Henry Nozuka on “When the Sea is Quiet and Calm”, Meditation, and His Creative Process
To hear the gentle vocals and thoughtful guitar plucks of Toronto singer-songwriter Henry Nozuka’s new, aptly named single “When the Sea is Quiet and Calm” is to access the part of your mind where only calm exists. Here, in this state of peace, you can be almost as ethereal and lightweight as the gentle breeze […]
Julianna Money on “27”, Stevie Nicks, and the Chattahoochee Valley
On her new song “27”, Julianna Money is preoccupied with a lot of things. She’s growing older, and even though she’s still young she knows she won’t stay that way forever. She’s ruminating on the inexorable passage of time. She doesn’t know what the future holds for her, except for what the future eventually holds […]
Chloe Bodur on “Reasons”, Genre, and Aspirations
Immediately drawing you in with an ear-catching loop filled with instruments and sound effects, “Reasons” by Chloe Bodur shows little signs as to the genre of song it is trying to be. Of course, once the electronic drums join the mix, things start to become clearer. A mix of R&B, pop and hip-hop, the song’s […]
Chatting with Jodie Marie about “Carageen”
Jodie Marie’s September 2020 release, “Carageen,” will lull you into the currents of grief and affection. Touting a dream-like, oceanic sound, this is a track about letting yourself slip into the “waves” of life and feeling everything – even when the emotions scare you. The verses are framed in a simple ascending melody, carrying the […]
Ksenia Parkhatskaya on “Rose and Blue”, Russian Jazz, and the Cosmos
There’s something uncanny about certain kinds of jazz, something that suggests a dreamy state in between memory and the present, or this world and the next. On An Empty Bliss Beyond This World, The Caretaker (aka Leyland Kirby) famously looped and manipulated old jazz records from the 20s to evoke the failing memories of someone […]
Josh Shaw of Blvck Hippie on Music, Inspiration, and “Rhodes Ave.”
As we grow up, nostalgia tends to be a recurring emotion which can simultaneously lift us up as well as drag us down. No matter where we are in life, hearing a certain song can instantly teleport us back to a specific memory. This is why, when playing around on the piano one day, Josh […]
Jonah Corren on Ennui, The Countryside, and “Dreaming & Petty Crime”
If you were to think about the English countryside, you’d likely conjure the sort of imagery you’d find in calendars and chocolate box art: rolling hills, verdant fields, an idyllic landscape resplendent with pastoral charm. While there are parts of England where that’s not far off (I confess to getting moony-eyed over pictures from the […]
Ryan Lott of Son Lux on Classical Influences, Collaborating with Legends, and Scoring Films
“Only (Chasing You)” is a rework of a track from Son Lux’s most recent album, Tomorrows I (the first part of a planned trilogy). The original song was simply called “Only”, and featured Ryan Lott’s gritty, yearning voice delivering the lyrics over the kind of music we’ve come to expect from Son Lux: elegant yet […]
Hannah Lee Thompson on “Handsome Ugly”, Songwriting, and Building a Chicken Coop
It can be hard to find queer relationships in media that feel like real relationships, rather than idealized replicas. Part of the problem is that queer relationships, unlike straight relationships, aren’t allowed to exist in a vacuum: they’re expected to carry the burden of representation, and are judged on those merits first and foremost. While […]
Marc Scibilia on “Wild World,” Family, and an Upcoming Album
“Wild World” by Marc Scibilia is a tribute to the strange world we’re living in, with an emphasis on that one person you couldn’t live without in these weird times. It’s a song that makes you feel good, but under the upbeat first listen it holds a depth of hope and longing. It’s repetitive lyrically, […]
