Portland-based alt/pop My Brothers and I might be busy prepping for the release of their EP material, but the next piece in that EP puzzle belongs to “When You’re Ready”, for which the music video has been taking center stage since its release in late May.
We’re absolutely smitten with this quintet, so we decided to do a quick interview to celebrate all their (amazing!) release news as of late. Check it out below!
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How did you all meet?
Scott, Erik, and I (David) are really brothers, so we met because we had to. Then Jordan and Scott have been besties since 2nd Grade and Jordan held me when I was a baby. So he is basically our brother.
Your song “When You’re Ready” has a very unique sound, what inspired that?
For the entire EP coming soon, we wanted to write pop music and have it feel like it could be on Top 40 radio, while also staying true to what makes us different. In most of our new songs, we have a mixture of real instruments and samples. We wanted to create a hybrid that competes with a lot of the digitally created pop music you hear, without going full-blown digital. We have a lot of real piano, real guitar, real drums, and real bass, while also throwing in some synths and 808 drum beats. This is especially shown off in When You’re Ready. The vibe may feel familiar, but the execution is what we feel sets it apart. It’s organic pop!
The video for “When You’re Ready” has an interesting story that revolves around a dissatisfied model. How did you come up with the concept for the video?
The “When You’re Ready” music video idea was actually brought to us by the producer of the video. He reached out and pitched his idea and we really liked it right away. We knew we didn’t want the video to just be a direct narrative of the lyrical content and his idea felt like a pretty cool metaphor that makes sense with the lyrics without being a direct representation. We had a blast working on it and are super happy with how it turned out.
Who inspires you as artists?
We are all a bunch of music sponges. We love to listen to music and are constantly listening to the New Music Friday playlist on Spotify. So more recently we have been vibing on that new Shawn Mendes album (no shame). In general we have always been inspired by bands and artists like John Mayer, OneRepublic, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, Coldplay, The Roots, and so many others.
Where to you hope to see yourself musically in the next five years?
I think we would love to be settling into a nice career and a nice rhythm of being full time musicians. This journey has been so much fun and taken a ton of work and will continue to take a ton of work, but I think if we could be releasing a 3rd or 4th album by then and have a solid foundation and fan base, that would be a huge blessing. For us, we just want to change lives. It sounds cliché but we aren’t just doing music because it’s fun. We want to make a difference in people’s lives and touch people’s souls with our music. Make them feel something deeper than just surface level. If we get to a place where we can be playing and releasing music and use our platform to be a light in this world, that would be reaching our ultimate goal.
If you could describe your sound, what would it be?
I think organic pop is probably the best way to describe our sound. We love all types of music. We grew up on jazz and rock and hip hop and blues. We try to just be ourselves when we write and not stray away from that jazzy guitar lick, or that fat hip hop drum beat. We find ways to implement the past in a pop way with real instruments.
What is your favorite part about working together as a band?
Collaborating in everything we do is so much fun. Whether its ideas for live shows, writing songs, or what to do for an Instagram story, we all just love being around each other and goofing off. We try not to take things too seriously and just stay true to who we are. If you ever get a chance to see us live, we think this shines through. We just have a blast and I basically view every transition as a chance to make the crowd laugh or smile… and occasionally cry (in a good way).
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Keep up with My Brothers & I here, and preorder their EP here.
Remember the day Beavis and Butthead immortalized the band “Ween” and the song “Push th’ little Daisies?” Half of the group’s mastermind dean ween, aka the deaner, rounded out by Mike Dillon, Bill Fowler (Sound of Urchin), Adam Weiner (Low Cut Connie), Michael Hampton (Parliament-Funkadelic) make up the dean ween group. Their second album, rock2, will hit the drums of your ears March 16th, 2018.
