appears next around the bend? Or is it about the unpredictability or impermanence of love? The someone round the bend coming to take the somebody you just gave your heart to? It shapeshifts, depending on how you approach it. But the second one reminds me of what John says later about love slipping away as soon as you look at it directly, as soon as you try to possess it completely. And hey what was that in 3 Legs?

When I thought, when I thought you was my friend... But you laid me down Put my heart round the bend

That lyrical link suggests the latter option. The earlier question in 3 Legs also fits with this theme of the unpredictability of love.

When I walk, when I walk On my horse upon the hill... Will my lover love me still?

But it may also suggest freedom. To do your own thing outside and then return home with a lover waiting. Like Too Many People. She’s waiting for me...

Big Barn Bed (not released til 1973) is first recorded with other 1970 Ram home recordings. It starts as a coda for Ram On and later becomes its own song. It has a similar “round the bend” line: Who’s that coming round the corner? Will it be my friend?

Which suggests more anticipation than worry but gives the same feeling of unpredictability toward the listener who is also the friend who let him down.

Bug lore is that John thought Dear Boy was for him, though I’m having trouble finding a source on that. I always found it pretty hilarious, as I do think it fits best with Paul’s story that it’s Linda’s ex-husband. The “When I stepped in” part makes sense with that interpretation. But it’s funny to think about John thinking it’s about him:

What’s John hearing Paul say here? I loved you and you didn’t even see it! And you know what, maybe Paul knew John would hear it like that and it was half the fun. It’s not hard to see that Paul identified with Linda’s feeling of being unappreciated in her prior marriage. And it’s common for Paul to start a song about one person or idea and then it becomes transformed into being about something else. Layers are possible in all their songs. John talks about the layers he hears in their old songs in Jan 1969, layers that he didn’t hear when they wrote them. So it’s possible John heard this connection. It may have just made him angry because John suggests elsewhere that he was the one who felt unappreciated and neglected.

However, even with Paul’s interpretation, John still shows up as the reason Paul’s heart was down and out and positions Linda as an antidote:

Oh what a tangled web we weave

When first we practice to deceive

I always filed away Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey as a simple character mashup. But looking at the words, I started to question that. Could Uncle Albert, a real uncle of Paul’s, also act as a stand-in character for someone else? The theme of no one left at home is echoed in Little Lamb Dragonfly, which is home recorded with RAM songs but held back until 1973 Red Rose Speedway.

But the line that follows is a peculiar one. I always thought I was hearing it wrong, surely it is it’s gonna rain. But the lyrics tell me it’s I’m gonna rain:

So could it be a metaphor or stand-in for an emotion like sadness or a visible reaction like crying? Or is it like 3 Leg? More surrealist projection of instability when charting new waters.

The second section, Admiral Halsey, has nautical themes that suggest more than meets the eye. Remember both John and Paul talked about the Beatles as a boat, with John talking about leaving the Beatles as jumping off Paul’s boat and onto Yoko’s boat.

Paul’s delivery of “berth” sounds like “bath” to me, so I can’t see how anyone could pick up this line in full before, except maybe if you knew that’s how Paul pronounces -er- sounds. But it certainly is a suggestive of a metaphor for a significant event. Perhaps about the day that Ringo as the messenger notified Paul about the McCartney release date change (to make room for his own album)? Or more personally, about Paul having to back away from John to make room for Yoko?

But what on earth is butter pie? Wiki tells me it’s a Lancashire-based savory pie of onions and potatoes (so meatless). But my mind goes straight to Penny Lane (finger pies), so I’m just gonna assume it’s something dirty.

Hands across the water, hands across the sky

Linda’s harmonies and backing vocals are just so cool. It had to have gotten to John that she so easily fits into this vocal role next to Paul, especially in the more silly moments featured here. Especially considering humor was such a large component of John and Paul’s relationship.

There’s limitations to printing lyrics though and I get Paul’s right to not print them earlier because sometimes it take away from all the wordplay and double meanings inherent in the sounds of the words. For example, I always heard some of these “smile away”s in Smile Away as “it’s my way,” and so I’m surprised that phrase is never printed in the lyrics:

However, given the double meanings elsewhere, I think it’s worth still considering because "it’s my way” fits into the album theme of not blindly following along and finding your own path.

Don’t let them tell you what you want to be

A lot of focus is on Too Many People as the trigger for How Do You Sleep. But it’s a question directed a line from Heart Of The Country.

I’m gonna get me a good night sleep

It’s the one respite on the whole album and I can see how the image of smug Paul could send John in a writing fury.

Monkberry Moon Delight plays with “ketchup” and “catch up” and both of these appear in the lyrics. But is it beretta the gun or biretta the hat? Or something else? Ram sessions include Oh Woman Oh Why with gun sounds that gets left off the album, and photos from the session show Paul holding a prop gun. There’s also a gun-like object drawn on the Ram back cover. So maybe he did mean the gun. Inclusion of that song would have turned the tone of entire album, from jaunty taunts to serious violence, so it’s the right choice to keep it off. John would only hear the beretta line here with “banana” and the gun on the back cover:

and i don’t get the gist of your letter

Considering John and Paul are sending letters back and forth across 1970, this line sounds like a taunt for John alone. Along with what follows:

don’t get left behind

which makes this...

...another sexual taunt like Too Many People. Haha, look at what you’re missing!

If you’re doubting that, the track order clears it up fast because it’s followed immediately by....

Eat At Home. No explanation required.

It is an outright banger. No way John wasn’t a tad impressed by it. Even if it exudes those aggressive “I am having so much fun with my wife right now and not even thinking of you” vibes that left John shook.

Am I the only one that thought some of these “little lady”s were “lad”s? Paul stresses the -d so the -y sounds silent except for Linda’s backing. The result is pretty...ambiguous at times.

So I’m left thinking it’s a bit odd how this song ends on the negative: don’t do that. If the sexual connotation starts it, it ends with something that sounds unwanted, like it goes too far. A revoking of consent. But is it the lad(y) going too far? Or someone else?

Don’t let them tell you what you want to be

Long Haired Lady is an ode to Linda that starts with a jokey call and response between Paul and Linda and builds into a section that channels The Mamas & The Papas with lush, blissfully layered harmonies:

I’m good up til “win or lose it” but I don’t know if anyone could have heard “into the soul”. I’m not so sure it matters much, but the suggestion seems to be that love continues whether or not you ���win or lose” love. That no matter if you are wrong, love is stable, constant. Wait, where have I heard that before?

Generally, I find Back Seat of My Car to be the strangest one for John to think was directed at him (and Yoko?). It’s just so big and sweeping and wasn’t Paul and Linda the one who did the joyriding? But that whole we believe that we can’t be wrong really got to him. He mentions it a lot, sometimes attributing the line to him and Yoko and other times to Paul and Linda about them (”well I believe that you could possibly be wrong!“). It’s a real hangup for John around this time, the idea that Paul is always right and he is wrong. Seeing Paul’s predictive powers, I can see how infuriating it would be after a while, and how comforting it would be to have people around you who counter that, to tell you “no, you are right and he’s wrong.” How it’d make you dig your heels in and work hard to get people off the McCartney bandwagon.

There’s a whole gibberish sounding section not picked up in the printed lyrics that sounds like “everyone’s tried to love her” or “i’m gonna try to love her” sung at an auctioneer’s pacing. You could possibly read something into that depending on what you hear.

Here’s another mention of “my way” after “highway”, suggestive of the idiom “my way or the highway”. The second half of the “looking for a ride” lines I can’t hear even with the lyrics:

“and all I found” would have been my guess.

But if you’re taking everything else as a sexual taunt, looking for a ride could hold a double meaning.

The climatic ending of the song and album is the height of choosing your own way and building your own world:

We believe that we can’t be wrong

A brash assertion of confidence in your own choices? A mocking condemnation of someone else’s choices? Or aggressive positivity to vanquish agonizing about whether you’re right or wrong? Like others on the album, it depends on how you look at it. But the first option fits with the overall album theme, with the third behind it as another layer.

There’s a snowglobe imagery to the feeling of this ending. Swirling and wondrous and heady but also contained and protective and isolated by design, living in this world you’ve built for yourself. You control it to a point while fearing what’s outside, the unpredictability of the future and the unknown of what’s waiting for you around the bend. 

Wrapup

Overall, there’s a story in the album themes. Starting with a declaration of independence and naming mistakes and ending with the denial of wrongness, suggesting your own. From John’s comments, we know he got that part. In between a conditional: if you choose wrong, love is long. Throughout, the main theme is strong, finding your own way and building a new life to push forward, which makes the cover less of a joke and more of an apt metaphor for a precisely crafted album. The pronouns look fairly consistent too, which is a big surprise to me: you are sending hearts around the bend, but she waits for me. There’s double meanings galore with possible sexual taunts as hidden daggers. But, above all, there is the repeated need for love that’s in alignment amidst confusion and miscommunication.

Will my lover love me still? (3 Legs)

Bring the love that you feel for me in line with the love I see (Eat At Home)

Do you love me like you know you ought to do? (Long-Haired Woman)

The trouble with any shared language is what may get lost from the communicator to the listener. If you get 9 out of 10 things but the 10th thing was important for understanding the other 9, the risk of misunderstanding is still huge. So I’m left wondering whether John listened to the album enough in those first 9 days to hear these lines before recording HDYS. He may have regretted venting his anger in more obvious public daggers than Paul’s more hidden ones the more he listened. By September, he knows the album well enough to sing an exact match on the spot.

Undoubtedly, John knew just where to hit because he knew Paul’s weaknesses. He shows that by dragging it into the public sphere. If Paul’s messages are directed at John but subtle or hidden, John’s messages are blatant as neon lights about Paul to the world. There’s an unevenness there that makes us uneasy.

By focusing on John brandishing the dagger so obviously in one song, it’s easy to miss the hidden daggers in Ram along the gems. A concealed dagger can do the same damage. But the overall theme of needing a constant unwavering love is one they ultimately shared, signalling a place where they could find common ground once the anger cleared.

[eteisvalssi]

finally got back home ik this joke is getting old but thankfully sara didn’t also want to stop the buses today because i would’ve been stuck in tampere otherwise and i finally have time to watch umk so i decided to write down some thoughts from the whole experience

- tampere as a host city was perfect. we didn’t have time to do anything before the event but the whole city looked so beautiful in purple light

- we arrived there at 7pm i think and there was almost no line to the floor seats, but the third floor was jam-packed with ppl bc all the activities and restaurants were there

- when we went to check our seats, they didn’t exist 🤠 we asked a staff member about it and they were like yeah we had to move your seats due to safety reasons, but you can pick a seat from this row that’s multiple rows back from your original seat. i’m now in the process of figuring out if our new seats were from a section with lower-priced tickets because if they were, i don’t really think sitting on the same row as some important people really made for the value lost

- the pre-show was great! the dance performance was good and we had so much fun singing along to all the songs they were playing while waiting for the actual show to start

- ylivoimainen/hoida mut mashup was indeed very kuumaa 🔥ylivoimainen was my most played song ever on spotify until a certain slovenian band took over and i love that they brought them back

- kuori mua. the song itself is fun and it really grew on me before umk, but sini was not the strongest singer that night and the staging was not my taste. wig snatched though

- dancing with demons. i liked this song, but idk why it feels so dated to me. susanna is a great vocalist though!

