Electronic musician Devereaux (W. Heyward Sims) has been busy in 2017, releasing his first new music since 2014’s Pineapple Flex LP to critical acclaim. Earlier this year, he released his most recent single “Kapowski”, and now it has an accompanying music video animated by Brian Caiazza, packed with visuals that will keep your mind adjusting to its explosions of brilliance for the duration of the track. “Kapowski” is a clear party track, something to jam to when in an energetic mood or – alternatively – an altered state. Pops of color and the usage of multitudes of instruments and different delectable looking fruit visuals makes the video one tasty treat, as though it simultaneously gives us cravings and satisfies them.
Maddie North is a New Zealander who has found her gorgeous self in Los Angeles, doing what she does best–making music. She released her first EP last year under the moniker of “So Below,” and we can’t get enough. Her music is ethereal, her voice tranquil, and her sound extremely unique. And then there’s her personality.
Maddie is a doll. We got to know her a little bit, and we’d like for you to know her too. Because she’s about to be a really big deal, and you don’t want to miss out. (Do you?) So check out this fun interview, and tell us what you think of miss Maddie (so) below!
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If you could introduce yourself to our readers in any way, with money not being a factor, how would you do so?
Hahaha! I’m not one for being the centre of attention, OR parachuting, so I guess just a quick blurb.
Hi! My name is Maddie and I have a musical project called So Below. I just put my debut EP out about 2 weeks ago, it’s a sort of dark style of electronic pop! I like red wine and watching terrible tv. I put way too much sriracha on all my food and if I’m not working, I’m usually walking around the house in my pajamas, I know, I’m crazy.
You’re from Auckland, New Zealand. How do you think that has aided in shaping who you are and how you live your life?
Well NZ is such a great place to grow up I think. I feel like it’s quite a relaxed place, the people are amazing and nature and beaches are such a part of it too. Moving to Los Angeles I definitely had to live in a place that had some sort of backyard garden area. I knew if I was cooped up in an apartment I would go crazy hahaha.
We feel you on that one! How old were you when you started getting into music?
I started taking music more seriously about two years ago. Before that I just made crappy little demos on Garage Band, drowned in reverb and delay. I was always pretty embarrassed to play them to anyone hahaha.
Other than that I played piano since I was 5ish and was in a choir in high school!
We have all of that in common. (Seriously. All of it.) When did you head out to the west coast, and how has that experience been for you?
I moved to LA about 3 years ago! It’s been great, definitely took a while for me to find my footing though. My tracks “Luna” and “Sleep” are both about LA, in fact. Different aspects of it but definitely inspired by my time here.
I just wrote a ton of potential names down on a list and that was the one I liked the most! The funny thing is I’m also in another band called Space Above, and didn’t even see the correlation until a few weeks later when someone asked, “You did that on purpose right? Space Above, So Below?” Hahaha maybe I did it subconsciously.
That’s awesome! What do you find is absolutely necessary in the writing/recording process for you?
I really enjoy writing by myself, but it can sometimes be challenging. Its definitely easier when you have someone else in the room to bounce ideas off of. My friend Leroy Clampitt and I work really well together, we wrote “Drift” and “Luna” together and a bunch of stuff that I haven’t released yet. He’s just fun to be around and has a really positive energy which is molto importante. Coffee yes, always a must, and a good night’s sleep hahaha.
You describe your sound as “goth pop.” Who would you cite as influences for your music?
I wrote “gothpop” on Soundcloud for a laugh, and it sort of stuck. I’ve been a massive Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails fan for a long time, huge influence.
Great influences! If you could tour with any act in the industry, who would you choose and why?
Well, Radiohead or Nine Inch Nails?? Hahaha actually Grimes seems like a super cool chick, I bet she would be heaps of fun to tour with. Or Lorde, she’s such a lovely person.
And touring with those two would make sense with your sound. OK. We stalked your Instagram, and we see you have a sweet tooth. What is the best donut you’ve ever eaten?
I honestly don’t really have a sweet tooth, I don’t crave it. But hey if it’s in front of me, I’m not NOT gonna eat it I mean that’s just crazy talk. But there’s a pretty cool place called Donut Friend in Highland Park. You build your own dream donut. <3 <3
Bookin’ the next flight out! What are you currently listening to?
The new Moderat album is really great! It just came out, definitely check it out.
What are your favorite things to do/places to go/people to see in New Zealand?
I honestly haven’t really travelled around New Zealand! So I can’t give a good answer to this hahaha my bad. Its definitely on my to do list, but every time I go home I just want to hang with my family and friends in Auckland.
Fair enough! What do you do when a baby just stares at you in public? (Yup. Bizarre question. Owning it.)
Ummmm I’m not super great with kids, and I feel like they can sense my fear sorta like how dogs can hahaha. I guess my immediate reaction would be look away??
We’re cut from the same cloth. What’s the best video/movie/TV show you’ve seen lately? Why?
I saw a film last week called The Lobster it was really great! Its got Collin Farrell in it who is one of my fav celeb hotties. Although in this movie he’s not looking tooooooo great hahah.
We have been wanting to see that! YES. Your voice is absolutely gorgeous. Ethereal, really. This makes us wonder: if your music were to be featured in a movie or television show, which one could you imagine it as a background to?
The one that offered me the most money obviously!! Haha JOKES umm I’m a big sci fi fan, so maybe something like Ex Machina, or Under The Skin. TV shows maybe Girls? Or True Detective? Not sure if it’s a good fit though.
We kind of want to hear your stuff everywhere, though! What’s up next for SO BELOW, darling?
Maddie: Live Show!! I’m super excited but also hella nervous. I’ll probably invite people to like my 3rd show, by then I would have fallen on my face and forgotten all the lyrics a few times, so it will be out of my system by then hahaha.
Los Angeles-based indie pop duo (and real life couple) KiSMiT – Carly Barnette and Basti Reunert – has been blowing minds with their latest release, a 70s-inspired track titled “Cosmic Love”. So you know “we struck gold” with the music video for the track, which also plays off the nostalgic nature of the song. Carly and Basti spend the majority of the video making eyes at each other, frolicking in the desert in vintage-inspired outfits, layered in with shots of the two playing the song as if on a variety show. But whether they’re covered in glitter and seemingly glowing, transposed over images of the universe, or dancing around outside, these two are encouraging positive, fun, adventurous love with this video.
We were in such a good mood after watching the video that we decided to ask the duo a couple of questions about it all. So check out the video below, and then learn more about your new favorite power couple!
What is the first song or album you ever remember hearing, and who introduced it to you?
Carly: Definitely Jewel’s ‘Pieces of You’ – I knew all the words at 5 years old. My mom (going through a divorce at the time – shocker there!) had it on repeat in the car growing up. Something about her raw emotions just touched my little baby soul – #everydayangel (her super fan hashtag in case you didn’t know) ’til I croak. The album followed me throughout my life – first concert, first one I played at the piano – I look forward to the day I can look her in the eyes and thank her for her imprint on my life.
Baz: First album or song ever is a tough one to remember. The first song that I remember really catching me is ‘Hotel California’. It is a saga of a song not to mention the EPICALLY MELODIC GUITAR SOLOS!! My great uncle Freddy showed it to me on our drive from Palmdale to Santa Barbara, which, at 8 years old, was an epic journey of its own.
Your new video for “Cosmic Love” is so fun, and it has such a beautiful warmth to it! Where did the concept come from, and what was filming like?
Carly: Thank you! We had so much damn fun making it – I’m thrilled that that comes through. It’s our first music video so it was a labor of love from start to finish. I’ve always dreamed of doing a music video and to have been able to make it happen with some of my favorite people was just beyond magical. I had the idea for the lyric “we wax and we wane – I just want more of the same” and thought of us sleeping – how we might start spooning but then roll over onto our backs or snuggle the other way and it fascinated me from a birds eye view that it mirrors the moon cycle.
As “Cosmic Love” came to life musically that idea always lingered at the back of my mind. All of the music video brainstorming happened with Alex Cantatore (www.quickactcasual.com), our director / dear friend / upstairs neighbor at the time. We would lounge around in our apartments or chill out in the backyard and shoot ideas across at one another. Nothing was too big or crazy or extravagant and that was exhilarating!
Baz: Having alien-planet-looking parts of California (Mono Lake, Red Rock Canyon, Death Valley) as such a blessing for our outer space ambitions on a shoe-string budget.
Carly: Two worlds started to form: Our “SuperStar-Selves” (the best parts of our love: sexy, confident, fabulous); & Pleasant-ville meets desert – Desertville (the day-to-day, mundane and less flattering but very real flip side to a loving relationship). This first music video presented an opportunity to share another side of us. We wanted to be as honest as possible with the partnership we are putting on display – it’s magic and muddy all wrapped up into a a beautiful mess.
What inspired the track itself, if we might ask?
Baz: Sonically, it comes about from a mixture of sounds inspired by Allen Stone’s Freedom (Alternate Version), Andra Day’s Mistakes and Daft Punk’s Get Lucky. (Pharrell, if you’re reading this, you better not come after our money! We didn’t steal your song!) Lyrically, ‘Cosmic Love’ is derived from us wanting to remember that the day-to-day of loving and working together has many twists and turns, warm and cold moments and all of it is part of the ride.
Carly: We wanted to make something that was bursting with love and vitality from the first beat, that, most importantly, made me move. If my booty is shaking, there’s definitely a smile on my face and that was important with this new direction of our music.
How do you imagine people listening to this track? (In an armchair, surrounded by flowers in a meadow? In an airplane with cotton candy clouds? Sitting at a BBQ? You can get creative here if you want!)
Baz: I picture people who are on the move listening to the song: in their car, getting ready to go out, exercising.
Carly: Such a fun question – I hope people are listening to it while they are making dinner – bottle of wine open, dancing in the kitchen -that sort of vibe. Also, before you’re going out – a social, pump-up vibe would make me reaaaaally excited. I know my grammy listens to it on repeat while she drives – so in the car for sure (#sola) okay okay subway too!!!
Any pet peeves or interesting stories you’d like to shed light on about each other? (We want all your secrets!)
Carly: Oh DANG – first time we’ve been asked to spill the dirt! After 5 years of living and loving together, I think I can divulge just one…. homeboy sleeps with earplugs (such sensitive angel earbuds) and when I wake up in the morning, they are always near me, around me, on me, without fail like stickers on my body – really haven’t vented about this, thanks for letting me get it out. Baz, you’ve got to work on that situation. But, if that’s the top of the list of annoyances, I would say,”Hell yeah! I’m a lucky gal.” Interesting story about Baz, that his modest South African self would never share and one that continually blows my mind, is that he picked up the guitar with serious interest and investment at 16. Like whaaaaaaat!?! I am so inspired by his dedication to his passion. He is always down in the studio in soft pants slapping da bass or producing or findling on the guitar and that is something I admire so much!
Baz: Well, I’m beaten for age by Carly’s flawless performance as Annie, with a 101 degree fever, at age 9. Her gran sent us the DVD of the performance and the sparkle has always been there. (Car, while you are sleeping tonight I will be sure to rest the earbuds on your eyelids.)
What’s your opinion on the modern music industry?
Baz: It is constantly evolving, especially how people are digesting music. The ability that everyone has to get their music heard and to find their audience is unprecedented. The niche markets are able support more indie artists than ever before. The major challenge is, of course, in that music streaming has greatly halted the flow of money to the artists, but when there is change in the weather, you best adapt and get on with it, the world isn’t going to stop for you. Again I’ll say, the major pro of the modern day music industry is how easy it is to connect with people of similar taste around the world.
Carly: Yeah, I will second the positive wind in our sails. It’s daunting to be investing in a career where the return isn’t guaranteed. So much of the conversation is the same “no money in music”, which I understand that that’s the truth but my mom started her own business when she was pregnant with me (talk about inspiration) and has always preached that when you are doing what you are meant to be doing, support always comes, I really believe that. I think in a lot of way it’s a super empowering time to be in this industry – no more waiting around for someone to find you or holding your breath for luck. Do the work, get your music & content as proud of it as you possibly can be, get it out there and what is meant to be will be.
However black & white as the social media “highlights reel” may seem sometimes – I think we are also getting to a point where if you are fake, it comes through. As an artist, there’s no hiding behind an image because daily you are sharing what you ate for breakfast, how you feel, who and what you support. It’s overwhelming and I need to unplug on the regular but I don’t think we even know what we are living through yet!
On an emotional level – our country, world, humankind is hurting right now, every day we put on our armor to the outside world that feels like it’s falling apart and to be contributing music as a soundtrack through these scary times, is something I am so grateful for.
Anything else you’d like to add?
We have a new single ‘Panther’ coming out later this month – the second release off of our upcoming EP coming out next February as well as an upcoming show at Harvard & Stone in Los Angeles on November 21st at 10pm. Thanks so much for taking the time & interest to share our story!
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Keep your eyes peeled for “Panther” and updates on KiSMiT here.
As Texas’ indie/electro-rock/pop collective TOMKAT – comprised of Katrina Cain, Andrew McMillan, Mike Luzecky, and Jonny Harmon – prepares to release their captivating 9 track album Icarus on Friday, October 13th, they’re prepping a couple of live dates surrounding everything. They’re no strangers to the spotlight, as their debut single “Big Love” was placed in James Franco’s 2016 film Actors Anonymous, but we will argue that they haven’t seen their peak yet, as Icarus marks their full-length debut. And we’re excited to see fan reactions, as we’ve gotten the chance to peak all the new tracks and we’re solidly digging the soothing, trance-like feeling we get listening to the layered, smooth tracks. Katrina’s vocals will ensnare you, whether she’s bringing you up or you’re “Drowning” together.
But before you get the chance to hear what they’ve got in store, we got to throw a few questions at the band. Peep the interview below, along with latest single “Teardrops” to give you a little taste of what’s to come.
What is the first song or album you ever remember hearing, and who introduced it to you?
This is such a great question! When I was a kid, we moved around a lot. I think I moved 6 times before I turned 7, which made for a lot of road trips. We also never flew anywhere, so I have very specific memories of very long car rides across the country. My dad would make mix tapes of music he liked, and that’s what we listened to in the car when we got tired of NPR. My mom claims he played Willie Nelson and James Taylor, but I very vividly remember “America” by Simon and Garfunkel, and “Sympathy for the Devil” by The Rolling Stones. That was the music my dad listened to, and it’s the first music I ever remember hearing.
Your track “Teardrops” off the upcoming album Icarus has been garnering quite a bit of attention with its soulful, laid back vibe, though the lyrics are a bit more involved than that. What inspired that song, specifically?
All of our songs start out with one concept and kind of morph and settle over time into their final, recorded version. “Teardrops” started with just a groovy chord progression, and in rehearsal we would play it over and over again while I sang random syllables that would later turn into actual lyrics. The one lyrical concept I kept coming back to was the line “I’ve been flying so high, I’ve been falling to Hell.” I couldn’t get that feeling out of my head. The harmonic and melodic content of the song really felt like a happy, laid back feeling of soaring, but in my personal life I felt the exact opposite. I wasn’t where I wanted to be in life, and it felt like everything was falling apart. That’s how the song turned into this strange sort of juxtaposition, you’ve got this outside shell where you pretend all is well, but inside you feel like you’re a failure. That’s how the song came to be.
“Persephone” is such a mesmerizing track, though it’s told from the perspective of a woman’s abductor. What made you choose to go that way with the lyrical content? (Also… Persephone was always one of our favorite characters in Greek mythology.)
I have always loved the story of Persephone too! Writing this song from the perspective of Hades was actually unintentional at first. I had wanted to write a song based on Persephone for quite some time because I wanted it to be an allegory for the female experience. I sat down to write the lyrics and pretty much did it about 10 minutes. I had always intended the song to be a feminist statement, I wanted to tell about the horror of being objectified and imprisoned. But when I finished and read what I had written, the story was quite the opposite. In my initial intent, the abductor’s voice (promising to treat her well and repeating “Say you love me!” over and over again) was meant to be dangerous, manipulative, and unstable. However, it also made me consider an alternate version of the story, that perhaps Hades was simply in unequivocal, undying love. And perhaps Persephone loved him too and was happy to make her life in the Underworld as his queen. I decided to leave the lyrics unedited, exactly as I first wrote them, and my hope is that no matter how the listener hears the song, he or she will take away some kind of meaning that is different from how he or she has previously thought of the story of Persephone.
You recorded the upcoming album over a year ago, and had all of the material prepared even further in advance of that. How ready are you for the world to finally hear it in its entirety?
We honestly feel like we have never been more ready for anything! We’re almost sick of our own songs at this point! But isn’t that how it always goes? We are super excited for this baby to be out in the world and hear what our friends and listeners think of the songs in their studio-quality state. Once that day comes, we’ll be able to breathe and take a nap.
Do you have a favorite track off of the album?
“Persephone” is definitely my favorite track. We ultimately decided not to make it a single, but I’m still planning to share that track specifically and make a music video for it after the album release, because I think it deserves that.
Did you choose to release this album on Friday the 13th for any particular reason, or was it just a crazy random happenstance?
The choice to release on Friday the 13th was kind of an accident, but when the date came up I thought, “Hell yeah! Let’s do it!” Maybe it will be good luck. (I don’t have a lot of superstitions…)
If you could have any superhero help you promote Icarus, who would you choose and why?
Wonder Woman! Because powerful women will save the world.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Icarus will be available on iTunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, and pretty much every music sharing app available!
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TOMKAT will be playing an album release show on October 19th at Harvest House in Denton, Texas. Tickets are available now. Icarus is out October 13th. It is available for preorder now. Keep up with TOMKAT here.
On Friday, eclectic, electronic pop musician Parker – otherwise known as Jake Sgarlato – released his Spark EP. From the first notes of “Home” ft. Oh Boy, through the bass drops in recent single “Shy”, all the way through the last lines of final track “Afterglow” ft. Bianca, there is an energy to this EP that makes you want to dance, no matter the environment you’re currently in. Sincerely, as hard as the tracks hit at points, there’s a smoothness to the way they were produced that makes this a multi-faceted – and beautiful – musical endeavor.
Hard advice: Add any number of these five to your current party playlist.
Parker dropped his EP amidst a heavy tour schedule, and we can only imagine what the coming weeks have in store for him.
Los Angeles based pop duo ALKE – comprised of Jameson Flood and Audrey (A.K.) Karrasch – maintain the perfect balance of ethereal vocals and nostalgic, 80’s instrumentals in their art, music that makes you want to get up and make all of your teenage dreams come through. Theirs has been an inspirational journey, and A.K. has shared her insight with Bitch Media and Girl Talk HQ in recent months, highlighting emotional abuse’s place in the music industry. It’s a side of the industry that consumers don’t normally get to see, and it’s a terrifying reality for many.
But then there are the few that rise above. They create organic, intense emotion with their art and they climb to the top with their ability to rise above with a feel good/do good attitude. ALKE is one of the few, and you will feel that way time and time again, whether enjoying one of their refreshing singles or some of the gleaming words of wisdom they provide.
We wanted to dive a little deeper with ALKE. So, we did.
If you were to introduce ALKE to the world in a major way – really go all out, the sky’s the limit – how would you do so?
Jameson: Just to preface this answer I’ll let you know that this is Jameson answering this one (I don’t want my bitterness to be associated with A.k). So, I thought about this question a lot and finally had a moment of realization. I don’t know if anything, fantastical or not could do a sufficient job of introducing our music to anyone. What we want more than anything is for people to appreciate what we create and maybe spend a few moments in our world. We give people our music for free and tell everyone we know about it, and even our closest friends sometimes don’t listen. As opposed to the earlier generations, ours doesn’t seem interested in what you have to say unless you go on Dr. Phil and scream profanities at your mother. So maybe in an alternate universe where people still cared about things like talent or just art in general I would be excited to answer this question, but our universe can “cash me outside.. how bout that.”
The music video for “All Night” is really fun and adorable. (Plus who doesn’t want to run around like crazy and cause a ruckus when they’re stuck in a hospital bed?) How did that concept come about, and what was the creative process like with the video? Any fun anecdotes?
We had a couple of ideas for this video but that all somehow involved a hospital. At first we thought it would be fun for me to actually escape, and roller skate to the nearest skating rink. Then I remembered I am awful at roller skating. We had this idea for a while but we never thought we’d get the opportunity to actually shoot it. Almost a week after we put it out of our minds we were given the opportunity to shoot any video we wanted, but it had to be done within a week’s time. The director, Logan Meis, was in LA working on a project and last minute was able to book a day with us. This was exciting, however I had zero clue about finding a hospital to shoot in. After some solid googling I found a hospital set in Anaheim that just so happened to have a cancellation for the exact day we needed. We wanted the video to show that happiness and joy can be present in even the gloomiest of places. When we’re alone and feeling depleted love is always the force that keeps as moving forward. Longing for someone you haven’t even met allows the imagination to run wild. The possibilities are endless, even in a hospital gown.
All we could think while watching the video was, “This belongs in a John Hughes movie.” It’s the visual representation of how we feel when we hear your synth-laden sound. Is this an intentional thing you go into your work aiming for, or has it kind of come about more organically than intended?
A.K.: Wow. Firstly, that is an amazing compliment and I know I speak for the both of us when I say that. As Jameson stated above we want our music to be an invitation to our world, and we want our world to feel familiar and nostalgic to everyone. We don’t want to create things that aren’t realistic. With so much going on in the world, the pressure we all feel from social media, and just life in general it’s important to keep things real and endearing. We want our music to take people to a place in their brain that’s familiar, comfortable, and reminiscent of a time in life that felt easier and less strenuous. For as much as I wanted to grow up and get out of high school, I cherish those memories the most. We grow up and grow out of our awkwardness but one thing I’ve learned is that insecurities feel just the same at any age, and it’s important to embrace what makes us different, what makes us happy. For us, that’s being forever young & courageous.
Jameson: I think this is possibly the greatest compliment we have ever received. I consider John Hughes films to be the perfect pop songs in movie form and I absolutely strive to create that same atmosphere and vibe in our music. The way he created such simple settings and still made them into something attainable and desirable was mind blowing to me growing up. I wanted to be in the breakfast club. If that was detention then I would have broken every rule to get in. I mean who didn’t want the charisma of Ferris Bueller?! He took normality and added endless possibility. The way we long for that feeling we had while watching those movies is something I have to insert in all of our music for me to feel like it’s coming across the right way. I want people to be teleported into a different world when they listen, but I want that world to be something familiar and nostalgic as well. So actually to go back to the first question, this is how I’d introduce our music. I’d travel back in time and have John Hughes use our music in all of his films. Then travel back to present day and use all of the money I made from his movies to buy Atlantic Records and fire whoever signed the catch me outside girl.
A.K., with your history in the industry and the obstacles you’ve faced to get your art out there, what do you think has been the most important factor or trait that has changed in your process, or how you go about producing your music now?
It definitely helps having an amazing producer in your band, that’s for sure. From the first time Jameson and I wrote together it just felt so easy and free. He has a way with seeing my vision, bringing it to life, and through his instrumentation he’s able able to pull so much out of me that’s been locked up for years. For so long my perception of writing music and recording was skewed. While logically I knew expression and creativity were the whole point of music, I found it hard to embrace being vulnerable when I was under the wing of bad management. It used to feel like writing with a formula and writing for approval. The greatest lesson I’ve learned is to throw out all the rules. I don’t write music because I want approval or want to be liked. We write because if we don’t, we’d probably just feel numb. If we ever feel like we’re forcing something we just pause.
What is the environment like when you’re recording? Do you find you work better in dark spaces, a designated studio, with drink in hand? Bring us into your BTS production-wise, and give us every detail!
Jameson: So I was going to say that it’s different for every song, but I thought about it a little more and realized that there is definitely a pattern. Almost every time we write something it starts with me just wondering into the home studio as if I didn’t know it was there and sitting down at the keyboard. I’m one hundred percent a guitarist but for some reason I don’t find the guitar as inspiring as the keys when I’m trying to create something new. So I’ll find some progression that I’m usually not sure about and A.K. will quietly walk in and say something like “what’re you doing?”. Once she spends about 30 minutes convincing me that whatever I’m playing is worth writing to, we get settled in. Or actually we run to the store and buy wine and then we settle in. A.K. Is actually a studio engineer as well so she’ll spend a good amount of time recording her vocal ideas by herself. I’ll comp some ideas together and then we get in my car. Car time is a necessity for us. We’ve finished writing a lot of our songs in the car. As far as environment goes, we definitely like the cozy home studio atmosphere. Feeling comfortable and knowing we can come and go as we please opens up our minds to express ourselves without insecurities. Honestly it doesn’t even matter what part of the house we’re in either. We recorded our song Indigo in my kitchen in Nashville. So as long as it’s our space, it’s the right space.
What do you consider in life to be beautiful – perhaps even art – that you hadn’t considered before, or that perhaps the masses don’t consider to be? Substantiate that claim.
Jameson: This might sound like a weak answer but I’d say friendship. Before I met A.K. I had spent years pretty much completely alone. I may have had a few people around that were sort of friends but they were usually met through working on a project together. Since moving to LA multiple people that I grew up with have moved here as well, and through them I’ve met even more people I now call friends. Having them in my life and spending time with them on a weekly basis has drastically changed who I am. I feel happiness on a much more consistent basis which for me is hard to come by due to clinical depression. My life is now manageable and so much more hopeful because of real friendships.
A.K.: I couldn’t agree more with Jameson. It used to bother me when people would say “it’s all about who you know” when trying to give advice about the music industry and how to share your art. That sentence alone doesn’t sit well with me because it implies we have to meet some “gatekeeper” in order to share our art. I like to remind myself that I can’t control what happens, but I can control my reaction, so that sentence has a new meaning for me now. It absolutely is 100% about who we know. We know our friends, our families, and we cherish them. You can’t put a price tag on real relationships and without them inspiration is non-existent.
For those of you living under rocks, everyone’s favorite turn of the century alt rock band continues to put out killers. The most recent gem – a music video for their track “Over And Over Again” (published September 7th) – is as quirky as the cowbell that introduces the song. And Bert McCracken’s signature vocals dance in a strangely melodic and ethereal way – as his range truly surprises people every single time – over the instrumentals, which are pure pop rock at their core. The simple video filled with blank space for much of it really gives your eyes a lesson in contrast, while the guys dance and act out absurd and visually pleasing storylines.
The video for “Over And Over Again” is a true amalgamation of The Used’s wide range of talent, continually catapulting them into the bright future of alt rock.
For those of you living under a rock, America’s favorite groove/soul/genre-blending indie collective Portugal. The Man put out a stunning release with their album Woodstock earlier this year, from which their well received single “Feel It Still” comes to their admiring public. With all of the madness surrounding the release, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival was actually able to play host as a platform for the new album, as they performed there and even a small album listening party congregated in the hot hot heat of the weekend. Now Woodstock is available to the general public, and we definitely have some thoughts.
Like the lead track “Number One”, which features Richie Havens and Son Little. Beginning with a bit of b-roll white noise with a crowd talking, the track actually sets up with a hard beat and more of an 80’s soulful groove. Second track “Easy Tiger” actually explodes with synth – but in a contemporary pop way – before the sound kind of shatters into a crackling, frantic song with its layers of sound effects and high energy. Third track “Live In The Moment” is driven by its percussion, framing personal anecdotes in its lyrics. It’s definitely the anthemic type of song, providing an energy that encourages pursuing your dreams. It almost feels like you can’t get better than that, as your ears are enveloped in this positive, fun sound. And then, of course, they one up it all with “Feel It Still”, which we FEEL doesn’t necessitate an explanation. Just wow.
The rough guitar that brings “Rich Friends” into the fold really provides an edge the album hasn’t previously explored. References to “wonderwall” and lines like “livin’ life like we’re the only ones that know we’re famous” provide a commentary on living life like a rockstar. “Keep On” is an upbeat track, but its lyrics further confirm the struggle between persistence for the sake of it to maintain momentum and acting out of actual passion. “So Young” takes on a different feel than its predecessors, a moderate tempo track that really exudes a matter-of-fact, sit back and relax vibe. (Something Portugal. The Man isn’t averse to doing, thankfully. These tracks are smooth like butter and – in our opinion – standouts in their previous work as well.)
Eighth track “Mr Lonely” (ft. Fat Lip) maintains a similar tempo and instrumental vibe to “So Young”, though they continue in a similar vein to prior social commentary tracks, with lyrics like “There’s glitter falling/and a banner that says/Welcome to Hell/Make yourself at home/Leave behind free will/Can you feel me now?” Haunting and conversation-inducing, this is the outstanding beauty that Portugal. The Man is known for.
But they’re not done yet.
“Tidal Wave”‘s composition screams “SUMMER!”, especially with the vision of a wave in your mind. But it’s so much more than that if you delve into the lyrics, really focusing more on “the aftershock,” highlighting that “the rest of you’s born to lose… worst of you’d born to lose/Bet on the winners,” which comes right back around to societal expectations. (But we’re always betting on this band, if anyone’s wondering.) They round it all out expertly with tenth track “Noise Pollution” (ft. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Zoe Manville), a song that echoes the title’s sentiment. Layers of instrumentals create this frenzied feeling, but somehow it all blends perfectly into this sound that perfectly defines what the band is all about.: the energy, the social awareness, the experience.
Woodstock is available now. Run, don’t walk. (Or speed type your CC into that order form!)
We caught up with LIGHTS the day after she got home from a whirlwind trip. She finally had a moment of calm, a little bit of time to rest during the insane time that is her Skin&Earth rollout.
For those of you who don’t know, LIGHTS is a phenomenal female Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter who has been winning us over since 2009 with her quirky, pop infused brand of alternative. Back in April, she dyed her signature long locks vibrant red and started teasing her new project – the aforementioned Skin&Earth -, an album to be released in the fall along with a series of comic books, written, designed, and illustrated by the musician herself.
We’re in for one crazy ride, but before you check out her latest single (which drops later today), read on about the project, and get as excited as we are to see it all unfold!
What was the first album or song you remember listening to, and who introduced it to you?
I remember this super well. I was 11. This was the first song that I remember remembering, actually. Obviously I heard a lot of music leading up to this, but this was the first time a song really caught my attention. It was “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2. It was playing in gymnastics because I was in gymnastics as a kid. I remember I couldn’t pay attention to anything but that song. It really captivated me and I thought, “I really like this song. I don’t know why, but I really like this song.” And from that moment, I always loved that song and always tried to figure out what makes that song what it is. Timeless, beautiful, captivating. And I’ve always tried to sort of achieve that with my own music.
Last week, I saw U2 for the first time. I flew my dad to Toronto and we went together. The whole Joshua Tree record means a lot to both of us. It was a big, big moment. It was the first time I’d seen them. It was wonderful.
Do you think that song, specifically, has any bearing on your music now?
Yeah, absolutely. I think that in order for a song to be something that can reach the multitudes, it has to be immediate. I spend a lot of time trying to understand the idea of immediacy in music. I think that’s the complicated part about pop music because pop music doesn’t get enough credit for the fact that that’s the whole goal there. You try to captivate a complicated idea in the most simple, immediate way. There’s an art to that. I feel like I get better at it every time I work on a record, but I always try to apply it. You should be able to remember at least something about the song by the time the second chorus rolls around so that, maybe, by the last chorus, you can sing along.
That’s more of a challenge than you think. That comes down to simplicity of lyric and melody and impact of a line or a lyrics, something that people will remember the minute they hear it. Or something that just catches people off guard, like my new song “Giants”. I always try to do something that’s really simple and easy, but there’s some degree of oddity to it. I think that every big song people remember has something a little off about it. Take “Call Me Maybe” for example, just the fact that it wasn’t “Call Me Baby”, it was “Call Me Maybe”. That’s the aspect that made it a little different, you know?
So with “Giants”, the quirkiness about it is a tempo change, and these chords come in totally unexpected. Because it’s like 24 BPM off of the rest of the song. So you’re like, “Where did this come from?!” So there’s always going to be a degree of weirdness amidst the complete simplicity of a pop track.
You are literally touching on all my points right now, because I’ve been obsessing over that tempo change since the track came out. What inspired the tempo change? Did that happen organically, or were you like, “No, we have to swap it up?”
It’s a little bit of both. I wrote it with Mick Schultz, great dude. We were just chilling at his studio coming up with ideas and we had this killer verse going with a really cool vibe, and we kind of worked into chorus territory. Started working on the chorus and got really into chorus world and completely forgot about verse world. We went back to the verse, and the song parts had divided into their own tempo. We loved both parts of the song and we really wanted them to work together, but they weren’t the same tempo. So we thought, “Well, what if we just put them together and see what happens?”
We literally walked around debating for a couple of hours if it was something that would even fly. But everything about the song was a pop song except for the tempo change, so we wanted to do it right so people wouldn’t feel the transition in an awkward way. We knew it could work. So we deliberately went in and sort of finessed a few things to make it work, and lo and behold it became the first single. So it obviously clicked.
It was a complete blast to make, so I’m glad people seem to be digging it so far!
I know last week you played your hometown and it was your first show in like, 15 months. What was that like for you?
It was awesome! It reminded me how much I missed playing and how much I missed doing shows. It felt so good and we had been rehearsing for the weeks leading up to it, so we were locked in again just like a year and a half ago. I really missed it. But it was also nice to play in a small town. I was born there and spent a few months of my life there, so there was that whole connection which was nice. I spent a lot of time in Northern Ontario, so it was totally nostalgic for me anyway. People in small towns don’t get bands coming through, so they’re so appreciative and excited. There was a great vibe to the show. It was funny.
In the vein of going to a small town, I actually went to a thrift store there that day. I like going to thrift stores in small towns because they aren’t picked over and there’s actually stuff to buy. I found this sick jacket and decided to wear it for the performance. So I wore it on stage, and someone tweeted me like, “That’s my jacket that I took to the thrift store!” So I bought someone’s jacket that was at the show. It was hilarious.
Only in a small town, right?
That’s amazing! That is so funny. I know we don’t have too much time, but I do want to touch on the album. I know it’s not coming out until the fall, but you have this insane comic book series coming out with it and everything. Do you have any fun anecdotes from production? The way you’ve been rolling everything out has been very thought out and cryptic and it really hooks your audience, so I’m wondering about the process for creating this release.
Oh God, it’s been so much work. But amazing and I’ve never felt more creatively fulfilled. I think that I just have my nose to the grindstone all the time. I’m constantly working. Because I’m doing my own art and everything for it, I’m on direct phone calls with the marketing team, coming up with assets for marketing, sending over files for the album art, everything. So I’m hands in working on this stuff all the time. So I never really have time to step back and look at the big picture.
But I understand this role and these characters almost more than I understand my own role. I’m about to do a phone call to discuss the bio, and part of it will be me as the other characters. So it’s kind of fun and giving me these other dimensions. It’s this whole other world come to life.
There’s been a couple funny things along the way creating a comic. If I can’t get a pose of something, I’ll take a picture and use that as a reference for the pose. I’ve used myself as a reference for all the characters pretty much, so even the male characters in the book are actually me. I posed as what the guy would do and then bulked myself up. So literally every character in this book is a part of me, so it’s been a blast.
That’s so creative and great. When did the idea to do the comic book with the album come about?
I’ve always wanted to do it honestly. It’s something that’s really never been done to this degree. Coheed & Cambria have done something similar, but there’s never been a female artist that’s paired the two. These two mediums don’t actually cross over that often, as strange as that seems. You’d think that there’d be more of a crossover. As a fan, I want to see it as a crossover more often. But I think what it really comes down to is that it’s a lot of work. Most people wouldn’t be willing to do it all themselves. I finally came to terms with the fact that if I wanted to do this, I had to be prepared to do the work.
So I actually – leading into the album – came up with a rough storyline, and went into the studio sessions for songwriting with the story in mind. It ended up being really helpful because it drove the session. You didn’t have to spend two hours figuring out what you wanted to write about. The story was there, I knew what part and what mood needed to be captured. Then I could speak through this character almost as a third person.
I was singing about things that maybe I didn’t feel I could sing about before. Fighting with your partner, being angry, sex. These are things that I felt like I might not be able to talk about just because people have their expectations of the kinds of things I have sung about before. So suddenly I was opening up this whole other side of me that I’d never otherwise felt free to talk about and so the songs started to really flow.
So I thought, “This is really happening, this is REALLY happening. Now I have to find someone to do the art.” And unless you have tons of money, no one’s going to do the art. So I thought, “Well, I’ll do the art. I’ll find someone to write it.” I didn’t know how to write a comic book. I had the storyline in mind, but I had never written a comic book. Where do you start, right? So I went to the top first. I went to Brian K Vaughan, who is my favorite comic writer ever. We started chatting online and I sent him the last acoustic record and he loved it. He was super busy but he basically said, “You’re already a writer. You should do this yourself, you should try this.” So before I went to anyone else, I took his advice and I actually did it.
He gave me a little bit of advice to get started, and I just wrote the thing myself. And when the time came I just thought, “Well, I gotta draw this.” I went to Youtube University, you know? I watched tutorials, read books, watched webinars, learned how to do comic art, learned how to write, panel, capture emotion. Then I just did it, I just went for it.
It’s been an amazing, liberating experience. Because I suddenly realized that you can literally do anything if you put the work in. It’s so liberating and amazing. Your dreams can come true if you put the time in. People are afraid of what they’re capable of just because of the amount of work it takes. But we can do anything. It’s amazing.
What a nugget! Oh my gosh, you’re so awesome. I have one more question for you. Clearly you’re already a comic book superhero, but if you could have any one super power, what would it be and why?
I’ve always said teleportation. That would be the best. I spend a third of my life traveling, waiting, driving, flying. It’s exhausting and it’s the hardest part about being a touring musician. If I could just teleport to the venue and then come home that night, it would be the best. We need to invent that.
What are you currently listening to?
