SINGER / SONGWRITER 'NIKKA' TALKS ABOUT HER NEW SINGLE "SHOWED UP DRUNK" PLUS MUCH MORE!

 NIKKA shows up with heavy duty talent and style with “Showed Up Drunk”

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By Kurt Beyers

To introduce herself to music fans, and to tease an upcoming EP, NIKKA has chosen a bubbly, fun pop-punk song called “Showed Up Drunk.”

It’s a good choice, showcasing her lithe, lively voice, her musical talent and the storytelling that animates her songs. In the universe of the EP, Better Never, which drops October 13, the song is an episode in what she calls “a love story gone wrong.”

“‘Showed Up Drunk' is fun because it’s the byproduct of my very wild imagination,” said NIKKA. “Whenever people tell me stories, or if I watch movies or shows, I am ridiculously moved by things that I might have not experienced myself.”

“Showed Up Drunk,” of course, has an origin story. One night she was driving by an ex’s house, not deliberately, but simply because it happened to be on the way from one place to another.

“Driving past it, I’m like ‘Don’t look. Don’t look. If you see his lights are on it’s gonna piss you off, so just pretend he doesn’t exist.’”

“Didn’t take my own advice,” she said. “I look over, and I see his lights were on, and I’m like, ‘Damn it! How dare he just sit there and live his life and ignore me.’”

That, “started the spiral in my head,” a spiral that sped up when two separate friends told stories of showing up drunk, one to confess her love to a friend, another to confront the boyfriend who broke up with her on her birthday.

That gave her the idea for the song and raised a question in her mind. “If I did show up to this person’s door drunk, what would I say?”

I showed up at your front door

Last night when I was drunk

And a little bit hopeful that you’d

Open the door without me knocking

And say that you’d been waiting for me

To come around

In NIKKA’s musical version, the story holds more gentle self-mockery than tragedy, heartbreak or bitterness.

Thinking about the question that came to her, the answer, she said, turned out to be, “I’m not mad, I’m sad. I want to know that I meant something to this person.”

The other five tracks of Better Never tell the rest of the story.

“The EP is a story of falling in love, and then experiencing that love falling apart, and the theme of it is the scars from your past relationships staying with you.” The other song she has released from the EP, “Would You Like to Dance,” is a soft, beautiful acoustic pop ballad that introduces the story.

She calls Better Never “genre diverse.” She describes the second song, “Like a Melody,” as R&B.

“It’s an interesting song, because depending on whether you’re in love, or if you’ve recently had your heart broken, you will interpret the song that way,” she said.

Song No. 3 is “Showed Up Drunk.”

“So, we’ve had the two love songs and now she’s showing up at his house drunk, and we’re like, ‘What happened?’”

The fourth, “Only Ever You,” is a dance number, followed by a piano ballad called “Why’d You Have to Break Me.”

“And then we end with ‘Fatal Dance,’ which is alternative. But I’ve heard from some people that it has country influences.”

“I’ve always loved lots of different music. We could put on a country song, then throw on a death metal song and then we can go to house music. Regardless of the genre, we’re good. We’re having a good time.”

NIKKA, who calls herself an Eastern European refugee, came to America when she was 5. In her 20s, with just two songs out, she is just beginning a musical career, though she has always been a storyteller in music, stories and poems.

“Songwriting,” she said, “is my main storytelling.” During the pandemic, she found herself singing melodies to herself, over and over again. Eventually, she found herself thinking, “What is the story behind that? What is inspiring me to feel this way to the point where I just keep singing it?”

And, eventually, she decided to put her music out in the world at large instead of simply singing it to herself.

Connect to NIKKA on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts, and let her sing to you.

https://www.musicbynikka.com/

https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0CCHFM7WH

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/nikka/1692046276

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5BBRIl5zrOrLMNuvGC7nTO

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb3JBQZQAsRu7vVYW_oHKlQ

https://www.tiktok.com/@nikkatini

https://instagram.com/nikka_music?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

SINGER/SONGWRITER 'HANNAH TELLE' STOPS BY THE SHOW AND TALKS ABOUT HER NEW EP "WAKING UP TO TOMORROW" AND MUCH MORE!

Hannah Telle’s folky psych-rock enters gently into a new day with Waking Up To Tomorrow

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By Kurt Beyers

Waking Up To Tomorrow, the 3rd LP from Hannah Telle, finds her embracing a spiritual folk expression as she delivers her songs with an unprecedented dose of mysticism and introspection. 

She sings of her catharsis and the pain she encountered along the way. She takes time to admire the beauty of her surroundings. “I’m really interested in making music that is therapeutic,” she said. “I make music first and foremost for myself, because it helps me handle my emotions and deal with events in my life that I don’t really know how to handle, whether they be really good, or really bad, or sad or whatever they might be.”

From “Kiss The Dew,” one of the album’s three singles:

Remedy self-righteousness and 

Ride into the dawn

Realize your hand is set to

Keep me as a pawn

The new album is the counterpoint to her previous project, Walking Away From The Dream. Both were produced by Riley Geare, a drummer known for his contributions to the music of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Caroline Rose.

While she contemplated letting go on Walking Away From The Dream, the new album brings forth a bright return, acknowledging the power and weight of music in her life. The writing and development of Waking Up To Tomorrow, along with her recent return to Los Angeles, has manifested a creative reawakening for Hannah whose expression fills this album.

The album is about hope, she said, about “realizing that old dreams that you thought were dead and gone actually have a chance to be revived.

“I was waking up to a new morning that was filled with endless possibilities. I had a profound and poignant new outlook on everything, and with that came new opportunities, and with those new opportunities came challenges,” she said.

Hannah grew up in the theater. Born and raised in North Carolina, she graduated high school from the North Carolina School of the Arts with a concentration in drama. She voiced the main character for the BAFTA-award winning video game series “Life Is Strange” and has had roles in television and movies.

She is bipolar, complicated by OCD and ADHD, “and I’ve constantly, ever since I was a child, been dealing with the ups and down of psychiatric medication and how difficult it is to live your life with that, not only to deal with the emotional repercussions, but also to deal with the physical repercussions, because these drugs are incredibly hard on your body.”

That, and the loss of people close to her, she said, has shaped her perspectives on life and on her writing.

“I just want to show as much love to everyone that I can, and that’s the overall arc of the record.”

Writing songs is her way of dealing with her own pain, a way of letting go of feelings and then moving on to new feelings and writing new songs.

“It’s something that I do to help myself deal, and I try to make the sounds as calming and helpful as possible to other people,” she said.

Her musical influences range from Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac and Laurel Canyon folk-rock of the ’60s and ’70s, to modern songwriters like Aimee Mann, Elliot Smith and Adam Granduciel of The War On Drugs. “Basically any music that gives you a feeling of intoxication,” she says.

Coming from her foundations in the theater, she got into making music by chance, learning to play guitar for a film role in 2012. She began writing songs and playing them in small venues in and around Los Angeles.

“I didn’t record anything because I couldn’t play to a click track, and I was really intimidated about recording. I just liked to play live. It was something I was doing that felt good.”

She started hanging out with students from USC and the California Institute of the Arts at a jazz bar called 1642 in Echo Park.

“…I met all these kids, all these amazing musicians that went to CalArts and USC, and they started teaching me music and becoming my mentors. One of them, Ben Schwab, ended up producing my record after teaching me guitar and how to arrange songs.”

Together with Ben, she wrote and recorded her first LP, Hollow Glow, in 2016.

Hannah has a fourth album in process, which she plans to release next summer. She’s working with producer Michael Rault, the Daptone-signed artist and touring guitarist with W.I.T.C.H and Pearl Charles. 

Hannah believes that the music like that of the ’60s and ’70s, “the golden era for me,” is coming back.

“It’s just really awesome to see how that classic rock sound has been remodeled and revamped with modern technology to become things like Tame Impala or Animal Collective, Altin Gun, or my personal favorite, Kikagaku Moyo. I want to work with more world-influenced sounds and really expand.”

Hang out with Hannah Telle on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.

 https://music.amazon.com/artists/B01M0SNWKX/hannah-telle

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/hannah-telle/1154145704

https://soundcloud.com/hannah-telle

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6pXKQVhbDJnq2JknjjrAjr?si=ZTvM8kY9T5iaFNnuphsuFQ

https://www.youtube.com/user/HannahTelle

Instagram: @hannahtelle

Twitter: @HannahTelle

SINGER SONGWRITER JIMMY MALLIA TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW SONG "HEY HEY" AND MUCH MORE!

Jimmy Mallia releases “Hey Hey”: a barroom style song about overcoming the demons of drinking

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By Bobby Martin

Life can be a rollercoaster ride with peaks and valleys sending you in directions that can be completely unexpected. This has certainly been the case for Jimmy Mallia- a business man turned singer/songwriter from Texas has now released his first single about overcoming his biggest demon: drinking.

Mallia has released the tune “Hey Hey”, which can be heard on all major platforms starting on Oct. 25. Anyone who knows the struggle of alcoholism will take the song to heart and understand the innuendos thrown into his lyrics. But don’t expect to be sad and blue from listening to it.

This is a song that celebrates getting through the struggle and trouble associated with drinking, in the style of a barroom singalong that with a catchy chorus and fun, dancey rhythm.

“I could have done it kind of melancholy but I thought it would be much cooler to be a singalong song,” Mallia explained. “It’s very raucous. It’s very rowdy. It’s definitely like an old time kind of country song with a standup piano and a guitar.”

Mallia explained that he had been working on the song for a long time, and it evolved after spending time in a 12 step program. He said believe it or not, people going through a 12 step program do have a lot of fun. It isn’t just going to meetings and talking about how bad life sucks and what happened to them. It is more about getting through it together, and there is plenty of happiness involved.

“It’s really a lot of camaraderie and a lot of laughter, and I wanted to bring that out in this song,” Mallia said. “So at the end of the song there is a singalong for the chorus. I really wanted to get across that alcoholism is a serious issue, but you can have fun in sobriety.”

Mallia, 59, was born and raised in the small island town of Galveston, Texas and after going to college at the University of Texas and some time working in Houston, he moved to Lafayette, Louisiana. He had three daughters with his first wife, went through a tough divorce, but eventually ended up with full custody. He essentially raised his daughters by himself, and now has three grandsons.

“My life is like a Netflix story,” Mallia said. “There are so many episodes and side stories along the way.”

The song “Hey Hey” is about recovery from the excessive drinking that he had been plagued with for about 40 years. He said unlike some alcoholics, he was able to function and live a highly successful life. But it cost him his sanity at points, and now three years clean, he said life couldn’t be better.

Mallia has had plenty to contribute to his struggles, whether it be emotional aspects from failed relationships, handling family issues and whatever life threw at him. He explained that toxic relationships and being at home during the Covid-19 pandemic hit him especially hard, which caused him to hit the bottle hard as well. One day he said he couldn’t keep going on. He didn’t go to rehab, but the program is what saved him.

“Everyone’s rock bottom is different,” said Mallia. “I didn’t end up living on the streets or anything, but my sanity was totally gone. It was not a good picture.”

Mallia said if he hadn’t gotten sober he would never had taken the steps to release the song. When he was drunk he would have grandiose ideas but never follow through with them- something he said many alcoholics could probably relate to. When you sober up with a hangover, the idea isn’t so attractive.

One of the lines to “Hey Hey” is: “After drinking 40 years, lots of whisky, a lot of tears.”

This is a good summary of what his life was like, he said. Now he is ready to move forward, release his music, and live his best life.

Be sure to check out Jimmy Mallia’s new tune “Hey Hey” available for listening now.

CANDIAN ROCK BAND "HEATSTROKE" STOPS IN AND TALKS ABOUT THEIR NEW SINGLE 'TIMES SQUARE CLAIRE' AND MUCH MORE!

Canadian Rock Band Heatstroke Unveils “Times Square Claire” from their debut LP, Empire Statement

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By Myescha Joell

Canadian rock band Heatstroke releases their new single, “Times Square Claire,” following a young man who confuses lust for love. This track marks a pivotal chapter within the band’s debut album, Empire Statement. While most of Heatstroke's music is reminiscent of classic rock, this new single stands apart, emanating an undeniable pop sensibility. The rich vocals over the straightforward verse-chorus-verse structure make this a standout entry in their catalog. With catchy hooks and an infectious groove, “Times Square Claire” showcases Heatstroke's versatility and ability to captivate a broader audience while retaining their signature sound.

“We all come from different backgrounds in terms of what we like musically, so we have influences of punk, hard rock, and some of that classic Led Zeppelin style,” shared lead singer Orion Anderson. 

Empire Statement is a concept album about a boy named Jacey Finn growing up in Brownsville, NY, in the '70s & '80s. Despite the pull of poverty, he finds a way to escape and improve his life. Over the course of eleven songs, Jacey's life story unfolds. “Times Square Claire” is the fifth track on this album, and at this point in the narrative, Jacey is fifteen years old, and the year is 1980. He’s hanging out in Times Square when he meets Claire. She's a prostitute, but he’s too naïve to realize it. They fall in love and create a whole new life.   

“While every album may not be a concept album, storytelling is paramount for us, agreed all members of Heatstroke. “After all, a song is only as strong as what you have to say.”

Tonally, the album is a true blast from the past and an indicator of Heatstroke’s style of music. New listeners might think they're hearing something from the seventies or eighties, but the band only formed in October 2021. It was an organic connection. Troy Kirkwood (drummer) and Orion Anderson (lead singer) met in high school. Hunter Larabie (bass) and Anderson met while working at a clothing store, and Daniel Beaton (guitarist) met Anderson in college. 

“We are also really excited for listeners response to ‘Broadway’ and ‘Central Park,’” shared drummer Troy Kirkwood. 

“Broadway” and “Times Square Claire” take place on the same night. Written by Kirkwood, the melody of “Broadway” came to him in a dream paired with the concept of what it means to be a “big shot.” Instead of paying for a ticket to a Broadway show Jacey sneaks into the theater and discovers he has a lot in common with the lead. He leaves, deciding he will try to go about business the right way. 

“Central Park” wraps up the story and is more of a love song. There is no set year for “Central Park,” but it’s clear that a significant amount of time has passed, and something has caused Jacey and Claire to separate – the band agrees it may be ‘91 or ’92. “Central Park” is Jacey’s letter to Claire as if they were still together; however, it is only a moment of nostalgia. In the end, Jacey is alone.  

“Sail Me Away” stands apart as Beaton wrote the song before joining the band. So, it wasn’t initially related to the story. However, the song - Is all about the hero’s journey and fits seamlessly into the larger narrative within Empire Statement. It provides an open ending to the album and is up to the listeners to interpret the meaning.

Besides Heatstroke's collective talent, the band also credits Le Shed studio manager Brent Wohlberg for the success of their debut album. They have also recently gained notoriety in their hometown of Sudbury, Canada, having won local band competitions and receiving the invite to play at festivals in the surrounding area, including the Northern Lights Festival Boréal this past July. 

On October 20th, Heatstroke will drop the full album. In celebration, the band will grace the stage at The Lounge, a local Sudbury bar, delivering a full playthrough of their new body of work. Stay connected with Heatstroke on their website and across all platforms for new music, videos, appearances, and tour dates. 

https://www.instagram.com/official.heatstroke/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086398519988

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKjsHIxYz6oFhko3sZLrlcA

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6kuhjNXlZKGZfVl0DNB7cf?si=VPR9kNXvSy6dcHRPIprWJQ&nd=1

https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/heatstroke/1691655206

SINGER / SONGWRITER "JULIERA" STOPS BY AND TALKS ABOUT HER NEW SONG 'LET IT ACHE' PLUS MUCH MORE!

Singer/songwriter turns music into therapy with ‘Let It Ache’

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By John Hacker

QUINCY, Mass. — Being married may have turned into her worst nightmare but singer/songwriter Juliera has turned the heartache from that failed marriage into a deep, emotional and powerful song declaring her independence. 

Juliera released “Let It Ache,” a powerful story of love lost and the choice between pain lasting years and pain lasting only a short while.

“I had to choose my pain and so I chose the pain of breakup because at least that is one that would only last a short while rather than staying in the painful for several more years or even the rest of my life,” Juliera said. “After writing ‘Let it ache,’ I felt like a burden was lifted off my shoulder. I felt like I spoke my truth and told a little bit of my story and now I can finally move forward with the other songs.”

Juliera was born in Nigeria and started writing when she was 16 years old, writing verses and then putting them away. She attended college in Nigeria and built productive side business as a ghostwriter for other artists. She moved to the U.S. in 2017 to go to graduate school and was considering a career in music but she got married in 2019 to a man who didn’t share her passion for music. 

She became pregnant with their first child, a beautiful boy but she said her husband would belittle her and yell at her for throwing up or sleeping late during the first trimester of her pregnancy. He also cheated on her and at one point soon after she gave birth, he hit her during an argument.

“At this point, I decided my marriage was a joke and I could never respect a man to hits women,” Juliera said. “He once made a statement, ‘women are only good for cooking and fucking,’ and I thought, wow! It makes sense to me now why he treated me the way he did. It got me thinking that a lot of men who treat women like crap truly has this same mentality, my husband just had the nerve to actually say it to me.”

Juliera said the song “Let It Ache” is a song that she didn’t want to write at first.

“I ran away from my pain for so long and did other things that made me happy so I wouldn’t have to face the reality of the things happening during my divorce,” she said. “My attorney advised me to write down the trauma and abuse that I went through in my marriage and for so many months I couldn’t do it because every time I started writing, I get super emotional and my hands starts to shake uncontrollably.”

Speaking to a friend gave her the strength to write what the attorney requested, but then to try to push that memory and experience out of her mind, she sat down to write a song.

“So I was still in the mood of that emotional feeling and I said, I'm just going to do something else to get me off of this feeling,” Juliera said. “So I started playing the beats that this person that did my beats that I hired sent me. I said I'm going to write something fun and happy and get out of this emotional thing. But then the first beat I played came on and the first word that just came out of my mouth, and in the tone that it did was the first line of 'Let It Ache' the ‘Why, darlin’ why?' I was like, Oh my God, I'm not going to do this. And the next thing you know, the next line comes up. I said, Oh, God, I guess I'm writing this. I was like, Okay, fine, let's just do it.”

She released “Let It Ache” as her second single as a solo artist. She released “Hero” a song she recorded after she recorded “Let It Ache,” for a very special reason. 

“I decided to release 'Hero' first because my son really loved it and it was his favorite at the time,” Juliera said. “I wrote the song 'Hero' in 2017, but then I recorded 'Let It Ache' first, which I had just written in May 2023. And then I recorded ‘Let It Ache’ first, then I recorded a few other songs, then recorded 'Hero.' But I released ‘Hero’ for him.”

Juliera said she has at least 10 more songs ready to release and is working to release another title, “Bail on You,” on her birthday, Oct. 9.

Stay connected to Juliera on all streaming and social media platforms:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/00it1bBwOIDqd6QFINlBav

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEIYBcjQTkP2LUTYNL0PZVw

https://www.tiktok.com/@iamjuliera

https://www.instagram.com/iamjuliera/

https://www.facebook.com/iamjuliera

https://twitter.com/iamjuliera

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/juliera/1702126487

FATHER/DAUGHTER DUO "THEN AND NOW" STOPS BY AND TALKS ABOUT THEIR LATEST PROJECT 'ACES, ANGELS, & DEVILS' PLUS MUCH MORE!

Father/daughter duo Then & Now, to release new album, Aces, Angels & Devils mixing country roots with a vast array of musical styles

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By Bobby Martin

What happens when you mix country and rock roots from a father/daughter duo with an age gap of more than 45 years, with sounds incorporating heavy guitar riffs, cello, flutes, keyboards and trumpets along with a steady bass and drum rhythm section? You’ll get Then & Now- a group from South Africa featuring Graham and Tori Ferreira, that is releasing an eclectic mix of music on their new album titled Aces, Angels & Devils.

Graham, 77, and his daughter Tori, 31, both have dynamic backgrounds in the musical world. While their styles were drastically different, with Graham singing and writing country tunes and Tori deep into the punk and metal music world, the two share a common bond of being able to put together unique, creative music. 

Then & Now released the album Tales of Long Street in 2022, which is mostly country and rock, but includes accordion to give it a bit of a Mediterranean feel. The newest album, Aces, Angels & Devils is a whole new ballgame. The opening track sets the tone, with an extended psychedelic sounding guitar intro that leads into Tori and Graham trading off on vocals.

One song on the album titled “Angel or a Devil?”, is a gritty tale complete with mesmerizing flute with a catchy chorus led by Graham. He sings, “When she comes to me at midnight, I don’t care what you say. Angel or a devil, love her anyway.” It includes a blistering guitar solo by Fraser, before Graham repeats the chorus, driving it home to the listener. 

Another track, “Year of the Dog,” is one that Then & Now is proud of, saying it is “creepy” in the best of ways. The lyrics go: “It was the year of the dog when I was born, on the wings of an eagle in the eye of the storm, flying high above the world, looking down from afar, so here I am and there you are, we must follow our own star. Easy come and easy go, if you listen carefully you’ll know, which way the wind is going to blow.”

While Then & Now has generally played their own tunes, they do have one cover on the new album - the fun Bobby Bare sung drinking song “Tequila Sheila” that was a hit in 1980. The track has a Tex Mex feel, with trumpets and all.

The album has touches of classic rock, alternative rock, psychedelia, swing music, a latin flavor and, of course, some country vibes. You can chill to it or dance to it, but one thing is for certain: it is unique. Tori calls their sound “unpredictable,” with Graham agreeing, adding that they are “different and creative.”

“It’s actually very rocky, got some blues in it as well, and not just stuck on the country genre,” Tori said.

Graham added, “The essence is still country. Country is all about telling stories.”

Graham explained that he started playing tunes in Cape Town in the 1960s, successfully at that, and that a lot of the music he writes goes right back to that time. Then Tori came along, and she has been playing music since she was a young child, with Graham saying he gave her a guitar at the age of three.

She developed her own musical style and has a background in performing arts, playing for various bands in her teens. She joined a punk band and played in a metal band - quite the opposite of her father’s style. However, later in life she and her father realized they could take their music to the next level together.

About four years ago they decided to collaborate and put together a band to showcase the music written by Graham, who also goes by Papa G.

“We were always Then & Now - kind of a name that Graham came up with as a nod to our age difference,” Tori explained.

Graham said that he isn’t the typical 77-year-old, he has plenty left in the tank, saying that he envisions his farewell tour coming at the age of 105. 

Graham is a master of the rhythm guitar, plays harmonica and belts a deep country twang to his vocals. Tori, who plays rhythm guitar and ukulele, has a wide vocal range that lends to the new modern sound they have put together. Then & Now is described by Graham as “country fusion”, and it has sounds of country, rock, blues, reggae, Latin rock and progressive rock all rolled into one.

The band’s lead guitarist is Marc Fraser, who the Ferreiras raved about due to his heavy metal riffs and wailing guitar solos. Fraser has been heavily involved in the writing of their new album having written most of the melodies for the songs and of course the guitar solos. Terrance Welch plays the drums, using an electronic percussion called the Octapad. Mark Marais is on the bass, driving the band’s tempos, and new to the band is Bronwen Milford, who is a classically trained flautist, pianist and cellist. She bringing a whole new element to their sound, as her background is in philharmonic orchestras.

Then & Now isn’t just about them, they said, but could be a generational band with Graham envisioning the project going on for many years. 

“One of the big things about the concept of Then & Now is that we are busy building a brand, and that brand will continue,” said Graham. 

Be sure to check out the music of Then & Now and be on the lookout for Aces, Angels & Devils coming soon.

