Window displays can be art pieces in themselves. Holiday window displays at department stores draw crowds on the regular and legions of people make their careers out of window dressing But a band behind the glass? That's exactly how Troy Gatrell aka Way, Shape or Form crafted his new EP, Nixed Emotions. While the set is due to drop on April 1, this isn't the first chance the public has had to have a taste. In fact, Gatrell recorded the tome in the public sphere, taking up residence in a Richmond, VA gallery space to assemble all five of the songs from scratch. The process and public display was part of the Soundview Project, a joint venture between Egg Hunt Records and branding firm Release the Hounds who provided the gallery space as a means to raise awareness and donations for local music education. For the month long recording session, the public could stop and take a look at Gatrell's progress from behind a glass window as well as donate instruments for local schools.
"The project was both intimidating and exciting to think about when it was first presented to me," says Gatrell of his initial reaction to the experiment. "Up until this, all of my recording has been doing in a closed room, usually with headphones, so no one can even accidentally hear it. It made me realize how "secretive" my recording process usually is, and certainly took me out of my comfort zone."
On "Soft Reset," a melodic guitar chord meanders through a lush atmosphere of electronic embellishments while Gatrell contemplates reversing the passage of time and taking things back to the start. The lyrics and vocals were the last thing he recorded for the project, tackling it all in one go as his residency was winding down. "It was all done during one session from 8pm until around 4am near the end of the project," he recalls. "It's the most challenging, but also the most rewarding and it's always the last piece of the puzzle..." The moment ended up being one of the most special of the whole project. "Being in that space all night, observing the street and occasional cars and pedestrians, really added to the moodiness and darkness that the songs already had as instrumentals."
As for what Gatrell would wish for himself in granted the power of restarting something, he errs on the side of calories and carbs. "I have a penchant for eating whole pizzas occasionally, does that qualify?" he mentions humorously. "It's always the best idea I've ever thought of... pre-pizza. It's not my fault though, if they would just lower the delivery minimum I wouldn't have to always get larges!"
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Beyoncé is reportedly wanted for a key voice role in Disney’s new The Lion King movie.
Disney is remaking the classic 1994 animated film in a similar manner to the CGI-filled, live-action adaptation of last year’s The Jungle Book, which featured the voices of Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray. The Jungle Book‘s director, Jon Favreau, is also directing the new movie, whose release date has yet to be confirmed.
According to Variety, Favreau has made Beyoncé his “top choice” to provide the voice of Nala the lion. He is reportedly willing to do “whatever it takes” to accommodate the singer, who recently pulled out of Coachella 2017 because she is pregnant. Lady Gaga has since been announced as her replacement headliner.
Donald Glover a.k.a. Childish Gambino has already been cast as Simba in the remake. Meanwhile, James Earl Jones will provide the voice of Mufasa, reprising his role from the original 1994 film.
As an actor, Beyoncé is best known for her roles in Dreamgirls, The Pink Panther and Austin Powers In Goldmember. Her last film appearance was a voice role in 2013’s Epic. She completed her Formation World Tour in support of her highly acclaimed Lemonade album in October.
Brown-skinned soul. That’s how Zeshan B describes his music — raised in Chicago with Indo-Pakistani roots, he fuses his Muslim immigrant experience, protest music and Bollywood scores and South Indian folk music on his forthcoming debut album, Vetted, out on April 7 on Minty Fresh. “It's a new genre altogether,” he says.
In Vetted, Zeshan — born Zeshan Bagewadi — performs soul classics and original songs in English, Urdu, and Punjabi — a sound that subverts the popular conception of American music and identity, and brings forth the country’s rich immigrant history.
His video for “Cryin’ in the Streets,” a harmonium cover of the George Perkins protest anthem from 1970, is a direct reaction to Donald Trump’s first few weeks in office — it shows footage of Civil Rights-era marches and recent Black Lives Matter demonstrations as Zeshan walks down the streets of Chicago.
He talks to Myspace about his musical heroes, why protest music is important, and his American identity. Hop to the next page to read the full interview.
Hometown: Chicago!
Homebase: I split my time between Chicago and Milwaukee.
How did you fall in love with music?
I discovered music from the records and tapes that my Mom and Dad listened to when I was growing up. I was always fascinated by different sounds--especially the voices of singers.
Bill Withers' voice stands out in my memory in that his song "Lean on Me" is the earliest musical memory I have from my childhood --and I'll never forget current of electricity that would shoot up my spine when I'd hear his voice. MC Hammer was important too because he is the first memory I have of hearing music ("U Can't Touch this") and wanting to move and groove!
Did you always want to be a musician?
I think I decided to be a musician when I got my first solo (of many) in my high school's gospel choir. I just loved the freedom I felt let go and let all of my energy and emotions out in my singing--and that people liked it. When I think back on it, I'm pretty sure I looked like an epileptic chicken doing that with all of my nervous, awkward energy! But in all seriousness, I think it's a rite of passage for a musician to feel like they can freely express themselves--and gospel choir gave me that.
Why is your album called Vetted?
I feel like everything I've done in my life in some way or the other has been vetted--whether it be something trivial like which cereal I should buy at the grocery store or something more profound like who I've chosen to be my life partner--it all goes through some type of vetting process.
Like right now, as an emerging artist, the power structures that be are sizing me up and vetting me on a daily basis--i.e. Does he have enough likes on Facebook or followers on Twitter to be offered XYZ opportunity? Does he sell out venues? Is his voice good enough? Does he have a compelling message? The list goes on.
To have come to this point in my life right now, I've been vetted in some way or the other--and I was fortunate to have made the proverbial "cut".
But there are others who are far less fortunate. Those who didn't have access to education as I did. Those who couldn't get that job they really wanted or deserved. Those who didn't have access to healthcare, wholesome nutrition or green space. Those who live in transit deserts. Those who are locked up in prison for the profit of someone else. Those who couldn't immigrate to America or could only do so underhandedly. Those who live in constant fear of deportation. Those (Flint, MI) who didn't have the even the most basic public utility--clean drinking water.
All of these precious souls have also been vetted in some way or another--yet the unfair scrutiny with which they have been vetted has yielded undesirable results.
This album is for them.
You've been pretty vocal against Trump. Do you think your music is the best way to protest against him?
Most definitely. Words, slogans and tweets all have limited impact. And not to mention, they're all very inexpensive. Music on the other hand, by its very fundamental existence, is something far greater: action. It stirs our souls to act. There is no music without action. And action is much more powerful than words.
All he really has are his cheap, empty words; and I say that music (or the spirit thereof) will ultimately win the day over those words.
Who are your musical heroes and why do they inspire you?
Louis Armstrong--He was baptized in fire (aka the Jim Crow South) and his music turned out to be the heaviest gold out there. I don't think anyone has shaped or influenced American music as much as Pops did. EVERY musician owes their existence to him.
Curtis Mayfield--One of the greatest, if not the greatest R&B/Soul artists of all time. I love his lush, orchestral compositions, his incredibly unique voice, and his poetic lyrics. He was one of a kind in that he could write observational, socio-political and/or protest music without ever sounding contrived. AND he was from Chicago...just sayin!
Bill Withers-- I adore his voice, his uncanny ability to write melodies, his grooviness, and his unapologetically simple yet soul-stirringly poignant compositional style. He just IS who he is and in all aspects of his career, he has done everything on his own terms--I idolize him for that, and I aspire to be just like him in that way.
Mehdi Hassan--The greatest singer that the Indian subcontinent has ever seen. He was gifted with a mellifluous, hauntingly beautiful voice and his vocal technique was impeccable. He was an excellent interpreter of music that was put in front of him, and I always have looked up to him. His style, technique and musicality are all things that I have aspired to achieve in my music.
Billie Holiday--Beautiful voice, equally beautiful expression. So much pain, so much melancholy! She knew how to tell a story and when I sing, I try to narrate things as she does.
John Coltrane-- Trane makes me feel a certain something--and often times, I don't even know what that feeling is. I think that the urbane spirituality in his music is very palpable and it feels like the man really had his hand on the pulse of what was going on during his time. Whenever I listen to "Giant Steps" or "A Love Supreme", I find that I'm ushered into a zone of productivity. In other words, listening to Coltrane makes me want to work hard at whatever task is at hand.
How did you end up in Chicago?
I didn't "end up" in Chicago. I was born here. It's funny how many people get surprised when I tell them that. My parents, on the other hand, did indeed end up here. They were beneficiaries of LBJ's 1965 INA Act that opened the doors--by abolishing certain quotas--for people to emigrate from India and Pakistan.
Being Muslim in India is a complex narrative, but in many cases it's a narrative of second-class citizenship and violent oppression. After blatantly being denied access to jobs --jobs that they were well-qualified for--on the basis of their Muslim identity, and after anti-Muslim riots rocked their neighborhood in Bombay, my parents decided it was time to peace out. They came to America, got work in Chicago and the rest is history.
Does being Indo-Pakistani-American influence your songwriting style?
Now being the progeny of these two immigrants has largely shaped who I am as a person, and through osmosis, I've absorbed so much of the rich musical heritage of India and Pakistan. The supremacy of poetry. The prevalence of improvisation. The supple dexterity required to sing/play scats. I love all of that good stuff it has heavily influenced the music I make. And I strongly feel that growing up in a bilingual household does wonders in strengthening one's intellectual palette. In my case, the plethora of different vowels and tones of Urdu/Hindi strengthened my ear by giving me a large sound inventory--which I think is very helpful for a musician. After all, music is all about turning ideas into sounds.
And when I went off to college, having grown up bilingual gave me a foundation in being able to learn, speak and/or sing in many different languages. In addition to English and Urdu, I can now speak Italian pretty fluently. My Spanish and Punjabi aren't too bad either!
Furthermore, Indo-Pakistani instruments like the harmonium and tanpura are staples to my sound. My harmonium has always been at my side--I use it to practice, compose and perform live. I've designed what is probably the world's only electric harmonium because I wanted to experiment with adding grunge to the saint-esque purity of the harmonium sound. And it sounds DOPE!
What's the craziest thing a fan has ever done for you?
I was on the road once and did a show in this small town in West Virginia called Thomas. We had SO much fun that night. After the show, I was hanging out with some of the townsfolk at a big bonfire when this one cat--who apparently worked in lumber--approached me and insisted that I take a bunch of cherry wood as a token of his appreciation. I loved it! Was so thoughtful of him to give me something that he had easy access to knowing that I didn't have access to it in the big city. Used it to smoke some meat when I came back home!
This week, we've got some blasts from the past as well as some newer voices who will easily be heavy rotations on your playlist. Jamiroquai is back with their first album in years with Automation, while British Sea Power prove that their indie rock will never go out of style with Dancers Inherit the Party. Nelly Furtado has also returned with her new collection of dance-worthy tunes called Ride. Meanwhile Charlotte OC wears her heart on her sleeve with Careless People. And finally, Lydia Ainsworth blends haunting vocals and textured pop melodies on Darling of the Afterglow.
Find out more about this week's album picks below.
'Automation' - Jamiroquai
When we thought we'd never see Jay Kay, his dance moves and signature attire again, the Jamiroquai frontman and his crew are back with their first album in seven years, Automation.
While keeping that same soul and funk vibe they have always been known for, the album plays with more modern technology. The first two songs, "Shake It On" and the title track, sound like the London band have been taking some notes from groups like Kraftwerk and Daft Punk. However, as you make your way through the record, they go back to their roots with bass-soaked lines and hip-shaking tempos. The closing tune, "Carla," "Summer Girl" and "Cloud 9" have that throwback feel and will be regular plays at dance parties. Meanwhile, "Superfresh" is that track that can appeal to all generations and will be the best energy pickup for any soiree that's starting to lag. It may have taken Jamiroquai to come back with a new record. But after this one, taking their time was definitely the best course of action toward making new material.
'Ride' - Nelly Furtado
It's been some time since we've heard from Nelly Furtado — five years in fact! But in that time, it seems she's going into some new sonic territory.
While we first heard her pop folky tunes on Whoa Nelly! in 2000 and then her hip-hop swag on 2006's Loose, she's venturing into the more techie textures on her new album, The Ride.
From the moment you hear the LP opener, "Cold Hard Truth," a number of songs on the record combine some electronic elements. It continues into songs like "Live" and "Sticks and Stones." But this doesn't mean she's walked away from sexy and vibey tunes like "Paris Sun" and the toe-tapping "Right Road." Although Nelly started off the track with a bang, she closes "The Ride" with the emotional and ethereal "Phoenix."
'Dancers Inherit the Party' - British Sea Power
British Sea Power have been bringing indie rock fans all over the globe some great records for over a decade, and now they're back with their 10th full-length album, Dancers Inherit the Party.
Filled with rolling guitars and heavy drums, there are number of anthems on this record including "The Voice of Ivy Lee" and noisy "Saint Jerome." While they lent themselves to the more soundtrack, atmospheric sounds on past records, the UK band wanted to get back to their roots by focusing on the songwriting. And with what's been recently happening in the world, they took the current social and political climate to pen tunes that still have that orchestral, epic feel but still ground themselves in strong lyrics that express the band's stance on a number of issues, which you hear on songs like "Praise for Whatever" and "International Space Station." But don't think that Dancers Inherit the Party are just a bunch of sound bangers. Tracks like "Alone Piano" and "Want to Be Free" will be nice breaks in between all the energy through the album.
'Careless People' - Charlotte OC
Charlotte OC doesn't sound like a bright-eyed newbie artist. After listening to her debut album, Careless People, the UK artist showcases a nice balance between youthful curiosity and seasoned wisdom.
A little Stevie Nicks mixed with some Bat for Lashes, she will not only make you listen to the trials and tribulations she's been through but also make you feel it to.
There's "Darkest Hour," which starts off sounding like Lana Del Rey but then builds into something much bigger. She then flexes her pop chops with "River" and the disco-esque "Running Back to You." Charlotte really pulls out all her big moves on this record, which explains why she wanted to take the two years to perfect Careless People. And she shows the sonic variety successfully. While this is her first full-length, it could easily be the third in her music catalog.
'Darling of the Afterglow' - Lydia Ainsworth
Following her 2014 debut album, Right From Real, Lydia Ainsworth is back with a new set of songs that will have you floating on air by the end of it.
Entitled Darling of the Afterglow, the composer, producer and songwriter brings us another album that brings together orchestral soundscapes and pop lyrics. Opening with "The Road," the dark melody makes you think it would nicely into the upcoming season of Game of Thrones while "Afterglow" is soaked in supple sounds that turn up the heat. "What Is It?" has a carnival-like quirk to it with piano-led melodies, and "Spinning" has hints of Spanish guitar and sounds like a tightly choreographed dance for your imagination to play with. The record ends with "Nighttime Watching," which is laden with sound effects and add a mechanical yet whimsical feel to the song.
Darling of the Afterglow has a cornucopia of musical tastes that show the Toronto musician's artistry and how far she's willing to take sound.
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Finding a more controversial figure than Falling In Reverse’s Ronnie Radke in the world of modern rock is hard to do. The vocalist is worshipped by his millions of fans, while harshly criticized as a continuous source of drama by his haters. No matter.
Radke no longer concerns himself with such trivialities. Whether you love him to death or hate his guts, he’s making chart-topping records and selling out huge venues – and he’s not stopping. The band’s newest record, Coming Home, will be out April 7 via Epitaph Records, and it only serves to push FIR’s massive sound even further as it tries to negotiate the lure of incredible fame with the comfort of home. We chatted with Radke about all this and more. Hop to the next page to read the full interview.
What does Coming Home mean to you?
It’s a bittersweet thing of doing what you love, but home is where the heart is. I actually love coming home after tours. There’s nothing really like that. [There’s been] a lonely mentality that carried through my life and the album. I feel like it relates to everybody. We all think the same way, when it comes down to it.
Using only one word, how would you describe this record?
Astronomical. [The cover art] is just an analogy of doing your job, but the reflection in his visor is his home. It’s a big analogy for the whole record. The last song on that album is called “The Departure” for a reason. It’s like that never-ending cycle of leaving and coming home.
Your previous records have had a lot of diversity, but this one is much more cohesive.
That was the hardest part for me to keep it all in one thing. That’s why I wanted to do it that way, because it was an actual challenge. It’s easier to do whatever I want all the time, it’s harder to do a theme for me. I like to be different, try to change it up. I don’t like being stagnant or doing the same thing over and over.
This record feels much more vulnerable than your other albums.
I’ve always had that open and honest feel when we write stuff. There’s some pretty honest stuff on the other records, but this one is more geared about being universal and honest at the same time. I never really wrote about boyfriend and girlfriend relationships before, and I did that on this record a couple times.
For each record cycle you have a different style or persona. Right now you seem to have a Kurt Cobain kind of vibe going on. Why do you make that a priority?
Any icon that I grew up watching, they always recreated themselves every record. There’s always a reinvention of self or trying to be ahead of the curve. That’s what my mentality is and what I’ve learned from.
You are already at the top of the game in your genre right now. What’s next?
Play bigger venues, have more fame.
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With the dust barely settled on ‘California’, talk in the blink-182 camp has already turned to their next release. Speaking in a new interview, bassist Mark Hoppus revealed that plans are afoot for the writing of new material later this year.
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“We’ll take a little bit of time off, and then at the end of this year we’ll go back in the studio and start writing the next album,” he told Apple Music. “We have such a positive energy going on right now… a creative flow. Everybody has a bunch of ideas and we want to capture that. We’ll get in the studio as soon as possible.”
Despite this positive talk about new material, the band aren’t quite done with ‘California’ just yet. A deluxe reissue of the album will hit shelves on May 19, featuring 11 new songs and an acoustic version of the album track ‘Bored To Death’.
Two brothers, two cousins, and an ex-housemate. That’s what comprises Australian quintet Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, and is probably the big secret behind their tight-ass sound. “We have all known each other for years, and started making songs in the bedroom for fun,” they said.
That was in Melbourne, Australia, in 2014. And those nights spent jamming on an acoustic guitar in guitarist and vocalist Fran’s bedroom were pretty fruitful; the same tracks eventually made their way to their debut mini-LP Talk Tight. “We were listening to a lot of music made by people in cold places idealizing hot places. Bands like Orange Juice and Style Council built this aesthetic of imagined continental sophistication,” said Fran. He describes the songs on Talk Tight as “pretty, and ugly - like catching the city bus to a park on a 100-degree day. There's a bit of wonder out the window, there's a bit of stink inside.”
Now signed to famous Seattle imprint SUB POP, the band just released the EP French Press, and its first single, “Julie’s House,” is as catchy as a catcher wearing a velcro glove. The band talks to Myspace about their convoluted name and the band’s place in Australian music. Hop to the next page to read the full interview.
Hometown and home base: Melbourne, Australia
Why are you called Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever?
We used to just be Rolling Blackouts, but there was some confusion with a US band of the same name. So we added some random words on the end.
Describe your music to someone who's never heard you before.
We have been known to use the descriptors tough pop, or soft punk.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
The Go Betweens, The Triffids, Orange Juice, The Embassy.
How does being Australian influence your music?
Australia influences us through the landscape, the wide open spaces and many earlier great bands that have come before us.
Is there a dream collaborator that tops your list?
OutKast.
Why is your EP called French Press?
The EP is named after the song of the same name. The main theme of the song is disconnection. It's about two brothers on a Skype call, one in Australia and one in Europe, catching up after a long absence.
Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?
Not really. I seem to remember it was a really bad teenage punk song about how people were sheep.
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While few musicians are opento accepting change, Kylie Hughes eagerly welcomes it, pushing herself beyond her comfort zone and reaching heights of musical ingenuity she never thought possible, preventing this California girl from drowning in the sea of here-for-today pop sensations.
Flanked by some of the industry’s best producers, Hughes embraced a different, more grown up sound for the follow-up to her widely praised debut EP, Calipopicana. The new, self-titled album — available May 26 — features a broader range of melodies, tempos and previously unexplored emotions.
Hughes’ newest single, “Heat,” was a welcome addition to the singer-songwriter’s upcoming 12-song compilation. Like the rest of her catchy tunes, she wanted to put forth something universally relatable that inspired not only her audience, but also herself. “[It] was one of those songs that just wrote itself,” she said. “It makes me feel sexy, fun and most importantly, it makes me wanna dance!”
Listen to “Heat” exclusively on Myspace below.
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Ed Sheeran has discussed the impact that becoming a father will have on his music career.
The singer-songwriter revealed that he won’t have children until he wants to take a break from touring.
“I don’t want to be touring when I have kids,” he told Richard Arnold on Good Morning Britain. “I want to be nipping out now and then and actually being able to be a father. So yeah, I think I would definitely have kids, I’d definitely love all the kids in the world, but I don’t want to have them right now.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of House of Pain’s “Jump Around” & 20th anniversary of Limp Bizkit’s Three Dollar Bill Y’all. Each can be considered a career milestone for DJ Lethal, the man behind the turntables for both groups.
Since escaping Latvia as a child — eventually returning to discover his roots — the DJ's toured with the biggest names in both hip-hop and rock, and, of course, there was Limp Bizkit’s much talked about set at Woodstock ’99.
During a recent day off while on his current tour with House of Pain, DJ Lethal sat down with Myspace to discuss his musical anniversaries, return trips to Latvia and the night Woodstock burned. Hop to the next page to read the full interview.
You are currently on tour celebrating 25 years of “Jump Around.” Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, imagine “Jump Around” would still elicit the reaction it does 25 years later?
You can’t really predict the future, but five years into it, seeing how it was. Ten years into it, seeing how it was. Fifteen years into it, seeing how it was, I guess I could kinda see it, but it’s not why we made it, because we didn’t know, but as soon as we started playing it out I remember people going nuts, and I just kinda knew it was on. No looking back after ’91, man.
You mentioned that five years out you had an inkling “Jump Around” would last for a while, but when did you realize the song might be a little bit bigger than you had initially imagined?
As soon as I saw it being in movies, Mrs. Doubtfire, and all that stuff, it pretty much sealed the deal. As soon as a song’s in a movie, that’s kinda forever, especially when it’s a classic movie.
Is it safe to say House of Pain was your first taste of fame?
You know, I guess it would be, but my first tour I ever did was with Everlast, before House of Pain. I was about 16, and my parents had to sign a waiver for me to go to Europe with Ice-T and the Rhyme Syndicate.
So that was my first tour, my first everything, but before that I was also in the Tairrie B video “Murder She Wrote,” where I got to meet Eazy-E. That was my real first yooo I’m in a video, dude! Wow! I’m here chillin with Eazy-E!
Then when I got to meet Ice-T I was like, oh my God, I’m here sitting in Ice-T’s house, and Darlene is making me a sandwich. I was like, yo, it doesn’t get better than this. Then it got better.
How did the conversation with your parents go when you were pitching to them going to Europe with Ice-T? That is not a normal permission slip parents receive from a high schooler.
My dad was a musician. We actually escaped Latvia when I was probably five years old. We escaped because my dad wanted to be a rock n roll star in America. That was his dream.
My dad was like the Russian Ricky Ricardo, so I grew up in bars watching him play, or sleeping in the booth.
When we first came to New York my dad was playing the biggest Russian restaurants, and his studio was my bedroom. When he was doing his music he thought I was sleeping, but I was really under the sheet, and I had one eye on ‘em, checking out what’s going on.
The first drum machine I ever touched was his, a LinnDrum LM-2. When I was eight, or nine, I was making beats on a LinnDrum. I used to string his guitar for him.
I remember beatboxing in my mom’s face. She’d be like, “Stop that!” I was like, “One day, mom, you’re gonna see, I’m gonna be a big star.” So when that time came, they were cool with it. They were like, “Go ahead, son. Go do it. Go do your thing.”
I would’ve faked the signature anyway. I wasn’t gonna miss that.
I want to rewind for a second because you mentioned escaping Latvia. How long was it before you went back?
The first time I went back, I think was 2006-ish. I DJed a festival.
I just remember going back, and going wow, this city is beautiful. Then I went back in 2009, that was when Limp Bizkit got back together. The first show we played was in Rega, Latvia. My mom was there, so she showed me where we lived, where we grew up, where she met my dad. It was crazy.
Was there any trepidation about going back?
No, I wanted to go see where my roots are, and it was crazy because I went to go see my grandmother, who I hadn’t seen in forever. One of my dad’s buddies from when they grew up together drove me through the countryside, and I see this little lady standing on the side of this little country road. I got out and I was like “GRANDMA!” It was really touching.
Then seeing where my parents met, where we lived, going back to where the apartment was, and seeing my dad’s inscriptions into the wall where we grew up. My grandma showed me my first tag, which was on her beautiful, wooden armoire. She’s like, “Here’s your first autograph.” They’d just gotten a brand new armoire, back then it was probably a year’s salary, and I inscribed my name into it.
You mentioned you also went back with Limp Bizkit. I know there’s been some rifts in your relationship with the rest of the band, but Three Dollar Bill, Y’all is turning 20 this year, so are you all on cool terms now?
I’ve been talking to Fred a lot lately, actually. I went by his house probably about a week ago, and we broke bread.
Time changes stuff, man, and you learn to figure out what’s important. Besides all the drama that happened, we’re still friends. We still go way back together, and we just put everything aside, and we hung out like nothing ever happened.
I know your 2001 MTV VMA moonman was stolen. Did you ever get it back?
Nah, man. It’s probably sitting on some kid’s toilet as a trophy.
I got a feeling one day it’s gonna pop up somewhere in some pawn shop, or on eBay, or something, and somebody will let me know. It’s all good. I have another one.
A huge moment for you guys, which has become part of pop culture history, was the Woodstock ’99 show. What do you remember from that night, that set, and everything that ensued?
Shit, I’ma be real honest with you, that day was fuckin’ NUTS. We had this rock doc that used to come out on the road, he was a dentist, so he would bring a huge thing of nitrous. Backstage we had that shit set up. We had about 50 people in the backstage area just suckin’ on the nitrous. I think Dennis Rodman was back there, Carmen Electra was like going into convulsions. It was crazy.
That show was big, dude, and they tried to blame the whole riot thing on us, but they were charging like $20 for waters, and then the Chili Peppers handed out lighters.
We got blamed for just rockin’ too hard. We were their scapegoat. That’s how I feel. They tried to blame the whole shit on us. Yeah, put us on after Alanis Morissette, what do you think’s gonna happen?
(The Chili Peppers) happened the next day. (People) tried to blame us for the whole shit. Literally, Chili Peppers handed out lighters to the whole crowd.
Let’s close things out by talking about the present. You’re currently on tour. After you’re done on the road, what’s in the works for you for the rest of 2017?
We got probably 40 more shows with House of Pain for the whole summer, maybe more. Everlast has a couple projects. I got a couple projects. Danny Boy bought the house The Outsiders movie was filmed in, and around, and he’s building a museum around that. I got a side project with Sid Wilson (DJ Starscream from Slipknot). I got a project with Bumpy Knuckles. There’s some other stuff floating around, too. You never know when me and Fred might drop something … or maybe not. You never know.
After a whirlwind year of music in 2016, I thought music nerds would get a chance to take a breather from the plethora of good music. But Brooklyn-based Sinkane had other ideas with the February release of Life and Livin It. Circling back to the rhythms that garnered his devout fanbase, Ahmed Gallab sounds more self-assured and open than he ever has before. While on tour in New Zealand, I got to chat with Sinkane about the new album, being an African musician in the time of Black Lives Matter, and what exactly him and Toro y Moi were doing together on Instagram. Here are 10 things you should know about Sinkane.
Creating His Signature Sound Led Sinkane on the Path of Self-Discovery
Sinkane’s musical production is a style all its own. Being as much traditional East African as it is American pop, it was a process to create. “It's taken me six records to get the sound that I have now cultivated," he explains. "I still feel like I'm working on it, too. It's been very exciting and I've learned a lot about myself along the way.”
Sinkane Used His Residency at Union Pool in Brooklyn as Testing Ground for New Material
“Our fans are our family," he gushes, "so to share new music with them before it was recorded made sense to me. There were songs that we played that I wasn't sure about. Some that I thought were too corny or maybe the grooves weren't that good. Our fans are honest and seeing their reactions every night helped give me the confidence to go through with some of the tracks that I was unsure of. Also, we had the opportunity to jam with some of our best friends. Members of Holy Ghost!, Delicate Steve, Luca Benadetti, Mikey Freedom Hart. So many buddies! It was so much fun!”
Album Favorite, “Fire,” Took Three Years to Complete
A nod to Afro-rock bands The Funkees and The Hygrades, “Fire” was no breeze in the studio. “The song is about religion, so it was a bit tough for me to write. It was hard for me to be vulnerable like that. But, ultimately, the song called the shots. It's hard to explain but it just wouldn't let go until it was ready.” I guess the saying is true: pressure does make diamonds.
In “Uh Huh” Sinkane Makes It Clear That America’s Never Had a Golden Age
“I think that people need to realize that life has always been tough. Every generation has had a struggle that's defined them. Civil Rights, Women's Liberation Movement, Inflation, AIDS, crack, Vietnam, The Great Depression, Slavery, Civil War. There have always been struggles," Sinkane says, ‘but what's important to understand about this is that we're still alive and the reason for that is the power of positivity. People have stayed positive through these tough times and it has helped them persevere. In order to be truly positive you need to be realistic. Shit sucks right now but, you know what? It's always sucked! Let's keep our heads up and do the best we can to make things better.”
Outside of Work with Other Indie Bands and His Own Project, Sinkane Also Hops In the DJ Booth
Sinkane’s sets are all about making the crowd feel good and nothing does that better than nostalgia. “I am really good at playing songs that everybody knows. Especially Clinton-Era top 40 MTV R&B, Rap and Pop hits.” I’d kill for an N*Sync/Backstreet mash-up right now!
Sinkane Loves Toro y Moi’s 'What For' Album Just As Much As We Do
The internet (and my groupchat) went berserk when a picture went up of Sinkane and Toro y Moi together. Were they releasing a project? Going on tour? “He's a good friend and has been a big supporter of Sinkane. He took us on tour once and we love to geek out about music from time to time. We haven't done anything yet, but I'm sure it'll happen in the future sometime.” The future is five minutes from now, so do these two wanna just take my pre-sale money now?
Anthony Bourdain Might Want to Hold on to His Job Tight
Having lived in various cities and traveled all over the world, Sinkane says that he doesn’t feel local — by Taiye Selasi’s definition — anywhere, but he sure knows where to eat. Take notes people!
Brassica — Columbus, OH
Dishoom — London
The Federal Store — New Plymouth, NZ
Cera 23 — Barcelona
Cordobar — Berlin
El Reyes Deli — Brooklyn (it’s all about the tacos)
Sinkane Isn’t the Only Sudanese Artist We Should Be Obsessing Over
After reading a roundtable Sinkane had done with Sudanese artists in Brooklyn over the summer, I was dying to add more to my iTunes. He suggests Oddisee, Sharhabil, Sayed Khalifa, Al-Bilabil, El Sarah, Sufyan.
There’s No Need for Sinkane to Negotiate Balancing His Sudanese Origin with His Contemporary Americanness
“I've just accepted both worlds as parts of my identity. Neither of them identify me holistically. They just help make up what people see and hear of me. There are many other elements too. My music is me in my most honest state. Everything that's in the music is part of my identity. All of the flubs too.”
Black Twitter Holds Celebs and Artists to, Easily, the World’s Highest Standard — Sinkane is By No Means Worried
“Sinkane is for everybody. It's not just for black people or children of the second generation diaspora. Although, I want to connect with people who share my struggle, I am not closing the door to anyone else who relates to my music or message. My shows are different than most because there isn't just one kind of person there. There might be loads of white folks there but they aren't all the same kind of people. Everybody is different and colorful and unique," he expresses.
"What I aim to do is create a safe place for people to come and be themselves. People from all over the world who share the belief that love, hope and positive energy can yield the best results in us as human beings and, in turn, influence the world to become a better place.”
Learn more fun facts about your favorite up-and-coming artists by visiting our 10 Things page.
Producer K.C. Maloney spends a lot of time indoors. In fact, his new EP is somewhat of a tribute to that... and more. An offhand comment, "made me realize how much time I spend indoors with the blinds closed, working on music like some kind of unintentional vampire situation," says Maloney of the title's meaning. "It’s also a reference to the theme of the EP as a whole — people who are living in fear of the outside world or who are stuck inside their own heads because of tragic events in their past."
Under the moniker Adult Karate, Maloney records at home in a spare bedroom turned studio, which is his ideal situation. "Writing and recording music is what I’ve wanted to do as far back as I can remember, so when I’m in the studio mucking around with guitars, synths, and microphones I am in heaven." The EP's origins trace far back into Maloney's past, starting with “From The Dust," which is the first track and also the first song he wrote for it. "I adapted the lyrics from something I wrote years ago when I was an angry, closeted teenager. Then I wrote and recorded the music over a few days in late August 2016. It had a more upbeat sound than the other stuff I was doing, which was pretty exciting because it was something new for me."
As for his overall goal for the EP and Adult Karate project at large, Maloney says he wants the music to act as a tool for those who turn it on. "I want to give listeners something they can dance to alone in their bedroom after a bad breakup or other tragic situation. Something they can use to 'smile through the pain,' but where both the smile and the pain are equally real."
Adult Karate drops Indoors on Friday, March 31, but you can stream it in advance exclusively on Myspace below.
Listen to more exclusive tunes by visiting our Premiere page.
Raunchy and raw. The Sore Losers play their balls-to-the-wall rock & roll as if they were the bastard children of Led Zeppelin and the Ramones, and when you ask them to describe their music, it really simply is “rock & roll.” No frills, no adjectives, no flowery adverbs. The Belgian band, made up of Jan Straetemans (vocals and rhythm guitar), Cedric Maes (lead guitar), Kevin Maenen (bass and backing vocals) and Alessio Di Turi (drums), has been playing totally fuzzed-out guitars chords to two-minute progressions since 2009. After the release of their third album, SKYDOGS, last November, the quartet played at SXSW for the first time in March and are now touring Japan. The Sore Losers answer Myspace’s questions with as much brevity as their songs — but so what? They were discovered on Myspace, so they pretty much owe us one.
Hometown and home base: Belgium
Why are you called The Sore Losers?
We're named after a 1997 B-movie from director John M. McCarthy, featuring Jack Oblivian and Guitarwolf.
How did you all meet?
[We were all] playing in different bands and running into each other in the scene.
Boredom is a good source of inspiration and just wanting to break out.
What do you do for fun?
Watch documentaries of good movies, listen to podcasts, read, go out for a run and hang out with my wife and kids.
What's the craziest Sore Losers story so far?
I love hearing how our music affects fans, like this one guy in France who got in a fight with his neighbors because he couldn't stop playing our record very very loud.
Why is your album called SKYDOGS?
We got it from Duane Allman's nickname SKYDOG. We consider ourselves and the people we connect with to be skydogs. We’re all in on this big secret, sharing the same look on life, you're in it or you're out of it. This album is our calling to all SKYDOGS out there.
If you were a hashtag, what would you be?
#CONTROL, seems to be my thing, for better or worse
What was the first song you ever wrote?
It was about hating hippies.
For more profiles on up-and-coming artists, visit our Artist of the Day page.
Tomlinson was arrested on suspicion of battery, before being released on £16,000 bail and told to appear in court today (March 29). A spokesperson for the court later said: “The matter is still under review by our office. If no decision is made by (Wednesday), a new court date will be scheduled.”
Tomlinson’s lawyer, Martin Singer, defended his client’s behaviour at the time, saying: “The paparazzi provoked and caused the altercation that occurred with Louis at the airport. This is not the first or last time that a paparazzi has created an altercation with a celebrity. While the altercation was going on with the paparazzi, three other individuals were attacking his girlfriend during this incident and he came to her defence.”
A girl who claimed to have been involved in the incident later put out an ‘official statement’ on her Instagram. She said she was sharing her version of events because she had been receiving ‘hate’ online from One Direction fans.
How do you find love? For most actors, it seems that on-set is the best place to find romance — lots of actors enjoy extending their onscreen duties into the real world and date co-stars or crew members. It’s all understandable though, when you spend weeks (or even months) within a small group of people, you’re bound to fall in love. Here are 10 of our favorite relationships that began on set.
Lauren Morelli and Samira Wiley
Instagram: lomorelli
It’s only March and we already have our favorite wedding photo of the year. Orange Is The New Black’s Samira Wiley (she played charming and tragic Poussey Washington) just married the show’s writer Lauren Morelli. For Morelli, the cult series wasn’t just a first major career opportunity: it also made her realize she was a lesbian while writing lots of OITNB’s lesbian scenes. So life does imitate art, especially if you’re the one behind that art. And we have to say these wedding gowns the two wore are as iconic as the orange jumpsuits of the show that bonded them.
Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone
Andrew Garfield didn’t keep that Spider-Man costume for long (yes, we’re uber excited to see Tom Holland’s take on the iconic superhero role, too), but at least he got to keep the girl. At least, for a while.
Two movie stars on the rise met during the production of The Amazing Spider-Man back in 2010 and broke-up in 2015, which is an impressive run for people of their fame and age. They’re still supportive of each other — let’s not forget that standing ovation Garfield gave while Stone went up on stage to receive her Oscar in February. #BreakUpGoals all the way!
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart
You receive a lot of pressure when you star in the biggest franchise de jour. When you decide to start a real-life vampires-free romance with your onscreen flame, and then the world learns that your girlfriend cheated on you? Man, that must suck!
It’s safe to say that it wasn’t a smooth ride for Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart’s romance, which began on set of the Twilight saga and pretty much ended when Stewart started another romance (with Rupert Sanders, married director of Snow White and the Huntsman). Pattinson later told the press that cheating didn’t bother him as much as the tabloids’ attention to the humiliating experience.
Trai Byers and Grace Gealey
Average relationships on FOX’s hit hip-hop drama Empire don’t last more than a couple of episodes. And to be honest, we don’t see Andre Lyon (Thai Byers) and Anika Calhoun (Grace Gealey) hooking up any time soon — Anika is married to Andre’s father, gave birth to his brother’s baby and, you know, killed Andre’s unborn baby and wife.
But behind-the-scenes the pair has a completely murder-free love story: after meeting on set of the campy soap the pair tied the knot last year.
Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes
Let’s be real: life should be pretty sweet when you’re Ryan Gosling. Not every Hollywood leading man gets body-sized pillows and leggings made using his pictures.
Since a man like that can have any girl he wants, Gosling never settled for anyone less famous than him — from Sandra Bullock to Rachel McAdams, Gosling has a long history of working after hours with his co-stars — but it was his The Place Beyond the Pines onscreen lover Eva Mendes that finally made the La La Land star pop the question. Six years and two daughters later, they’re still going strong.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
Brad Pitt goes hard on Method Acting: he’s been involved with numerous co-stars, including Jill Schoelen, Robin Givens, Juliette Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow. So when he agreed to film Mr. & Mrs. Smith with Angelina Jolie, Pitt’s marriage with Jennifer Aniston was destined to collapse.
For years, Brangelina was the stuff of legends, filled with smiley photos and too many kids to count, but it all came crashing down last year when the two announced separation. No one blinked an eye when rumors started circulating, pointing that the reason behind the split was Pitt’s on set romance with his Allied co-star Marion Cotillard. Do you think Pitt and Jolie’s real-life fights were as epic as the ones in Mr. & Mrs. Smith? We wouldn’t be surprised if they were.
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze, Jr.
We Know Who You Met Last Summer.
While Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze, jr. began dating a couple of years after starring in the teen thriller I Know What You Did Last Summer, they can’t deny the fact that running away from the hook-wielding serial killer and all that adrenaline raised the chances of mutual attraction. By the time the two were recruited for Scooby Doo in 2012, they were already married. Fifteen years later they’re still going strong and both recently published cook books. Looks like cooking is the secret weapon when it comes to long-lasting unions.
Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie
All these life-and-death situations Ygritte and Jon Snow faced during the run of Game of Thrones surely made their working hours beyond passionate, and the Scottish actress and British actor finally took their passion behind the set and announced their relationship last year.
Dying in the arms of your lover will surely make you re-think a thing or two about your personal life.
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth
No wonder his name is Nicholas Sparks. Movies that are based on the famous writer’s novels usually spark more-than-fictional romances.
Take Miley and Liam for example: not many remember that cheesy 2010 movie The Last Song they made together, but we still feel the impact of that shoot — the pair has been on-and-off ever since.
Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan
An ex-stripper and a backup dancer walk onto a movie set…
What followed wasn’t a joke but a love story for a decade. Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan’s chemistry made teen dance movie Step Up quite a remarkable one. No wonder they didn’t have time to participate in any of the sequels (apart from Tatum’s cameo in part 2) — they were too busy getting married, having kids and keeping the title of Hollywood’s hottest and most flexible couple.
The possible tracklist for Kendrick Lamar‘s as-yet-untitled fourth studio album has leaked online.
The Compton rapper is expected to release the follow-up to 2015’s widely-acclaimed ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ on April 7, having hinted at that particular date in a lyric on last week’s stunning comeback track ‘The Heart Part 4’: “You know what time it is, ante up, this is in forever / Y’all got ’til April the 7th to get y’all shit together“.
With fans now eagerly awaiting that potential release date, online discussion has today (March 28) circulated around the surfacing of the possible tracklist from Lamar’s fourth album. Uploaded anonymously to Pastebin, a file titled ‘KL-2017’ contains a 14-strong tracklist with titles, production credits and guest features – which include the likes of Kanye West, André 3000 (under the name André Benjamin) and Q-Tip.
While the purported information has yet to be verified by any official sources close to Lamar, you can see the leaked tracklist below.
1. Purple Hibiscus – produced by Sounwave & Terrace Martin
2. Counterfeit – produced by Rahki & Taz Arnold
3. Trust Everyone – produced by DJ Dahi, Terrace Martin & Thundercat
4. Delusional (Like You Haven’t) – featuring Anderson .Paak & Anna Wise, produced by Sounwave
5. Product – featuring André Benjamin, produced by Kanye West & Taz Arnold
6. Richard Nixon – produced by LoveDragon
7. None of Your Business – featuring Anna Wise, Kanye West & Q-Tip, produced by DJ Dahi, Kanye West & Sounwave
8. Double Standards – produced by LoveDragon & Rahki
9. If You Had Me, You Lost Me (Interlude) – produced by Flying Lotus & Mono/Poly
10. Commercialized, Failed Experiments – produced by Alchemist, Cardo & Swizz Beatz
11. Ten Steps – featuring Bilal, D’Angelo, & Thundercat, produced by Sounwave & Terrace Martin
12. Paranoia, Is Love Stronger Than Death? – produced by K.L. & LoveDragon
13. Rest in Paradise (Interlude) – produced by Terrace Martin
14. Swim with the Fishes (God Said) – produced by Sounwave & Terrace Martin
The British singer, who has expressed her reluctance at performing live in the past, kicked off her world tour in the UK in February 2016. She has since played shows in Europe, North America, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand over the following 13 months.
With her current tour dates concluding with four Wembley shows in London during June and July, Adele signaled at a recent Auckland gig that she may not return to life on the road.
New Zealand Heraldreports that Adele told the crowd during her show at Auckland’s Mount Smart Stadium over the weekend: “Touring isn’t something I’m good at… applause makes me feel a bit vulnerable. I don’t know if I will ever tour again. The only reason I’ve toured is you. I’m not sure if touring is my bag.”
The singer went on to describe her current tour as “my greatest accomplishment in my career” and said that “it’s changed my life,” adding: “I understand why I do it.”
Adele’s promoter Michael Coppel had previously said of the singer’s future touring plans: “We may never see her again. Adele’s been quoted as saying she won’t tour again, she’s doing this big tour as a recognition of her huge record sales and the enormous demand to see her live. It’s impossible to tell what happens next. Then the future’s an open book.”
Knightley played Elizabeth Swann in the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films from 2003 to 2007. She also appeared as Juliet in Love Actually in 2003.
Recalling working with Knightley in Love Actually, Curtis wrote: “When we shot the film, I remember Keira Knightley saying that her next project was ‘some pirate thing – probably a disaster’. That turned out to be Pirates of the Caribbean.”
Press
Knightley didn’t return to the film franchise for its fourth installment, On Stranger Tides, in 2011.
The series continues with fifth film Dead Men Tell No Tales (US title) / Salazar’s Revenge (rest of world) this May.
The new movie will feature the return of Orlando Bloom, who will reprise his role of William Turner.
Meanwhile, Paul McCartney is also set to appear in the new Pirates Of The Caribbean film, according to reports. His reported appearance follows Rolling Stone Keith Richards playing the role of Captain Teague in Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End and Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Teague was the father of Captain Jack Sparrow, as played by Johnny Depp, who cited Richards as an influence on the way he played the character.
When Jordan Klassen was 15, he bought Radiohead'sAmnesiac on a family trip to the UK. “It completely changed how I had thought about music,” he said. “It became this adventure, and I wanted to be part of that.”
Klassen’s adventure has taken him on a chamber folk-pop path, and on his latest EP, Curses, is themed on an ongoing struggle with mental illness and cynicism. (The songs themselves sound earnestly sincere and whimsically optimisti, oddly enough.) Curses is a progression from his 2016 LP Javelin, which also explored mental illness and emotional vulnerability. He goes nostalgic with Myspace on a trip through his musical past.
Hometown: Abbotsford, BC. It's a suburb city of Vancouver.
Homebase: Vancouver, Canada.
How do you describe your music to people who haven't heard it before?
It depends ... if they're from an older generation I'll usually tell them that it's kind of like Simon and Garfunkel mixed with Enya. If they're my age I'll usually say whimsical folk pop.
Did you always want to sing and perform for others?
I'm not entirely sure ... when I was 13 I was in the Vancouver production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as part of the children's choir, and I remember feeling quite at home on stage.
But was guitar always your instrument?
When I was 14 I was in band class as a trombone player and I really hated it. I made this deal with my mother — I could quit as long as I invested in some instrument. I signed on to take guitar lessons and immediately started playing songs. I also play bass and dabble in keys.
What's your songwriting process?
I usually start with a musical idea, maybe a melody line or a conscious thought of what kind of feeling I want a song to invoke. From there I craft lyrics to fit well with the music.
How does living in Vancouver influence your songwriting style?
I think there's a certain amount of melancholy and reflection that comes with consistently being holed up away from the rain. Vancouver certainly has it's fair share! It's also quite a breathtaking place - nestled in the mountains right on the ocean - and I think that brings a certain whimsical element to my writing.
What's the craziest thing a fan has ever done for you?
Once after a show a girl just handed me an envelope and walked away. Inside was $200 and a note that said something like 'Here's a tip for writing songs that have gotten me through a lot.' That really meant a lot.
Do you have any huge 2017 goals?
I have a goal to release two records this year, and tour them a whole bunch. I'd also love to step up my producer game and work with a lot more artists here in Vancouver.
If you were a hashtag, what would you be?
#stillhasnoteatenbreakfast
For more profiles on up-and-coming artists, visit our Artist of the Day page.
Game Of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has come perilously close to dropping a big season 7 spoiler.
The actor narrowly avoided the clanger when asked about the scene in which his character, Jaime Lannister, revealed his true love for twin sister Cersei, played by Lena Headley.
“He’s not like his sister and brother, but he’s been on the battlefield his whole life, and knows about people’s weaknesses and loving someone unconditionally because he loves his sister unconditionally,” he told The Daily Beast.
“Plus, there are no other suitors. Well, that’s not true… but he has to step up and take his father’s place. Wow, I was about to reveal something from Season 7 and thought, ‘What am I doing?'”
After hearing Coster-Waldau’s comments, fans are now speculating that Cersei may have some kind of new love interest in season 7.
Trust the smile, but respect whenshe has fire in her eyes. That’s the moral behind Bari Leigh’s “Honey & Gravel,” which covers the emotional extremes inherent in all of us.
A country song with plenty of kick, “Honey & Gravel” is the title track of Leigh’s upcoming EP, due out April 28, and Myspace has the exclusive premiere!
Wanting to know about her “Honey” and “Gravel” sides, we caught up with Leigh to ask her about both, and get some insider info about her upcoming EP.
Which aspects of you are “Honey,” and which aspects of you are “Gravel?”
Regardless of who you are, each and every one of us is made up of honey and gravel. We're all a little sweet, and a little sour.
I've always been a happy, optimistic person. I enjoy the sun, but I dance in the rain, and I try to never take life for granted. However, I've always had to be tough, and was raised to be a strong woman. That's where my gravel side kicks in. When I have to be tough, I'm tough as nails.
I'd say I'm 95% honey, but that other 5% is ferocious!
Tell us about a time your gravel side got you into trouble, but it was totally worth it.
I was playing a show with my old band in Gainesville, Florida, on a night when Florida beat Tennessee. We were joking around with the crowd, defending our home state, and we ended up playing a few seconds of "Rocky Top." A giant gorilla-man from the crowd proceeded to jump on the stage, tackle me, and knock the mic into my mouth.
My first reaction was to start swinging!
This man was at least 6'4" and a minimum of 300 pounds. I was so fired up, I swore I could take him.
Security ended up grabbing him, and throwing him out before anything too serious happened, but I was ready for it. I'm scrappy, and I'm always ready to go!
Luckily, everyone felt bad for me, and we made a lot of tips that night. Go UT!!
Why is this the perfect song to lead off your upcoming EP?
This song was the easiest to write, and by far the most fun! The owner of my old label used to call me "Honey & Gravel.”
This song sums up who I am as a person, and who I am as an artist, in three minutes. I'm flawed and bruised, but I can't be broken, and this song says it all.
You wrote, recorded, and co-produced this album while recovering from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. How did your illness affect your timeline for Honey & Gravel, and at what point in the album creation process did you consider yourself fully recovered?
