Interview: Conner Eko Talks About His Debut Single/Video "SINK"

“At its heart, “SINK” is a song about someone who feels completely lost and depressed like he may drift away or sink into nothingness (aka that’s me), but instead out of cosmic randomness finds his soulmate and is saved by “sinking into her arms” (that being my wife, Nancy)”

— Conner Eko

We're blown away by your single/video "SINK", which is your debut release. Tell us about your creative process for the song's development and what inspired your lyrics from a songwriting perspective.

Thank you! I actually co-wrote some of "SINK" with one of my good friends from high school, Dan Ross. Him and I used to jam and try to write songs back in high school and in the early years after high school, but haven't attempted to co-write in quite a long time. He lives on the east coast, and I'm in California, so we hopped on a Zoom and he said he had a chord progression on the guitar that he was digging and I also liked it too. I was at my piano and he taught me the chord progression so we kind of jammed on Zoom a bit, then I came up with a melody and some lyrics on the spot and recorded the idea.

After that initial Zoom writing session, I took the song into my DAW (fancy producer acronym for recording software) and started playing around with some sounds and synths. Dan hopped on another Zoom with me and I played him some of the synths I was liking to go with it and had some fun just toying around. I remember coming up with the bass line super quick and then felt like it had a cool groove. Later that night, after our Zoom session, I stayed up and just sang over it improvisationally with whatever came out. Much of the final lyrics and melody just kind of came out naturally and solidified that evening.

Dan and I had another Zoom session and I played him what I came up with and he really liked it. I shared with him the lyrics I had written so far and he gave some great feedback about parts he liked and other parts that he thought could be improved with some ideas he had. Dan is really into space and astronomy, and knowing that I am also a PhD astrophysics student thought it would be cool to put some cosmic themes into the song.

At its heart, "SINK" is a song about someone who feels completely lost and depressed like he may drift away or sink into nothingness (aka that's me), but instead out of cosmic randomness finds his soulmate and is saved by "sinking into her arms" (that being my wife, Nancy). It has a lot of ocean, water, swimming, drowning, out at sea themes, but also those cosmic themes we came up with too (e.g. cosmic impacts/randomness, we collide (like planets forming), push and pull (like gravity/forces)).

Shortly, after the song was mostly developed, I got busy with other things and then got a bad concussion. My whole life changed like slamming on the brakes of a car. I found I couldn't do many things I used to, but the one thing I could do that didn't give me too many post-concussion symptoms was playing my piano, songwriting, and singing. In fact, the singing and songwriter was also a force of healing for this time and the accident, which caused me to have to take a leave of absence from my PhD program, gave me time to rethink life and what I wanted out of it, as well as the time to finish "SINK".

I contacted a good friend of mine in southern California, Xavier Delgado, guitarist of indie punk rock band, Corre Diablo, and he laid down the lead and rhythm guitars that shine in the intros, interludes, and throughout the song. Lastly, I sent the song out to mixing and mastering engineer, Mario Borgatta (credits on Foster the People, Muse, Bastille, biffy cylro, etc.), and then it was done!

You filmed the music video using your iPhone 12 Pro; how long did the video take to film and edit, and do you plan on self-directing your future visuals?

This was many months in the making. When I released "SINK" in August 2021, I was still suffering and recovering from my concussion with post-concussion syndrome. One of the many triggers that still gives me bad concussion symptoms, such as severe migraines, vertigo, nausea, etc. is too much screen time. I'm making big improvements as of today, but back in August it was a lot worse, and on top of that I had to have surgery on July 30 for another health issue unrelated to my concussion that made me anemic causing my post-concussion syndrome to be even worse. This surgery also left me bed ridden for several weeks and erased a lot of the concussion recovery progress I was making in the months leading up to it.

The week before the release date of "SINK", and just a few days before my surgery, I had a photoshoot with the amazingly talented former Hollywood celebrity photographer, Jean-Joel Lawrence of Serenity Lawrence Studios in Vallejo, CA. I had some ideas for the "SINK" music video in my head and one of them was to actually be swimming in some body of water to quite literally match some of the lyrics. Joel's studio is right down the road from Vallejo's Glen Cove Waterpark that borders the Carquinez Strait. I had brought an iPhone tripod with me to the photoshoot in case there was an opportunity to take some video of the photoshoot that may be useful for something and after the shoot felt inspired and spontaneous and went to the waterpark.

Completely by myself with no external speakers to the play the song to lip sync to, I set up the tripod and sang the song in different areas of the waterpark and the last shot I did wearing the same clothes from the photoshoot (you can see the same outfit in my press photos) I jumped into the water and swam out and back singing the song and crawled out of the water for the bridge part. It was absolutely disgusting, slimey, and I got cuts on my feet from the rocks. It was in the middle of a weekday and people were out walking and hiking staring at me. They probably thought I was nuts--some guy by himself singing dramatically while crawling out of the water! LOL! This also probably wasn't wise since I had surgery in two days and was still suffering from my post-concussion pretty bad, but I couldn't help myself.

My wife has a lot of good ideas that many times inspire some of my creative choices and after I told her some of my ideas for the video in addition to my worries of physically actually being able to execute them, she suggested that I just lay on the couch and sing it for the video. Since I didn't have capacity to finish the video how I really wanted to do for the release before surgery or after, when I got home from swim in the Carquinez Strait, I set up my iPhone on the tripod to look down on me while I relaxed with my Imitrex migraine medicine and lip synced to the entire "SINK" song. I released this as a lyric video with the song on release day since that was a lot easier to do than my original ideas.

After I started recovering from my surgery, I had the idea to take the footage from the lyric video and combine that with the Glen Cove water footage, but have it be like I'm dreaming in my concussed state how the song made me feel or like it was all a dream. This ended up being perfect as my concussion states have been quite trippy at times and this video idea personified what I've been going through perfectly. Since the song is about "sinking into your lover's arms" to save you, I wanted there to be all kinds of different people hugging so I got stock royalty free footage of many diverse couples embracing each other. The intro has me dreaming of being in space, but then landing on the island and being lost at sea to be later rescued by my love.

The editing of this idea took several months to complete as I needed to watch my screen time with my condition and I could only work on it a little everyday, but I did the best I could and finally finished it in October 2021. I'd love to direct and make future visuals and videos, but would also really love to grow to a point where I can hire or have others work with me on my team to help produce them so I can focus on songwriting, producing, performance, and singing. I'd also love for fans to help make future visuals one day!

Sorry to hear about your accident which caused you post-concussion syndrome and other health issues; how has that situation impacted you as an artist, and do you plan on finishing your PhD once you have recovered?

Thank you. It has been a struggle for sure and this past year I have suffered more health problems than my entire life. Songwriting and singing is what I am most passionate about in my life, however, several years ago I took a break from writing and performing and got so busy with pursuing another passion--science and education. I dearly love science, astronomy, and science education as well, but my top passion is writing and performing music. Being away from this for many years increased my lifelong battle with depression. When I got post-concussion syndrome, the brakes on all the "business of life" stopped to a halt. I found solace and healing in playing and writing music again and a rush of new writing and inspiration hit me.

This has been the biggest silver lining in my struggles with these health issues--it brought me back to music and stronger than ever. I am writing better songs than ever and feel empowered more than ever to never let singing and songwriting go. It is deeply a part of who I am.

Yes, I do plan to finish my PhD once I recover. I still find astronomy and the cosmos inspiring and interesting, and researching it is humbling and rewarding. I think science, although not perfect, is one of the best inventions of the human species and has the power to change the world for the better (or destroy in the wrong hands). It has given us a stage of technological prowess to harness the ability to inadvertently cause planetary change and either the wisdom to intentionally change it for good, or the folly to let our seemingly clever inventions destroy ourselves. I want to work on changing the world through science to save our future, push open new discoveries, and inspire everyone for a better tomorrow.

