In a stirring testament to the power of ancestry and self-discovery, New York indie-folk luminaries Bandits on the Run unveil their most emotionally charged single to date, “You Are Not A Ghost.” This haunting anthem explores generational trauma, mental health struggles, and the quest for self-acceptance, marking a profound departure from their typically whimsical style.
At the heart of this profoundly moving piece is Regina Strayhorn’s raw dialogue with her past. The song serves as a spiritual bridge to her great-grandfather, Isaac Strayhorn, whose voice was violently silenced in 1940s North Carolina. “He was known as the town poet,” Regina reveals, her words tinged with both sorrow and pride. “I like to think that Isaac occasionally whispers lines he didn’t get to write in his own time into my ear.”
His gentle whisper crescendos into a powerful roar in “You Are Not A Ghost,” a song that doesn’t shy away from the darkness of depression and self-doubt but ultimately emerges as a beacon of hope and self-affirmation. Strayhorn lays bare her inner struggles, describing the song as “a wrestling match between feelings of deep sadness, tendencies toward self-abandonment, limiting patterns, deep self-love, and the awareness that to live freely in the here and now is my birthright and gift to enjoy.”
The raw emotion pulsates through every note, every lyric. When Strayhorn sings, “You are not a ghost / You’re blood and poetry,” it’s more than just a line – it’s a mantra, a lifeline thrown to anyone who has ever felt invisible or voiceless. Bandmates Sydney Torin Shepherd and Adrian Blake Enscoe add their own emotional layers, making the song both intimately personal and universally relatable.
In a particularly poignant verse, Strayhorn channels her great-grandfather’s voice:
“Isaac in the forties Was thrown into a pond Cement tied to his feet I feel him in my hands He asks me to be free To stop the spinning wheel Be big enough to feel Be big enough to feel”
These lines don’t just tell a story; they resurrect a silenced voice and paint a haunting picture of past injustices, their impact echoing through generations.
As the song builds to its cathartic conclusion, listeners are left with a profound sense of connection – to their own histories, to their present selves, and to the unlimited potential of their futures. “You Are Not A Ghost” is a spiritual experience, a reminder that we are all, in Strayhorn’s words, “blood and poetry,” alive with the power to rewrite our stories.
The tears in Regina’s eyes as she performs in their NPR Tiny Desk Contest entry serve as a poignant reminder of the real, lived experiences behind the lyrics. They bridge the gap between performer and audience, inviting listeners to share in the cathartic release of long-held emotions. This honest display of vulnerability not only highlights the band’s authentic approach to their craft, but also emphasizes the healing power of music, both for the artists and for their audiences.
In creating this deeply personal yet universally resonant piece, Bandits on the Run have not only pushed their artistic boundaries but have also offered listeners a musical lifeline – a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we are vibrant, we are alive, and we are decidedly not ghosts yet.
“Is it just me or is it everybody sitting outside with their house on fire?” The Greeting Committee asks in their latest single “Cyclical,” released just days before their new album “Everyone’s Gone and I Know I’m The Cause”. The song doesn’t just dip its toes into difficult waters – it dives in headfirst, delivering a poignant and introspective look at the complexities of family dynamics and personal healing.
Frontwoman Addie Sartino’s ethereal vocals float over a deceptively gentle musical landscape, creating stark contrast with the song’s weighty themes and mirroring the often quiet, internal struggle of dealing with family issues, often kept hidden, simmering beneath a calm surface.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of helplessness in the face of familial destruction, capturing the universal feeling of watching a loved one spiral while feeling powerless to help. Sartino herself describes the song as being about “being stuck in a horrible cycle.” She adds: “It’s me seeing a pattern and doing the brave and hard thing by cutting certain habits or people out of my life. It might suck, but that’s what growing up and healing is.” This candid explanation offers a glimpse into the personal nature of “Cyclical,” but also highlights its universality. Who hasn’t faced the gut-wrenching decision to step back from a loved one for their own well-being?
“Cyclical” showcases The Greeting Committee’s evolution as artists. They continue to move beyond the realms of typical indie rock fare to tackle complex, emotional territories with grace and unflinching honesty.
For listeners who have walked similar paths, “Cyclical” may serve as a cathartic experience – a validation of difficult decisions and complex emotions. For others, it offers a window into the often-overlooked perspective of those who must prioritize their own healing, even at the cost of watching others struggle.
