#and when i say group i mean a band or any other collaborative artistic effort

[strangebrew]

csn(y) is ultimately about the conflict between harmony (in the general sense) and the desire to be an individual. these men who already feel alienated from the world at large come together to be in community (eh thats not the right word but you get it), but still desire to assert themselves as individuals and i think that might be where the tension actually lies. because, and im being generous here, it is really hard to be together as a group, and be harmonious and functional as group, and at the same time try to further and assert your own identity and career as an individual (both within and without the group)

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

This is the anon who asked about the Beatles' solo artistry. First off, I want to thank you for the time and effort you put into answering my ask. I really appreciated it and I loved hearing your thoughts! And I really loved seeing mydaroga chime in as well! I'm not sure yet if I 100% agree with everything you both said, but you've definitely given me a lot to think about. And some new lenses through which to consider their artistry. Plus, it was so nice to see the topic spark some interest for other people!

I'm not sure if the question your thoughts lead me to is any less open-ended than the ones I started with, but I'll toss it out there. Again, if it's a more involved question than you're interested in grappling with, no worries.

The general consensus is that The Beatles as a group were inherently superior to any individual Beatles solo career. While I'm not 100% sold on that idea being inarguably true from the pure basis of musical quality (for a lot of reasons), it is inarguably true that as an overall artistic entity The Beatles as a collective were more successful (impactful, engaging, etc) than any Beatle as a solo artist. Which makes me wonder what about the Beatles as artists do you think helped make that true? Ringo makes sense. It seems like his artistic style/philosophy is inherently complimentary with most other artistic styles/philosophies and that he will nearly always make a fellow artist's work better. But there is very little about the other three as artists that assures their collaboration would be successful. Arguably, George and John's styles and philosophies could be straight-up contradictory. And, as you pointed out, George clearly struggled with Paul's personal execution of his art, if not his actual philosophy or style. So how did the Beatles work as a melting pot for these four distinct artists? And was it a melting pot to the extent that the Beatles as a collective had a distinct artistic philosophy from any of its individual members? Or was it fully four artists finding ways to compliment each other's styles? Does that make sense as a question?

I feel like I might be putting a lot of pressure on you with these complex questions. I really don't mean to. I'm just excited! And if you don't want to answer this that's fine. I'm still really really excited about your answer to my last ask!

Hi anon! I’m really happy to hear you found my thoughts interesting!

Interestingly, I actually find this question easier to answer because it’s a thing I’ve given a lot of thought myself!

Again, you're more than welcome to come back with any follow-up questions and/or thoughts of your own as is anyone else who would like to chime in :)

Before I go into collaborative artistry specifically, I want to bring up a few other reasons why I think the Beatles found more success than the four as individuals.

First of all, it would be disingenuous not to mention the marketing aspect of things when discussing why the Beatles were so successful. It seems like they, perhaps somewhat inadvertently or entirely by Brian’s design, were basically the first group to fully tap into the market of young girls. And I think them being a group had a lot to do with this, because, as can be attested by endless Who Was The Hottest debates which persist to this day, they each as individuals attracted slightly different fans. I also wouldn’t underestimate how much doing an interview as a group – where you can naturally interact with someone with whom you’re far more familiar than the person asking questions – can help sell you as a charming person. The boys often seemed to be trying to make each other laugh, more so than the journalists talking to them. Some people might say they are “immune” to the Beatlemania phase, in terms of the interest they have in the band, but the truth is that many of their most universally beloved hits were composed before 1967 and Paul and John were celebrated as a music composing phenomenon before Rubber Soul had even been released.*

*In the sense that The Music of Lennon McCartney was filmed before the album came out, it did air after actually. They also did use the show to promote their singles Day Tripper and We Can Work It Out, which came out on the same day as Rubber Soul, but I bring this up because that album is often considered their first masterpiece and is not a part of the show in any sense.

Another element I wouldn’t disregard is the fact that all of them consciously separated themselves from the Beatles in order to jump-start their solo careers; to various degrees, ranging from the more understated novelty of Ringo singing lead on an entire album to John explicitly calling attention to the end of his band as a concept. As Sgt. Pepper was a way to allow them to explore new sounds as a group, so were some of the more pronounced departures from Beatles staples by the individuals in the 70s – which definitely contributed to a perception of a general loss of quality for the public; people are often resistant towards change. And I do think that a lot of that original fear of change, experienced by those who lived through the band breaking up, was transmitted to later generations. (I’ve seen my fair share of “Paul McCartney hasn’t released any good music since 1970” in Facebook comments)

Lastly, before we get to the collaborative artistry, I do think that, from a 21st century perspective at least, 60s pop production on the whole has aged a lot better than a lot of 70s/80s pop, which is a reason why I personally tend to think a lot of Beatles music (at least mid-to-late Beatles that doesn’t sound like it was recorded in an echo-y bathroom lmao) sounds better than a lot of post-Beatles stuff.

NOW, about collaborations: I think I hold the rather “traditional” view that the story of the Beatles’ artistry is one of divergence and individualization – though I probably don’t hold that as staunchly as some. I actually think one of the most underrated aspects of their artistry as a band in their early period is how on point their vocal harmonies were. And, in general, when I watch Ed Sullivan or the filmed Melbourne gig, it’s kind of amazing just how tight they are, how seamlessly they can jump into the next song. When reading about their recording sessions around that time, it also seems like they were so in sync that it would take very little time for a song to go from lyrics and chords to a full band arrangement. I believe the amount of time they spent touring in their early period was one of the main things that made it so easy for them to intuit what the others needed from them. (I also believe the loss of this, without their knowing how to get themselves on the same page without spending most days together, contributed to the breakup).

Then, as they started living more separate lives by around 65, they kind of naturally began pursuing more individual interests, which bled into their music and general approach to art. I think this caused some tension within them as a group, because suddenly they weren’t always playing music they necessarily loved, which might lead to less patience or care put into a piece, ultimately resulting in some level of resentment on both ends. BUT it also stretched their muscles and created compromises, which I think ended up being the staple of the Beatles’ sound. Personally, it's one of my favourite things in their music when someone effectively "steals" the spotlight in another's song, even for just a moment.

I’ve found it’s not uncommon for someone within the fandom to dislike a big portion of their songs and still think of them as their absolute favourite band, and probably that’s at least partially because of the huge variety in their sound, which yes, I think is entirely due to the band actively being shaped by every single one of its members. I’d say one of the most frequent (fair) criticisms of a lot of post-Beatles output I’ve come across is that a lot of their solo albums can be slightly one note, which I think is something that can hardly be said about most Beatles albums.

Simultaneously, I think they never lost their love of jamming together – as can be attested in Get Back – and also continued to be curious about what the others were creating, often still finding each other mutually inspiring until the end.

Once John referred to songs from the late period as one songwriter with a backup band, and I’m not sure that’s necessarily false, but I think perhaps he was slightly undervaluing the role of performance as part of the musical process in favor of composition. I think, despite growing wary due to the strain that their particular tours caused them, they never lost their love of simply playing and it was always as intrinsic to their music as creating was.

This is getting ridiculously long so I’m capping it here so I can get to work, but I want to say that a huge reason I’m such a mid-period enthusiast is that it’s the perfect sweet spot of collaboration and individualization, from my point of view.

I yelled about it in this ask, if you wanna see me having a Rubber Soul mental breakdown lol.

[rushingheadlong]

POP IN THE SUPERMARKET

Conveyer rock - is it all a hype? Colin Irwin looks at pre-packed pop and talks to the men behind new bands Queen (left) and Merlin

Hype. An ugly, unpleasant word frequently recurring in rock circles. 

Up in the boardroom of a vast record company the fat cigar brigade are scratching heads. Binn and Batman have come up with another surefire hit and they want somebody fresh to market it. They ponder a few names and finally decide on one with slight but clear sexual connotations - suggestively camp. 

Name settled, they work on the people who will be in this new band. They might be able to find a ready-made group to fit the bill but better to mould their own. There's a singer who has been around for a few years. 

He's not great but he knows how to throw himself around a stage, has a hairy chest and can hit the high notes. Give him a new name and he'll do. Somebody knows a lead guitarist who can play a bit and looks good. They can advertise for the others. 

They'll work out a sensational stage act, rig them up in some flash gear, buy them the best equipment and arrange a string of appearances in some influential venues. Plunge a few thousand quid in launching them with advertising and posters and "They'll be the biggest thing since sliced bread," chief fat cigar tells his underlings. 

Session musicians are employed to record the single and being a Binn and Batman special the radio stations label it "chart bound" and play it twenty five times a day. Seeing the glossy photos in the bop mags the kids gather up their pennies and buy it. 

VOILA, stars are born - or manufactured. An extreme form of hype. 

There's also a cliché commonly used in the business about people who have been around for many years and finally make it. It's called talent-will-out. An idealist phrase but there is still a popular belief that if a band is truly talented enough it will win through in the end. 

Yet even the greatest band in the world need a bit of pushing in the first place. When a record becomes a hit it's not always that easy to distinguish between hype and talent-will-out.

If a record company spends astronomical sums of money promoting a band, is it hype? Or is it a legitimate and necessary weapon in the music business? The argument is that the BBC's ever-tightening playlist and the effects on the industry of the three-day week have made it harder than ever for a new group to make it - talent or no. Without a big money machine behind it there isn't a hope. 

The situation is illustrated by two energetic new bands, who both look like breaking. 

Big money has been spent on Queen and Merlin, who have had new singles released during the last month. 

Queen's record, "Seven Seas Of Rhye," is already moving swiftly up the chart, while Merlin's "Let Me Put My Spell On You," is doing well enough to suggest it might follow suit. 

There is no suggestion that either band is a manufactured or manipulated product in the sense of the Monkees. They play the music on their own records entirely themselves and they are both hard at work on the road. 

Yet the question arises as to whether they would be doing quite so well without the resources of big companies behind them. 

In the case of Queen it's Trident Audio Productions and EMI and for Merlin it's Cookaway Productions and CBS.

The one common factor is that money and backing has been provided because the companies have a solid, unshakeable belief in the artists they are promoting. They are indignant about any suggestion of a put-on or that there has been any attempt to con the public. 

Listen to Merlin's producer Roger Greenaway for half-an-hour and there is no doubting his faith in their ability. "They are going to break, I know they are. I'm convinced the record will be a hit."

Nobody's saying exactly how much it has cost to launch either band. "Over a period of months between £5,000 and £10,000" has been spent on marketing Queen by EMI while the figure for Merlin is even vaguer. "A bit, but not a vast amount. Not a fortune by any means."

"Seven Seas Of Rhye" is Queen's second single and was recorded as part of the album "Queen 2" which has just been released. Things started to move for them about a year ago when they recorded their first album for Trident, who have a distribution contract with EMI. 

An advance was paid to them to help with the immediate costs of putting them on the road. 

Review copies of the album - about 400 of them - were sent out to everyone who might conceivably have any influence on the record buying public, from discos to the national press. Copies were personally distributed to radio and TV producers and extensive advertising space was bought in the trade papers. 

The launch for Queen was more concentrated than most artist are entitled to expect. 

Trident were completely behind them from the start and found them their American producer Jack Nelson. EMI promotions men Ronnie Fowler and John Bagnall decided they had a product with an exceptional chance of success and they went all out to exploit it to the full. 

Says Fowler: "Every record we release we work to a pattern of promotion. When I went round with the album it was normal procedure. It becomes un-normal when people start phoning you - that's when you put more effort into it."

Bagnall adds: "It became obvious after a week or so that it wasn't standard promotion that was necessary. We did a more complete promotion job than usual on Queen because we thought they were going to make it.

"They're all good-looking guys and I did a round of teeny papers and all the girls in the office swooned over them. Brian, the lead guitarist, had made his own guitar and a couple of the nationals picked up on that. It was good, gossipy stuff."

Queen's publicity machine was working from all angles because they were also getting external promotion from Tony Brainsby's promotion office. 

He had been involved with them from the time they had been trying to get record producers interested. The intensity of it all paid off when they were invited to do a spot on the Old Grey Whistle Test. Radio Luxembourg latched upon the single "Keep Yourself Alive" and played it regularly. 

Their first tour, supporting Mott the Hoople, got the full works. Local press was saturated with releases about this new band which was shortly coming to their town, elaborate displays were arranged at the front of the house on the night of the concert, local disc-jockeys were informed, and window displays were made in about 200 local record shops. 

"Trident and EMI committed themselves right from the start to this band, to make sure they had a PA which was better than other bands had and to make sure they had the right clothes. Some of their outfits cost £150 each," said Bagnall. "Spending money on a band isn't hype. It wasn't being flash or extravagant for the sake of building an image. It was making sure that everything else was as good as their music."

Not so far removed from the attitude towards Merlin, although it has been on a smaller scale in this case. 

The first Merlin tour, still underway, is rigorous. They are playing ballrooms and colleges all over the country on a lengthy round. 

An ambitious project for a new, unknown band, but it has already been successful in that it has launched them as a name people now know. A full-page advertisement was bought in the MM. That's the sort of treatment you might get if you're Bowie, or Ferry, or even Mick Ronson. But Merlin?

They have only been in existence in their present form since last May. 

They emerged as a result of discussions between Alan Love and Derek Chick about the possibility of forming a band with definite commercial appeal and a glamorous stage act. The idea reached fruition via a band called Madrigal, who had for some time been working the same circuit as Mud before "Crazy" broke for them. 

Madrigal disbanded but reformed with the same drummer and bass player, and Love as singer and Chick as manager. A couple more young musicians were found to join them and Chick started the usual hustling to get them going. 

In due course they came to the attention of Cookaway, and Roger Greenaway was hastily summoned to take a look at them. He had already seen Madrigal and when he saw the new model he immediately saw a big future for them. 

Greenaway says: "I'd been looking for a group of this type for three years - a young under-20s group who can present a good act. There's a lot more showmanship attached to bands now. I wanted an act with a slightly different approach. I was in New York producing the Drifters and I came back especially to hear them."

He quickly took them into a studio to see how they reacted there and among the tracks they recorded was "Let Me Put My Spell On You" which had been written by Greenaway in collaboration with Tony Macaulay. Like Queen, the best equipment and some fancy costumes were bought for them and the launching process was put into operation. 

My own experience of the Merlin project was a couple of weeks ago at Reading Top Rank - a bizarre mixture of precocious boppers, ageing teds, and stern-looking heavies. 

Posters and pictures of the group were plastered all over the place and by the time they eventually appeared late in the evening you had been informed quite thoroughly that Merlin had made a record called "Let Me Put My Spell On You."

Greenaway says of Love: "He's got star quality and he's a great charmer. The guitar player Jamie Moses has got a terrific potential too. I've worked with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones but for me this guy at 18 is a better player than Jimmy Page was at the same age. He's the sort of player guys can follow - like Jet Harris - he had an incredible following with the guys."

He likens the Merlin launch to a military operation. The career of the group has been minutely planned since October. Accepting that it is almost impossible to get airplay for a new band on the BBC they decided the best way to break them was through a solid mass of live dates. 

The dates were booked, once again the best equipment, including a light show, was bought for them, and distinctive stage costumes especially designed. 

"By the time the tour has ended they will be a really tight band. We are getting support in the regions and you can break a record if you can get regional radio stations and disco plays. I believe this record is a hit and the signs are there. This is a ten-year job as far as I'm concerned."

Not that big money backing is any guarantee of success. 

One of the biggest projects of this type was the launching of young Darren Burn as Britain's answer to Donny Osmond. To their eternal credit the record-buying public didn't apparently want an answer to Mr Osmond and the campaign failed. 

The pop supermarket is not a new trend. The attractively packaged mass-produced record has been a part of the industry for a long time. The early releases of Love Affair, White Plains and Edison Lighthouse for example spring to mind. 

The whole thing is justified for the makers by the fact that they still become hits, thus proving there is a demand for made-to-order records. If the public is willing - or gullible enough - to pay 50p for music created in the boardroom. Well it must be OK.

The Merlin single is blatantly, unashamedly aimed at being a big hit - that seems to have been the one criterion in making it. It has all the ingredients and as the whole thing has been done with concentrated professionalism it will probably be a hit. 

Back to Roger Greenaway: "I don't want to present this as a Monkees type of image. It's not a manufactured group in any way - these guys have all been in other bands. 

"What Merlin are about is success - reaching people. It's so wrong for opposing people to criticise. If Chinn and Chapman go out to reach a particular market at the thing they do best, and they reach them, then they're doing their job. They've filled a gap.

"When this record happens it'll be called hype but we haven't hyped anybody. Not a vast amount of money has been spent on them. It would be silly to have a tour like this without some sort of advertising. All the money that has been spent on them so far has been towards getting them on the road. 

"It's expensive but it's minimal if you think of it as a along term thing."

It may be unfair to associate Queen with the pop supermarket. The group themselves were apprehensive about appearing on Top Of The Pops and the prospect of a hit record. 

They have always regarded themselves as an album band and were concerned about being connected with the chart groups. The fact remains that they have been on the receiving end of a giant campaign to create a best-selling single and album. 

The first album had sold far better than they had anticipated and there was great excitement around Trident and EMI as the second one was being made. Manager Jack Nelson came in virtually every day to play new tracks as they were completed and many discussions followed on which one should be released as a single. 

A special meeting was held between Bagnall, Fowler, marketing manager Paul Watts and a few others to discuss the approach to the release of "Queen 2."

"We talked about the possibility of boxing the album, and other various publicity and posters needed to produce an album we were convinced was going to be one of the biggest of the year. We set a high target for it. 'Seven Seas' isn't a housewives' record so with the daily shows like Edmonds, Blackburn and Hamilton, there's no chance of getting it played, we knew that from the start. But the weekend shows - Rosko, Henry, and D.L.T. - they all flipped over it. I took the records round personally because I felt so strongly about it."

The prime plug, however, is Top Of The Pops. If a record gets exposure on that there is a more than even chance that it will become a hit. He played it to the show's Robin Nash and a couple of days later Nash phoned him and asked him where Queen were. Later he rang back and invited Queen to do a session. 

The band weren't too sure whether they wanted to do it but eventually agreed although even then they didn't know until the last minute whether it would be used because they were half expecting a David Bowie film to arrive and take it's place. But in the end Queen were shown and "Seven Seas Of Rhye" moved dramatically from there. 

"A lot of people have invested an awful lot of time and money in this band but not as a hype," says Bagnall. "The only truth in the music business is that if a band isn't good, no amount of money will get them to make it."

Greenaway may be right that Merlin are one of the most exciting bands to merge since the Beatles. Fowler might be right that Queen are one of the best since the Who. But big business still remains one of the sadder aspects of the music industry today. 

----------

Huge thanks to the anon who brought this to my attention, since I’ve been looking for a copy of this article for ages now! 

Credit for the original scans goes to @Chrised90751298 over on twitter, though I stitched it back together into a single image for ease of posting over there. Open the image in a new tab to see the full-size version!

[thesuitelife547]

CNU “My songs match B1A4 completely…I can’t imagine anyone else singing them” [ARTICLE TRANS]

Here’s the translation to the recent interview that CNU did. You can definitely tell that they thought long and hard about what direction they want B1A4 to go in as a “new group” and you can also kind of see how he’s very sort of future facing in regard to the group. But, I hope you enjoy reading!

- Marisa

Part 1

Part 2

[t/n: I combined the two parts of the interview since the intros are the same for both parts]

The third person for this [I-Mind] is CNU (30, real name Shin Dongwoo) of boy group B1A4. CNU is the eldest and is in charge of vocals and dance in the 11-year group, B1A4. Additionally, he directs and makes music within the group as a ‘Composition Idol.’

 CNU started by writing lyrics for the title song of B1A4’s second mini album ‘Beautiful Target’ and then composed the ending track ‘Seoul’ on their second full length album ‘Who Am I.’ Since then, he’s made songs in various genres and has showcased a broad spectrum of music from the emotional ‘Drive,’ ‘Call Me’ that has a trendy beat, and even the intense ‘Nightmare.’

 CNU, who has been recognized for his composing ability, earnestly participated in the production of B1A4’s fourth full studio album ‘Origine’ that was released in October of last year. About the album CNU said, “I think that this album will influence the next 10 or 20 years and we tried to do music that utilized our strengths.” As a result, CNU’s name was listed in the credits of 8 of the 12 songs on the fourth full length album including the title song ‘Like A Movie.’ Thanks to that, the group’s identity was able to be in the song and even their musical maturity could be higher.

 What will the future musical direction of B1A4 be? CNU has said that he wanted B1A4 to not be confined within a mold in regard to music and that even if they receive negative comments, he wants to do various things sincerely saying that he wants to create “music that listeners can look forward to.” He was also determined when he said, “I will work harder with the sense of duty that even with music, it’s not just to let the public know but also so that it can be recorded on one page of K-Pop.”

 News1 met with CNU, a ‘Composition Idol’ that is full of musical greed.

It’s nice to meet you. Please introduce yourself. I’m also curious about your recent situation

I’m CNU, the eldest in B1A4 and I’m also in charge of the mother role. We made a comeback two months after I was discharged in August and we also had a concert in December. (Smile) I’m glad that we were able to do that as soon as I was discharged because it was my goal to release an album.

 If you were to introduce a representative song of B1A4 as a Composition Idol?

I think it would be ‘Like A Movie,’ which is the title song of our fourth full length album that we released last October. It’s the title track of an album that we released after such a long time and I’m fond of it because it seems to fit with our situation.

 I’m curious about your style of working

I tend to worry a lot when I wrote about songs so it’s a kind of progressive and aggressive style. It’s hard but it’s also fun to make songs.

How did you first start composing?

I believed that there were a lot of things boiling inside of me and at first, the way to express those things was through song and dance. Then while completely working on the stage, I gradually had the desire to write songs so I tried to write lyrics. The first time I wrote lyrics was for the title song ‘Beautiful Target’ on our second mini album. I wrote the chorus and my part for the song. That then became my momentum and I thought that I wanted to continue writing songs. So by the second or third year, I bought equipment with my own money and started composing.

 What was the first song you worked hard on?

That would be the song ‘Seoul’ that appeared as the last track on our second full length album ‘Who Am I.’ At that time I didn’t think like “I have to write a song!” It was a song that I was able to comfortably write without any expectations. It’s a side track that I wrote while thinking “Should I try to make one?” It’s a song that contains what I felt after coming to Seoul. Because all of the members are from the countryside, the city of Seoul has a different meaning to us. [t/n: in case anyone might not know, the countryside in this context is just referring to anyone that’s not from Seoul] The song details my honest feelings about how I felt when I came to Seoul to become a trainee and anyone that has lived in a foreign country will agree. It’s a place where I met my members when I had no one else to lean on and it’s a place where I was able to meet the fans after I debuted. It holds the message that in this cold city I only have the members and fans to lean on.

 Since you didn’t specialize in it, you must’ve struggled and had difficulties while working

[t/n: specialize as in I’m assuming be formally trained in composing]

In the beginning it was really frustrating but I fortunately have a lot of good people around me. Artist Jooyoung is my good friend from my hometown. When I was making ‘Seoul,’ I asked him a lot of questions about music. At that time he told me about what kind of equipment I should buy and he taught me a lot about how to do the beats. I learned while doing that. Jooyoung and I were in a band club together in high school and the two of us promised to do a collaboration if we both succeeded in Seoul. (Smile) Later, I worked together with Jooyoung and his close friend Gureum to create ‘Drunk on Music’ and ‘Drive’ amongst others.

You must’ve been really proud when your own self-made compositions were included in B1A4 albums

I really was. It was a time when I was into mannerisms. I had doubts about myself as a member of B1A4 wondering, “Am I doing well?” Although I was working hard since our debut, I wanted to be of more help to the team. I then did some composing and created some results. Thankfully the reactions of the members and the company was good and it was able to be put on an album. I really liked it back then.

 Did you want to formally study composing afterwards?

Personally, I don’t think that the concept of learning art is established. Rather than studying about it, I think that you should share and empathize. It’s about a person who has experienced many things letting the one who hasn’t know the way. I have seen how a lot of composers have written their songs, but eventually I did what it was that I wanted to do. Their way isn’t mine. You can receive some sort of influence, but you have to create the result in your own style. When people listen to the songs that I’ve written so far, they say “This is CNU’s style.” I tried to make my own path very clear.

When listening to the songs you made such as ‘Seoul,’ ‘Drive,’ ‘Nightmare,’ and ‘Sparkling,’ the genres and colors are all different. I can feel that you have a desire to create a variety of music

I didn’t intentionally attempt multiple genres, but I just made the music that I like and it could have been felt as being varied. Personally, ‘Nightmare,’ that was on our third full length album ‘Good Timing’ was a challenge for me as well. Who would’ve thought that B1A4 would do music that had a reggae beat? It was a style that I definitely wanted to try at least once and thankfully everyone liked it after I made it. I do have a greed and desire to broaden the spectrum with a variety of music.

What would you say is the biggest feature or differentiated color of music that you’ve made?

That it seems like music that has been specially made for B1A4. That’s also the part that I consider the most important when writing a song. I always worry about how I should incorporate the member’s voices into a song. I can’t imagine other people singing it because it completely matches with our tone. That’s why I don’t even think about giving songs to others.

Up until now you’ve only participated in the side tracks, but starting from your fourth full length album ‘Origine,’ you’ve become more proactive in creating songs. You participated in 8 of the songs and even made the title song therefore I’m curious about the process

It’s an album that took 3 years, from before I went to the army until it got released. The original goal was to announce it before my enlistment, but it took a long time because I went earlier than expected. I prepared the album all the way until I went to the army. I thought about it every day. When I was on vacation I wrote songs in the studio with a friend named Wooram and then I’d return and when I was on vacation again, I’d record. That’s the way I worked on it. I even asked the members to write songs and participate in creating the album. Personally, it was important because I thought about the album as something that will influence the next 10, 20 years of B1A4 so I thought about the direction. After thinking about it, we tried various things by using our strength as an ever-changing group. Even while feeling the weight of the year, we made a lot of effort for different music that will be further anticipated in the future. [t/n: I’m pretty sure the year that they’re talking about is the year that they became 3]

 In the process of creating the album, was there no difference in opinion from Sandeul or Gongchan?

It matched well with the members. Although there were times when our opinions were slightly different, our desired directions and flows were the same. And because the company also agreed with our opinions, we were able to work while receiving more strength.

Out of the many songs, is there a reason why the title should have been ‘Like A Movie?’

Since it had been a while, I thought about songs that had our existing color and ones that had a different color and I felt like ‘Like A Movie’ seemed like the best in terms of B1A4’s new direction. Honestly, ‘Like A Movie’ is a dynamically composed song that has a melody line and no rap. Not having a rap is a big change in regard to idol music. Because we can’t help but think about that year, there is a sense of that weight but since we wanted to express B1A4’s unique charm, we made a new attempt. I don’t have any regrets because we gave forth all of our efforts. (Smile)

 What is the most memorable compliment you have ever received for your songs?

In my final months of the military, I completed ‘Like A Movie’ and played it for the members. After I had come back, I had asked the president, executives, and successors to take a listen to it. When the song was over, all of them said that it was awesome. The successors may not be very objective (Smile) but I still can’t forget that expression. And I asked for a professional evaluation from the military band and was proud when they said that the rhythm and melody line was good. Even the boss praised me saying that it was really good and I gained strength from that.

What would be the song that became a turning point for Composition Idol CNU?

It would be the fan song ‘A Day of Love’ that I made before I enlisted. It contains the message that I want to convey to the fans without being convoluted. Just like how BANA always think about B1A4, we also expressed our feelings of always thinking about the fans when we’re eating, when the wind blows, and in every moment of our daily lives. It’s a song that was made with honesty.

 Out of all of the songs you’ve worked on, what is the song that you like the most?

The song that I’m most fond of always changes but right now it’s one of Sandeul’s solo songs, ‘Oblique Line.’ It’s a song that contains the feelings that I had during various changes. I had written it before joining the military and I had given it to him because when he listened to it, he said he really liked it and wanted it.

With the fourth full length album you decided to do music that was different from the usual music B1A4 released thus far. What kind of songs do you want to do in the future?

I hope that B1A4 is a group that doesn’t become confined to a mold. It’s my goal to make music that is unpredictable and causes future anticipation of “What kind of songs will they release?” I want to try an unlimited amount of various things and even if there is a negative reaction and we get scolded [t/n: scolded from the public], I have a big desire to try just that.

 Do you have an artist that you wish to collaborate with?

There is an artist that I really wanted to collaborate with, but we collaborated on our fourth full length album. That would be Bibi who participated in my solo song ‘Zero Gravity.’ When I was in the military, I listened to their music and wanted to work with them so I asked for her to feature in my solo song and thankfully that worked out. When we went to record, I’m very thankful that Tiger JK-sunbae and Biji-sunbae gave all sorts of advice and I fell for both of them. Besides for BiBi, if there’s an opportunity, I’d like to collaborate with my role model, Taeyang-sunbae.

There’s not many Composition Idols in today’s idols. Is there someone’s songs that you want to compliment?

It would be ONF’s MK. When MK makes a song, he works really hard on it. Before, when ONF received a vacation, MK didn’t go and rest, but he stayed at the company to work. When I saw that, I felt his passion.

 Please express your determination for future activities as a singer and composer

When I first said that I wanted to become a singer it was because I was simply thought that singing and dancing on stage was fascinating and cool therefore I set my mind on only becoming that. However, if you now ask me about what energizes me to make music, the answer would be BANA. Because the fans are there, I’m motivated and receive strength when I’m working or try to make music. I’m very thankful for that. I also try to be careful as I think that the activities that we do can have an affect on many people. I will work harder with the sense of duty that even with music, it’s not just to let the public know but also so that it can be recorded on one page of K-Pop.

[onestowatch]

Surfaces Is Bringing Their Happy Place to the Masses [Q&A]

Photo: Dan Franco

When Colin Padalecki met Forrest Frank on SoundCloud, back in 2016, they had no idea that their whimsical exchange of DMs would evolve into the brotherhood of a lifetime, an ever-growing discography, and a roster spot on one of the hottest independent record labels in the world—10K Projects. 

Since then, the two friends have formed a genre-bending band called Surfaces and an audiovisual world of neo-soul, beach-pop, reggae, and gospel music. Or better yet, an imaginary happy place, right smack-dab in the middle of “The Lone Star State,” where the two Texans make masterful R&B music with spoken-word lyricism that elevates positive thinking for the soul. 

All in all, the guys from Surfaces have been releasing music together for four years now. Thus, with each year comes a brand-new album from the hardworking duo. While Caribbean rhythms and heartwarming subject matter remain notable fixtures of their songwriting, another mainstay is the scenic artwork that’s accompanied every album release so far.

Each time that Padalecki creates an official album cover for Surfaces, it’s as if he’s giving their supporters a behind-the-scenes look at the way in which they find inspiration before a songwriting camp. In many instances, the artwork that he designs serves as a catalyst for the band’s recording sessions, because it sets the mood. His graphic illustrations of sunsets, beaches, and waterfronts augment the heartfelt stories that have been told for the duration of four albums now by his bandmate, Frank, whose lyrics and jazz-rap cadences always seem to carry a positive undertone. 

The meaning behind his uplifting words stem from a spiritual assertion that was instilled in him from a young age by his family. In fact, his band’s biggest hit to date was influenced by his faith. “When I think of the lyrics [from “Sunday Best”]... for me, personally, the only way I’ve been able to find that kind of complete stress-free lifestyle is through my relationship with God,” shares Frank. Of all the songs that have been penned by Surfaces over the past five years, none of the releases contain a single ounce of vulgarity in them. This is a very unique distinction for a secular band—especially one that is part of a record label that’s been home to some of the most popular rappers of the SoundCloud rap era. 

But nevertheless, their working relationship with their record label has actually enhanced their creativity. Because the company’s CEO has created a healthy environment for artistic expression, regardless of the genres his artists belong to. “I feel like Elliot [Grainge] runs a really tight family kind of shop. He doesn’t have a lot of artists on his roster, but he has a personal relationship with all of us and the other people we work with like Molly, Sam, and our managers. So, [signing with 10K Projects] just made sense,” shares Padalecki. “Elliot gave us full creative control, which is truly a blessing when it comes to something like a record deal. At any moment in time, we could just ask him to meet us for lunch and he cares enough about us on a personal level to go do that. He trusts in our decisions when it comes to song making, album choices, and everything. They’ve been nothing but supportive and we’ve been nothing but grateful for 10K, it’s almost like a family.” 

Indeed, a stress-free creative space, cathartic chorus lines, and the full support of 10K Projects have proven to be key components in a winning formula that’s yielded multi-platinum successes for Surfaces. So, as the old adage goes: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Which means when it comes to dropping new music, the guys are sticking to what works. 

When they made their best-selling album to date, Where The Light Is, they recorded the tracks during the day, while the sun was out at Frank’s boat house to perfectly capture a positive and happy mood. Catching a vibe in a sunny environment has proven to be tried-and-true method for the band and a blueprint that Colin Padalecki wanted to follow during the making of their latest album, Pacifico. 

“We rented a house in Malibu for about a half a month. It was kind of like this creative camp that we set up and we pretty much woke up every single day in this really gorgeous house with this really gorgeous view of the beach line of Malibu and the sunset peaking over the mountains every single day,” says the multi-instrumentalist. “It was just nice to not have to worry about anything with Forrest, his wife, and our creative collaborator Conrad [Public Library Commute]. Nothing felt forced… we were just trying to capture the essence of that trip. The whole album pretty much describes that vacation of ours. And we just tried to capture all aspects of it through sonics.” 

On April 9, Surfaces introduced their fourth studio album to the world with the lead single called “Wave of You.” It’s a vibey beach-pop track that explores the depths of a romantic relationship through the eyes of Frank. It also displays his willingness to expose his own real-life experiences. “I think it’s really powerful. A relationship can be so powerful and when you’re really drawn to someone it’s like the tide pulling you into the wave. It’s awesome, but it’s also really fragile and dangerous,” says Frank.

Upon the release of two follow-up singles to “Wave of You,” Surfaces officially dropped Pacifico on June 25. The new album arrives on the heels of one of the most challenging time periods this world has ever seen. In the wake of a global pandemic, a little bit of sunshine is exactly what the the world needs. Pacifico, fittingly, is a breath of fresh air for their supporters and a fitting soundtrack for the beginning of summer after nearly a year-and-a-half of worldwide shutdowns. 

One of the main aspects of this album that displays the band’s growth as musicians are the amount of artist features present. Before the release of Pacifico, the only collaboration they ever published was “Learn To Fly” with Elton John. Their collaborative effort with the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer was an absolute banger, but it was never officially featured on an album by Surfaces. Instead, it was published as a one-off single. But this time around, the group teamed up with four collaborators: Public Library Commute, Salam Ilese, Xavier Omär and Quinn XCII. 

Their contributions to Pacifico have added a whole new element to this delightful collection of sun-soaked music. In fact, the story of how they ended up recording their collaboration with Omär in person is almost as compelling as the story of how the co-founders met each other. “We’d been huge fans [of Xavier Omär] ever since the SoundCloud days. We had a second verse open [for “Come Around”]. So, we DM’d him and said, ‘Yo what’s up! We’re huge fans!’ He said he was a big fan of ours too. So, we told him that we’d love to link up and talk about music because we have a song that he might like,” recounts Frank. “Then he said, ‘Oh cool, but the only thing is, I don’t live in L.A., I live in San Antonio.’ And we were like, ‘Yo, Colin lives in San Antonio (laughs)! So, we basically drove down the street and recorded with him.” It’s a fond memory of their first encounter with one of their favorite musicians… and it’s strikingly similar to the way that Padalecki met Frank on SoundCloud about five years prior. 

“Hearing (Omar Xavier’s) melodies recorded at my house brought me back to my high school days of listening to Middle of Things,” says Padalecki. “It had a huge impact on me in high school. So, him coming over and hanging out with us like friends, getting lunch with us, and then getting to the music later was really special.” While collaborative efforts like “Come Around” and “On Time” have certainly added a new dimension to the songwriting and emotional depth of Surfaces, fans can rest assured that their trademark penchant for feel great grooves remain true all throughout Pacifico.

In just five years, the duo behind Surfaces has traveled all over the country. The last time they took the show on the road was during the “Warm Winter Tour” back in 2019. This August, they’ll hit the road again for a North American tour called the aptly titled “Good 2 Be Back Tour.” To the masses they’re a homegrown duo that never fails to bring light and positivity to the forefront of their music. But internally… they’re just two friends having the time of their lives. And why wouldn’t they be? It’s not every day that pop icons like Justin Bieber partake in a “Sunday Best” dance craze dedicated to you by your fans on TikTok. 

More importantly, it’s not every day a pop-rock band comes along and reminds us of Bill Withers, Hall & Oates, Beach Boys and Chance the Rapper all in one breath. “That’s pretty good (laughs). I like that,” confesses Frank when the unique comparison was brought to his attention. With the release of Pacifico, Surfaces is now four albums deep into a promising career in music. And to think, it all started with a litany of recording sessions at Padalecki’s college house in Texas. It appears as though the guys from Surfaces are just as good at building songs as they are at giving form to the happy place from which all of their songs originate.

Pacifico is available everywhere you can stream it. 

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Alt-pop newcomer LVRA (pronounced loo-rah, real name Rachel Lu) has shared her first new track of 2021, ‘DEAD’. Following up on 2020’s debut EP LVCID, she explains: “There’s a unique power you gain when you stop caring about what people think of you. It’s an ongoing battle, though, and ‘DEAD’ is about the conflict between the fantasy of not caring and how you feel in reality. The video captures that, with a version of myself who has her shit together and another that is fighting to survive.The use of red represents fear in the human condition, but in Chinese culture it also symbolises happiness. One rarely comes without the other.” The track – a cultural mix that matches LVRA’s heritage with bleeding edge ultra HD pop – is the first taster of a second EP, which is set to follow later this summer. You can check out an Oscar McNab (Lacuna Common, Oscar Lang). directed video above. [via Dork]

Los Angeles artist Wallice follows debut single 'Punching Bag' with new coming of age anthem, '23'. Wallice finds herself caught between two places on fresh cut, '23'. “Too old to be a runaway”, but also too young to consider herself as grown up, the 22-year old yearns for a past that still has not happened yet. Working with producer David Marinelli since her return to California, Wallice has crafted a sound that is unique without taking itself too seriously. An angst-driven remonstration at the powerlessness of her age, '23' is also the clearest stamp of her musical identity to date. The expression of this purgatory is a cathartic garage-rock headbanger complemented beautifully by Wallice’s playful lyrics. “I just can't wait to be / all grown up and 23,” she admits in the song’s irresistible chorus. “Tell me what is wrong with me / I miss my Ohio fake ID”. In artfully portraying the limbo state of the age, Wallice describes the events in her life that have led to her own disaffection. “It’s hard not to compare your own professional success to that of your similarly aged peers. I dropped out of university in New York after studying Jazz Voice for a year, and my dad was VERY disappointed, to say the least, so it was hard not to feel like a loser in that sense. “The specific age 23 doesn’t have any milestones associated with it, but it’s more the idea of just looking forward to the future,” Wallice continues on the meaning of the track. "Much like how people ‘reset’ every new year, it’s comparable to be ‘older and wiser’ with each birthday, but instead of constantly looking to the future, it is important to be happy with where you are”. [via Line Of Best Fit]

Coach Party have shared their new single 'Everybody Hates Me'. The Isle of Wight group are gearing up to release their incoming EP, with After Party pitting their potent indie pop influences against bittersweet lyricism. Out shortly, the EP is teased by new thumper 'Everybody Hates Me', with Coach Party adding a neat gloss to their guitar pop sound. Out now, 'Everybody Hates Me' comes equipped with a neat video steered by Daniel Broadley. Vocalist Jess Eastwood comments: “‘Everybody Hates Me’ isn’t a metaphor for anything; it’s literally about those times when you convince yourself that everyone, including your best friends don’t actually like you, and your self-confidence is so low that you don’t even blame them. Disguise that sentiment in an up-beat singalong, and there you have the third single from our new record. The video is a direct extension of the song. It swings between the insecurities of feeling like you’re not good enough amongst your friends, and the sense of unity you get from those same people when you finally wake up from your rut. Everyone feels that way from time to time, but you gotta remember that sometimes your irrational self is going to take over. And when it does, try to remember that you’re awesome, and your friends really are your friends.” [via Clash]

Pussy Riot have gone hyperpop on their latest song 'Toxic'. The Dorian Electra collaboration features glitched out production by Dylan Brady of 100 gecs and tackles a relationship gone bad. Written, directed, and edited by Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova, the music video features jarring, bloody imagery matching Brady’s production. “Care about yourself, cherish your mental health, and stay away from relationships that poison you!” Tolokonnikova writes in the YouTube description. “Amen.” In the song’s lyrics, Tolokonnikova tells off an ex. “You are my daily poison so annoying,” she sings. “You’re even more toxic than my employer.” The hook continues the theme. “This combo is deadly — ’cause we used to be friendly,” Electra laments. “And now my heart is a weapon / You made me… toxic.” [via Consequence of Sound]

Baby Queen has dropped a brand new track, ‘These Drugs’. Bella Latham’s second new track of the year – following up on the anthemic ‘Raw Thoughts’ – she explains in an Instagram post: “This is a story I really needed to tell you and I didn’t know how to for a long time. When I first wrote this song, I honestly didn’t think I was going to be allowed to release it or that releasing it would be a particularly good idea. It just felt really important and that’s all I’ve ever wanted music to be; so I knew I had to share it with you.I was in a very bad place at the time… very depressed and convinced I wasn’t a good person and didn’t deserve good things. Life is different now. I’m happy. I’ve learnt that the antidote to my misery is gratitude and caring about myself even when I don’t want to, until it becomes a habit. It’s natural to look for escapism but there’s more freedom in working to build a life you like… and by that I literally just mean learning to love yourself. You, with all your scars and all your regrets, are home to an actual life! You’ve been through so much and you’ve come out the other side stronger because of it – it’s remarkable really. You’ve got to invite the sad parts of yourself in to have a tea party with you. Don’t ignore them and cover them up. If you don’t look at them, they’ll make themselves seen! You are so worthy of love and I hope that if you don’t see that yet, you will learn to in time. Anyways guys,” she finishes, “this is all very intense. I love you very much and I hope you can understand and relate in some way.” [via Dork]

Greentea Peng has shared her new single 'Nah It Ain’t The Same'. The UK neo-soul voice is an outstanding talent, someone who pushes herself further into that hip-hop / jazz nexus with each release. Produced by Earbuds, new single 'Nah It Ain't The Same' is out now, one that reflects the chemistry she has with her live band The Seng Seng Family. Dipping into drum 'n' bass, her vocals have a calming, beatific feel, with 'Nah It Ain't The Same' tugging at matters personal. She comments: “Deliberations of a (hu) MAN, subject to the pendulum's swing, I give you ‘Nah It Aint The Same’ off my album MAN MADE. An expression and exploration of my utter confusion and inner conflicts amidst shifting paradigms.” Greentea Peng stars in the new video, with Machine Operated sculpting the video. [via Clash]

renforshort has debuted a brand new single, ‘virtual reality’. The first taster of a forthcoming second EP, the track sees her “connect” with Kellen Pomeranz (Pom Pom), Jesse Fink and Beabadoobee collaborator Pete Robertson. “’virtual reality’ is a song that tackles many topics. But at its core, it really is about anxiety, routine, boredom, isolation, loneliness, and fear,” she explains. “I think a lot of people have a very unhealthy relationship with technology because it’s never really been restricted enough to consider mental health and overall health, and that has fucked so many people up, now more than ever. Ever since I was young, social media has played a major role in my mental wellbeing, and I became so accustomed to it, it became a part of my routine and it came before everything else. The moment I wake up, almost instinctively, I check my phone. Depending on what I see in the morning, basically determines how I’m gonna feel for the rest of the day. I hate it. But I can’t stop. And what’s most ironic about this all is you’re likely going to read this on social media or listen to the song on some sort of electronic device…” [via Dork]

Flock of Dimes has shared the second single from her forthcoming album Head of Roses, out April 2 via Sub Pop. Following recent single, 'Two', 'Price of Blue' is another standout from Wasner’s second solo LP, an album that showcases her ability to embrace new levels of vulnerability, honesty and openness, combined with the self-assuredness that comes with a decade-plus career as a songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and prolific collaborator. It comes accompanied by an unearthly new video filmed in black and white, co-directed by Wasner with Graham Tolbert. Wasner says: “This song is about trying, and failing, to connect. It’s about the ways in which, despite our best efforts, we misunderstand each other, and become so attached to stories that we’re unable to see the truth that’s right in front of us. And it’s about the invisible mark that another person can leave on your body, heart and mind long after their absence. It can be difficult to make sense of the memory of your experience when the reality on the surface is always shifting—when the story you’re telling, or the story you’ve been told, unravels, leaving you with a handful of pieces and no idea how they used to fit together.”

Berlin-based indie-soul five-piece, People Club, announce their new EP Take Me Home, which is due May 7 and the band are sharing the title-track and new video. The title track 'Take Me Home' is a song about the realisation of mortality in old age and the cynicism that often plights the elderly after losing their loved ones and being left alone with their regrets. It is accompanied by a music video shot by long standing collaborator, Felix Spitta. Speaking of the process the band say, “Once again we worked with our very talented friend, Felix Spitta, who also shot the video for our last single Francine.  We basically spent a day fooling around at his house with a smoke machine and an old tape TV camera with a red filter.  The result is hazy and disorientating, just like this year has been so far.”

Introducing MARY., the dreamy alter-ego of musician and songwriter Stef T. The self-produced debut track, ‘Day to Day’, interlaces elements of electro-pop and R&B with a voice that enchants, along with an official video filmed, edited and directed by David Risdon and Charlie Rose Creative. Reading like a page in a diary, ‘Day to Day’ offers a candid and emotionally raw glance at being overlooked as a woman in a man’s world. She is put together, glamorous and poised on the outside, but on the inside she is simmering like a pot ready to boil over, fed-up and on the brink of snapping. Speaking of the track, Stef T explains, “’Day to Day’ is a reflection on what it is to be a woman in a role where you are always unseen; constantly giving yet never receiving. As woman, we are often undervalued for our day to day work in all aspects - as mothers, in relationships, in our careers; having to push extra hard to get the basic recognition and thanks that we are entitled to. This song is a commentary of a large part of my life where I settled, sacrificed and worked, only to be used and taken for granted. It is about learning to survive a toxic relationship, discover your own individual worth again and reclaim the power that you gave away to someone else. Producing this song myself is the only thing that made sense in context with the intention of MARY. as a project. She is an entirely self made, independent woman, who does it all and doesn't need a man to confirm that she's doing a good job. This is something I have personally struggled with, so I created the MARY. persona to feel more empowered in my storytelling as an artist, in an industry without a large visible number of female-identifying producers.”

Los Angeles based dream pop trio Tashaki Miyaki have just released a single and video of the title song from their forthcoming second album, Castaway, which will be released on April 23 via Metropolis Records. Singer, drummer and producer Paige Stark states that the song “is about the challenges of romantic love and how we are all bad at it in one way or another. The idea of a castaway in all this is that no one understands the relationship except the people in it, so you really are stuck on an island alone together there. Maybe you make it back to the mainland, or maybe you stay on the island.” Stark also shot the Sofia Coppola-inspired video on film, adding: "I wanted to tap into all the feelings that can come up in love relationships: anger, sadness, loneliness, vulnerability, stillness, joy, romance, longing. The actress in it has a beautifully expressive face and I've known her for a long time. I knew we would be able to create those moments together. I wanted it to feel like the camera was her lover, capturing her in various private moments, moods and feelings.”

With her Vanilla Shell EP celebrating its one-year anniversary last month, Danish-Chilean composer Molina is back with another abbreviated record in the form of the new single 'Cold,' featuring vocalist Jonas Bjerre, arriving with a pair of B-sides. The brief collection of songs continues her simultaneous journey inward toward the roots of Chilean music and outward into her own unique vision of the future. The project lands with a video for the A-side, which dreams up bizarre fantasy iconography in the tradition of Grimes and Björk to complement her subdued take on these artists’ out-there recordings. Blending ambiguous electronic sounds with the familiar drone of cello and Bjerre’s backing vocals, the track’s distinct persona may have more in common with the experimental soundscapes of artists like Jenny Hval or Julia Holter. [via Flood]

Maisie Peters has debuted her brand new single, ‘John Hughes Movie’. Described as the first single from her soon to be announced debut album, it’s a song about unrequited love, inspired by the legendary film producer and his classic coming-of-age teen comedies like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. The track comes alongside a video co-written by Maisie and director Louis Bhose (Loyle Carner, Arlo Parks, Lewis Capaldi). Maisie explains: “I wrote ‘John Hughes Movie’ when I was 17 about a house party that I had gone to. It’s a really honest depiction of being a hopeless, melodramatic teenager, being awkward and drunk and getting your heart broken by people you don’t even remember anymore. John Hughes films encapsulate that foolish romantic energy of high school and everything that I, a small town English wannabe Molly Ringwald wanted to be, but was not.” [via Dork]

Chloe x Halle have shared the music video for their song 'Ungodly Hour.' The video was debuted on Wedneday night's episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and shows the Bailey sisters going underwater for a sci-fi-style visual filled with choreography and elaborate adventures at the bottom of the ocean. Watch the Alfred Marroquín-directed video above. [via The FADER]

South London's Josie Man has returned with sentimental new single 'Cuts & Bruise', marking her first release of 2021. 'Cuts & Bruises' follows October 2020's 'Grow' single, and is accompanied by a Andrea Mae-directed video that shows couples enjoying tender moments, including Josie Man and her boyfriend. [via Line Of Best Fit]

Jessie Ware has shared a new short film for her song 'Remember Where You Are'. Her album What's Your Pleasure? arrived last year, a disco-fuelled missile that presented some much-needed good vibes amid lockdown. The songwriter returns to the record for her song 'Remember Where You Are', a soulful and uplifting slice of UK songwriting. There's now a full video for the song and it's steered by BAFTA winning director Dominic Savage. Starring British actress Gemma Arterton, it opens on Valentine's Day and finds the star wandering through deserted London streets. A glimpse of hope and renewal, it taps into the growing feeling that this time, lockdown might be coming to a permanent end. "It was a real pleasure to collaborate with Jessie and Gemma on this short film that is inspired by Jessie Ware’s beautiful music. It was also inspired by the real feeling that was felt when we filmed in the deserted streets of eerily strange lockdown London on a Saturday night/Sunday morning,” Dominic said. “The feelings and emotions in the film are a true reflection of what that felt like, and what this time invokes. Sadness, nostalgia, pain and defiance. But when we climbed Primrose Hill and the sun started to rise above the city, there was real hope and joy for a future that will surely be ours. Listening to Jessie’s music. There is no doubt of that." Jessie adds... "This song has always meant a lot to me and I was determined for other people to hear it and for it to be single. I am so touched by how many people have embraced this song, particularly when it's one of your favourite actresses and an acclaimed film director. Working with Gemma, Dominic and their team has been an absolute joy. To have them realise my song with a beautiful ode to London and the longing for human touch and interaction couldn't be more of a compliment. It's a truly cherished piece of work." [via Clash]

Jaguar Jonze has shared her new single and video 'CURLED IN' ahead of the release of her second EP ANTIHERO on April 16, both via Nettwerk Records. 'CURLED IN' presents all her best qualities at its outset. From the track’s rip-roaring, slicing guitar to her perfectly forceful, omnipresent vocals, 'CURLED IN' is a pure cathartic release. "Tear me apart, just tear me apart," she all but demands: "I've never seen wrong be done right." She's fulfilling her simplest needs, and it's freeing. "It's a bit of a twist for me to be a masochist." As a survivor of abuse, these words' unafraid power is all too apparent and an engaging statement to hear expressed.