However, and even more so, I hope to do this through my music! Did you know that Brian May, lead guitarist from Queen, is also a PhD astrophysicist? Me doing music and scientific research and outreach do not have to be mutually exclusive.

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What can you tell us about your upcoming single that drops on December 3rd entitled "Christmas Morning Goodbye". Can we expect a music video for that as well?

I grew up celebrating Christmas as a child, but as an adult I don't think much of it anymore. So even though my family still celebrates Christmas, I don't consider myself a "Christmas person", and I definitely do not enjoy putting on Christmas music most of the season. Bah humbug! No, I'm not the Grinch, but I get annoyed when you hear Christmas songs in October and would never think in a million years that I would write a Christmas song.

Then one morning in late September, I woke up early in the morning and went straight to the piano without any coffee and "Christmas Morning Goodbye ' basically wrote itself. I'll blame the concussion, but I actually really love this song. It is not your traditional Christmas song both in its sound and content.

For the song, I synced up with New York City/Nashville based producer, Isaac Sharp. Him and I have been working hard on finishing in time for a December 3, 2021 release date. Isaac has been amazing and has really helped me bring out some of my best vocal performances, as well as helped me grow as an artist. Isaac and I are playing on most instrumentation of the track, with Peter-Michel Natishan of Celerity Sound on drums, Frank Soriano on some of the guitar work, and gospel/jazz singer, Joyce Grant, on background vocals with me. As of writing this interview response, six-time Grammy award winning mixing engineer, Jimmy Hoyson, is mixing the song, and then it's off to Mike Cervantes at Foxboro Studio for mastering! I'm very excited about how the song is going to turn out!

I hope we can make a music video for "Christmas Morning Goodbye", but we're in a time crunch and I still have to watch my screen time. However, necessity and crisis are the mothers of invention and sometimes creativity so we'll see!

With 2022 right around the corner, what are some of your goals musically for the upcoming year?

I have a lot of songs that have poured out of me since dealing with post-concussion syndrome, the pain, increased depression, changes in life, etc. I also have learned a lot about life and what I want out of it. I learned that I cannot ever let my singing and songwriting disappear again from my life--it is at heart who I am and I need to write songs and perform them to survive.

In 2022, I will release new music and hope to do an entire EP, or if we can find funding, an entire album. I plan to also begin to form a backing band and start to play live performances. Since the release of "SINK", I have made some great connections with talented people to work on my creative team and hope to grow it even more moving forward. I want to take my music, songs, and productions to a whole new level and continue to do so for the rest of my life.

In 2023, I will strive to exceed what I've done musically and reinvent myself and will continue this trend for the rest of my life. Our time on this planet is too short and I have a lot of important work to do to share with the world.

Stream and Share “SINK” on Spotify

Connect with Conner Eko: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Interview: LIGHTS AT ELEVEN Discusses His Brand New Audio Visual Album "Many Waves Later"

“...when it comes to my own inspirations and influences, it’s a severely mixed bag, totally eclectic. Nature (specifically the desert), foreign languages, tons of music, street noise, human experiences, crazy stories, heroic degenerates...”

— LIGHTS AT ELEVEN

Congratulations on the completion and release of your new audio visual album "Many Waves Later"; tell us about your creative process for the development of the 14 songs and accompanying videos.

So, as far as process and production is concerned, this album was a revisiting of those things for me. Usually, the sampling and music happens first when I take on a larger project like a visual album, and a lot of the original sound sketches/experimentation files were created pre-pandemic. At that point I didn’t really have a general direction I was interested in taking them.

I was pretty burnt out after finishing my MFA, and wasn’t really ready to start anything significant. So it all kind of went on the back burner. I still continued to sample, collect, archive, write, etc. I think those things have just always been instinctual parts of my process.

As more time passed, I seriously started to overthink my work, doubt my process and outcomes, that sort of thing. I even debated ‘killing off’ the character of LIGHTS AT ELEVEN at various points. Mainly out of frustration. It had a lot to do with where I was mentally and emotionally, the way that I perceived things were going on around me.

Then, in Spring of this year, a good friend of mine who teaches at Chowan University in North Carolina, asked me to do a graphic design show/exhibit with another one of our buds from grad school. That was my sign to ‘get to work’.

The show was called ‘NostalgiaVision’, and general nostalgia is what I had in mind when I was working on these tracks and videos. I wanted to make something that made me contemplate of my audio-visual conditioning and education I received as a young kid, reexamine my process, and find out again why it is I do all this stuff.

Were there songs that you recorded that did not make the final cut of the album? If so, why did they not make it?

Oh yeah, for sure. Maybe about 8 or 9 of them. I think a fair amount of people (creatives included) don’t think about the number of failed projects, file iterations, lemons, etc. that don’t fully develop during the creative process. Like for every final exported file, there’s probably a ton of iterations or outcomes that totally suck or just don’t quite ‘make the cut’.

Usually, the more time I spend with a project, the more I’m able to tie together certain ideas, aesthetics, and themes. And of course, there’s always tracks/files that just can’t be contained within those. Or they just end up draining me for one reason or another. Also, when it comes to my work, I prefer to set time limits, not timelines.

What are some things/people/places that inspire the music that you create, and what about Central Texas makes it the perfect place for you as a designer and musician?

Haha. Well, I don’t think I’ve been anywhere perfect yet, but I will keep y’all posted. That being said, I grew up here, and am generally comfortable in my environment. It is somewhat rural, I live in a small town near San Antonio, but it’s far from remote. The other thing is that I try to travel as much as I can. That to me, is the perfect part. Being somewhere I can create effectively for the most part, while having that continuing exposure and education to other places/influences.

But when it comes to my own inspirations and influences, it’s a severely mixed bag, totally eclectic. Nature (specifically the desert), foreign languages, tons of music, street noise, human experiences, crazy stories, heroic degenerates, psychedelia, too much T.V., memes, skateboarding culture… I’m gonna stop now.

With "Many Waves Later" album now released, what are some of your goals musically for the rest of 2021, heading into the new year?

I’d like to get some decent traction with this release. I’m not sure exactly what that looks like, but just move my practice forward overall. I would really like to try and gig this music in some capacity. Maybe try something different like scoring somebody else’s work.

Other than that, just keep doing my thing. Collect, document, archive, repeat. Process. Repeat process.

When someone listens to and watches "Many Waves Later", what do you want them to take away from the experience?

I mean, it would be super satisfying if people contemplated their own feelings and visions of nostalgia, possibly keying in on the more seemingly obvious themes like color, sound, waves, noise, etc.

But there are tons of hidden meanings, references, samples, and stories. Too many to list, and even then I would forget some. All that deep, heavy stuff buried in the layers of sound and video, I put that there for me. I think that’s why I’m ok with the viewers/listeners interpretations, whatever they are. If they explore those things, find a connection with them, that’s amazing. I would love that. If nothing else, I just hope people can see the amount of work and love in it. They don’t need to overthink it too much.

What does the album's title, "Many Waves Later", represent?

^^^^^

(Insert intensely vivid and deeply poetic explanation here)

^^^^^^

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Watch “Many Waves Later” on YouTube

Connect with LIGHTS AT ELEVEN: Website | Instagram | Twitter

Interview: Hyphen One Talks About OG Neuro's New Video "Stroke Code"

“OG Neuro aims to creatively generate interest and/or knowledge in high level science and medicine consists of musicians, artists, medical doctors, and scientists from some of the most respected institutions in the world.”

— Hyphen One

If you had to describe the music of OG Neuro to a stranger in three words, which ones would you select?

Creative Science Funk

Congratulations on the release of the music video for "Stroke Code"; tell us about your creative process for the song itself, and who produced it.

