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Your cover of Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box” is so well-done and powerful! What made you want to cover this iconic song? Asha: I’ve been a fan of nirvana since middle school; their songwriting and sheer emotive power has always resonated strongly with me. In my version, I wanted to examine the juxtaposition between the morose lyrics, and a brighter, poppier sound in the chorus. I always like to play with the idea of extremes, I think it’s something innate to my personality, and this song in particular leant itself very well to that exploration. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing your music? Asha: I think like a lot of writer’s, it comes from a place of emotional vulnerability. It’s a safe place to delve into your weaknesses, dissect your strength and create a dialogue with others, in a way a simple conversation can never quite bridge. Music has this amazing ability to celebrate the darkest parts of ourselves in a way that lacks intimidation, but maintains intimacy. I love that you sketched the art for your merch! In addition to music, does art also play an important role in your life? Asha: Thank you! Yes, I was obsessed with drawing and cartoons growing up. I would spend all my babysitting money on old comic books, and trace panels from Jim Lee’s work… at one point, I wanted nothing more than to be an animator for Disney. I’ve always loved writing as well. Creating in this way has always been cathartic. It still is. Art is the place I go to find myself. What has been your favorite place you’ve traveled so far? And where are you hoping to go next? Asha: Oh there’s so many to choose from! I love the Caribbean for the beautiful coastlines and balmy weather. You really can’t beat Western Europe for some of the most stunning pieces of classical architecture. The streets of New York thrive with buskers on every street, some of the most insanely talented people I’ve ever seen perform, and Nakuru is one of the loveliest national parks I’ve every been to. Imagine leaving a Toronto winter to climb a mountain. Still, so incredibly worth it. I suppose as travel restrictions lift, I’ll be looking for a new adventure! No decisions made yet. If you could perform with any artist in the world, who would you pick and why? Asha: I’d love to do a collaboration with Laura Mvula… She has such an exquisite sound, so beautiful, intricate, with depth, but also a playfulness. Her lyrics are meaningful and have a wonderful narrative style. Or Lianne La Havas, she is such a talented musician I think I’d probably be anxious about keeping up, but man, what an experience that would be! Do you have any advice for someone who wants to start making their own music but doesn’t know where to start? Asha: Hmm… I think as with most things in life, the key is just to start. There really is no right or wrong when it comes to creativity. Listen to music. Explore different genres. Go to open mics. Learn an instrument. Learn three instrument. Watch YouTube videos on composition. Dissect songs of your favourite artists. Try to recreate them. Most importantly, I think, is to invest in the community. Support other artists! Go to their shows. Buy their merch. It can be such an isolating and difficult process, so finding your tribe and supporting each other is absolutely integral. Interviewed By Sarah Curry FOLLOW ASHA:

If I only had one word to describe ‘Bird of Prey’ by Emily James, I would say it’s mesmerizing. Blending the beauty of a new love with the fear of getting too close, she vulnerably explains the battle that’s raging in her heart. “I’m a little less numb when I’m with you; push you away, cuz that’s the part that’s easy.” When you feel insecure, the first instinct is to try to escape the obtrusive feelings that come up. That can wear you down emotionally over time. What’s great is that James unearths those emotions and soothes the relationship anxiety (or any anxiety) that you may feel. In the words of Meghan Trainor, this song is “all about that bass!” James sets a somber tone with the elegant strums of a string bass. She sings with an incredible amount of intimacy, as if she’s consoling your inner child. “Please, just be patient with me; I've been running on empty, trying to feel my way back to my heart.” As mystical synths envelop you in the story, James allows her voice to break on the word “heart”, as if she’s literally tugging on your heartstrings. You’ll feel more understood than ever with this enchanting tune! There's no doubt that Emily James truly shines with her heartfelt melodies! The 22-year-old LA singer-songwriter has developed a musical style that’s irresistible. Taking influence anywhere from Billy Joel to musicals, she combines emotional vulnerability with an impressive vocal range. Originally from New York, her career kicked off in Nashville, where she developed her songwriting prowess. After moving to LA, she ventured into self-producing. With her talents mastered, she’s now amassed more than 40 million streams across her 5 EPs. If you enjoyed ‘Bird of Prey’, check out her other awesome songs! Written By Kevin Rodriguez FOLLOW EMILY:

I have a best friend who met this awesome guy when she went to college. They had so many similarities and quickly became friends. Everyone who knew them thought they should date, but for the longest time, the romantic feelings weren’t mutual between the two. Reece Lemonius is in a similar situation in his new song ‘Feeling Nothing’. Lemonius is close to someone, and he wants to take things from platonic to rom, but the other person is keeping him at arm’s length. All their friends think the match would be great, a clear chemistry flowing between the two. Yet, the other person refuses to acknowledge that the connection is something deeper. This song is Lemonius asking the other person: why do we act like there isn’t a connection here and instead choose to feel nothing? With warmer weather quickly approaching, ‘Feeling Nothing’ is the perfect song to get you into the spring spirit. Fun electronic dance beats make the song impossible to sit still and listen to. This earworm is perfect for any playlist intended to get you up and moving. The chorus is infectious with the lyrics, “Why do we act like feeling nothing, nothing, nothing/When it’s the fact we’re onto something, something, something”. After a few listens I found myself humming these lyrics throughout my day. The lyrics paint an emotional story, one that’s easy to get sucked into, and easy to relate to. Whether it be yourself or a friend, the ‘will they, won’t they’ situation is one almost everyone has encountered. By the end of the song, the upbeat tempo mixed with the lyrics leaves you hopeful that maybe something more can happen between the two. With millions of streams across all streaming platforms, Reece Lemonius is an artist who knows how to get people listening. In 2017, Lemonius collaborated with Swedish producer Mike Perry on the song ‘Talk About It’, which currently sits at over 83 million streams on Spotify. The following year Lemonius released his debut single ‘Love Me’, which has over 6 million streams. Over the last few years Lemonius has worked on crafting his sound, culminating in his new EP ‘Feeling Nothing’. The five tracks create stories of romance, each one highlighting a different type of relationship. ‘Feeling Nothing’, the song and EP, are out now on all streaming platforms. Written By Maddy Mahady FOLLOW REECE:

What are your goals? Your passions? Have you ever wanted to take that next step toward your dream life, but you hesitate at the last second? That one move can change your life. That’s why the message in ‘one day before i die’ by nobody likes you pat is so important. It highlights the advantages of living spontaneously rather than planning out your moves every time. If you asked yourself “what if I had one day before I die?”, wouldn’t you want to travel the world, ask out your crush, or pursue a career that makes you feel fulfilled? You can do it! This song asks you to hop in the driver’s seat and experience life without regrets! Passionate guitar strums set your internal GPS toward exactly where you want to go: UP! A strong start like this encourages you to start tackling your “list of the maybes and what ifs" NOW! Pat gives you a dose of euphoria with beautifully vivid vocals and energetic beats. AND there’s a phenomenal harmonica part at the end of the first verse! He speaks on the all too relatable preoccupation with the immediate concerns of life. But then he considers the time he has left as precious grains of sand in an hourglass. That’s a great point! Why wait to make memories that will last a lifetime? I recommend rolling your windows down and blasting this as you race down the highway! Pat Kiloran goes by the hilariously clever artist name “nobody likes you pat.” The Minneapolis singer-songwriter and producer is a master collaborator who’s worked with all sorts of industry pros and entertainment companies (including Disney and Netflix). His crystal-clear indie pop sound will draw out the best in you. He’s currently rolling out music and visual episodes for his upcoming EP ‘spinning’. With ‘one day before i die’ being the lead single, it'll surely win you over! Written By Kevin Rodriguez FOLLOW PAT:

Q: I genuinely can’t stop listening to your new single “Does That Hurt?”! What is the story behind this song? OLI: The story of two people who are completely unable to see eye to eye. I really wanted that to show in the song. Although it’s a love song, I didn’t want it to feel optimistic. It’s like they are interrupting each other and are too stubborn to really listen. Q: What made you want to start making your own music? OLI: I started writing when I was quite young, but I think it was when I was seven and performed my song at school, I realised that this was probably going to be what I ended up doing. I’ve been very lucky; my teachers and family were always really encouraging. Q: How did the opportunity arise to work with Dave Gahan? I am a HUGE Depeche Mode fan so that is so cool! OLI: The whole experience was honestly surreal. My producer had been working on a project with Dave and he played me the demo. I love the americana sound (and Depeche mode!) so when he asked if I wanted to be a part of the song, I couldn’t say no. It has been one of the best experiences of my career. Q: Are there any other artists you hope to collaborate with in the future? OLI: I’d have to say Stereophonics. Kelly Jones is phenomenal. Q: I am a huge concert fan so I'm curious, what is your favorite concert you’ve ever been to? OLI: I really can’t choose between PVRIS and Hak Baker, both are crazy talented and give amazing performances. Q: What do you hope to achieve next in your music career? We're excited to see what you do next :) OLI: I want to collaborate more; I love it and I realised it’s something I don’t do enough. Written By Sarah Curry FOLLOW OLI:

India Maxey is emotionally stuck in her new song, ‘Treading Water’. The phrase treading water is often used to describe someone who is locked in the same place. You aren’t moving forward. You aren’t moving backward. You’re just trying to keep from going under. For Maxey, she’s locked in a stagnant relationship. Her lyrics express her contemplation over the problems she has with her partner, and how she often tries to minimize their issues to keep things going. Maxey is stuck swimming in place, waiting for the day that things will get better. The longer she idles in the water, the harder it becomes to keep herself and her relationship afloat. As the last lyrics ring out, she keeps herself in place, waiting to see if she’ll finally get somewhere, or if the tide will grow strong enough to drag her under. Maxey’s vocals shine over an electro-pop beat. Her light tone flutters over the music, creating the image of someone kicking in water to keep themselves afloat. The lyrics of the chorus show Maxey’s resilience and her desire to keep herself from sinking. The lyrics I was particularly drawn to were in the bridge. “Showing up uninvited/I hear you calling my name/Telling me it’s all over/But I can see all of your games”. The song tells a story of this unsteady back and forth between Maxey and her partner. I found these lyrics to really cement why she is continuing to tread through this relationship. Neither party is fully ready to commit to leaving. These lyrics help emphasize the confusion and uncertainty that accompany an unsteady relationship. If Maxey was to walk away, she wouldn’t be certain that her partner was truly ready to give up, and then she’d wonder if things could have been salvaged. Overall, the song creates a story that many can relate to and puts into words the trepidatious feeling that surrounds this type of relationship. For some people, music is their life, and India Maxey is one of those people. The South West London native grew up playing the trumpet and being a part of various performing groups. She has inside knowledge of the music industry having graduated college with a BA Honors Degree in Music Production. While working as a production assistant on The Voice UK, a vocal coach introduced India to a producer, whom she still works with today. For the last 4 years, India has been working on creating a unique sound for herself. Maxey's other single, ‘You’, is a much more stripped back track that is definitely worth a listen. ‘Treading Water’ is available to stream now! Written By Maddy Mahady FOLLOW INDIA:

It can be hard when you realize you’re in a relationship that is fizzling out. You notice the other person pulling away and you don’t know how to fix it. Barrett Crake is a man desperate to revive a dying relationship in his new song, ‘50%’. He notices the growing distance between himself and his partner. This song is his plea to try and be what that other person needs. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to try and save the love that they’ve created. The only thing he asks from his partner is that they try and meet him halfway. In the first seconds of the song, a repeating guitar line is introduced with an echoed voice layered overtop. These elements create a sense of longing that is felt throughout the song. When Crake’s lyrics come in, this longing is accompanied by an urgency that starts to grow. Strong percussive beats accompany the lyrics, driving the tempo, and aiding to the intensity of Crake’s emotions. During the verses, these beats work to create a pace that amplifies Crake’s feelings of longing. When the song crescendos into the chorus, the beats intensify, bringing his urgency to the forefront. The last lyrics of the first verse, “Can’t you see, I’m on my knees, try to meet me, halfway”, set this pace that then explodes as the listener is brought into the chorus. As I was listening, I thought of the verses as a walk to contemplate your thoughts and feelings, and the chorus as an urgent sprint to your partner. Barrett Crake is an electro-pop artist who is the epitome of what a modern artist can be. He has taken advantage of the online digital landscape to create an international set of collaborators. The American artist has created partnerships with producers in cities such as Amsterdam and Berlin, all while being fully independent. Crake’s background in film allows him to create beautiful videos that tell the stories of every track he writes. In 2017, Crake had one of his biggest opportunities in creating a remix of the Corona hit “Rhythm of the Night”. The track currently has over 2.3 million streams on Spotify. Through his music, Crake hopes that people can relate to and find hope in his lyrics. ‘50%’ is out now! Written By Maddy Mahady FOLLOW BARRETT:

For these past few months, I’ve often felt unmotivated to get out of bed. I’m either dreading what today has in store for me or I’m simply a night owl with sleep deprivation. Either way, it’s time to switch up my routine! GRWM with a new energetic bop from DUVALL and Sam Gray! Entitled ‘Good Feeling’, this song is guaranteed to get your brain chemistry back in alignment. “I've been hiding from myself, M.I.A; but when I woke up today, I got a good feeling.” It’s like a revitalizing stroll that gives you a chance to recharge. Give yourself an excuse to take a dance break and unleash those SICK moves of yours! (Unless you’re like me and suck at dancing...no, I take that back. DO IT ANYWAY!) I personally LOVE the dance-pop production for this song. You get Calvin Harris vibes from the percussive beats and radio-quality sound. Swept into the rhythm, you’ll be stunned by catchy lyrics that elicit optimism and help you find hidden gems of pleasure in your toughest times. “Think I’m ready this time, got a new state of mind.” DUVALL and Sam Gray ask you to reframe your thinking so you’ll never back down from a challenge! One of my favorite parts in this song is the striking baritone vocals that Gray blesses us with. He puts his whole soul into this carefree attitude and you're quickly ushered into party central! From their collaboration on ‘Good Feeling,’ DUVALL steps into his newfound creative freedom from his group Disciples, while Sam Gray continues to demonstrate versatility in his music range. The two artist-producers have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to creating hit records. It’s no surprise then that their work is so engaging! They excel at both laying the foundation for great lyrics and nailing the bells and whistles in their evocative melodies. Needless to say, these two insanely talented individuals do NOT disappoint! Written By Kevin Rodriguez FOLLOW DUVALL: FOLLOW SAM:

Dreams are complicated. On one hand, we don’t want to remember the nightmares we have about being chased by a monster or showing up to work in nothing but your underwear. However, we also have good dreams that we don’t want to forget. These could be dreams about our desires, and love is a common theme here. Moreover, dreams are fleeting and often happen in the literal blink of an eye. In his passionate ballad, “No Words,” Rhodes sings about reconnecting to lost love through his dreams as well as the sadness he feels when he is not able to make his dreams a reality. First off, I liked the passion in Rhodes’ voice, especially on the chorus. My favorite lyrics were, “you see the light come crashing through the curtains where we used to sleep on all the empty space you used to show me what this could have been.” Even though all the lyrics in the song work together to convey Rhodes’ feelings to the listener, I think this specific line excellently encapsulates his sadness. He thinks his lost love is just within reach and wakes up to the harsh realization that they could not be more far away. I also liked how minimal the instrumentation was. The piano flowed smoothly with the lyrics. The last song I reviewed was Yana’s “Don’t Want Your Love.” It had the same theme of lost love and used very few instruments. With that, I think this similar style in “No Words” really allowed the story and Rhodes emotions to shine through. Rhodes was raised in Hertfordshire, England and currently lives in London. In 2015, he released his first album, Wishes. It included “Let it All Go,” a duet with fellow English singer, Birdy. This song received over 175 million Spotify streams and jumpstarted Rhodes’ musical career. If you liked “No Words,” you should definitely go give it a listen. The song has the same passion and centers around the rocky road of love. Additionally, the fact that the song has two singers only makes the emotion more powerful! FOLLOW RHODES

The honeymoon phase. Everyone who has been in a relationship before knows what I’m talking about. It is the stage in a romantic relationship where everything is new and exciting. The couple acts so sweet to each other that you could get a cavity from being around them. However, the biggest issue with the honeymoon stage is how short-lived it is. As a relationship progresses, the rose-colored glasses come off, and the two parties see their partner’s true colors. Therefore, the way that a relationship functions after the honeymoon phase can make or break it. Yana’s song, “Don’t Want Your Love,” is a reflective ballad about how she navigated a relationship after the honeymoon phase. Unfortunately, her experience doesn’t end well. Even so, the song itself conveys her emotions to the listener in a captivating and powerful way. The first thing I noticed about the song was Yana’s vocals. The runs in her voice were very satisfying to listen to. I especially liked how they made her voice linger on powerful lyrics such as …”why you’re in my blood.” I also noticed that the instrumentation in the song was very minimal. You only hear a keyboard, a steady drumbeat, and Yana’s harmonies. I thought it was great for the song. A big flashy electric guitar would have overshadowed the story of the lyrics. Lastly, I thought the ending of the song was very interesting. Yana sings, “you might think I want to press rewind. “Maybe I just wish we had more time.” Throughout the whole song, the listener thinks she’s happy to be out of a seemingly unhealthy relationship. In reality, she is regretful about ending the relationship too soon and not fighting for love. This is a situation that a lot of people resonate with. Yana was born in Varna, Bulgaria and later moved to Long Beach California. If you liked “Don’t Want Your Love,” you should check out Yana’s other song, “Like it.” This song has a similar sound, but she sings about being in the honeymoon phase. Early in 2019, Yana began work on her EP, Hindsight. She is lucky to be working with writer and producer, Franco Reid (Halsey's former drummer). “Don’t Want Your Love” was released as a single from this project. I can’t wait to see what else she has in store! Written By Kelli Dixon FOLLOW YANA