Following the release of eclectic and impressive debut singles 'ASOS,' 'Right Time,' and 'Papercut,' rising left-of-center pop singer and songwriter Dava returns with a fresh and bold new single 'New Ceilings' available now via Sony Music's Disruptor Records. The moody anti-pop record was co-written by Dava and Mike Adubato (Del Water Gap, Grace VanderWaal) who also produced the track, and is the latest off the Los Angeles-based musician's forthcoming debut EP, Sticky, due out later this year. On the inspiration behind her new single, Dava shares, "This song was written about survival and staying true to yourself. I was having a hard time financially after moving to LA and my phone was shut off while on my way to this session. I was upset with myself for prioritizing music when I really needed the money from driving Uber to stay afloat." She continues, "The day I wrote 'New Ceilings' I was angry and I wanted a song that felt empowering and validated all the work I had put in up to that point. I ended up choosing different songs for my project but when I revisited this one year later, I felt it needed to be heard because of how authentically it embodies my struggle."

London-based Fifi Rong, a multi-talented avant-pop songstress, has shared the video for her stunning single, ‘Another Me’. Directed by Rok Pat, the video for ‘Another Me’ is stylistically simplistic, as Fifi Rong uses her own body as a medium of art, painting herself and inviting the simple imagery of waterside reeds and plants. A tranquil mysticism embraces the single as Fifi Rong acts as a gentle siren, luring the unsuspecting in yet known the inevitable outcome of the relationship. Speaking of the concept behind the single and video, Fifi Rong tells us: “In any doomed romance, timing is always mysteriously wrong. This is my first full CGI music video and it visually portrays the elusive nature of the character surrounding the key message: 'you won't find another me'. The undertone of the song displays a sense of pride and confidence in the character’s melancholy. Dressed in nothing but petals, I wanted my character to symbolise purity, nature, truthfulness, vulnerability and the divine feminine form. Acting as a rotating statue, I wanted to mark the passing of time and seasons as if a unique and lonely piece of art on display.”

[p1harmonyofficial]

[📰] A Day in the Life With P1Harmony, K-Pop's Most Optimistic Rookies: 'We Want to Be Artists'

By Jessica Oak

Over the past few months, P1Harmony unveiled their debut album Disharmony: Stand Out, premiered the box office movie P1Harmony: New World Begins with Amazon Music, and released an onslaught of rip-roaring dance videos. It's safe to say the new boy band has made both their incredible talent and their charm clear.

Billboard Korea was invited to join their packed, day-to-day activities to see how members Keeho, Jiung, Theo, Intak, Soul and Jongseob are navigating the fast lane to success and their infinite dreams.

As a quiet Sunday evening dawns on Seoul in the third week of November, Billboard Korea is greeted by the highly-energetic, freshly debuted K-pop group during a short break. In the midst of the seemingly endless hours that accompany K-pop star schedules -- especially those for new acts -- P1Harmony has just returned to their label headquarters from filming what would be their last televised performance of debut single “Siren” on music program SBS Inkigayo.

They’re all still in their customized stage outfits, now sipping smoothies and reviewing their recorded live performance on their managers' mobile devices before driving off to another scheduled appearance.

“I usually drink coffee, Americano with extra espresso shots, but I can use some sugar today,” Jiung, 19, says in his deep voice. His pleasant smile is seen through sips of an Oreo smoothie, the popular choice among the members (minus Keeho, who opted for chocolate, and Theo, who chose a strawberry flavor). “We definitely poured a lot of energy at Inkigayo.”

As seen on Inkigayo, the group’s collective ability to deliver pitch-perfect vocals through the intricate and hardcore choreography for “Siren” has been one of the key factors that led to early mainstream recognition.

With big puppy dog eyes and a lisp that occasionally slips in, Intak, 17 -- who is largely considered to be the main dancer of the group by fans, despite P1H saying they would rather not define each members’ roles -- further explains their efforts. “We are a little bit exhausted from putting in so much energy to our last performance," he says. "I think we all wanted to make a lasting impression and give our fans everything.”

Pointing to his shoes, the group's 19-year-old leader Keeho jokingly adds, “I think I danced too hard, my toe hurts!”

Keeho is Canadian-Korean, and is the most easygoing -- as well as the wittiest -- member of the group. His humor is unguarded, but his intentions are kind. His welcoming personality is often what seems to break the ice during interviews.

Youngest member Jongseob, 15, whose palpable maturity is both endearing and somewhat eerie, quietly adds that he, too, felt his moves were “much bigger and stronger” than usual. We later learn that behind his politeness, there is a super-talkative, introverted child prodigy with big ideas and a big smile.

Soon enough, the room inside FNC Entertainment headquarters starts bustling with staff members, which means it’s time to get ready for the next event. The group is rushed to get prepped and each member starts rotating into the makeup chair in an almost-robotic way, as a seasoned artist would, taking turns for their hair and foundation to be retouched.

“I have a big mosquito bite on the left side of my face,” Keeho reminds his two makeup artists, “Who gets bit by a mosquito during winter?” He turns to the group to laugh, “It is not a pimple, I promise!”

When asked if there are certain stage habits they've adopted since debut, Keeho quickly answers, “I make sure I have nothing in between or on my teeth and floss my teeth with a Q-tip so it doesn’t ruin my makeup.” Immediately, the whole room erupts in laughter. Keeho is clearly the funny one, but when you mention this to Keeho, he disagrees and says, “We all try to keep our moods up so we are constantly saying silly things. Theo is hilarious, too; he's just shy.”

Soon, P1Harmony heads to the Lotte Theater located in Jamsil, Seoul, where they have been coming for weeks to have small fan-meetings of less than 50 people due to COVID-19 social-distancing restrictions. They arrive just in time at 7:00 p.m. when the movie ends and, minutes later, are ushered into a crowd of overly excited fans -- all of whom are holding its gigantic cameras, ready to flash away.

They're holding these meetups at the movie theaters because P1Harmony is the first K-pop group to ever have released a feature film prior to their debut. The new and unconventional strategy, created by P1Harmony's management agency FNC Entertainment to help them stand out in a hyper-competitive industry, proved to be exceedingly effective. Not only did the full-length sci-fi movie help them gain traction in Korea thanks to co-stars that included some top names in entertainment, but it gave them the opportunity to be exposed on a global platform like Amazon Music when a 20-minute highlight version made its international debut.

Just a few feet from the front row of movie seats, the boys each take turns sharing their feelings about its promotional activities of “Siren” coming to end. They then do a short fan-focused skit (Jiung and Theo makes hearts and piggybacks each other upon fans requests randomly picked out from a box) and promise to come back with more music ASAP.

As a farewell gift, the boys go all out for a surprise performance of the Disharmony b-side track “Butterfly” and an encore performance of “Siren,” despite a less-than-ideal stage. Without any special lights or fancy backdrops, the narrow carpet strip between the first row of chairs and the movie screen was not the most flattering space for a boy-band performance, but turned out to be a supremely enjoyable moment of the night: P1Harmony's in-sync step coordination, balance control, spatial awareness and general collective optimism helped them manage through their gesture-heavy choreography (without anyone getting punched in the face) in what's a nearly impossible, vulnerable experience to see from any K-pop act.

Afterwards, Theo takes the mic, and asks the crowd their one last question: “Do you think we’ve improved since our first showcase?” The fans shriek, “YES!”

As we are walking to their cars, Jongseob says, “Soul is always wearing his ginormous skull rings -- he's a rockstar at heart -- and they usually end up hurting someone during our dance practices.” He's still out of breath and completely drenched in sweat. “But somehow, we managed to dodge getting hurt so I guess that was a success!”

Soul, the half-Japanese, half-Korean 15-year-old innocently looks up and nods. Soul rarely talks, but in his defense, it's not because “he doesn’t care,” but because he’s an “observer.” According to Soul, he gets more thrilled by watching his members having fun. Keeho confirms, “Soul is so protective of us; very loving and compromising.”

“It’s always so satisfying when we can perform in front of an actual audience, because we rarely get to meet our fans in person due to the current situation,” Theo, 19, shares while speaking up for the first time during this interview. “It is unfortunate that we don’t get to do it as much as we would like to, although we have live online meet-ups almost every week.”

Despite his shyness, Theo is more comfortable being in an intimate setting with his fans, while also trying to be more outgoing and giving -- his way of expressing his gratitude. While occasionally unreadable at times, Theo was one of the only members who consistently posed for the cameras throughout the one-hour fan session.

“Theo can come off the wrong way at first, kind of like Soul," explains group leader Keeho. "But once you get to know him, which takes some time, he is probably one of the more detail-oriented and caring members. He remembers what you said or what you like, and will have it ready for you when you’re least expecting it.”

On their car ride back to FNC, the boys are understandably exhausted, but no one is complaining or expecting to rest. Instead, they light up at the idea of dancing more. Since COVID-19 has limited most of what would normally make them busier with appearances and concerts, Jiung says they usually cap the night off by either going to dance practice or making online content. Tonight, they are going to practice.

While it's a typical K-pop rookie answer to say that their nights will be filled with rehearsing, our skepticism is proven wrong. Starting after dinner around 11:30 p.m., their dance practice is going to be an all-nighter. Jiung and Intak have been coordinating their moves for a short TikTok video for almost 50 minutes.

“We ended our debut promo but we are doing a follow-up promo for 'Nemonade' and have a number of special projects and collaborations coming up,” Jiung teases for his upcoming promos. “We seriously have so much to practice that we haven't had much personal time. We only go back to our dorms to shower and sleep.”

“You'd be stunned if you saw our dorms right now,” Keeho tells us. “We have a group chat where our individual chores are listed, but that list hasn't been updated since Oct. 14. Our moms help us out here and there but that's a whole other conversation.” Jongseob chuckles and suggests that they should play a card game of BANG! tonight so the loser can clean what's most urgent and in dire need of attention: the sink.

But besides chores, what does P1Harmony do during their off-hours?

The first to answer is Jiung, who carries himself with serene confidence on and off stage, and is perhaps one of the more collected and determined members of the group. He has very specific personal preferences (he loves raw garlic, can’t be cooked) and indulges in multiple hobbies (reading on a wide-range of subjects, sketching “to take things off his mind" that results in near-perfect replications) and gets consumed watching videos on “solo camping,” noting that one of his many goals is to go camping alone one day.

“Our personal needs and time are important, but all of that right now is secondary,” Jiung says. He stresses that he and his members are more focused on finessing their craft and is trying not to lose sight of their ultimate goal, which is to be recognized for their musicality. All the members have writing credits on their debut album.

They say their hard work ethic and long hours are purely driven by their excitement of finally being able to do what they've been dreaming of for years. The group’s debut didn’t go exactly as planned, getting postponed multiple times for several reasons, so one can only imagine their buildup of determination.

Keeho adds, “We love doing online meet-ups. It’s so much fun and it’s the only way we can interact with our fans right now, but at the same time we are kind of worried that we will be, or I will be, known as the ‘funny’ one, and wonder if we could ever be taken seriously as musicians.”

Nonetheless, he is flattered that people find him funny and enjoys watching fan-made memes of himself -- some of which have earned hundreds of thousands of views on social media.

Now, in full-out leader mode, Keeho squarely shares, “The only reason why we are so motivated is because we just love singing and performing. I can confidently say, on the behalf of our members, is that the six of us are here because we want to be artists; we want to deliver our message and emotions through our music, and we don’t want any of that to be overshadowed by our other activities.”

So, what about P1Harmony’s music?

“Of course, we want to inspire and have a message that our fans can relate to," Keeho says. "But what matters to us the most, is that we are genuine and make music that feels like ‘us’ at that very moment." Jiung adds, “I want to make music that can remind us what mind state or what type of emotions we were feeling at the time.”

Keeho agrees. “Our music defines us. We want to be sincere, and hope that our sincerity translates to our fans worldwide. I think it’s important to make music that touches us first; music that feels true to ourselves," he says. "We are all very opinionated, involved and talk to each other a lot about what we feel when we are writing our music.”

Although the group is at most times in high spirits, they admit they have concerns about their future. When asked if the idea of failure or self-doubt ever devours them, they are all remarkably positive and dedicated.

“I get worried about failure, but I try not to focus on our results right now," Intak says earnestly. “I think it’s a process, and whatever the outcome may be, what matters to me the most is enjoying this [learning] process and being humble and grateful for every little achievement we establish as a group.” However, he is adamant to “to make an indelible mark in history.” “I want us to be remembered as a prominent musical figure in history. I want to touch the world; I want to move and impact people with what we do. I want to go on-record with Billboard for this!”

“I also worry,” continues Jiung gleefully, looking more ecstatic than ever despite the heavy subject. “I think about our failure, but I have this gut-feeling we are going to do well. We all have this crazy, enthusiastic vibe, and are pretty much convinced we are going to be awesome. I think we lift each other up and have high hopes because we have no doubt when we are making music.”

Jongseob jumps in to clarify: “We don't think about failure at least when we are in our creative zones.”

“No offense to Intak,” Theo says peacefully, “but I don’t care for results. I don’t want to change the world. I don’t want to be pressured to make a difference, because we set our own standards and that’s what matters the most. I’m just happy to be singing and performing right now.”

“Yeah, you know what, I am not concerned [about failure] at all,” Keeho continues with his mischievous smirk. “I always say, ‘We are destined for greatness,’ and I truly believe it. We are going to be legends!”

And after spending a full, exhaustive day with them, at this point, we believe it too.

[sayingthesamethings]

there’s a $14 hole in my wallet and I blame western artists...

Context: I just blindly bought Map of the Soul: 7 and sat through the most heartbreaking 40 minutes of my entire existence as a BTS fan.

Author’s Note: Hi guys. I apologize, but this is not a new chapter of Magic Shop. This is simply a rant containing my opinions and criticisms of BTS’s newest album Map of the Soul: 7. You are free to scroll past. I don’t blame you. But please, do not message me to argue and harass me. We can have a conversation, and I can answer questions if you have any. Please, don’t be a butt. With that out of the way...

let’s get down to business.

To put it simply, I hated a majority of this new album. I bought the album without listening to the previews of the tracks (my biggest mistake), and decided to play straight through the album with no breaks for a raw first impression of the musicality of this album. No, I have not gone through the lyrics, and will not for a little while.

Because I cannot get over what I just went through.

This album has the most conflicting genres I have ever heard. Keep in mind, I did not read the translations, so my initial understanding of the song is not entirely correct.

But can someone tell me why we go from (what sounds like) diss tracks, to anime openings, to ballads, to upbeat pop in such an abrupt amount of time?

I feel like I have whiplash from how many turns this album took. I thought I knew where this album was going when I watched Shadow and Black Swan, but then Ego came out. Which wasn’t too much to swallow, but it was still odd.

And then ON came out.

Let me tell you about just one of my issues with ON. The most obvious one that almost everyone has been talking about is the excessive use of auto tune. I can’t tell what’s worse: the auto tune or the fact that I can’t imagine the song without auto tune. It almost feels as if the song was produced with auto tune being the only thing in mind. And this isn’t tasteful auto tune. It isn’t used as an affect. It drowns out the whole song! And I can’t tell if this was just a stylistic choice or if it was just a complete lack of trust in BTS’s ability. I doubt it was the latter, but I can’t say for sure.

The performance for ON is fairly enjoyable, visually. I’ve read a few people are unhappy with the distribution of the dance between the members, but I see it as a change in pace. It may be a good or bad change, but it’s change nonetheless. Yes, j-hope and Jimin are amazing dancers, but you can’t discredit all the other members just because you love j-hope’s and Jimin’s dancing more. Yes, they are definitely the better dancers of the group, but the others still work hard to perform the same dances. You can see the effort everyone put in to making this performance.

V, RM, and Jin stood out the most to me in this sense. I commemorate their improvements and hope they continue to work hard.

So this leads up to the album. I’m only going to comment on the tracks that stood out to me the most, cause there are a lot of songs and a majority of them felt too monotonous for me to really feel any kind of interest in. There’s gonna be a lot of skipping around, so bear with me please.

The most peculiar of the bunch, in my eyes, is Jin’s solo, Moon.

I feel like I just listened to the opening of the second season of a slice of life anime.

Moon is so simple, it hurts. I always make jokes about mainstream music and it’s lack of chord diversity and repetitive patterns (we did this a lot in jazz band), but this track takes the cake. I felt no climax or emotion from this song. This song was safe, and that probably disappoints me the most. Jin’s solos in the past have been so powerful and stunning, that this song just does him dirty.

Shawn Mendes has entered the chat

Filter does well in showcasing a different side to Jimin, but it sounds like Shawn Mendes ghostwrote this song. The guitar with the very prominent slides and shifts just screams Western music.

But I still think that Jimin did very well with this song. He works with his strengths, and the breathlessness in his voice really sells Filter as one of the few replayable songs of the album.

I can fuck with UGH!. It has similar vibes as Ddaeng (땡), but the backtrack isn’t nearly as good. The fall to notes in the backtrack is disturbing when done so prominently and in such a strict, reoccurring pattern, but I can look past it.

The aggressiveness in UGH! is something I can really appreciate. It’s one of the few saving graces for the track. It really reminds me of past rapline tracks, which is maybe why this track seems more fitting to their respective performers than others.