The goal of this song was to break down the intricacies of the blood vessels of the brain along with related pathophysiology but talk about them as if they were a girl. The words in this song are the exact words that doctors use when talking to one another about ischemic stroke patients. The song was produced by Hyphen-One Entertainment with Ruby (Barbie Tatum) singing the hook, Jake Nowak on guitar, Joseph Biglin on keys, mixed by Chris Badami at Portrait (NJ) and mastered at Sterling Sound (NYC).

OG Neuro "Stroke Code" from HYPHEN ONE on Vimeo.

The visual is incredible; how did you and the director come up with its treatment? Also, what is the message behind the video?

Derek Whittington directed this video and really took it to the next level. We wanted to create organized chaos with scenes that keep changing every few seconds where a main character loosely goes on a journey with a homeless scientist's magical pager (beeper) throughout various cities, passing by various talented people during a time of coronavirus, the George Floyd murder, and social justice campaigns.

Bystanders interact with the main character by tipping their mask as a salutation. In the end, the main character puts the pager back down in front of the homeless scientist, who turns into a medical doctor when he picks it up. The pager represents something that the homeless man had all along, but was ultimately realized through the main character's journey and interactions with all the other characters in the film.

With "Stroke Code" now released, what's next musically for OG Neuro? Will the song be featured on an upcoming EP or album?

This song is a production that was made to hopefully embody the versatility of the OG Neuro project. It is being used to apply for scientific educational grants and to obtain more resources for more projects and experiments. It is unclear if an album or EP is in the future. Music is just a small part of what we would like to do.

Tell us about OG Neuro; what is the goal of the project and how did it originate? Who are the members?

OG Neuro aims to creatively generate interest and/or knowledge in high level science and medicine consists of musicians, artists, medical doctors, and scientists from some of the most respected institutions in the world.

This is a collaborative effort and each individual project will likely have a different roster. Some projects will be abstract, artistic, musical and some will be straight forward education. But everything is for real people. Everything we do will strive to have a dual-message: scientific and social.

Stream and Share “Stroke Code” on Bandcamp

Connect with OG Neuro: Website

Interview: Los Angeles RnB/Pop Artist Madeleine Rauch Talks About Her New Single "Far Away"

“The idea of the song has always been the same...the verses tell a story about going through difficult times and the chorus gives a hopeful message.”

— Madeleine Rauch

Congratulations on the release of your new single "Far Away"; who produced it, and what was your creative process for its development from a songwriting standpoint?

Thank you so much! It's been a long time coming, actually. I started writing “Far Away” and pre-producing a demo about 6 years ago. But one or two years later, when I was going through a tough break-up, I changed the lyrics of the verses and the bridge.

The idea of the song has always been the same though: the verses tell a story about going through difficult times and the chorus gives a hopeful message. I started working on the production with several producers in Germany, but it never felt quite right. So the production of the song didn't come to life until I moved to Los Angeles in early 2020 and met Alex Winter. He is an incredible producer!

We talked a lot about music and exchanged ideas and when he send me the first draft of the production, I already knew this is it! It's the most amazing feeling to finally hear an awesome production of your song! After that the process just consists of sending production mixes and notes back and forth until you perfect the song! Alex and I are definitely going to work on more songs together. And I can't wait!

With the single now released, can we expect a music video next for it?

I actually just had a video shoot for a lyric video for “Far Away” a few days ago! It's still needs editing, but in one or two weeks you can expect a video for the song! The shoot was so much fun! We just walked through these cute Los Angeles neighborhoods and let it flow! Can't wait for you to see it!

Will "Far Away" be appearing on an upcoming EP or album? If so, what can you tell us about the project?

I haven't planned an EP release yet. At the moment, I would rather just release single after single instead of holding back and then releasing a bunch of songs at the same time! I have a few more songs in the pipeline. I have worked with different producers! There's definitely going to be another release this year. And then two more at the beginning of next year!

But, of course, eventually I will want to release a cohesive project like an EP and album, too!

Tell us about your experience touring festivals and arenas all over Europe with German superstar rapper Marteria; what would you say was your highlight of the tour?

Oh yeah, that was an amazing time! We played a bunch of huge festivals like Rock im Park, Lollapalooza and Hurricane Festival! And then we also went on two arena tours! The band and crew is like a family, we had a great time!

Hanging out in the tour bus or doing sightseeing in a bunch of cities felt like a fun school field trip sometimes. Thinking of highlights, there's actually three moments that come to my mind! First of all, our show at Sputnik Spring Break Festival. It was my first show with Marteria and I was pretty nervous because we performed in front of almost 30,000 people.

And then the Sziget Festival in Budapest! It's probably the biggest music festival in Europe with over 400,000 attendees. And despite the size of it, the festival had the coolest vibe. The line-up was terrific! Plus everybody was super friendly, there was tons of amazing food and a lot of fun activity and chill areas!

And the third highlight was our concert at the "Ostsee Stadium" in Rostock, Germany. We played an over 2 hour show in front of 33,000 people who only came to see us! I swear those 2 hours went by in a second. I couldn't even believe it!

With 2021 coming to a conclusion, what are some of your goals musically for 2022?

I want to release as much music as I can and collaborate with other artists and producers. Also, I want to plan more shows, I really missed performing during Covid. It's time to get back on stage! The pandemic put a lot of things on hold, and I am so excited to finally make music and perform the way I used to!

Connect with Madeleine Rauch: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Interview: Philly Based Artist/Producer Omari Vel Discusses His Debut Mixtape "Crimson"

“As an artist, my day to day interactions influence my work. Everything comes down to representing my life and 2020 felt so devoid of that. It felt so empty and confusing. I think that’s why “Crimson” came out so big.”

— Omari Vel

Congratulations on the release of your debut mixtape "Crimson"; tell us about your creative process for the seven songs, and your overall inspiration for the project.

My general creative process is I make the beats custom to my vocals. I start with a demo beat that I then write to. I record vocals over it and arrange the song around those pre-recorded vocals. This results in very detailed beats that have a dynamic feel. My end goal is to make rap songs that follow more rock or funk like song structures. In saying this, I mean songs where the choruses have distinct chord changes and more interesting layering. I want to move away from the beat switch trap of rap production and focus on song writing that centers around repeating motifs.

Inspiration wise, my music is heavily influenced by a wide range of genres and artists. In the rap world, I draw most of my inspiration from Kendrick's "Good Kid Maad City", Travis Scott's "Rodeo" and Kanye's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy". All three of these albums pushed the bounds of hip-hop from a lyrical and production standpoint.

Funk is another major influence on my music. Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic is my favorite guitarist and I consider Rick James the greatest performer of all time. The flashy style and eccentric outfits of the 70s & 80s are something I look to recreate in my live shows. Artists used to look like superheros and I just love that.

Prince's force and energy is also one I draw a lot of inspiration from. The genius of his songwriting doesn't lie in massive song structures but in minor changes throughout the song to keep the listener engaged. David Bowie also falls into this category of genius. I legitimately study the song "Life On Mars". The flowliness of the orchestration is masterful. For such a maximalist song, it never feels like too much and the parts are never clashing. I guess fundamentally, I appreciate tight arrangements. I strive to make music that is dense, over layered but absolutely does not come off that way.

Lady Gaga is another major inspiration. She follows the same songwriting pattern with the added benefit of fantastically dark visuals. "The Fame" and "The Fame Monster" are fundamental to my understanding of what makes great pop music.

Shifting gears slightly, Shoegaze is another major inspiration. The guitar work on "Long Way" is directly inspired by the band Slowdive, particularly their project "Souvlaki".

Switching gears even more, Modest Mussorgsky is my favorite composer. I strive to one day make a project that mirrors "Pictures at an Exhibition". Outside of the dense arrangements, that symphony is the first example I can think of that mixes visual and musical arts.