Q: Congratulations on the release of your first EP! How does it feel to finally have it out there for people to hear? I’m sure it’s surreal! ELENA: Honestly it’s actually been crazy! The response I’ve had so far from the release has been really positive which is obviously so reassuring… And yes now that I can talk about it it feels so good, anyone that knows me knows I’m not quite about anything so not being able to talk about a ‘ENOUGH LOVE’ when slowly killing me!! So yeah being able to talk about it now is just the best feeling in the world! Q: Who would you say are your biggest inspirations when it comes to your songwriting? ELENA: It's really hard to pick just 1 artist! I listen to lots of different genres now which I think helps because I’m definitely more open when writing my own music! Someone asked me a similar question the other day and I think I realised that I don’t necessarily Love one artist because of all of their music… Like I enjoy certain songs from artists and I like the artist as brands more so then Liking that particular artist because I love all of the music! But in terms of songs/artists that inspire me when songwriting, inspiration tends to come from finding a song that I vibe with whether it be melodically or through the lyrics or production and basically trying to find ways of incorporating that inspiration into my own music! Q: “Dreaming” is one of our favourite tracks from your new EP! Would you mind sharing what inspired you to write it? ELENA: So the concept of a “Dreaming” came to me one night as cliche as that is, I was sat in front of my mirror taking my makeup off and literally had the hook come into my head! “Dreaming” isn’t about anyone person very much like all of my songs! I feel like the concept of “Dreaming” is quite open and I feel like it’s something that everyone Will have gone through at least once in their life… so the it’s basically about having someone on your mind not in necessarily a good or a bad way but like constantly thinking about someone! If you put it into perspective as a relationship, there can be both negative and positive ways of viewing this song! Like you can constantly be thinking about someone because you like them but they don’t like you back, or when you’re in that honeymoon phase and you’re constantly thinking about them because it’s all cupcakes and rainbows! Or on the other hand you also have that relationship that isn’t working out and is probably gonna end and you can’t escape your feelings for that person even though the relationship isn’t working! Q: I know you studied musical theatre since you were very young which is so cool! What was your favorite role you ever got to play? ELENA: That’s a hard one because there was so many shows I remember doing one show at the associate school I went to where I’ve paid gingey (the gingerbread man)from Shrek! Still to this day there are conversations about me as gingey and I think I was like 12 in the show! Although when I was nine I performed in the Sound of Music tour around London and I do really think that was what pushed me to want to train professionally! Q: What song off your new EP are you most looking forward to performing live one day? ELENA: If I’m being really honest I’m excited to perform any and all of them but if I do you have to pick one then I think it would be between “Dreaming” and “Man enough”! There’s something about the songs that feel really playful to me and I feel like they would be a lot of fun to sing live! Q: Where do you hope to see yourself professionally five years from now? ELENA: I’d like to think in five years I'll have a lot more Music out… maybe a full album! I would definitely like to be touring and performing to people that sing my songs back to me! But I think my plan is to continue writing and to continue to bring out more music and just see where life takes me! Written By Sarah Curry FOLLOW ELENA:

The people who’ve helped us through a key formative period in our lives...our ride-or-dies...what happens if we outgrow them? Sure. They no longer play a main character role, but there’s no dismissing their powerful influence on us. ‘I don’t talk about you’ by Amanda Alexander and VAAAL eloquently puts into words the feeling of permanently being changed by the people you love, even long after the fact. “I can’t forget the way you used to say my name, we’ll never be the same.” They’re like an unforgettable stamp on our hearts. We don’t often consider it, and it’s beautiful when we do. The intro is a subtle, synth-pop melody. You don't think much of it and then BOOM! Alexander lights up the room with an explosive chorus! Her vocals have the strength of a valiant warrior, but the dreaminess of a mythical siren. VAAAL's energetic production only enhances that. “And I know how it ends, I couldn't stay, but I couldn't go; and I hate to say I wish you were lighting up my phone.” Alexander thought she had emptied her mind of this person, but she can’t deny the impact that the relationship had on her. She allows herself to get emotional, and you’ll really feel how deep that energy well goes. You’ll be thinking about your own connections in a totally new way! Swedish artist Amanda Alexander is well-known for her dreamy vocals and 80s-inspired sound. She worked with LA-based producer and writer David (“VAAAL”) to breathe life into ‘I don’t talk about you’. They met in LA several years ago and put this song together piece by piece during Alexander’s trips to the area. VAAAL’s a wiz at pop production, and he’s assisted on numerous musical projects in the entertainment industry. Using his talents and Alexander's powerful melodies, they’ve created the ultimate emotional ballad. These are two artists worth watching out for! Written By Kevin Rodriguez FOLLOW AMANDA: FOLLOW VAAAL: