Brooklyn one man band Brandon Sheer, otherwise known are Sheare is set to take on the world by storm with his new EP “Photo Booths”. “Photo Booths” is set to be released February 23rd. The singer-songwriter is building his music catalog with his music that is able to move people. As long as Sheare continues to make music, it will not be long until he becomes a household name.
We were able to catch up with Sheare recently to talk about his music,
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Your genre on Facebook is described as “withered rose pop.” How would you describe that – or what you believe to be your sound – to people?
I think it was kind of a cheeky thing I came up with because I was always posting the withered rose emoji as part of the aesthetic of my last EP. I think I would describe my music as is introspective pop. I try to write emotionally driven songs that get stuck in your head even if you’d prefer they didn’t. I haven’t really done my job properly if you don’t hum one of my songs after hearing it but aren’t entirely sure what you’re humming or where it came from. It’s like Pop Inception.
What was your first big musical moment? Can you remember what you were listening to, and/or what the memory was associated with it?
I remember being at my older cousin’s house when I was younger and he played “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana on these big speakers he had in his room. That was it for me. I knew I had to be a musician after that. At the time I wanted to be a drummer which wasn’t super conducive to having neighbors or parents who still to this day tell me to turn me down music anytime it’s above the volume of a moths wings fluttering.
Your new EP Music for Photo Booths is so ridiculously beautiful, and honestly makes us way too excited for the warm summer months. (Hello, “Tidal Wave”!) We’re wondering how the album was conceptualized. Did you start writing random songs, then collect them? Did you set out with the “photo booth” idea in mind? Give us a peek inside your thought process!
Aw thank you, so glad you like it <3! I think every time I write body of work it has to have some thematic element to it, whether that be in the aesthetic of the art direction or the subject matter of the songs themselves. The title came after I met a girl at a show I played at a hotel maybe a year ago. We wound up hanging out afterwards and taking photos in the photo booth that the hotel had. When we started dating I made her a Spotify playlist called “Music for Photo Booths”as a wink to the night we met. The title stuck, the relationship did not haha. Writing has always been cathartic thing for me. I write about my experiences, good bad or indifferent.
What’s your favorite song from the new EP? Why, and what inspired it, specifically?
“Tidal Wave” I think it’s most honest and bittersweet song I’ve ever written. It’s kind of about young love and taking something from each relationship and remembering the good parts and looking internally at myself as to why things maybe didn’t work out. It’s a really bitter pill to have a hard look at yourself and examine your own hang ups about relationships and why they haven’t always worked out. I would hate to date me haha. It would be a nightmare.
How do you imagine people enjoying the music from Music for Photo Booths? (Besides in a damn photo booth… or is there an elaborate photo booth experience you envision?)
I think it has this really cinematic element to it. I had envisioned people driving in an old Mercedes down the pacific coast highway while listening to the songs.
What advice would you give any young adult trying to pursue a career in music?
I think people don’t really care on a larger scale about what you do until everyone cares. It’s just human nature not to always have the foresight to see what something will become. I think you just have to have an unwavering belief in what you do, and eventually people come around at different times.
What keeps you inspired as an artist?
Fashion, Art, NYC, Film, Concerts, Relationships, Love, Sex, Breakups, More Relationships, More Breakups.
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Sheare’s new EP “Photo Booths” will be released February 23rd. In the meantime, keep up with him here.
Echo Bloom’s founder and frontman Kyle Evans creates rigorous, detailed and well-thought out music. With the creation of Echo Bloom, Evans took their freshman album Jamboree and honed specific songs to create Blue, Red, and now, their latest album, Green. Accompanied by vocalist/keyboardist Aviva Jaye, Alex Minier playing bass and Cody Rahn on drums, Evans has created a collection of music that covers a variety of soundscapes and genres. Echo Bloom has been based in a variety of places, recently in New York City, and the multitude of locations mirrors the multitude of sounds they put out. Keep an eye out for Echo Bloom’s Green, out March 9th.
We were able to catch up with Echo Bloom recently — here’s what they had to say:
Echo Bloom is an evocative name. How did it come about?
The Baby Boom generation were folks born post WWII, so ~1946-1964. I heard once the phrase “Echo Boom” talking about the generation of kids that the baby boom generation had. My family always gardened a lot – we had this great big vegetable garden in our backyard – so “Echo Boom” became “Echo Bloom”.
Favorite live show played to date?
Breminale, in Bremen, Germany, in 2016. We performed under this beautiful circus tent, and it was our bass player Alex’s birthday, so we got about 500 folks to sing to him on stage before we started. It was about 400 degrees out and there a ton of lights, so everyone was *covered* in sweat by the time the show was done. But we got two encores, and ended the night at kind of this hub of Bremen called “Heartbreak Hotel” singing and toasting and laughing. It was the 8th or 9th show of a 60 date tour, and set the tone really nicely.
Recording: disciplined and rigorous or laid back jam sesh style?
More on the disciplined and rigorous side. We went into the recording of a record we put out a few years ago with a note-by-note score of everything, so the actual recording was more a documentation effort. We’ve gotten a little more away from that – we work more as a band to collaboratively arrange everything. But once we get in the studio, we usually have a very good idea of how everything is going to turn out.
Biggest influences for Green?
Ah, that’s tough. Musically – Big Star, Brian Eno, Neutral Milk Hotel, Debussy, and Pink Floyd. Lyrically -Georges Seurat, John Steinbeck, and Carl Sandburg.
Best part of touring?
The family. I am constantly amazed and humbled by the generosity and spirit of giving that we experience on the road. There is an amazing community of people that support art and go to shows – and being on tour allows you to experience that directly.
How did you come up with the idea for the album processes evolving from and following Jamboree?
It was pretty intentional. I finished Jamboree and took stock of what we’d come up with – there were a lot of good songs on there, but stylistically it was too diverse to make for any kind of consistent listening experience. We had a reggae song, a metal song, a country song, a weird French-sounding song. It was a *ton* of fun to make, but listening back to it – I mean, maybe we’re not a metal band? Maybe we’re not a reggae band? So I did an audit, and tried to figure out what the best songs were on the album. I took the three best songs, and wrote albums around each of them. The first was Blue (off of the song ‘The Prostitute’), then last year’s Red (off of the song ‘The Businessman’), and now Green (off of the song ‘The English Teacher’).
If you had one word to describe Echo Bloom to someone who had never heard of you, what would it be?
Vancouver-based, Northern BC born singer-songwriter and voice actor Noble Son (aka Adam Kirschner) is gearing up to release his self-released debut full length album, Joy In Violence on March 30th, having previously released two EPs. Birthed after a period of time filled with indecision and cumulation of talent, Noble Son’s debut LP, recorded with Joel Hamilton (an idol of Kirschner’s) is the result of honing in on authenticity. If the title isn’t enough to entice you, the title track and single provides a glimpse into what Kirschner is about to drop. His unique sound filled with precise piano, guitar, and other instrumentals paired with his clear voice provides for not only an enjoyable listening experience, but also a deeper understanding of Noble Son’s attention to detail.
Keep an eye out for Noble Son’s debut LP, Joy In Violence, out March 30th, and enjoy the title track now.
We caught up with Noble Son about Joy In Violence, and a few questions about his favorite things.
This album has been a long, careful time in the making. Can you pinpoint a particular moment that was pivotal for its creation?
This record actually came very suddenly. The eight songs were written over twelve days and then recorded in under a week. We kept it as live and raw as we could. The most pivotal moment was probably that initial writing period.
“Joy in Violence” is such an intriguing title for an album – how did it come to be?
“Joy in Violence” is the name of the album as well as the title track. The song is about those moments when you wake up, look in the mirror and think, “You old piece of garbage.” But instead of saying “garbage” you swear, y’know.
Favorite animal?
Pandas have such a great lifestyle. Really doing well.
If a color was used to describe “Joy in Violence”, what would it be and why?
Vancouver April grey.
As a Canadian artist, do you integrate your nationality into your work in any way?
Naw. Canada is cool though
What’s your go-to song you’d recommend to a friend?
“The Working Title” – Wolf
If you weren’t playing music, what job would you have?
Ships Have Sailed is an alternative pop-rock duo hailing from Los Angeles. Today, they released a new single titled “Let’s Just Dance”.Ships Have Sailed also plans on working on more music as 2018, so this is their year for creativity, a fact we found out when we got a chance to speak with them briefly. So check out the new track below, and read on for a little Q&A fun!
After releasing your new single “Let’s Just Dance” what are your next plans music-wise?
2018 is going to be a year of creativity! We’ve spent the last couple years pretty much out on the road, and so this year we’re going to be writing a lot and working in the studio…while we don’t have specific plans on whether that will result in an EP, an Album or more Singles, we do know we’re ready to make some more music.
How has your music evolved since your first EP Someday?
Well I think everything is an evolution, that’s just how life, experiences and time work together, so definitely our music has seen evolution. I would say we’ve become more attuned to our sound and creativity, and definitely my production chops get better and better every year, so while ‘Someday’ is near and dear to my heart, I would say it’s a little rough around the edges…which is great – it gives it its own character, but these days I’m much better at accomplishing exactly what I want sound-wise. With that said, I don’t like to hold us back creatively, so definitely we’re excited to continue to evolve as we continue to create!
Your new single “Let’s Just Dance” digs a little deeper when it comes to exploring human emotions. What do you think causes people to act upon their emotions rather than instincts?