Were there songs that you recorded that you decided not to place on the mixtape? If so, why did they not make it?

There are plenty of songs that were left off “Crimson”. I think it was Prince who said you have to make five albums to make one. Regardless, because of the way I compose, any half-done songs would have stuck out very obviously. "Running Man" set a standard for the album that I was in no way willing to go below.

What are some things/people/places that influence the music that you create?

Interesting question, because of the pandemic I couldn't really go anywhere, so it was definitely difficult to find external inspiration. As an artist, my day to day interactions influence my work. Everything comes down to representing my life and 2020 felt so devoid of that. It felt so empty and confusing. I think that's why "Crimson" came out so big. I ended up creating a fantasy world for myself; a world very distant from the nothingness I felt surrounded by.

Tell us about your involvement with the psych/prog rock band called Chewy. Also, how do you decide which songs to give to the band and keep for your solo work?

In Chewy, I am the producer not the songwriter. Connor La Rocca wrote all of the songs, I just helped bring them to life. Using a similar process to "Crimson", we recorded the bare bones of each song and then sound designed each while mixing. I think this process helps create a much more engaging final project. There truly isn't a second that wasn't considered on "HOUSE OF CHEWY!" or "Crimson".

With "Crimson" now released, what is next for you musically?

I'm currently taking a mini hiatus from making music just to recharge. BUT I do know my next project is called "Don't Look Down You Might Crash".

Stream and Share “Crimson” on Spotify

Connect with Omari Vel: Instagram | Twitter | Linktree

Interview: Colt Williams Talks About the Music Video For "Evolve", Off His EP "LAJ"

“This project and the therapy it provided me with getting all of my feelings about the situation out was like grabbing a rock and climbing myself out of that hole. We Hurt, we Evolve, we Accept, we Live. We HEAL.”

— Colt Williams

If you had to describe your music to a stranger in three words, which ones would you select?

Thoughtful, Personal, and Dope of course.

We're huge fans of your single/music video "Evolve"; tell us about your creative process for the development of the song itself, and who produced it?

Thank you. The talented NK Music produced the song. Some may know that name from a lot of lo-fi and chill music playlists on Spotify and Youtube.

Anyways, this was early in the planning for the EP and I was just getting beats together. I was looking for a particular sound, a particular mood that I wanted to evoke. I was on Youtube listening to one of those chill/study playlists and this name kept coming up and the beats were so smooth and something to vibe to. I went to their page and began listening and there was one in particular that caught my attention. The rest is the “LAJ” EP.

The visual matches the song perfectly; how did you and the director, Ryan Sellers, come up with its treatment? Also, why did you choose to film a video for this song?

Surprisingly it was one of my coworkers who listened to the EP that influenced me to make some visuals for the song. Ryan and I know each other through his cousin that I went to school with so the connection was easy. I had already known that he made music videos and other types of media like movies and gaming stuff for some time now so why not keep it in the circle? We got together, had a brainstorming session and came up with the story beat for beat, scene for scene, basically going through what we thought could work and what wouldn't work. The end product is something amazing that I am proud to share with everyone.

"Evolve" appears on your 4-track EP "LAJ"; how long did the project take to complete, and were there songs that did not make the final track list?

The project took a little bit to finish up. The recording was easy, but putting together all of my thoughts and feelings from that situation into music form took some time. There was a lot of bringing up past memories and hurt that went into it. Whenever you get your heart broken it takes you to a dark place. If you don't get help or deal with it, it's like you can find yourself constantly falling down a hole.

This project and the therapy it provided me with getting all of my feelings about the situation out was like grabbing a rock and climbing myself out of that hole. We Hurt, we Evolve, we Accept, we Live. We HEAL.

With the "Evolve" visual now released, what are some of your goals musically for the remainder of 2021?

For 2021 I'm focused on the new EP “Expensive Tastes” releasing and to keep pushing the video and that project. I might release some more stuff before year's end. Who knows?

What are your thoughts about the state of rap music in Upper Darby/Philly metro in 2021? Would you say that it is in a good space heading into 2022?

I would say that it's in good hands. There's a lot of talent looking to make moves going into 2022. I think people tend to downplay or look over the influence and part that this area has played in hip-hop over the years. Like 3 Stacks at the Source Awards though, we got something to say!

Stream and Share “LAJ” on Spotify

Connect with Colt Williams: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Interview: Worcester, MA Rap Artist Burny Kev Discusses His Clip For "Talmbout", Featuring Casket Gonz

“Didn’t know at the time the music was going to be therapy to me. When I’m sad I write, when I’m happy I write, when I’m mad I write, when I’m inspired I write; I just write man.”

— Burny Kev

Tell us about how you got started writing rhymes and who some artists were that influenced you early on.

It’s crazy cause when I think of it, I’ve been rapping when I was little like ever since I was introduced to rap but never took it seriously of course. The song that really made me want to take rap serious is XO Tour Life by Lil Uzi. I heard the chorus and was like man I’ve made choruses similar or as catchy as that joking around all the time. Didn’t know at the time the music was going to be therapy to me. When I’m sad I write, when I’m happy I write, when I’m mad I write, when I’m inspired I write; I just write man.

J Cole is my favorite rapper of all time but I love Drake, Lil Wayne, Kendrick, Wale, Hov, Eminem and Old Kanye. I think those are my biggest influences in my music. They have no idea but their music hasn’t only given me inspiration but it pushes me to make music as good or if possible better than theirs.

I set a certain standard every time I write I’m always trying to get better every word, every flow, every chorus never want to feel comfortable; I’m always looking for improvement and if you just hear my music throughout the years, I think you’ll hear it too. It’s a actually a big theme for this next tape I tried to push my sound, I’m trying new things and new flows and really proud of the way it’s coming out so far.

Congratulations on the release of your music video for "Talmbout". Tell us about your creative process for the song itself, how you connected with Casket Gonz, and who produced it.

Thank you I appreciate the love, “Talmbout” the song and music video is some of my proudest work up to date. As soon as I heard the beat made by “Pale 1080” I knew that it would be one of the hit singles from my newest project “The Venting System”. It was actually one of the last songs I made for the tape.

I was looking for a beat that would set the tone for the tape and as soon as I heard it, it was love at first hear lol. As for connecting with Casket Gonz, he family. We’ve know each other since little kids. Dude is really freaking talented in almost everything he does and he has some of the best music in my city in my opinion. Love everything he is about and I thought he would add a missing element to the song. His smooth vibe really elevates the song to a new level and I can’t wait to create with him again.

How did you and the director, Nieves Filmz, come up with the treatment for the video and why did you decide on this song off your "The Venting System" album?

Nieves Filmz is the guy fr. So sad he moved from Worcester. He is so patient and he really wants to bring your idea to life.

Once I gave him the idea that I wanted to do a restaurant type video we brainstormed to create this masterpiece. The customers are getting bad customer service, they are upset and the crew doesn’t seem to care or even know what’s going on. So basically no one knows what is going on or what any one is “Talmbout” lol.

Nieves and me worked before and he is as professional as it gets. This video I couldn’t have pictured it coming out any better, from my guys and the ladies incredible on spot acting skills, to all the crazy edits my guy Nieves did. Really really proud of “Talmbout”, so shoutout to my guy Nieves. Like I was saying before I just knew hearing the beat just one time this was the song and I’ve been getting great reviews on it.

Speaking of beats, what do you look for in the instrumentals that you select to write to?

I never really know what to expect when I pick out beats. Every time I explain how I pick a beat to a friend they are always amazed but to me it seems like it’s nothing special. Whenever I pick a beat, the beat has to speak to me literally. Whatever is on my mind or my subconscious that I cannot just say aloud or do not know how to express it at the time, literally a beat will come on and it will tell me exactly how I’m feeling.