In the end, “Cyclical” is a testimony to the strength it takes to break harmful patterns and the bravery required to choose oneself first. The Greeting Committee has created not just a piece of music, but a companion for those on the difficult journey of healing from family trauma.
Tour Dates: July 9 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade Hall July 10 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle July 12 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club July 13 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom July 16 Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live July 17 Boston, MA @ Sinclair July 19 Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground July 20 Lakewood, OH @ Mahall’s July 21 Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar July 23 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line July 24 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge July 26 OKC, OK @ Resonant Head July 27 Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips FTW July 28 Austin, TX @ The Mohawk July 30 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent July 31 San Diego, CA @ Voodoo Room House of Blues Aug 2 Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room Aug 3 Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Aug 4 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent Aug 6 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater Aug 7 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Aug 8 Seattle, WA @ Neumos Aug 10 Salt Lake City, UT @ Soundwell Aug 11 Denver, CO @ Bluebird
The second album by any successful artist can be a critical moment in their career. It’s made to show the impact of their previous work wasn’t a fluke, and that they’re still someone worth giving your time and attention to. This is easy to mess up, as the term “sophomore slump” still gets used when describing artists not being able to make a follow-up that builds on their previous acclaim. The new album by Luna Shadows, bathwater, thankfully doesn’t fall into known sophomore slump pitfalls and expands on Shadows’ previous music from 2021’s Digital Pacific. It expands on her goth alt-pop sound by incorporating more guitars and orchestral arrangements, but also shows a deeper, more personal look into Shadows than before. bathwater is a slow-burn album that rewards listeners with poetic and vulnerable lyrics and gorgeous melodies that split the difference between songs you can dance or cry to in equal measure.
Musically, the album isn’t a complete reinvention of Shadows’ previous work, as it uses Digital Pacific as a jumping-off point to new sounds and textures. The previous album’s hazy synthpop and use of drum machine rhythms found in hip-hop or R&B are still present, but they take more of a backseat. As someone who doesn’t listen to moody alternative pop records (i.e. Lorde, Lana del Rey, Billie Eilish, etc.), the sound took a bit of getting used to. I deeply appreciate that Luna Shadows remembers to keep her music rhythmic and interesting, unlike a lot of alt-pop that focuses too heavily on vibes. However, some songs are produced more in minimal accompaniment with a greater focus on Shadows’ vocals and a richly produced dense atmosphere. Still, the album sounds great and even goes into psychedelic, somewhat ethereal territory that almost reminds me of dream pop like Beach House or even Cocteau Twins.
Speaking of Shadows, her vocal performances here are as pristine as ever; being breathy and somewhat whispered at points, yet still dynamic enough to convey the raw sense of vulnerability she’s going for. Her voice is soothing and occasionally functions as an instrument themselves when set against the eerie and psychedelic soundscapes she sings in. Fitting with her namesake and the album cover, her voice and persona all have an otherworldly, mystical quality that makes her music even more intriguing. All the vocal harmonies sound wonderful, alternating between misty, heartbreaking, playful, and just all-around pretty whenever the song demands it.
In terms of individual songs, my favorites are the more up-tempo pop-friendly singles like “bleach” and “heroine” which both feature killer electric guitar and breezy vocal harmonies. Some of the slower songs are just as strong, like the heartbreaking “monroe” with its desperate sentiments, and “honeymoon” which features some beautiful finger-picked acoustic guitar. The indie stylings mostly come down to acoustic guitar being used as background texture, like on the more R&B-inspired “tourist” and the ballad “superstars”. However, there’s still time given to use guitar solos on songs like “stay mad” and “nudes” that are consistently excellent throughout the album. Experimenting with string instruments like on “witches’ brew” and the closer “apocalypse love song” complements the melancholy and moody tone that the tracks themselves provide.
bathwater may occasionally feel its length with a track list of 14 songs (including an intro) and can go into the same sonic territory of ambiance a bit too often, but each song has enough personal feeling to justify its place. Luna Shadows likely made this album as a way of transcribing her personal struggles and conflicts into art, such as many other artists, and she succeeds by pushing herself forward musically and emotionally. For only a sophomore album, it suggests more great work from her is still to come.
Fans had no problem waiting in the heavy, pouring rain for Maddie Zahm. Before doors even opened, the lengthy line to Irving Plaza wrapped around the venue, stretching for blocks upward. This isn’t completely odd for certain shows at Irving Plaza, but I only had one question: who was Maddie Zahm?