“Showstopper”, the first track off of rock2, is a garage rock classic, a first-hand account of a small space and loud amps. The second track,”Fingerbangin”, is a semi- surf riff driven track with some superb drumming. I’m sure a crowd favorite at concerts.I was about 3 songs deep when I realized Dean Wean, all suggestive humor aside has become a very seriously seasoned musician. The total 180 spawns a sound you’d find on an old Eagles album. Returning to form with “Theme from skinheads kicking your ass” is saturated with horns in the back, anamorphic bass guitar and it’s easy to sing along to because the only word is “Oi.” Pulling more twists and turns to the albums sound is Rock2’s shining moment, “Yellow Pontiac.”
“You are what you eat, and you are what you drive”
This gritty, grungy, roll around in the swamp mud, tear into a solo cup with your teeth, gulp the beverage inside, and spit out what you chewed off, kinda rock song is seriously humorous.
The album ends with one more turn that isn’t as drastic. A dive bar, blues-rock jam “Sunset over Belmar.” Overall there is plenty of Dean Ween’s style of humor as well as a split personality type of musical diversity.
You can preorder rock2 out on March 16th through Schnitzel Records and keep up with the Dean Ween Group via their Facebook page.
Roaming Herds Of Buffalo consists of William Cremin, Jared Fiechtner, Neal Flaherty, Scott Roots and Joe Shultz. Together the band makes dark music that makes you feel something, intensely. The band released a new album titled The Bugbears, an work that is thoughtful but takes you on a dark journey at the same time.
The album consists of 7 songs that can be classified as indie pop with a bit of rock. One of the songs from the album is called “Night Owl”, and it is a song that you can get up and dance to. The song takes a different tone from the rest of the album which is dark. “Winter Sun” sets the tone with its beat. The song has a rock vibe to it with a bit of a surf sound.
We’re floored by the album in its entirety, and know you will be too!
Nevada-bred director, singer, and songwriter Nick Rattigan, styled as Current Joys, has just dropped his brand new visual album, A Different Age, out via Danger Collective Records. Now NYC-based, his fifth solo album is a special one since it features a self-directed music video for each song on the LP. As part of the punk band Surf Curse with Jacob Rubeck, Rattigan was able to explore the music scene as part of a duo; now, he also puts out solo material as Current Joys.
A Different Age’s multimedia approach allows fans of Current Joys to gain insight both visually and aurally into Rattigan’s creative psyche. With emotion-packed, vulnerable lyrics and vocals, Rattigan packs a punch into his record. A Different Age starts off with “Become the Warm Jets”, a track with a bittersweet vibe, soaring vocals, and a mellow, minimalistic, yet touching video to accompany it. Next up is “Fear”, a soft-rock featuring a red-themed lyric-style video. Featuring lyrics like “I don’t wanna be afraid/I don’t wanna live this way”, the track is an honest and emotional one. Following “Fear” is “Alabama”, nostalgic both as track and video, truly encompassing the title of the record.
The fourth track on A Different Age is “Way Out Here”, The video features a second-person POV at a carnival, following around Rattigan. “No Words” comes around as the middle track on the record, and as the name implies, is instrumental. The video is simply a clean, black-and-white shot of a woman sitting on a bed, just breathing. The song is one of Rattigan’s most experimental, featuring high-pitched psychedelic sounds alongside a mellow folk melody line. “In A Year of 13 Moons” brings lyrics back to the album in a thoughtful manner, accompanied by acoustic guitar. The video for this track is Rattigan playing guitar and singing while an artist draws on his face.
The title track of the album, “A Different Age” comes next. A different spin on the traditional “musician playing instruments and singing the song” cliche, Rattigan uses shadows to create a fresh take on this common theme. “My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days” is the penultimate song on the record. A sweet video that is half-styled as a home-video, half as regular filming, follows two young lovers around their day.
Closing out A Different Age is “Fox”, which comes full circle with a video somewhat reminiscent in its style and content to “Become the Warm Jets”. A Different Age’s songs and videos display Rattigan’s flexibility and creativity at its finest, so don’t miss it!
Following the success of his first EP, Songs in D, Sam Himself has dropped his new single, “Nobody”, which will appear on his forthcoming sophomore EP. Though born in Switzerland, Sam Himself is now based in New York City, and wrote “Nobody” about his experiences in a big city that can easily swallow you up. Utilizing the very on-trend tactic of genre-mixing, Sam scores a great track with “Nobody” on many levels. While on the surface level it’s a bluesy rock song, “Nobody” also contains nods to modern synth use and nostalgic crooning vocals.
Sam says of the single: “The best and worst part about moving to New York City is realizing that nobody has been waiting for you here. The apple is plenty big without you, and unless you come up with a pretty good reason, New York doesn’t care. ‘Nobody’ is about that crushing, eye-opening and ultimately liberating experience.”
If you’re as much in love with “Nobody” as we are, make sure to check out more by Sam Himself and keep an eye out for his upcoming EP!
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.
Formerly known as The Reign of Kindo, Kindo has resurfaced after 4 years with a new single “Return to me” from their latest album “Happy However After” set to be released in April of 2018.
This 6 piece from New York has shown that you don’t need a major label and their money to gain an audience.
Giving the fans a new spin of alternative jazz that is fused with R & B, pop and soul shows that just like topping off your drink, combining old and new, can create something truly refreshing. Not only have they innovated a successful sound, Kindo has also proudly been at the helm of all their recordings.
“Return to me” begins with a rainy day stay in bed piano line. The vocals give a strange appeal to the jazz-ish backing music. Imagine Lenny Kravitz being backed by a piano at a dim lit jazz club applying his pop-rock vocal style and later adding a high gain guitar riff. I am amazed at how Kindoimplements all these musical elements and how they compliment each other. “Return to me” at first listen is calming. Once it sinks in what the lyrics are about it is hard to believe this song is depicting heartbreak. Especially when some of the rhythmic grooves wake you up and influence your body to take the hand of the beat and swing. The atmosphere of musical freedom and exploration is definitely a spark lighting a flame rich with creativity.
Kindo will be touring the Eastern U.S. in March and is surely not a band you want to miss. If they aren’t hitting up your hometown be sure to head over and check out their prior albums which should tide you over until “Happy However After” is released in April.
**Originally published Oct 22, 2016. Reposted with permission from the author.
Yesterday, the Dean Ween Group unleashed their debut album under the direction of founding member and frontman Dean Ween (Mickey Melchiondo). Formerly of the notorious American alternative rock band Ween (begun in 1984) – and still pulling inspiration from past work – Dean Ween has brought a new flare and energy to his catalogue with this new work. A rotating cast of incredible musicians finds their home with the musical project, various talents displayed on the recordings that were created in the incredible new(er) space that Dean Ween built from the ground up.
Shortly before the release of The Deaner Album, we got to sit down and speak with Dean Ween himself. Here’s a little bit from one of the most influential alternative musicians of our time.
Tell me about the studio you’re working from today.
Sure. I’ve ran it – and no exaggeration – over 25 buildings since when we started. It’s very hard to find a place where sound is not an issue, you know, privacy, security, neighbors, all that. So finally after being at this for 32 years, my friend’s father owns 200 acres and offered to work with me on my own spot. He’s a younger father, like only in his 50s. I’m 46 as of today. Yesterday was my birthday actually.
Oh wow, happy birthday!
Thank you. So, he said if you build a nice place you can have it. So I did, and sunk about $150,000 into it. Borrowed and built this beautiful place that I call my forever studio. It’s in the woods, I’m here all day everyday and all night every night. Every instrument, cable, amplifier I’ve ever owned is all here, it’s all set up. It’s very hard to force a studio into a vintage house. You know, we’ve had to do that – use the living room as a recording room, control room. So, I have everything perfect. It’s a gigantic live room for a band to play in, everything is mic’d up. Then there’s a giant control room with monitors, talk back, kitchens and showers and bathrooms. Musicians can stay here. You could blow up a bomb in here and you wouldn’t hear it outside since its soundproof.
We built it with being a studio in mind. We made it totally perfect and right. It’s so relaxing when you come here. It’s like a second home. We’re so respectful of it. I do not- a lot of time over the years, studios were too close to the bar, and the place turned into a hang, after hours. So it was very important to me that never happen here. So the couple years I’ve been here I respect it, and we keep it very clean. It’s very relaxing when you walk in. It’s all esthetically fun to look at and play with. I tell people don’t bring your junk here. I’ll put it outside if you do. I don’t want your broken amps or guitars. No I don’t want that poster. Take it with you when you leave.
Every time we move out of a place we end up throwing out half the shit- it’s like stuff that doesn’t work or will never get used. Some junk someone left while crashing there.
Well it’s cool to have your own space and establish your own rules.
Yeah. It’s really gorgeous.
Before all this happened, Ween, The Dean Ween Group… what’s the first album or song you remember listening to, and who introduced it to you?
Wow. That’s going back too far- I can remember pivotal things. Radio was a huge thing for me. Just seeing that radio isn’t as important as it used to be. That’s where you went. Even MTV doesn’t show videos anymore – it’s like reality shows. The local station would play the top 5 at 5 every night. The 5 most requested songs. So the fans were actually choosing them. I remember buying the 45s and taped the songs at 5, and would use my tape decks to edit out the announcer talking. Which was really hard.
I remember watching Teen Tot with my babysitter on Saturday Night Live – Steve Martin doing it – and she worked at like Gimbles the old department store. She bought it for me and the next time she babysat me she brought it and I was so happy. I listened to them and I still have it actually.
Musically, my babysitter had a bad brother. He was a bad kid, same age, and had his older brother’s record collection and A-tracks. I remember going over there and hearing Sleeper and Ziggy Stardust. The first *record* record I got on my own that I really coveted and wore out was the Beatles Red Album 1962 – 1966. Then they put out The Blue Record, 1966 – 1970. They had the lyrics with them. That was the thing that changed it with me. Reading the lyrics you know, “Yellow Matter Custard”, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, all that. Just the visuals that went along with the lyrics are just so freaking great. I wore that record out until the needle went out the other side of the record.
Was that around the time that you decided you were going to pursue music?
I didn’t really know that until later. My father owned a car lot. There was a music store across the street. And I’ve learned this as a father, I don’t want to buy expensive stuff if I think it’s going to be a passing thing. And I want to be there to support him, but want him to appreciate it. So, my father bought me this guitar, it was probably unplayable. But I made it playable, made it look cool with stickers, painted it. Kinda sounded like a chord when you belted all six strings. I would play it with myself. Which meant I couldn’t play minor chords or you know, too much with it, but I was off to a start.
Then I really wanted a drum set after that. I had two cassette decks, so I would record the drums first, the foundation, I was like 11. And then I’d put the guitar on it. Of course I needed a bass but it was all cheap stuff. And then my father realized that I was really, really into this. And I started taking lessons, and at Christmas one year, I was like 13, he got me a real guitar, a Fender, and I started taking lessons, learning how to play without just that one chord. I was recording every day, starting to see concerts. I wanted to be that guy really badly. Not a singer, but a guitar player.
Yeah, my drumming was really good, still is. I played drums on the Ween records, people don’t realize that. You know I remember an interview once where Kurt Cobain said he wanted to be as big as Sonic Youth. That was his goal. And that really stuck with me. Because, it was the same thing with us, except, we wanted to be the Butthole Surfers. As big as the Butthole Surfers. I mean, that was my goal. I thought if we could get to that point, then we were really famous and really good.
I didn’t think about what I was going to do after high school. I wasn’t going to college, I knew Aaron wasn’t going to college, we figured we were just going to work. We wanted to get an apartment together, so we did the day we graduated high school. We made music there pretty much 24/7. We had been doing that in my parent’s bedroom for like 6 years already. So we had a lot of experience recording ourselves. We got a multi-track recorder, a 4 track, instead of just dubbing two tapes back and forth. I knew we weren’t going to go to college, I didn’t know where Ween was going to go, but as it turns out, we had put all our energy in the right places, and we got signed that summer.
So there was never really any guesswork to it. So that was in 1989, and our debut record came in 1990. It was a double record. It was almost to me like a greatest hit, of like 7 years of Ween. We had that much experience. So we got that one out of the way, the second and third ones were almost done already. The second one came out and we got signed. Then we were on Warner Brothers all of the sudden. So I never really had to think about it much. Like I said, we put our energy in the right places. We worked really, really, really hard on being good.
You know, it seems like a whirlwind thing, but it’s not. When Ween started out, it was very experimental and noisy. And it sounded like two twelve year olds, you know. But within a few years, we were happening. We were writing really clean songs. Choruses that you could remember, that were catchy, my parents were hearing it, they loved it. You know, I was still doing the same exact thing, it’s incredible. Really nothing has changed on the front end. I still work exactly the same way I did back then, you know, but with better music.
I heard there was about a year after Ween where you didn’t work with your guitar, really?
It was more like 6 or 7 months, I don’t really think that much about that. I’ve suffered from anxiety my entire life. Depression is something that was never in my vocabulary. I’ve never been depressed but when Ween split up, I lost everything. All I’d ever done was that. I mean, I’ve told you how long I’ve been at it, I just knew I couldn’t get out of bed, eat, shower, go out. The guitar was just another thing that got ignored during that 8 months. I didn’t mow the lawn either. I just didn’t do anything, just ran up debt. Only battle with depression I ever had. I was stuck. I really empathize with people who have it now.
If it weren’t for my friends, my friends saved my life, they were like, “You have to start playing again. You have to force yourself, even if you’re not into it. Go out. You don’t realize how much you miss it.” So I started and it didn’t feel right. But it took, and they were right. I got a band together, called it the Dean Ween Group, said “fuck it I’m still Dean Ween.” And when does Johnny Ramone cease to be Johnny Ramone? He dies, that’s the answer. Even when the Ramones broke up he was still Johnny Ramone. And with Ween being a duo and all that, I didn’t know who I was. Hard to explain, I lost my confidence, my career, my identity, sense of worth. Love. Hobby. Passion. I’ll never make that mistake again.
You’ve been working on The Deaner Album for a hot second. Any fun anecdotes from the recording process?
Yeah, it took a while to make, and then it happened like a tornado. When I got it going I really got it going. Up until that point, I had like two songs from like a year before and then it just like caught. I ended up replacing those songs with newer ones, when I was like totally back, when the group was happening and touring. People were commenting and fans wouldn’t go away, and good stuff like that. So the anecdotes have more to do with building the studio, and watching it go up, and really just visualizing it. Fantasizing about how long I was going to be in the studio. I swore I would come here every day, and do a song a day. All day, every day, all night. And I have for a couple years now. So I have this enormous catalog, just ready to go. The second Dean Ween record is done. It’s ready to go. It’s better than the first one, and I can’t wait to get it out there.
But for the touring, we’re playing everything. I don’t have to play Ween songs unless I feel like it. Which, I do, they’re mine too.
“Exercise Man” is pretty witty. What inspired that song?
I sang it to my son when he was like 2 or 3 in the car every time we saw some idiot jogging or riding his bike in the snow at 6 am. i would make up lyrics to songs and we’d sing them. Ironically enough I’ve recorded a few of them, he’s 15 now, they were just funny ideas. A lotta people say ween makes children’s music and I guess that’s partially true. evidenced by how many kid’s shows we’ve been involved in—especially spongebob.
Do you have a favorite song off of this album, by chance?
YES. “Bundle of Joy” is my hands down favorite. It was one of the last songs I wrote for the album too.
You have a pretty extensive tour coming up.
Yeah, that’s the first leg of it. We’re going to be out all of next year. We might even go overseas.
What are you most looking forward to about getting out on the road?
The food. I eat much better on the road because normal people need to eat a few times a day. The restaurants where I live totally suck. Honestly, the music and the camaraderie, read the lyrics to Willie Nelson’s “On the Road again”, Willie has a way of summing things up perfectly and that song is about touring. traveling will always represent the epitome of the American dream, especially for a young man. Getting to meet people and play music for them, the road is where u get all the love back from the people you’re hoping to reach with your music.
You have a fishing charter business? HOW do you find time to do all of these things?
I am very busy, just leave at that. even having a few spare hours feels like a victory. I took some time off to go fishing two nights ago and I enjoyed every second of it.
Nina Lee is clearly not just your average 17 year old. The New Yorker is a talented singer/songwriter who belts out lyrics with so much soul that she belongs along the ranks of Amy Winehouse, Adele, et al. If you don’t trust us, take a listen to her latest, a five track EP titled Snapshots. Curiously enigmatic – though she does a really amazing job at explaining the intent and direction of the work -, the EP does nothing if not floor you with her incredible talent.
As someone who seems to have been born with music coming out of her, Nina Lee is an impressive, well-spoken, vibrant human being. And we know all of this because we got a moment to ask her a few questions leading up to the holidays. So here she is, unfiltered and incredible as ever.
What was the first album or song you remember ever listening to, and who introduced it to you?
Growing up I remember listening to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons among others from that generation all the time in the car with my grandpa. My sister and I were the only little girls who knew every word to “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, and “Sherry”. Some of my fondest childhood memories are driving in the car with him and belting out “Oh What a Night”. I am the first grandchild, so the two of us have a very special bond, and he is such a huge supporter of my passion. Having such a strong family unit helped me to be the person that I am today. Music during my grandpa’s era seems like it was more authentic than what we now hear every day on the radio. There was just a voice and instruments, which made me appreciate it even more. That’s why in my own music I like to focus on having as much authenticity and rawness as I can.
Was there a moment that you realized you had the talent and the drive to pursue music?
I was always told from a young age that I was a very musical person, and I was not afraid of being in the spotlight . . . in fact, I thrived on the spotlight. My parents saw that performing was when I was my best self. When I used to get overwhelmed as a little girl the one thing that always calmed me down was the ocean. My mom would sometimes just pack the car up and drive to the beach when I needed it because the cold rush of water was exhilarating for me. When I was in the water I would float looking up at the sky, humming melodies and feeling peaceful. I knew that singing gave me that same adrenaline rush, but a million times better.
So, the way I think of it is that the ocean calmed me down, but the music drove me. My music has pushed me through every difficulty in my life because, like my family, it is a constant. I know it sounds like I am personifying music but really, even though it is intangible, it is something you feel all around you. As I have grown older, my hunger and drive has just increased. That’s how I know that it is what I am meant to do with my life.
Your voice is absolutely stunning. Did you have professional training at all?
Thank you! I guess I was born with a natural ability to sing, which I am so grateful for. But I’ve also worked really hard to condition it and make it even better. When I was younger, and even now, when I feel insecure or unsure of myself I know I have my secret weapon up my sleeve. No person sings exactly the same, so when I surprise people with my voice it makes me feel more confident of myself. Since I was a toddler, I had taken music classes and performance classes and started vocal lessons at the age of 5. I currently have a great music coach, Kate Baker, who helps me to use my voice in a healthy way, and maintain my sound. She was with me through the whole process of recording “Snapshots,” which was so beneficial for me. I just have a really strong support system that is encouraging me, which makes me even more excited for what’s to come.
Your latest EP “Snapshots” follows in the same footsteps of your previous releases, leading us on a narrative about your family members. What made you choose that theme for your EP? Was it a concerted effort?
Yes, “Snapshots” is a series of pieces of my life and my family history all entwined in an EP. I am beyond proud of this work of art and I had amazing people to work with to make my vision a reality. “Snapshots” stems from my incredibly strong bond with my family. I am so lucky to have parents who are always supporting what I do, and a little sister who could not be more reassuring and encouraging. My sister made the painting that is the cover of the EP. The single from the EP is called “Airborne”, which is about my late great grandfather and my great grandmother who is now 94. He was a paratrooper in WWII in the 101st Airborne, while she always held him up at home. When he passed away, I didn’t know how to convey my feelings to my great grandma, and how to tell her how much I admired her and how heroic she was. I think that from that idea of family and love, I was able to make all the songs have that sentiment within it. I had so much help from my vocal teacher, musicians, and my producer Steve Greenwell. It takes a village, and it really took a lot of people to create what you can listen to now. I am so grateful for everyone who has taken part in making “Snapshots” and everyone who has listened!
What is your writing process like? Do you start with a melody, start with concept, brain dump lyrics? Take us inside it all!
Writing is never the same for me. I don’t sit down at a set time and force myself to do it. It is really an organic thing, sometimes I have a melody with nonsense words that I will switch out later, and sometimes I have a chord progression I want to put lyrics to. Sometimes I work with co-writers and sometimes it’s all me. When I was younger, I would just make up melodies with words that did not fit together but it is just what came out, so I went with it. Now I am more precise on the message that I am trying to get across. Lyrics usually come with a melody or after the melody, not by itself because I like to have the idea in my head first. Also, it depends what instrument I am writing on because the baritone uke gives a different vibe then the tenor uke, and definitely gives a different vibe than the piano. The instrumentals usually start out pretty simple as a skeleton for me to expand on and get more intricate as the process moves forward. A lot of the time I will write part of a verse or the chorus and sit with it for a while to make sure that I really like it. I want each line to mean something and not overall just have a loose meaning, because it doesn’t sound as important to me. Everything in my life, I like to be planned out in advance, and I am not a fan of being spontaneous because the unknowns are scary, but with music I am the exact opposite. I tune into everything with no predetermined method, which allows me to make even better music when I don’t overthink it and question the process.
How did you choose which family members to write about?
It is all organic, because some songs don’t even start out about someone, but then I realize when it’s finished that it does represent someone in my family. For example, in “I Got This Light,” I wrote it not having any particular person in mind. When I sang it full through and was able to hear every word I realized that it was my interpretation of my mom. I subconsciously explained everything that my mom is to me; she is my rock, support, and go to person. I also write about friends and the way I feel about them. Sometimes people can be disappointments and not only positive which also makes for very good song ideas. I heard someone say once, “That you shouldn’t date a songwriter, because you know when you break up you will have a pretty bad song written about you.” I think that’s true! I have so many songs in progress about members of my family including my mom and dad and how they met, my sister, etc. I think that with family you never can run out of stories to write, so I have an unlimited supply.
What was studio life like for this one? Did you have go-to snacks, a strict schedule, brainstorming time? Immerse us in the experience!
I don’t eat right before I sing, so I eat breakfast and then sing until we are finished. When instrumentals are being done though my go-to is always sushi. I had an amazing studio experience with my producer Steve Greenwell and great musicians including Aaron Comess on drums, Nadia DiGiallonardo on piano, Richard Hammond on bass, and my dad on guitar. My favorite part was when we did the backup vocals because it was just me and Steve and we found a groove and went with it. For me, making music is the magic of it all so whatever way works is what I go with. Whenever I am recording, I always tend to have a cup of hot water and honey to coat my voice and try not to speak so much in between takes. I usually feel like I sound different at different times of the day so in the morning is when I hit the low notes, and throughout the afternoon I can get to the higher ones. It’s just something I love to do and it’s fun for me to be able to experience it in all different ways, with all different people.
How do you imagine people listening to this album?
I imagine people listening to my album in any way they want. Everyone can interpret this EP differently and that is the beauty of it. When I wrote each song, it connected with me in a specific way, but the connection someone else feels may be totally different than mine, which is what I was hoping for. I want people to connect to my songs on all different levels. I would love people to be able to jam out at the top of their lungs on a long road trip, or listen while decorating the house for the holidays with my songs playing in the background. I only imagine this because these are the times that are most memorable for me when I listen to music. The beauty of music and art is that everyone can see things differently, which is something that is really beautiful. If I can reach people through my music, however they listen to it will make me happy.
We get the impression that you might be more of an old soul, especially considering the grace with which you conduct yourself and the music you write. Would you agree with that?
