On May 25th – otherwise known as Day 1 at Sasquatch! Music Festival in Quincy, Washington – The Suffers made a phenomenal performance overlooking a beautiful crowd at The Gorge close to sunset. It was an invigorating set, adequately preparing us all for a long night of wonderful music. We got some photos of the set, as well as a couple of portraits with leader singer Kam Franklin and drummer Nick Zamora.
Keep up with The Suffers here.
Vanessa Carlton – whose career skyrocketed with the release of her debut single, “A Thousand Miles”, in 2002 – is well-versed in what makes a single work. With her latest series of releases, she shows the world a different side of her musicianship. Her cover of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” is the third in an installment of six that she has vowed to release over a timespan this year. Its reverb-soaked predecessors include Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”, with three more surprises to come over the next three months.
Check out Carlton’s slightly twangy, modern take on a Neil Young classic, and keep up with the rest of her releases below.
Keep up with Vanessa Carlton here.
Nashville-based country duo The Dryes – fittingly comprised of husband/wife duo Katelyn and Derek Drye – are prepping to unleash 2 4-track EPs to the universe over the coming months, with impressive first single “Amen” being the introductory gem. With robust vocals, honest lyrics, and harmonies that will rattle you to the bone, this duo looks to be staking a claim in the country/roots genre that won’t soon be forgotten. With all of the excitement around what’s to come, we caught up with the two for a quick minute to get some perspective. Hear lead single “Amen”, then check out their words below!
What inspired you both to get involved in music together?
Katelyn: We started dating and for the first couple months we occasionally would sing together and thought it was fun. Derek was in another band and I was starting to get in the music scene back in North Carolina, our hometown. Then, one of Derek’s step uncles passed away. Someone in the family said “Hey! You sing (Derek)…and so does your girlfriend…we would like you two to sing for the funeral.” So that’s what we did. We very much remember that day. It was the first time we realized that we had a specific chemistry when we sang together. We felt the energy between us and talk about it often when people ask us.
Your latest single “Amen” is set to be released May 18th. What was the music making process like behind that song?
Derek: I had a guitar riff I kept coming back to. Katelyn wanted to write an upbeat jam about how we met, as we met when she was in the church choir. The co-writer, Alexa Cruse, came up with the melody of “Can I get an amen..” which got us all stoked and we took it in that rootsy/swampy vibe. The verses came out easy, cause we just took the main moments and feelings we both felt in a new relationship. Singing “can I get an amen” seemed perfect since Katelyn was in the church choir. We asked 6 of our friends to come and do gang/choir vocals in part of the song to add that element.
What inspiration would you both like to get your listeners to take away from “Amen”?
Katelyn: Don’t be too serious when you first start a relationship, have a little fun!
Why was “Amen” chosen as your lead single?
Derek: It hits you right in the face. Aside from the wall of guitar fuzz tones, the song showcases Katelyn’s vocals and I love getting to rip it up on the guitar in addition to singing. It’s exactly the type of upbeat jam that we wanted. It’s sexy.
What is your favorite thing about making music with your spouse?
Katelyn: You’ll hear all of this in the EP, but honestly it’s healing to us to sing these statements to each other, fun or serious. No matter the vibe of the song, it’s going to have to be honest. Like any marriage, we have our arguments, and disagree on quite a lot. We know that we have to be quick to forgive and prioritize what’s important. It would be pretty boring if we agreed on everything.
Derek: You kind of have to take turns being the punching bag for each other. Not in an abusive way, but a “here’s what I’m really dealing with” way, and “I know you can take it because you understand me” kind of way. When we write, we listen for those statements. They might be take-aways from how we got through something, or they might be a fun upbeat commitment to each other that we sing even when we don’t feel it. The feeling doesn’t make it less real, so we know that when we write, we can eventually tap into an incredible place together. It’s all about leaving room for it. We all tend to think that to be creative, you first have to be inspired. That’s actually not all true. We schedule time to write, and whether inspiration happens or not, we’ve at least shown up and left room for it. So NOW, inspiration happens more than ever because of that. It’s these little things that create big results.
What is the best piece of advice you both could give couples that want to make music together?
