Obaro Ejimwe, aka Ghostpoet, digs deep into his inner psyche on his latest record I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep, released May 1st. This heavily introspective album leans harder on percussion and bass than electronics, marking a slight shift in direction for the London-based artist. I Grow Tired… cozies up to seminal albums from fellow British trip-hoppers, like Massive Attack’s Mezzanine or the self-titled debut from Damon Albarn’s project Gorillaz. 

Ghostpoet’s pre-apocalyptic blues prove fitting for the times. Ejimwe’s haunting melodies are interspersed with existential spoken word verse. The album opens to blatant nihilism on “Breaking Cover” but does not drag or wallow. Ghostpoet plays into the inherent contradiction of man. His lyrics speak to being out of touch in one line, then Instagram filters in the next. Sonically, the no-wave guitar riffs on “Nowhere To Hide Now” are attention-grabbing. Likewise is the juxtaposition of bird song and futuristic ringing stands out on “When Mouths Collide,” a harrowing song where Ejimwe’s cries out lovelorn pleas with half a heart, like he knows his efforts are doomed from the start, but still can’t change the course of his desires. 

Heady and experimental, I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep is perfect for an after-dark listen, on those nights when the noise in your head keeps you from sleep. Replace your thoughts with Ghostpoet’s ominous voice on this record, and muse with him there on the fine line between a nightmare and a dream.

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Annie Hamilton is an artist who wears many hats. Based out of Sydney, Australia, she is a musician, a fashion designer, and a visual artist. She plays guitar in the band Little May and for the artist Jack River. But now, she is releasing her solo project, a self-titled EP.

While nothing on this EP is very surprising, as four of the six songs have already been released, it has a sense of completion that wasn’t apparent with just the string of independent singles.

Her EP primarily examines the aftermath of break-ups and the strain of waiting for feelings to diminish. But she digs deeper than just the sadness of missed feelings, she openly expresses her struggles with anxiety and control. We see this theme woven through the entirety of the EP, whether in a song about a break-up or a song about understanding herself. In this vulnerability, we not only see Hamilton discover herself as an artist but grapple with her own identity as a human.

Soft vocals over fuzzy noise forge a spinning feeling in her music that complements those anxious feelings and also taps into a sound reminiscent of 90s shoegaze. Her music falls into the genre of indie rock, but you can’t hide that grunge influence creeping through with staticky guitars, distorted crescendos, and broody lyrics. This style is immediately solidified in her first two tracks “Fade” and “Kitchen.”

“My New Tattooed Chameleon,” shifts into a more swinging beat with a lighter composition opposed to the preceding. While it still holds a messy aesthetic, it is slightly less constricted—a sort of breath of fresh air from the previous claustrophobia and anger. And within this flexibility, she explores change.

The EP begins with three familiar songs, her fourth track, “California Carpark Concrete” leads the transition into her newer tracks. In this song, she follows more of a folky sense of storytelling especially in the recurring line, “they say if the crocs don’t get you, then the sharks will,” which feels like a tough-love line of advice your grandpa might deliver.

“Oxygen” starts with an electric organ that recalls some spirituality. She pairs this with lyrics of trying feelings. However, it doesn’t have the same desperation that her other songs hold. In “Oxygen” she is more sure of herself and clear-headed.

The EP finishes with “Panic,” her latest released single. And it’s a tone up from the more mellow last few tracks. “Panic” wraps up the EP with a fitting strength. Its all-encompassing noise has you fully stimulated—just like panic, really.

Annie Hamilton shows she is more than just an impressive guitarist, by finding her own voice in this EP. These tracks are like the diary entries you expected no one to see, as she speaks with both vulnerability and fortitude.

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Meeting us from a temporary home in New Jersey, Two Feet and I chatted over Zoom, a social channel that seems to have become the (temporary) new normal. Like many people he has been escaping the New York pandemic, moving from one AirBnB to another with his dog and a make-shift recording studio, taking in the outer-city nature and focusing on his craft.

Music has always been a part of Two Feet’s life. Growing up he was drawn to all music, playing whatever he could find on repeat. His father is an unintentional music collector and in that very similar, unintentional manner has been teaching his son musical foundation since an early age:

“He didn’t mean to but as a kid, he might have subconsciously sort of trained me to become a producer,” Two Feet shared, “We would listen to records and he’d ask ‘What is that sound?’ and I’d be like, ‘That’s the bass’ and he’d be like, ‘Yeah, what’s that?’ so I was picking up sounds out of productions early on.”

At the age of 18, Two Feet left school and begun to focus solely on music, playing piano, guitar, writing lyrics, and “neglecting” his social life to become the best musician he could be. For two and a half years he made music out of a small apartment in Harlem, occasionally collaborating with bass players and drummers but the noise eventually began to frighten the neighbours: “Cops were showing up at my door, everyone was complaining and I was threatened with eviction. So, I turned to synths that I could just turn down real low and hear in a different way. I started putting synths and electronic drums into my music because I had to and then that’s how my sound formed,” he shared with GQ earlier this month. The core foundation of Two Feet’s production, however, is a drumbeat:

“I mix a drumbeat that I really like and then I kind of build on top of that drumbeat; I start to build a melody over it and then I add chords for interesting production around it. I think the most important thing to have is a really good beat, really good top melody, whether it be with your voice, a guitar, or another instrument, and then if those two things are really good then the rest of the song kind of fills out naturally.”

A child of the internet Two Feet was one of the lucky musicians who the Internet gave back to: in 2016 he shared an original song, “Go Fuck Yourself” on Soundcloud late at night and in the most simple terms, woke up the next day famous. This virility expedited Two Feet’s career but his talent as a writer and performer is what got “I Feel Like I’m Drowning” airtime on the radio, something that he considers one of his proudest accomplishments so far.

Today Two Feet is signed to Republic Records, the same label that represents Ariana Grande, Drake, and Glass Animals (another great accomplishment I might add), and on March 13th he dropped a new full-length record called Pink. To no surprise, the album was an immediate success among music critics and song-by-song promptly made it to the music fans’ “Sexytime” playlists. Set against pronounced bass lines and vivid synths Pink is a sensual story and a reflection on Two Feet’s intimately private experiences:

“It is definitely a personal story, I guess I was trying to compartmentalize parts of my life in the past couple years, and the best way for me to do that is through music, you know, so some of the songs are really nostalgic. A lot of it is about the passing of time or like what happened in the past, title track ‘Pink’ is certainly about that” he pointed out.

“And I think that I’m falling
I’m tripping and I’m crawling
It feels like rather often
The years do come to pass
And I keep getting older
My mind is getting colder
The things that all once mattered
I know for sure won’t last”

For Two Feet music is a therapeutic outlet: “I don’t know where I would be without having that outlet, you know what I mean…I think everyone has their own outlet, in a different way. But [music] is really essential to my existence, I would go crazy if I couldn’t make music. I need it. I definitely need it.” This emotional transparency carries beyond the music itself, on the day the album came out he shared an Instagram post introducing the record with a statement: “With the way the world is going right now, I hope listening to it gives you some peace, or makes you cry, or makes you feel sexy, or makes you happy, or briefly brings you to a different world. As long as you feel SOMETHING I’m good with that. I worked hard on the tracklist. This isn’t an album of singles, it’s a ‘thing-in-itself.’ Please listen in order. Front to back.”

To promote the new record Two Feet has been getting ready to tour but as most of the world he too is now grounded and the tour is postponed. “There’s nothing I can do. It’s really unfortunate for me for several reasons: A lot of my promotion comes from my live shows, so live shows are super worked out and very elaborate,” he explained. The live performances for him are a transfer of energy which he nourishes by maintaining an open dialogue through everything he does publicly, but performing live, in particular, is a great opportunity to open up and share, “It’s the craziest high ever, playing in front of people,” he once told Louder than War.

As a musician who shines brightest through live performances, Two Feet has two “totally different” audiences: “There’s the audience that lives online and then there’s a touring audience,” he clarifies, “And our touring audience is as loyal as rock band audiences… so [live shows are] the best way to promote, it brings your fans out … and it’s kind of a huge blow to me professionally, that we have to reschedule the album, but it’s happening to everybody and we want to keep you safe. We want to keep my crew safe. It’s the only option. But it’s a huge bummer because my crew, they live on the road and they’re really out of luck right now.” We later returned to this topic when reflecting on the current state and things he cares about. As a call to his fans and other artists, he pointed out that there are platforms that help these working crews and platforms that can help you give back from your own successes. The live tour, whenever it resumes, is aligned with Plus1.org and a $1 from each ticket sale will be donated to the SRNA (Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association). “You sell 50,000 tickets, it’s $50,000 for an organization and I think it’s something that every artist in the position where they can give a little back should definitely do.”

An upside of social isolation is the room that it creates for creativity. With all this time on his hands, Two Feet has begun working on his next album and is almost halfway through it. “I’m pretty excited about that. I honestly think I might be able to get it out there this year,” he admits hopefully. One of the goals for the next release is to be even more open with his lyrics, which he retrospectively wishes he had done with Pink. The remote studio set up is very DIY which feels pretty normal: “It feels kind of how it use to be … you know, I’m used to being on the road anyway so in that respect it’s kind of similar … outside of the comfort of my home.” I wondered what equipment the brought with him on the road and as he turned his phone around to show this make-shift studio, set in front of a sunny window, he admitted it was much like the early days of true bedroom production: just a mixer, Stratocaster, an Apollo 11, laptop with Ableton software, and most importantly – the guitar.

The advent of technology allows us all to stay connected while maintaining distance so during this break from touring Two Feet has been taking advantage of live streaming platforms like Instagram, offering the audience to even pick the tracks he performs ahead of time. Looking into the near future, his immediate goals are to complete the next record and promote Pink on the road as soon as it is safe to do so. The bigger picture, however, is wider and much more ambitious: an amped-up live performance with dancers and a bigger live band is on the wish-list; a collaboration with an established rock band like The Strokes or Arctic Monkeys is one of the more ambitious goals but working with up-and-coming musicians like himself or perhaps writing music for film is seemingly more within reach, and these days, everything is possible.

All images by Johannes Lovund. Courtesy of the artist

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In an interview with Voyage LA Keller shared that she focuses on making “relatable music” through telling stories. One of her early releases was a song called “Bad,” a story of a young woman in a troubled relationship. The topic of relationships is a common one in Keller’s lyricism, the “Weekend,” for example, was a reflection on a situation where one of the individuals is not emotionally invested in the relationship.

With the new single, “High & Hurt,” Keller takes a few steps back towards the first encounter. The song “captures the essence and that feeling you have for a stranger when really, you didn’t expect to feel anything at all. You connect with this person; you had high hopes, but in the end, you’re left with disappointment and a heavy heart.” The point Keller is working to make, however, is that disappointment is all right and should be embraced with a full spectrum of emotions.

Give it a listen below or try a platform of your choice here.

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Peach Pit, the Vancouver, B.C.-based quartet is back with their sophomore album, You and Your Friends. The band, falling somewhere between surf rock and indie pop, is known for their detailed storytelling, with Neil Smith as their mellow-voiced narrator and brought to life by Chris Vanderkooy’s funky guitar riffs. They’re still singing their sad boy hearts out about hazy bedrooms, drunken stupors, and girls scrolling past their Instagram pics. But smoke clouds break for sunny days in this new record, as they have gravitated from their moody sound that was prominently held in their first album Being So Normal (2018).

They start out with a bang. “Feeling Low (F*ckboy Blues),” a title that could easily double as their style of music, is entirely ear-catching. This track was also released with a Lucha Libre inspired music video that compliments the quirky electricity that carries throughout the rest of the record. And in a well-organized album, “Feeling Low (F*ckboy Blues), is the perfect reintroduction and showcase of their talents as both individuals and a collective band.

They back this hit with another previously released single, “Black Licorice.” It’s a tone down from their first track but will likely become one of their classics. You’ll find this style similar to the later “Shampoo Bottles,” a clever story of the remnants of ex-partners, from missed feelings to their old toiletries. They have become pros at masking melancholy behind funny lyrics and swinging tunes. And matched with an upbeat chorus and intricate guitar work, these songs are quintessential Peach Pit.

“Figure 8” comes with a shift from their typical sound—featuring more the likes of a mainstream pop ballad. In this song, Peach Pit becomes our stoner boy band, and even with the cliches, there’s something deep inside that still tugs at your heart.

“Puppy Grin” also takes a different turn, with an energy reminiscent of Panic! at the Disco. They toss between a controlled steady beat and twisting and turning reverb that mimics their lyrics of questioning feelings. Ultimately, it results in a controlled chaos that makes you want to dance out all that built-up tension.

Then we fade into the easy-breezy middle section of the album. “Brian’s Movie” kicks it off with a conversational and groovy surf-pop tune. The easy listening continues with “Camilla I’m at Home” and “Second Life With Emily.” They might be singing of broken hearts and lost love but they still come off as feel-good songs. Initially, this section is so relaxed it might come off as forgettable, but it proves itself to be the center of this jelly donut—pleasantly sweet and sticky.

When “Thursday” begins to play you might think you were listening to a completely different band. The addition of a synthesizer coupled with Neil Smith’s soft vocals makes it especially ethereal. It has you feeling like you’re floating through outer space and then quickly spinning back to reality with some fast drumming and guitar distortion. 

“Your Teeth” is sure to be a catchy standout. The oddity of the lyrics will catch you by surprise, but you’ll likely get swept up in the flirty beat and will quickly find yourself crooning along.

The album finishes with its title track. All you can hope for is a safe landing, and “You and Your Friends” is that, but only that.

Peach Pit proves they are willing to experiment with some new tricks and sounds, but they still keep to the creative storytelling and impressive guitar work that makes them recognizable. With conversational and relatable lyrics, it’s hard to remember they’re not your actual friends filling you in about their latest crush or drunken night. And with You and Your Friends, it seems they’ve moved their kickbacks out of the hazy basement and onto the sunny front porch.

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Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Kiwi Jr. will be releasing their debut album, Football Money on  January 17th via Persona Non Grata.  Opening for the likes of Alvvays and New Pornographers, their sound is a mix of punk and jangle pop, reminding the listener of heavy hitters like The Cars. Composed of singer-guitarist Jeremy Gaudet, bassist Mike Walker, guitarist Brian Murphy, and drummer Brohan Moore, Kiwi Jr. is a bright spot in the punk scene.

Starting with the third track, “Salary Man,” we get a feel for how the rest of the album will play out.  This modern take on Japanese slang for an office worker finds the lightheartedness in the plight of 9-5 drudgery with lyrics like, “I want cigarettes from Japan that taste like oranges.” With an easily digestible, rollicking tune and simple, semi-shouted lyrics, “Salary Man” sets the tone for the rest of the album.

Just one song down is  “Gimmie More,” where the punk elements of this album begin to shine. The repetitive lyrics, singing “gimmie more,” and the twanging of the guitars make this upbeat track have the air of earnest. What’s great about this song is that it’s an upbeat narrative of the dissatisfaction one feels with growing up and finding that being an adult isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Near the end of the song, it builds to a buffet of instrumentals, as if the acceptance that “more” isn’t always what one needs.

The 6th track, “Soft Water Apple,” is as soft and sweet as its name implies. Slowly fading into a soft melody, this short song is 1 minute and 7 seconds of pure bliss. The soft, wailing synths blend with watery bass lines, painting a mournful picture that is a delight to listen to. It’s a welcome departure from the enthusiasm from the rest of the album. Without the sharp sounds of the other tracks, Gaudet’s vocals are able to shine.

The first few seconds of “Swimming Pool” is like something straight out of the ’60s. The first few seconds of chiming guitars on this 9th track are a warm undertone to the song. With the addition of a tambourine, the song opens into a gooey landscape, one that encourages listeners to have a lazy moment. The drums beat out yet another simple rhythm, allowing for the guitars twang to reverberate in a way not unlike the classic, jangle pop sounds of R.E.M.

Kiwi Jr.’s debut is short, sweet and addictive. Their easily acceptable melodies paired with repetitive and punchy lyrics make for an album that can be played all the way through, no skips necessary. The band will be kicking things off with a UK tour, followed by gracing the stage of Austin’s SXSW in March of 2020.

Image by Padrian McLeod

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Entry into the gated festival area is a rainbow-shaped gate with a quilt-like pattern, immediately setting a wonderland-kind of mood. This front area of the park is called Underground Village and is hosted by Underground Lauderdale, an official organization shining a spotlight on the largely undiscovered wealth of cultural experiences in the Greater Fort Lauderdale (GFL).

The sandy dunes are divided by walkable pathways, framed by art structures, attractions from the Renaissance Festival, oversized and textured beach balls, blowup igloo, and an array of brand activations like full-body dipping and a floor piano at the tourism booth. The early attendees can be spotted relaxing on beach blankets, basking in the sun, while celebrity chefs from the Maximus mobile kitchen are doing live food demos. Shortly after one of the food demos came to an end, L.A.’s K.Flay took the stage for her afternoon performance.

The singer and lyricist, dressed in all white, began her performance with “Not In California” and  “This Baby Don’t Cry” off her recent release Solutions. This performance is a part of the Solutions tour so naturally Flay spoke to her motivation and search for solutions when greeting the crowd, encouraging them to do the same and concentrate on what they truly care about. The fans were eating up Flay’s words like cake, nodding in agreement while gripping to the barricade trying to get closer to the artist. Pacing back and forth along the stage, occasionally picking up her guitar, playing with the bandmates, and dancing during vocal breaks, K.Flay is contagiously energetic and incredibly hard to not dance along with.

Walking away from the Underground Stage, past Ford Blue Lounge where up-and-coming talent is playing more intimate shows throughout the day, is the Shipwrecked stage, decorated with giant octopus tentacles, already fully occupied by music fans sipping cold White Claw, patiently waiting for The Revivalists to start. Over a decade in the making, this New Orleans rock band is a staple not only in the NoLa scene but the genre in general and gathers a dedicated following for each live show. The band, generously spread out across the stage with a bright pink neon heart in the background, has great on-stage chemistry, seamlessly playing off of each other while David Shaw [bottom image] works the front of the stage engaging the fans. For nearly an hour the band played tracks from the latest album Take Good Care, like “You Said It All” and “Change” and some older crowd-pleasers.

Lauderdale is one of those few places where the nights are dark and with limited light pollution (mainly because the majority of the lights are dimmed as a part of the turtle protection program) so seeing live stage performances in this complete darkness is a very special experience. When Nashville’s Judah & The Lion began their set it was precisely that time of night. From an elevated viewpoint, you can hardly see the crowd while the stage pyrotechnics explode with spectacular power. Judah & the Lion, dressed in matching yellow t-shirts and track pants, had quite a few surprises during their set each of which drove the crowd wild with excitement.

The band’s latest release, Pep Talks, earned a lot of love since its release earlier this year so when Judah Akers began “Pep Talk” single a large portion of the audience knew the words by heart which Akers took advantage of throughout the set, inviting them to sing and clap along. Pep Talks is an album that aims to spread love and positivity and with anthem tracks like “Alright” and “Why Did You Run?” they undoubtedly achieve that message with impressive ease. The set ended with a squad of dancers, dressed in athletic tanks and track pants, performing a synchronized dance during which the pants tore off exposing short shorts – one of the above-mentioned many surprises from Judah & the Lion.

At the far side of the festival grounds is the dedicated VIP area with a side view of the main stage and plenty of space to roam around for all of those trying to avoid the mosh pit and long bar lineups. From this side, an elevated Cabana lounge offers a fantastic view of the Shipwrecked stage where The 1975s created a slightly surreal experience with a large neon rectangle framing Matthew Healy, interactively blending background and foreground visuals. The live video stream on the sides of the stage had matching graphics to go with the stage visuals, a seamlessly branded band performance. The 1975s music at times has bluesy undertones that when paired with pop synths sound a bit like K-pop. Healy, joined on stage by two backup dancers, kept on addressing the crowd as “Babies” asking how people were feeling and sharing how happy they all were to be back in America between tracks from A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships and singles like “Sincerity Is Scary.”

Above two images are courtesy of Visit Lauderdale & World Red Eye

The weekend’s most anticipated performance, however, was The Killers. The band has been on a bit of a hiatus since releasing Wonderful Wonderful in 2017 but the fans haven’t forgotten. Earlier this fall The Killers released a lineup of stadium dates for the Imploding The Mirage tour nearly all of which were sold out within a couple of hours. The album by the same name is not set to release until Spring 2020 but the warm can begin now.

It was a show everyone was talking about and the one that the beach was particularly packed for. For over an hour the lead singer Brandon Flowers worked his way through the entire repertoire of songs with tracks like “When You Were Young” (Sam’s Town), “The Way It Was” (Battle Born), “Run For Cover“ (Wonderful Wonderful), and of course their breakthrough single “Mr Brightside” (Hot Fuss). Throughout the set Flowers shared small sentiments with the audience and how easy it was for them to say “Yes” to performing a Tom Petty tribute last year, which they once again did tonight. The live stream occasionally had music video effects to match the songs and was aired in full black and white for “The Way It Was,” very authentically retro.

Halfway through the set Flowers shared they had a song for people who like to drum and pulled in an enthusiastic fan to play “For Reasons Unknown” with the band. With the first few beats, it was obvious the guest player (17-year-old local Jayson Verebay) knew exactly what he was doing. The park audience erupted in proud cheers as Jason expertly drummed his part in the song, and on the way out he did a quick interview with the Rolling Stone. Needless to say, Jason’s life has changed since but we’ll have to wait and see what he’ll do next.

***

November in Fort Lauderdale is a southern winter, mostly noticeable through waves of cool breeze but the ‘winter winds’ aside it is still very much a beach destination and Riptide is a beach music festival. It’s a destination festival not far from home (if you’re not a local) and one that offers a unique experience that can only be achieved through community-driven organizational efforts. People come here to hear the bands but they come early and return again and again for the atmosphere and the view. And in the morning, if your hangover is not too tragic, you can break away to explore the nearby breweries, and local art, or go on a classy boat ride along the many canals, an easy way to spend a weekend.

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The 23-year-old singer-songwriter and producer Holly Fletcher, who goes by the stage name of Låpsley, has emerged from a three-year hiatus with music in tow. She gained quick fame for her innovative electronica and soulful voice but has yet to release music since her first album, Long Way Home, which came out in 2016.

The announcement came as a letter on Instagram, where she thanked her audience for their patience while Holly embarked on a journey of self-discovery. “I needed that time and isolation to care for my mental well being; in order to create something that I felt was the truest version of myself,” she wrote. In the four-track EP, These Elements, we see this transformation, to be released on December 6th.

The EP starts with “My Love Was Like The Rain.” In this song, she melts natural themes with an electronic beat. It’s a song that explores contradiction both technically and thematically. She paints images of water—leading us through rain, seas, pools, blue skies, and arctic fronts. This is where the title’s namesake comes in, “I embody these elements,” she sings over echoing electronica. Holly has the listener drowning and then floating as she ultimately embraces elements— the good and the bad.

Låpsley continues with the natural theme in her second track “Eve,” where she plays with the biblical Adam and Eve story and the themes of greed and taking. The faint high-pitched sounds of birds chirping, twisted in a way that they nearly mimic the sound of a siren or static electricity, forges a spookiness over the dark and stormy beat. If you’re looking to dance out of a breakup, this anti-love song is it.

In her last two tracks, she takes a turn from the dance bops that embody the two preceding tracks. Holly also repeats her iconic vocal drop, a technique she debuted in the song that put her on the radar in 2014, “Station.” Holly electronically shifts her pitch generating different voices. If you didn’t know, you might’ve thought she added another vocalist, but instead, it results in mystifying androgyny (similar to what she did on “Station“).

For “Ligne” she settles in at a slower pace with a string arrangement. The experience is ethereal and full-bodied even while remaining simple and direct in lyricism, “it’s not easy letting go, it’s not that simple, somebody you love,” sings the chorus.

Holly ends on a solemn note, with “Drowning” that takes a letter-like quality. She calls out to her mother and then to her father. Her words are questioning, pleading, and seeking advice, “You said I can only swim so far, I was like a fish in water. So why am I drowning?” she sings.

Låpsley may have disappeared for a few years but Holly Fletcher was still out there working hard, and now she’s come back swinging.

With a long-awaited album like this one, you would expect some transformation and self-discovery, but Låpsley shows us that even more importantly, she’s found self-acceptance and she strides with a renewed confidence. These Elements validates that times can be tough, but it also emanates empowerment; it’s the perfect comeback.

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Rakei’s live shows are treated as a production that materializes differently from his studio work. Hours are put in working with the band thinking through the live executions and changing up the arrangements. Now with the new album flowering its way through people’s favorites, Jordan Rakei is on tour.

Kateryna Topol: You’ve been on the road since May, how is it going so far?

Jordan Rakei: Being on the road has been so much fun. The album is meant to be played live because it’s made much more colorful, much more vibrant. So touring, particularly in Asia [so far] and really honing the set, playing at the Cotton Club in Japan, was really exciting. We played six sets in three days and were able to improvise most nights, change up the set, really develop our sound as a band. So that’s probably the biggest highlight so far.

KT: That’s awesome, can’t wait to see it live. So about the inspiration behind Origin, that’s a pretty heavy topic, what lead you to go this route?

JR: What led me to write in the album about dystopian futures was my interest at the time in singularity and simulation. I was watching lots of discussions and debates about the future of our humanity and civilization, with like, the tech-heads in America, and it was fascinating and I just thought this would be an interesting topic. As you know, I’ve always considered my future in this world and how I can coexist with future generations of technology. So that’s mainly the inspiration behind the whole album.

KT: Musically speaking, it’s a bit of a departure from your older works, the album seems a lot more dance floor friendly – was that intentional?

JR: Yeah, it’s definitely intentional to make the album more colorful and vibrant because I wanted to offset the negative and pessimistic lyrical content with more positive musical content so that they could juxtapose each other.

KT: Makes sense. You’ve established yourself as a strong artist and strong performer since signing to Ninja Tune, how has it been working with them?

JR: It’s amazing! I think they offer such a great perspective on visuals and music for me to have, you know, back in the past everything was in my head, all the ideas came from my head. And there was no sort of … like, sounding board. But Ninja Tune are able to accept my ideas and then offer either criticism or advice, or anything like that. And it’s helped shape me into more of a …. I guess conceptual and consistent artist. So they add a lot of value creatively.

KT: How does this album translate into a live show for you?

JR: With the live band, [it] consists of five of us: a drummer, percussionist, guitarist, bass player, and me on keyboard and guitar. We try to recreate everything live. So we’ve got no track, and try to make [sound] as full as possible. But again, our focus is to make it all dancefloor-friendly and make sure that people are, you know, fully into it the whole time, taking them on, like, a narrative from the beginning of the show, to the peaks and the troughs and then to the final peak at the end.

KT: Sounds really cool! I’ve read that completing this album was like finishing a job for you – now that it’s out and has gotten quite wonderful feedback are you starting to think about what’s next and how you will approach that?

JR: [chuckles a little] Yeah, I’ve definitely started thinking about what’s next for my career. I think I’m definitely always up for changing my sound, and always up for … creating something, sonically totally different, lyrically totally different. So I’ve started writing again, and looking forward to finishing that, maybe end of this year, early next year, but I’ve got 12 tracks already, [working on writing more], just to get more stuff out as my year, my life goes on. Just no filter, just keep getting stuff out. That’s my goal.

KT: In the past, you also mentioned having a checklist when working on Origin, is that something you do a lot, is there one for the tour?

JR: There’s not really a checklist for touring since I’ve got a routine, but I like to take touring pretty easy. You know, we get into the venue. I’ll have my sandwich. I’ll set up my stuff. I’ll come back. I’ll probably play some Mario Kart. I’ll do my vocal warm-ups. I’ll do my back rolling. Then I’ll do my last vocal warm-ups. I’ll go on stage. I’ll come off stage, do my vocal warm-ups. Maybe pack down and then head straight to the tour bus to make sure I get enough sleep for my voice. So I’m not a big rockstar celebrity that goes out and parties every night [laughs].

KT: Haha, Ok. Traveling can also get quite taxing, do you do anything to stay overall healthy?

JR: I guess the only thing healthy that I do on the road is I try and eat a normal-sized amount of food. When you tour the temptation is very easy to just binge food because there’s food everywhere you go: backstage, after the gig at the hotel, stuff like that. So trying to maintain meal sizes [laughs]. And also meditation is amazing, helps me like, center and makes me relaxed.

KT: What do you like to do in the cities you visit before or after the shows?

JR: A lot of the cities I’m visiting, I’ve never actually been to in America. So this is like an exciting little half-holiday, you know, half what’s it called? Work/business. So we always get coffee and breakfast because the two of us will arrive in the morning, go out explore the city as much as we can, get breakfast, walk around, maybe go to some vintage shops. And then after the show, I don’t really ever go out because I have to maintain my voice so the band will get to explore the town and then I will be asleep in my bunk [chuckles again].

* * *

We will be seeing Jordan Rakei in Toronto on October 6th at the Opera House, and there still might be a show near you:

Nov 04 Detroit, MI – El Club
Nov 06 Toronto, ON – The Opera House
Nov 08 Montreal, QC – Le Belmont
Nov 09 Washington, DC – Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
Nov 10 New York, NY – The Bowery Ballroom
Nov 12 Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry at the Fillmore
Nov 13 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
Nov 14 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg

Photo by Dan Medhurs

The post An interview with Jordan Rakei on his latest album “Origin” and life on the road appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Vidal N. Granados: How long have you working on Synthetic Soul? What’s the creative process like when doing in the studio?

Chiiild: Our creative process is constantly evolving but at the core, it is based on experimentation and collaboration. We try to source inspiration and sounds everywhere we can find it.

VNG: How would you describe your album Synthetic Soul; and what do you hope to accomplish with this album?

C: Synthetic Soul is a mix of old and new. We hope to create a new listening experience. And also build genuine relationships with the people that listen to our music.

VNG: How was it collaborating with Shungudzo for your track “Back to Life”? How did the conversation on working together and what kind of song you wanted to make?

C: It was really casual. We bonded over shared experiences and outlooks, then wrote an honest song. We chatted for a few hours then we started laying the music bed for the song. Melody came second and she brought the poetry to that song. The song is about growing up and hoping for second chances. It all happened in about 5 hours.

VNG: How is the music scene community in Montreal?

C: Montreal is one of the best cities in the world to experiment as an artist. The cost of living is really cheap so it’s easy to try a bunch of things. You can’t rush creativity, you just show up every day and wait to recognize the gem that just happens once in a while. Also, the city is filled with all kinds of creative minds in the arts so it keeps you humble in my opinion haha.

VNG: Being in the middle of your North American tour and going straight to Europe after, what keeps the journey enjoyable while travelling on the road?