To be honest, I am still recovering from a few of the symptoms to this day.
I knew I was getting in over my head before I even began this project, so we kept the timeline pretty loose. I didn't want to put added stress on us, and really wanted to enjoy every minute of this experience.
I recorded Honey & Gravel during a really difficult time in my life and wanted this album to be my ray of sunshine during a cloudy year. Now, every time I hear it, I smile with pride.
So many things have changed in my life since I began planning this album, and I could not be more grateful for this experience. This journey wasn't an easy one, but the road to Honey & Gravel was absolutely magical.
Listen to more exclusive tunes by visiting our Premiere page.
Nelly Furtado is a name everybody reading surely remembers, but one which the masses haven’t heard for a while. The Canadian pop singer rose to prominence in the early aughts with songs like “I’m Like A Bird” and “Turn Off The Light,” and then a few years later she truly struck gold with her album Loose, which spun off the No. 1 smashes “Promiscuous” and “Say It Right.” Since the promotion of that Earth-shattering record died down, not much has been heard from Furtado, even though she has been releasing music (her 2012 album The Spirit Indestructible was a commercial flop almost everywhere).
Now, the singer is back, and this time, she’s doing things her way. Furtado’s sixth full-length The Ride comes out this Friday (March 31), and while its songs didn’t hit the charting highs she’s experienced before, the newly-independent pop star seems happier than ever, because she’s making the music she wants to make with the people she wants to work with and entirely on her own terms.
We spoke with the singer about her new beginnings. Hop to the next page to read the full interview.
I have spoken to a number of pop singers across the spectrum, and some people are really interested in simply creating the art of the moment, while others focus on the fact that it’s a product they're putting out into the world. When you were coming into this album, did you think at all about crafting a "hit," or did you just want to create?
That's a great question. I've had a lot of highs and lows in my career commercially, so I've seen both sides. I've seen the power of a ubiquitous hit, but I've also seen the power of a longer-lasting hit that stays with fans and resonates when you sing it live, and I think both are valuable. When I was writing this album, I was writing with what you could call "hitmakers." I wrote a song with two of the ladies that co-wrote "You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift — Liz Rose, and Natalie Hemby — but it was an organic experience. I also wrote "Phoenix" with Mark Taylor and Paul Barry, and Paul Barry co-wrote "Let it Go" for James Bay, so these are big songwriters.
It's hard when you classify it as pop music to never think about the "hit song." I have to say, it's definitely a presence, but that kind of melted away when I chose the producer John Congleton, because John Congleton had never worked with pop artists, and I met him through the alternative artist St. Vincent, and he works out of Dallas, so I flew alone and I found myself in his studio, which is literally a converted funeral home. This already didn’t feel very commercial or corporate. It felt very unhinged, very artistic, and he's only worked with alternative and punk artists, and nothing he does is for commercial gain.
He really focuses on the art. Sometimes there are happy accidents, and something will also do well commercially, but he's really quite focused on making sure... He really wanted to make sure that this album made a mark for me, artistically. That was our number one goal. He said, "You know, if we do this right, this could really cement you as an artist for the rest of your career." I think when you've had the more ubiquitous hits, and you've done the arena tours, and all those things, it's nice to have songs people know you for, but at the same time, it's also nice to have something deeper than that, because I really would like to still be performing in some capacity as I age.
I mean, I'm already, I guess, in a different category. I've been doing this a long time. How do I say this? It's nice having, I guess... It sounds silly, but... I feel like because I've been doing this so long, I'm kind of already moving into... I don't want to use the word heritage, but I feel like you become a heritage artist when you look into your audience and there is grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter at your show. You have three generations, right? What are you? Okay, you've got some songs people love. I would never shy away from those songs. I love them, too, but at the end of the day, I also want to keep creating.
What's interesting is in the last years I've been collaborating with a lot of independent artists like Blood Orange, for instance. They have a whole other audience, and some of them are new fans that I haven't been exposed to before, and even through working with somebody like John Congleton, you start to draw in a lot of tastemakers and different types of independent-minded people that maybe weren't at the party before, but who maybe respect you because of the longevity you've had, or the fact that you're still making music with your nose to the ground.
That has been an interesting byproduct of me following my creative leanings. Making new fans along the way, and I've also recorded in Spanish, so I did an entire album in Spanish, and that was actually independent, as well. It was distributed through Universal Latino, but I controlled all the creative, I funded the album, collaborated with a bunch of Latin artists, toured in South America, tried to get my Spanish to a level where I could do all my interviews in Spanish, so I don't know. I feel lucky. I've seen a lot of different sides.
Of course it's not so easy being a bankable entertainer when you have such a widespread, quirky audience of all ages, and every ilk, but for me, it keeps me happy, and I feel like it keeps me very grounded, because the people I meet, I think their lives are also complicated. You know what I mean? Their lives aren't branded, you know?
Yeah.
They see me and say, "There's this other quirky person just getting through life and making stuff she feels like making. I can relate with that." The connection's quite strong, even though I would say it's not as commercially predictable. I mean, but really nothing's commercially predictable, because even people with solid brands also sometimes, well...
Don't work out.
Yeah.
The album is set to be released at the end of March and you have a handful of singles out already… And more coming, too. More coming.
More coming, too?
We're taking the multi-single approach, yeah. Rather than going to radio with a song, we're hitting digital formats with several songs, so we're blanketing people with moods and energies, rather than stampeding them with this one song we're making them love.
How has that strategy worked so far?
Really amazing. I've found that I find media is very event-driven now. So, for instance I was at Art Basel, so I did the sound installation piece for my friend's art show, but I also did a show with H&M, Alex Katz, and PAPER Magazine, so I had a show, and that dovetailed into another story for PAPER Magazine, and then for New York Fashion Week I was here, and I did the standard show, and I featured a lot of artists I had been collaborating with. When I put out "Pipe Dreams" I released a music video, so I'm releasing an op-ed story with Jezebel next week. I'm taking little moments and creating little soundtracks with the different songs, and hoping that that media just lives online, and just kind of grows and gets shared organically.
I think word-of-mouth will be a big part of this particular musical story, I would say, but we'll help people along the way. I'm doing a bunch of festival type shows over spring and summer. Keeping it spontaneous and customized is my best description. Oh, we just put out a film, too. We put out a little movie. It's a mini-movie called "The Ride," and it attacks the themes of the album from a different angle. It's me and some other female musicians talking about what it's like to be a female in this industry, so we're taking different angles of what I do. I'm sharing these stories with people, and having that be the impetus for people to listen to the new songs.
Absolutely. Now, what would you like fans to know, or people who know your name to know about this new era before they hit play?
That's a good question. Oh my gosh. Probably to enjoy it, because I'll probably never make the same thing again, because I never seem to make the same thing twice, so fall in love, but not too deeply, because the next project will be totally different.
But not too deeply?
Yeah. That's what I would say. It was a moment in time. The last day when we mixed it and I heard a couple of the songs in their completed form, I completely broke into tears because I realized that the studio had been like a little island for me where I went to go pick up the pieces, and patch myself back together through the songs. You never can recreate those creative times, and as much as I like live shows, I think my favorite place to be is in the studio.
Yeah?
I would say so. It's special. It's like when you fall in love. It's like, they're magical times, you know?
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