Thank you, that’s so nice of you to say! I guess that’s true in the sense that I do not act like a normal 17 year old. I am not caught up in the petty things of high school even though they can be tough waters to navigate. I connect with people who are more mature and relate with them. A lot of people I’ve met have told me they think I’m an old soul because of the way I write my music and how I sing. It makes me think of this time when I was younger and my parents found an old Renoir painting that looked exactly like me. It was from the late 1800’s, and it was a dead ringer for me, so I can’t help wonder if I have had past experiences and past lives which make me an old soul! I like to connect with people not only on a surface level, but I invest a lot into making a strong relationship. That is why when I love, I love so deeply and fiercely and when I hurt I feel the pain so much more because of the love I once felt.
You sing about a lot of very strong women in your life. Why do you think it’s important that their stories, in particular, be told?
For me, I write about strong female role models that I believe have shaped me into the person that I am. My family has always been such a strong outlet for me, and my mom especially has played a very important role in my life. She is the person I always look up to, and my best friend. When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be my mom. Everyone in my opinion should have the opportunity to thrive and be their best self and no matter what have support to do it. My goal is to be that person for others who feel as if they don’t have that support, and through my music hopefully there can be some comfort for them.
Who is your favorite superhero? Substantiate your claim.
I don’t know if I have a favorite super hero but I definitely have a favorite Disney Princess. As a little girl, they were the superheroes that I watched on television. I connected most with Ariel. I love The Little Mermaid and knew it back to front. When I was little, I had bright red hair like Ariel and I loved that she sang all the time, just like me. I also to this day have always loved the ocean, and the idea of living in the ocean seemed magical to me. Whenever my sister and I dressed up as princesses I always insisted on being Ariel. Then, I saw it on Broadway and I was blown away. I thought all of the theatrics were amazing and I loved every part of it. I saw the set afterwards and I was in awe of how they made this movie come to life. I always thought I was a princess like Ariel and wanted to be a singing mermaid when I grew up. I guess I fulfilled the singing part, but I’m pretty sure I will never be a mermaid!
What is the best piece of advice you have ever gotten?
The best advice I have even gotten was from my mom. She always told me, “There is no need to push people down because they will fall down on their own.” That actually is a line in one of my upcoming songs. This advice allowed me to see that mean people will destroy themselves on their own. There is no need for me to point it out. Eventually what goes around comes around and it catches up with you. That’s why I always try to be nice to everyone so no one ever thinks of me in that way.
The holidays are coming up… any special traditions you’d like to share with us?
My mom is Jewish, and my dad is Italian Catholic so we celebrate both Hanukah and Christmas. Every year my grandma (my dad’s mom) sends us zucchini bread, which is a family recipe and something I always look forward. When I think of the holidays, that is one of the things that always comes up. Also, for as long as I can remember, my family has always gone on a horse and buggy rides through Central Park during the holidays. The whole city is full of lights and the holiday spirit is in the air.
Doing anything fun this year for the holidays?
This year will be spent with family. Wherever we go for the holidays my mom and dad always make sure that we have family close. That is one of the best lessons and values that I think a parent can instill in a child. Understanding and not taking for granted the family that you have no matter what the situation may be. I am lucky enough to spend it with a very loving and supportive bunch that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
If you could perform with any artist, who would you perform with and what would you perform?
Hands down Billy Joel. He is my favorite storyteller of all. All his songs resonate with me for one reason or another and singing with him would be singing with my idol. I would sing any song with him because I believe he makes each song so powerful. My family and I went to see him perform at Madison Square Garden and I turned to my mom and was like, “Imagine what it would be like to sing with him.” One of my favorite songs of his is “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” so I think that would be a really fun song to sing with him because we could make some really cool harmonies!
What is your favorite word?
I like the word “humuhumunukunukuapua’a,” which is a type of reef triggerfish. I just think its fun to say and fun to spell. The name originates from Hawaii and I think that it sounds very tropical!
Anything else you’d like to add?
I am just so glad I was able to share this stuff with you guys, and hopefully I can come back soon and talk about more upcoming projects that are in the works. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me!