I hadn’t heard of Zahm before, and was quite curious. It was clear she had cultivated a very large fanbase. To figure this out, I began questioning them. I wanted to know everything about her, and was quickly given the story:
Zahm’s fanbase developed from an EP, You Might Not Like Her. With singles such as “Fat Funny Friend,” “If It’s Not God,” and the title track, “You Might Not Like Her,” Zahm went viral. She went viral on Reddit, she went viral on TikTok, she went viral pretty much everywhere. And it’s easy to see why. Zahm writes confessional lyrics about some of her most painful experiences, creating mini-memoirs. She also shares these stories on TikTok, providing a safe place where fans can experience not just her music, but who she is as a person.
Chronicling her youth and young adulthood growing up in the church in Boise, Idaho, Zahm discusses religious trauma and how it can play out in the mental, emotional, and physical self. She also notes her bisexuality, and how the church made her feel alien unto herself as she sought to understand who she really was, entering the stage of unlearning. (In fact, in the video for You Might Not Like Her, Zahm and her parents act in a scene depicting her coming out story. The scene ends with a group hug.) Zahm has also struggled with weight gain due to her diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and describes how she was treated by her peers, with multiple scenes in the You Might Not Like Her video.
It’s Zahm’s candor, authenticity, and unwavering kindness that have most endeared her to her fans. Now touring for her new LP, the appropriately titled Now That I’ve Been Honest, the response to Zahm has exploded. For the EP, she played at smaller New York City venues such as the Mercury Lounge. For her LP, Zahm graduated to Irving Plaza.
I began asking fans if this was their first Zahm show, the answer usually being a resounding “no.” There were, however, newer fans Zahm gained with the success of her LP, most of whom were eagerly waiting for this show since it was announced. The majority of fans revealed that they had experienced one or more of the issues Zahm addresses, offering them solace and representation. It wasn’t just the music they loved, it was Zahm herself.Her shows are safe spaces, they told me, where everyone is welcome and included. Fans also detailed how they met at Zahm concerts, from making new acquaintances to forging close friendships.
I asked for more specifics on Zahm’s live show, which was summed up for me by one fan: “You just have to see her. It’s hard to explain. But when you see her perform, you’ll just get it.” And this fan was right, far more right than I even knew.
When Zahm walked out onstage, she was beaming from ear to ear. In fact, the first photo I snapped was of her infectious smile. Her fans cheered and gazed at her longingly, reverently. She opted for her first song to be a slower one, the achingly beautiful “Blind Spot.” Maddie sang so close to the edge of the stage that I thought she might fall off, but I quickly understood why: Zahm wants to be as close to her fans as possible.
In between lyrics, Zahm went around to the first row, saying a quiet hi, sometimes with a wave, to each fan up front. In addition, Zahm often holds the mic to the crowd, inviting them to sing with her. It’s this collective chorus and communal space that causes fans to refer to Zahm shows as “church.”
Zahm is witty and sharp, often cracking jokes between songs. Prefacing the second track on her LP, “Eightball Girl,” she noted that her mother, upon hearing the song, asked her if she was doing cocaine. (For the record, it’s about a magic eightball.) Loud laughter echoed throughout the venue, bouncing off the walls. The balance between pain and its collective intimacy, laughter and joy, is what a Zahm show brings. It’s clear her star will keep rising—and we’ll follow with it.
The second leg of Zahm’s tour is happening now! Dates are below: May 20 Wooly’s – Des Moines, IA May 21 The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE May 23 Center for the Arts – Jackson, WY May 24 Knitting Factory – Boise, ID
You know that feeling when you sit down for a cup of coffee with an old friend. Someone it’s been absolute years since you’ve gotten to know. Part of you is nervous, but when you sit down and start chatting, the ease of the conversation dissolves all the stress and expectations around it. Before you know it, you are involved in their story again, rooting them on as you did before and invested in what is coming their way.
That’s a lot like how my chat with Keli Price, multi-talented creative (writer/actor/producer) panned out. To be fair, it had been since 2013 that I got my first batch of questions in, over a decade since we had connected with excitement over his burgeoning acting career.
In that first chat, we discussed falling into Youtube spirals and music as a really big passion of Price’s. Now, we build upon that chat, touching on his fast-paced emergence into the film production world and the attention to detail a sentimental man will pay to his work.
2024 is the year of Keli Price. If you don’t believe me, he’s currently on season 2 of Rap Sh!t, which is available on HBO Max. Plus, he has 3 film releases headed down the pike, and two east coast teams to cheer into their respective post-seasons, and that’s just the beginning. Below, words from our recent sit-down.
How have things been? It’s been a while!
Absolutely! It’s been a long time, and so many things have happened. It’s so nice to be in touch again.
You’ve gotten pretty heavily into the producing side since we last spoke, though really you have kept your toes in the acting and now producing pools as well it seems!
I was not expecting to get into the producing side the way that I did. It just kind of happened. We made this movie about my great grandfather who had this crazy sports story and people came to the screening and wanted me to produce their other movies. I did and then our company was born.
We make about 5 movies per year in the action space primarily, and we get into other genres too. It was to honor my great grandfather who lived to 100, so I got to know him pretty well.
How did you get involved with the upcoming Hellfire release?
Hellfire is coming out this year, in March or April. That movie stars Harvey Keitel, Stephen Lang, and Dolph Lundgren. It’s a really cool, sort of fun action movie. We got involved on the financing side and we’ve been taking a ride for quite a while with this movie from pre-production through post.
We’ve taken a look at the cut recently and it looks great. Saban FIlms is distributing it. I love them over at Saban, I have a lot of projects with them. They’re great. I’m excited to see what they do with it.
What was the timeline like from start to finish on this particular project? Because the adoring public might not know the ins and outs.
We’ve been involved with Hellfire for about a year and a half. Our highest profile movie Bandit, which was #1 on Apple TV and Amazon Prime and Paramount+ took about 2 years to make also. But it was because it was a period piece and a lot went into it.
The fastest movie we ever made was in 2 months. I don’t know how we did it, it was an enigma and it will probably never happen again. It was a weird scenario. It was called The Curse of Wolf Mountain. I was getting involved in another project and it kind of all fell apart. I just needed a script and I went and I wrote this movie within 2 weeks. We were on set 2 months later.
It’s crazy, but that’s how quick we can go when everything is firing. But it rarely happens that way, it usually takes years to make a movie. That’s just the way that it goes, and you put so much time into it. That’s why our company is so specific about the projects we take on. We know we’re going to be on there for what could be a few years. It could also be a few months, but movies could take time.
It’s true. This leads me to the Murder at Hollow Creek project because you told me that you’re writing, producing, and starring in it. I’ve been flummoxed by people who can do that. You come from a place where you’re kind of looking at every facet of the film. You have empathy with other people involved in the process — How does it feel different than when you are less involved in a project?
That is so true. And specifically on that set, I remember having instances where there were situations with PAs or whatever. I get very emotionally tied into people and their feelings. That’s just the way that I’m built. I’m all about forming connections with people on set, whether you’re a PA, another director, or a producer. To me, it’s supposed to be a safe place where we are literally making this piece of art.
It’s kind of like camp, we’re all together and gearing toward this goal. It’s a really special experience that you can’t explain unless you’re there and it is like summer camp. You make all these connections, you’re there for a couple of months, and then you’re just gone. And sometimes you stay in touch and sometimes you don’t but all of those memories are always there because you’re on location.
Murder at Hollow Creek was the second time that I really wore all three hats. So the cameras are rolling, I’m in a scene because I’m acting in it too. The scene ends and quickly I’m like, “Oh, shit. That light’s about to fall, can we get somebody to…” or, “Oh, God, like, we need to make sure that this actor is getting to set because their plane landed in Texas and they’re supposed to be in Mississippi and there’s a hurricane or tornado or whatever… are they on their way?” It was constantly stuff like that.
We did have an actress that got rerouted because there was literally a tornado in Mississippi. She couldn’t get to Mississippi so I was literally in a scene, I finished the scene and I walked up to the other producers. I was like, “What is going on with Penelope? Is she OK? Is she on her way? Who do I need to call?” So yeah, it’s a different experience. (laughing)
On Rap Sh!t, for instance, I was a recurring character on that show. I would just roll up to the studio and eat my Chinese food or whatever they had that day. They had EVERYTHING at the Sony lot, by the way. The best food. I’m a foodie, so when I’m acting at the Sony studio. There’s Chinese, Mexican, there’s these donuts. They’ve got a Zeppole truck. If you’re a New Yorker, you probably know what that is. (laughing) They’re the best food I’ve ever tasted in my life.
When I’m on that set, it’s so relaxing and a different experience and I just get to hang out with the other actors and not have to worry about making the day or lights falling or people caught in hurricanes. It’s just hanging out, eating Zeppole’s. Every once in a while I get a gig here and there and I’ll take it, and I’ll act, and I’ll love it. But our company, Price Productions, does take up most of my time.