That’s an interesting question…honestly I don’t think emotions and instincts are entirely separate from each other…just kinda different flavors of the same inner mechanism. But as far as leaning towards emotions or instincts, I think emotions often take the reigns because you can actually feel them, whereas instincts can be a bit more subtle, so you really have to pay attention to them.
Why do you think often times as humans we want more than what we already have?
This is something I ponder almost constantly! The honest truth is that I couldn’t dream of knowing the answer to why, but I often wonder if it started out as kind of a survival mechanism back in the very early stages of humanity. Think about it…we were not the top of the food chain, we didn’t have fire, tools, art, language, and over the course of time we developed all of those things…why? I think the progression of civilization (both the good and bad aspects) and technology can stem back to this gut feeling of wanting something ‘better’ …call it motivation or curiosity…regardless of whether this is really how or why this feeling originated, it’s a pretty fascinating topic to think about!
What was the influence behind “Let’s Just Dance” and what inspired it?
Well the idea itself just popped into my head at 2am one night and wouldn’t leave me alone until I sketched it out…it was just the main part of the chorus that kept repeating itself and wouldn’t quit, so I sketched it out really quick so I could get some peace and went to bed. The next day, I listened back and thought it was really good…but I didn’t want it just to be a shallow vapid love song, so I thought I would tie in the “Let’s just dance all night” theme into this fascinating topic of always wanting more that you asked about in your previous question. Through several collaborations including with co-writer Robert Gillies, co-producer Wally Gagel and the extremely talented team (Talkboy TV) who helped create the music video, these themes really developed themselves thoroughly, and the music morphed from something that started out to be a very circular, repetitive idea, to something that goes to all sorts of different places, sometimes unexpectedly…it was really amazing to watch it all come together!
How is “Let’s Just Dance” different from previous songs that you have released?
So, every song is different, but specifically I wanted this one to maintain the indie pop vibe that we’ve become known for, but to add a little edginess and also a bit of a classic vibe as well. People have compared the production to Walk the Moon (who I love, so that’s a huge compliment) but if you listen, you’ll hear a lot of classic influences in there as well…they’re just nicely blended, so I feel like there’s a little more depth to this track than some of our other singles.
What message do you hope people get from “Let’s Just Dance”?
Live your life…be happy, don’t be afraid to stay up a little too late, or have that extra glass of wine. Laugh with the people you love and enjoy every moment…I feel like we’re all distracted by the past and the future, regrets and anxiety and we generally don’t spend enough time in the present. It’s definitely something I personally try to do a little better at each day, month, year…and so, yeah, I think that’s the message behind this one. We’re human, imperfect, and beautiful…we were made to enjoy life moment by moment.
Former opera singer and Northern Irelander Claire McKeown is joined by Claire Boutelle, Aimee Jacobs, Danielle Mandell, Dayna Richards, Jacquelyn Sky, and Cynthia Zitter to create a unique chamber pop choir dubbed Honey Child — and you’ve never heard anything like it. With a backstory that is full-on movie material, L.A.- based Honey Child was birthed from tumult and talent. This ensemble is a one-of-a-kind musical experience, and one you’ll want to keep up with. Their self-titled debut album will be out February 9th, and we can’t wait.
We were excited to speak with Claire McKeown, the founder of Honey Child about her background, current projects, and creativity.
Honey Child is a much different project compared to your opera/classical background — what made you take a different musical path?
I was about ten years deep into my training as a Wagnerian Soprano and performing scenes from Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, and Die Walküre at The Orange County Performing Arts Center. There was a Q and A after the performance and I got to talk to my audience. They clearly loved me and were excited about my voice but it hit me hard that these are not the people that I want to spend my life pleasing. I wanted an audience of freaks like me! I wanted my peers.
I fell into a dark spot after turning my back on my Operatic dreams. I started partying way too much and had a complete nervous breakdown including a brief conversation with the devil. I had never written music before that and I haven’t stopped since.
What was the inspiration for the fun and eclectic “Gotta Wait Another Night” music video?
It’s the classic tale of a night and day in the life of a baroque goddess who takes her nun to the beach.
Sprung from the brilliant mind of the Director Dawn Carol Garcia (Kaputt by Destroyer, Mercy by TV on The Radio) and produced by Cheeky Films. I think the original concept was to mix the worlds of ‘A Clockwork Orange’ and ‘Sarah McLachlan’. We loved the idea of a performer that dressed up even more in real life than their stage life. The main characters are based on alter egos of mine from past music projects. I have played a nun (Suor Angelica, Dialogue of the Carmelites) on the opera stage and the powdered wig look is from my last band, Dirt Bird.
When casting the role of the Nun I had my hottest friend in mind for the cigarette smoking nun role. Dawn thought that was too predictable and suggested to go left field and cast a man. My friend Daniel Leland Crook (Crook) popped instantly into mind. I knew he could play this part with elegance and just enough of the madcap we wanted.