If Inner Child had been slowed down, I could have enjoyed the song just a little more. Taehyung really hits hard with slower songs, and he could have really put more soul into the song if he had the room to do so. Though, I suppose the chorus might not have made any sense as the oscillation might not translate well into a slower tempo. I think the slower tempo would have created a holier (for the lack of a better word) presence and a more delicate and fragile image.

Respect your elders...

...by sticking to your original sound. Respect starts off strong and starts sounding like older BTS tracks, but then auto tune strikes again and Suga is the victim. The rapping sounds like a conversation between the two, but the auto tune ruins the connection Suga and RM build through their interactions and interjections. I also wish that the back track was a little more busy because of how laid back the rap is, but repetitiveness seems to be the concept of this album...

ON felt the need to come back around for round two and dragged Sia into the mess. If they were gonna bother Sia about “collaborating” the least they could have done was actually have all of them record together rather than asking Sia to pretty please sing over this one part of the song. What bothers me more is that they butcher her beautiful voice just for the sake of continuity.

My suggestion for the second version of ON is to create an acoustic version and have someone who is more interested in singing in another language sing with them in the same room.

And this is nothing against Sia, but we’ll come back to that.

The saving grace, Ego. Easily the only track I would have bought, had I known what this album was before I purchased it. Ego is j-hope’s song. There’s no doubt about it. j-hope has such a duality to him, and the contrast between his more serious raps and more upbeat raps is clear as day. Again, the auto tune does him dirty, but I can appreciate the uplifting feel behind both the backtrack and j-hope’s raps.

So what’s the deal with the album itself?

There’s a few things I wanna touch base on. This album has no clear concept musically. It’s all over the place, and it sounds like the whole album is a playlist or like it was put on shuffle. I can’t tell what belongs in the album, and I’ve lost sight of the top and the bottom.

There’s such a heavy Western influence on this whole album that I can almost taste the cheeseburgers drenched in maple syrup.

So a lot of American and Canadian artists and songwriters had a part in creating this, and they’re very proud of the shit they put out. I went through the discography to look up some of the artists that participated and often ended up on their social medias, where a handful happily announced their participation for the whole world to hear.

Whether you look up the songwriters or not, it’s hard to miss the western influence in all of the songs. BTS has had songs influenced by Western music before. It’s just that the modern pop influence isn’t working for this album. But it still makes sense! One of BTS’s biggest markets is in the west, so speak to your audience. Influence is great and all, but domination is not.

The problem with Sia...

I don’t think Sia or BTS did anything wrong. What people sometimes need to be reminded of is that while these people very much love us as their fans, they are still part of a business. A business needs to look out for itself, or else it becomes a charity, and it just can’t function like that.

The collaboration is a business agreement that went sour. I think there should have been more care and work towards getting Sia to sing more parts. Korean, preferably, but English would have worked too. You can’t throw a single recording out on top of the song and call it a collaboration. It’s almost rude. And I really do believe they got her to sing that one line once and just used it again the second time it came around.

It lacks effort. Sia was used. BTS was used.

To summarize, I hated the musicality (or lack there of) in this album. I feel like I had an okay idea of what the over genre of music was going to be, and I feel lied to. It’s all over the place, and there’s nothing natural about their voices because of the overwhelming presence of auto tune. I’m honestly scared to see this all in concert because none of these have overwhelming potential to be something spectacular live. I’m scared to hear their natural and beautiful voices over such harsh music and backtracks.

I wish Western music would just stay out of BTS. I’m not saying I want it to go away, cause I believe there’s some good influence that has been shown. It’s just my disappointment is overwhelming these positive traits.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading my thoughts on Map of the Soul: 7. It means a lot to me that you were interested. If you’d like to chat about the album or have any questions for me, feel free to send me an ask or message me.

[independentartistbuzz]

7 FROM THE WOMEN: LIZA GRABOWSKI FROM THE NORMAL LIVING

7 From The Women is a segment here on Independent Artist Buzz where we ask some of the industries finest seven questions. During this time of accusations and the lack thereof, we think it’s important to give women a voice. We chose to ask seven questions to honor the seven Wiccan clans.

Liza Grabowski is a vocalist and guitarist in one of our favorite bands, The Normal Living. From NJ on the edges of NYC, the band blends urban ideas and images with rock and roll, Americana, and folk-rock sounds, while summoning the fun of pop. With singer-songwriter roots and bar-band beginnings, their influences are eclectic, ranging from Carole King, Springsteen, and U2 to the Killers, Arcade Fire, Jenny Lewis, and Neko Case, from Fleetwood Mac, and Heart to Patty Griffin and the Dixie Chicks, helping to carry on the story of American rock and roll songwriting in the millennial age.

What have you been working to promote lately?

First of all, thank you so much for having me for this interview! I love what your site does for independent musicians, and I love how this series features and supports women artists.

Right now, my band (The Normal Living) is about to release some tracks that I’m really proud of as a woman, as a thirty-something, and as an independent artist. The first single from this new record is called “How It All Went Down,” releasing on Oct. 25. This song is really special to us. It was a full collaborative effort in writing, arranging, and eventually producing this track (with producer Chris Badami of Portrait Recordings in NJ). It’s a powerful, up-tempo song, with a big rock sound, driving guitars, beautiful piano, and female vocals and harmonies. It’s told in part from the perspective of a mother, and it’s mostly a portrait of a family after a crisis, and how you move on from that. The song kind of builds emotionally, with sort of a cathartic release at the end, when the floodgates open and you can finally attempt to deal with unfathomable grief you’ve held inside for so long, for years and years maybe. Motherhood was central to me emotionally while writing it—my favorite line in the song is “Holding up to the light everything that I taught her”—but it’s also broader than that. It’s really about how any community struggles to come to terms with trauma, loss, and grief. As a band, with this new set of songs that we’ve been working on, we’re trying to explore themes of storytelling, narrative, and memory.

Please tell us about your favorite song written, recorded, or produced by another woman and why it’s meaningful to you.

I think if I had to pick one song that was my favorite song by a woman, I think I might go to Carole King’s “Natural Woman” for that. I remember my mom and dad bought Tapestry for me for my birthday when we first got a CD player. I’m pretty sure it was 1987, because they also bought me True Blue, Tiffany, and Out of the Blue at the same time. And I guess I was a little bit young for the themes, but I remember just loving it. Not in the same way I loved True Blue—which also felt grown up to me, but in a more salacious, edgy way—with Tapestry, I loved it the way you love an old doll or a cozy bed. I loved her raw vulnerable voice—and I remember that it stirred something in me about womanhood that the pop music of the day wasn’t doing in the same way. When I listened to Tapestry for the first time, I already knew the Aretha version of “Natural Woman.” But King’s vocal on that song, on the album, just sort of blew my mind in a way. It was the first time I realized that a “song” was not equivalent to the recording of a song—that a song is this living breathing thing that could be a vehicle for extremely personal intimacy. Even though I knew the lyrics and the melody already from the Aretha version, when I listened to King sing it, I felt like I was hearing something so brand new. Both versions are so amazing; that’s what I think was so mind-blowing to me at the time.

What does it mean to you to be a woman making music / in the music business today, and do you feel a responsibility to other women to create messages and themes in your music?

I do—more so now as a mother, I think. My daughter is 4, and as a writer and a singer, I think about her all the time. What do I want for her, and what would I tell myself if I was 4 again? To every woman, young or middle aged or older, I feel a responsibility—both in my songwriting and in my own persona—to represent women as strong and empowered. But I also think it’s really important to show women characters as vulnerable and flawed and real. Maybe some days you feel like a queen, but maybe other days you feel hopeless and messy and frazzled. It’s ok. It’s ok to feel both and inhabit both spaces. You’re a real person with real feelings, and you’re not made to be looked at or objectified—you have agency and emotions and ideas that have value. I think that being a woman artist, you do have to step back sometimes to be aware of all the crap we’ve internalized from growing up in a patriarchal society. There’s one song of mine that always triggers a self-reflexive feminist critique. It’s called “Time Out, New York,” from our first EP, Less Radio. On the surface, it’s very much a portrait of a woman sitting on the sidelines, cheering on her boyfriend on stage from the back of the bar. But when I perform it now, I try to be wry and sort of ironically meta about it, knowing that I’m the one on stage singing the song. From the song’s inception, I have always imagined doing a video in which the gender roles are reversed, depicting a woman on stage, singing about a man on stage, while her partner watches her from the bar. I also sometimes imagine queering it a bit and changing the lyrics to be a woman singing about another woman. I’m not sure if I’m trying to salvage a not-so-feminist lyric that I’m a little self-conscious about, or if there are really genuine layers of irony in the song about a male performer, viewed through a female gaze, that’s written and performed by a woman. (I’m hoping it’s the latter!) In any case, yes, it’s something I’m always thinking about, and growing as an artist as I grow as a human being navigating adulthood.

What is the most personal thing you have shared in your music or in your artist brand as it relates to being female?

Honestly, I think sometimes just being onstage in and of itself as a woman musician is one of the most personal things to share. It makes you vulnerable and takes courage, especially if you don’t fit the traditional mold of a pop star or a rock star or a celebrity. I consciously battle my insecurities about my body, my age, how I look, and how I sound every single time I go on a stage or in front of a camera. I try to remember what’s important as an artist is being brave and doing the things that scare you, to put your art out into the world, to tell stories, even if you have to go out of your comfort zone to do that.

What female artists have inspired you and influenced you?

I’m trying to think back on my musical journey as a child, because I have been alive to witness four decades of music. And I watched MTV from the very beginning, so music videos and images of rock and pop stars were extremely foregrounded for me. I also was fortunate to be raised by music lovers, so I was introduced to a lot of previous decades of rock and pop as well as a child. This is a long and rambling way of saying that I’ve had a ton of female musical influences from all different eras and genres. As a young child, I remember Stevie Nicks, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Heart, The Bangles, The GoGos, Pat Benatar, Patty Smyth, and Debbie Gibson—all of those women were on my horizon when I was a kid from MTV and the radio. From my parents, I was exposed to Carole King, Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, and 60s girl groups—my mom was a huge fan of the Supremes, and so we listened to a lot of those records.

MTV was really huge in my house in the 80s. I remember singing “Stand Back” by Stevie Nicks with my sister. I remember dancing to Laura Branigan and Whitney Houston songs, belting out “Gloria” and performing “The Greatest Love of All” in my second-grade talent show with a Fisher Price microphone. I embraced all kinds of genres and styles as a child. I just loved the female voice having such a platform, giving representation to women. I obviously didn’t process it in those terms at the time, but I think looking back, that’s exactly what it was that resonated with me. Then as I moved into adolescence, really the 2 biggest influences for me as a musician were Alanis Morrisette and The Dixie Chicks. I just felt that they were writing and playing and performing in ways that broke boundaries for women. Then into my 20s—Jewel was huge for me. I remember really connecting with her story about how she was down to her last dime and playing in cafes and on sidewalks, and I was so inspired by that tenacity. I also really connected with some American folk singer-songwriters at the time too. I was obsessed with Patty Griffin; I discovered her mainly through the Dixie Chicks and just started listening to everything I could of hers. And then I realized that she had done a cover of “Stolen Car” by Bruce Springsteen, who was my favorite artist growing up, and when I heard Patty’s version of it, I just kinda melted into a puddle. I just thought it was so gorgeous, and her take on it from a female perspective just took me to another place. The other person was influential for me in my 20s was Dar Williams; she truly influenced my songwriting in terms of telling stories and also just writing an album that’s cohesive and meaningful. Sheryl Crow was huge for me as a rock vocalist. I think I sang Leaving Las Vegas hundreds of times in my dorm room as a college student, trying to get it perfect and trying to get that mournful but strong rock vocal. Now in this decade, I am really looking to women like Brandi Carlile, Elle King, and Grace Potter as examples of women who are keeping rock alive.  

Who was the first female artist you saw that made you want to create music / be in the business?

The first concert I ever saw was Debbie Gibson when I was six, I believe—or maybe eight, I think, because it was actually the Electric Youth tour that I saw, so maybe I was eight or nine. I had basically memorized Out of the Blue, and then Electric Youth was also a smash for me too. I remember reading articles about her and being so motivated that she arranged, wrote, produced, and performed all of her songs. I said, I want to be like that. I want to DO that. So my sister and brother and I had this black-and-white composition notebook when we were little, and we used to write songs in it. We’d have songwriting sessions where we would write lyrics and jot notes down about the instrumental arrangements, and then we’d perform them for our parents and grandparents. That was one of the earliest times I can remember getting into what it means to produce a song or think about the structure of a song.

If you could form an all-woman super-group who would play in it?

I love this question, because I’m really loving The Highwomen album that came out in September; it’s just so beautiful and all of the women are such powerful energies. I think in my fantasy world, my all-woman super-group would be Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Natalie Maines, and of course me.

Connect with Liza and The Normal Living online via:

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https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-normal-living/592223705

[hmel78]

In conversation with Steve Hackett ...

STEVE HACKETT : FROM “NURSEY CRYME” TO “WOLFLIGHT”  -  45 YEARS OF MAKING MUSIC

With a distinguished and well documented career which spans 6 decades , there is probably not much that music lovers don’t already know about Steve Hackett.   If, somewhere along the lines, you’ve missed out on the back catalog of his glorious guitar work - there is always time to discover something new ... and you should!

Whilst Steve Hackett is probably best known for his work as guitarist and vocalist with “Genesis” - recording a total of 9 albums with them between 1970 to 1977 - he has also performed and collaborated with numerous incredible musicians; was a key member of ‘Supergroup’ GTR [with Steve Howe] ; and boasts a solo discography that sees Hackett experiment successfully with every musical genre known to man, plus a handful of his own fusions inbetween! With the release of his latest studio album, Steve Hackett is currently enjoying more time in the spotlight, or should we say “Wolflight”? - and deservedly so.   According  to Hackett himself, “Wolflight” is both “Primal and orchestral” and marks a new, unexplored, chapter in the guitarist's career. “Ever since I got involved in the music business” says Hackett, “I have wanted to make this album, to break the rules ...” Whilst retaining the Hackett trademark of electric guitar running right the way through, the album also encompasses, beautifully, the addition of acoustic guitar, with a bizarre orchestra of instruments from the far reaches of our Earth ( some of which it’s possible you’ve never heard before!) Ten tracks which encourage the listener to “wander between parallel universes, on a journey through space and time, looking at the different faces of the endless fight for freedom”. Helen Robinson embraced a recent opportunity to speak to Steve, and managed to gain a little insight into the man behind this lifetime of amazing recordings. Whether we boldly went where no journalists have ever gone before, remains to be seen - but so far as musicians go, we’re fairly sure that Steve Hackett will continue to travel far beyond the final frontier ... HR - When you first joined ‘Genesis’, it was in advance of the bands 4th album "Nursery Cryme" - compared to the band's previous recordings, your input is immediately clear to the listener.   How hard was it for you to join an already established band, and have your ideas included? SH - Very hard indeed! They had their own musical language for various things they had developed since school days and at first I felt an earthling on Mars. I realised I had to learn to speak Martian very quickly and invent some new words too... I realised they needed a harder edge more aggressive aspect. I added some dark colours to their pastels, whilst also embracing their acoustic side with my own ideas for twelve string. With three twelve string players we had the capacity of thirty six strings all chiming away at once. HR - By the time "Selling England by the Pound" was released, ‘Genesis’ had become commercially successful, and You were being recognised as an influence on other musicians with your guitar techniques.  Were you aware of that at the time? Did your new musical / celebrity status affect how you continued to progress with playing guitar, or writing songs? SH - I had no idea that I was becoming an influence on players such as Brian May and Eddie Van Halen. We were pleased to learn that John Lennon was listening to “Selling England...” I didn't feel like a celebrity though. I just kept my head down, got on with my gig and continued to work on discovering what was hidden in the corners of the instrument. HR – ‘Genesis’ is clearly a passion that has never left you, and understandably so! ("Genesis Revisited" also landing you an 'Event of the year' award) . Across all of the ‘Genesis’ albums that you were a part of, have you a favourite track, or a favourite memory of recording with them? SH - I was particularly proud of 'Dancing with the Moonlit Knight' because that one single song contained so many contradictory styles, which somehow all worked together beautifully.  "Selling England by the Pound" was a great blast for me because I feel we were on the cusp of several planes, including rock, classical and jazz. HR - You've appeared on dozens of significant artists' recordings - which means most to you to have been a part of? HR - I very much enjoyed working with Icelandic band ‘Todmobile’ recently because of the quality and power of their writing and performance. It was great to both record and then play with them along with a choir and orchestra in Iceland. There have been numerous others I've enjoyed too. It's wonderful to be part of a large ocean of talent. HR - And I must ask about supergroup "GTR"! Is that something you look back on fondly, or was it hard to retain a musical identity, and remain diplomatic, when recording as a unit with other successful musicians who are renowned for making music in the same genre? SH - I think the positives outweighed the difficulties. Although as with all groups compromises had to be made, I loved several aspects, such as the song 'When the Heart Rules the Mind' which successfully bridged the gap between progressive rock and accessible pop. It wasn't always an easy road but I do look back on it fondly. HR - Your first solo album, "Voyage of the Acolyte", was recorded whilst you were still with ‘Genesis’. Was it difficult for you to step out of their zone, and into your own, Or was it completely refreshing, to have the freedom to do something which was entirely yours? SH - It felt liberating to bypass band politics, but at the same time to have the full cooperation of the band's rhythm section. Also it was an early example of Phil's ability to carry a complete song as lead singer. Many ideas had been bubbling under for me during the whole period of rehearsing, recording and touring “The Lamb..”, and it was great to pilot my own dingy, which became a flagship for the whole fleet of albums that were to follow. HR - "Bay of Kings" was your first fully instrumental album - what inspired you to record something different, and how do you feel it was received? SH - Although it was an album of almost exclusively acoustic nylon classical guitar pieces, it was immediately accepted by an audience that were ready to try on something new from me. I've always had a lot of respect for the classical guitar, which I liken to an orchestra in miniature. HR - You've experimented with a number of musical genres, but where is your comfort zone musically? SH - I've had this chameleon like approach for as long as I can remember. I feel that rock 'n roll doesn't have to be just basic. It can be multi-faceted. Rock's shoulders ought to be broad enough to carry something of the unfamiliar. I always feel the need to bridge different genres, sometimes forming a new style as a result. It's also lovely to discover how one instrument can morph into another. Let's hear it for psychedelic skiffle! HR - Have there been any albums which you found particularly difficult to record, or which you now find difficult to listen to? SH - No album is easy to record or it wouldn't be worth doing. Sometimes the sculptor hates the stone and has to sweat blood before he is satisfied with the results. I struggle with listening to some of my early efforts because techniques come more easily to me now. HR - There's a whole host of guest musicians throughout your solo recordings - who have you most enjoyed working with? Who would you most like to work with? SH - It was wonderful to work with the late great Richie Havens. He had the most incredible voice, sweet yet with infinite power... A rare combination of velvet and leather. I would love to work with  everybody. Another singer I once knew called Dave Thompson also had a lovely voice and I've often thought I would like to do something with him. I enjoyed working with the Royal Philharmonic orchestra for my album "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and it would be great to work with them again. HR – with 45 years of a phenomenal, and successful musical career behind you, along comes your new solo album "Wolflight", which you say yourself is the best thing you've ever done. Please tell us more about it. What is it particularly that you love about the album? SH - I enjoy the cinematic scope of "Wolflight" - the breadth of the instrumentation. The whole thing works like an enlarged orchestra featuring world music instruments, rock instruments and vocals. It's like travelling in a time machine through the ages and around the world at the same time. It's full of complimentary opposites and unlikely pairings such as Australian digeridoo with tar from Azerbaijan or Armenian duduk alongside harp, and oud from Iraq with classical violin and viola... There's a strong sense of the primal and the exotic with a Gothic aspect. The subtext of the album is the long fight for freedom in all it's forms - freedom from slavery, freedom to retain multi-cultural diversity and personal freedom from repressive relationships. The title means the hour before dawn, hour of the wolf hunt. The album begins with a wolf cry and the characters in the title track see the wolf as their totem. The wolf binds all aspects of the album. HR - And for the future - can "Wolflight" be bettered for the next Steve Hackett solo album? SH - I don't know whether I can better this, but I'll always be on the hunt for unlikely and ancient instruments, be a musical archaeologist on Earth, search for life on planet Zog and explore more of those dark crevices and yawning caverns. To boldly go...

[classic-rock-roller]

1. You and Axl have made peace with each other since he showed you kindness after your accident. One day, you hang up the phone from a call with him as Bonham gets home. She asks who it is, and when you tell her she says, “Ah, Axl. How is he, that bitch?” How do you respond?

He’s doing good. At least better than before. He’s on meds now so he’s no longer a psycho bitch. 

2. You get to your band’s hotel room one day to hear uncontrollable laughter coming from Sean and Linus. You get there and hear Bonham say into a phone in a very bad and exaggerated Eastern European accent, “Hello! You have reached Svertik, the famous cheese maker. What can I do for you this evening?” You ask what’s going on, and Erik says, “They bought a burner phone and posted the number online with the title, “War Angel hotline” and now she’s answering it and doing this crap.” How do you respond, and what does everyone say once the ‘hotline calls’ end?

“Seriously? You could at least answer burning questions.”

They don’t stop they keep coming at all hours of the night. One day I’ve had enough of hearing it ring so I take it, lower the window in the bus, and chuck it out the window while screaming, “By War Angel Hotline. Don’t fucking come back!” 

Linus: You realize we can get another one right?

Sean: Jesus! Psycho much 

Bons: Jesus Christ! You could have at least answered it 

Erik: That was unnecessary. 

They buy another one at the next stop and it starts over again but now we place a do not disturb function on it between the times we sleep.  

3. Bonham has been quiet lately, and one day she comes to you and the rest of the band and says, “I want to expand my artistic horizons, I want to cover that album So There by Ben Folds. Before you say anything, I know it’s nothing like our direction. I know that, and that’s why I want to do it by myself. This is going to be a 100% solo effort, and all I ask for is your blessing.” She wants to do something entirely on her own, which will translate into her taking at least a 2-year hiatus from the band. What do you all say and what is the final decision?

We agree because we have been touring non-stop and it will give us plenty of time to relax and come up with new material. Erik goes back to Germany to spend time with his family, Linus ends up using those two years to release a solo instrumental guitar project, Sean comes and lives with me and Kevin since his parents kicked him out after he joined our band, and this gives me and Kevin enough time to spend with Mal (and ends up with Eddie coming along right before we get back together) and then after the two years are up we get back together and bang out a kicking new album. 

4. Your band and NSP are collaborating on an album, and you need one more song. You’re struggling to include everyone until Bonham one day suggests that you get together with QR as well and do a big group cover of Rick Wakeman’s Buried Alive (available on request). How does everyone react to the suggestion and what do you all do?

We all think its a great idea. The only problem is Kevin and Danny keep fighting and singing over each other for the lead vocals part until I tell the two of them to stop acting like children. 

5. You’re at work one day when you get a call from Danny and Arin. “Yeah, we got a call from YouTube the other day. That Q&A we did with your band got taken down because of Bonham’s little mini-rant on that Waco incident from the 90s, and she was just arrested for conspiring against the government and disturbing the peace. She used a phone call to call Dan cause she said that you didn’t answer your phone and neither did Kevin, so we’re telling you.” How do you respond and what do you do?

“Ah fuck. I’m in work a the moment. Is Dan still on with her?” 

I hear Dan scream yes through the phone. 

“Tell her school’ll be finished in an hour and then I’ll drive down to pick her up after I drop Mal and Eddie off at a sitter’s.” 

“I mean we could watch them for you.”

Arin and Dan end up watching Mal and Eddie (and making a power hour out of it) while I go to bail Bons and get this whole mess settled. After some legal disputes (that bring us publicity) she is given a slap on the wrist and told not to do it again. 

6. Bonham went with Chuck to a party for one of their dad’s friends one evening, and when they get back you hear them arguing. “I don’t care what he was doing, you shouldn’t have hit him!” she says. You ask what happened, and Chuck says, “They had a male stripper there, and fucking Anita paid him to grind on me. I told him to quit and he didn’t so I punched him. And then they all got mad at me. I didn’t do anything wrong.” What does Bonham say and how do you respond?

Bons: You did do something wrong. He was paid to do that. You don’t just fucking punch him! 

Me: Yeah, not cool dude. You should be lucky if he doesn’t press charges. 

7. Your band is all making guest appearances in an NSP video, and as a result, you’re all wearing spandex pants. At one point, Sean says to Bonham, “Hey, uh, I just wanted to say that, uh, you guys (meaning you and her) look nice in your costumes.” You can see he’s a bit flustered but before you can say anything, Bonham says, “Thanks, these pants really do have a nice ASS-thetic.” How does Sean react, what do you say, and how do Erik, Linus, and Danny respond?

He blushes and runs out of the room while wrapping his cape around him. 

Erik: Do you have to go take care of something buddy! 

Linus: Yeah, just don’t be too long. 

Danny: I didn’t know those pants would have THAT effect on him. 

Me: I could see these pants having that effect on Kevin, not Sean. Linus could you go check on him, please. 

Bons *gag*: I really don’t need to think about Kevin being turned on by you in a spandex outfit. Do you seriously think us in spandex pants did that to him? 

8. Your band is filming a video one day, and at lunch, Sean is munching on an uncrustable. Bonham, who likes giving him shit, asks him, “How does it feel to be a grown ass man eating an uncrustable?” He looks at her and says, “Well right now it doesn’t feel so good.” He takes a bite, and says, “But now…” and smiles with a full mouth. How do you, Bonham, Erik, and Linus respond?

Me: I hate Uncrustables and PB & J sandwiches. 

Erik: How?! It's heaven in a sandwich!

Linus: I wouln't go that far. 

Sean *Though his full mouth*: I would 

Bons: Ok, I get the point. Don’t talk with your mouth full of food. We can’t understand you. 

9. Bonham is being overly critical in the studio one day, and at one point Sean has had enough. “I’m gonna need some ketchup for all those HARSH-browns you’re serving up.” How does she react and how do you and the boys respond?

Bons: ...That one was actually pretty good. 

Me: Bons, I think you have a run for your money in the pun department. 

Erik: Hah! Harsh-browns! Hah!

Linus: You all are idiots. 

10. You get a call one day saying that there’s a new fantasy game in development and they want you, Bonham, your band, Kevin, and a few others to do the voice acting. They want you to be the princess, Sean to be a child, Erik to be a traveling merchant, Linus to be the bard, Bonham to be a siren, and Kevin to be a priest. Soon, you learn that Arin and Dan are there too. They voice a wizard and the game’s deity, respectively. How do you all react to your assigned roles, and how does recording go?

I think its cool and we all have a good time. With a few hiccups here and there (Kevin and Danny seem to butt heads a lot) 

11. You, Kevin, and Bonham are at an award show when Kevin sees Blackie Lawless, someone who he’s a fan of. You all go up to meet him and Kevin says how much he appreciates his work. Blackie is beyond wasted, and he says to Kevin, “I’m gonna kick you in the nuts.” Before any of you can process what he said, he cocks back and punched Kevin in the dick, really hard. He groans and falls to his knees. How do you all respond?

Me: What the fuck?!

Bons: Why did you do that dude?!

Kevin is writhing in pain on the floor and just groaning in agony. 

____________________

1) You and your singer are making Christmas cookies in your kitchen when she turns to you and goes, “Hey, Bons.” You turn and ask her, “What?” She takes her flour-covered hand and smears it down your nose and arm before running away. What do you do?

2) You, Rudy, and your singer are carving pumpkins. Rudy puts his hand in his pumpkin and goes, “Ewww, it’s so gross.” Your singer rolls her eyes at him and goes, “Oh stop being a big baby.” Before she puts both her hands in the pumpkin and pulls out a bunch of seeds and slaps them on the newspaper covering the table. How do you and Rudy respond?

3) You take Mal, Will, Eddie, Jeremy, and Roxanne to the mall to visit Santa. While in line, you see Santa get up from his chair after listening to a little girl’s wish and he goes over to an older man with four elves. The next thing you know, he’s whamming on him and screaming, “Ho! Ho! Ho! Motherfucker!” Someone whispers in line that the guy he’s beating on is a child molester. How do you and your singer respond and how do you explain this to your kids who are between the ages of eight and two years old?

4) Your band is working on a new album and you and the boys go off to get lunch while your singer stays behind. When you get back, you find she has earbuds in and her head is cocked oddly to the side. Her finger is flicking oddly almost as if she’s following an invisible line. Sean leans over to you and goes, “What the fuck is she doing? Has she gone insane?” Your singer answers, “No, I’m trying to pick out the individual instruments from this song. Now shush.” How do you, Erik, Linus, and Sean respond?

5) You and your singer are at her work’s Christmas party with Kevin and Randy. She’s talking to a guy and she goes, “Ugh, I hate this music.” He looks at her and goes, “How can you hate it?” “I like metal.” “Oh, you’re one of THOSE girls.” You whip around at this point and go, “What is that supposed to mean?” “You know...you’d rather bang your head than be banged.” Your singer pulls Kevin over and kisses him deeply before pointing at the guy and saying, “Kevin, would you like to explain in painstaking detail our sex life?” How do you, Kevin, and the guy respond?

6) You and your singer are celebrating Christmas in your apartment but your old roommate, Stephen, has come over to spend the holidays and brought along a drunk Robbin. They’ve been at your apartment a bit when your singer goes to Stephen, “Can I refill your eggnog? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere, leave you for dead?” How do you, Stephen, and Robbin respond?

7) Your singer goes with you when you’re supposed to be the guest on The Ten Minute Power Hour with Dan and Arin. She refuses to go on the show though o she sits on the side. About halfway through the show, Dan gets up and starts to pull her into the shot, “Come on, people need to see you.” “No.” “Millions of people stare at you every day. How is this different?” He loses his grip on her and goes flying back through the shot. Your singer gasps and goes, “Oh my god are you ok?!” Before going to help him with the cut on his head. All he says is, “Hah! I got you in the shot!” She rolls her eyes before going, “I’m leaving after this. And you better cut this out.” How do you and Arin respond to this?

8) Your singer is still with you while you’re doing the show. Arin asks her something and she says, “Do you want to see something cool?” Dan shrugs a sure and your singer pulls out a switchblade. Both Dan and Arin jump back once she tosses it and it embeds itself in their table. Dan all but screams, “What the fuck?!” Your singer shrugs and goes, “I get bored. Also, Tommy taught me that so you can thank him.” How do you, Dan, and Arin respond?

9) While you are on the show, Dan and Arin ask you to tell some crazy stories of the bands you’ve hung out with. Your singer pipes up from the side, “Oh, I could tell you stories. There was that one time Tommy and I got super drunk and I kissed some random chick in the middle of the bar. Or the time I got in an all-out brawl with Nikki over the last bottle of Guinness. Or the time Kevin, Bons, and I had to disguise ourselves to get out of a crazy hoard of fans. Or...” How do you, Arin, and Dan respond?

10) When you’re wrapping up the show to leave, Dan and Arin say goodbye to you and Dan goes, “I’m a little afraid of your singer. Is she always like that?” Your singer pipes up next to him, “I hear everything you know.” How do you respond to Dan ‘s question and how does he react to your singer?

11) You are working on your album with Crüe and Nikki had brought a pack of Guinness with him. Your singer and Nikki have been drinking them throughout the day and there’s only one left. They both look at it and then dive for it. After a bit of tussling, your singer grabs the bottle and goes, “What have I told you, Niks? I always come out on top.” Before she pops the cap and chugs the beer while sitting on him. How do you, Tommy, Nikki, Vince, and Mick react to this?

12) You are over at your singer and Kevin’s when you hear your singer yell, “You are not taking a fucking knife in the shower. Lay the fuck down.” And the next thing you hear is Kevin screaming. You run to their room to find your singer straddling a shirtless Kevin and ripping these heart monitor pads off his chest. “Stop pushing them in. It’ll make it worse. This is what you get for doing too much cocaine.” What do you say and how so the two of them respond?

13) You know that your singer is dating Rudy’s brother, Robert, (after Kevin broke up with her so that he could get himself clean) but Rudy doesn’t know. You invite the two of them out to dinner on a double date with you and Rudy. How does Rudy respond to your singer dating Robert and what do you, your singer, and Robert say?

14) You and Randy are helping your singer set up for her and Kevin’s wedding. She places a sign by the bar that says, “Our wedding will have an open bar. It will also be heavily photographed.  So any drunken shenanigans will be well documented and thoroughly mocked for years to come. Proceed with Caution.” You say, “Did you add this because of Nikki and Tommy and the other heavy drinkers being here?” “Yup.” Randy goes, “You know this won’t stop Kevin right?” Your singer says, “Oh yes it will. Because he also has the threat of no sex for three weeks.” Kevin walks in right as she says this. How do you, Randy, and Kevin respond?

@osbournebemydaddy   your turn Bons :)     

[thebandcampdiaries]

LINK&CHAIN is back at it with a brand new studio release: READY.

A great new single from a group that has a distinctive sound and creative vision.

April 2021 - LINK&CHAIN is a Jamaican band with a focus on creating beautiful melodies, interlaced with Reggae and a wide range of incredibly diverse musical influences. The band is all about keeping a broad creative mindset, as well as exploring different creative avenues, without ever losing sight of their roots. LINK&CHAIN’s most recent studio effort, READY, definitely speaks for itself. READY is a masterful release, featuring music that speaks about the band’s fondness of retro aesthetics, with a more contemporary twist. The first thing that you might notice about this release is how the rhythm is engaging, and direct, serving as an essential component of this release.

If you like classic reggae music with a bit of a modern twist, this track is going to be right up your alley!

You will immediately notice the impact of this production, with a crisp top-end in the treble range of the music, and a softer texture as you reach deeper into the arrangement. The instruments collide together beautifully, and there is a lot of room to let everything breathe, like air bubbles in a perfectly expanded skyline. In addition to that, the zesty tone of the lead vocals is truly remarkable, adding a distinctive, yet subtle flavor that gives the material its distinctive signature. Once you have a first taste of READY, you’ll want to dig in deeper and even give the whole project a second spin right away, just so that you can keep the flow going. As they say, things can get a little messy when there are too many chefs in the kitchen, but in this case, LINK&CHAIN managed to pull it off to perfection. The band displays the confidence and skills necessary to produce something worth sharing with others. The production of this song is very diverse, and even its recording history is quite unique. In fact, READY was actually recorded at 3 different studios, spanning four different time zones. Because of the limitations that we are all experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have been unable to move or travel around. This means that the band members too have not been able to physically be in the same place when working on this release. Thankfully, technology is quite amazing these days, and the ability to make and record music remotely has enabled these talented performer to continue collaborate on their excellent tracks, setting the bar higher in terms of chemistry and quality even in a situation when they are not really able to be in the same room. By listening to this song, you’d never be able to tell, because they managed to capture the organic vibe of the band and really get some of that magic going on!

This excellent production comes highly recommended to any fan of songwriters such as Bob Marley & The Wailers, Peter Tosh, The Heptones, and Mighty Diamond, only to mention a few. Despite an affinity with the aforementioned artists, LINK&CHAIN definitely stands out with a sound that feels unique and forward-thinking. I love the retro vibe that fuels this particular composition, and I think that it really does lend the track and extra layer of warmth for people to be able to relate to on a deeper level and beyond. In conclusion, this is definitely worth listening to! The wide range of sounds and ideas portrayed on this record are truly remarkable, and it’s amazing to hear how much focus and care went into the making of this fascinating studio release.

It definitely took some heat to create this material, but the end result is far from being just “in-your-face.” You can expect a varied fabric of sounds and sonic flavors, highlighting LINK&CHAIN’s talent for baking great material in the studio.

Find out more about LINK&CHAIN and do not miss out on READY, which is freshly available on all the best music streaming platforms on the web.

https://linktr.ee/LinknChainMusic

https://open.spotify.com/track/3T47UMZYuqTBGLEvTxiTe3?si=tPuANqGfSvayE8wGHBdP7w&utm_source=copy-link

[joemuggs]

Occupy the Dancefloor 2012

Been talking about politics in dance music a lot lately. Obviously the Bassiani protests in Tbilisi and Berlin have thrown it into relief, but there’s a lot of other vigorous discourse going on, both to do with the current age and in looking back 30 years to the “Summer of Love”. In thinking about it, I dug out this piece I wrote for Mixmag at the end of 2011, published in Jan 2012. I present it now without comment, except to say it’s pretty fascinating how much has changed in some ways and how little in others.

“The atmosphere was electric! I'd never felt such a concentrated positive energy before. People from every walk of life and background were united...”

It's the sort of quote you've probably seen in interviews with DJs a hundred times before, but this time we're not talking about the summer of '89 or any other hoary acid house reminiscence. This is Optimo's JD Twitch recounting his visit to the Occupy Wall Street encampment last summer.

2011 was a hell of a year by any standards, with conspiracies, scandals and crises at every turn. The Arab Spring and war in Libya, riots across the UK, Greece and Spain, Europe edging ever closer to economic collapse, the hackgate scandals, public services being cut to ribbons by a government of comically posh pantomime villains... it seemed sometimes we've had a decade's worth of news all in one go, and it shows no sign that things are going to calm down any time soon. Quite the opposite, in fact – by the time this issue hits the shops, we're fully ready for a couple of small nuclear wars to have broken out and the Euro to have been replaced as currency by peanut M&Ms.

But what's all this got to do with Mixmag? Ravers generally go their own merry way, right? Switch the news off, pull the curtains tighter to blank out the dawn, turn up the music and crack on – leave the politics to Bono? Well, yes and no. The Occupy movement, which sprung up in cities across the western world to demand accountability from institutions in response to the banking crisis that underpins much of the chaos in the world today, has not had much vocal support from the clubbing world – until more recently.

In December Massive Attack's 3D curated a show with Thom Yorke and Tim Goldsworthy (ex LCD Soundsystem), and has been putting up online a series of mix sets by the likes of Horsemeat disco, all in support of the Occupy movement. And a glance at occupymusicians.com shows a small but steadily increasing number of dance DJs and producers among the indie bands and experimentalists standing up and being counted. So is clubland developing a social conscience?

Maybe it's just that we're remembering that dance is not a bubble separated off from the world after all. Professor John Street, author of the new book Music and Politics, points out that “from the 1920s when US sheriffs would issue decrees about how couples could dance together, to rock'n'roll and the scandal of how teenagers reacted tot he music, and on through rave, the powers that be have been as exercised by the performance of dance in crowds as they ever have by the lyrics of songs.” That is to say, the simple self expression of dancing can be as much of a political act as any protest song, and indeed can have more effect.

Trance deity Paul Van Dyk, himself no stranger to political activity, is clear too that losing it on the dancefloor doesn't mean losing touch with wider realities; perhaps unsurprisingly for someone who grew up in oppressive Communist East Germany, he believes the freedoms we enjoy should be trumpeted from the rooftops. “People, artists, movements can be hedonistic and free spirited,” he says, “but also speak out and make a statement of the fact that this is a more tolerant and respectful group than many others in society.”

The author Tim Lawrence, who has closely studied the roots of modern dance culture going back to the start of the disco era, concurs. “I just don't accept that going out clubbing is self-absorbed,” he insists. “Sitting at home and looking in the mirror is self-absorbed. Going out with friends and engagement in a physical activity that only works if everyone participates and contributes is an act of socialising and community. If we stay at home and watch TV all the time we're saying one thing about the kind of society we want to be part of. If we go out dancing, we're saying another thing. Dancing is political.”

Matt Black of Ninja Tune founders Coldcut goes further, but sounds a note of caution. “Yes, people commune and collaborate through dance events,” he agrees, “and often they share an interest in making the world better, in social justice – but as with everything that gives people pleasure that culture is very easily hijacked by those who want to make a quick buck. Cocaine becomes involved, egos become involved, and very quickly you lose touch with the constructive spirit that was so inspiring in the first place.”

“But,” he continues, “that's maybe part of the natural cycle of things. The punk of today becomes the suit of tomorrow, the spirit of rebellion wears off somewhat. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though: I think there are probably a lot of people in ordinary jobs now who still carry the inspiration of acid house and rave with them, and when they see something like the Occupy movement, they think 'yes, that's something I understand and can get behind' because they know that feeling of being part of something bigger.”

It's not just old ravers carrying the inspiration of the past forward though. Many in the dubstep generation are aware of the power of dance music's communality, its deep roots, and the potential this has for social action. Loefah, as co-founder of Brixton's DMZ night is one of the most important figures in the growth of dubstep and all that's followed. His diverse Swamp 81 label is named after the police operation that sparked the original Brixton riots 30 years ago – but he stops short of making direct political statements, instead preferring to use the networks of art and music to deliver coded messages, not preaching but drawing people in and allowing them to make their own conclusions.

“When I was a teenager,” says Loefah, “pirate radio and white labels were everything, and as you got more and more into it, you began to understand the culture. Then when I went to the jungle raves, you'd become a part of this community, meeting the people you'd heard shout outs to on the radio, and you get something from it that's impossible to explain unless you're there but it's powerful and it's not controlled by any authorities. It might sound elitist, but it's not: anyone could be a part of it, but you have to make the effort to find out and understand it.”

Ben UFO, DJ and founder of the Hessle Audio label, is emphatic that the communities created in this way post jungle, garage, dubstep and grime are politically important. “Dance music in London especially,” he says, “has always provided a space for people from all sorts of different class backgrounds, different races, genders and identities to come together for a common purpose and communicate with each other - this is quite radical in itself, and I think it's easy to forget that. A good example of this is the multitude of conversations facilitated by music in the aftermath of the riots this summer, with my whole Twitter timeline dominated by the riots as they were happening and afterwards. Likewise a radio station like Rinse FM preserving and archiving a record of music made, presented and distributed by young, predominantly working class kids is a hugely significant thing in its own right.”

So club music IS political, even when it's not trying to be. But are we on the verge of it becoming more so, of ravers voicing resistance to entrenched power alongside the Occupy protesters? Don't count on it – after all, the instinct to close the curtains and chop out another line is still strong. US journalist, music business expert and Occupy LA campaigner Giovanna Trimble sadly points out that dance acts who may pay lip-service to anti-establishment views are slower when it comes to turning out for protests or organising benefits. “I have not seen any support from electronic dance music acts,” she says, “especially the ones who identify themselves as political beings.”

The opportunities are there, though. Trimble still holds out hope: “I feel that of all genres, EDM has the most space for activism as the demographic is far more open-minded and less 'corrupted' by corporations.” And veteran German house singer Billie Ray Martin sums up exactly why getting bodies out on the street is powerful just as “the mass feeling of possibility and power that the height of house in '88 and onwards” had produced for her. “We've lived in a time of virtual socialising,” she says, “and it's all very fake. it's easy to click 'like' on a post that says 'do you want to personally go out and change the world?' and then move on the latest video on there and not even ever think about why you clicked 'like'. I wish we would go out on the streets and shout it out – and that's where Occupy comes in. I hope it gains the kind of power it deserves. I'm there all the way. 'Like'!”

[orbemnews]

Mardi Gras parades got canceled by Covid-19. So New Orleanians turned their houses into floats Like so many, the mom and insurance manager had known in her gut that the weekslong fête would take 2021 off. Revelers of all ages packed at least three deep along routes that wind for miles seemed the textbook antithesis of social distancing. “So, I kinda made a comment: ‘Well, that’s fine, I’m just going to decorate my house,'” said Boudreaux, who invited her neighbors to turn their homes, too, into stationary versions of the ornately designed floats that populate the four dozen or so parades that roll in the city each year. This way, she figured, partiers could stay 6 feet apart while visiting outdoors and enjoying the artistry of the annual countdown to Lent. The idea, like a splay of bead strands hurled skyward toward an endless carousing crowd, has spread. There’s a home with a sign that beckons, “Welcome to Wakanda.” Another features a Night Tripper theme in homage to funkman Dr. John. One house honors a health care worker alongside giant ivory beads. On a balcony, a cutout of the late chef Leah Chase stands, spoon in hand, at an enormous pot. Just off the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line, a giant model dinosaur in a top hat grazes. Elsewhere, a set-up pays tribute to Alex Trebek with a “Jeopardy!” board, playable using a posted QR code. Human-size Lego figures approximate a float rolling by parade-goers on a front porch. A wooden pelican the width of two men perches at another. All across town, papier-mache or cardboard and foil flowers of every hue, plus bunting of purple, green and gold and strands of beads the size of beach balls, adorn the homes where so many have been in retreat from the coronavirus since just after last Mardi Gras. That’s when 1.5 million people — including international visitors — converged on the city, almost certainly fueling viral spread that made the region an early hot spot. Indeed, the purple-and-white house icons that dot a map on the Krewe of Float Houses website cover the city’s entire main footprint like a sidewalk littered with doubloons, those collectible metallic coins tossed by riders from traditional floats. “In its essence, it’s not much different than when people drive around with the kids in the car and look at the Christmas decorations, holiday lights,” said Doug MacCash, who’s chronicled the house float movement for the local newspaper, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. “Except this year, in 2021, it has such a spirit of triumph, such a spirit of defiance. It’s like, ‘Sorry, ‘rona. We’re not just giving up.'” “Mardi Gras by no means is dead; it’s just different,” said City Councilman Jay Banks, who’s cast his own house — already painted yellow and black — with other trademark representations of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, the city’s preeminent Black Carnival organization, over which he once reigned as king. “And what we’re forced to do this Mardi Gras, with Covid as the No. 1 consideration, … is how this whole house float thing got started,” he said. “And let me tell you, I am just giggly about it.” How to turn your house into a float Do-it-yourselfers — many already armed with hot-glue guns and glitter by the gallon for crafting annual Mardi Gras costumes — have embraced the home-design effort in earnest. Two private Facebook groups with more than 14,000 participants spew inquiries at all hours, most swiftly answered by a hive mind eager to collaborate after months of stay-at-home orders. “Any recommendations on securing this? It’s top heavy,” one poster asked, referring to a photo of a homemade Lysol can prop standing several feet tall. From another: “Has anyone had luck with using cardboard to make house float decorations? I already used some and painted and sealed with mod podge acrylic sealer but am wondering how it will hold up in the elements on a French Quarter balcony! Is there a better way of waterproofing, etc.?” The exchange is not unlike in the bleak months after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when neighbors connected to trade recipes for bleach or baking soda concoctions to remove mold from items soiled by the flood. Others looking now to gild their homes have turned to a regional cottage industry built over decades for precisely this sort of venture. “Part of the consternation about canceling Carnival had to do with, well, there are people (for) who(m) Carnival is their livelihood — a lot of people: float builders, bead- and costume-makers,” MacCash said. “Some of the Carnival artists who find themselves out of work at what would have been a real scrambling sort of time, what they’ve done is they’ve found employment decorating houses.” In a normal year, René Pierre right about now would be finalizing the books on some 75 floats that his company, Crescent City Artists LLC, decorates using lightweight utility canvas, bright house paints, hard coating, wood and Styrofoam, he said. This year, Boudreaux’s house float vision, which Pierre caught on a local news report, proved to be his “ticket out” of a toned-down Carnival — and one that follows his and his young daughter’s recovery from Covid-19. “Oh, man, in about three weeks, we were booked all the way up until today,” Pierre said last week of his house-decorating customers. “My wife and I were trying to sleep one night, and we kept hearing notifications coming from the website. It was like, “Ping ping ping ping ping.’ It was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ It was like instant success. It was incredible.” The couple inked 53 house float contracts ranging from $1,500 to $3,000 apiece, a sum many riders in the city’s biggest parading groups typically would spend on bead strands and other “throws” to toss in a given year. “It has really pumped my business into full steam,” Pierre said, noting he hired his cousin, a recording artist, to help manage the crush. “We have made more money in six weeks … and talk about Mardi Gras spirit.” Of the commissions, Pierre’s favorites are a trio of painted pups fashioned after the homeowner’s own pack, a Buddha-themed display and one highlighting the Grateful Dead dancing bears. Boudreaux, known as “Admiral B” of the house float fleet, aptly did her house in a maritime motif. “I don’t know if I want to know how much I spent,” she said: “definitely more than I meant to, less than a lot of people.” How to lead (or join) a house float krewe Beyond her own decor, helming this nascent krewe (local vernacular for a festival group) has become a second full-time job for Boudreaux. There are exchanges with lawyers over decorating rules in historic districts and weekly logistics meetings with the mayor to game out how to handle homeowners who want to, say, hire a band. There are now 50 captains, 39 subkrewes, a communications team and an effort to gather and edit together dozens of dancers’ at-home videos into a performance masterpiece for the website. Yet another to-do list item got added shortly after the krewe named a New Orleans bounce star as its grand marshal, Boudreaux said. “Now Big Freedia’s house is a traffic jam. The house is so popular that even guerilla photograph-style, it still drew a crowd,” the one thing the Krewe of House Floats wants urgently to prevent. The krewe also has launched a campaign to donate $100,000 toward those facing unemployment and food and housing insecurity largely because of this year’s Carnival limits: artisans, service industry workers, musicians, Mardi Gras Indians and other culture-bearers. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, “this year plants the seed” for what’s already becoming an annual event, to endure long after the coronavirus is vanquished, MacCash said. (At last count, Pierre already had 28 house-decorating contracts set for 2022, and preregistration is open for next year’s Krewe of House Floats.) For now, Chris Volion is looking forward to safely welcoming on Fat Tuesday, February 16, revelers who pass by his New Orleans home, adorned with enormous black birds inspired by local crows and Edgar Allen Poe in his personal Krewe of Nevermore. Volion, an institutional research analyst, and his wife, Janet, are making some themed throws to hand out and plan to join neighbors for king cake-flavored Jell-O shots. “While it feels different, there’s still that excitement going on,” he said. This year, instead of swapping parade plans, “the conversation has shifted to: Have you been to such and such a block, or have you see this house? It’s so beautiful to see that the energy is still there.” For Banks, the city councilman, the house floats offer a glimmer in an especially bleak season. In his own circle, Covid-19 has taken 23 lives and killed 17 members of the Zulu organization, he said, not to mention relatives and friends of the club. It’s stripped New Orleans — and the world — of the chance to socialize in person and to observe customs in the typical way. But as is so often the case, he said, the city’s response in this dark moment offers a message far beyond its borders. “We’re showing the rest of you that there is light at the end of the tunnel,” Banks said. “As screwed-up as Covid is, we will not let it defeat us. … The lesson of New Orleans for the world is: You play the cards that you’re dealt.” Source link Orbem News #Canceled #Covid19 #floats #Gras #houses #Mardi #MardiGrasparadesgotcanceledbyCovid-19.So #NewOrleaniansturnedtheirhousesintofloats-CNN #Orleanians #parades #turned #us

[doomedandstoned]

CHAINED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN!

~Interview by Shawn Gibson~

Forward by Billy Goate

At Doomed & Stoned, we live for moments like these, when we discover a band that isn't just good, but remarkable. Meet the savage four-piece act Chained To The Bottom Of The Ocean from Springfield, Massachusetts. If you missed their crushing September debut, 'Decay and Other Hopes Against Progress' (2017), I suppose you could be forgiven, seeing as how packed a year it was for compelling releases. Plus, it's not like the band is itching for the spotlight. Their monstrous release kind of flew under the radar, as it wasn't accompanied by the usual hype and hoopla that a band is expected to expel nowadays in order to grab hold of the coveted PR cycle. It seems CTTBOTO are content with the small, but steadily growing, fanbase they've nurtured thus far. In fact, they were surprised to hear from Shawn, who hunted them down for a rare full-band interview. The transcript of their conversation below has been lightly edited for clarity and flow. Enjoy!

Decay and Other Hopes Against Progress by Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean

There’s a lot of despair in that name, Chained To The Bottom Of The Ocean. Reminds me of Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire or Dragged Into Sunlight. Where did that come from?

So we're just gonna answer questions as a group, because the music, for us, is more collaborative and not about the individual person. We feel more comfortable answering questions as a group, [thought it’s] not like our total personal views on everything, for sure. We can tell you it’s a THOU song and we do derive a lot of influence from them. I think it's more the imagery that those words portray that gives us a lot more depth and meaning.

It's an amazing name! Makes me think of doom, terror, and depravity. You dropped an album last year called, 'Decay And Other Hopes Against Progress.' What’s the significance that title?

Generally, it's just progress against disruption. It's kinda where we're at currently. Feels like everything's kind of falling apart.

The band’s slogan is, "Send every God and King to the Gallows."

Yeah. I think the way I interpret that is, a lot of political figures, entertainment figures, and people have become adulterated. There's an undercurrent taking everyone down a peg.

Your artwork is as spectacular as your music – the picture of a lion holding swords. It almost looks like a tarot card.

Thank You! I think we attempt to as much of our endeavors, into art. We don't create it ourselves, we try to find artists, tattoo artists, design artists, locals on a small scale. We give them a concept and let them run with it. For sure, there was a tarot card in describing what we wanted, referencing the nine swords and all of that, as well as a lot of undertones of medieval woodcuts. I guess we warned to go with a simple, aggressive, oldish design – that sort of feeling.

The pin itself looks fucking regal! Pretty dignified thing to have on your jacket. Proud to wear it!

The pins came out a million times better than we thought they would.

They shine! They're on point! And your cassette tin, is that lavender in there?

It is indeed lavender. We didn't really anticipate this going as well as it did, so we wanted to make a special version of Decay And Other Hopes Against Progress that really gives the effort that it deserved. Ultimately, we'd like to press it on vinyl, but I guess that's a less intimate version of like doing a deluxe cassette, where we sat down and did everything ourselves and made all the decisions. The idea was to convey like a lot of intimacy with people who share our music. They're willing to support us and spend money on us, so we're willing to put in the work and make something unique and nice for them.

So what are some damn good books you guys have read?

I got one. I recently read this book that I'm going to explain very poorly, Candide by Voltaire. What I got out of it, basically, is just because you exist the world you live in is automatically the best world you can live in, simply because you're there. So it's not worth other possible worlds. It’s about how you can live in absurd times, but it’s still the best thing that you could ever experience. To make the best of things, you know? I'm pretty into Vonnegut, too.

When you guys do live shows, do you wear those chains like in the picture?

You'd be surprised how heavy those chains are!

I bet! I saw the picture and I was like, "God damn, that's some hardcore shit!” Bands like Dragged Into Sunlight, they've got ski masks. Void Meditation Cult has the blackened faces and hooded cloaks. If those are real chains, your heads must weight 25 or 30 pounds! (laughs)

I think that set of chains weighed at least 60 pounds.

Shit!

They were old, they were heavy, and they were very dirty. It was definitely more a concept piece.

Is this an effort to preserve the anonymity of the band members?

We're not trying to be anonymous. You can come to our live shows and see who we are and meet us. By no means are we trying to hide our identity. It plays into the concept that we're pieces of a greater whole. It's not about any one individual band member -- where we've been, who we are, where we come from -- it's more about what we do together and what we can create together.

You guys got anything works right now?

We're playing Stoned To Death Festival in March with Black Pyramid. It's in this really pretty church with stained glass windows.

Sick! The band playing any local shows?

We really try to limit ourselves playing locally too often. We don't want to have oversaturation in a small area; could be detrimental.

What’s was one of your favorite shows?

We've had incredibly good shows! A month after the new album came out, we put a whole thing together ourselves, rented a room at this church, and brought bands we wanted to play with. It was really good to play a release for your album surrounded by people you wanted to be there.

I take this question seriously and asked it all my interviews throughout the years: What makes you guys laugh uncontrollably?

Laugh uncontrollably?

Yeah, you chuckle, snort, pee your pants a bit. Something hilarious to you, funny images in your head.

Let me think about that for a second. I'm going to say The Eric Andre Show. (laughs)

Yeah he's pretty funny. That guy gets pretty nuts! Some of it, I think, is dumb, but man he's got some big brass ones! The episode where he has a grizzly bear on his show as a guest, he's like: “Fuck it, I'm out. Skit’s over!" (laughs)

That's a wicked hard question! There's this picture of a Chihuahua and his face is scrunched up it says something like, "How I feel when the sun goes down at four o’clock everyday" or something like that and people send it to me all the time and I lose it no matter what I'm doing.

That's what I'm talking about! I had a very, very embarrassing moment in high school, in a 10th grade biology class. The substitute teacher and assistant principle walk in the room and announce that our Biology teacher had passed away. I burst out laughing! It was a nervous laugh. The whole class turns in the chairs, staring at me. I felt so terrible, literally like a Southwest Airlines commercial, I wanted to get away!

This is going to be a dumb answer. I don’t know how old you are or if anybody else in the band remembers, but there used to be this show where comedians get up and do two-minute sets and the point of show was if you could make it two minutes without laughing, you'd move on to the next round. I think that had a serious detrimental effect on my young age, because I find a lot of things not funny and I'm able to not laugh aloud. I end up laughing at a lot of things that shouldn't be funny, though, like violent scenes in movies that weren’t meant to be funny, end up making me chuckle.

That's all I have for you guys, do you have anything else?

We'll probably be recording some songs in the next give or take, two months, it's not super out there, but one of the songs is a Devo cover.

Oh wow!

After that, we're pushing for a full-length and see where we go from there, but we're not going away!

Hell, yeah! You've just had your first record come out in September and you're already talking about another on. Great news!

We're doing stuff, playing shows, we'll be around! How'd you come across us?

Through Bandcamp. I'm a big fan of BC and found a lot of bands that way. When I had my radio show, I'd be on BC until 2 or 3 am scouring for bands.

We looked on Bandcamp real quick under the discover tab -- didn't realize we're #4 under all metal!

You are?

Yeah, what the fuck? (laughs) When the album came out, we were at #7 under doom metal and shit. We were wicked stoked, because the Primitive Man single was close to us! I can’t believe we had our album logo next to it. It's remarkable.

You're up there, dude. You got the goods, you're going to Hollywood! I'm proud of you guys for that.

Thank you very much!

Thank you for your time, I appreciate it!

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[dreamings-free]

NEW DIRECTION

How Louis Tomlinson survived the break-up of the world’s biggest boy band and became his own man

The Observer Magazine 25 Jun 2017

Photographs ALEX BRAMALL Fashion editor HELEN SEAMONS

Coming out of a dissolving boy band must be a bit like being an entrant in one of those dystopian jungle fights –a Hunger Games- style event in which bandmates are scattered across an unknown terrain and challenged to slog their lonely route back to fame. Justin Timberlake, after NSync, enjoyed the unsporting edge of natural talent and crushed his former colleagues. Robbie Williams looked supreme in the Take That scrimmage, at least until Gary Barlow circled back, gathered up the other three, and made the fight a more compelling four- on- one. By the time One Direction announced they were to go on indefinite hiatus in 2015, many of us were familiar enough with the conventions of boy-band bloodsport to start picking favourites for the coming melee.

Harry Styles – charming, a grinner – was best placed to succeed on his own. Big-lunged Zayn Malik was already out of the band by that time and had used his head start to good effect, preparing a solo album that went to No 1. Liam Payne and Niall Horan – always second-tier members – were given middling chances. And ranked last in any serious analysis, the most fitfully appreciated member of One Direction, was Louis Tomlinson. Here was a combatant you might expect to find curled up in a fox hole on the battlefield, pale and chain-smoking.

It is in roughly this position I find the 25-yearold, one afternoon earlier this summer. Slender, tracksuited, a little wan under his manicured facial hair, Tomlinson sits on a garden bench outside the photographer’s studio and rewards himself with an entire pack of cigarettes. “I know, I know,” he says of the smoking. “It’s not great. But there’s so much hurry-up-and-wait in this job. It helps me get ready to go again.”

I’ve often wondered why the fringe members of boy bands do this to themselves. Why they gather themselves to “go again”. As Tomlinson acknowledges, in One Direction he was seen by some as “forgettable, to a certain degree”. “The others have always been… Like Niall, for example. He’s the most lovely guy in the world. Happy-go-lucky Irish, no sense of arrogance. And he’s fearless. There are times I’ve thought: ‘I’d have a bit of that.’ Zayn, back in the day. He could relate to me on a nerves level. In the first year we were both the least confident. But Zayn has a fantastic voice and for him it was always about owning that. Liam always had a good stage presence, same as Harry, they’ve both got that ownership. Harry comes across very cool. Liam’s all about getting the crowd going, doing a bit of dancing…” And then there’s you. “And then there’s me.” Tracks from Tomlinson’s solo record have been playing inside the studio. They’re modest, rather lovely pop songs that in their quiet way seem to acknowledge his underdog status. Tomlinson lights another cig. “You know I didn’t sing a single solo on the X Factor,” he says, recalling the time back in 2010, when One Direction were first put together as a band on the ITV reality show. “A lot of people can take the piss out of that. But when you actually think about how that feels, standing on stage every single week, thinking: ‘What have I really done to contribute here? Sing a lower harmony that you can’t really hear in the mix?” He guesses, smiling wryly, that in those months he was best known as “The kid wearing espadrilles, stood in’t back.”

Not the best singer, not the high-energy guy, not the dude, Tomlinson discovered he was the one in the band who was most tuned into backstage logistics – the one who paid attention when “the 20th approval form” was passed around for a signature. “And if there was any bad news that needed giving to the label I’d always be designated to have the argument.” Later this would lead to Tomlinson founding a small record label of his own, Triple String, and to starting a side project managing a girl band. In his day job with One Direction, meanwhile, he toured the world, released five albums and amassed a large, equal-parts fortune like the rest of the boys. Somewhere en route, Tomlinson says, he found his feet as a performer. “In the last year of One Direction I was probably the most confident I ever was. And then it was: ‘OK, hiatus!’”

Tomlinson argued against it, he says, when the band first sat down to discuss separation. “It wasn’t necessarily a nice conversation. I could see where it was going.” Tomlinson remembers his instinctive assumption being simple. He would step away – try writing for other people, keep his label going, wait the “two years, five years, whatever it be” until One Direction reformed. “If you’d asked me a year or 18 months ago: ‘Are you going to do anything as a solo artist?’ I’d have said absolutely not.”

What changed? If the management stuff made you happy, I say, why not sit back and focus on that? “But then I’d be conceding,” he says. Conceding to who? To what? He waves his hand in the air. He could mean anything:

Niall is the most lovely guy, Zayn has the voice, Harry is very cool, Liam gets the crowd going… And then there’s me

I honestly think they’ll write books about One Direction fans. They are so fanatical. The intensity. It’s remarkable

history, bandmates, doubters, the press. Tomlinson is quiet for a while and eventually says: “I’m trying to work out why it is that I’m [doing this], now that you’ve asked that question.” He fidgets and trials a few answers that run out of steam. “It’s frustrating, because I know what I want to say and I can’t articulate it.” He pats for his lighter. The odds are against this tilt, Tomlinson seems to understand. But as we start to talk through his reasons for at least trying, I find myself hoping that this Last Directioner makes an unlikely go of it after all.

pop industry has an ineREASON ONE . TH E luctable momentum, and the star who begins something ( like a skier inching off a hilltop) can quickly find themselves bound to ride out whatever thrills and trials comes next. Tomlinson gives the example of how he first became famous. Born in Doncaster in 1991 he was raised by his mother, Johannah Deakin, and later also by her new partner Mark Tomlinson. He was 16 when he went to his first X

Factor audition. Prompt rebuff. A year later he made it into the audition process, but still nowhere near the part where ambitious young singers are briskly embraced or condemned by that great gatekeeper of celebrity, Simon Cowell. In 2010 Tomlinson, twice unlucky, gave the auditions a final try.

“I told myself I’ve just got to get to Simon, get his opinion, that’s all my ambition was. Then all of a sudden everything changed. To my friends in Doncaster I would always say [getting into the band] was the most incredible thing that happened to me. And it was. But it happened when I was already having the best year of my life. I was 17, 18, just started driving, didn’t need fake ID any more, going to house parties. That’s the time. That’s the age. And to a certain degree… ‘Having it taken away’ is the wrong phrase. But there was a price to pay.”

He says his current efforts as a soloist came about in similar fashion. In 2016, Tomlinson had become a father. (His son, Freddie, “who I love so much”, was born after a brief relationship with a Californian stylist called Briana Jungwirth.) He had some other personal matters to work through and in the summer he went on holiday to Las Vegas to blow off steam. At a club the American DJ Steve Aoiki was playing. Tomlinson, giddy with delight from Aoiki’s set, suggested to the DJ they try writing something together. In career terms, he had inched off the hill again, without necessarily considering the gradient of the slope.

A few months later, Tomlinson says, a single he’d written with Aoiki was being rolled out for release through One Direction’s old record label, Syco. Tomlinson was booked in to perform it on live TV. “And I was, like: ‘Did I really think this through?’”

Which leads Tomlinson to reason two. He’s well aware he was fast-tracked into his music career. That, as a part of One Direction, he was only a piece of a “heavy machine”. And as a self-aware northerner, from a proudly working class family, this has left Tomlinson with residual guilt to answer about wealth and status that do not feel to him fully earned. “And I know, I know it sounds ungrateful. But I think about a man, on a nine-to-five, working his arse off for six months so he can go to his family and say: ‘Guys, I’m taking you to Disneyland.’ That moment… I’ll never have that in my family life. And I’ve worked hard. But I’ve never worked hard, not like that.”

Tomlinson says he has already sweated more for this record than any before. When you’re putting together material as a soloist, he says, you quickly learn that those hot-shot collaborators who once dribbled to work with One Direction no longer pick up the phone

so readily. “I couldn’t say to you now that I could definitely get a superstar writer in a session with me. And I understand that.” Tomlinson adds, with no real vinegar: “Harry won’t struggle with any of that.”

In their One Direction days, no question, Styles got the most attention. But all the boys had their devotees and Tomlinson wants to prove to his own fans – reason three – that he’s been worth the backing all these years. “I honestly think they’ll write books about One Direction fans,” Tomlinson says. “Because they are so fanatical. The intensity. It’s remarkable.”

Tomlinson cannot talk about it with me, not without getting into muddy legal waters, but there was recently a difficult episode involving a small crowd of fans at an airport in LA. He was travelling with his partner, Eleanor Calder, who is viewed with some distrust by the fiercest corps of Louis fans. Video footage seems to show Calder being surrounded and attacked by a group of girls. Tomlinson, unable to discuss the matter, says to me more generally that he hopes his new music will reveal to fans a more complete version of himself than before. “Honestly, it’s crazy. It’s hard for a lot of people who are fanatical to believe that you are a real entity and a person.”

Which brings us to reason four. Reason four Tomlinson discusses with caution. Reason four he enshrouds with disclaimers: that it is not his intention to tell “a sob story”, that “I don’t like people feeling sorry for me”. Reason four concerns his mum.

Johannah Deakin was diagnosed with leukaemia in early 2016. Tomlinson had been worried his luck would run out; that having been “dealt that amazing hand” to squeak into the last berth in One Direction, he was due some sort of equalising blow. And he gives a bleak little laugh when he recalls where he was when the terrible phone call came. “At Jamie Vardy’s wedding of all places. Talk about your places, for something super-traumatic. My mum told me, uh, yeah, that she was definitely terminal.”

They were unusually close. He recalls how she was often one step ahead “because she had the password to my email”. It was an intimacy he attributes to them being close in age. “I remember the day I lost my virginity. I hadn’t even told any of my mates and I was, like: ‘Mum? I know this is really weird. But I’ve got to tell you…’ I remember thinking this is a bizarre conversation to be having with your mother. But it’s testament to how comfortable she made me.”

When Deakin died, in December 2016, Tomlinson was only days away from the live gig he’d agreed to do on the X Factor. “I remember saying to her: ‘Mum, how the fuck do you expect me to do this now?’ And she didn’t swear much, my mum. She’d always tell me off for swearing. And this time she was like: ‘You’ve got to fucking do it, it’s as simple as that.’ It was football manager, team talk stuff.’” The footage of Tomlinson’s performance that weekend is hard to watch. When he first appears on the X Factor stage he looks rigid, almost plastic, with grief. He’s clearly able to lose himself in the three-minute drama of a pop song. And after that the colour drains right back out of his face.

Tomlinson smokes for a bit. He says: “I’m not gonna claim this is all for me mum. But it was definitely… It was…”

He thinks. Throughout his life, he says, his mum always had greater belief in him than he did. “Sometimes my reservation, or my confidence, might have prevented me from doing something. And I’ve needed a mum in the past to kick me up the arse and go: ‘You’re doing it.’”

The boy bander has his reasons, then. “I’ve enjoyed this,” he says. “An opportunity to talk super openly. Not, y’know, answer questions about who my favourite superhero is. I don’t feel I get that many chances.”

The pile of cigarette butts in front of him has mounted to quite a height. Tomlinson, seeming to notice it for the first time, mutters: “Sorry. I’ve been chaining.” His mum hated smoking, he says. Then he smiles. “Though I remember she had the occasional cigarette herself.”

He taps his lighter on the table and asks what I make of everything he’s said. “Do you think your readers are still gonna wonder: ‘Why doesn’t he just not do it?’”

I’m not sure, I tell him, trying to be honest. But let’s see.

Louis’s new single ‘Back To You’ featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals is coming soon