Understandably so! You have so many different projects at any one moment.
I love producing. I was getting into the film business as an actor because that was the only way I knew how to do it. But if I was able to break into the business as a producer earlier on I probably would have. But I just figured I would go on auditions and I could get involved in movies that way. If I wanted to produce, I didn’t know what the first step was.
I made this movie, as I alluded to earlier, about my great grandfather where I wanted to honor him. Ended up going – in 2014 – and just started to shoot. We were at Ellis Island, getting footage there. It started to come together as a film.
Athletes were calling and saying, “We notice you’re making this movie on discrimination in sports, we would love to be a part of it and tell our story.” It ended up being something a lot bigger than I thought it would be. That’s what started our company.
But it was such a learning experience, making On Thin Ice. I packaged it, I financed it, I distributed it. I did everything on that movie – with a great team, by the way. It was really like a family project because it was a family member for all of us. My brother edited the movie. It was my mom’s grandmother, she was heavily involved in that movie. She produced the hell out of it with me. She did such a freaking great job, so it will always be special to me because of that.
How we got it done I have no idea, because we all had no idea how to make a movie. But we did. And that was our first one. And now I make about 5 per year in the action space. But everything I know came from that movie. As you go, you learn more. But that movie I had to dive in and put the talent together and put the financing together and put the distribution together in all these areas that I had no idea about, and suddenly I’m in it. That’s what gave me that education on film production in general.
Well, and also, it’s cool that you set out to kind of honor your great grandfather’s legacy and, in doing that, you kind of created a legacy of your own that you get to now build upon. That’s super dope.
Thank you! I never thought of it that way but it’s so nice of you to say. I guess there are such things as happy accidents, but they’re not really. Because, as I said, I wanted to be a producer and in film my whole life, but making this movie just to honor his legacy, it did kind of put things in place.
Out of all of the characters that you have played so far, which has been your favorite?
I like that question. That is a good question. The one I enjoyed playing… Bobby Love was so much fun to play. Just because it was the two-sider role, a guy that got to put on this facade. It was also my first role so I have to give it a shout out.
Do you have any anecdotes from filming that role that kind of sit with you?
Yeah! It was The Naked Brothers Band, if anyone needs to know. It was my first role. Bobby Love was a famous British rocker but he was really a surfer dude from San Diego. I remember we were having the balloon fight for battle of the bands. We had this scene where I was in a fight with Nat. My band was on stage, his band was on stage and we just started brawling and he was grabbing my hair, I was grabbing him. People were pulling my pants down and my shirt. (laughing) That was memorable.
Working with Richard Dreyfuss on Your Family or Mine was a highlight because I’ve always been a fan, since Jaws and Mr. Holland’s Opus. He was unbelievable in that movie. Such a powerful character and so relatable, too. That scene at the end of the movie when his daughter is on stage and he’s watching in the audience, it’s such a beautiful moment. He’s an incredible actor, so I enjoyed working with him.
It was fun working with David Walton and Dax Sheppard in About a Boy. That was a fun character. Zak on AwesomenessTV’s Side Effects with Lulu Antariksa, Meg DeLacy, Finn Roberts, and Chester See was a lot of fun. We had a few seasons of that series. Going to set with the same people all the time was fun. It’s like Rap Sh!t. When you are constantly going to the same set with the same people it becomes like a family.
Like Rap Shit, Side Effects incorporated music in the main storyline, another passion of yours. That’s great! I actually have a follow-up question to a conversation we had back in 2013. You had mentioned that you would love to work with Michael Fassbender or Robert DeNiro, which I totally agree with. But have your bucket list acting partners shifted at all?
Robert DeNiro is still the same. He will always be, probably, my #1. My grandfather and I talk about it all the time. We watch mafia movies together, we’re New Yorkers. My grandpa is from Brooklyn and he just started me on these movies early on. Michael Douglas, Robert DeNiro, Al Pachino, Joe Pesci. I gravitate, naturally, toward Robert DeNiro. He is one of the greatest actors of our time. I grew up watching all of his movies.
I would love to work with Hillary Swank. She’s my favorite actress, she’s amazing. She’s got such vulnerability and power and she is just captivating to watch. I would add her to the list. Al Pacino, definitely, though he’s always kind of been on the list.
We can’t mention everyone!
(Laughing) Yeah, I know! Fassbender is insane. I can’t believe that was my answer. He’s unbelievable, already a legend.