- glow. we were instructed to put our flashlights on for this song. this is a song that would’ve done better at melodifestivalen. it’s a bop and the most danceable out of all the songs and could become a huge hit this summer

- vox populi. i had mixed feelings about this one. i like it as a song, it’s catchy and i love nublu’s voice, but something in it feels a bit off. also the staging just wasn’t working.

- paskana. this reminded me too much of tattoo. she did give a great performance and she’s a very good singer, though pitchy at some points. deserved the jury points though.

- mania. the one that surprised me the most! the staging looked good live and even though he’s not the strongest singer of this year’s artists, his live vocals still surprised me in a good way.

- no rules. when they brought in the jegg and hung up the jorts, i didn’t know what to expect, but this was definitely not it. i didn’t like the song when it first came out, but the performance itself made it the best song that night and it deserved the win.

- the yle app didn’t even let me in when i wanted to vote :(

- pilvi’s performance. i’m not even exaggerating when i say that we just stood there with our mouths open for like half the song because we couldn’t believe we were witnessing such a bop. i’d heard pilvi sing before because she actually starred in a musical in my hometown before she became well known but i didn’t remember she was that good

- katri helena is a legend ❤️ ngl hittiputki has ruined me because i was just waiting for someone to sing señorita por favor after that 💀

- when they started announcing the international jury votes there was suddenly a huge camera right in front of us and at that point we realized that the people who sat next to us were the ones announcing the spanish and swedish votes (btw thobias seems so sweet! he was so excited when they announced the winner!). i was also worried that the camera would block my view from seeing joker out giving the points but luckily they went away for that 😂

- ruoska!!! it’s a banger and worked well on stage. at the end of this häärijä walked right in front of us wrapped in something dark and i didn’t even notice it before my friend was like omg was that häärijä 😂

- cha cha cha! loved seeing all of the dancers and it looked amazing on stage with the pyros and the lights and it actually got me kinda emotional

- the results were kinda surprising, but not really. i didn’t even think of windows95man as a contender for the win before that day, but hearing how much the audience cheered for him just when he was entering the green room before the show was kinda telling

- the afterparty was nice, imo there were too many people but what can you do when suddenly all of finland loves eurovision. there was music and some of the artists came to sing for us, we saw the winners and keira from last year!

- there were so many youtubers and influencers and other celebs i feel like everywhere i looked there was someone whose face i recognized

- at one point we went to the bathroom and just when i closed the door i heard the words mi bomo celo noč plesali and immediately ran back to the dancefloor by myself 😂

all in all it was a great event! me and my friend had so much fun and there was lots to do and see. hope to be there next year too :)

[artemismatchalatte]

Rules: Tag 10 people you want to get to know better

Tagged by @burningvelvet. Thank you for inviting me to the tag game! :)

Relationship Status: Currently single and I'm working on trying to build up my life so I can date.

Favorite Color: To wear is red though I also really like purple. I have more purple accessories but I wear most colors. I have many colorful outfits.

Song Stuck In My Head: Love by Lana Del Rey but there are others that can play on command in my head if I hear the title/the band.

ABBA, Meg & Dia, Emilie Autumn, Flyleaf, Avril Lavigne and Skillet are some artists that I have looping in my head often.

Last Song I Listened To: Cheater, Cheater by Joey and Rory (my spotify was on shuffle)

I like country probably more than people would expect but I am more of a pop/dance queen though. I have made Eurovision playlists in the past.

Three Favorite Foods: Pears, Potatoes (in many forms), and Greek salads or wraps. But I love most food in general. I'm not a super picky eater. I like to cook and make baked goods. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Last Thing(s) I Googled: Pharmacy hours because I had to pick up more medication.

I also looked up an actor's age because my sister and I were trying to figure out how old he was (she was right or close- I thought he was younger- he's on one of my mom's shows). I'm usually the go to googler for my family, especially when they ask about actors or actresses in movies and tv shows we watch.

Links to my college's website, goodreads, storygraph, youtube and list challenges. I'm making more reading lists on list challenges (again).

Sorry it's nothing too interesting lately. My YouTube searches are probably more interesting but only marginally so. I'm not at school or working on any research projects currently so my searches are very basic right now.

Dream Trip: Japan. I'd like to go with close friends and/or family members though since it would be a big deal to go that far. I've been following a japan travel vlog by a woman who lives there. She shows all kinds of cafes and other fun places to go. You can watch/follow her vlog here: https://www.youtube.com/@its_time_to_travel

I'd love to be able to go to some of the places she's featured on her blog. It would be the trip of a lifetime! I'd be sure to try to learn some Japanese first too since I'm visiting their country and that seems polite to do. I know a few random words but can't read or write anything or even hold a conversation.

If I can't go to Japan, I'd love to go back to either Germany or England, but to the parts I didn't visit since there are tons of places in both those countries I've never been too. I really want to go to Haworth (The Bronte Sister's hometown), since I'm a Bronte fan and I've focused some of my grad studies on their works.

This is a tag post so I'm tagging:

@paperbackpropensity, @thatwritererinoriordan, @oh2e, @yeahwellshithappens, @autumnbell32, @writingf3, @windermerepoets13, @melusinah, @girlonedge and whoever else wants to do this! :)

[akwardlyuncool]

Wild Rivers Sidelines Tour 2022

Ft: Violet Skies

Venue:

The Summit Music Hall (Officially called “The Summit.”

(09.16.2022)

Stats:

1st time seeing Wild Rivers

1st time seeing Violet Skies

Friend Stats:

2nd show with the lovely Emma. (Technically the first full show we’ve been to together cause the first was a Warped Tour (date I can’t remember) that we met up with each other, but I stayed the whole day and she did not. 

Photo Notes:

All photos taken by me!

It starts with Violet Skies’ set and then goes into Wild Rivers. Also I’m not drinking, drinking in that bathroom picture, I’m just finishing off my Liquid Death (expensive can water) while I have a post concert outfit photo shoot.

PS: I had an abundance of photos once again, so check out the Akward Side Blog for more photos from the show and just that day.

Hey Why Not:

I’d heard about this show and was excited, but wasn’t going to go or rather I wasn’t sure about going. It was like “you like 3 songs, is that enough?” Later on when planning for shows that I was sure about I asked my friend Emma if she wanted to go with me and she was down. Tentative plans were made, but I  ended up buying tickets the day the venue announced a low ticket warning and she was luckily able to do the same. I dragged my feet on this one, but it all worked out in the end. The deciding factor was me walking around the world singing “Thinking ‘Bout Love” for the last 2 years and figured it deserved a live listen.

The Early Bird Gets “2nd” In Line:

After getting my friend out of bed and out of the house earlier than she would have chosen for herself, we went downtown for a decent lunch from the place that I always says disappoints me. This time it was alright but the firecracker fries or whatever they’re called, did truly have a kick and now I understand why I never got them before, they never come with your meal already. It should be a crime to have burgers or chicken tenders or whatever on a bar menu and it not automatically come with a fries or onion rings.

Anyway what I thought was late (like always) but was actually fairly early. We ended up being “second” in line, as there was a whole group ahead of us that had been following the tour for a couple dates already. I thanked my friend for braving the heat and the sidewalk multiple times, to which the reward ended up being meeting Khalid and Andrew (2 members of the band) outside of the venue beforehand, getting barricade standing spots and those chef’s kiss (in my opinion) photos I was able to take by just being up there.

Violet Skies Featuring Kyndyl On The Keys and Background Vocals:

In preparing for this show I found out that I actually knew who Violet Skies was based off of one song that Spotify recommended to me several years ago, which meant I didn’t feel too out of the loop on her, like some opening acts I’ve seen on other tours. I kinda learned “I’ll Buy A House” as well, but we all know the songs you prepare yourself with rarely make it to the setlist. That being said it didn’t matter that I only really knew “Is She Gonna Be There” cause the whole set was fantastic. Any line or chorus that I could hold onto I did and she just looked so cool up there, like do you see that outfit?! “The Internet” and “Never Be Cool” were standouts in the set list though for sure. AND THE LIGHTING COLORS?!  Emma said it was her favorite performance of the night.

WILD RIVERS:

I did some runs of the Sidelines album and just Wild Rivers in general leading up to the show, but still thought I was gonna be hella rusty, when in fact I knew more than I thought I did. Again the stage lighting really set the vibe and the mood for the entire show and it just helped with the overall flow of their set perfectly. Some of the best lighting as an accessory at a show I’ve ever been to. Beyond lighting though, everything else was just great and I had so much fun being in that crowd. When you’re just vibing, feeling good and the crowd is good company, the show is so much better. This wasn’t a show with a bunch of distractions or extra noise. It truly felt like the people who were there, actually wanted to be there. (Still heard a little bit of noise from the way back at the beginning of the night, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the Joy Oladokun show. At this point I think there’s something wrong with this particular venue’s sound, especially during the openers.)

They played “Amsterdam” early on which set things up for me to not struggle through the set. “Safe Flight” and “Long Time” were top notch live. I love those songs on the album, but live you get all the extra feels and story that come with them too. There were a couple covers thrown in there as well, something I never typically mind at a show. Dropping a non-Complicated Avril Lavigne track with “I’m With You” was much liked by the crowd, however if you ask the crowd for a song to cover and you go with The Backstreet Boys, which they did, you’re going with the safest choice and I wish we as fans/audience members would use our powers better going forward. PS: That’s not a dig on The Backstreet Boys or Wild Rivers, that’s just me saying can we find a new safe option.

The encore of course was “Thinking Bout’ Love” and my heart was just so happy. I took a video clip and I was just as loud as the band, so much so that it’s mainly just a video with me and the crowd as the main audio, with Wild Rivers as background vocals. This is what makes an encore for me and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The End Of The Night:

I should have gotten a picture with Khalid and Andrew (of Wild Rivers) before the show cause they didn’t come out afterwards, but it’s a lot more common during these particular times to not always come out at the end. Plus the show was sold out, so that is a real factor as well. That being said we did however get to meet Violet and Kyndyl at the merch table. They were both wonderful and very sweet. I’m already ready for them to come back.

I highly recommend y’all check out “If I Saw You Again” Violet’s latest album. It’s so good. If you need more cool, British, pop in your life, this is my nod!

[headmaestro]

Gideon's Tale: Where Music Begin | Prelude.

As time marches forward, the Maestro conducts a symphony of love, each note serves a testament to the passage of time and the beauty of fleeting moments.