Some songs when I finish I look at the lyrics and be like wow I didn’t know this how I felt about a situation but at the same time it’s me that just wrote those words dow. Now actually saying that aloud that’s crazy yoooo; it has got to be God lol.

I believe before music I didn’t know how to express myself; I always just made jokes about my feelings and it was really killing me inside. This music is just my way out and I love it I’ll listen to 1000 a beats a week and I only find one beat that really speaks to me it’s worth it every time, even if I don’t, I love listening to beats and trying to understand the producer and how he or she ideally wanted the rapper to sing on this.

I really love what I do everything about it from listening to the beat at first, to writing how I truly feel, to making a crazy music video to connect everything I’m thinking. Cannot wait to create and share more of mind to the world. I know I said a lot but I really love talking about all this music.

How would you describe the hip-hop music scene in Worcester? Are locals generally supportive of homegrown talent?

Worcester, Massachusetts… man I love my city; I wouldn’t want to grow up any place else. There’s so many talented artists in this city; some I know about, some I have no clue about because the hip-hop scene is nonexistent. Though I think it’s nonexistent now, I do think it has potential, too many talented artists not to change that.

I look forward to the future fasho and def want to change the hip-hop scene. In the future I would love to go to Atlanta or New York to kind of study how they get an artist to blow it seems like every year or month. It’s all a part of my plans; I can’t wait to get to work for real.

With "The Venting System" now released, what are some of your goals musically as 2021 is winding down, heading into 2022?

I actually have another tape on the way. “CHB”, I’m waiting to give out what in stands for in a few weeks. It has nothing to do with Drake’s “CLB” but I think it’s funny when people try to decipher the name and guess things like Certified Hustler Boy or Certified Hater Boy.

I think I’m getting to the point where I’m almost done with it and hopefully I can get it out November or December. That’s my goal for the end of the year.

I have a single with a new video coming out soon called “Smooth Operator”; we will probably be interviewing about that soon too. Another song and video I’m proud of.

I’m working with my guy JJ, also known as “J Vazquez Visuals” on that one; he did an amazing job. I can’t wait for people to see that one. Hopefully by the end of October, depending how far along I am with the tape, I’ll drop it.

Stream and Share “The Venting System” on Spotify

Connect with Burny Kev: Instagram

Interview: London's Harun Rune Talks About His New Single/Video "MOSCHINO"

“I spent time in the city uptown, downtown and roundtown at parties enjoying the champagne lifestyle and meeting new people. “MOSCHINO” gives my fans and new listeners a chance to get a glimpse of how I talk and what I came from.”

— Harun Rune

We're blown away by your new music video for "MOSCHINO"; tell us about what inspired you to create the song itself and who produced it.

From a young age I was fan of MOSCHINO. I grew up in the London culture, where the sharpest and most swaggy new about this Italian Brand that had innovative designs selling jeans, shirts, tee's and jackets for men and a full array of clothes for women including bags which till this day are very popular.

I spent time in the city uptown, downtown and roundtown at parties enjoying the champagne lifestyle and meeting new people. “MOSCHINO” gives my fans and new listeners a chance to get a glimpse of how I talk and what I came from.

“MOSCHINO” was produced by Sekko, a talented European producer that had a one of a kind sound I had to get on. I reached out and made it happen. I feel that we came together to hear something the people have never heard before.

Regarding the video, how did you and the director come up with its treatment?

I'm someone that has always been creative, I'm involved in art direction and styling, I write my own video treatments. Putting something together for this that was reminiscent of the VH1 era and has all the aspects of a video from the start of the music TV era. I wanted to keep it clean and distinct. Reminding people that this was art remembering a music video where I angle more towards film.

The director WillVisions came through for me to make something that is quality and always has replay value. Feedback I get is that it never gets boring. People always find the little touches I put in it for those with a keen eye.

Is "MOSCHINO" a part of an upcoming EP or album? If not, what can we expect next musically from you?

“MOSCHINO” is the first single from my project “GOLD“, which is an exquisite collection of sounds for the listeners with best taste.

Expect more singles that tells tell you in more detail who I am and the life I lead in Britain. How we turn up, how sauce on em, how we work hard to live this life in the city as lit individuals.

There are private listening parties happening worldwide in anticipation for this full length 10 track project.

You're not just a DOPE rapper, but a creative in general, as a model, business owner with a clothing line, and more. How do you juggle all these responsibilities without getting burned out?

I get after it all day, I'm blessed to have life and make sure I go for mine. It's great to do the things I love and get paid for it. As time goes on things get better.

I make sure I workout and rest like a regime to stay fit and healthy so I've got the energy to never fall off. I bounce back from anything.

What do you look for in the beats that you select when you are writing new music?

I look for a beats and instrumentals that allow to create an art piece with a mood I can translate to a listener. I like different tempos and construct narratives and flows on site.

Music is a craft I'm glad I'm gifted with because I'm inspired by sounds and have always needed a number of outlets for my creative vision. Making sure my audience can here the stylistics aspects of fashion, film, culture and art as they engage with my collections.

It's nice that it's going further by the day.

How did you connect with Chicago based producer Bitoy Beatz and what's next to come from this collaboration?

I met Bitoy Beatz online years ago back when I was releasing experimental works on Soundcloud. I've never heard a producer quite like him, who has such a distinct and varied sound. There's nothing like it; once you put a flow like mine with instrumentation like his the effect is amazing and speaks tons about both artists. I'm priveleged to work often with producers from the states and worldwide. Once I want I get it.

Stream and Share “MOSCHINO” on Spotify

Connect with Harun Rune: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Interview: Blac Samurai Discusses His Brand New Album "Soul Glitch"

“Blac Samurai came from a Wu-Tang name generator. When I took a step back and looked at my life, I was and still am a huge fan of kung fu movies/ mix marital movies...”

— Blac Samurai

Congratulations on the completion and release of your new album "Soul Glitch". Tell us about the album's development; how long did it take to complete and what was your beat selection process like for the nine songs?

The development for “Soul Glitch” started in 2014. Taking those four years to carefully craft certain things to write about and to wrap my head around the meaning of “Soul Glitch”.

The beat selection was tricky because I wanted the album to flow differently, you know? I wanted to feel like you're in a different world floating around. So the only way I can fully make the album complete is by having two sides. This part is Side 1 with nine songs. Side 2 is completely different and being worked on as we speak.

What made T.E.E the perfect artist to appear with you on the CharlieP produced track "Tap In"?

T.E.E was perfect because he naturally has a bounce to his flow and can switch up his flow at any second. I love that type of stuff in an artist and with me being a huge fan of his music, it only made sense to get him on that song. You should check out his music too. He's a beast man, for real (listen to T.E.E HERE).

How did you decide on the moniker "Blac Samurai" and how has the Wu-Tang Clan influenced you artistically?

Blac Samurai came from a Wu-Tang name generator. When I took a step back and looked at my life, I was and still am a huge fan of kung fu movies/ mix marital movies. Wu-Tang was the name, so I looked at them as the way to process everything.

Wu-Tang's raw approach to music lyrically and sonically really influenced me a lot. The influence will show more on Side 2 of “Soul Glitch”.

With your incredible "Soul Glitch" album now released, what is next for you musically?

Next up is to finish up Side 2 of “Soul Glitch”, new clothes for my clothing line, and finding places to perform. It all takes patience, so I'm taking my time with it.

Who did the awesome artwork for the "Soul Glitch" album cover and what does it represent?

Man the artwork was done by Ajam. The cover represents being reborn into a different world and looking at it from a different point of view.

Songs such as “Born Like This” and “Dreams” are you becoming reborn into this system and it's feeling good to you. It feels like freedom that's why the hook for “Dreams” is "If I'm dreaming, just let me dream". So it all fits into one as a story or as a trip.

