Molly DeWolf is one of those outstanding artists that immediately leaves a positive impact wherever she goes. Not only is her debut single something of a stunner, but she also attended Harvard, where she was the director of the school’s oldest co-ed a cappella group. And that’s not it! She appeared on season 10 of American Idol and went on to build RYOT, which eventually sold to Huffington Post. After a brief hiatus from her own music during those times she was off being a genius, DeWolf has now found a seamless and unique approach to the industry that allows her to create from an authentic place.
Explains DeWolf of her debut single: “The idea behind ‘8 Seconds’ is knowing someone for years, being in and out of each others’ orbit, and then all of a sudden they become your person, which mirrors my own experience and current relationship. That’s a beautiful notion to me, that ‘lighting and timing’ are the primary factors dictating your life and who you end up with, as an ex lover used to say. I’m fascinated by the idea of fate vs coincidence.”
In honor of the release of “8 Seconds”, we took a few minutes to chat with DeWolf about inspiration, motivation, and, of course, the holidays.
What was the first album or song you remember ever listening to, and who introduced it to you?
I remember my nanny ChaCha introducing me to Bohemian Rhapsody when I was about 6 years old. I was obsessed with the song and wanted to listen to / sing it all the time. My 3 year old brother became a huge fan also, because he wanted to be me when he grew up, so when he wasn’t in Batman or Superman costumes he was wearing my dresses I’d grown out of. Obviously neither of us at the time appreciated the irony of that flamboyant anthem being our soundtrack, but if I remember correctly, there are some hilarious home video VHS tapes of us from that era.
You have one of the most interesting backstories we have ever heard, to be honest. Do you mind recapping it a bit for our readers?
Yeah… let’s see. Seattle to Harvard to White House to American Idol to Philanthropic Consulting to startup news organization that pivoted to documentary films and VR/AR, sold to HuffPost/AOL, to Venture Partner making tech investments and back to music again…
Without context, my resume probably seems like I’ve been like playing Pin The Tail On The Donkey: Career Edition. It’s such a random assortment. Truth be told, most of my decisions have been made based on who I want to spend my time with more than what I want to spend my time doing. When i meet someone who inspires me, my first instinct is to try and figure out ways of working with them. That inspiration has clearly not been limited to one industry, city or sector.
Your first track off your debut EP is titled “8 Seconds” and it is nothing short of stunning. What inspired this track, specifically?
Wow, thank you. I’m so humbled by people’s response to it.
I actually wrote it with the intention of performing / presenting the song as a gift at a dear friend’s wedding. The story behind their relationship, which I watched go from friends to soulmates in what seemed like a few moments, mirrored my own romantic situation somewhat, so I was able to write from the dual perspective of firsthand participant and active observer.
I’m fascinated by coincidence and the way we infuse meaning in hindsight. We are pattern seeking animals, and I think that’s at the root of how and why we believe what we believe, especially when it comes to love.
What was the writing process like for this song and the upcoming EP? Has it developed or changed since your first foray into the music world? You seem to be in a better place, destined to create music with more meaning and that has a purpose for you.
After Idol, I told myself I had no interest in participating in the music industry. For years, this was the internal logic preventing me from creating, even though I felt pangs of remorse just about every day that I wasn’t. The writing of the EP felt cathartic in a number of ways, not the least of which was in dismantling the years of self-doubt and textbook insecurities.
I have to give credit where it’s due to the BRÅVES boys, who became friends and then incredible collaborators. Johnny What in particular, turned five stark piano & vocal tracks into something entirely else. They are so talented.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever gotten?
Everything in moderation, even moderation.
Doing anything fun this year for the holidays?
For the first time ever, I think I’ll be in LA! Even though I’ve lived here for almost 7 years, I’ve been traveling every holiday season. Cuba last year, other years Mexico, China, home in Seattle, everywhere but my current, chosen home. I’ve also been on planes just about every week of 2017, so I’m actually really excited to just be here.
Just last month, Massachusetts-based indie pop/punk rock four piece Kindling released a particularly impressive and instrumentally heavy 10-track album titled Hush. Though the intro to a lot of the tracks starts in a different soundscape, eventually the meat of most of the songs hits with multiple guitars that create an almost cacophonous ambiance around the chorus of vocals. It’s quite the experience, and while we certainly suggest showing off your dance moves while enjoying the album, we also kind of hope you have access to a starry night sky, dope lawn chairs, and string lights to enjoy “Rain”.
We got the chance to catch up with vocalists/guitarists Stephen Pierce and Gretchen Williams shortly after the release of Hush.
What was the first album or song you remember ever listening to, and who introduced it to you?
Stephen Pierce: I don’t know exactly the record, but my parents were always listening to a lot of British Invasion stuff — Yardbirds, The Animals, The Kinks.. My dad liked the Stones and my mom liked The Beatles. There’s in particular this one tape my dad had of The Yardbirds’ BBC sessions that is seared into my consciousness, right down to the hammy BBC announcer’s voice.
Gretchen Williams: When I was about seven or so, I had a camp counselor that had my troop perform the Shangri-Las‘ “Leader of the Pack” in a talent show. Naturally, I was assigned to be part of the motorcycle gang and made a construction paper leather jacket to wear. I really loved the sound and doomed-love-story subject matter as a kid, and played my cassette of the recording a lot at home.
What is the Kindling origin story?
Gretchen: In the winter of 2014, Stephen and I formed Kindling after he asked me to contribute to a few songs he’d written. Initially, we didn’t really have a sense of where we might be headed; we just wanted to write a bunch of catchy songs quickly. Our demo was just the two of us, and we subsequently self-recorded a 7″ before recruiting others to the band.
How would you say you’ve developed your sound and your relationship with each other since your first EP?
Stephen: I think Hush is definitely bigger and more ambitious than the previous stuff, which was probably bigger than the stuff that preceded that… Each recording we’re one step closer to being a fucking prog band or something. But seriously, the more ya work at anything, I guess the more comfortable it’ll feel, and I feel pretty comfortable these days with the band, from our process to our songs to how I communicate with my bandmates – communication hasn’t always been an easy thing for me. But, like: You figure out what works best for everyone, and try to do things that way.
Gretchen: Despite a lot of the lyrical content of Hush focusing on uncertainty, I think we’ve found a little more confidence on this record. We reached for a bigger, more complex sound and integrated some new instruments (mellotron and sitar appear on a few tracks throughout the album).
What is your writing process like? Do you start with a melody, start with concept, brain dump lyrics? Take us inside it all!
Stephen: I usually sit with a guitar on the couch and just, like, watch tv and if something good appears, I’ll hit mute on the tv and record it on my phone, then revisit it at the practice space, or sometimes maybe just, like, loop it and vibe it out. Lyrics come afterwards, usually I’ll demo the instrumental stuff with Andy, our drummer, and spend a lot of time listening to the instrumentals while, like, riding my bike or something. Then Gretchen and I will work on vocal phrasing and words. Or we’ll have ideas and throw them back and forth between each other, usually what we come up with is pretty similar.
How do you imagine people listening to this album?
Gretchen: Late at night when you can’t sleep; or on a long bus trip; or walking through the woods; or just trying to get through the day — basically any time you might feel a little bit wistful and restless.
Stephen: I like the thought of Hush playing annoyingly loud while quitting yer shitty job, or something. Tell off the boss in a giant spectacle with the assistance of Hush.
Who is your favorite superhero? Substantiate your claim.
Gretchen: The only comic I ever read growing up was Archie, so I guess my favorite superhero is Jughead? He always seemed pretty impervious to the stresses of modern life in Riverdale–a trait I admire.
Stephen: Spider-Man, because he was such a loser and I find that highly relatable.
What is your favorite word?
Gretchen: Probably a toss up between “somnambulance” and “goblin.”
Stephen: Mine is “Goblinambulance”
Perfection. Anything else you’d like to add?
Stephen: Thanks so much!
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Hush is available now. Keep up with Kindling here.
In August, New York based rock trio Upright Man – comprised of Aidan Dolan (guitar/vocals), Nick Katz (bass/vocals) and Max Yassky (drums / percussion / background vocals) – released their debut self-titled album. Packed to the brim with guitar-driven psychedelia and well-rounded, intense – yet somehow innately relaxing – vocals, the ten track album made a strong impact on its audience almost immediately. Exploring a wide soundscape with the prowess of a much more experienced band, we’re under the very strong impression that Upright Man is here to stay, and they’ve certainly left a mark.
We caught up with the guys briefly before the holidays to get a little insight into their process and more. Check it out below, and get your ears on Upright Man if you haven’t quite yet!
What is the first song or album you ever remember hearing, and who introduced it to you?
Max: It’s either “Only The Lonely” by Roy Orbison, or “Busted” by Ray Charles. Thanks Mom.
Aidan: Though I had heard music everywhere before I knew what it was, the first album as a whole that I became aware of was probably Jimi Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced?” It was in the CD player in our car that we took to and from school. The attitude and badassness was so obvious to me as a little kid and I still feel the same way.
Nick: Probably “With The Beatles” or “Help!” Though I discovered at 14 that I already knew all the words to “In My Hour of Darkness” by Gram Parsons even though I had no memory of listening to the record before. So I think I heard a lot of music before I was really making memories.
We know you met at NYU, but what is the Upright Man origin story like? Was it a meet-cute?
Max: I had to look up meet-cute. No it wasn’t anything like a romantic comedy, but we all did hit it off pretty quickly. We met and hung out as peers in school and then started making music for other people’s projects. We – all three – started making prog-jazz-classical music before we moved on to the space-rock music we’re making now.
Nick: Yeah, what Max said.
Your self-titled debut just released. What has that been like for you?
Max: Releasing an album feels like the most foreign part of making music to me. We play and write so much that sometimes I forget the end goal is for other people to hear it. I’m kind of stunned when I imagine strangers listening to it.
Aidan: It feels good to enter a new stage of development for the band. Now that we have a completed product, we have to get it out there and take the band on the road. Our passion is music and creating it, but as musicians and a band, we have to take responsibility for so many aspects of the business of being a band as well.
Nick: There’s inherent satisfaction in seeing things finished. Having people seem to like it is just a nice little bonus.
Do you have any fun anecdotes from the recording process?
Max: We had a fight with a very obstinate restaurateur. We ordered enough tortilla chips and guac to fuel a small force of underpaid interns, but got zilch. When we called up the restaurant, instead of your expected “Oh we’ll fix it”, we got put on hold while the owner checked the security tapes and assured us that all the chips left with the delivery fella. What do you do, right? Try and explain the laws of physics? Zero tortilla chips delivered to us = zero tortilla chips delivered to us. We each tried to explain this to the owner and finally our producer hung up dejectedly.
Aidan: While we were recording at Avatar Studios in NYC, we decided to use the physical reverb chambers, which are located somewhere in the stairwell of the building. We realized the mics in the reverb chambers were picking up this whole class of elementary school students playing outside, creating a really eerie far away sound of children screaming and laughing. We decided to record that and even took it a step further by running outside and asking them all to make as much noise as possible to be on our record! It sounded awesome, but we never found a place for it. Maybe next record..
Nick: It was awful and I hated every minute of it … I’m just kidding, I love being in the studio.
If your album were any Thanksgiving meal dish – an appetizer, main course, side dish, dessert, drink, whatever – what would it be and why?
Max: It’s the unidentifiable yet delicious troth of hot mash brought by that one obscure work friend of your cousin’s.
Aidan: Dat bomb gravy.
Nick: Guys, you’re really selling it short, it’s the whole turkey, stuffing, drippings and all.
We really love the composition and overall sound of “Ecstasy”. What inspired that song – if we may ask – specifically?
Max: Thanks. When we were writing it I remember thinking of this image I had in my head from a news clipping. Apparently some of the older folks in Gaza would sit on this one couch on the edge of the city, eat watermelon, smoke cigars, and watch the chaos as if it were a television program.
Aidan: It started off on guitar as the little intro chorus/riff. The lyrics sort of came from describing a feeling of pure resignation and disconnection from the world, while still being ironically blissful in its comfort. There is a moment of self realization and hopefulness in the song, but some things never last. The form has an interesting way of mirroring that emotion in a developmental way.
Nick: It was born of self restraint in a way.
Being a musical project located in NYC has its advantages and disadvantages, of course, just as any place else does. Have you been able to navigate the highly saturated music scene in NYC to find some of your favorite gems?
Max: That saturation is one of my favorite things about the city. It does make people cynical about exploring new music, but for studios, venues, stores and new people to meet, being here is a total boon. Of course you meet great people everywhere and there’s plenty of shit here too.
Aidan: The saturation is advantageous in the way that Max says, giving you so many options to experience many different types of music at a high level musicianship, but as a band in its nascent stage, you have a lot of other bands and forms of entertainment to compete with on any given night, so it’s hard to grow beyond the audience of your family, friends, and friends of friends. There is a very elusive sense of a scene and you have to really make a ruckus to get people to come to your show over something else.
What are you most excited about with your debut album?
Max: Having a copy.
Aidan: Seeing and hearing other people’s reaction to our music.
Nick: Getting to the next one.
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The band will be playing a show in honor of an upcoming video release and Aidan’s birthday at Mercury Lounge. Tickets are available now. Keep up with Upright Man here.
We caught up with the highly revered Juliette Lewis on a freezing cold day working from home. There was a strange sense of excitement in the air for about an hour before the phone call, which may or may not be attributed to the holiday season. (Or our immense love for this woman and all of her talents. Could be that.) My nerves had gotten the best of me, as I explained to my father earlier in the day that Lewis recently released her first collection of songs in years – an incredible EP titled Future Deep – and that seeing her perform live this past summer had really increased my faith in her ridiculous amount of talent.
Check out the fun – but all too quick – conversation we had with Juliette below. We’ve included the EP for you to rock out to for the rest of the year and beyond.
How are you today?
I’m pretty good. Just a few more days until Christmas. I’m not sure. When is it? (laughing) Where are you based out of? I’m in Los Angeles right now.
I am actually in Kansas City, Missouri.
Wow, that’s neat.
So we’re snowed in right now. Is it OK out there? Heard it’s been raining.
Oh yeah. It’s raining and it’s freezing per L.A. weather, which is great. (laughing) It’s good. We needed rain so it’s all good.
Absolutely. Alright, let’s dig in! Your career is super expansive and amazing. Everything you touch turns to gold. So we were wondering, what keeps bringing you back to music?
That’s sweet. When I was a kid, I was always involved in music. So when I was a kid – before the art mediums were segregated to the extent that they are now – I took dance and sang in musicals and created characters and did storytelling. Then, I got successful doing one thing, which was mainly actin gin movies. When I turned around 30, I thought, “Holy shit, you’re 30 and you didn’t do that thing you wanted to do.” And that thing was to make music.
For me, it begins and ends with a live show and the live show experience. I always likened The Licks – my first band – to like, when you have a band out of high school. The music was really energy based, I wrote songs specifically to perform live. It’s not until now that I’m really enjoying the process of making the album. I got into the idea of making rock music as a collective, so I worked on this record [Future Deep] with Brad Schultz – who produced half of it and is a songwriter as well as a member of Cage the Elephant – and Isabella Summers – who is in Florence & The Machine, I did a few songs with her. For Future Deep, I wanted to work with people and write songs that I dug.
What keeps me coming back to music – and any art form – is necessity. I was touring for about five years and wasn’t making movies. What brought me back to acting was the thought that I wasn’t done and I still had more to say. In both mediums, I feel like I still have more to say. So it’s about navigation of those two streams – those two currants – and it’s proved challenging but exciting at the same time.
Fair enough! Your live performance – like you said – is crazy. I knew you made music and I had heard it before, but I didn’t get to see you until Riot Fest Denver this year and you KILLED IT. Your Evel Knievel outfit, your presence. What made you decide to go with that?
I don’t know! (laughing) I like showmanship. But at the same time, there’s no other way I can be on stage. I don’t know how to do a sedate show or a whatever show. Every show I do, it’s like my life depends on it. And it’s the people that bring it out in me because I want to move every single set of eyes I see in the crowd.
Music – for me – has been sort of spiritual in the sense that I used music to get over a lot of fears. I used to – believe it or not – have a fear of crowds that was happening when I lost my anonymity at around twenty. I never wanted to go to malls or concerts or any place where there could be crowds. The great irony is I formed a rock band and now there’s no crowd I can’t put myself in front of. I don’t throw myself in every crowd, but mostly it cured me of my fear of people. I like the idea of bringing danger and electricity and unpredictability to a live show experience. It’s an expression to me against the anesthetized, plastic part of our culture that’s been happening, especially with women in the arts where there’s this weird, unspoken way with which we deal with women in the arts.
I also feel like a superhero on stage. And Evel Knievel, he wore a badass suit. So I got one made. (laughing) I was inspired by David Lee Roth and others growing up, and he wore great outfits.
performing at riot fest denver 2016
I wish I could pull it off! You do everything right!
Well thank you, I’m glad you were there!
Very happy I got to experience it. So what do you do to prep for a live performance like that though?
It’s weird because when I started my band, I very much approached it – and I guess acting more and more as I go on – by trying to maintain energy. So before I go on, I stretch and love looking at a venue or a space before it’s filled. Every stage has an electricity or a vibe, which is one of the pleasures of touring. You have all that came before you in that space.
I am inspired a lot by my band this time around. I had a bass player named Juan Alderete (The Mars Volta) and his groove alone would excite me for a show. He’s one of my favorite bass players of all time. I was just really excited to play with the group of people I put together. I always know why I’m doing it. I love people and having them come into a space to form a collective and shed their fears and problems and get into a space where we all unite and celebrate life, love, and music.
One ritual I do have is when I’m putting makeup on my eyes. When I’m doing my eyes in the mirror, there’s a focus and I’m doing vocal warmups while I work on it. I always do my eyes, but everything else I sweat off.
So Future Deep makes you feel like a total badass when you listen to it. Are there any fun anecdotes that you have from creating it?
Each song has a whole life of its own. “Hello Hero” is a song Isabella and I created in London. I met with her, we talked about music. It’s so neat to talk about something, to play a song and to create a beat or melody and watch it all come to life. When Brad and I made all our songs, it was snowing. I went to Nashville and we bunked out at a studio there and it was so great because it was snowing outside so we didn’t want to go outside. We made “Any Way You Want” and “I Know Trouble” – which is very inspired by “I Put A Spell On You”.
A lot of the best songs will sort of write themselves. I usually work with musicians who will play something and it will unlock a whole story that is sitting there within me, or a melody. If you’re connected to your truth, you can then access it.
One time, they took me out to Bowling Green, KY. I basically kidnapped most of the members of Cage the Elephant and made my EP. Drummer Jared Champion, Matt, and then Brad Schultz took me out to a bar in Bowling Green. I have a rule where I don’t accept shots or drinks from strangers, but (laughing) I just missed that rule. It was their southern hospitality. I was wrecked in the studio for two days and they just made fun of me. So that was good, I was like a member of the band for a minute. I passed the test. (laughing)
The whole record was made in a couple weeks. It started because I knew Brad Schultz from ten years ago when we were both touring in London and then I heard a recent record of theirs, and I digged the sound a lot. New rock n’ roll doesn’t have a whole lot that’s carrying the torch of soul and groove in the music, but they do it. They do it right.
Do you have a favorite song from the EP at all?
Definitely. We played most of them live the past year, so I do. These songs live take on a life all their own. Like “Future Deep” takes on this dance tone, and people are super into it. “I Know Trouble” is definitely a favorite as far as just a soul-ripping blues song. I love “Any Way You Want” as an out of the gate rock track. And “Hello Hero” is one of my favorite things I’ve done of all time. It’s dancey with big beats and the grooviest bass line. I love “Hello Hero”.
I will have to say I do everything haphazard because I’m totally independent. Vinyl is coming in two weeks, I’m making all of this myself. There’s a lot of freedom in it. Then there is social media and things like this interview that are fun and very helpful.
Over the years, have you had anything interesting or fun on your rider list?
We have such a basic rider. One, we’re so punk rock and low budget. (laughing) There is NOTHING fun on our rider. We play little rock clubs where you’re lucky if you get half your rider. PLUS I always have a couple vegans in my crew, so we prioritize getting them fed. Especially in Europe. So there’s nothing fun ever. Socks? I’m not vegan, but ginger cookies. I like ginger. Nothing exciting. (laughing)
What would your advice to young girls chasing their dreams around the world be, especially with our current political climate?
My biggest advice is to find your truth. I learned how to sing from jazz music, and I realized imitation isn’t bad as long as you develop who you really are. To imitate Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald – I used to sing like that. Then I got with Linda Perry and she helped me get more courageous. She asked me what I like and what it is I want to say and we just started playing. So I would just tell people to try. There is no perfection. Be willing to make mistakes in your art and keep doing it. Stop it with the pressure.
I think with social media, people like writing and directing their own bits online and putting themselves out there. Perhaps there’s less perfection. But then on the flip side, there are young girls who say, “I can’t take a bad picture.”
I’m really big into doing what you fear. Not in an unhealthy way, but to stand up and speak a poem you wrote that was meaningful to you. Say it in front of people. There are so many inspiring things that come from that and you’ll find that there are other people who hear and feel your truth. You’ll find who you’re meant to speak to and where you’re supposed to be.
Please break the mold and don’t get lost in beauty stereotypes. Nowhere in my art am I thinking about being safe or attractive. My deeper concern is expression and connection. That is the end all be all.
I got the privilege of touring with Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders and it showed me that with certain artists, I don’t see any age. I don’t see anything but a one of a kind voice and a musical force with the most incredible songs. I got to tour with her and Cat Power f0r a month and it was such a phenomenal experience. Two completely different women and musicians. It was so liberating.
You do amazing things, woman.
Well thanks! I’m just open to opportunities and trying not to overthink. I try to leave it to chance. I don’t always feel prepared, but I’ll go for it and do my best in that moment, where I’m at. This record we just made is nothing I would have been able to write ten years ago. But ten years ago was what I could do at that time.
Do you have any big plans for the holidays?
Yes, I’m going to go to the snow. I grew up in California, the snow is like a miracle of life. “OH MY GOD! THERE’S SNOW!” I just want to be surrounded by it. I love that you’re surrounded by it and can’t drive right now. We’re going to Utah. I’m going with my guy and his kids and my sister and their kids for New Years. I’m really excited to play board games and to be stuck with each other and do things in the snow.
As far as Christmas, I’m just doing my thing with family. Should be relaxing.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Try and be active in the things you believe in and connect with other groups who are also active. Try to protect the vulnerable. That’s the main concern with our political climate is those people who have to be vulnerable by whatever things are about to be laid down. Right now is a very inspiring time. People are finding their voice and coming together. I’m going to that march on Washington for female rights at the end of January. We’re all coming together. It’s amazing.
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To get your own copy of Future Deep, head over to juliettelewis.com. Keep up with this unicorn of a human on Facebook.
In August, Los Angeles-based pop singer/songwriter JADE released her debut EP to critical acclaim. Featuring the beautiful singles “Find A Place” and “Wait For Me” alongside seven more incredibly produced tracks – including our personal favorite “Won’t The Rain Come Soon” – the made quite the impression, floating her ethereal vocals effortlessly over both acoustic and more electronically-driven tracks.
If you haven’t gotten a chance to listen to the flawless lines on PINK, check it out below and then read on for a fun little interview JADE did with us recently!
What is the first song or album you ever remember hearing, and who introduced it to you?
I think the first artists I had been introduced to were Bryan Adams and Michelle Branch. My dad would always play their music in the car or throughout the house.
Was there a moment that it struck you and you realized you were going to pursue music, or did it kind of slowly evolve?
It slowly evolved. I liked to play the “famous game” as kids with my friends; we were big time celebrities and we would try to write songs and preform them to each other. Eventually, I started doing it on my own. It went from being a game, to a hobby, to a lifestyle.
You have such a – dare we say it? – unique voice. It’s raspy and delicate at the same time, ethereal almost. Did that come naturally, were there vocal lessons involved?
Thank you! I did take voice lessons to help control my pitch and my breath. But my style of singing has evolved through listening to other artists and realizing certain words and phrases are easier to sing depending on how you pronounce them. A lot of muscle memory!
Your album PINK has been out for a minute, and it’s an absolute gem of a release. If you could sum it up for us and say your album is a Thanksgiving dish, which one would it be and why?
If my album were a Thanksgiving dish, it would be green bean casserole. People like it and it’s important, but there are bigger and better things to come!
“Wait For Me” was, of course, a beautiful single to release leading up to dropping PINK. But we are absolutely enamored by “Won’t The Rain Come Soon”. What specifically inspired it, if you don’t mind us asking?
Thank you, WTRCS is one of my favorites. It’s about the different struggles you go through in different periods of your life and wondering when you’re gonna get a fresh new start to something that can be better.
What was studio life like? Immerse us in the experience!
It can be very long days. Sometimes up to 13 hours. No snacks, but we usually order Uber Eats so we can stay on task! A lot of water and caffeine for everyone. Sometimes we’re all really pissed off because something isn’t working how we want it, so we’re all keeping to ourselves or feeling kinda low. But then two hours later we’re jumping up and down screaming along with the lyrics, talking about how we’re gonna take over the world. It’s a unique experience that I wish everyone could try it!
Do you have a favorite song or favorite song to perform, whether it is your own or someone else’s?
Off of PINK I think “Sorry” is my favorite! Off the next album we’re writing, there’s a lot of really fun songs that I can’t wait to preform. I also love to sing “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I can’t wait for this new album that I’m currently working on to come out! It’s emotional, fun to move to, has songs that will get stuck in your head, and is more mature sounding. Every song is a bop. 2018 will be a good year!
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PINK is out now. Keep an eye out for new music from JADE right here!
Winston-Salem-bred indie rock/alternative collective Foxture – comprised of Marlon Blackmon (Piano/Keyboard, Vocals), Eddie J Reynolds (Guitar), Andrew Irving (Drums), and Ross Barnes (Bass) – is showing us some pretty incredible chops with the release of their E D E N EP, a sparkling, six track collection that seems to bounce right out of the speakers with its energy. From the very beginning, there is no other way to describe what E D E N does better than to call it “groove-inducing,” as your hips are immediately swaying from the time you push “play.” Smooth percussion blends perfectly with Marlon’s ethereal vocals, and you’re transported to another place entirely.
In honor of the release of E D E N, we got a few words with Marlon, and a couple with Eddie. Check it out below, and let us know what you think of the EP!
What is the first song or album you ever remember hearing, and who introduced it to you?
Marlon: The first album I remember hearing was a Greatest hits compilation by the Temptations. I was very very very young, but they were my dad’s favorite artists collectively. I have always lived at least 25 to 30 minutes away from.
I guess there wasn’t really a striking moment beyond the first impression but after listening to those songs over and over, I began to learn the lyrics and their song “My girl” was the first song I learned lyrics to. From that point on I realized that I liked music, and became curious of what else was out there.
Eddie: Outkast’s song “Roses” from their The Love Below album was the first song I remember hearing. I heard that piano drop and 3 stacks yell out “CAROLINE” , and it changed my view on music with how it’s made and how versatile and unique it can be. My brother actually introduced be to it when I was nothing but a few years old. He pulled out a book of CDs, his full collection and asked me to select one of them, and that album stuck out to me. The second I heard it, my eyes lit up.
What is the Foxture origin story like? Was it a meet-cute?
Marlon: Well, Ross (bass) Eddie (guitar) and Andrew (drums) had already known each other from being in a band called Oceans Apart. I (Marlon, vocals and keyboard/synth) had been posting songs that I had recorded in my bedroom on bandcamp and Soundcloud, and people started contacting me for shows. I was just not interested due to stage fright and more specifically, the fear of not being able to replicate the layering of various parts and sounds from the recordings to a live setting influenced my interest on playing shows. So a few days after I released a solo version of our song “Surrealism” a friend of mine, who had been keeping up with what I had been working on, asked if I would be interested in playing her benefit concert for Louder Than Words, which is a benefit to help kids follow their music related dreams no matter their financial status. I thought about it, said yes, and took to a Facebook group for musicians in the area, and made a post asking if anyone wanted to help me out with full versions of songs that I already have (about 4 or 5 songs at this point). Eddie immediately responded and said, “Yo I have a bassist and a drummer” and we met up for practice and have been a band ever since.
Fast forwarding through the month that we had to prepare and learn all 5 songs, the show itself was the most awkward I have ever felt LOL. It was in this gorgeous concert hall at UNCG, under bright, bright, bright fluorescent lights. This was my first ever show, so I was super awkward and uncomfortable and we messed up pretty bad. But I remember walking fast backstage after that performance, sitting on the floor, and saying, “We need to book more shows.” I refused to let THAT performance define us and wanted to overshadow it so badly.
Your EP Eden dropped recently. If this collection of songs were a Thanksgiving meal item – whether it be an app like fancy cheese, the stuffing or cranberry sauce or turkey, or dessert – what would it be and why?
Marlon: Hmmm, I would have to say, red velvet cake. The icing would be reminiscent to the effects that we put into the album, and when you cut into the, soft, fluffy textures that seemingly melt in your mouth, its very satisfying.
Eddie: Mac & Cheese. Get lost in the gooey and cheesy goodness.
The music you make has always had a lightweight feel to it, but Eden has this almost translucent, otherworldly feel to it. Was this a noticeable and purposeful step in your sound, or did it just kind of happen organically?
Marlon: So, this is the sound that we have been trying to hone in on from the beginning. Emotions and feeling can be very abstract things, therefore we want our music to be as dreamlike as possible. We want people to have no choice but to fall into a lucid, hypnotic sense of thinking, and experiencing our music in general.
Any fun anecdotes from the recording process?
Marlon: We often laugh at the fact that I wrote “Understanding pt. 2” before I met the guys, and way before I wrote “understanding pt. 1”. Before I decided to change the name to Foxture, I recorded solo projects under the name “Lock & Key” and after realizing that a million bands and artists had that same name, I wanted something that was my own, that didn’t exist anywhere else. I liked the way foxes carry themselves in the wilderness, so because “Fox posture” didn’t roll off the tongue how I wanted it to, I merged the 2 words into “Foxture”, and “understanding pt. 2” was the first thing that I posted under that name.
What are you most looking forward to about this release?
Marlon: I felt like whatever the understanding series was going to be, THAT would be the second part of it. There was also a creative challenge of looking back at previous instances that inspired “understanding pt. 2” and trying to connect them for my own development as a person. We tend to understand (HAH) things better in hindsight anyway and, at that time, I was experiencing some serious writer’s block and that was a perfect way to open up and articulate the series more accurately.
With this release, we are looking forward to being able to communicate our vision more effectively and accurately. We are more than happy with this record and we had a lot of fun making it as well. I would say this ep is a perfect setup for a full length album, which we are currently working on.
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And we can’t wait to hear it! E D E N is available now. Keep up with Foxture here.