CHAPTER ONE: The First Movement ♪ .. || “Thus now, the orchestra stirs into a new movement—a symphonic rebirth,” whispered, GIDEON ZEPHYR.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ [ . . . ]

Foresee, crafting a love story as timeless as a classic tune, JAY PARK for the MAIN COMPOSITION and PARK SUNGHOON, LEE HEESEUNG, CHOI SAN and SONG MINGI as his SIDE COMPOSITIONS. Mingled—casting a soft glow that illuminated the stage, where an aura lingered of a LEGAL 22+ took part.

The lead drives the strings of your heart to be plucked, as he strives onto the stage filled with a symphony of emotions, seamlessly transitioning between roles of LOVER, FRIEND, and FAMILY. Composed by several sonnets of BXG and BXB connections in his lyrical tone as DOMINANT.

The head maestro remarked, “The audience is buzzing. Let’s give them something to remember, 'shall we?” Just as that, pure confidence showed on the SCORPIO's bright eyes, resembling his true nature of an ENFP.

Merely heard by the crowd—the sound of rustling pages filled the air, a gentle reminder of the music yet to come. He greeted the audience not only in musical gestures, but also through alluring INDONESIA, BILINGUAL, and ENGLISH resonance of pitch.

Dedicated to the echoes filled in the hearts of all who had been fortunate enough to listen as he indicated his care through a gentle touch of QUALITY TIME and PHYSICAL TOUCH harmonizing with the sounds around.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⋆⋆✮♪♫♪✮⋆⋆

CHAPTER TWO: The Entrancing Melodies Unfold ♪ .. || “Remember, every note we play is a part of our story. Let's make the best of our performance,” uttered, The Head Maestro. The notes carry on to every Maestro's AVAILABILITY:

♬ ) All basic services, Stay Up Late (ask first), Movie date (Rave), Listening date (Rave, Discord and Spotify), Ciggs date, Food date, Public Display Affection.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⌞ A charmer so alluring, controlled, yet deeply, unshakably alive.⌝

CHAPTER THREE: Gentle Melodies Savored ♪ .. || “ It was a heartbeat, a breath shared between us all,” remarked, The Head Maestro. Which means, a new INTRODUCTION has finally opened in our shared chapter.

Hello, my dear one. Let me introduce myself. I'm Gideon Zephyr, or you can call me Deon for short. And maybe you can give me a special petname? i'm down for anything. As an ENFP, I'm a friendly, talkative person with a great sense of humor. I love spending quality time with my partner and making them feel special. I'm also a soft dominant personality who enjoys taking care of my loved ones. If you're looking for someone into lovey dovey and dramatic type, i'm the one for you.

Music is a big part of my life. I listen to a variety of genres, including K-pop, Jazz, Rock and others. Some of my favorite artists are DAY6, ATEEZ, Pomplamoose, Slipknot and Bring Me the Horizon. As you can see, I'm into band and instrument, we can talk about music all day long. Besides that I'm also an anime and marvel fan, let's watch movie together!

I'm open-minded and always up for new experiences. I enjoy trying new things and exploring different activities. I'm also a good listener and always there to support my partner. If you're looking for a fun and loving partner, I'm here for you. Let's be my lover and create amazing memories together!

[musicarenagh]

Andrew Caryl Soars in 'Secret Place' with Human Without Gravity Okay, music lovers, I have a special one for you today - the details about “Secret Place,” this new spooky, but gorgeously moving track. It is a work of Andrew Caryl and a talented artist from Belgium, Human Without Gravity, whose real name is Lieselotte Verrecas. With its focus on peace and solitude, “Secret Place” captures the desire each of us has for an oasis from the rigors of life. Lieselotte sings the most heavenly operatic soprano over these fat booming piano notes that wrap around your head like a blanket. It’s their musical therapy, the medicine for the ears, you feel me? The story of the song is so familiar too. Lieselotte was a resident of a big city that was full of noise and she began to yearn for quiet. In her own words, “I always thought, ‘I wish I had a secret place. ’ . . . ” And that was the inception of this heart-touching piece. Andrew’s brilliant mixing and mastering enhance Lieselotte’s poetic, reflective lyrics, and the songs’ healing nature is undeniable. When I spoke with dude, he shared with me all of the juicy details : his numerous musical inspirations, his foray into the production booth, his opinion on how the music business is moving. You’re going to want to hear what Andrew has to say and how he and Lieselotte harnessed that desire for calm in creating their new musical sanctuary. Don’t miss the opportunity to go behind the scenes of “Secret Place”. Listen to Secret Place below https://open.spotify.com/track/5phUuphjNkJyfD68y03jlm Follow Andrew Caryl on Facebook Twitter Spotify Soundcloud Youtube Instagram Tiktok What is your stage name Andrew Caryl Human Without Gravity (Human Without Gravity is the artist on this track, and Andrew Caryl is the co-writer and producer. The questions are being answered by Andrew Caryl) Where do you find inspiration? As a producer first and an artist second, I mainly look for artists and songs that are what I refer to as "within the 4 chords" - a reference to the spaces just 'outside the box' If you place a square inside of a circle so that the corners of the square touch the inside edges of the circle, you end up with 4 semi-circular spaces surrounding the square. In the world of mathematics, each of these spaces is called a chord. I find that songs and artists that fit into these spaces - not middle-of-the-road pop-hit stuff, but also not way out there either. That is hard to find. That is what inspires me. It's not about genre. It's about finding a unique sound in a world full of copycats. When I find them. I jump at the opportunity to produce them. [caption id="attachment_55947" align="alignnone" width="1080"] I find that songs and artists that fit into these spaces - not middle-of-the-road pop-hit stuff, but also not way out there either.[/caption] What was the role of music in the early years of your life? I started playing trumpet when I was around 8 years old. That was influenced by my grandfather, who was a big fan of Dixie-land jazz. My mother was the president of the Barry Manilow fan club, so we went to a lot of Barry Manilow concerts. As a reward for my tolerance of all that, she would let me pick a show from time to time that I wanted to see. I'm dating myself a bit here, but some of my first concerts were KC & The Sunshine Band, Iron Maiden, Kraftwerk, and Howard Jones - a crazy wide love of music across multiple genres. By my early teens, I had discovered electronic music. I studied music theory and composition at university. I have been writing and producing ever since. Are you from a musical or artistic family? Not really. There aren't any other musicians or artists in my family, but my parents and grandparents were massive fans of music. Their love of everything from jazz to rock really influenced me. It helped me understand that just because I don't 'like' a song or an artist doesn't mean it isn't good. It taught me to listen to everything with an open mind.

Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry? My old friend Steve Thompson. He is also a musician and former band-mate. He reached out in 2020 during covid. We all had plenty of time on our hands, and he thought we should get a remote/virtual band together and record cover songs for fun. He called it 'The Distance Blues Project'. We recorded a few songs that summer. It forced me to get my 'chops' back on the keyboard. It inspired me to start writing again. This is when everything took off. I started meeting some really talented singers and other producers and working with them. I found that what I really loved was the technical aspect of music production. So I dove in head first. I'm still learning. Everyone is still learning. But after landing a song as a finalist in a pretty large songwriting competition, I gained a lot of confidence that I was good at it. This all started with a phone call from Steve in early 2020. How did you learn to sing/write/to play? I'm not proficient at playing any instrument. I can play just enough keys or guitar to accomplish what I need. I don't really sing much, but when I do, it's a style I developed a long time ago. I think I have a terrible voice. So I had to find a way to create a sound that would work and would sound cool. So, when I do sing, it sounds a bit like Trent Reznor but with more distortion. Mostly, I rely on working with other singers who can actually sing! What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform? I'm dating myself again here! The first concert I ever attended was Barry Manilow because my mother used to take me to every Manilow show she could get to. But the first concert I ever bought a ticket to was KC & The Sunshine Band. My first record was a gift from my grandparents: Johnny Cash's 'Live at San Quentin.' I have a huge love of music across all genres. How could you describe your music? 'Secret Place' with Human Without Gravity, for a moment. Lieselotte (Human Without Gravity) writes melancholic pop music about being human and the disappointment that often comes with being human. She's very introspective. With songs like 'Greed', 'Drinking Tea With Demons', 'Storm' and 'Secret Place', she has a voice that pulls you in and makes you listen to what she has to say. Describe your creative process. I always start a song with a beat or melody that I love. Then I build around it. When I create something that seems to be working, I'll then start thinking about the subject matter, lyrics, etc. and build out the rest of the production. Depending on how the song evolves, the genre, etc. I'll then start looking for a singer. Or, in the case of my personal projects as Darren Vader or dilemma sect, I'll record the vocals myself. [caption id="attachment_55945" align="alignnone" width="1503"] Human Without Gravity, whose real name is Lieselotte Verrecas[/caption] What is your main inspiration? Nature. Mother nature is fascinating. Full of beauty. And full of life. And full of mathematics. Everything comes down to numbers and patterns. I really get inspired during those rare moments when I can sit in silence in a quiet place outdoors. Just last week, I was on a pretty secluded beach. The wind and waves. Man, it's so rhythmic and soothing. The same thing happens in the forest. I love sitting alone in the forest. The wind flows through the trees. It's truly musical; and magical. Those are the times that I come up with the best ideas. What musician do you admire most and why? This is a tough one. I admire so many. But right now I;d have to say it's a tie between Post Malone and Tayler Swift. Yes, both in the pop genre. or country. I guess that depends on the day of the week. But that's what I love and admire about them. Post Malone was able to to bring his fans into hip-hop, pop, and country music all at the same time. I really love that he doesn't have to pigeon hole himself into a single genre. he's teaching listeners that genre doesn't really matter. I think that is awesome.

Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career? Absolutely. My early songs sucked so bad. I mean really bad. And the production. wow. so bad. And it was very stiff and electronic. I learned to produce with a more human feel as I developed my own sound as a writer and performer. I started listening to everything. For a while, I couldn't figure out how to rectify my love of everything and turn it into a production process that made any sense. But now I think I am figuring that out and am developing a production style that I like. Who do you see as your main competitor? I don't think about 'competition' at all. Everyone is unique and everyone brings something great to the table. So I don't think about it as competition. In fact, collaboration is the key in today's music industry. If you are collaborating and making friends in the industry, you probably won't get very far. It's not just about business either. It's about human connection and understanding that we all have great things within us. Everyone has a unique view that can make a project great. What are your interests outside of music? I love to travel. I love meeting people and experiencing new cultures and ways of life. I also love college football and motorsports. If it wasn't a music career, what would you be doing? I'd probably be a magician or a circus clown. Maybe a river rafting guide or an interior decorator. So many possibilities! What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music? Income. It's really hard to make a living in the music business. It's become a lot harder with the advent of streaming services and the lowering of the attention spans of the younger folks. Everything with the fans who buy music is increasingly driven by social media. They don't seem to be experimenting with new music nearly as much as I did when I was younger. They prefer to only listen to what their friends are also listening to. This makes it harder to build a fan base and breakthrough as a new artist. If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be? I would get rid of music streaming. Sure, it provides a platform for anyone to release music, but it has also completely changed the landscape of how an artist makes a living. https://open.spotify.com/artist/62jK2ts3UvjDcTzs8p5LQL?si=ldznDs1nQWqeTdJnaniQ6w Why did you choose this as the title of this project? 'Secret Place' was born through the experience that Lieselotte (Human Without Gravity) had while living in a big noisy city. In her words, "It was never quiet, which stressed me out because I really needed a place where I could find some peace. I always thought, 'I wish I had a secret place…' And that's how the song was born." What are your plans for the coming months? I hope to work with Human Without Gravity on another project very soon. in the mean time I am working on an EP with London-based artist Shea, an acoustic EP with Louisiana-based singer Richard Guidry, a couple of upcoming tracks with Florida-based singer Melanie Joy Wilpon, recording a new album with my alter ego 'dilemma sect' and focusing on projects for TV and film. Do you have any artistic collaboration plans You bet. I am always collaborating. I have projects in the works with Shea, Richard Guidry, Melanie Joy Wilpon, Okafuwa, Robbie Rosen, and Alessa, among others. I thrive on collaborations. What message would you like to give to your fans? I really love the folks who follow the music that I help create. If they follow me, then they have a wide range in musical tastes. I appreciate them so much! I always say "Don't let genre define you or what you like. Be you. Be yourself. Explore."

[concerthopperblog]

The Deathless Tour Featuring Set It Off, Crown The Empire, Caskets & DeathbyRomy

Set It Off has started The Deathless Tour with Crown The Empire, Caskets, and Deathbyromy. The tour includes 32 dates and began on March 13th. The group has also released two new singles titled "Parasite" and "Evil People" to get fans excited for what's next from the rock group. As the band was gearing up to go on tour, they released a third single titled "Fake Ass Friends" to further excite their fans. Stepping into the venue, a wave of excitement washed over me. It had been years since I had last been to Water Street Music Hall, back in my teenage years watching my friends perform with their bands. The line extended down the block, showing the anticipation and enthusiasm of the fans. The atmosphere was electric, evident in the excited faces of those entering the venue. Seeing the resurgence of this iconic place gives me hope for the music scene in Rochester, where opportunities to see live bands can limited.

Romy Flores, known by her stage name DeathbyRomy, is a talented singer-songwriter from the United States. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and started pursuing music professionally at the young age of 15. In 2019, Flores signed a contract with Capitol Records, a UMG company, for her upcoming project. Her debut single, "Problems," was released on October 4th, and it quickly went viral on TikTok, becoming her breakthrough hit. It has become her most-streamed song on platforms such as Spotify and YouTube. Flores's music explores themes of mental health struggles, expressed through her goth clothing style, makeup & songwriting. The theme of the interplay between life and death in Flores's music is influenced by her multicultural background, especially Mexican traditions, and beliefs, such as the Day Of The Dead. Romy & Team Dead, know how to perform, Romy Flores, the lead vocalist, possesses a truly mesmerizing voice. During one of their electrifying performances, Jayden Hammer, the incredible guitarist, surprised everyone by playing flawlessly and adding a unique touch by licking her guitar. DeathbyRomy, being the amazing artist she is, made sure their outfits were perfectly coordinated for their set. I must admit, before tonight, I hadn't had the pleasure of listening to their music, but I couldn't help myself from singing along to one of their catchy new songs, "2, 4, 6, 8,” which was also a live debut of this song. If you ever get an opportunity to see these talented individuals on tour, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

There's a band called Caskets, and they are crushing it in the music scene. They're from Leeds and have created their brand of alternative, post-hardcore-inspired Metal that is nothing short of electrifying. If you're looking for a band that will get your adrenaline pumping and your heart racing, look no further than Caskets. Trust me, you won't be disappointed! Get ready to have your mind blown! Well, some fans did end up being disappointed with this band. They could not make a bunch of dates on the tour due to an issue with their visas. The band posted a statement and updates on their Instagram regarding the situation (Click Here to read the statement) If you are going to any of the tour dates listed below with a * Caskets will be there!

Crown The Empire is a metalcore band hailing from Dallas, Texas. They've been around since 2010 and are made up of some seriously talented musicians - Andrew "Andy Leo" Rockhold on vocals, Brandon Hoover on guitar, Hayden Tree on bass, and Jeeves Avalos on drums. I recently discovered that they are signed to Rise Records and have released five studio albums. Their latest album, Dogma, dropped on April 28, 2023. Pretty cool, huh? I have been a fan of the band Crown The Empire for some time now. I have been listening to their music since they released their album The Fallout in 2012. Recently, I found myself listening to their album Sudden Sky, released in 2019, and singing along to their song "BLURRY (Out Of Place)" quite often because the lyrics are very catchy. I had the opportunity to see them perform live at the Vans Warped Tour some years back. Their amazing stage presence completely blew me away and I love how they interacted with the crowd. In my opinion, Crown The Empire is one of the best live acts out there, and worth checking out. Before Crown The Empire even stepped foot on stage, the fans & I were ready for them to perform. We were all eagerly awaiting their performance. The band treated us to a mix of their latest hits like “BLURRY (Out Of Place) and beloved classics such as “The Fallout”, but before diving into their setlist, they decided to pull a playful prank on the audience and Rick rolled everyone. It was a hilarious start to the show. As the first notes of "Dogma" filled the venue, Andy Leo, the lead vocalist, unleashed an incredible amount of energy. He passionately belted out the lyrics to each song, his voice echoing through the air, while simultaneously leaping and bounding across the stage, igniting an even greater level of excitement among the fans.

Set It Off is a rock trio that hails from Tampa, Florida, and was formed in 2008 by singer Cody Carson. Carson began the band's career on YouTube and quickly gained a large following. The band released a few EPs, including Calm Before The Storm and Baby, You Don't Tripajaharda, before signing with Equal Vision Records. A few years after signing to Equal Vision Records, the band switched to Fearless Records in 2019. However, Set It Off ultimately decided to break the trend of being tied to a label and announced in 2023 that they had gone independent. The performance by Set It Off was fantastic, I was blown away by the way they had the stage set up, especially with Maxx Danziger (drums) positioned on a riser that gave the illusion of him being inside the "monster" featured on the tour poster. It was a visually stunning setup that added a whole new dimension to their performance. Throughout the night, Set It Off played a total of 18 songs, ending the show on a high note. The addition of Romy Flores to perform "Partners In Crime" was a pleasant surprise, adding an extra layer of excitement to the performance. And who could forget Cody's daring move of crowd-surfing on an air mattress during "Ancient History" - a moment that truly showcased their energy and connection with the audience. One of the things that sets Set It Off apart is their incredible crowd interaction and stage presence. It's clear that they genuinely enjoy performing and engaging with their fans, creating a memorable experience for everyone in the audience. The moment when Cody and Maxx switched spots towards the end of the set was a brilliant move, showcasing their versatility and talent as musicians.

Keep an eye out for their upcoming live performance! You wouldn't want to miss this one-of-a-kind experience. Luckily, there are still plenty of shows remaining and the tour will be hitting a city near you soon. Trust us, it's a show you won't want to miss! To stay in the loop, make sure to follow Concert Hopper’s Instagram and Facebook pages for all the latest updates. Happy hopping!

Sun Mar 31 – Detroit, MI – St Andrew’s Hall*

Mon Apr 01 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues*

Wed Apr 03 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore Minneapolis*

Fri Apr 05 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant*

Sat Apr 06 – Kansas City, MO – The Truman*

Sun Apr 07 – Denver, CO – Summit*

Tue Apr 09 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot*

Wed Apr 10 – Garden City, ID – Revolution Concert House and Event Center*

Mon Apr 13 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory*

Sun Apr 14 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom*

Tue Apr 16 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom*

Thu Apr 18 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades*

Fri Apr 19 – Riverside, CA – Riverside Municipal Auditorium*

Mon Apr 22 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren*

Tue Apr 23 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues*

Thu Apr 25 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues*

Fri Apr 26 – Austin, TX – Emo’s*

Sat Apr 27 – Houston, TX – House of Blues*

Mon Apr 29 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl*

Sun Apr 30 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone*

[chorusfm]

Liner Notes (March 2nd, 2024)

In this week’s newsletter, I talk about my experience at the Fall Out Boy and Jimmy Eat World concert. That takes up most of it, but there’s also some commentary on books and movies I’ve seen recently. This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here. If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here. A Few Things * The Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World, and The Maine tour started this week, and as fate would have it, Portland happened to be the very first date. Now, just looking at those bands, you have to ask yourself: could there be a tour more perfectly created specifically for me? Doubtful. Very doubtful. The show was on Wednesday night at the sold-out Moda Center. And that, by itself, was one of the coolest things of the entire night. I remember seeing this band open in Portland at venues that could maybe fit 200 people in them if the fire marshal looked the other way. To see them packing the fucking basketball arena? This put a smile on my face just reading the “Sold Out” sign out on the marquee. It was a rainy evening, so our trek began outside, getting cold and wet. The crowd was a mix of elder emos, many adorning the attire of their youth (eyeliner and studded belts aplenty), many bringing their kids, and a spattering of younger fans, similar in age to when I first discovered this band. Wide-eyed, huddled with friends, some looking like they were experiencing their very first concert. After spending too much money on beer, we made our way to our seats as Daisy Chain made their way through their opening set. It was loud. Not just “I’m almost 41” loud but “my Apple Watch is screaming at me that I’m about to lose my fucking hearing if I don’t get out of there immediately” loud. Thankfully, we brought earplugs. (And here’s where I once again sing the praises of Earasers.) Daisy Chain sounded good and had a solid stage presence. The crowd started trickling in and looked about 75% full by the time their set ended. While the stage crew ran around setting things up, I spent some time people-watching. I continue to be amazed at how many people attempt to sit in other people’s seats, only to be kicked out when they arrive or an usher asks to see their tickets. Next up was the band I was sort of secretly the most excited to see, The Maine. They were the only band on the bill I’d never seen before, and their run from American Candy through their latest self-titled album is out-of-this-world impressive. It’s a five-album run that I’d put up against almost any other five-album run in the music scene at this point. Lovely Little Lonely and the self-titled album are up there as some of my favorite albums, period, of the last fifteen years. And, I must say, they absolutely crushed it live. It was an eight song set full of crowd pleasers and, based on the reaction of people around me, I think they won over some new fans. (I saw multiple people queuing up the band on Spotify.) Energetic, fun, and lots of crowd participation (John jumped into the front seats for a while and brought a fan on stage to sing), and they sounded dynamic, tight, and lively. The vocals were mixed a little low, but that propulsive energy of the setlist more than made up for it. This band deserves all the success in the world, and I could not be happier for them to land this spot. I hope they continue to wow audiences on this leg of the tour, and if you’ve, for some reason, slept on them up to now, I highly recommend you grab their latest album and start working your way backward — it’ll be gratifying. Coming off the high of seeing one of my favorite bands of the last ten years, we move right into arguably my favorite band of all time. Jimmy Eat World. Icons. Legends. Titans. For my money, the greatest combination of melody, lyrical prowess, and alternative rock our scene’s ever produced. Their live show is a lot like their music, mostly no frills. They let the music do the talking, and they play their set with… https://chorus.fm/features/articles/liner-notes-march-2nd-2024/

[theindietrumpeter]

Commercial Trumpet Playing

‘Commercial trumpet playing’ wasn’t in my vocabulary when I was studying. As far as I was concerned you were either ‘classical’ or ‘jazz’ and I didn’t feel like I fit into either category, I was just ‘a trumpet player’. Years after I’ve left university most of the work I have done has been Indie, Rock, Pop, Country, even Symphonic Metal. It wasn’t the path I chose, it chose me and I am a self-professed commercial trumpet player.

‘What is a ‘commercial trumpet player’?’ some of you may be asking. Put simply, it is a trumpet player who plays music that isn’t classical or jazz… however, they may also play classical and/or jazz as part of what they do. There is a bit more to it than that but that’s the essence.

A commercial player will be able to switch genres and styles at the drop of a hat and, not only will they be able to play those styles, they will be able to do so convincingly and consistently. I think (although don’t quote me on it) that the days of back-to-back recording sessions, TV shows, radio shows and club dates have dwindled to basically nothing, however, for the diligent and consistent trumpet player, there is work to be had if you know where to look.

Before looking for the work though, you need to be ready. You need to know your genres and be able to play convincingly in those genres. The first step to playing convincingly is listening and lots of it. Create playlists on Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music of songs from each genre - particularly ones with horn sections in. Get online and see if you can find transcriptions of the songs so you can play along or, even better, create your own transcriptions as this is a super useful skill to have as a trumpet player. If a song doesn’t have a horn section grab some manuscript paper and create one or, even better, improvise one. I’m not talking improvised solos, I’m talking ‘on the fly’ pads, stabs and riffs. Give it a try!

In addition to listening there are a few books out there to help you learn about playing in different genres. I’ve used both of these a lot and think they’re great. As usual, no links because I don’t want to play favourites but get hold of the following:

Eric Murine, The Progressive Guide to Commercial Trumpet Playing. It’s downloadable, legally, for free. Murine covers Blues, Soul, Motown, Bebop, Funk, Funky Soul and Pop. In each chapter there are 2 exercises and a duet based on music in that style, a suggested listening list and there is a 14 week plan and a 7 month plan to cover all of the material. As it is Murine’s doctoral thesis (don’t let that scare you off) there is also extra information and interviews included too.

Tiger Okoshi & Charles Lewis, Berklee Practice Method: Trumpet. Available in hard copy from various retailers, this book comes with a CD and covers Rock, Blues, Blues Swing, Funk, Light Funk, Hard Rock, Bossa Nova and Stop Time. Each chapter has sections on Technique/Theory, Learning the Groove, Improv and Reading as well as a daily practice routine. The really great thing about this book is the fact that it marries up with the books for the other instruments so you can work on playing together as a horn section or even a full band. It’s a solid investment.

Between these two publications you should have everything covered in terms of genres. I like to complement these in the practice room with fundamentals written with modern playing in mind. Clarke, Schlossberg and Arban are great but they don’t really cater to the needs of the modern player. To help with this Clint ‘Pops’ McLaughlin has rewritten the Arban and the Clarke - both are available on his website.

It might be a bit of a placebo thing but I actually prefer modern books that have been written with commercial players in mind. I use The Beast Series by Matt Fronke, Modern Flexibilities for Brass by Scott Belck, Technical Studies for the Modern Trumpet Player by Pat Harbison and Randall Reyman’s Technical Drills and Duets for the Jazz/Commercial Trumpet Player to work on my fundamentals. I find they get me in the right mindset.

There is a pervading idea in the trumpet world that you need a certain sound to be a commercial player - bright, focussed and brilliant - and that may be true but you also need to be able to blend in with a section too, whether that’s in an orchestra, big band, pop band etc. so just be aware the sounds you are aiming for and think about how you can change it for different settings.

A quick note on gear because aren’t we all gearheads when it comes down to it…? You can play anything on any trumpet and get the sound you want, however, it’s not always efficient. Playing a 3 hour funk gig on a large bore horn would be a killer. Think about smaller bore horns for those gigs. If you’re not sure where to start Yamaha and Bach make ‘commercial’ trumpets - the YTR6335RC and the LT190L1B respectively - which might be worth having a blow on to see what works but remember that other horns can work just as well for you. The same can be said about mouthpieces… Bach produce a commercial mouthpiece in a variety of sizes and Warburton, Pickett-Blackburn and Patrick Mouthpieces all offer a range of ‘commercial’ backbores for their 2-piece mouthpieces and they are all available as one-piece mouthpieces too. Again, this is just a note, buying a horn and a mouthpiece just because it says commercial on it isn’t necessarily going to give you the sound you want or need… I am not saying go out and buy a new horn and mouthpiece combo. Take advice from your teacher or another trusted trumpet player before embarking on that journey.

My take away tips are:

Listen to a lot of music in a lot of genres.

Include the right things in your practice: different styles, sight reading, range.

Learn to write horn lines to songs - on paper and by ear. A good starting point is learning your pentatonic and blues scales. It will get you started but you will need to build on those pretty quickly.

[briamichellewrites]

57

Bria and Rob were in his small one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment. He had everything that needed to be packed and laid out on his bed. She watched him as he went through everything again. He was missing something, but he couldn’t remember what it was. Chester repellent? No, he had his headphones to tune him out. She encouraged him to take a break. Maybe it would come back to him. That was a good idea. He was hungry anyway.

The previous night, they hooked up at her place after going out to dinner. It felt like a real date. He was attracted to her, but he didn’t want to start something when he would be leaving for a month. That didn’t seem fair to her.

He would be back after their last show in Castle Donington, England on June fourteenth. That didn’t seem that long, but he would leave it up to her if she wanted to wait for him or not. She jokingly asked him where he was going to sleep since everything was on his bed. His shoulders fell since he hadn’t thought about that. He would just have to come back to her place again.

He grabbed a change of clothes and put it into an overnight bag. After grabbing everything, he followed her out to her car. She would have to give him a ride in the morning but they could figure that out later. For now, their focus was on food. He put his bag in the back before getting into the front with her. As they drove around looking for somewhere to eat, he brought up how they were going to be in Paris on November 16.

“You are? Oh my god! I’m going to have to fly out and see you guys!”

“Good. You can help us with our French. We will be doing fifteen shows with Of Mice and Men.”

“I know who that band is because I’ve heard them on Spotify, but I can’t remember any of their songs. I’ll probably recognize them when I hear it.”

Since it was illegal to use her phone while driving, he went to her app and found a song he thought she would recognize. She knew what it was by the opening chords. He went through to see what else she was listening to. It was a lot of indie with some Taylor Swift and Linkin Park. It was an interesting mix of music. He thought she would be into rock. She pretty much liked anything. That playlist was incomplete because she was still working on it.

They decided to eat at a restaurant that had vegan options. Mike was also getting ready to go back on tour. Ken was there with him helping him go through his list. He was forgetting something. Take a break. He had been packing for over an hour. They still had a week before he left. He was right. Ken pulled him downstairs and into the kitchen. He told him to sit while he made dinner.

“You will not step foot back upstairs until you’ve eaten”, he commended.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You get too focused sometimes and you need someone to pull you out.”

That was very true. He had a hard time letting go because he liked to finish something before starting a new project. It caused him to get frustrated and stressed out. As a child, he cried out of frustration because he was so tired. His mind couldn’t focus anymore but he wouldn’t feel accomplished until he finished what he started.

“Mike, it will be there tomorrow. It’s not going anywhere. Come back to it when you’re rested”, his mother told him.

He did. The solution he had been looking for was right there in front of him. His brain just needed to rest. As an adult, he had to remind himself to walk away for a while when he got frustrated or stressed out. While making dinner, he got up. Ken made sure he wasn’t going back upstairs to continue working. He laughed and told him he was going to the bathroom.

What am I going to do with you? He laughed. After coming back out a few minutes later, he sat down again. Bria and Rob were having fun talking and laughing. They each ordered a ramen. It was inexpensive, so he got the bill. They talked about dating when he got back in June. She was interested in that because she liked him. He liked her, too. What was she going to do while he was gone? She was thinking about adopting a kitten, but she had to ask Manuela about it. Why?

She just thought it was fair because she was her cleaner and she would likely have to work around it. How often did she clean her house? Just once a week. She was paid by her father’s estate. Her husband worked for BMW as an auto mechanic. They had two grown children, who also worked. She gave them extra money or gifts, like a handbag, clothes or wine.

She was also thinking about going to New York for a couple of weeks. They were supposed to spend a certain amount of time there. Otherwise, it would be considered abandoned property and could be listed. She was working with her assistant, Nicole about what she was going to keep and sell as far as her father’s things. It had taken six months before she could finally have her name on everything because it had to go through the court first.

“Probate law is tricky. There’s a lot of legal stuff.”

“What do you have? I’m just curious.”

“We have an apartment in the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, an apartment in Paris, a private jet, cars, and the house I’m living in. All of that had to go through the probate court. I can do whatever I want with all of it. I’m sounding like a rich brat. I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not. That kind of life seems interesting to me. It’s something you can only dream of.”

“You don’t drink. Otherwise, I would give you a bottle of wine.”

Nope, he didn’t. The offer sounded very tempting, though. After eating, he paid the bill. They then went back to her place. She gave him a grand tour. He liked the high ceilings. As a guy who was over six feet tall, he appreciated not worrying about hitting his head. He took her hand when they got to the indoor pool. They took their clothes off before jumping in. She swam over to him. He pulled her in and kissed her. This was possibly the most daring thing they had ever done.

He did it impulsively but he didn’t regret it. They backed up to the wall. He opened her legs before coming in between them. Mike and Ken were back upstairs. His stomach was full and his mind was clear. He figured out what he was forgetting. Headphones and a book. He felt accomplished! Now, he was ready. Was that worth stressing over? He laughed and admitted it wasn’t.

Ken came up behind him and kissed his cheek, making him laugh again. He put everything on the floor, so they could use the bed. Ken felt his phone vibrate, so he took it out. He excused himself because it was one of his kids. Rob finished inside her. He kissed her again before she swam away.

After a while, they got out. She found two towels for them. They dried off before getting dressed and heading back out to the living room. The towels were thrown in the laundry basket to be washed. He was falling in love every second he was with her. It was going to be hard leaving her, but he knew that she would be there when he got back.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon @fiickle-nia

[maneskinss]

Måneskin won Eurovision, then they took over the world

When tickets to Måneskin’s 2022 European tour went on sale, the members of the band placed bets on how long it would take to sell out the dates. “I was like, ‘OK, maybe one week.’ And (everyone) was like, ‘One week! That’s too little time! We need more time!’” says bassist Victoria de Angelis. “And after two hours, we saw our phones. We were like, ‘Fuck!’” The entire tour had sold out, with the Brixton Academy date selling out in 25 minutes.

Måneskin, meaning ‘moonlight’ in Danish (De Angelis is half-Danish), formed in Rome in 2015. David, De Angelis, and Raggi went to school together in Rome and found Torchio through Facebook. Having started out busking in the city’s streets, the group came second on Italy’s version of The X Factor in 2017, releasing their debut album Il Ballo Della Vita (The Dance of Life), a triple-platinum seller in Italy, the following year.

In March of this year, the band won Italy’s Sanremo contest, which meant they would go on to compete in Eurovision. Their song, “Zitti e Buoni”, with its blaring bass and wailing guitars, may have seemed an unlikely contender for the pop-friendly competition, but ended up taking home the top prize – making Måneskin the first Italian act to win the contest since 1990, and the first rock act since 2006.

Måneskin are dedicated to making rock music, favouring loud, gritty guitar, bass, and sprawling riffs, evoking the glam and classic-rock styles of decades past. Their influences include a mix of older and modern bands, including Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana, Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, the Sex Pistols, and Slaves. David says that he and his bandmates were drawn to the genre’s “energy and the fact that it allows you to express yourself in many, many different ways”.“It's not just a kind of music, it’s also an attitude,” says Torchio.

However, Måneskin were discouraged from making rock music throughout their career, as guitars fell out of favour with younger listeners. “We feel like we made everything by ourselves and I think that makes it even sweeter,” says David. “We had to fight a lot for what we believed in because everyone was telling us not to do it. But in the end, we did it and we did it to the top.”

Following their Eurovision victory, the band started to take off on TikTok, despite not being on the app themselves. The tag #maneskin now has more than four billion views. “I think that the cool part of TikTok is that any song can go viral, even after years,” says De Angelis, pointing to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” as an example.

Måneskin experienced that first-hand when their 2017 cover of The Four Seasons’ “Beggin’” blew up on the app this summer. The song has been used more than ten million times on TikTok, and claimed the top spot on Spotify’s Global Top 50 chart for four weeks.

The band members, who recorded the cover as teenagers during their X Factor run, have mixed feelings about the song’s success. “Of course we were really, really happy (with) what was going on but when we look at the picture on that song, and we hear the mix, we just think that many, many things could have been done better,” says David. “We were very (young) when we made it,” says De Angelis. “(Whereas now) we have other songs we wrote ourselves which we think were done better.” “And other clothes!” adds David.

Thankfully for the band, “Beggin’” – which David compares to “the cringey video that your parents show at Christmas dinner… but it’s global” – wasn’t the only song of theirs to perform well. Måneskin became the first Italian band to have two songs – “Beggin’” and “I Wanna Be Your Slave” – in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart simultaneously, with the songs peaking at six and five, respectively. Over the past year, charts and radio are proving more amenable to guitar-driven music and rock has surged in popularity, as pop artists like Miley Cyrus, Willow, and Olivia Rodrigo turn to the genre, with Måneskin becoming the leaders of rock’s resurgence.

It’s not a position the band take lightly. “We feel like we have the power and a huge number of people listening to us,” says David. “So we feel like we can do something meaningful and useful.” Måneskin are committed to using their platform to share their message of self-expression and to empower those who face discrimination. Says De Angelis: “Growing up in Italy, which can be a very narrow-minded and conservative country, we experienced a lot (of discrimination), especially in the music industry, with the way we look and everything. And so it’s just a thing that is part of us and that we feel we can speak about.”

Their latest album, Teatro D’Ira: Vol I, released in March, has a running thread of refusing to conform, with recent single “I Wanna Be Your Slave” subverting gender roles. But these messages also come through in the band’s glam style, which landed them a starring role in a recent campaign for Gucci. “We hope we can inspire people to dress as they want and to behave as they want in everyday life,” says David.

The members of Måneskin proudly challenge gender norms and encourage others to express their sexuality, taking a stand against homophobia. In June, David and Raggi shared a kiss on stage at the end of a performance in Poland, amid rising anti-LGBT sentiment in the country. “We think that everyone should be allowed to do this without any fear,” said David during the performance. “We think that everyone should be completely free to be whoever the fuck you want… Love is never wrong.” It’s a message which has helped them connect with fans around the world, according to De Angelis: “A lot of people tell us very meaningful things and that we are helping them in many ways and this is unbelievably precious for us.”

At the same time, there are many who don’t understand what Måneskin are trying to do, and act “like we were doing something that was too much, too weird, too freak,” says David. But the frontman points out that Måneskin aren’t the kind of band to let reactions like that faze them, instead using them as fuel for their latest track, “Mammamia”. “It’s about doing something great (which) people don’t want to understand and just (make) judgments and bad comments. But in a very funny way, of course. We made fun of haters, basically.”

The brash song, with tongue-in-cheek lyrics like, “They ask me why I’m so hot / ’Cos I’m Italiano,” was written soon after the band won Eurovision, and came together quickly. “From the first time, we were like, ‘Mamma mia, this is a good song!’” says Torchio.

It’s been a whirlwind year for the band, with their summer filled with festival performances including Global Citizen in Paris – a far cry from the streets of Rome they played as teenagers. When asked about what advice they’d give to their younger selves, De Angelis says, “Nothing. Do exactly what you did. But make a better picture for ‘Beggin’.”

x

[honeypiehotchner]

delicate -- Hotch x Reader one-shot

Here’s that one-shot I’ve been holding for a while! Named her delicate after Taylor Swift’s song, purely because of the whole “dive bar on the east side/where you at?” imagery. I listened to the Spotify Singles (acoustic) version of the song while writing this, if you wanna listen while you read! Enjoy!! xx.

Summary: Hotch doesn’t go to bars very often. Until he meets you at one.

Warnings: age gap (reader is somewhere around 24-25), mentioning of being safe at a bar (so alluding to date rape drugs), harassment from one drunk dickhead

Hotch Masterlist

Hotch doesn’t go to bars.

When he’s not on a case, working on paperwork for a case, or caring for his son, he’s normally asleep.

Not at a bar.

But some nights, the memories are too much. Some nights, the cases take a toll on him — especially the children that never made it back home to their parents.

He doesn’t know why he’s in a bar. The only time he comes is when the team goes out and wants to drag him with. It’s normally Dave who manages to get him to agree to a beer or two.

But Aaron is alone this time.

You, on the other hand, know exactly why you’re in a bar.

You’re bored, you’ve just finished your masters degree, you need a drink and some time to yourself to people-watch.

It’s fun, really. Observing people while they’re drunk. You usually have one drink and switch over to water, wanting to remember the things you see while also staying safe.

But occasionally— or, well, more than occasionally by the sheer unfortunate fact of you being a woman alone in a bar, you get the typical man sliding into the seat next to you before he’s even all the way through his rehearsed, “Is this seat taken?”

You never answer. There is no point in trying because their ass already hits the chair before you can say, “Yes, it’s taken, by my foot, now move before I kick it up your ass.”

You never say that, not often. Sometimes the guys can be pretty big assholes, but the bartender, Vanessa, knows you well, so she usually threatens security before you get yourself in trouble.

Unfortunately, tonight looks like it’s going to be one of those nights.

The bar is packed for a reason you aren’t privy too until you see (and hear) the random band start a new song. Great. Performance.

Still, you snag the last seat at the bar, waving to the bartender when she sees you. You barely get the seat warm before she’s sliding your usual in front of you.

“It’s on the house tonight,” she yells.

“What?” You shake your head. “No the fuck it’s not.”

She leans closer so she doesn’t have to yell as loud. “You are my saving grace in this sea of assholes, so yes it is. We can fight about it later.”

“Fine,” you roll your eyes. You dip your hands underneath the bar to switch your diamond ring from your right to left hand.

Tonight, you’re married.

You got this ring when your last relationship ended so badly. It was a long time coming, and once you were finally able to see the other side, you went out and bought yourself an engagement ring. Just for you. A promise to yourself to start loving yourself harder, and going out with dickheads less.

So far, it’s been wonderful. You’re loving being alone. It was exhausting going on so many first dates, trying to love someone else instead of letting yourself heal.

It’s been two years of singleness for you now, and you’ve loved almost every day.

The “wedding” ring usually makes most of the guys turn the other way. A few that are oblivious will try talking to you, but once they glance at your hand, they excuse themselves.

It’s hysterical, if you’re honest.

But some, unfortunately, don’t give a damn.

Like the guy who has just squeezed his way into the seat next to you.

You roll your eyes and prepare yourself for the shallow conversations because, for some ungodly reason, the band decided now was a good time for a break.

“You come here often?”

Oh, for fuck’s sake. “Nope.”

“It’s a pretty good place,” the guy says, waving down the other bartender, his name is Nick. “You should come here more often.”

“Should I, now?”

“Yeah,” the guy grins. “You’ll see me.”

You roll your eyes so hard it nearly hurts.

“Wanna dance?”

“Not in the mood.”

“Can I buy you another drink?”

“No thanks.”

“Can I get you anything?”

“Why, do you work here?”

“Look, I’m just trying to be nice.” Ah, there it is. The “nice guy” line.

You turn your head, raising an eyebrow. “Good for you. I’m not interested.”

“Ooh,” he feigns hurt, holding an open hand to his chest. “Ouch.”

You shrug. “You’ll get over it.”

“Damn.”

“Mm.”

“You sure you don’t wanna dance?”

“I’m married,” you say easily, picking your glass up with your left hand to show off your ring. You don’t drink from your glass because you made the mistake of looking away for only a moment, so now you’re paranoid that he might’ve slipped something in it.

The guy looks around, then back to you. “I don’t see a husband.” Oh, he sounds so smug. Like he’s pulled one over on you. Moron.

“He’s on a work trip.”

“Well, he’s not here.”

“You don’t want to get on his bad side, dude.”

“Oh really? What’s he do for a living?”

“He works for the FBI.” The lie slips from your mouth before you can stop it, and you almost laugh.

It’s something you’ve pulled from the countless guys that have said they work for the FBI, but have no badge to show for it. It’s always cracked you up. You’re aware there’s an FBI office around here, but you doubt a greasy, blackout drunk works for them. Let alone more than five greasy, blackout drunks in one night.

“The FBI, huh?” The guy says, just taking it in stride. “What’s his name?”

Right as you’re about to make one up until Vanessa can get back over here to threaten security, two arms slip around your waist.

You’re ready to throw caution to the wind along with your fists, but the owner of the arms says, “Just go with it, I’m Aaron.”

You turn your head to see a very handsome older man peering down at you, a smile on his lips that you can’t help but mirror. Something about his face has your gut screaming that you can trust him, so you play along.

“Honey! I thought you were in Texas!” You throw your arms around his neck for good measure, and also for a moment to casually get a good whiff of his cologne. Goddamn. You’ll gladly be his fake-wife. Any day. Forever.

“I was,” Aaron says, squeezing you before letting you go. He moves to stand next to you, his arm around your waist in a protective manner. “We landed early, wanted to surprise you.” He kisses your knuckles to keep up the act, and then settles his eyes on the man who was bothering you.

“You must be the husband,” the guy mutters bitterly. “You really work for the FBI?”

Oh, fuck, you think. This guy just doesn’t give up. A few future scenarios flash before your eyes, but the one most alarming is a fight erupting, which isn’t all that far-fetched. You’d never be able to come back if you caused something like that.

But before you can stumble through some excuse, Aaron is pulling out a badge. An actual badge.

“Supervisory Special Agent Hotchner. I’m the unit chief of the BAU,” he says easily, holding his badge out for as long as it takes the guy to inspect it. You have no clue what BAU stands for, but you’re just thanking whatever Gods might be real that this is happening.

The idiot is scowling by the time Aaron puts his badge away. He leaves without a word.

Your jaw nearly drops as you watch the guy go, and literally leave the bar. You had hopes that he’d leave you alone, but leaving the bar entirely is even better.

Aaron’s arm slips from around your waist as he moves to take the now empty seat next to you. All the while you’re gawking at him like you’re in some fever dream.

When he catches your eyes, he says, “What?”

“Am I dreaming?” You blurt. “Do you really work for the FBI?”

He chuckles and pulls out his badge again, holding it out to you where you can read it. And sure as shit, he’s an actual FBI agent. What the fuck.

You look up as he pulls his badge away. “Did you hear me tell the guy my husband worked for the FBI?”

Aaron shakes his head. “That was pure luck. By the way,” he holds his hand out to you. “I’m Aaron.”

“Y/N,” you shake his hand, smiling at the fact that Aaron wanted to go through the official pleasantries and that you got to feel how soft his hand is again. “Thank you for that. I thought he’d never leave.”

“No worries. And it’s best he did, I really didn’t feel like arresting anyone tonight.”

“Arresting him? For what?”

“Well for starters, harassment. But since that usually doesn’t hold up very well, I’d have to say it was for his cocaine addiction.”

Your eyes widen. “He was doing coke?”

“Well, not out in the open, of course, but there were traces of it on his nose and his eyes had that look to them. Addicts are easy to spot when you run into them enough.”

Who the hell is this guy?

“Oh, and forgive me, what’s your husband’s name?” Aaron gestures down at your left hand. “I might know him, but I can’t say that I recognize you.”

“Oh,” you move the ring back to your right hand, much to Aaron’s surprise. “I’m not married. I only put it on the left hand to try to avoid assholes like that.”

“I see,” Aaron nods, and if you’re not mistaken, he almost looks pleased.

Vanessa returns to get Aaron’s drink, and then gives you a look.

You want to scream, yes, I’m well aware he is dangerously attractive and that he’s talking to me but don’t you dare say a word to embarrass me.

Instead, you say, “Can you make me another?”

She nods in understanding and pours out your drink, setting off to make a second after sliding Aaron his beer.

“So,” you turn your body and prop your head in your palm. “What’s got an FBI agent in a bar on a Tuesday night?”

He takes a long swig of his beer before answering. “What’s the real story behind that ring on your hand?”

“Answer for an answer,” you sing, smiling at Vanessa when she brings you your drink. She leaves without a word, raising her eyebrows at you.

“The cases can be rough,” Aaron says vaguely, bringing your attention back to him. “You?”

“Got it as a promise to myself to never date another prick ever again,” you chuckle, gazing down at the ring. “It’s worked its magic, so far.”

“So far?”

“I’m talking to you, aren’t I?”

He smiles through his next swig of beer.

+++

It becomes a routine, you and Aaron sharing a drink at the bar.

To your surprise, he has the same views as you about alcohol. It’s fun to have one drink, but getting wasted and blacking out isn’t.

It’s refreshing, if you’re honest. Everyone your age wants to get absolutely shitfaced every time they go out, and that’s just never been for you.

It helps that Aaron is older. Well— You’re not sure if it helps or not. Because he is significantly older, the farthest you two have gone is sharing a drink at the bar. He usually leaves first, needing to get home to his son, to do more case work, or there was one time when he actually got a call about a case mid-drink. He was gone for two weeks after that.

But he always comes back, and he always finds you here, at this bar.  

You mostly come every night to keep Vanessa company for an hour or two. To give yourself a break from the chaos of reality and to give her a familiar face in the sea of drunken customers.

Every night that Aaron isn’t here, Vanessa asks you where he is. Like you would know (you only do if he tells you of a possible up and coming case). Like you have his number (you don’t). Like you care (you don’t want to admit that you do).

“No Daddy tonight?” Vanessa teases, sliding you your drink.

“If you don’t stop calling him Daddy, I swear to God.”

“Oh, don’t swear to Him. He doesn’t need to get involved.”

You send a glare her way, but you’re holding back a laugh.

“Is he still on a case?” She asks, trying to be serious again.

You shrug. “Who knows. They can last pretty long. He was gone two weeks for the last one.”

“Keeping track, are we?” She raises an eyebrow.

“Shut up.”

“I’m just saying, you two are killing me here, sharing drinks and not saying how you feel. It’s torture to watch you every week, you know.”

“He’s like...twenty years older than me. Or something.”

“And?” She scoffs. “Age is but a number. You’re an adult. He’s an adult. It’s fine.”

You shrug. “He probably just sees me as a friend. He would’ve given me his number or something by now, right?”

“I dunno, men are weird. But he’s older, he’s probably scared to make a move, scared he’ll make you uncomfortable.”

You shrug again. You appreciate her trying to show you the possibilities, the logical reasons for why the two of you haven’t gone any further from the bar, but you aren’t sure what to believe. Plus, it’s been a week since you’ve seen him. The last time you two shared a drink, he didn’t say anything about a case.

So, he’s either on a case again, or has stopped coming.

The latter thought has you debating getting shitfaced wasted for the first time in years. Being blackout drunk would probably hurt you less than if it’s true that he’s just suddenly ditched you.

But what stops you is when Vanessa runs back over, eyes wide. “Just spotted your hottie.”

Oh, now he’s my hottie? “What?” You inwardly scold yourself for sounding a little too giddy at the prospect of him being here. 

But if he’s here, why isn’t he sitting next to you?

Vanessa answers that one for you. “At a table in the back. He’s with friends I think.”

Friends? Never mind then on sharing a drink with him. “Oh, cool.”

Vanessa looks like she wants to say something, but is called away to another customer.

You don’t want to butt in with Aaron’s time with friends, so you stay at the bar, facing forward, nursing your one drink. Your mind conjures a plan in two seconds flat: finish your drink, head out for the night and discreetly look in Aaron’s direction, hopefully catch his eye, but if not, just go home and...shower and go to sleep.

Because if he wants to see you, he will. If he doesn’t, then he won’t.

Good plan.

Or at least, it is, until Aaron is sliding up beside you.

Your heart launches itself into your throat. You don’t say anything because you have no idea what to say. You were too busy assuming he’d rather be with his friends (which is...fine because it’s not like the two of you are...dating) to notice him walking up.

He says something for you, though. “Hey.”

Well, he might as well have stayed silent. What are you supposed to do with that?

“Hey,” you return casually, then offer a small smile. “Thought you’d be gone longer.” You operate on the assumption that he was on a case.

And he was. “This one actually worked in our favor.” He leans his elbows onto the bar, and naturally your eyes follow the movement. He’s not in a stuffy suit like the last few times, but he’s still in a dress shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

Arms. You’re a complete sucker for arms, and he’s practically teasing you like this.

“That’s good,” you comment, taking a sip from your drink. “Here to celebrate?”

“Yeah, we are.”

Nick brings Aaron his beer, thankfully, because you know Vanessa would’ve made some not-so-vague comment about Aaron being up here -- and maybe let an “accidental” Daddy comment slip.

To your surprise, Aaron sits down.

Your eyebrows furrow. “I thought you’re here with friends?”

Aaron looks over his shoulder and shrugs. “Just my team, yeah. I imagine they’re tired of me, though.”

You doubt that’s the case, but you know that if you say that, he’ll just brush it off.

“Not even gonna introduce me?” You tease instead, but you honestly want to smack yourself. You need to get a better hold on your word vomit. Inviting yourself is insanely rude.

Aaron’s eyebrows raise slightly, clearly not expecting you to say that — or to even want to be introduced to his team. “They’re a lot,” he says. “They’ll make a big deal out of this.”

“This?” You question, gesturing shortly between the two of you. “What is this?”

“What do you want it to be?” He asks carefully, averting his eyes shyly.

“Well,” you exhale dramatically, swirling your drink. “I think when you’ve shared a drink with a woman more than...twenty times, it should at least be considered dating.” You cut your eyes in his direction, your chest swelling as you see a grin breaking out on his face.

“I think I’m a bad date,” he says, confusing you. He chuckles, adding, “You don’t even have my number!”

“I’ll get it at the end of tonight,” you say, touching his arm gently for reassurance. “Come on, I think the back of my head is burning from how hard they’re staring.”

He looks through the corner of his eyes and sighs. “I’m sorry in advance for them.”

“No need to apologize,” you shrug. “Friends can be the worst. Vanessa has already started asking questions about you.” You nod toward the bartender that is feigning interest in clearing a space behind the bar.

“I figured,” Aaron murmurs. “Okay.” He slides off the stool, grabbing his beer in one hand, and holding his other one out to you.

Your heart jumps harshly when you take his hand. It’s warm and soft and secure, everything you want and need. You grab your drink in your free hand, giving Aaron’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

As soon as you and Aaron approach the table, the older gentleman is punching the one with tattoos. “Pay up.”

Aaron witnesses the cash exchange and stares at them tiredly. “Seriously, guys?”

Meanwhile, you’re holding back a giggle.

“Well, hello,” the woman with the colorful fashion sense says. “Introduce us!”

Aaron looks ready to pretend like he doesn’t know any of them, so you step up and say, “He told me you guys would be like this.”

That gets him laughing, and he finally says, “Y/N, this is Penelope, Emily, JJ, Spencer, Derek, and Dave.” Each person nods, waves, or smiles when their name is called.

“I’ll try to remember,” you joke. “But no promises.”

You squeeze Aaron’s hand in yours, trying to get him to loosen up. He does, barely, so when he tugs on your hand, silently asking you to step closer to him so his arm can fit around your waist, you oblige.

“What was the bet about?” You ask, nodding toward the men who exchanged cash a bit ago. It was Dave and Derek if you’re remembering names correctly.

“Rossi thought Hotch was going to bring you back over here, but I didn’t agree,” Derek says, nudging Dave’s arm. “I didn’t think you’d go for him.”

“Well, that’d be embarrassing if I went for someone else, considering we’re dating,” you chuckle, leaning your head back to look up at Aaron.

“Dating? So it’s official?” Emily asks, looking a little more excited than you thought any of them would.

“I think it was official the first time we met,” you snicker. “He pretended to be my husband so some dickhead would leave me alone.”

Aaron’s arm tightens around your waist at the memory.