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HIP HOP RECORDING ARTIST/PRODUCER 'FREEMVSON' TALKS ABOUT HIS LATEST SINGLE "SHMOKE" AND MORE!

Freemvson Drops Raw, Emotional Single, “Shmoke”

By: Nadia Sobehart

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Self-made artist and producer, Freemvson, brings us his latest exploration of hip hop and R&B with his fresh single, “Shmoke.” Turning to life experiences for musical inspiration, Freemvson brings us a fresh sound that “breaks generational curses” and sets new bars.

The energetic single is a nod to recent circumstances in Freemvson’s life. “What inspired the song is a transition I’m going through in life,” shares the artist. “It came from a place of hate a little bit—hate and loss and retribution. I want people to hear it and feel aggressive—I want to give people energy.”

Raised in Dayton, Ohio, Freemvson grew up in a single-parent home and many of the struggles that came with it. “When I was 10 years old living in Alabama, my older sister helped me write my first rap,” shares the artist. “It was a spontaneous bond thing we did. Since then, I’ve been writing rap, songs, and poetry.”

The rapper’s raw emotion isn’t unfounded. “This is hip hop. I wasn’t fed from a silver spoon—I came from nothing. I came from the struggle. I don’t got to trauma dump or nothing, but people should know I came out of the mud. I formed everything on my own, no handouts or nothing. Everyone gets a little bit of help, but I’m investing in this all my own, out of my pocket.”

Freemvson’s creative process usually involves writing to a beat that inspires him. In the case of “Shmoke,” he worked to a beat by the same name and decided to go with it. “I wrote the song around the title and added my own elements to it. I speak on my own mindset and type of energy.”

Through his music, Freemvson is setting out on a mission to introduce listeners to a new genre of hip hop. “I want to redefine a new genre that people don’t know—trip hop. It’s kind of like psychedelic hip hop with R&B elements infused. It uses spaciness and psychedelic elements, very linear flows.”

In addition to his single, Freemvson has an album, Freemason, which placed #13 on Billboard’s “Heatseeker’s Chart” and #35 on Billboard’s “Hottest New Independent Albums.” Freemvson is also the founder of Luminosity Records LLC, which he founded in late 2020. “I’m an audio engineer and producer—I do everything, not just songwriting. So, I decided to form my own label. Right now, I’m investing in my own music.”

Make sure to stay connected to Freemvson on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.

https://linktr.ee/fr33mvson

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/freemvson/1441179219

https://open.spotify.com/artist/21Z01yOe2VbWB0MD2FrSgO?si=zsfsjTC4RAWTQykmGly6uQ&nd=1

https://www.youtube.com/@FreemvsonOfficial

https://www.instagram.com/fr33mvson

SINGER SONGWRITER 'KAYCEE B' STOPS IN AND TALKS ABOUT HER NEW EP TITLED "I AM ME" PLUS MUCH MORE!

 

        Montana artist inspires confidence in new album ‘I Am Me’

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By John Hacker

BILLINGS, Mont. — Kaycee B has been singing in her hometown scene for years and growing in confidence in her talents and abilities.

Now she’s ready to burst out of her mountain cocoon onto the national music scene with an introspective and inspiring EP, “I Am Me,” that came out on all platforms on Sept. 29.

“Prior to this, I was making music because it was what I love to do,” Kaycee said. “I would share it and I put it out there, but I wasn't really putting a whole story together, putting together a whole project. I would just release songs as I felt that they were ready and I would share them. 

“The title track to this album, ‘I Am Me,’ there’s a story in that. It's basically my transition. It is when I said I'm going to do this, I'm going to put this out, this is going to happen and I'm going to be confident. It’s a very self reflective album. So many of the songs express different versions of myself.”

Kaycee said one song, “Falling In Love” was released prior to the album hitting the streaming platforms and gave her audience a preview of the album. The other songs have been coming together for some time now.

“They’re all written by me,” Kaycee said. “Some of the songs I've been working on for a while and they were kind of on hold and some are a lot newer. The album has a broad style to it, it’s not just one style or one direction. Some of the songs are more emotional, some of them are more high energy. Some of the songs are supposed to be more of an uplifting feel. I want people to really be able to feel the emotion behind the music.”

Born and raised in the beautiful high plains of Billings, Montana, Kaycee B brings a new twist to a soul, R&B and pop vibe with a different feel. She sings with a very wide range of vocals and a lot of controlled movement. 

Kaycee was eight years old when she started singing in her church and then her school. She performed in different venues around Billings in her teenage years, singing whenever she had a chance to get in front of a crowd. 

“I began recording in a studio at 18 initially,” she said. “I had a few people that helped me get started recording. And I did not sound very good at first. I did in some ways sometimes, but I was really unfamiliar with recording on our studio mics, so that took me a little bit to get used to.”

She produced her first songs with a local producer, Jon Barnea, who eventually moved to Arizona. 

The songs on “I Am Me” are produced with Barnea and producers Micah Sanchez and J Reezy.

One of her big breaks came when she got the chance to open for Lil Wayne in a concert in Billings.

“That was kind of my coming out show,” Kaycee said. “Everybody was giving me crap afterward, saying you haven't done any shows, how did you just go on a Lil Wayne show? I just did it. Initially I tried to sponsor the Lil Wayne show. They had said that they weren't having artists on it because he was bringing his own artists. We sent them a couple of songs. They ended up calling us back and saying that I could open. I was lucky and it was so scary because I'd already been turned down. So I wasn't prepared when they called back.”

She said the reaction from her hometown crowd was inspiring and she wants to spread that inspiration around.

“People were really excited,” she said. “They were just happy that I was following through, doing what I do because they've been hearing me do it for so long. It was just crazy for them to just see me actually do it, to be there and they know who I am. It's a good feeling.”

Kaycee has also opened for artists such as 2 Chainz, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Too Short and others. She has projects currently with artists and producers such as Starlito, Allan Cubas, Dontae Wilmore, J Reezy, and more. 

She said her confidence is growing and she wants to help others gain the confidence to do what they want to do in their lives. 

“It's a confidence thing and it also makes other people feel confident because they say that's cool,” Kaycee said. “I'm glad she did that. I want to do what I want to do.”

Please follow Kaycee B on all streaming and social media platforms:

https://instagram.com/iamkayceebee?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.facebook.com/iamkayceeb?mibextid=LQQJ4d

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Os8UvSMyqgLJ815b6E3hd?utm_medium=share&utm_source=linktree

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCixbUXvEGOZMLNQqb2aQsvg

https://linktr.ee/iamkayceebee

SINGER/ SONGWRITER "ROYAL X" STOPS BY THE SHOW AND TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW SINGLE 'DINERO' PLUS MUCH MORE!

 Royal X is all about the hustle in new single ‘Dinero’

By Jenna Gengler

 

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Brooklyn based artist Royal X has music in his blood. Learning from his experiences and sharing them with the world through his music, Royal is creating something new and amazing. Most recently, this artist has released a new single titled “Dinero”. This song explores how it feels to grow from nothing and inspires people to follow their dreams.

 

A champion for the 200 Percent, Royal is all about promoting the success of those who identify with multiple cultures. “Identifying with both my American and Dominican sides, I want to show how both have impacted me,” he explained. This background and the passion he has for it has led Royal to pioneer his own unique genre, blending the resonate sounds of Dembow music with the urban feel of Hip Hop. This style paired with a blend of Spanish and English language creates something truly different from the rest.

 

“Dinero” is a great example of what this incredible and beautiful sound truly has to offer. Not only does the song showcase an incredible beat, it is also a song designed for those 200 Percenters and those who give their all to reach their goals.

 

“This song takes you through the stages of prosperity,” said Royal. “From having nothing to having it all, and how that growth impacts you and society as it watches you start to succeed.” “Dinero” is meant to be a song that supports the hustlers and hard working people who are doing what they can to reach their dreams.

 

“I want people to feel recognized by this music,” he explained. “Never give up on yourself, study and learn as much as you can and don’t be afraid to be different from the rest of them,” he said. Royal hopes his audience is able to use “Dinero” as a reminder to continue pushing themselves to be their best, and never give up on what truly means the most to them.

 

Following the release of “Dinero”, Royal is looking forward to working with some of the best artists in the world, including creatives like Timbaland and many more. “I want to continue taking my music to the next level,” he explained. “I am going to be working with the best of the best.

 

Along with his upcoming releases and plans, Royal wants his fans to know just how grateful he is for their support and the opportunities they have given him to reach his full potential. With hard work and a supportive community anything can be done.

 

Be sure to stay tuned in to Royal X on various platforms for new music, visuals and social posts.

 

“Dinero”:

https://open.spotify.com/track/1orjAL7Vbo6zEC9mse3paH?si=a211afe55d684063

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh9zrOt9Wnc

https://www.tiktok.com/@royalxmusic1?_t=8gK78x5EopC&_r=1

Instagram - @royalxmusic1

https://youtube.com/@RoyalXNY?si=amlV2tOy7yxtNKZd

https://www.facebook.com/RoyalXMusic1?mibextid=LQQJ4d

HIP HOP RECORDING ARTIST "NIZZY GET GOOD" STOPS BY AND TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW TRACK "WIPE IT DOWN" PLUS MORE!

NIZZY GET GOOD is manifesting good things with new single ‘Wipe It Down’

By Jenna Gengler

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Born to be a rapper, NIZZY GET GOOD has been destined for artistic greatness from day one. Named after the iconic rapper Nas, he has been honing his skills and perfecting his style since he was just a little boy. Now all grown up, NIZZY is manifesting his own destiny with positive, up tempo tracks, like his recent release “Wipe It Down”.

Inspired by his Chicago upbringing and the music he grew up around, NIZZY has an incredible sound that blends modern Rap with classic. He focuses on creating tracks with an upbeat energy and message, saying “There are too many sad songs out there, someone needs to bring happy Rap music back.” NIZZY is certainly doing exactly that, using manifestation and positive messages to create music that is sure to attract new fans his way. 

“Wipe It Down” does exactly that. This is a song all about getting that bag. The premise of this song is all about making money and getting it into the bank. Of course, this is something we are all trying to manifest. 

“I wrote this song because I had just come into a pretty good amount of money and I was pretty excited about it,” NIZZY explained. “My homie who’s a producer was showing me a beat and the whole thing just came together.”

NIZZY suggests that his audience take a moment to listen to the background music when they check this track out. “The background of this song is all manifestation,” he said. Like much of the music that he is releasing, NIZZY’s new track is all about bringing good fortune and high energy your way. 

As “Wipe It Down” continues to gain traction, NIZZY is excited to work on growing his community and sharing his songs with an ever expanding audience. “I really want to get as many people as possible in tune with my  music,” he explained.

He is also looking forward to the upcoming release of his next big mixtape. “This new project is all about bringing the art of manifestation to life,” he explained. Featuring 13 incredible songs on the project, there is sure to be something for everyone to enjoy on it. 

Be sure to stay tuned in to NIZZY GET GOOD on various platforms for new music, visuals and social posts. 

Music link below

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/nizzygetgood/wipe-it-down

AUTHOR/SINGER/SONGWRITER MACK HOLLAND STOPS BY AND TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW GOSPEL SONG "LORD I THANK YOUI" AND MUCH MORE!

Mack Holland releases new gospel track “Lord I Thank You” that pays tribute to what God has done for him

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By Bobby Martin

Author and singer/songwriter Mack Holland has had a love of poetry and singing going straight back to his childhood. After recording his first song in 2013, and a book in 2017, he is continuing his musical journey with a new gospel song “Lord I Thank You” that comes out at the end of the month.

“Lord I Thank You” features himself on vocals along with a gospel singer named Bernard Williams, as well as background vocalist Ashley Herring. Holland called the tune a “smooth, and upbeat” track that people are going to love.

“This is a song I wrote that is basically thanking the Lord for all he’s done for me,” Holland said. “That’s basically what he talks about. When it comes on, I’m saying a prayer, thanking the Lord for all he’s done for me. And Mr. Williams starts to sing about all the things that God has done for us in our lives.”

