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jensengirl83 · 4 years ago

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Unsung Verses Chapter 13

Rockstar!Dean x plus sized reader

Word Count- 4611

Summary-Y/N and Dean have been best friends since high school, in a band together, and dated for a year but decided they were better off friends. They play gig after gig trying to get discovered, but once they sign a record deal, will fame be all it’s cracked up to be? Or will it be too much for their relationship to handle? Join them on their adventure to fame and find out!

Warnings- Angst, Fluff, Language

A/N- This chapter is a day early because of the bunker party tomorrow.

Songs in this chapter are “Stone” by Whiskey Myers and “Beautiful In My Eyes” by Joshua Kadison

Thank you to @deanwanddamons for being my beta for this series!

Text dividers made by @firefly-graphics

Series Masterlist

Series Spotify Playlist

The playlist is a big part of the series!

Buy Me A Coffee

The night is my companion

And the highway is my home

Got me seeking for one last beacon

Every single place I roam

They say Jesus was a poor man

I guess I wish I had a little more him in me

Make it easier going on living

Heartache and misery

Sweet, sweet heart of mine I'm going to break again a million times

Is this true or gone

Have you turned to stone?

Well I guess I got my bottle

I still hold it all the time

But it keeps me smiling and singing

Helps me fall asleep a little bit better at night

They say life is like a dagger

Backstage is full of parasites

They love you and drain of everything you own

Just to feel better about their life

Sweet, sweet heart of mine I'm going to break again a million times

Is this true or gone?

Or Have you turned to stone?

Sweet, sweet heart of mine I'm going to break again a million times

Is this true or gone?

Sweet, sweet love of mine I'm going to break again a million times

Is it true or gone?

Have you turned to stone?

Dean’s voice carried from the back of the bus. Y/N listened to the song he had just finished writing. Her heart broke with the lyrics. They had been on tour for four months now, and things weren’t going so great. The worst of it being between them as she watched their relationship deteriorate before her eyes, wishing she could stop what she knew deep down was coming.

None of them had anticipated how hard tour life would be, Dean taking it the hardest. He had begun to drink more heavily, staying mostly drunk after their shows, and to say it was starting to put a strain on their relationship was an understatement. Y/N had been trying to get him to talk it out, but in true Dean Winchester fashion, he kept it bottled up, and she was now waiting on the inevitable. He would eventually snap, and it wouldn’t be pretty.

Having to deal with Lisa hadn’t been easy either. She had been a thorn in Y/N’s side from the very beginning, and being around her every day made it exponentially worse between her and Dean. He hadn’t given Lisa the time of day, but no woman could stand to see someone else trying to hang all over their fiancé day in and day out and not be bothered by it, even if Dean was ignoring her. But, he hadn’t seemed to understand where Y/N’s frustrations were coming from, thinking that since he wasn’t giving Lisa the attention she wanted, that it was all fine. This was just another thing to add to the repertoire of things they had been arguing over lately.

Y/N had also decided to stay on her birth control for now. Dean wasn’t happy about that either, but she refused to bring a baby into their relationship with the shape it was in. The fighting, tension, and especially his drinking was a situation she forbid raising a child in, and he would just have to deal with that. They only had a month left before they had a break in the tour, and she would see how they were doing on the hiatus before making the decision about her birth control.

“Earth to Y/N,” Sam chuckled, waving his hand in her face.

“Sorry! I was just lost in thought, I guess,” she sighed, faking a smile as he sat down beside her.

“Do your thoughts have anything to do with a certain bow-legged musician?” he asked, another laugh escaping him.

“Maybe,” she smiled, trying to hide just how bad their relationship had gotten.

“You don’t have to fake it with me, Freddie. I can see how he’s changed,” Sam whispered, putting his arm around her shoulders. He knew they had been having problems, and it broke his heart for the both of them.

“It’s just...I don’t know what to do, Sam. I’ve tried talking to him, wanted to get him to open up, but he’s refusing to talk to me now. He used to confide in me, and now, it’s like he just doesn’t want to tell me anything. What have I done wrong?” she sniffled, starting to tear up. She wanted her fiancé back. Not this new version of him that was alienating himself from everyone.

“You haven’t done anything wrong. I’m not sure what’s going on with him, but it’s nothing you have done. He needs to get his head out of his ass is what he needs to do!” he said, rolling his eyes, being truthful, but also trying to make her laugh.

Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at Sam’s comment. He always knew how to make her feel better. She just wished it was Dean making her feel this way, not his brother, missing the way they used to be together. She looked down to her left hand, twirling the sparkling diamond with her other fingers, sighing as she thought back to that night. How she missed the man Dean was then and not who he was now.

Sam watched her as she reminisced back to the times she and Dean got along, not fighting constantly or barely speaking at all. When they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, not now, when they often didn’t even sleep in the same bed. He pulled her into a hug, no longer able to watch the heartbreak on her face, silently sending up a prayer that Dean would get his shit together. He knew that his brother had his better half in life and didn’t want to watch it all fall apart, knowing it would destroy him and Y/N.

“Well, what do we have here?” Dean slurred, stumbling into the living quarters of the bus, “Trying to steal my girl, Sammy?”

“Dude, you know better than that,” Sam huffed, standing from the couch to walk away.

“Do I, though? It looks like you were getting awful close from where I’m standing,” he said bitterly.

“Dean! That’s enough! He gave me a hug. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Y/N shouted, already fed up with this behavior.

“Yeah, man. She’s like my sister, and I’d never do that to you even if she wasn’t,” Sam told his brother.

“Yeah, well, she might actually be your sister if she married me! You and Jess are getting married next month, and she won’t even set a fucking date!” he yelled, pointing the half-empty whiskey bottle that was in his hand at her.

“Okay, I’m out. I’m not getting in this conversation. Y/N, if you need me, you know where I’ll be,” Sam sighed, turning and walking away to the bunks, leaving the fighting couple alone.

“We’ve had this conversation already. I told you, I’m not doing any wedding planning until the tour is over. One thing at a time,” she grumbled, angry at how he was treating her and his brother.

“That’s as good of an excuse as any, I suppose,” he smarted off, his jaw clenching.

“You know what, come talk to me when you’re sober. Until then, this conversation is over,” she hissed, knowing she was close to losing her temper.

“No! You’re going to talk to me!” Dean growled.

“So, now you want to talk?! I’ve been trying to get you to talk for months! So, no, we’re not going to do this. I’m walking away, and you’re going to leave me alone! Got it?” she yelled, walking past him and to the back of the bus, shutting the door and locking it.

Dean was stumbling his way to the back of the bus to talk to her when Sam reached out from his bunk and grabbed his arm to stop him. He was determined to get to her and finish their conversation, whether they fought or not. He knew he had been drinking too much lately but didn’t think that was a good enough reason for her to be stalling their wedding plans. He gave his brother a glare, yanking his arm away and trying to continue walking, but Sam grabbed him again.

“Just leave her alone, Dean,”

“What makes you think you can tell me not to talk to my fiancé ?” he huffed, getting angrier as he stood there.

“If you don’t stop what you’re doing, she’s not going to be your fiancé for much longer,” Sam stated bluntly, hoping his brother would finally see what his actions were doing.

“What the hell are you talking about?” he asked, not fully comprehending what was being said in his drunken stupor.

“I’m telling you that she’s almost at her breaking point, man. She can’t keep going like this. She’ll eventually snap, and it won’t end well for you,”

“I’m not doing anything!” he shouted, “I’ve been ignoring Lisa, but that just isn’t good enough, I guess,”

“It isn’t all about Lisa, dude. You’ve been attached to that damn bottle for months now, and she’s fed up. I know adjusting to tour life isn’t easy, but you’ve handled it in the worst way possible. I’m not trying to fight with you, but I can’t stay quiet any longer. You’re going to lose the best thing that’s happened to you, and it’s going to crush you. I don’t want to see that happen,” Sam sighed, hoping his brother would listen.

“Whatever, man. I’m going to sleep on the couch. Thanks for taking her side over your own brothers, by the way,” he huffed, turning to walk back to the living quarters and flopping himself down. With the whiskey bottle still in his hand, he soon passed out.

Y/N had heard the exchange between him and Sam, and it only made her heart hurt worse. How did Dean not see that Lisa wasn’t their only problem? How did he not know that his drinking and alienating himself from her was doing more damage than Lisa ever could? She wanted her Dean back, not this alcohol filled version of him. Laying on the couch, blanket pulled up to her chin, she thought back to how they used to be as she cried herself to sleep.

Hours later, they had reached their destination for the next show, checking into a hotel to rest before they had to play the next day. Y/N hadn’t said a word to Dean since their argument, going straight to the suite and shutting herself in the bedroom, leaving him out in the living room to sleep on the couch. It wasn’t anything new, as they hadn’t really been sleeping together much at all lately, in both terms of the sentence .

He sat down on the couch with a sigh, now stone-cold sober, and thinking of what his brother had said to him. Maybe Sam was right, and if he didn’t stop what he was doing, he was going to lose her. That thought had a lump forming in his throat and an ache in his chest. The idea of being without her was too much to take, and he knew he needed to fix it.

He wasn’t adjusting well to the life that came with being famous, and neither were the others, but he had coped in the worst way possible. Drinking all the time and pushing everyone away wasn’t the answer, but it was the easiest one for him. But, the most comfortable option wasn’t always the right one, and he knew what he had to do. He stood up from the couch, walking over to the bedroom door, seeing it wasn’t locked, and walked in.

She was lying on the bed, back to the door, and he could hear her sniffles from where he was standing. He slowly made his way over to her, lying behind her and pulling her into his arms, waiting to see if she rejected him. When she didn’t move to push him away, he took a deep breath and prepared himself for the conversation that was coming.

“I’m sorry, Freddie,” his voice barely above a whisper, trying to keep his emotions at bay.

“Dean, saying sorry isn’t good enough this time. An apology means nothing if you keep doing what you’re apologizing for,”

“I know, and I’m going to stop, baby. I can’t keep going like this. I miss you,”

“Make these promises when you’re sober,” she sighed, not wanting to hear any drunken excuses.

“I am sober, Y/N. I promise,” he pulled her to roll over and face him, “See, sweetheart, I’m not drunk anymore,”

She stared at him for a few minutes, trying to see if he was lying, but she could see that he was indeed sober. The look of despair and heartache on his face was painful to see, but he had hurt her, and she knew that she couldn’t keep going like this.

“Dean, this has to stop. The drinking, pulling away from me, I can’t do it anymore. You want to get married, and I do too, but it’s not going to work if we’re not in this together. I want my Dean back. I miss him,” she said, a tear escaping and running down her cheek.

“It’s still me…”

“No, it’s not. The man I fell in love with wouldn’t shut me out like this, all but ignore me unless it’s to fight, drink himself stupid and leave me to deal with all this alone,” she cried, all the pent up feelings now at the surface, “Tour life isn’t easy for any of us, but I tried, Dean. I tried to talk to you and work through it together, but you didn’t want to. Instead, you pushed me and everyone else away, choosing the bottle over the woman you supposedly want to spend the rest of your life with. How do you think that makes me feel?”

Dean couldn’t find the words. Seeing her like this, a sobbing mess in his arms because he was weak and couldn’t cope, shattered his heart into pieces. He hadn’t intentionally set out to hurt her, but that’s precisely what he had done, leaving the woman he loved to deal with everything on her own.

He pulled her into his chest, whispering apologies over and over, not knowing what else to say or do to fix what he was on the verge of destroying. He held her close, letting her get all the emotions out before he said anything. Once she had begun to calm down, he took a deep breath before he opened his mouth to speak.

“It’s just so hard. I’m exhausted and feel like I’m being pulled in twenty different directions all the time. Be here, be there, don’t be late, don’t forget to stop backstage and play nice with all the fans before you pass out from exhaustion. I never knew it would be this tiring, frustrating, and draining, and instead of talking to you, I turned to the bottle. I’ll never be able to tell you how sorry I am, sweetheart. I left you all alone in this, and that was a shitty thing to do. I promise, I’m going to do better, just please tell me you can forgive me. I can’t lose you,” he whispered into her hair, face buried into her neck, tears beginning to fall.

“Look at me, Dean,” she said, tilting his face up so she could look him in the eye, “It has to stop, okay? You can’t shut me out anymore. When you feel like this, come talk to me. We’re supposed to be a team, not sharing a bed but nothing else. A relationship, especially marriage, is the good and the bad, working together to overcome any obstacle thrown at us. Can we be a team again?”

He couldn’t speak, his emotions overtaking him, so he nodded his head in response, holding her to his chest once more. He had missed how she felt in his arms, her warm body pressed against his. He silently vowed at that moment that he would do whatever it took to fix their relationship. He couldn’t lose her. She was his world, and he had almost destroyed it all. They both eventually fell asleep in each other’s arms for the first time in weeks, neither wanting to let go, as they slept better than they had in a long time.

They were two weeks into their six-week hiatus from the tour, and it was a welcome relief. The last month on the road hadn’t been easy, but Dean had kept his promise, trying harder to confide in her instead of reaching for the whiskey. They had a way to go to get back to where they were. They were better than they had been, but still not where they used to be, and it was tiresome to feel like the person you love was becoming a stranger. Y/N held hope that it would once again feel like it had in the beginning, not quite ready to give up on him.

Her hope was waning as she sat at their table during Sam and Jess’s wedding reception, alone while Dean was sitting at the bar. Before this wedge had been put between them, they would’ve been at each other’s side, unable to be separated. Now, there was a tangible tension that everyone could feel when they were together, and it was killing her.

Of course, they had made up that night in the hotel, but she felt like they had just patched an ever sinking raft, only delaying the inevitable. She had prayed every night that she was wrong, but as the days went on, it didn’t seem that she was. Y/N hoped that the next few weeks off would help, as they could spend time together and try to talk things out, hopeful their relationship would be healthy again.

A heavy sigh escaped her as she watched all the happy couples dancing and having fun. The memories of when she and Dean were that happy made her want to cry and scream, not knowing which she wanted to do the worst. She would give up all the money and fame they have gained if they could just get back to where they were. She missed him and didn’t know how much longer she could go on like this.

“Hey, honey,” Jess’s voice drug her out of her thoughts as she sat down.

“Hey, Jess. Shouldn’t you be with your husband right now?” Y/N asked with a chuckle.

“I was until I saw you over here letting your mind spiral out of control,”

“I was not,” she huffed, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

“Y/N…”

“Jess, look, I love you, but I don’t want to talk about Dean and me right now. This is your wedding day. Do you really want to get into this conversation with me?”

“Wedding day or not, I don’t want to see y’all fall apart. You are meant for each other…” Jess said before Y/N interrupted her.

“But are we?! I’m not so sure anymore. If we were, why are we slowly falling apart? Everyone can see it, and he acts like it’s no big deal. I can’t keep going like this,”

Jess grabbed her in a hug, hating to see one of her best friends hurting. She and Sam had many conversations about Y/N and Dean but weren’t sure what to do to help them. They knew the two of them were made for each other and couldn’t stand to see them letting things come between them. But, all they could do was sit back and watch and hope that they would get their relationship back on track.

Dean was watching the exchange between them from his seat at the bar. He knew he should be with his fiancee, but they hadn’t been getting along so great. He had been trying to fix the mistakes he had made, but he could tell she was still harboring resentment, and he couldn’t fix that on his own. He knew they were falling apart, but he was out of ideas on how to render the situation.

“You need to go to her, son,” John whispered, patting his son on the back.

“I know I should, Dad, but I don’t know what to do anymore. She’s pulled away, and I’ve been trying! It doesn’t seem like it matters that I’m trying,” he sighed, taking a big gulp of his whiskey.

“Well, maybe if you put down the booze, that would help,”

“I don’t need this from you too, Dad! I’ve not been drinking near as much as I was, and if I didn’t drink some, I’d lose my mind!” he exclaimed, getting frustrated, feeling like everyone was on her side.

“Son, I don’t want to see you lose the love of your life. I know you’d both be miserable without each other,”

“Go tell her that,” he groaned.

“Dean, listen to me. Don’t let your relationship take the back burner. No matter what’s going on right now, she’ll be what’s left to hold when all the fame is gone. Don’t let all this take away what you know you need,” John told him, hoping his son would take his advice.

“I don’t know what else to do, Dad,”

“Well, for starters, go ask your girl to dance,” John chuckled, Dean giving him an exasperated look.

“I can’t dance to this crap,” he huffed, an upbeat song blaring through the speakers.

“I’ll take care of that. Now, go get your bride-to-be,” John said with a smile, leaving Dean to go and speak with the DJ.

Dean took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, building up his nerve to walk over to her and ask her to dance. The tension between them had him fearing rejection, but he knew he had to try. He wasn’t willing to give up on them. She was, and always would be, the love of his life, and he was going to fight to keep her.

He stood, beginning to walk to her, when he saw her get up and walk out the big french doors onto the patio. He was going to turn around and go back to the bar but realized this was the perfect situation to go to her. They would be alone, and he could dance with her and talk to her in private.

He walked across the reception hall, his eyes never leaving her, ignoring everyone in his path. Once he reached the doors, he paused, looking back over his shoulder and catching John’s eye. His father smiled, motioning for him to keep going. He took one more deep breath, opening the doors and walking up to her as the first notes of a slow song began to play.

“Dance with me?”

Dean’s voice startled her, making her spin to see him with his hand outstretched towards her. She looked down and then to his face and back to his hand. Not sure if she wanted to dance with him, afraid of her emotions. She finally took his hand and let him pull her to him. He laced his fingers with hers, placing her hand on his chest as his other arm wrapped around her middle, beginning to sway them slowly.

You’re my peace of mind

In this crazy world

You’re everything I’ve tried to find

Your love is a pearl

You’re my Mona Lisa; you’re my rainbow skies

And my only prayer is that you realize

You’ll always be beautiful in my eyes

Dean held her close as he sang the song to her, hoping it would express what he had failed to say. He had his chin resting on her head, eyes closed, and just enjoying having her in his arms, continuing to sing.

We’ll have our fill of tears, our share of sighs

But you’ll always be beautiful in my eyes

And the passing years will show

That you will always grow

Evermore beautiful in my eyes

As the song ended, he pulled away, looking down to see her face. She hadn’t said a word while they danced, and to say he was nervous was putting it lightly. He had thought of an idea as he held her and hoped she wouldn’t walk away so he could run it by her. As his eyes locked with hers, he was left breathless. He could see the hurt there, but the absolute adoration and love shone through as well, and he was blown away that she got even more beautiful every time he looked at her. The fact that he could see how much she still loved him after all they had been through was an overwhelming feeling, and he couldn’t stop himself as he kissed her hard.

“I love you,” he whispered as he broke the kiss.

“I love you too,” she squeaked, her voice cracking with emotion.

“Can we talk?” he asked, biting his bottom lip as he waited on her answer with bated breath.

“Here? Shouldn’t we wait until we get home?”

“No, baby. I need to say this,” he said, pulling her to sit on a bench that was on the side of the patio.

“Dean, please, don’t. I can’t take a bad conversation right now,” she sighed, afraid of what he had to say.

“What? No! It’s not a bad thing, sweetheart,” he chuckled, kissing her forehead.

“Okay...then what is it?” her voice was soft-spoken, curious about what he had to say.

“Y/N, I know these last few months have been bad, and I’m so sorry. I was thinking that Sam and Jess are leaving for their honeymoon, Cas and Meg are going back to Kansas for the rest of our break, so I wondered, do you want to take a trip with me? Anywhere you want to go. Just name the place, and we’ll pack our bags. I really believe it would be good for us to get away together, take time to work on us. No distractions. What do you say?” he asked, seeing the different emotions flicker on her expression. He prayed that she would agree.

“Are you serious? You want to take a trip with me?”

“Of course, sweetheart! I know how I’ve been acting doesn’t make it seem that way, but I love you, Freddie. You and spending time with you is all I’ll ever want,” he smiled, cupping her face in his hand, caressing her cheek with his thumb.

“Anywhere?” she asked, a smile appearing on her face.

“Anywhere! Pick the place, and we’ll leave tomorrow if you want!” he chuckled.

“Even if we have to fly…” she asked sheepishly, knowing his fear of flying.

“Even if we have to fly, baby. I mean it, I want to do this for you. You deserve it, and I’ll be okay as long as you’re with me,” he whispered, kissing her lightly, resting his forehead to hers.

“Let’s do it!” she exclaimed, excited for a vacation, just her and Dean.

He couldn’t help but laugh. The excitement on her face was worth any plane ride he had to take. He wanted to try and fix what had been broken, and a trip with just the two of them and no one else around sounded like the perfect place to start. They made their way back inside to enjoy the rest of his brother’s wedding and see him and Jess off on their honeymoon, excited to get home and start planning the trip of their own.

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actuallyrandomperson · 5 years ago

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My thoughts on the Sanders Sides Spotify playlists- Virgil Edition!

Note: this is Purely me saying whether or not I like the songs, not theorising about any deeper meanings. I’ve done them all, so just click on the names to see my reactions to the others: Patton, Roman, Logan, Janus

Impressions from looking through the playlist: I don’t specifically know most of the songs (I know more of the bands), but I feel like that’ll be a recurring theme as I tend to stick within my very specific music taste and only add songs to my playlists if I hear them while I’m out and about and like them enough to find them on Spotify, which means my horizons aren’t broadened very often. The ones I do know do not surprise me that much (neither do the bands, for that matter), as they feel very Virgil

1: ‘Sunrise, Sunset’, by Bright Eyes. I didn’t mind it at first? But the chorus was a bit too,,, shouty for me. Probably Definitely a song I’d skip if it came up on a playlist in the future, as much as I liked the tune(/melody?). Not surprised to find it on Virgil’s playlist though, it gives off Angst. Was very in my face as I tried to continue reading fics.

2: ‘Lets Kill Tonight’, by Panic! At The Disco. One that I have probably heard before, as while I myself didn’t have an emo music phase, an ex friend did. I liked it more, as I expected to as I tend to like p!atd’s songs. Not one that I’d go out of my way to listen to again, but has been added to my 32 hour long playlist on Spotify (not my slightly more curated 10 hour one tho, but I mostly play the 10 hour one while doing work or while others are around soo). Once again felt like it suited Virgil, (as I imagine all of them will, so I might just call out ones that feel Odd if any do.)

3: ‘Sally’s Song’, by Amy Lee. It might shock some of y’all, but not one I’ve really heard before! I live in Australia so Halloween’s not a massive thing and I actually don’t know that many people who’ve watched The Nightmare Before Christmas. Thomas is actually one of the main reasons I know that the movie exists. I really liked it, unsurprisingly, so it too made its way to my 32 hour playlist (not the ten hour one, but only because I try to keep mostly ‘normal’ songs on there so there’s not that many songs from movies in it)

4: ‘It Ends Tonight’, by The All-American Rejects. I recognised the band, but not the title. I think I’ve heard this before though- I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. I wouldn’t skip it if it popped up in a playlist at some stage in the future, but I haven’t added it to either of my playlists.

5: ‘I’d Hate To Be You When Everyone Fonds Out What This Song Is About’, Mayday Parade. Very long title (ok, I know in emo song title standards it’s not even that long but as I said I didn’t really have an emo phase so these sorts of titles always shock me) that slightly confuses me (who’s you? why is what the songs about bad for them??), but I liked it! Is now on my 32 hour playlist. I suspect that at the end of listening to all of these it will be longer than 32 hours.

6: ‘A Decade Under The Influence’, Taking Back Sunday. Another one that I liked enough that I wouldn’t skip it in the future, but didn’t add to my playlist. I just didn’t vibe with it enough. Happened to line up with Roman having a Bad Feeling™ in the fic I was reading tho so that was entertaining

7: ‘Thks fr th mmrs’, by Fall Out Boy. This was the first song to invoke feelings of Nostalgia™ in me, and I’m kinda shocked it’s not already in my 32 hour playlist. That has been remedied. This song was played a fair bit in my childhood, both on the radio and by an older sister. I imagine a lotta people my age had a similar thing. Obviously one I Love. Got me to stop reading in favour of being a doofus by lip syncing and dancing around while lying in bed (and deafening my eardrums as I turned it up louder) during the chorus.

8: ‘Be Calm’, by Fun. This was the second song that I didn’t recognise either the title or the band for. I liked it, even though the initial warped carnival-esque tune thing made me think of Pennywise. Pretty much as soon as the singing started I added it to the 32 hour playlist. It might make its way to the shorter one one day, as I actually really like it. It’s just a bit odd, and as I said I try to keep that playlist to more ‘conventionally normal’ songs as it’s designed for me to be able to play around other people without getting weird looks.

9: ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’, by My Chemical Romance. Let’s be real. I would’ve cried if this song wasn’t included in the playlist. You would’ve cried if this song was not included in this playlist. If all of their songs aren’t in their respective playlists I’ll be disappointed. This song being in the playlist prompted me to go back and rewatch that episode. so many jokes originate in that ep. also we only knew one name back then? and the dark sides were barely a blip on our radars??? how????? ok back to the song- not my favourite, but I wasn’t expecting it to be. Probably won’t skip it every time it comes up in the future, but it’s definitely not my cup of tea.

10: ‘Imaginary’, by Evanescence. I laughed when I realised this was next up, as rewatching the q&a reminded me that Virgil said they were his favourite band so I’d noted that I had to look out to see if any of their songs were on the playlist. I liked it enough to add it to the 32 hour playlist, but wouldn’t go out of my way to play it in the future.

11: ‘Soft Shock- Acoustic Version’, by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. When this started my first thought was ‘oh, I think I’m gonna really like this one!’ and my second was ‘I’m kinda surprised it’s on Virgils playlist, but it feels right somehow.’ (It made more sense as I listened to the lyrics, I think I was just massively caught off guard by it being acoustic). I hadn’t heard of either the song or the band before this, but my initial instinct was Correct and it has in fact.... made it onto the ten hour playlist!! Hell yeah!! I actually liked it enough to listen to the og version as well, which I still liked but slightly less. (Also I have heard some of their music before as I realised looking at the album this came from that my one of my sisters used to listen to them, which I’m not that surprised about as we have Similar tastes in music)

12: ‘The Good That Won’t Come Out’, by Rilo Kiley. I liked this enough to consider adding it to my 32 hour playlist, and the lyrics were interesting, I just didn’t vibe with it that much. 🤷‍♀️

13: ‘Sick Sad World’, by Nervus. The bands name feels very apt for Virgil. I liked the rhythm of this one, and it was also a Certified Mood tbh. Got added to the 32 hour playlist!! Also made me wanna hug Virgil.

14: ‘Ignorance’, by Paramore. I wasn’t expecting to love this, as I don’t remember really liking much of Paramore’s music in the past even though I know I must’ve heard some, but I didn’t hate it. Didn’t get added to either of my playlists, but I probably wouldn’t skip it in the future.

15: ‘The Ice Is Getting Thinner’, by Death Cab for Cutie. I was expecting to like this one, as one of my favourite youtuber’s fave songs is a death cab for cutie song and I really like it as well. I did like this one quite a bit, but it only made its way onto my 32 hour playlist.

16: ‘Overkill- Acoustic Version’, by Colin Hay. I didn’t mind this, but didn’t like it enough to put it on the 32 hour playlist. I possibly would like the original version more, but I can’t be bothered finding it especially given my first impression is just meh

17: ‘Under Pressure’, by My Chemical Romance. I didn’t love it as much as I love the original, but it did prompt me to check if I’d added the original to my two playlists. Apparently I didn’t, even though I was listening to a Lot of Queen when I was deeply entrenched in good omens.

18: ‘Everything is Alright’, Motion City Soundtrack. I liked this one! I think I might’ve heard It before, but it’s been a while. It got added to the 32 hour playlist.

19: ‘The Middle’, by Jimmy Eat World. I didn’t recognise the title b u t I did recognise the song. Obviously. Because I’m a gen z with older siblings. It was the second big nostalgia feels song, which was made even stronger by me not immediately recognising the title (unlike thks fr th mmrs). Was added to the 32 hour playlist as soon as I realised what song it was

20: ‘Vindicated’, by Dashboard Confessional. I knew this, but mostly from a music podcast called Punch up The Jam so hearing it in full was weird. Added it to the 32 hour playlist but wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it again.

Final thoughts: I know I said I never had an emo phase in music, but I do actually like a lot of it even tho I was never That Kid, so I was kinda expecting to at least like a lot of these songs. My favourite song was definitely Be Calm, closely followed Soft Shock and Thks Fr Th Mmrs. 12/20 got added to my 32 hour playlist, and 2 (I eventually decided my love of Be Calm was strong enough for it to be an exception) to the 10 hour one!

@thatsthat24

#sanders sides #sanders sides playlist #virgil #virgil sanders #thomas sanders #sanders sides spotify #virgil's playlist #virgil’s playlist reaction #spotify #virgils playlist #virgils playlist reaction #virgil’s spotify #virgils spotify

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nerdlife0612 · 6 years ago

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‘I Put A Spell On You’ Part 2

‘I Put A Spell On You’ Part 2 Word Count: 786 Rating: PG13 to start, maybe a bit higher by the end for reasons

Author’s Note:

OKAY. So. This little ditty came upon my little ol brain one night listening to my Spotify playlist when ‘I Put A Spell On You’ the version by CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival) came on. And based on my HIGHLY LIMITED knowledge of his TNA/Impact run, a songfic idea based on the Jeff Hardy/Willow x OFC combination came across my brain. The focus is more on the story and AU this will happen in rather than the characters themselves.

And it is important to note, while I have absolute respect for Jeff & his family, for this story to work this has to happen in an AU where he is single and has been for a long, long time.

REMEMBER: MY KNOWLEDGE IS HIGHLY LIMITED so do excuse me if my characterization or usage of Willow isn’t quite right. But this is based upon the vibes that I got. THIS WILL NOT BE A ONE SHOT. How many parts? NO DAMN IDEA at this point. And there will be smutty smut smut by the end of this tale too….

SO IF YOU ARE UNDERAGE – SKIP THIS FUCKER. xD

TAG SQUAD: (IF IT WORKS)

@evilangel84 @empress-with-the-crown @misadventuresofathot @thedevilnisworld @bigpixiefoot @theneverendingthirst @ballins-princess @princess3733 @sugasfatgf

Anyways… onward….

***************************************

Maia’s feet skidded beneath her as she bounced off the back door and against the brick wall just a few yards away.

“Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!” She murmured in an absolute panic. Not only did she just cross paths with her apparent True Alpha… but also it was Jeff fucking Hardy of all people. And judging by how his expression changed when he realized what happened as well – suffice to say she felt like he was the hunter and she the prey. Well, hell be damned if she was going to make it easy on him, though.

Go down fighting – that’s what her momma always told her. She shook her head, clearing the fog a bit before taking off at a full sprint. The only thought that was echoing in her head was one simple question:

How on Earth did she get herself into these types of things?

Jeff, or more precisely Willow, stepped out into the alley just a few moments behind her. Inhaling deep, the Wisp cackled in glee. “I’m going to enjoy this…” The final ‘s’ lingered in the slightly chilly air as a wicked grin graced his features.

Shoving his hands into his jeans pockets and eyes now solid white and oblivious to the rest of the happenings of the world, Jeff took off walking behind his Omega.

Setting a lazy pace, he figured he might as well let her think she’s got the lead… for now.

= I ain't gonna take none of your, puttin' me down/ I put a spell on you because you're mine, all right…=

Maia, now being chased by a group of men, had somehow kept up her blistering run for several blocks. But, a few blocks back, it was to Maia’s dismay and unfortunate discovery that now, thanks to what happened in that damn bar, she smelled like the tastiest meal on the block. Currently, she ran like a bat out of hell down the crowded street, trying to outrun her new pursuers.

“Come here sweetness!”

“Yeah I just wanna talk!” That one was rewarded with raucous laughter from the others.

“Fuck you!” Maia shouted over her shoulder, not paying attention to where she was going and wound up going head over feet off the curb and into the middle of the street. Barely raising her head up, she quickly recognized the figure that was approaching from the west side of the intersection. ‘How the hell did he get in front of me?’ Doing her best to control her breathing and get up to her feet, Maia struggled for a plan of escape – from both her Alpha and the men behind her.

Jeff wagged his index finger at her, “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Little Omega. You know it’s not nice to deny us.” He approached her with an uneasy level of grace and speed for just a walk. “I won’t force myself on you because of my host’s sensibilities – but… “ He wrapped an eerily gentle hand around her elbow, his strength of grip the only thing indicative of his mood. “You WILL beg for your Alpha before this night is through. Nothing in Willow’s way will stop that…” He leaned forward, his lips ghosting over hers – causing them both to shudder momentarily.

For one brief moment, she saw Jeff’s eyes peeking through Willow’s. Biting her lip, she knew in her gut he was right but she would be fucked if she let him know that. Hearing footsteps rushing towards them, she ducked just as one of her newest pursuers took a swipe at them causing Jeff/Willow to let go of her in order to dispatch the punk. Taking advantage of the fight, Maia took off down another street.

The punk that took a swipe at them and caused him to lose his prey fell with an earthshattering thud onto the concrete. Jeff slowly raised his eyes, a low growl emanating from his throat. The rest of the men, frozen in terror for a moment, decided now was a good time to make their escape.

Now he and Willow both were pissed.

Because she chose to run she was nearly hurt. Because she chose to run he had to hurt someone. Because she chose to run he had to continue this little game.

‘Well count the stakes as raised little one. This is no longer a game. I play for keeps. I plan on keeping you.’

Head swiveling around in the direction that Maia took off, Jeff broke out into a dead run – snarling. The spell’s hold was now beyond breakable.

= I put a spell on you, because you're mine/ You better stop, the thing that you're doin'/ I said, "Watch out, I ain't lyin'", yeah…=

*********************************************

Author’s Note: What you think? I wanted to add some complications to this and reinforce was his thoughts were on ‘the spell’ – more like a madness now. We’ll see where the next part goes.

#thirsty thot crew #thirstythotcrew #I Put A Spell On You #creedence clearwater revival #Songfic #jeff hardy #jeff hardy/willow #jeff hardy/willow x ofc #alpha/omega au #wwe #wwe fanfiction #fanfiction

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johnboothus · 3 years ago

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Next Round: F!ve Drinks Aims to Can the Craft Cocktail Bar

On this episode of “Next Round,” host Adam Teeter chats with Felipe Szpigel, founder of F!ve Drinks Co. Szpigel discusses the brand’s aim to can cocktails that are as delicious as freshly made drinks crafted by top bartenders. Then, Teeter and Szpigel discuss the canned cocktail industry at large and why RTDs may be the future of the beverage industry.

In addition, Szpigel details F!ve Drinks’ canned cocktail lineup, including a collaboration with Dante, which has resulted in the brand’s Summer Spritz, Americano, and Gin & Tonic. Then, Teeter and Szpigel talk about the lingering impact Covid has left on the beverage industry, and Szpigel shares his vision for the future of F!ve Drinks.

Tune in and visit https://www.buyfivedrinks.co/ to learn more about F!ve Drinks.

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the Conversation Here

Adam Teeter: From VinePair’s New York City headquarters, I’m Adam Teeter, and this is a VinePair Next Round conversation. Today, we are speaking with Felipe Szpigel, co-founder and CEO of F!ve Drinks. Felipe, thank you so much for joining me.

Felipe Szpigel: Thank you, Adam. Thanks for having me.

A: So where are you right now?

F: I’m actually in São Paulo. I’ve been spending time here and in Miami for the last year.

A: Wow, so how’s the weather in São Paulo?

F: Well, it’s not that different from Miami, right? I guess after living too long in New York, I needed a little bit more of the sunshine.

A: I love it, so thanks so much for joining us. Can you tell us a bit about F!ve Drinks for those who are unaware of what F!ve Drinks is?

F: Yeah. To start, we make amazing craft cocktails in a can. We wanted to take the fine mixologist or the best of what you can enjoy in a bar to people any time, anywhere.

A: And how did this idea come about? Your background, for those who aren’t aware, is that you worked at AB InBev for quite a while running the craft beer program, correct?

F: Correct.

A: How did you move from craft beer to cocktails? Were you always a cocktail person? What gave you the idea to pursue this and how long has the business been around?

F: Like many of your listeners, I love drinking proper alcohol. Most of the time I would drink beer and actually, I always liked cocktails. Start with a cocktail, and then go with a chaser. Anyways, in terms of my background, I was at AB InBev for almost 20 years, and I did a bunch of different things in different parts of the world. I think the one that connected me into this world was leading the high-end, as you mentioned. We created a division to then find amazing craft partners, bring them on board, integrate them and help them expand their businesses. There were so many great entrepreneurs passionate about it. Let’s say my itch to do my own version of that was coming to fruition. On the spirit side, we had a couple of things in mind. One is, I think the right way of having a proper business is finding business partners that you like and that complement you. I am lucky to have four other partners that are amazing. Chris and Jeremy Cox are geniuses in product, Gus comes from a marketing background, and Roberto has more of a traditional finance background. Someone has to do the math for us. The second piece is that there is still a big evolution into the ready-to-drink space. To be candid, I like full-flavored drinks. I like real things. Even when consuming food and everything else I do, I’m one of those people who look into the labels. We saw this white space of just doing amazing cocktails using real ingredients and just offering convenience to consumers.

A: So when did this idea start to percolate? What year was this?

F: This was the end of 2018.

A: Did you leave AB InBev pretty quickly after or when do you depart and decide to start pursuing this full time?

F: Inside ABI, I was already working on some of these projects. For example, Devil’s Backbone in Virginia and also 10 Barrel in Oregon. I left at the end of 2018, and very quickly, we put the project up. We launched in Miami, July 2019.

A: Wow.

F: In six months, we were up and running.

A: How are you able to do that? Usually, R&D takes forever. Did you already have some formulations? Did you know what you wanted to put in the market that quickly? Was it just based on your experience in the business for so long that you knew how to get it done fast?

F: I think it’s a combination of all of the above. It is a delicate industry, right? The regulations are not simple. Being able to navigate regulations and potential business partners was helpful. We were bootstrapped, but we had cash to get up and running. That was an acceleration to the process. There was not a fundraising period. In terms of the product, I think that’s where Chris and Jeremy come together, right? We loved drinking cocktails even before that, as well as many of the craft folks I knew. We knew what we wanted so in terms of products, they did an amazing job on being able to replicate the flavors of great bars and putting them in shelf-stable cans.

A: I have some questions about that but before we get into the flavors and how you made the cocktails come to life in the can, I’m curious just about the business side a little bit. Did you ultimately raise any investment? Are there any investors in the business besides the five of you now? If you did, what was that process like? How did you go about convincing people that canned cocktails are going to be as big as they’ve now become?

F: I think people are still figuring out that this is going to be a huge, huge business. I was lucky enough to see the craft movement and how big the industry has gotten. It’s still developing with the number of players and I also was part of the beginning of the seltzer movement. AB InBev had partnered with Spiked Seltzer, the originator of the category even before White Claw and Truly came out. I think the insight here is that liquor is an $80 billion-plus industry that’s growing.

A: Yeah.

F: Most people drink the product mixed, so if you can offer something amazing and ready to drink, there’s no reason why people wouldn’t drink it. Especially with the many occasions where you need convenience right outside of the bar setting.

A: Right.

F: Again, most of us that partnered on the first rounds had lifelong work in the industry. We got all of our savings and put it behind the business. We wanted to have control and direction. I am still the majority shareholder of the company, and the ability to run my vision was critical. Now, our vision in fundraising is whenever you can get more cash, it will help you accelerate the growth of the business.

A: Totally.

F: We will likely come up with another round soon, but the way we’ve looked at it so far is looking at people that can contribute with cash but can also complement in a strategic sense. We did the rounds at the end of September last year. Companies at the beginning valued it at $10 million, so we sold 10 percent of the company. Back then, we looked at people in other industries. We looked to access capital in entertainment, so our idea was to have more expertise and discover things that we honestly didn’t know. People can help us in guiding the best direction for the company.

A: I know that ZX is an investor, correct?

F: Yeah.

A: And that’s when they invested?

F: They were part of the first investment rounds.

A: Very cool. That is very helpful in terms of getting to scale and people who know the industry, even though you do as well. That’s cool. Going back to the flavors, one of the biggest things that we’ve talked about a bunch is that flavors in canned cocktails are really hard to get right. That’s what other people who I’ve spoken to have said they think is ultimately holding the category back is that ability to replicate fresh citrus juice and keep it shelf-stable. Having had some of the cocktails you guys make, they are really on point with flavor. What are you doing? How do you think about flavor in terms of what you’re delivering to the consumer to ensure that it can be as delicious as that cocktail you’re getting at the cocktail bar?

F: Yeah, thanks for the compliment, first of all. I think the quality of the cocktails is what makes us stand out. For us, the philosophy was always to make something similar to what we would drink at the bar. Even today, most of the time when we go to venues, hotels, and golf courses, I generally come in and ask, “Can you make a Margarita, a Moscow Mule, and use top-shelf spirits?” Then, we taste it together with our drink, and we’re always at the same level. I think the discussion of our cocktail being at that level is something that blows people’s minds away. We took the same craft philosophy that we and our partners would use, which is no compromise to the flavor profile. Also, to go back and innovate on the process to be able to get the right product out there. Two things make a huge difference. One is the quality of the ingredients. We work with amazing craft spirits. For example, Oregon Spirits. In our collaboration, we use Mancino vermouth, which is one of the best vermouths in the world today and comes from Italy. There’s no compromise to what we put in. And it’s the same thing with the fresh juices. For example, in our Summer Spritz, because we need that fresh cucumber flavor coming out, we press the cucumbers right before we mix it and before we put in the Key lime.

A: Oh, wow.

F: It is the same thing when we use mint or hibiscus leaves. I mean, we steep it into the tank. It’s similar to doing a humongous batch of a great craft cocktail that you would have at your favorite bar. The other piece, for us, is we didn’t want to add anything. Citric acid is not lime, so you have to figure out a way of using lime and working with lime so it doesn’t oxidize, and then it maintains the flavor profile. I think the summary here is we focus on the no-compromise route, and it doesn’t matter that we pay higher taxes. It doesn’t matter that in New York, we can’t sell in grocery stores because it’s spirits-based and not malt-based or fermented sugar. We wanted an amazing product and we developed the innovation on the back end to be able to get there. We’ll get to the consumers in whatever way, shape, or form that legalities allow us to have access to consumers.

A: You rolled right into my next question, which was about that access. One of the reasons people are giving for these explosions of Truly and White Claw — besides the fact that the market was poised for a sessionable, full-flavored beverage that was low in calories — is the accessibility of it. I’m in New York and you used to live in New York, so we would call those convenience stores bodegas. You would go to any bodega or grocery store and buy them quickly. Whereas for the fastest-growing spirits-based seltzer, High Noon, the discussion has been surrounding it being held back a little bit based on the fact that in a lot of markets it has to be bought in liquor stores? How are you combating that? Saying you’ll meet the customer where they are is interesting, but what are you doing to make sure the customer knows you exist and can find you as easily as possible?

F: Yeah, and compound that with Covid.

A: Totally.

F: I mean, there’s no on-premise, no events, even the travel industry. I want to come back to the point where we thrive on the channels we are present at. For example, in our home market in Florida, customers like ABC Liquors or Total Wine, you can’t go into a store in Florida today and not see our product. It’s great to have support and perform as a top-five seltzer brand, including all the brands you even named. That includes longtime brands such as Mike’s Hard Lemonade, we’re just behind White Claw, Truly, High Noon, and sometimes Bud Light Seltzer. We’re right up there. I think there’s no escaping the fact that we made the selective choice of going for the product quality. Even if it’s less available, consumers will gravitate towards better-tasting products at some point. The second piece is on the marketing side. We try to punch above our weight by doing fun stuff, getting articles written about it, and even you giving us this opportunity with the importance of VinePair. It’s a great way for us to get the word out there and get people to try our products. Finally, the last one has been important because we had planned to have a distillery down in Miami with an experiential component as a way of innovating, getting consumer feedback, and also building the brand. We quickly pivoted to the online part of the business — right now, it’s currently around 10 percent of our sales.

A: OK.

F: It’s a great way of us getting early feedback, putting innovation out, playing with the packaging, and also learning feedback from new states. Unfortunately, due to the regulations and even the cost of doing business online with platforms like Facebook or Google charging you so much for ads, it’s not a profitable part of the business. But it’s a great marketing tool to be able to connect to consumers, though.

A: In terms of the ingredients, you mentioned some Italian vermouth. Are you making a lot of the ingredients for the cocktails? I’m talking about the spirit bases. Are you sourcing them from other well-known spirits producers? When you do source them, let’s say you use a well-known rum. I don’t know if you do, to be honest. I’m not trying to put words in your mouth, but I am curious, how much do you then think about putting a particular brand on the side of the can or not? How much is that going into your thought process for the creation of all these different cocktails?

F: It’s a great question. We’re not producing spirits today. We’re sourcing them. All of them are recipes developed for us or with us because again we want those flavor notes at the end product.

A: Right.

F: There is a development process, so we have this combination of great spirits makers that are flexible to create a recipe for us. We developed the products and packaging, to your point about brand naming, and our whole idea was to collaborate with others. That’s why, for example, we collaborated with Dante.

A: Right. I was gonna ask you about that, too.

F: Yeah, so I’ll start with that Dante example and then bridge back to the discussion on the spirits. I was a huge fan of Dante. Actually, on the day I signed the formalization of the company, that’s where I went to celebrate and had a Negroni.

A: Oh, awesome.

F: Our partnership came up many months after that and I’ll tell you this story over a couple of drinks in New York soon, but it’s one of those synchronicities in the world, right? It’s a longer story, but it’s interesting. I knew the founders from doing business in the past but didn’t know they were founders of Dante. Anyway, I think the whole idea there is that our cans are so simple and minimalistic. They’re almost like a white canvas for you to paint on.

A: Yes.

F: It is this whole idea that if there is someone that has something to say or put out there, we’re more than happy to use our brand for that. I think the collaboration with Dante is that, well, they had just won the best bar in the world. I love the place, and they make amazing cocktails. Now, could we take our cocktails to the next level by sharing the same vision we had? Let’s say, making the mixology available to many more people and being able to do that on a larger scale and put it outside of the bar setting, right?

A: Right.

F: I think that philosophy is what we put on the brands. I think the Mancino is an example where they’re doing amazing work. They’re working with us on the recipes, our drinks, and how to take our drinks to the next level. We might as well put the name there, right? I’m not against putting a famous brand or a big brand on the label, but I think it’s less about that. It’s more about the philosophy of collaboration and doing something that we’re both passionate about.

A: Will the Dante collaboration be ongoing, or was that a one-time thing that I saw?

F: We never know the future, but we did it for the long term. I don’t think we even talked about this or most people know about this in the U.S., but we also launched F!ve Drinks in Brazil. Some of the founders are Brazilian. I have a daughter, so during the pandemic, I spent so much time here that I said we might as well launch F!ve Drinks before I go back to the U.S. But Dante is a well-known brand here. They did a bunch of pop-ups already in the last couple of years, so expanding it outside of the U.S. is a huge opportunity. For example, in Australia, this ready-to-drink market is huge. It’s even bigger than the rest of the bottle spirits industry.

A: Right.

F: There is an opportunity as well to get something out there. I think both sides hope it’s ongoing and a bigger opportunity, but I’m really proud of the three products that are already out there: the Summer Spritz, the Americano, and the Gin & Tonic.

A: You seem to do a lot of limited releases. You’ll release a really cool new cocktail and it seems like it’s limited, at least. Was that always part of the marketing strategy as well? Putting a cocktail out there, see if it hits, and then maybe do it more later?

F: That is a piece of the craft industry that I loved. I think it’s also a critical piece of this ready-to-drink space, where people want variety. If the Moscow Mule is your top seller, variety packs are something that’s important. Again, someone’s entry to the brands, whether they’re going to someone’s house or they’re bringing people over, they want more variety. Those are the two biggest selling units, but the way to innovate is, we will keep getting things out but cycle through the ones that our consumers did not get as excited about. I’ll give an example. I like Gin and Tonic, right? For me, it is a summer, outdoor, higher-volume drink — the one that I can keep going to because my palate doesn’t get tired. I was bullish when we launched the first three flavors because I wanted to launch my gin and tonic. A London dry gin, a good tonic, and a nice splash of lime. I loved our Gin and Tonic, but I was likely one of the few people that loved it. Then, we launched the Paloma and a Watermelon Vodka Soda, so we had all of our products. Now, I can kill the Gin and Tonic. We have an upgraded version from the collaboration with Dante. Yet, I think for us, the sweet spot is having half a dozen flavors out there at the given time but launching a few during the year and cycling through. I think that’s going to be the business and let the consumer taste it and decide for themselves which ones they like the most.

A: Very cool. That is interesting. Now that we’re coming out of the pandemic and people are in-person more, where do you see F!ve Drinks headed in the next year?

F: Great question. We still have so many people that haven’t tried our product yet. We have two big challenges. One is just getting people to sample and then decide for themselves if we’re worth the $10 for the 4-pack. In general, people think it’s worth it after they try the product. More than 80 percent of people think so, which is great. The second piece for us is category education. Not all cocktails are created equal. Even from my past life, before some of the good stuff that is out there today including our brands, I had a prejudice to the category. I thought it was going to be malt-based, sugary, or full of artificial flavors. It was not my thing. It was a thing for many people, but it was not my thing.

A: Right.

F: Together with the sampling and just distribution in general, I think the biggest opportunity we have is educating consumers that not all cocktails are created equal and that we and some other people are worth the shot. The other thing with the pandemic that we’re seeing is as things start opening up, there is a challenge with the limited service in hotels or bars and events. Even you and me, right? I mean, are you going to be OK if so many people touch your product? Where were the eyes? Suddenly, you have a really good product. For example, there’s a bunch of hotel chains in South Florida that already carry our product. The One Hotel, for example, is one of our top on-premise customers. We are on the beach service, the pool service, and on the minibar right now. We will never be a substitute for a great bartending program, but for that flexibility of the additional occasion or the speed-to-service. Now, you don’t need to compromise in terms of quality. I see that and ask, “Why would you have to be 30 minutes in line in a venue to have a decent cocktail while you can grab a cocktail right at the same speed you would get a can of beer? And it’s a very good cocktail, right? I mean, it doesn’t depend on the bartender. The best bartenders already pre-batched the huge batch back in our production places. I do believe that transit, travel, and then larger on-premise venues that need the speed-to-service are huge opportunities for us to get distribution, sampling, and then build back the brands.

A: Yeah, that makes a ton of sense. Someone was telling me in an anecdote recently about a canned spritz that they had created. They were being told this by a big on-premise bar of theirs that was saying, “When we’re packed, these are easy to sell to people who don’t want to wait.” If the bar is three people deep and you’re just looking for something quality without the pomp and circumstance, it helps the bars out a lot. I definitely hear you that I think this isn’t just an off-premise product. There’s a huge potential for these canned cocktails on-premise.