Well, so seeing that list of people… when you were young, what were you guys watching at home?
Love that question. My Uncle Arthur and his husband Uncle Lenny were like a second set of parents. We were always around them. Lenny was really close with me, and Arthur too, and our entire lives, they would come over and it was always about horror like Chuckie or action movies like Die Hard. And those are primarily the movies we make now.
A Steven Seagal, a Bruce Willis, a Mel Gibson – which we have Mel in Bandit – so I grew up qatching movies like that. With my brother after school I remember Rocket Power and Hey Arnold! on Nickelodeon. Those were my go-to.
You mentioned Die Hard. We don’t have to delve into it, but is it a Christmas movie or is it now in your mind?
So funny. No. It’s not a Christmas movie in my mind. Just because movies are set during Christmas time, that doesn’t necessarily classify them as a Christmas movie. The writer definitely deliberately set it during Christmastime, but that doesn’t make it a Christmas movie. It’s an action movie.
Thank you. Alright. Time to ask you about Mad Props. It’s coming to theaters in February. I saw you worked with some big names on it. So, tell us about it.
I’m so happy that I got involved in that project, it was my second documentary. Like I said, we make a lot of feature films. But it’s been a while since I made a documentary. And I heard this guy’s story. It’s based on this banker in Oklahoma who always wanted to be involved in film, never really got a chance, and loves movies. So he started collecting movie props. Like BIG movie props, like the volleyball from Castaway. Like, Indiana Jones props. He would go around the globe finding the greatest movie props of all time.
Our movie takes us on this journey with him to find movie props. As a creative in the film business, you would get a kick out of it. It’s eye-opening to see how much these props cost, but it’s also like a history of movies too. Sometimes with a documentary subject, you’re not sure how their family will be on camera. But his family is really fun and engaging to watch!
Is there anything right now in particular that is inspiring your work?
My grandma passed in August of 2022. She is always an inspiration for me. My grandma had issues with other people, but she never had issues with me. It was all out of love, everything was out of love. I could play you voicemails where she’s like “Keli, where are you? This is my fourth call. Are you OK? I heard there was something going on in Los Angeles. Are you OK?”
And they’re so precious you never want to delete them.
Yeah, I have like 50 of them. I’m going to see if I can play you one.
**This was the piece of the interview where we paused to listen to his grandmother’s voice over his voicemail, adorable Brooklyn accent and all. We may have both shed a tear or two talking about our families.After a time, we got back on topic by speaking about Keli’s sentimentality:
I’m a very sentimental person, and I always look back at my childhood and things that I did and names of beaches and schools I went to, and I infuse them into my work life. If you look at Murder at Hollow Creek, the antagonist’s name is Bill Brooks. That’s my grandfather.
Aw. He’s an antagonist. How cute!
(Laughing) And my brother’s name in that movie is Nick. His name is Nico in real life. I’m just sentimental like that. So it’s always my family that is inspiring me.
But also, if I watch a movie or a show that can influence me. I’m really into success stories like Steve Jobs. andthat kind of stuff too. Underdogs who experience success inspire me. Steve Jobs, Michael Jordan, Evander Holyfield, Allisyn Felix, Amy Mullins, and more.
OK but yeah, you like sports. Do you have teams?
I love baseball. But I watch basketball and football the most. Die-hard Knicks fan, always have been. They’re my #1. In football, it’s the Jets. I have to pause because the last few years have been a nightmare. (Laughing) Thinking that we would at least have a nice run at The Big Game…
**This was the point of the interview where I identified with his struggles as the fan of a losing team, and we went off on a sports tangent entirely unrelated to this. Spoiler: Keli Price does know enough about professional basketball and football to engage you in lengthy conversation.
Though bummed about the current performance of his teams, Keli ended our chat as graciously as ever. “It was great connecting with you and seeing where you are in your life, and expanding on where I have been. I like doing interviews with people I trust to do great storytelling.”
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Storytelling like Price does with every production he helms nowadays. If you learn nothing else today, understand that a next wave of independent entertainment moguls is surfacing. These people have touched many facets of the industry, and they want to tell stories with a sense of vulnerability and passion — and have fun and treat everyone respectfully while doing it.
If you haven’t caught up on Rap Sh!t, now is the time. Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming releases of Hellfire and Murder at Hollow Creek among others over at Price Productions.