Holland added, “I’ve let some people hear it, of course, and a lot of people are loving it.”

Holland was raised in South Carolina and moved to Augusta, Georgia in 1988. As a child he grew up in the church, singing in the choirs as well as in neighborhood groups and the school chorus. He was the lead singer of a group at the age of 13, but this was not on the radar about something he would really make into a career. At about 16 he started writing poetry and songs, with some in a catalog in the Library of Congress. 

He wrote the song “I Ain’t Got No Money Honey” in 2011, which is when artist and repertoire representatives caught on and asked him to put music to it. He started working with Paramount Studios in Nashville in 2014, where this song and “Your Love is a Thrill” was recorded. Then in 2016, Holland wrote a gospel tune called “Are You Ready For Your Blessing.” This was the first song he recorded on his own, as Paramount was not involved in gospel music, and now at age 60 he is continuing his musical journey.

Holland has been working with Grammy Award winning producer Kevin Bond since 2016, and has recorded six songs to date. Some songs included “He Is,” “Love Me Now” and “Are You Ready.” These songs are all readily available on all platforms for listening.

Holland has written inspirational books, such as “Sweet Inspiration: The Mack Holland Book of Inspiration, Poetry and Song,” where the lyrics for a new song on the horizon called “My Favorite Girl” are included. He said he owes his experience as a writer to his work in music.

“I was a writer and just loved writing poetry, and that’s what I started doing,” Holland said. “And I was basically recommended to start playing music. That’s why I call it a blessing. One thing has led to another, and now I just enjoy doing it all the time.”

When Holland writes music he likes to inspire people. He said this is why he has songs of love, gospel inspirations and Christmas songs that transcend genres.

“I like to sit down and think about things that can inspire mankind, and make you feel good about yourself and feel good about others,” Holland said. “And keeping the Lord in mind. My music is inspirational music.”

Mack Holland’s brand new track, “Lord I Thank You,” as well as his other songs, can be found at all major music platforms.

https://mackholland.com

Spotify

Apple Music

YouTube

 

R&B RECORDING ARTISTS CURTIS AND RAY HUDSON OF 'PURE ENERGY' STOP BY THE SHOW AND TALK ABOUT THEIR NEW SINGLE "MIDNIGHT MAGIC" AND MUCH MORE!

Pure Energy finds the time for its brand of dance R&B with “Midnight Magic”

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By Kurt Beyers

“Midnight Magic” and Pure Energy, the R&B/funk/dance group that brought it to life and will release it September 8, have more in common than creator/creation.

“The idea for the song came to me when we were performing in clubs, and I noticed that things didn’t pop off, didn’t start happening, until after midnight,” said Lisa Stevens-Crowder, lead vocalist.

“That’s when everybody in the club was ready to party and get down. So, ‘Midnight Magic.’”

Lisa wrote the vocals and the melody. Curtis Hudson, lead guitarist and vocals, added the funk twist, brother Ray Hudson is the bass guitarist, and together they have put some magic in “Midnight Magic.” The song is a hot, hopping, purely fun dance track:

Mystic powers of the night

Gonna cast a spell on you, it’s gonna get ya

Oh the magic’s in the air, you can feel it everywhere

It’s comin’ at ya

Come and step into the night

And the video tells visual stories of people waking to the magic of midnight, showcases Curt and Ray in all their glorious funk, and if Lisa’s magnificent, soaring vocals don’t levitate you right off the floor, you might be dead.

Pure Energy — Curtis, Lisa and Ray — are also looking for some magic at midnight. The song was written back in the early ’80s, when the group was hot but the music industry was often geared more toward snuffing fire instead of sparking it.

Pure Energy disbanded in 1984, at least as a performing, recording entity.

Until this year.

“We just went in different directions,” said Curt. “We were under contract from ’80 to ’84, and the record label — well, we were unsatisfied with some of the stuff they wanted to do, and the direction of it, too. So we just sort of disbanded Pure Energy.”

Lisa put it more bluntly. “They wanted to put us in a bag of just disco, and we’re R&B-funk. We are dance, but we weren’t disco.” 

“We were always trying to put songs out on other artists,” said Ray. “We decided ‘Hey, we need to try to get some exposure for some of this material we have,’ like Madonna and other people we started working with. And we found that that was working for us.”

Madonna and a song she made famous, “Holiday,” illustrate the point. Curtis and Lisa wrote “Holiday,” regarded as the single that really launched Madonna’s career.

“We actually wrote that song for our group, Pure Energy,” said Lisa. “We presented it to our record company, and they said it wasn’t a hit. And Madonna did it and, you know, the rest is history.”

“We thought we could have done ‘Holiday,’ but our record company didn’t hear it for us,” said Ray. “That kind of helped us decide we need to go a different direction.”

The group formed in the mid-’70s. Their first single, “Party On,” made it to No. 7 on the Billboard Dance Charts. Members of the group served as writers and producers for other artists, including Jean Carne, Maxine Singleton, Wranda Rawlins and Lauriece Hudson.

Curt wrote and produced “Body Work,” which became a hit for the group Hot Streak on its platinum soundtrack for the movie Breakin’. “Body Work” was also sampled by Missy Elliot for her 2005 worldwide hit “Lose Control,” which was nominated for Best Rap Song at the Grammys and won a Grammy for best short form music video. 

Curtis also co-wrote the song “Remember Us” for John Legend, which earned Legend a Grammy for Best R&B Artist in 2021. With his and Lisa’s son, Eric Hudson, Curtis also co-wrote two songs on the Isley Brothers’ new album, Make Me Say It Again Girl. Curt and Eric teamed up to produce “Midnight Magic.”

Eric himself is a five-time Grammy winning producer who has written and produced for such artists as Whitney Houston, Kanye West, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Usher, and The Weekend.

Now, Lisa, Ray and Curtis are ending almost 40 years of temporary disbandment. They never stopped believing in Pure Energy. They never stopped performing, writing and collaborating.