C: The most enjoyable part is the energy you get when you share your music in person is unparalleled. Also, you get to build new bonds with people everywhere. Unfortunately, we’re in and out pretty quick. We’re such a product of our environment so it would be really dope to get lost in the cities more. Maybe next tour.

VNG: How was it working with an artist like Jack ü (Skrillrex & Diplo), Usher, Jacob Banks? And what lasting influence did they provide…

C: Each one was a little different. The seed for the Jack U song was created in my parent’s basement with artist Kai. That seed fount its way to Jack U through her. As for Usher, the song started similarly in a session with artist Bibi Bourelly. A few months later he invited us to Atlanta to do some more work on the album. We were fans of his growing up, so it was a really cool moment. Working with Jacob was chill. He came in with an idea in mind and we helped that vision come to life. He’s a producer in his own right.

VNG: What records did you have growing up that inspired you?

C: Born to do it, Craig David
Machine Head, Deep Purple
Rumors, Fleetwood Mac
36 chambers, Wu Tang
PLAY, Moby

VNG: Thank you so much for your time. Can’t wait to hear your record when it drops later this year!

The post Chiiild blends genres to create psychedelically soulful R&B appeared first on Quip Magazine.

The show started off on a strong foot with rock band Hello Yello taking over opening duties. The quiet darkness that engulfed the stage was interrupted with an unpleasant eerie, screeching noise that ringed in your eardrums. Violet lights lit up the room as the band started with the angry track ”Maybe.” The loud screaming of lead singer/guitarist Dylan Wiggins mixed well with the psychedelic sound of bassist Jaden Wiggins and drummer Martin Rodrigues. Hello Yello kept the energy flowing with the follow up “I Don’t Care.” Dylan’s wild style was mesmerizing with his squealing riffs and Rodrigues’ marvelous drum technique. The band had the audience moving with their more relaxed track “Feel That Again.” While most of their songs made you want to mosh, this one made your body groove. Besides, judging from the crowd they were not prepared for a mosh pit. They ended their set with “Without Me.” The introduction is spacey with the lyrics echoing throughout the venue. As the song progressed, it devolved into a chaotic drum solo that shook the entire building. Having Dylan scream at the top of his lungs with the stage lights flashing frantically certainly left a lasting impression on the crowd. Later in the night when I ran into Dylan I made sure to shake his hand because Hello Yello definitely brought the intensity.

It was no easy task but Beabadoobee followed and knocked it out of the park with her sweet song “Apple Cider.” The London-raised artist’s poppy-punk sound was a nice contrast compared to the aggressive style of Hello Yello. Bea introduced herself and her band to attendees before jokingly saying the next song was based on band member Elaina because she plays bass. “She Plays Bass” is a wonderful feel-good song that does a fantastic job showcasing Bea’s gentle voice. That innocence changed when the singer yelled in the breakdown, “1-2-3 fucking jump!” The artist got personal on her song “Disappear” singing “I looked you in the eyes, don’t feel nothing here. ‘Cause the feeling of the love that I used to have, yeah that shits disappeared.” The crowd was completely immersed as they sang the painful chorus along with Beabadoobee. Not wanting to end her set on a downer, she finished her set with 90’s inspired “If you want to.”

Clairo made her grand entrance to the sound of eager fans chanting her name. The soft piano chords of “Alewife” silenced the excited fans giving Clairo a moment to share a vulnerable moment in her life. Afterward, she awoke the crowd by saying, “Hello Chicago, I’m going to sing a song called “Softly”,” which I’ve said was her best song on Immunity. The young singer’s fashion was wild compared to her more conservative attire from Pitchfork earlier in the summer. She was untamed in a loose bun while halfway wearing a trippy pullover hoodie with one sleeve on. Still, the rosy-cheeked singer kept the hits coming one after another by performing “Flaming Hot Cheetos,” “Get With U,” and her song with Cuco, “Drown.”

However, after this point, the artist made the show come to a gradual halt as she showcased most of the songs on Immunity including “North” and “Closer To You.” The album is much slower and less vibrant compared to her earlier work. Sure there are a few pop songs on the album like “Sofia” and the aforementioned “Softly.” But the album is more a reflection piece leaving those in the crowd staring at the stage motionless. On top of that, Clairo’s mic often screeched and her soft vocals had a hard time overcoming her band’s instrumentation. Yet nothing deterred her as she carried on with her supporters cheering her. After finishing her set, Clairo swiftly ran back on stage in under a minute. Rocking a spotted cowgirl hat, she sang “4Ever” and finished with the most popular song “Pretty Girl.”

The post Clairo, Hello Yello, and Beabadoobee takeover the Metro appeared first on Quip Magazine.