Stream and Share “Soul Glitch” on: Bandcamp | Spotify

Read our review of “Soul Glitch” — HERE

Connect with Blac Samurai: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Interview: Royal Tiago Talks About His Newly Released Album "33RD"

“...I want the listener to enjoy themselves, have fun, but appreciate the things I talk about in my music; I need you to hear the blood, sweat, and tears literally. ”

— Royal Tiago

Congratulations on the release of your new album "33RD"; tell us your creative process for the development of the songs, and who provided the production on the project.

Well I travel back and fourth to California with my team and during that time we were just finding ways to make things happen. I recorded most of the album in California, just locked in with my engineer, vibe and create the music right on the spot.

Production came from a few producers who I reached out to specifically for this project.

We're huge fans of the album, but "Winning" really stuck out to us; what inspired you to write it, and can we expect a music video for it?

Most Definitely!! A video will be coming for “Winning”, maybe in Russia, that’s an exclusive!

The inspiration just came from a car accident I was in that almost took my life and my team working hard every day! To reach our goals. We all quit our 9 to 5 job and bet on ourselves and since then we’ve been winning, no pun intended.

Talk about how you initially got started writing rhymes and the artists that influenced you musically early on. Also, is there a rapper or singer who would be your go-to featured artist on a song?

I started when a close friend of mine on my team brought his recording equipment to my house and we would just rap on beats all day. I was heavily influenced by Lil Wayne mostly, and Juelz Santana, I know those guys music like it’s my own.

My go to who I would love to do music with would be Kanye but because of his production, need a Yeezy produced album.

With "33RD" now released, what are some of your goals musically for the rest of 2021?

Right now one goal is to shoot every single video for each song on the album. Another goal is to get it in the right hands to keep our momentum going and to keep people listening.

When someone listens to the "33RD" album, or any of your music, what do you want them to take away from the experience?

Great question, I want them to listen and appreciate it. As an artist you put a lot of time, effort etc. into your music and those who don’t appreciate, it is a lil disappointing. But also I want the listener to enjoy themselves, have fun but appreciate the things I talk about in my music; I need you to hear the blood, sweat, and tears literally.

Stream and Share “33RD” on: Apple Music | Spotify

Connect with Royal Tiago: Website | Instagram | Twitter

Interview: King Cole Discusses His Latest Single "Your Story Is Mine", Featuring Xavier Keyz

“I originally wrote this song for my wife. I always write from the heart and I hold nothing back. As a songwriter I have to come up with something that’s universal to everyone.”

— King Cole

How did you get started as a songwriter? Who were some artists and/or songwriters that influenced you early on?

I started writing songs when I was 18 or 19 years old and my influences are anything Motown, all the great funk and soul of The Black Counterculture Movement in the late 60s and 70s, as well as the British invasion, specifically the Beatles.

So the songwriters that influenced me would obviously be Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Holland Dozier Holland, Ashford and Simpson, Lennon and McCartney, Jagger and Richards, Jimmy Web, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Walter Becker and Donald Fagan, and so many more.

Congratulations on the release of your new single "Your Story Is Mine", featuring Xavier Keyz; what inspired you to write the song and how did you decide that Xavier was the right artist to bring your lyrics to life? Also, who produced the song?

I originally wrote this song for my wife. I always write from the heart and I hold nothing back. As a songwriter I have to come up with something that’s universal to everyone.

The first time I became aware of Xavier Keyz was I believe in January of this year at the Springboard Festival. It was during Covid and so it was the first one that they did by Zoom. I was streaming it to my television and when Xavier came on it felt like he jumped out of the screen into my living room.

My wife and I were mesmerized by his performance and presence. I knew right away that he was the one for the song. I went to YouTube and listened to his music and found out that he’s also a very good songwriter. I flew Xavier down to Houston and he spent three days in the studio with Barry as I watched the session on Zoom from Miami. Once again I knew that we had made the right decision because Xavier‘s work ethic is second to none. He didn’t want to stop until he was perfect. He delivered big time. He was able to capture exactly what we wanted. He’s a singer who can make someone else’s song his own.

Veteran producer Barry Coffing produced the song.

Can we expect a music video for "Your Story Is Mine" to follow next? If not, do you have another song release on the way?

Yes you can most definitely expect an official music video. In the meantime we have a lyric video that is doing quite well with over 12,000 views in about 2 weeks since it’s release.

What can you tell us about the compilation album that "Your Story Is Mine" is featured on? Do you have a release date confirmed yet?

“Your Story Is Mine” will be part of an album do in 2022 (no release date yet) called “Troll the Troll.” This project was created along with master painter and visual artist Barry Gross (collected by Elton John, the Forbes Foundation, Coca-Cola, etc.)

Barry is providing a unique oil painting as a cover for each single and of course the final album.

With "Your Story Is Mine" now released, what are some of your goals musically for the rest of the year?

For the next many months our team along with Xavier‘s manager Durell Peart we will be concentrating on this single and promoting Xavier in a big way. When I feature an artist I go all in.

My brand, believe it or not, is not about me. It’s about helping young independent creatives break out. We’ll also be in the studio for the entire remainder of the year.

Connect with King Cole: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Interview: Melbourne Based Artist Acoustic Foxx Discusses His New Single "The Fire Is Alive"

“So many times and moments in life that could have easily burnt me out and had me thrown in the towel. Despite all the self-loathing and disappointment I’ve thrown at myself over the years, I kept going and it was that fire burning inside of me that kept me alive.”

— Acoustic Foxx

If you had to describe your music to a stranger in three words, which ones would you select?

Raw, Dark, Thoughtful.

Congratulations on the release of your new single "The Fire is Alive"; tell us what inspired you from a songwriting perspective.

Thank you! The song-writing process usually begins with the guitar, a chord structure or riff and ‘The Fire is Alive’ is no different. I often mess around in different tunings on the guitar, I like not knowing standard chord shapes and just fumbling around trying to come up with chords and parts that sound cool. I tuned down my old Maton acoustic guitar to open C6 tuning and I wrote ‘The Fire is Alive’.

I played in hard rock/grunge bands for years and lately I’ve really been missing an aspect of that so I wanted to incorporate more of my electric guitar influence in this song. I recently brought myself a new sunburst Fender Tele and I fell in love and ended up recording heaps of extra guitar parts.

Lyrically I approached the song by recognizing I still had that fire burning inside of me to create music and succeed much like I had when I was younger. That seems to burn out over the years for a lot of people, so I’m grateful I still feel it.

So many times and moments in life that could have easily burnt me out and had me thrown in the towel. Despite all the self-loathing and disappointment I’ve thrown at myself over the years, I kept going and it was that fire burning inside of me that kept me alive. The Fire IS Alive, indeed.

I think that is more important than ever to feel connected with that during these trying times. The Fire is real, learn how to feel it, harness it and use it for whatever you are doing.

How did you connect with the song's producer, Joshua Whitehead, and what was you and his creative process musically?

The first time I worked with Joshua Whitehead I was in a band as lead guitarist called ‘Old Etiquettes’ and we were recording our debut album. The bands singer and chief songwriter James Harrison had worked with Joshua on many different projects for years. I really enjoyed working with him so I booked in to record my second album “Blustery Winter” in 2018 and I’ve recorded everything with Joshua since then.

With my latest single ‘The Fire is Alive’ it’s actually the first time I’ve had drums on any of my songs since my debut EP in 2012. A good friend of mine Luciano Alvaro picked up the sticks and couldn’t wait to get into the studio along with Hugh Heller on bass. Joshua had us record live in the big room at Crosstown Sound-studio and that was awesome. He wanted to capture that raw energy of a band playing the song and we played it over and over.

I actually recorded a ton of additional guitar tracks at home but I went a little overboard because I was having too much fun but we ended up culling what we didn’t need.

With "The Fire is Alive" now released, can we expect a music video to follow; if not, what are some of your goals for the rest of 2021?

Unfortunately here in Melbourne, we are in our 6th lockdown and it’s pretty nasty. The ideas I had for a music video are just not possible so I decided not to do one at all.

I’ve got another single half-finished that Joshua recorded and Hugh and Luciano played on so I’ll finish that and release it before the end of the year, as well as keeping on writing new material. It’s important I keep being creative.

I also run a music podcast called ‘Foxx on the Wire’ that’s been a huge blessing during all these lockdowns as I’ve been able to still connect with other musicians and talk about all things music.

How has the shutdown in Australia over the past year plus impacted you as a songwriter? Also, what do you miss most about performing live for audiences?

The lockdowns haven’t really impacted my creativity as such, but it has impacted the cycle of what being a musician is all about. Write songs – record – go out and play live and promote. Repeat cycle.

Lyrically there’s not a lot to be inspired about which is why I have a heap of music written but not a lot of lyrics. A few instrumental tracks perhaps?

I really miss playing live because it helps me connect with people and with myself. Having gigs coming up helps me keep my skills sharp and myself in good health so I’m fit enough to play gigs and test out any new songs. I didn’t really get into the whole live streaming thing but it’s cool that so many artists did.

Stream and Share “The Fire is Alive” on Soundcloud

Connect with Acoustic Foxx: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Interview: Vancouver Rock Trio Bute Street Talk About Their New Single "Fentanyl"

“Our biggest accomplishment is the upcoming album. It feel like everything was building toward this.”

— Bute Street

How did you three initially meet and decide to form Bute Street? Also, what does the band's name represent?

Myself and Liam met through mutual friends. It's a small world when you're an Irish immigrant. We jammed once or twice then lined up cover gigs for money as Mop And Beard. I've wrote songs since I was 15 and played a lot of them to Liam. He really liked them and we started working together and threw originals on the set. After a while we decided to get full band together. We went without a bassist for at least a year. Our first EP was recorded without a bassist by trade and in hindsight would have been much better with Jory. I found Jory on Craigslist and once he came in to the fold we hit the ground running. Hes the only Canadian, so he balances the band in many ways and he’s by far got the best stage presence.

The name Bute Street was suggested by our first drummer Connor Morrissey because I lived on Haro and Bute in downtown Vancouver. Bute Street sounded better than Haro Street so we went for that.

In Belfast, Bute is slang for good as well so I think that clinched it Haha. Connor put us on to Craig when he had to leave over work commitments.

Congratulations on the release of your new single "Fentanyl", and its soon to be unveiled music video. Tell us about your creative process for the song itself, and working with its producer Dan Ponich.

I (Colm) moved to Vancouver in 2016 and by 2019 had met 4 people who overdosed and died on fentanyl laced cocaine. I met others who woke up in an ambulance and told me first hand on a building site a few days after the fact so I thought it was pretty messed up situation.

Growing up in Belfast I'd been around a lot of recreational drugs but the potential of death in Vancouver seemed crazy to me so I wrote the tune with all that fresh in my mind. Musically we wanted a rockier sound in general from our first EP so I tried to write a pumped up punk song with a chorus people could sing along to live.

I didn’t want to be preachy either despite the subject matter. I wanted to address it in our matter of fact way with even a little dark wit I dare say. Our producer Dan Ponich was the man who picked the right guitars, effects and amps to get that big sound. We worked with Dan previously on “Superficial Times” but knew each other a lot better by the time we were recording this song. So the production is a lot better here as I think he got us by this stage and helped us get that rock and roll sound we wanted.

Regarding Fentanyl's animated music video, how did you and the director, Kara Fernstrom, come up with its treatment?

Our bass player Jory owns the legs you see walking at the start of video before it goes into animation. He filmed that and came up with the video intro. We threw tons of ideas at Kara and she picked a few that was possible without a million dollar budget Haha.

I think I came up with the roulette wheel and the ambulance but Kara came up with most the visuals that made the cut and she done a fine job. She is Jory’s cousin and just as well because it was a crazy long endeavor and might not have got finished otherwise.

Me and liam haven't actually met her but corresponded by email and threw dozens of ideas at her. I think as we all have worked in construction we wanted that theme in there too of hardworking man who likes to enjoy himself but that threat of death looming because "they poisoned the sugar".

Kara got all the visual themes we wanted in beautifully without too much repetition or confusing narrative. But most importantly it looks cool as fuck.

What can you tell us about your upcoming debut album "Eclectic Taste"? How long did it take to record all of the 15 songs, and were there any that you recorded that did not make the final track list?

We done an album by accident really. Our drummer Craig informed us in August 2020 that he was return to Ireland in November. We thought well we won’t be gigging for a long time by the looks of it so we might as well get few drum tracks down before he goes. After conversation with our producer Dan who said Craig is unusually talented and efficient in the studio 4 turned to 6 to 8 to 10. We rehearsed for 6 weeks and had to finalize structures and Craig went in late October and done all the drum tracks in one day.

Craig went home and the three left went in every month and worked on 2 songs at a time. We finished our 15 song album in May 2021. It’s now mastered and ready to go but now we need content before release so we are working on that.

Believe it or not I dropped several songs and 15 was as ruthless as I could be. It may be the only album we ever do so I wanted every song that made the cut on it. I'm very proud of it. It's a huge step up in quality for a lot of reasons like better arranging, better production, better harmonies and the development of our working relationship coming to fruition.

After the first 2 we all hit our stride and Dan was a massive help playing synth and little guitar when liam broke his hand. He got the songs sonically better and was def like our 5th member. If you like “Fentanyl” you will love our new album. It's ballsy rock and roll with a few softer songs in between hence “Eclectic Taste”.

What would you say has been Bute Street's biggest accomplishment musically thus far since you began in 2018?

Our biggest accomplishment is the upcoming album. It feel like everything was building toward this. I have been at this a long time and try to be realistic with my assessments of my own music but the timing, the people, the talent and work rate was all right for this project which is almost impossible in band life and I think we've produced a special piece of art with these group of songs.

The hard part will be to get it heard so I thank you for listening to us and hope your readers will.

Connect with Bute Street: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | ReverbNation

Interview: Columbus, OH Artist/Producer Voxcore Talks About His Self Titled Debut Album "Voxcore"

“I like to describe it like a mad scientist as I work in variations and lay out all the options. Once I find a sound or melody that I like I start to build and layer on top of it. Piece by piece working to create a final sound.”

— Voxcore

If you had to describe your music to a stranger in a few words, which ones would you choose?

Emotional Audio Experience

Vibrant, Neon, Synth, 80s, Visual Narrative, transcending

Tell us about your creative process when you are working on new music.

I like to describe it like a mad scientist as I work in variations and lay out all the options. Once I find a sound or melody that I like I start to build and layer on top of it. Piece by piece working to create a final sound.

Then I shift my focus to the song's structure and presentation, moving around all the puzzle pieces until I find something that feels right.

Congratulations on the completion and release of your debut album "Voxcore"; tell us about its development and whether it was self-produced.

Thanks a lot, the album has been the culmination of several years of work.

It was self-produced and promoted, even the album artwork, visuals, and videos are all done by me.

Would you say that the "Voxcore" album has an overarching theme or concept?

Absolutely, the album tells a story from start to finish. With the rise of Perpetuance and Fabrication to the fade of Reign I wanted the album to be a reflection of the journey we all experience through life, love and the pursuit of happiness.

Were there songs that you recorded that did not appear on the "Voxcore" album? If so, why didn't they make the final cut?

Yeah there were a few, I think every artist knows that the final piece or presentation doesn't always match the original idea or vision.