F: Yeah.

A: Felipe, thank you so much for taking the time. It’s been really interesting to learn more about F!ve Drinks and what you guys have been up to in your trajectory. I appreciate it.

F: Thank you, Adam. It’s great connecting, and thank you for the space. Also, thank you to everyone that’s listening. If you haven’t tried the F!ve Drinks cocktail yet, the Moscow Mule is a top seller but we also have this amazing collaboration with Dante, the best bar in the world. We would love to get your feedback, too.

A: Awesome. Thank you so much for taking the time, and hopefully we’ll be in touch again sometime soon.

F: Same here. Thanks, Adam.

Thanks so much for listening to the “VinePair Podcast.” If you love this show as much as we love making it, then please give us a rating or review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever it is you get your podcasts. It really helps everyone else discover the show.

Now for the credits, VinePair is produced and recorded in New York City and in Seattle, Wash., by myself and Zach Geballe, who does all the editing and loves to get the credit. Also, I would love to give a special shout-out to my VinePair co-founder, Josh Malin, for helping make all this possible and also to Keith Beavers, VinePair’s tastings director who is additionally a producer on the show. I also want to, of course, thank every other member of the VinePair team who are instrumental in all of the ideas that go into making the show every week. Thanks so much for listening, and we’ll see you again.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article Next Round: F!ve Drinks Aims to Can the Craft Cocktail Bar appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/next-round-five-drinks-felipe-szpigel/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/next-round-fve-drinks-aims-to-can-the-craft-cocktail-bar

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wineanddinosaur · 3 years ago

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Next Round: F!ve Drinks Aims to Can the Craft Cocktail Bar

Tune in and visit https://www.buyfivedrinks.co/ to learn more about F!ve Drinks.

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the Conversation Here

Felipe Szpigel: Thank you, Adam. Thanks for having me.

A: So where are you right now?

F: I’m actually in São Paulo. I’ve been spending time here and in Miami for the last year.

A: Wow, so how’s the weather in São Paulo?

F: Well, it’s not that different from Miami, right? I guess after living too long in New York, I needed a little bit more of the sunshine.

A: I love it, so thanks so much for joining us. Can you tell us a bit about F!ve Drinks for those who are unaware of what F!ve Drinks is?

F: Yeah. To start, we make amazing craft cocktails in a can. We wanted to take the fine mixologist or the best of what you can enjoy in a bar to people any time, anywhere.

A: And how did this idea come about? Your background, for those who aren’t aware, is that you worked at AB InBev for quite a while running the craft beer program, correct?

F: Correct.

A: How did you move from craft beer to cocktails? Were you always a cocktail person? What gave you the idea to pursue this and how long has the business been around?

A: So when did this idea start to percolate? What year was this?

F: This was the end of 2018.

A: Did you leave AB InBev pretty quickly after or when do you depart and decide to start pursuing this full time?

A: Wow.

F: In six months, we were up and running.

A: Yeah.

A: Right.

A: Totally.

A: I know that ZX is an investor, correct?

F: Yeah.

A: And that’s when they invested?

F: They were part of the first investment rounds.

A: Oh, wow.

F: Yeah, and compound that with Covid.

A: Totally.

A: OK.

A: Right.

A: Right. I was gonna ask you about that, too.

A: Oh, awesome.

A: Yes.

A: Right.

A: Will the Dante collaboration be ongoing, or was that a one-time thing that I saw?

A: Right.

A: Very cool. That is interesting. Now that we’re coming out of the pandemic and people are in-person more, where do you see F!ve Drinks headed in the next year?

A: Right.

F: Yeah.

A: Felipe, thank you so much for taking the time. It’s been really interesting to learn more about F!ve Drinks and what you guys have been up to in your trajectory. I appreciate it.

A: Awesome. Thank you so much for taking the time, and hopefully we’ll be in touch again sometime soon.

F: Same here. Thanks, Adam.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article Next Round: F!ve Drinks Aims to Can the Craft Cocktail Bar appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/next-round-five-drinks-felipe-szpigel/

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ohhimatt · 7 years ago

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Playlist Explanations!

Okay so I feel like half of these songs are on here because of mems, and the other half are on here because of the lyrics, and I probably should have stuck to just one of those themes, but I didn’t, so whatever. Here’s a the list, and I’ll try to update it if I ever add more songs to the playlist. Tbh I should have made this post after getting a little drunk because I’m lowkey disgusted at how soft I am now.

1. Feel Good (feat. Daya) [Crankdat Remix]: Okay, I’m pretty sure I already told you this, but on the day we dropped acid, you and Ryan were talking about this song in the car, and I was super anxious about everything, but then I was like wait.. This song is pretty good, and because you guys were talking about it, it makes me think about you whenever I hear it now. Also I literally added it to my Current Favorites playlist that day, and it’s one of the oldest songs on there now. I’ll probably never take it off tbh.

2. Waking up Slow: Okay there was one time where I drunk FaceTimed you a couple weeks before we started dating, and I noticed that one of my old favorite singers had put out an EP, and I hadn’t heard anything from her in a while, and I downloaded the whole thing without listening to it while we were on FaceTime, and I don’t even know why I did that, but I played the whole thing after you hung up, and I was listening to the pre-chorus, and I was like damn.. I relate. And then I was like wtf how do you relate to that, Michaela? How? And that was when I finally moved from denial to acceptance of the fact that I caught feels.

3. Too Good to Be True: Literally that same week that I was like okay maybe I caught feels, Apple Music put this into my playlist, and I was doing my makeup with it on repeat, and I was like wow this song is so good, and it’s not even the type of music I usually listen to, and I was like why am I even into this song? And then I was like oh damn.. the feels.

4. Distance (feat. Blair): Me: *sends you Alison Wonderland’s new song on twitter* You: Lol what about apple music isnt the whole point you can send music over it. wait I’ve 100% heard this before. Me: Yeah well she’s been playing it at her shows lol. AND I DONT EVEN THINK ITS ON APPLE MUSIC YET OKAY You: I dont think it is and literally everyone is releasing singles now. like K?d, luca lush, and now alison wonderland all released one. Me: Wow. Soooo you’re just going to sit here and tell me about all of this cool new music instead of sending it it me? Fake af. You: *sends me Ambrosia and Distance*

5. Ambrosia: Same as above(:

6. It’s Strange (feat. K. Flay) [Whethan Remix]: Okay so there’s nothing significant about the fact that this is the Whethan remix as opposed to the original. I just like this version better, so it’s the one that has been on my playlist. But anyway.. “It's strange.. But I don't need space from you.. And every single thing you do.. I like”

7. Fill Me In: Tbh when you told me that this was your most played Spotify song, I wasn’t surprised. (I didn’t actually know the name of the song until you told me that it was your most played song, and then I could finally look it up) But whenever I would hear it, it would make me think of you because yeah you played it kinda a lot, but like.. It’s such a good song, so that makes sense.

8. Glad You Came: Okay, so I sort of explained this one in the list already, but there was that one time where my dad was being my dad, and I was hella stressed, but I didn’t want to cancel bowling, so I was like fuck it lets just go anyway, and we got in the car, and I put you in charge of music because tbh I would have just put on sad songs, and you put this song on because you knew that I really liked it, and it honestly did make me feel a lot better.

9. Sleepy Eyes: Okay, so you were fuuuuuuucked up, so I’m sure you don’t remember, but Elohim was playing this when we got to the Alison Wonderland concert and you left me alone while you got water and Ryan and Max went to the bathroom. Anyway, the whole time I was standing there alone, I was trying to convince myself to have the feelings talk with you, which didn’t happen that night, but it’s the thought that counts, Right? Also, “Sometimes I trip and think about the past.. I end up falling down a dirty path.. But you bring me back, put me on track”

10. Pull Up: Oh man. Drunk me on FaceTime really wanted to start the Cheese Nips/Cheez Its debate.. “Like I don’t fucking get it. Why would you buy Cheese Nips? Cheez Its are infinitely better. Like fuck Cheese Nips.”

11. Little Voices (feat. Tara Louise): “Little voices get me down.. No point denying that they do.. And when my spirit hits the ground.. Well, I think of you” Honestly this is one of my go to songs when I’m not feeling great and I need to cheer up, and tbh yeah it always makes me think of you, and that’s probably why.

12. Don’t Leave: I’m a mess. This song is about someone that’s a mess. I relate. Idk.

13. Edge: Rezz opened with this at Wobbleland and at Coachella, and the fact that we were both together and holding hands at both of these when this happened is enough for this to have to go on the playlist.

14. Complicated (feat. Kiiara): I just feel like this song comes on a lot on your playlist, and because of that, it always makes me think about you when I hear it.

15. Arabella: Okay I wasn’t really going to put this one on here originally, but it really does remind me of you whenever I hear it because after the first time we took acid, this song came on when there were hella people in the room, and I don’t remember any song from being back at DU that night besides this one, so there has to be something important about it.

16. Young: There’s a girl that I follow on Twitter/Insta who I don’t know (but I feel like I know her because I’ve been following her forever and I randomly met her one time), and she posted this really cute video with her boyfriend one time, and this is the song that was playing in the background, and I was originally going to use this as the song for the background music for the video I have of you, but I ended up deciding on something else, but that’s the reason why this song still makes me think about you.

17. Be Okay (Dzeko & Torres Remix): Okay so this is the song I actually ended up using in the video, and I might still change it later, but I really like how this one sounds right now.

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froggybangbang · 8 years ago

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@ashes-and-dust tagged me (eons ago) in a thing that starts personal and then degenerates into tv show stuff?? and... well here it is

1.) Why did you choose your URL?

You must all know this by now, lol. Okay so 1-I’m French Canadian, a popular insult for us by the English is “Frog” and I highly believe in claiming back insults.2-The first online url I had (well second. I had wolves has my special interest back when I was 12 so ‘wolfy136′ was the first, fleeting url I got) was after I joinned the HP fandom, with my favourite character, thus Lunard136/Lunard1 was born (that’s moony. my wolf special interest faded in the background but it’s still there to show lol). I started going to other websites than HP ones and I was starting to feel like that url wasn’t good for those so I thought long and hard about something I could be me and not fandom related so I wouldn’t have to change it again (because change is good but I hate it) and I came up with “Froggy”. Only to find it was used already. I was tired of the old 136 so I decided to had something about me in the url, something about my temper (I’m definitely a fire sign) and added the “bangbang” because I catch like a barrel of powder. (you dirty mind you if you thought I’d use it as a sex reference! Shame on you! except lol yeah I knew how it sounded and I was fine with letting people who don’t know me think I’m a nympho. what better way to hide I’m not really all that interested in sex, which is weird and not normal, right? right.)