“We didn’t totally disband, because we were writing songs and working together in the studio,” said Ray. “We were always doing that, all those years.”

“We intended on getting back together, but stuff started happening in other directions, so we just never did do it,” said Curtis, “until now.”

Over the years, they have accumulated a treasure trove of songs that were recorded in demo form but never produced. The music industry in its current form leaves a lot of room for independent artists, and they can put out their music, their way, with their sound.

“We’re going to re-record all of those songs,” said Curtis. “This, ‘Midnight Magic,’ is the first, but I guarantee you the best is yet to come.”

“I can’t wait until people hear more of our ballads,” said Lisa.

The fact that the songs were never produced is why they can put them out now under the Pure Energy name. They don’t own anything they produced for their original label. When “Midnight Magic” goes up, it will be their first song under their own name on modern music channels.

For a taste of their earlier material, their 1980 album Party On is under the Unidisc label on Spotify.

“We are proud of all the time we spent writing and creating songs, even though we didn’t get a chance to put them out,” said Ray. “We knew one day we would want to get back together and do something. We just didn’t know when.”

Turns out, the time is now. The clock is striking midnight, and the party is about to start.

Get to know Pure Energy as they bring their catalogue of music out into the air. Connect with them on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.

Spotify, album Party On:

https://open.spotify.com/album/1ZAkFWp0ZCRLOk9XvhwXkJ

HIP HOP RECORDING ARTIST & SONGWRITER 'KUPID' TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW PROJECT "KILL KUPID" AND MUCH MORE!

Kupid is stepping away from the expected with upcoming project Kill Kupid

Listen to the Podcast BELOW!

By Jenna Gengler

A young artist who has always lived for the music, Kupid has been honing his creative skills since childhood. Whether he was studying guitar, teaching himself the drums, or following in the footsteps of his idols, he has always been working to make himself a better musician. This inspiration to be his best is easy to see in his upcoming project Kill Kupid. 

Deriving a sound from his environment in Atlanta, the artists that brought that community to life, and his own experiences, Kupid creates music that is truly like no other. “I don’t think you can even compare me to other artists,” he said. “I have a really unique and personal style and I love experimenting with those sounds.” This is something you can see in all of his music, as Kupid constantly keeps his fans on their toes. 

“If I could ask my audience to focus on anything when they listen, I would want them to take my music at face value.”

A project that is set to release right around the holiday season, Kill Kupid will take you through the personal highs and lows of how it feels to be a college student today. “It’s a collection of tracks more so than it's a cohesive album,” he explained. “It’s like little pieces of my year. A compilation of experiences and emotions that I’ve gone through this year.” The larger project is aptly named “Kill Kupid” because the emotions behind the experiences are raw, and Kupid feels there were times he was killing himself without justifiable cause. Despite this, there are also many references to pop culture that can be found in his music. Kupid is a fan of pop culture and feels music is about having fun as well!

To get his audience excited about the upcoming Kill Kupid project, Kupid is excited to release his single, “Okay Wait”. A sneak peak into what is to come later this year, the song is the first of a two part story. It is definitely a track that will leave you wanting more. “‘Okay Wait’ is really a feel good song,” Kupid said. “I think the fans are going to love how it can fit into any part of your life, whether you're hitting the gym, driving around town or doing just about anything else.”

To go alongside the release of “Okay Wait”, Kupid has collaborated with his cousin JLav and producer Spectrxm to create a more experimental EP. “It’s got a really good blend of our experimental sound with the kind of mainstream sound that is topping the charts right now,” Kupid explained. “It’s a really high energy project.” 

As he continues to create music, release tracks and connect with fans, Kupid is excited for what is to come. “I’m just going to keep putting what I have out there and sharing it with my fans.” There is surely much more to come from this incredible musician and you are not going to want to miss out on any of it. 

Be sure to stay tuned in to Kupid on various platforms for new music, visuals and social posts. 

https://www.instagram.com/kupidrewskii/?igshid=NzZhOTFlYzFmZQ==

: https://music.apple.com/us/album/dreads-hang-feat-rico-suave-kupid-nsg-money/1694737689?i=1694737760

https://on.soundcloud.com/7SkCD9MM9s7jfZ7g9

CHECHI SARAI FROM NBC'S THE VOICE SEASON 24 STOPS BY AND TALKS ABOUT HER AMAZING 4 CHAIR TURN BLIND AUDITION

 

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Chechi Sarai walked out onto the stage for her blind audition on "The Voice" and within seconds had all 4 chairs turning. John Legend turned first then the rest of the legends followed. Chechi wow'd the judges with her wine glass shattering whistle notes, mixed with her beautiful voice and she took everyone on a musical journey. 

When she finished, the judges all made their best pitches, and it was Gwen Stefani that won the prize. Chechi in my opinion will probably at the very least be a top 10 finisher if not win the whole competition. Have a listen to what she had to say! 

Follow Chechi on Instagram  HERE

Follow Chechi on Facebook   HERE

Check out Chechi's website  HERE

WATCH NBC's "The Voice" on Monday and Tuesday's 8ET

ALEXA WILDISH "THE VOICE" SEASON 24 STOPPED BY AND TALKED ABOUT HER AMAZING 4 CHAIR BLIND AUDITION!

SEASON 24 OF "THE VOICE" 4 CHAIR TURN CONTESTANT ALEXA WILDISH Q&A PODCAST 

• 

LISTEN TO TH E PODCAST BELOW!

Alexa Wildish from "The Voice" season 24 stopped by the Brad Cooney Podcast and talked about her amazing 4 chair turn blind audition. She sang "Songbird" which quickly got the attention of all four of the judges. Niall turned first, followed by Reba, then John, then Gwen. 

Alexa's performance was so moving that it had Niall in tears, and Reba, during her comments also got emotional, which is an extremely validating moment for an artist. Alexa talks about that moment and much more in this Podcast interview.  I hope you enjoy!

Follow Alexa on her Instagram  HERE

Follow Alexa on her Tik Tok  HERE

Check out Alexa's website  HERE

TUNE INTO "THE VOICE" ON NBC MONDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT

8P ET