independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
Attending SXSW in Austin is quite the experience, one that will test the boundaries of your lack-of-sleep threshold, challenge your patience for traffic issues, and stretch the imagination as far as music-making goes. At a venue at 11:30pm waiting for a show that was set to begin at midnight, my inner old person was fighting... Continue Reading →
If you happen to have a free 19 minutes, head over to your favorite streaming service and check out Far From Home, the recently-released EP from Brooklyn-based folk-rock outfit Animal Years. It’s a rollicking good time, one that will make you stomp your feet and clap your hands—it’s evident that the band behind the music... Continue Reading →
It’s an age-old story: band gets together, band makes amazing music, industry folks want in on the excitement, and things begin to change--not always in a positive way. Such is the journey of rock duo Blacktop Queen, who burst onto the Los Angeles scene a few years ago. ”So we release the music, we're rolling,... Continue Reading →
“Growing up, I listened to my dad jamming in the living room with so many incredible musicians. Stevie Nicks would hang out, Herbie Hancock, my dad's bandmates from Blood, Sweat & Tears and there was loads of jazz,” recalls California pop singer Shana Halligan. Even as a young girl, Halligan was surrounded by music, so it was no surprise... Continue Reading →
“My dad was in this rock band in the 80s. I was brought up around music, and I think at a really, really young age I connected with it. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized what I was feeling when I was younger was this feeling of ‘Oh, you’re passionate about this... Continue Reading →
No stranger to live performances, singer/songwriter Max Gomez set out on his spring tour at the beginning of March. Starting and ending in his home state of New Mexico and including a visit to our beloved Music City, Gomez admits he feels more confident than ever in his ability to put on a live performance... Continue Reading →
“I come from a musical family, my parents both play, my sister and brother do also, so it came naturally. I started playing fiddle and guitar as a kid. I came into my own as a songwriter in high school. The rest is history,” declares New York-based alt-rocker Margaret Glaspy of her musical upbringing. She... Continue Reading →
“I played The Ryman before with City and Colour, and Dallas Green has this array of amazing pedals with him,” recalls London-based singer/songwriter Lucy Rose. “I was drooling over this tremolo pedal of his, and I was going to have to save up for that for a long ass time,” she laughs. “At the end... Continue Reading →
“When you’ve been on the road for six weeks or so, you can kind of start to lose it,” laughs Mitch DeRosier, bassist for Canadian rock outfit Born Ruffians. “You can go a little cuckoo in the van after you’ve been driving 10 hours a day for weeks on tour, and the dumbest things become... Continue Reading →
From finding their wildly popular YouTube cover videos to recently releasing their debut album, garnering over a million Spotify streams, and touring with the one and only Chance The Rapper, it’s safe to say that soulful New York City-based trio Thirdstory has had an exciting journey so far. “Chance’s musical director contacted us about performing... Continue Reading →