I had an idea of how many songs I wanted to include, but only you decide what's complete and not. So yeah, there were a handful of songs that I was on the fence about that ended up going back into the oven for some more TLC.

Maybe you’ll hear them on my next album, stay tuned. I'm not committing to a specific date just yet, but I am happy to share that my next album is well underway. Look out for the first single in the next couple weeks and expect to listen to the full album before the end of the year.

Stream and Share “Voxcore” on Spotify

Dopecausewesaid’s review of “Voxcore”

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Interview: Milwaukee Based Artist/Producer Monti Korbelle Discusses His New Single/Video "Dreamlike"

“As much as I would like to grind and produce and get more stuff out there, I have to take some time to absorb and process. One needs input before there can be output.”

— Monti Korbelle

What are some things/people/places that inspire your creativity when you are working on new music?

In many ways I feel art is universal; it all starts with a vision. I found that music producers and cartoon animators are similar in their process and technique, and of course you can branch out and include instrumentalists, sketch artists, photographers, 3D sculptors, and pretty soon you have an umbrella over all types of artists all linked in some way with their artistry approach.

Someone who inspires me— there's a YouTube channel called The Art of Photography that did a series called Artist Series, which I recommend. Episode 3 features a photographer named Laura Wilson, and she deeply connects with me on her approach to art. I'm not a photographer, but her techniques in how to approach the art of bringing a vision to life is the same energy I like to apply to my music.

Congratulations on the completion and release of your album "Mount Moon", which includes your single "Dreamlike". Tell us about your creative process for this song and the album overall.

The album is about looking within and uncovering the hidden pieces of oneself. A functional society requires us to mask our emotions, but this leads to our emotions becoming masked from ourselves. In the process of looking within, we find positive and negative, and this album emphasizes the negative.

"Dreamlike," on the other hand, is a moment of peace— euphoria, even. We all have the chemical cocktail in the chamber ready for release within our own brains; it's like free drugs— a rush of joy produced by one's own thoughts. Except triggering this mental response is the challenge. "Dreamlike" is that moment of bliss one is able to feel, even when the person exists in a slump of depression.

The music video for "Dreamlike" is awesome; how did you come up with its treatment and can you describe how you developed it?

Yeah, this is sort of a funny story. I was at a bar with friends on a Friday night; I don't drink much, but I was at a bar. It was a hip bar that played popular music loud with rows of televisions on the walls showing the music video. That's where I heard for the first time a song called "Astronaut In The Ocean" by Masked Wolf.

I didn't realize it at the time, but this song was going to be the biggest song of the year. Nevertheless, I'm watching the music video at this bar, drunk, mind you, and I can't help but become upset with how much I thought the music video looked like shit. The transitions and effects looked cheap and corny, and there were shots of the music artist wearing a space suit standing in-front of a green-screen with outer-space as the digital backdrop. He was blatantly standing in a film studio accompanied by a very obvious amount of Earth's gravity.

I was so upset with how this music video looked. I thought, "Why didn't they suspend him mid-air to create the illusion of no gravity? He's in space— is he not?" The anger over this music video got me thinking about how I would have done it better— how I would have made a music video that didn't look as crappy as "Astronaut In The Ocean" by Masked Wolf did. Then, I decided to take that energy and apply it to a music video of my own.

How would you compare the "Mount Moon" album to your first, "Global Carbon Tax Economy", from a sonic and thematic standpoint?

I hate to admit it, but I do feel like I suffered a mild case of mental illness during the production of my first album, "Global Carbon Tax Economy." For some reason, where I found value in myself was through my intellect, and with that I wanted to move people. While I was getting mind-blown by political podcasts and conspiracy theorists, further increasing my knowledge, I was wishing to recreate the same mind-blowing effect through my music.

The idea sounds fine when briefly explained as such, except with art comes suffering, and when the source of suffering is the paranoia of oligarchical shadows that wish to strike down the middle to lower class for capital gain, then the pain is more intense than simply trying to create great art.

One of the first songs I produced for my second album, "Mount Moon," was a song called "Find a New Direction," and that's exactly what I was doing for the new album— finding a new direction. Becoming obsessed with politics and current events works fine for many, but not for the mentally fragile, which is something I unfortunately had to discover for myself.

With the "Dreamlike" music video now released, what are some of your goals musically for the rest of 2021?

From my first album to my second, I found a new direction, and I wish to repeat the process for the third. I've been listening to a lot of artists, especially artists that don't fit into a specific genre, but instead create their own sonic signature— genreless.

There are a lot of music artists featured on DOPECAUSEWESAID that I plan to listen to as well. As much as I would like to grind and produce and get more stuff out there, I have to take some time to absorb and process. One needs input before there can be output.

I wish I could predict what my album 3 will sound like. Currently, I am thinking less drums, less rapping, more cohesiveness, but these ideas are very broad for now. I work slow, I take my time, and I only put out what satisfies me.

Stream and Share “Dreamlike” on Spotify

Stream and Share “Mount Moon”

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Interview: Autogramm Talk About Their New Music Video "I Am a Situation"

“...this song is just an acknowledgement of my own fucked-up-ness at that time, and also a reminder to really check in with your friends, because they may be having a hard time, despite appearances.”

— The Silo, Autogramm

How did the members of Autogramm initially meet and decide to form the trio? Also, what does the group's name mean?

C.C.: This is where Berlin comes into the picture again. We've all spent a lot of time in the city either visiting friends or touring with our bands. I happened to live there 7 years as well. Jeff and I talked about starting something new while he was living in Berlin one summer. Autogramm was just one of a handful of German names we picked after a long search for a band name. Something German seemed appropriate. It means Autograph.

Jiffy Marx: And there's already a band called Autograph!

Congratulations on the release of your new music video for "I Am a Situation"; tell us about your creative process for the song itself.

The Silo: I wrote the lyrics to “I Am a Situation” a little more than a year ago, right at the beginning of the COVID pandemic lockdown. It was perhaps for the first time in a long while seeing myself at a distance.

These very unusual events can force us to re-evaluate our lives in a way that life as usual tends to blind us to. I was thinking about how a person's life can appear from the outside to be so settled, ideal, in the right place, while on the inside they may be struggling, drifting, gone awry.

This sort of thing tends to be exacerbated by our suddenly very isolated lives, when all we get to see from our friends and loved ones is an idyllic representation that we're fed through social media. Not everyone is comfortable sharing their fears and struggles in the public forum. So this song is just an acknowledgement of my own fucked-up-ness at that time, and also a reminder to really check in with your friends, because they may be having a hard time, despite appearances.

How did the band and the director Dana Tucker come up with the treatment for the video, and how did actress Kim Kraczon end up starring?

C.C.: Dana and Kim are friends from when I lived in Berlin. We wanted a subway themed, day-in-the-life video, with nods to Kraftwerk.

The video was originally supposed to include friends from all over the world riding their city's respective subway trains, but the pandemic got in the way. Kim and Dana said they'd still do something less "transit" oriented so we let them film what they wanted. Dana has pro gear and has worked on videos for Peaches and others in Berlin, so we knew it'd turn out well.

From all the songs on the "No Rules" album, what led to the band deciding to film a music video for "I Am a Situation"?

C.C.: Seeing as we knew we wouldn't be able to tour around the release of this album, we decided we'd make a video for almost every song on the record. This one just happened to be the next in line!

With "No Rules", and the clip for "I Am a Situation" now released, what are some of your goals musically for the remainder of 2021?

Jiffy Marx: We have been shooting stuff for a couple more videos. I thought maybe if we couldn't tour maybe we'd try to make a video for every song on the album? So far there are four and shooting for at least two more so that's like half!?

Stream and Share “I Am a Situation” on Spotify

Stream and Share “No Rules”

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