Always be open to constructive criticism. Brush offense off and learn to take each others ideas and run with them. Be okay with the fact that you would do it differently. Do it their way anyway. And you’ll get the same in return if both parties are listening. When you have that trust, you know that ultimately the other person is looking at the bigger picture of things – whether they’re wrong or right.
What are your future plans following the release of “Amen”?
We have a show in Nashville on May 23 at The Basement as a single release/new music celebration. We also have our 2nd single coming out in June, and we have EP Vol 1 coming later in the summer. We are excited to release this music and look forward to sharing it with the world.
On the night of Friday May 7th, Modest Mouse kicked off the summer season at Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, MO with a visually stimulating – and otherwise utterly incredible – performance. Although the crowd was a bit riled up by the time they took the stage, slightly later than was expected – the sound was still being tweaked early in the performance -, which simply built up the excitement for the performance even more. As soon as the band started to assemble on stage, the crowd stood up and lost their minds, and rightfully so.
Bathed in vibrant lighting and smoke, the band was wildly entertaining through a large catalogue of their music, rendering the breezy, warm evening the perfect beginning to summer. A venue that sees a lot of polite, seated crowds was able to experience an energy unlike any I’ve seen in a while, the majority of concert-goers going wild with each new song that played. “King Rat”, “Float On”, “Shit In Your Cut”, “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes”, the list goes on. It was a night made for memories, enhanced by the alt rock we’ve come to know and love since Modest Mouse’s conception in 1993.
If you’re looking for a fun upcoming event, check out the band at Sasquatch! Music Festival Memorial Day Weekend in Quincy, WA. Keep up with Modest Mouse here.
On May 3rd, K.Flay headlined The Truman in Kansas City, MO. The warehouse was filled to the brim, as she performed in her quintessentially endearing way to a sold out crowd.
OK Sweetheart – the absolutely gorgeous musical project by multitalented musician Erin Austin – has seen its fair share of studios, stages, and massive work ethic. Having lived in New York and Oklahoma, and bringing work on the project toSeattle, New York, Denton, San Francisco, Tulsa, Clinton, Oriskany, has allowed it to grow and flourish, its influences expanding along the way. Now, the latest single from OK Sweetheart – a soft, inspiring track called “Far Away” – is ready for the world, and we’ve got it right here.
“Far Away” begs the question: What would you do if you got the chance to start over? in not so many words. As Austin’s delicate, transformative vocals almost float over the instrumentals, she sings of leaving what she knows. At some point, we all feel that way. And this season – the season of spring, which breeds new graduates, warmer weather, travel time – is the perfect time to debut such a relevant and blissful track.
Keep up with OK Sweetheart here.
Directly following the announcement of his upcoming debut album, East London-based artist Vicktor Taiwò has blessed the world with new track “Blue Mountain Ridge”. With roots in 90s R&B and a beautiful, robust, layered sound to the instrumentation and production, Taiwò’s vocals enhance the track infinitely with their raspy allure and emotional honesty. The track’s mix of soul and intriguing tempo changes make for an interesting and pleasing listening experience. Check out “Blue Mountain Ridge” below!
Keep up with Vicktor Taiwò here.
With production value that rivals well established artists and vocals smooth like agave nectar (“honey” was overused), New York-based electro pop duo REFS have a new track that will set the tone for an amazingly relaxing week. “Roots” combines our love of catchy and unique percussion and a warm bed of incredibly styled lyricism to make us believe in artistry again, if we’re being completely honest.
If you haven’t quite peeped the track, now is the time. We anticipate an insanely fruitful career for these two is just on the horizon.
Keep up with Refs here.
Le Days – the folk music project by Sweden’s Daniel Hedin – releases the next installment of creation with the premiere of his new music video for “Inside Me”. The video – shot highlighting jewel tones in a beautiful and seductive light – follows a girl’s life of internal conflict, as she clearly despises her mother’s behavior. Emotional abuse is obvious, physical abuse is clearly displayed. It’s alarming, but insanely gratifying to see artists addressing very real and very difficult problems.
Says the artist: “When you dream and silence finds you, everything you ever felt hits you like a flood. Images, voices flashes through your head like an unstoppable force of nature. You are everything that’s been and it is what makes you breathe and all that keeps you breathing is to keep dreaming.”
See the only video that could do this song any justice below.
Keep up with Le Days here.