Dan Levy wrote, directed, and starred in his latest creative endeavor, an incredible feature-length drama (But comedy? And adventure? And love story? And platonic love story?) titled Good Grief. Upon first hearing the idiom used as the title of the film, you can identify the double entendre and understand immediately that this film will envelop you in detail. Written in the aftermath of the losses of both his grandmother and beloved dog, Levy’s investment in the film allows you to witness a perspective both so specific and yet incredibly relatable.
Good Grief brings us Marc (Levy) and Oliver (Luke Evans), a beautiful couple residing in London, together for 15 years and living a life of luxury and cohesion. Within the first few minutes of the film, so much attention is paid to Marc’s perfect life. As he hosts a holiday party in their home, his friends keep commenting on how perfect his life is, how attractive and amazing his husband is, and every other shining detail of his life.
The concept of the film is available in every trailer and description, so I go into this without fear of spoiling this detail. As Marc’s husband Oliver leaves the party for a work trip, his cab is in an accident — within sight of their shared home. The film is about how Marc approaches everything in the wake of Oliver’s death. Dealing with the harsh realities of loss, and struggling with the way grief can possess a person’s mind, body, and soul.
While I headed into my early-morning viewing of this impossibly emotional film with the complete understanding that I would weep, I was surprised to find that I did not – in fact – shed a tear. Perhaps this is because of the impossibly difficult pill to swallow that Levy’s character – Marc – is exposed to a year into his grieving process. As one would, he experiences a bevy of new emotions around his realization.
My brain almost felt like it couldn’t keep up with the conflicting pieces of the plotline. Everyone loves Oliver. You want to love Oliver. But Oliver wasn’t perfect, because no one is perfect. How do you rectify his actions, emotions, and thoughts before he passed, when conversations were not had, apologies were never made, and closure was not experienced?
Some of us haven’t had to deal with reconciling our memories of someone we can no longer have closure with. Some of us have. Either way, this film raises so many questions about how personal coping mechanisms can heal us, and how others can be a crutch at times.
Good Grief explores how other people related to the deceased handled the loss in the year that followed. Thomas (Himesh Patel), for example, is Marc’s ex who still carries a torch for him. His supportive behavior leans adoring throughout the film, and you know there will be conflict around it at some point. (How it resolves, and the feelings you go through while witnessing it, is so much more REAL than I had expected, to be honest.)
Sophie (Ruth Negga) is a very close, old friend of Marc’s – the one who initially set him and Thomas up back in the day – who seems to struggle with identity in the year following Oliver’s death. Though the characters refer to her troubled, “messy” ways multiple times throughout the film, it seems to be reaching its peak in that timeframe.
Scene stealer Imelda (Celia Imrie) pops in and out with lessons of her own as Marc’s financial advisor. Her brash attitude makes her all the more fun to peel back the layers on as the story unfolds. And those of us more familiar with David Bradley as Filch in the Harry Potter series will adore him as Duncan, Oliver’s father, who also makes some incredibly notable remarks in the wake of his passing.
Overall, this is a wildly enjoyable watch. It’s so real. Even without tears, I was a pile of emotions and confusion and thoughts. Good Grief is definitely a conversation starter and a story of redemption — for everyone.
Today, San Diego rock act Embers releases To: The Moon, a 5-track EP that will get you on your feet, jamming out to anthemic melodies about mistakes, intrusive thoughts, and other relatable material. Sleeping with Sirens’ Kellin Quinn guests his notable vocals on the EP’s second track, “eating me alive,” giving this otherwise dark track another intense and beautiful layer.
Explains Embers of the EP: “’To: The Moon’ is a melting pot of my influences using inspiration from pop punk and emo to reflect on mental health struggles, toxic relationships, and emotional turbulence. A step forward from my last EP ‘EMO SZN’, ‘To: The Moon’ finds itself a more energetic place in my catalog.”
And he’s not wrong. The energy is on another level. Get your first listen to the Embers EP in its entirety below.
Recording the EP has been an amazing journey. On my first EP, I was going through such a hard time, and it reflects in the music. I’m so proud of the lyrical content and how therapeutic performing those songs is for me and my fans, from what I’ve been told. This second EP takes the basis of the sound of the first EP, but bumps up the energy x 100. The guitars are bigger and the lyrics are less desperate and stronger to match. I can’t wait for people to hear the new music live.
The song “Lines in the Sky”, which starts Cole Gallagher’s EP, The Confluence, has a soft sound. It makes you feel like you are at the beach, as he compares the person in his song to the sea. Emotions of excitement flow through the song, expressed through high notes. He is truly enjoying a fun time with this person at the sea.