2.) What’s your middle name?

Very few Quebecois have one, those who are afflicted by the old tradition, weather because their parents are religious or because it’s a tradition and nobody questions it have (for girls) Mary Godmother’sName FirstName LastName (for boys) Joseph Godfather’sName FirstName LastName. That’s the format and absolutely nobody goes by the first two to the point that my passport doesn’t even show them because I was told not to put them in if I’m not using them (???!!!? but okay!) anyway my are Mary Diane Kristine LastName

3.) If you could own a fairytale/fictional pet, what would it be?

I’d love a tiny dragon? I’m pretty sure I said “I want a X now!” a few onth ago but I can’t remember what it was... But honestly if I can, in my life, befriend a corvid that’s like. the dream goal. It has been for ever.

4.) Favourite colour?

hmmm I really love orange. every shade but especially the dark burnt one. I also like dark green, dark blue, dark teal and dark purple a lot? I’ll go with orange

5.) Favourite song?

That’s.... not something I can answer. Honestly how can you pick one? IDK I really love In Hell I’ll be in Good Company these days? I really love Phillip Glass’ Violin Concerto No.1 2nd Movement if you prefer no voice. Also Dream Fragment from the Chrono Cross OST because I’m a sucker for music box.

Here are a few of my Spotify playlist, for those interested.

A Little Bit of Everything is pretty much all the songs I like and remember to put on spotify (if spotify has them. They lack in Quebecois music)

Music Rec is songs that you might not know about that exist and you should listen to them, but this doesn’t get updated very often

RN is the playlist that keeps changing. My current obsessions are on that one

In the Summertime are songs for a nice warm summer day with a light breeze and a hammock (or something. maybe a few friend in the backyard and a beer.)

And Sunday Mornings is the playlist I’m listening to mainly on sunday mornings (It’s playing right now) because it fits the vibe of a sunday morning when you start your coffee and still might have an eye glued down

6.) What are your top three fandoms?

errr I’ll go with HP, 1D (*glares at @ashes-and-dust*) and....hmm. I’m not really active in any of the others anymore. but I guess Sherlock?(though Pacific Rim or Cabin Pressure also fit third place but I think I still read more sherlock fic than I do PR or CP)

7.) Why do you enjoy Tumblr?

This hellsite is my main place for interacting with sensible human beings. I also LOVE *those* posts. you the ones where one person asks a questions/ places a random thought and then.... it just. takes a life of its own? and everyone knows them? The Guam Cookie post is one. The many Aliens finds Humans Weird also. but then there’s the smaller ones like just. They are exactly the kind of stuff I’d be saying with my (ex? maybe?)friend in Rimousky like you say something, and they add something in a deadpanned way that is bviously exagerated/insane and then you add on it and they add on it until you are at the stage that you won’t be buy mayo because, really, having to marry someone from an island so you could get away with murder is much too much effort. That’s why I love tumblr.

PICK YOUR 5 FAVORITE TV SHOWS AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:

ugh I very rarely watch tv anymore these are hard.

1. Merlin

2. Doctor Who (until season 5/6 anyway. Moffat killed it)

3. Torchwood

4. The X-Files (haven’t seen the reboot but I’d love to!)

5. ...... Sherlock (I guess? But I still haven’t watch the last xmas special nor the last season? Moffat killed it?)

1. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IN 2?

hmmmmm..... *shakes the Ponds, Martha Jones and Dona Noble in her hand to see which will get out* I’m going to go with Dona. I’m not so in your face, but I really relate with her and she had an awesome friendship with 10, not afraid to give him a good earful if he went overboard.

2. WHO IS YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE CHARACTER IN 1?

Shit idk. I mean Uther and Morgana where mean shit but I loved their characters for what they were..... I’d say between Uther and Mordred? idk.

3. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE EPISODE OF 4?

Oh shit. Dude do you have any idea how many episode there is of the xfiles?? I’m going to go with the one on the boat, because that’s the one that popped into my head right now (immediately followed by that black and white one when Mulder meets the Gunmen for the first time... that CELL PHONE OMG) and any moment when Scully and Mulder have SASS going on.

4. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SEASON OF 5?

The first season is the best without a doubt. I’ve loved the second season but in the first one the story were even more concentrated on one story per episode and it was very well thought off and they didn’t overdo it yet, which they tented to do afterwards, as well as letting more episode be one story and not following canon anymore. I’m actually sadden at my lack of consistency at following Elementary.

5. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE RELATIONSHIP IN 3?

Oh. er... Ianto/Jack. but. like. I don’t like to think about that because of children of the earth.

6. WHO IS YOUR ANTI-RELATIONSHIP IN 1?

I know it sounds weird but I really see Arthur and Gwen as bromance who agreed to marry because throne? They have a great chemistry but I just don’t buy it.

7. HOW LONG HAVE YOU WATCHED 4?

The first episode I’ve seen was on TQS with the french dubbed version of the first episode we see the guy that can dislocate every bones in his body to crawl in small places. then I got hooked and rented the VHS of the series, bought books of the series, the official magazines, unofficial biographies (my gosh is the internet cheaper) and watched every episode (at some point switching in the English version on Fridays) until Mulder got abducted. Tried to watch that season but didn’t care to not miss an episode... then I just... forgot to tune in. so that’d be since.... according to WIKI the first episodes in French were in 1994 and “squeeze” is the third one.

8. HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN 3?

Because of Doctor Who.

9. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE ACTOR IN 2?

Grahhhhh okay I’m going to go renewed series because fhjdsahlsb and it’s still hard but I think I’ll go with David Tenant. Tough Karen Gillan is good too. Oh! fuck and John Simm fuck I forgot John Simm and Life on Mars! damn. Okay John Simm

10. WHICH SHOW DO YOU PREFER: 1, 4 OR 5?

You drive a hard bargain. I’ll go with the X-Files; 4

11. WHICH SHOW HAVE YOU SEEN MORE EPISODES OF? 1 OR 3?

as in proportionally? because I’ve see all of them, but I *think* merlin has more episodes? Though I’ve watch Torchwood more often I think?

12. IF YOU COULD BE ANYONE FROM 4, WHO WOULD YOU BE?

I’m not sure I’d like to be anyone on the x-files that sounds like a very dangerous life. although wait no not true! one of the gunmen! They have the coolest job in the series.

13. HOW WOULD YOU KILL OFF YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IN 3?

*stares* Not like that.

14. WOULD A 2/3 CROSSOVER WORK?

HAHAHA well. YES, mainly because IT IS a thing between DW and Torchwood.

15. PAIR TWO CHARACTERS IN 2 THAT WOULD MAKE AN UNLIKELY BUT STRANGELY OKAY COUPLE.

The Master and Donna? If, you know, the Master got his murdering tendencies in check. idk I’m not good at pairing people. I pick and chose those who exist in the fandom.

16. OVERALL, WHICH SHOW HAD A BETTER CAST: 3 OR 5?

Damn.... I mean Andrew Scott alone.... but then it got cringey... but I don’t particularly like Gwen but I’m pretty sure it’s not the casting..... I’ll go with Torchwood.

17. WHICH SHOW HAS A BETTER SOUNDTRACK: 1, 4 OR 5?

I do not know Merlin’s Soundtrack well enough to comment on it and I think the X-files’ is pretty lacking, but Sherlock has some very good music, the Irene piece is on of my favourite.

Blergh. I don’t want to tag because lazy. go ahead and give me the answers, though. Especially the music ones I’m always interested in finding new music!

#music #sherlock #merlin #torchwood #x-files #doctor who #rant #meme thing

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thelittlekicksband · 8 years ago

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https://belwoodmusic.com/2017/02/15/interview-the-little-kicks/

After taking some much needed time away to reflect and find some fresh perspective, Aberdeen indie pop band The Little Kicks are back and better than ever. Equal parts fun and finesse, silly and sophisticated, electronic and orchestral, their new album Shake Off Your Troubles is one of the most surprising and rewarding albums of the year thus far. I caught up with Steven Milne from The Little Kicks to talk about the new album ahead of it’s release:

Thanks for your time! You’re releasing your new album ‘Shake Off Your Troubles‘ next month; are you happy with the way it’s turned out? We are definitely really happy with the way the record has turned out. It’s been a lot of work and a few years in the making but to finally be at the stage where we are starting to let people hear some of it is very exciting indeed. It’s definitely in my opinion the best record we have made so far and I think certainly been the most fun to make and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it in full. Getting the vinyl and CDs in last month was really exciting and when we started seeing reviews come in or hear some of the tracks air on BBC Radio Scotland over the last month it’s really started to hit home that these ten songs that we have kept to ourselves all this time will soon be out there for everyone to hear and own!

You wrote and recorded the tracks in a little lodge by Loch Ness. What made you decide to work there and what effect did the serene surroundings have on the music? We have a great relationship with our producer Craig Ross and we have made our previous records at his studio in Edinburgh (The Depot) which is a space that we love. However, both the band and Craig felt that for this record we were looking for a change of scene and perhaps more of a challenge. In terms of our budget the cost of us de-camping to Edinburgh and living there while recording had the potential to be expensive, so logistically the lodge offered us a fresh space with none of the time constraints you usually find in the studio as we could make, record and write music 24/7 without having to pack up when the studio shut down for the night. The space also came at an affordable rate and having it for a week allowed us record, hang out, sleep and eat together in one location. The scenery there was amazing and being in the middle of nowhere there was no wi-fi, no phone signal, no nightlife or distractions and we were able to be solely focused on the record during our entire stay. We started off very much on a 9 – 5 basis but by the end of our time there it was more of a nocturnal schedule. It was the best and most productive recording experience I have ever had.

The album plays around with a more expansive, orchestral sound. Was that a conscious decision or did it just come about naturally while writing and recording? The strings were played by the Cairn String Quartet and added at The Depot during the summer after we returned from the lodge. The songs worked without them but we always wanted strings on the record and had planned to add them so space had been left on the recordings for them. We knew they would sound good but even during the early takes, we could tell it was going to be the icing on the cake for the arrangements. The guys did a great job and we were left speechless in the control room when the quartet asked us for feedback because hearing them play so beautifully on our songs was incredible.

What would you say were your biggest sources of inspiration for the new record? I was listening to a lot of varying things during the writing process but I also find films really inspiring too. David Bowie, The Beatles, Can, 70s disco, 80s pop, DFA Records, DJ mix-tapes, Fleetwood Mac, Local Natives and soundtracks or instrumental electronic music were all definite influences. We weren’t into the idea of copying bands or trying to sound like anyone but we did concentrate on individual sounds. We made Spotify reference playlists for each song and whenever I heard a sound or a feel that I thought would suit one of our tracks I would add it in to the list. Some playlists were pretty random and they varied from 10 songs to 250! So lots of things fed into the making of the album but I wouldn’t say necessarily one band, artist or sound was a direct influence for us on the record.

The music video for ‘You & Someone Like Me’ saw you donning motion capture suits and being transformed in skeletons, that must have been a lot of fun! Where did that idea come from? The idea came from the video company we work with Crow House Productions who wanted to experiment with green screen and originally it was to be robots not skeletons but the idea was always that we would be the ones dancing. This was actually pretty hard to do! Basically you have to put on the suit and exaggerate every movement so that it comes up looking lively on screen which is much harder work than you would think. We realised quite quickly that none of us are particularly Michael Jackson-esque when it comes to moves so we asked my sister who is a dance teacher to join in the fun by coming down to the studio. She single-handedly made the video look better! The final results are so cool and we were really pleased with it.

This album is the first new music after a few years away and to me it sounds like you’ve really progressed and evolved. Where are you guys at as a band? Do you feel more confident and comfortable in what you’re doing? I think we probably are yeah. There are several lyrics on the record that seem to suggest so. I feel like we used to be a bit embarrassed or shy to admit that we essentially write pop music and have a focus on melody but on this record we have fully embraced that. As much as I listen to a lot of “weird” music that I would love to be able to perform or play I think the reason that I like it so much is that I can’t write in that way. No matter what we do it always comes back to serving the song with a heavy importance on the melody, words and a fairly traditional structure as that’s what suits our style. In saying that I think within what we do there are plenty of quirky elements to look for and enjoy and I would like to think we are a more credible act with a bit more depth to us than what the term “pop music” would usually imply.

After the album release what does the rest of 2017 have in store? We will definitely release another single from the album before the summer, to tie in with playing some festivals and doing some more touring. Before the end of 2017 we plan to tour the UK/Europe again – most likely in the autumn. We also have some alternate versions and a couple of nice recordings from the sessions kept back to share in due course with everyone too – so there is still plenty to come from us! Essentially after the album comes out in the spring we will just be gigging as much as we possibly can to spread the word of the record and our music.

Massive thanks to Steven! The Little Kicks’ new album Shake Off Your Troubles is out 3rd March.

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actuallyrandomperson · 5 years ago

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My thoughts on the Sanders Sides Spotify playlists- Patton Edition!

Impressions from looking through the playlist: I think I recognise more of these titles upfront (but not necessarily bands), which isn’t that surprising given that it’s Patton, so I was expecting there’d be some more overlap with my/my mums music taste than there would be with Virgil’s. We shall see if that holds up.

1: ‘Campfire Song Song’, by (from??) Spongebob Squarepants. I knew this one (unsurprisingly) and it was Also on my list of ‘songs I expect to hear in their playlists’ after rewatching the q&a. I’m pretty sure ‘I Am the Walrus’ isn’t on here which is sad because that joke was iconic, but also completely valid. This song did not make it onto my 32 hour playlist, as spongebob does not have enough Nostalgia™ for me that I could put up with listening to it on even just a semi regular basis.

2: ‘Turnaround’, by Hans Zimmer, Camille. This was a bop! It’s on my 32 hour playlist now, and gave me happy vibes as expected from a Patton themed playlist. Made me sway/chair dance while I was listening so that was fun. I feel like it’s gonna be stuck in my head at some stage in the future. Only reason it’s not in the ten hour playlist is because it’s from a movie, but this might end up being one of my Exceptions to that rule for the playlist. We shall have to see.

3: ‘I Got a Name- Stereo Version’, Jim Croce. I liked this, but only in a ‘I wouldn’t skip it’ way not in a ‘Imma add it to the 32 hour playlist’ way. I didn’t vibe with the singing style enough. Still fairly boppy tho.

4: ‘Oranges’, by Lawrence. I haven’t heard this song in ages, and I kinda like it! It made it onto the 32 hour playlist, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to specifically play it again.

5: ‘I Don’t Wanna Pray’, by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. This gave me very old timey-feels, and felt very Patton, but I didn’t love it. Probably wouldn’t skip it if it came up in a future playlist, it just wasn’t the style of music I tend to enjoy. Had a good beat though, I could imagine doing tap dance to it!

6: ‘New Soul’, by Yael Naim. This song made me wanna whistle/hum along to the lalas, and I’m not quite sure what that means in terms of level of enjoyment, but vibed with it! It’s on the 32 hour playlist now.

7: ‘Better Together’, by Jack Johnson. I wasn’t sure I’d like this when it first started, but the singing drew me in and I added it to the 32 hour playlist. I didn’t love it enough for the ten hour one though, but given my initial thoughts it being on the 32 hour one is a Surprising Comeback

8: ‘Vienna’, by Billy Joel. I couldn’t tell u when I last listened to a Billy Joel song (actually thats a lie, it was in a twitch sings stream) but, well. It’s Billy Joel. I was always gonna be reminded I like this song enough to add it to the 32 hour playlist.

9: ‘It’s You I Like’, by Ellie Schmidly. This song??? Made me s o f t. It’s in the 32 hour playlist. I’ll probably listen to it if I get insecure at any point in the future. I’ll also send it to my best friend if she gets insecure at any point in the future. It’s that soft.

10: ‘Little Shadow’, by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Those of you who have read my reaction to Virgil’s playlist will remember that I really liked the acoustic version of soft shock, and in fact went to yeah yeah yeahs album to find the original only to realise my sister used to listen to them. At that point I skipped through a bunch of their songs to see if I thought I liked them from the snippets I heard. This is one that I was mostly eh on initially, b u t after listening to the entire song I like it more! Not anywhere near as much as I liked soft shock though, so it’s only on the 32 hour playlist, and I probably won’t specifically seek it out in the future.

11: ‘Sad’, by Alexander 23. The title of this one made me wanna hug Patton (and the lyrics even more when I realised what it was about), but it fit really well into my music taste by being a Sad Bop™. I really like Sad Bops™. My favourite singer (MIKA) sings a lot of Sad Bops™. This also hit close to home, lyric wise, which is why it’s not on the shorter playlist despite my love of Sad Bops™

12: ‘Oh Heart’, by Tank and The Bangas. I love the artists name, and when it started I immediately was Intrigued. I added it to my 32 hour playlist, but deemed it to be Too Unusual to fit the 10 hour playlist. Otherwise I’d be considering putting it on there, but I didn’t love it enough for it to be an exception.

13: ‘The Flame’, by Andrew Huang. I’ve actually watched a few of Andrews youtube vids, and I’m pretty sure I’m subbed to him, so my enjoyment of this song was not a massive shock. I actually decided,,,, I liked it enough to add it to the 10 hour playlist!! I know!! A song that I really liked that actually fit my additional criteria for that one!! I’d make a third playlist of ‘songs I really like that don’t fit that criteria’ but it’d be almost all of the 32 hour playlist so it’s not worth the effort sjfjdk. There’s a reason that criteria exists.

14: ‘Landslide’, by Fleetwood Mac. This is another I haven’t heard in ages, but wasn’t that surprised I enjoyed enough for it to make it onto the 32 hour playlist.

15: ‘Float On’, by Ben Lee. I didn’t mind this, and immediately realising he was Aussie was cool and also reassured me that I can recognise my own accent (as sometimes I Doubt or worry that they’re actually kiwi), but I didn’t love it. Whether or not I skip it in the future will be entirely determined by what mood I’m in

16: ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’, by The Beatles. Let’s be real. Who doesn’t love The Beatles. They’re The Beatles. This immediately got added to the 32 hour playlist. It’s also very fitting for Patton, even if I’m still slightly disappointed there’s no ‘I Am the Walrus’.

17: ‘What Makes The World’, by The New Respects. I really liked this!! I actually added it to the ten hour playlist as well!!! I know!!! It’s almost like Pattons music taste is slightly more ‘conventional’ and also similar to mine than Virgil’s and therefore fits my ‘normal people music’ criteria as well as my ‘must really like’ one!!

18: ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow_What A Wonderful World’, by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. I liked this, but not as much as the originals. It still made it to the 32 hour playlist though!!! I’d add the originals as well but I don’t like the songs enough to be bothered right now. I like how he did the mixing of the songs though, I didn’t even fully realise it was happening at first! Also I really hope I didn’t misspell his last name.

19: ‘So Long’, by Zooey Deschanel, M Ward. I was very glad to see Winnie the Pooh music on here as Patton did say it was his favourite Disney film, and also Nostalgia™. It made its way onto my 32 hour playlist but I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it unless I wanna indulge in said Nostalgia™ for a while.

Final thoughts: Surprisingly, despite my initial impressions, I think I actually knew less of this playlist going in than Virgil’s, if only because I recognised less of the bands and didn’t have any ‘Surprise, this song is one u heard a lot as a tiny child’ moments. I think I liked it overall more than Virgil’s, but the specific songs I liked I liked less than my favourites from Virgils. Favourite song would be Turnaround, (which I eventually decided was good enough to go against my Rules™, as I did with Be Calm from Virgils playlist), followed by What Makes The World, then either Oh Heart or The Flame. 15/19 got added to the 32 hour playlist and 3 to the 10 hour one!

Note: I just realised that one of the songs, ‘Golden Slumbers’ by Ben Folds, isn’t available for me, probably because of my region, which is why it’s missing from this list in my reactions. I had found it odd that there were only 19 songs, but I think my computer automatically hides songs I can’t play unlike my phone. I found it on YouTube and I do like it, but probably wouldn’t have added it to my 32 hour playlist if I’d had the chance. I just wouldn’t skip it in the future

@thatsthat24

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