“Okay,” Penelope grabs her drink, then moves over next to you, linking your arm with hers. “Hotch, we’re stealing her. We need details.”

Aaron doesn’t look like he wants to let go at all, but you press a kiss to his cheek. “Told you it’d be fine,” you whisper to him.

He surprises you by pressing a kiss on your lips. Midway through, your brain reminds you that this is technically your first kiss with him. And it’s in front of his friends. Swoon.

After so many dates with guys who were ashamed to be showing any sort of affection toward a woman, it’s nice to find a man who doesn’t care who sees his affection.

What can you say? After dating so many boys, it’s nice to finally find a man.

[uelden]

Vanity Fair interview translated

Just a side note before the actual translation; I don't know why, but instead of reporting the full questions and answers in full as she should, the journalist decided to report only summarized fragments of what Måneskin said and patch these fragments up into messy clusters. She also worded a couple phrases in a very confusing way (and yes, she's fully Italian). In short, she did quite a poor job, so the final shape of the interview is not that good. I didn't expect top-tier journalism from Vanity Fair but ffs. You'll see what I mean.

I translated it as it is, adding just a couple footnotes to give you insight on Italian pop culture references.

Translation under the cut

Måneskin: "Different from whom?"

by Lavinia Farnese, 09 June 2021

"True justice is being judged for what you do and not for what you are." The ones who are convinced of this are Damiano, Victoria, Ethan and Thomas who, by being the emblem of a generation that is finally free, refuse labels and conformism. In life, in love and on the stage. Where, maybe precisely because of this, they're winning everything

With the still unexpected (first place at Sanremo Festival) and the incredible (triumph at Eurovision) in their eyes, Måneskin are on the sofa of the house-studio they rented - to resume writing songs and rehearsing them - like you are after a won battle: lying in a calm and unreal silence, alert and a bit irreverent, happy.

In the garden there's the tennis table and the pool, the light of summer when it's starting and calming the country all around, and it filters inside from the large windows, and it goes onto the shining black of Ethan's hair, which blends with Thomas' eye shadow and the butterfly he has tattooed oh his naked forearm, which completes the picture of Victoria's golden crucifix hanging between neck and tank top and ends on the black nail polish of Damiano's stretched hands.

It's a human fresco, a Theatre of wrath [translator's note: "Teatro d'ira"] - to call it with the title of their latest album, a platinum record already - where their flaunted 20 years of age, their irregular femininity and virility are grown into proud and challenging custom, a pop glam rock generational manifesto of hard-earned liberties in a finally-unconditional expression of the self.

To watch them from any angle and from another age is to think that a great love will be born in those who'll understand: this new way of being in the world, the true and sovereign realm they hold where "diversity=exceptionality", the power of the artistic and cultural revolution of which they are healthy carriers in establishing in all lyrics and gestures the right to live according to one's own nature past the "people (who) talk, the people (who) unfortunately talk, and don't know what the fuck they're talking about." [tn: "Zitti e buoni" lyrics]

We go where we're afloat, where the air isn't gone. [tn: journalist's own variation on "Zitti e buoni" lyrics]

Miley Cyrus says hi – The numbers of a phenomenon

"The streams of Zitti e buoni are growing by the second, and they bring us above Muse, at the top of English charts, twelfth in the Spotify Global Chart. Followers almost tripled, in the post-Rotterdam period (from 1,4 to 3,3 millions, ed.) Contagious and universal folly: t-shirts and merchandising sold out in 10 minutes. Like the records, the tickets for a tour that keeps adding dates and expanding over geographic maps. They're contacting us even from some festivals were The Rolling Stones went." Thomas

"After the pretextual controversy over cocaine that France built against us, later disproven by my drug test, some graffiti popped up in Spain depicting me as a “No drugs” poster guy. Some tweets made us laugh: "Congratulations, Italy! I've never been more certain that four people have had sex with each other." Miley Cyrus started following us -You're great. -You guys are greater." Damiano

From the garage to the stars – Story of a flight

"It was only 2016, and we played in restaurants, in the streets, in via del Corso. Damiano without even a microphone, Thomas' guitar with wonky strings, Ethan was drumming on a cajón. During Rome highschools' sit-ins (Kennedy, Virgilio, Mamiani) we had our first confirmations and half-hours of celebrity, playing among those who criticized us and those who went "wow they're really cool." One of the rare times when they would have paid us – 50 euros each – we gave the money to the next band in the lineup so that they would make us play in their spot, later in the day, when there would have been more people. We had already realized how things worked. Visibility mattered more than money. And we still think that." Victoria

The intimacy of rock – Choice of a genre

"Music allows us the miracle of extending to others some very personal and private topics, sometimes even difficult and thorny ones. They are and they remain deeply your own, but at the same time they become a confession that reaches a wider audience, and in this passage that is alike a delivery, they find a place in you as well, a processing of them. You overcome them, you accept them. One second it's something aggressive, the next it's a ballad. Cathartic». Damiano

Against panic – The stage as therapy

"I've suffered a lot from anxiety and panic attacks, it's an issue I've worked on thanks to a psychotherapy course, my friends and my family. Playing helped me in not letting myself be paralyzed by my fears, not making myself limited in my private and professional life. I've learned to accept, to live with this side of myself. I don't hide it. I don't feel ashamed of it." Victoria

Analysis as necessity – Relying on someone saves you

"This belief that only madmen go to the psychologist is a widespread ignorance. No-one's born learned. [tn: common Italian saying] And it's often hard to understand the very reason why we're here, let alone the origin and direction of our desires. It's a long and legitimate journey towards lucidity, a kind of backing to become transparent." Damiano

Being out of our minds – But different from them [tn: "Zitti e buoni" lyrics]

"When you feel a strong passion towards something that is not a canonical job but an artistic language, that already puts you on a level of anomaly, which is not superior or inferior to other people, but it puts you in the position of the one who breaks the mold and also works at a loss, the one who sustains great risks while trying to do something that who knows if it will take you anywhere. "Why do it if it doesn't pay?". You want to give this dream of yours an aesthetic, but it becomes "You're dressing so weird! You must be gay!" - now that I'm 22 I laugh about it, but when I was 17 it had an effect on me, too." Damiano

The beauty of uniqueness – Of believing in it and defending it

"And I mean, at the end of the day if we're all different it's not because we want be alternative but because, really, no-one is the same. Justice is being judged on what you do and not what you are. Justice is equality, respect, beauty." Ethan

Fluid sexuality – Pride is freedom

"Heels for men that like themselves in them, kisses among ourselves, we have an open, extended mind, and we're proud of it. The horizons become vast, past the oppression of conservative families. With the information on the web knowledge becomes greater and with it the possibility that minorities will be less and less minorities, because the majority will be less of a majority. This way we'll make insults and bullying grow quieter. If social media get to a village of 50 souls and reveal to a girl who's afraid of the dark that someone has felt her same fear, then there's no reason to give a name to that fear, to mark it with labels which also limit and restrict. Definitions always had this effect on me. You shouldn't even consider the gender when judging someone, let alone their orientation." Victoria

Sexism – A culture to be dismantled

"Emma [tn: Emma Marrone, Italian singer] drops the bomb: “At Eurovision when I was there they massacred me for a pair of shorts, while they said nothing to Damiano – bare-chested and in heels.” The easy judgment against women is more fierce, constant, debasing (if I have a lot of sex I'm cool while Vic is a whore, where I show myself strong I'm a leader while Vic is despotic and a pain in the ass who reached success because she's hot.) As a male I'm privileged, the abuse I get is not comparable to those a woman has to live through, the comments over my aesthetic are centered only on my aesthetic and don't insinuate anything about my professionalism and my competence, while women are victims of this kind of thought in a systematic way. It happened though to find myself standing with a woman who while pulling me to herself to take a selfie, started licking my face out of the blue... I mean, what the hell do you want? Who asked you? Consent exists, and it's due." Damiano

Grow yourself – The only commandment

"To me conformism is the opposite of education [tn: could also mean "politeness"] and is the asphyxia of expression. I fortunately never endured heavy bullying, heavy enough for the the judgement of others to change me. But the mold of the small crumbs of bullying I got and of the kind of aggression that scars is the same. If I'm a kid who dances and likes dolls you have to let me do what I like. I was a kid who wanted to keep his hair long and played with Barbie. As a teen, my friends looked at my hair: " You have to find a girl with short hair to be at your side." My grandparents took away my dolls: "Stop it, they're not for you." Ethan

"When I was six I was already sick of them, the distinctions between masculine and feminine. I've always had strong ideas about how I wanted to be. I refused things that were typically defined as girly, and all around me they mocked me because I went skateboarding, I played soccer, I didn't wear skirts, I was giving myself the chance to be as I wished. I endured it a little, I suffered a little, but I had courage, and now thanks to that courage I know that I could have gotten even much more hurt, otherwise I would have left to others the most important choice: the one about myself." Victoria

Love in progress – Music, girlfriends

"I've been married to music for the last 20 years. I can't wait to celebrate our golden wedding anniversary." Ethan

"Everyone makes their own experiences, sometimes it goes well, sometimes it goes wrong, but it's always not anybody's business." Thomas

"When I first felt feelings and attraction towards a girl it was a bit disorienting because I had never had the courage of going beyond the limitations I had put for myself. For society being heterosexual is the norm and so you often define yourself in that way automatically, depriving yourself of the freedom to live many shades and faces of love. Once I overcame the initial insecurity of having to call into question my certainties I've lived my sexuality in a very natural and free way, as it should be for everyone." Victoria

"I had paparazzi at my door every day and night. So, after four years of relationship, I revealed her name. I still have paparazzi at my door every day and nigh, but at least I don't have to hide anything anymore." Damiano

The worth of the group – Phenomenology of protection

"The true engagement though, the true family is among ourselves, our band. We've believed in it since day zero, even before we called ourselves Måneskin (Moonlight in Danish), even before Ethan drew a giant moon on the flier for the first concert we ever did. We share everything, even the pain for the tragedy of Seid Visin, who committed suicide at 20 because of racism. [tn: I think the journalist asked them their opinion about Seid Visin's death, which was a current events topic in Italy, and then pasted it syntaxically in the middle of Thomas' answer, which was not a great move] A group is what we all should be: stay united and not back down an inch in the face of oppression that is generated by a distorted view of diversity." Thomas

I'm not of the right age – Like Gigliola [tn: Gigliola Cinquetti won Eurovision with her song "Non ho l'età", which means "I'm not of the right age"]

"Before you the only one who won both Sanremo and Eurovision on the same year was Cinquetti (1964). If there's anything I feel I'm not of the right age for? No, honestly no. Maybe having children. Regarding children I'll be honest: I'm not of the right age." Damiano

Having touched the sky – The fears that remain

"We're more than inside the dream, we're in the conquered dream. When you fly high there's the risk of plummeting and hurting yourself, but we'll work hard not to end up like Icarus, who burns his wings with the sun. Everything is in our hands. And this - a bit pretentiously - reassures us rather than scaring us." Damiano