As I contemplate more, I realize the sea is also a metaphor for his dreams being as vast as the sea when he is with this person, as they make him believe he can do anything he wishes. He is living in a world that is twisted, expressed through his voice. Deep and raspy, it captures emotions of anger, freedom, and pain, in a melody that flows smoothly and makes you feel like you releasing all of your emotions into the world. As he lets go of all his pain and anger, he finds that freedom is hard when you do not have the person you relied on to encourage you to see your dreams as vast as the sea.
As Gallagher sings the song “Stumbling in the Dark”, he goes through emotions of struggling to impress the person he is singing about. He believes he cannot live up to their expectations of how to act, and who to be. Despite feeling he cannot be his true self, he follows this person because he loves them too intensely to emotionally leave them. She is the only girl he will ever truly love. He is desperately searching for her so he can look into her eyes again. He is unsure how to show her that he cares about her forever and he hopes that her life is free of pain and worries, as he expresses by singing that he hopes the skies are blue for her.
During “Delilah”, the listener discovers the name of the person the lyrics to his EP has been flowing about. Delilah’s joy is his joy too, because her emotions are connected to how he feels. They are like a string, so when he or Delilah gets pulled or twisted a certain way, they are impacted by each other’s emotions. As expressed in his lyrics, his heart is open to her eyes, because he is open to looking deep into her soul and understanding life from her perspective. His heart will beat to her emotions and what she goes through in life.
In Cole’s song “Chatting Through Steal”, he struggles that his dreams have been packed up by people refusing to believe in him, and rejecting him. It is melancholic and contemplative, stirring pause in its listener.
In “Sugarland”, the melody intertwines as words enter this song, with emotions of helplessness. He wonders about what it would be like to see beyond the fields he lives in. Loneliness overwhelms him and he feels trapped in the fields. Hope fills his soul as he watches the bluebirds flying in the sky and “the flames rise up,” as articulated through these descriptive lyrics.
“The Ocarins of the Tennessee” starts with a slow, calming melody. As he is floating away, he continues to keep the attachment of this person whom he loves in his heart, vowing to never forget the sound of their voice. The sound of this person’s voice brings him both comfort and grief. He compares this person’s voice to the sounds of the sea because the sea is where he has had many memories with them. His heart is floating away with this person in his mind and away from this person in reality. At the end of this song, his high notes repeat in a steady flow in a pattern, capturing the emotions of being content with this person at the sea and the pain of losing them.
British-born musician Enny Owl has cultivated a musical career of what could fittingly be called the musical version of the cottage-core aesthetic. Her songs feature layered vocal harmonies that echo in the mind long after listening and lyrics that enchant with the rawness of personal struggle. “Nicolette”, the lead single from her upcoming Homes in Humans album, envisions Enny Owl as a spiritual guide for the listless soul of Nicolette, who searches for her own inner strength to fend off her enemies.
The soaring vocals immediately bring to mind a fairytale, with Enny Owl’s lead accompanied by lush harmonies. Strings and percussion in the background give depth to the soundscape, crafting a fantasy landscape through these familiar, Celtic-inspired timbres. The lyrics encourage the titular Nicolette to face her fears and “fend off dark forces”. “Nicolette” would fit snugly into a fantasy movie soundtrack, as the anthem for a determined protagonist who faces daunting tasks and dangerous enemies. In the words of Enny, “This song is about the fear of opening up after being hurt so many times before. It’s for the quiet and gentle-hearted. “Nicolette” is a reminder to be brave enough to find the strength and magic that was within you all along.”
The music video directed by Paula Crichton channels this fantasy feel to create a narrative, in which Enny Owl represents a “Spirit Guide” to the wandering Nicolette. Enny Owl sings in a forest glowing golden, surrounded by glittering magic. The beautiful costuming dresses Enny in a classic cottage-core look, donning puffy white sleeves, purple hair, and a tiara worthy of elven royalty. The character of Nicolette (Ariel Barber) wears a crimson cape, reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood. Though, Nicolette is not taken in by the wolf. She confronts her hunters head-on, with Enny’s spirit as support.
More magical narratives await with the release of Homes in Humans, set for November 3, 2023. Each upcoming song is based on one of Enny’s listeners, and they are sure to prove just as entrancing as “Nicolette”. Now based in Los Angeles, Enny Owl is represented by Weird Sister Records.