The video ends at El Matador Beach and yes plenty of “You Maniacs, You blew it up” (from The Planet of The Apes) were recited while there. We picked this place because it is usually filled with surfers and were hoping to ask one to swim on the board to break up a struggle between me and my nun in the ocean. It would have been hilarious but there was not one Surfer there that day. Instead we were gifted with this beautiful couple taking wedding pictures on a rock that allowed for the gloriously ridiculous moment in the video that I think would have made Fellini proud.
What’s been the most exciting part of forming Honey Child?
I love making videos, I love writing and arranging songs, I love performing, and I love recording but the true excitement of Honey Child is during our practices. Every Sunday night I make dinner for the 7 of us and we all gather around to eat, talk, and sing. It is the highlight of my current life and such a treasured time.
How do you bring elements of your Irish background to this project
I think that finds its way in through the collective unconscious pumping in my blood of my ancestors. I also have a soft spot of sweeping melodies and songs that tug at your heart like ones in Only Our Rivers Run Free, The Fields of Athenry, and As she moves through the fair. My voice is very Irish, too. We are blessed with clear voices and I am told that you can hear my dormant Irish Accent best when I sing.
Favorite part of being in an all-female group?
I get to make music with 6 of the best musicians I know and create a sound that constantly moves us all to tears.
Everyone is so kind, thoughtful, helpful, and respectful. I hope that Honey Child is creating this positive environment but I am pretty sure I also just lucked out and attracted good humans. I’ll never understand why women are portrayed as caddy in pop culture because I have worked with men and women and it is always the women who are the most integral and free of drama.
Honey Child, as a band name, has Southern/Americana vibes to it. Was this intentional, or is there a story behind the name?
I used to have a choir director back in Middle School that would always call me Honey Child …but not in a good way. I think I may have given her a hard time because she was always pissed off at me. One day she and I were alone in the choir room and she started laughing and said “I can’t wait for you to go to High School because you’re going to be a nobody”.
A normal person would have let this crush them but I took it as such a complement. She thought I was a somebody!! At least at that moment. So a couple of years ago when I was thinking of starting a choir project it made complete sense to call it Honey Child.
After releasing his debut EP Swimming in Circles in June 2017, founder and vocalist Ryan Parmenter enlisted the help of David Lee (guitar), Abraham Kim (drums) and Brian Blake (bass) to create Former Faces, an incredible indie rock quartet based out of Silver Lake. We’re expecting them to take the world by storm – as if they aren’t already well on their way – with the release of their first full length album Foreign Nature this spring. Learn more about Former Faces in our exclusive, quick interview below!
Your debut album Foreign Nature will be coming out soon. What was the creative process like when it came to developing the album?
Typically, Ryan would bring a sketch to Brian who would help to focus and arrange it. Then the idea would be presented to Abe and David whose musicianship would transform it into a song. Some of the tunes came together quickly and organically, others were reshaped several times. Completing the album was a journey and we learned a lot about the value of collaboration, persistence, and patience along the way.
What was the inspiration behind your new single “Forc# Fi#lds”?
Inspiration for Forc# Fi#lds began as a desire to reconcile the past and open up to the future. It is a song about letting your guard down and being “wide awake” to new relationships, ideas, and endeavors.
What was the best part about developing your debut album?
Our epic recording adventure in Dear Valley, Utah. We packed two SUVs to the brim with gear, trekked up to the mountains just outside of Park City, and reconstructed Brian’s studio in the living room of a friend’s cabin. We tracked for the better part of 5 days. The view and the vibes were incredible. And no plug-in in the world can match the natural room reverb we captured! We’d been playing together as a four-piece for a few months prior to that trip. When we headed back to L.A., we were a band.
What were some challenges when it came to developing Foreign Nature?
With limitless sonic options at musicians’ and producers’ disposal these days, it can be very difficult to define one’s sound. We set out to create a record that was organic, highlighted musicianship, and was true to our live sound. Accomplishing that while still creating ear candy that sonically competes with our idols’ music was definitely challenging (the record is entirely self-produced, a feat in and of itself!), but we feel like we pulled it off and couldn’t be prouder of the results.
What is a typical day like for you all?
Busy. Musical. Sunny. Busy.
What are your plans after releasing your album? Any tours in the future?
No tours as of now but we will be performing all over L.A. and have our sights set on the festival circuit. Foreign Nature is meant to be performed outdoors for a meandering crowd of nature-loving music fans 🙂
Who would you say are your musical inspirations?
The Sun. The Sea. Clouds and colors. Mountains, Bowie, Mercury, Byrne, Harrison, Martsch, Parker, Tortoise, York, Beck, Granduciel, Air… Former Faces is planning on releasing their debut album Foreign Nature this Spring 2018. In the meantime, check out their new single from Foreign Nature “Forc# Fi#lds”:
