Sun Culture - Chase Coy

Check out what Chase Coy had to say about his sound and the next Sun Culture album.

What got you interested in music?

Chase Coy:  I used to do art and music both, then I kind of just ran out of time. I've always been interested in really creative stuff. I'm sort of the black sheep in my family, the rest of them are very math oriented, like they all like to check their answers on tests and that sort of thing and I'm totally not that at all. For me, it was just a good outlet; just a little more freedom and I just love working with English, you know, like words and rhymes and everything. It was a really good fit and so I started really getting into it in middle school and was lucky enough to have people who supported me and pushed me to continue doing it.

Are there any artists who have inspired your sound?

Yeah, I mean, there are artists that I look up to, obviously great musicians, that just everyone should look up to, you know, songwriters, especially from the '50s and '70s, kind of like Janis Joplin, stuff like that. Also, a lot of newer stuff: Ed Sheeran, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, those sorts of people. All really, really talented songwriters and musicians and vocalists and all that. All of that influences my solo music but obviously I'm into the indie rock side of things and that's why I started Sun Culture. In indie, the new Walk The Moon album is really, really good.

How would you describe your sound?

It's beachy indie pop with kind of an '80's influence in there.

How has your sound evolved, from your first release to this last album?

When I started out doing music it was very, because I did it independently, it was very easy to just do whatever I wanted with all my releases and then, over time, I kind of developed what was going to be my niche, with the acoustic songwriter thing. I still continued to work on stuff outside of that so Sun Culture, for me, is the culmination of a whole lot of years of doing other stuff and finally wanting to release some of it on my own and just having enough material to do that. I think, mainly, the thing with my music with Sun Culture is just that I've listened to a lot more records, I've learned a lot more over the past years, so my production and song-writing has really come a long way since I started.

Can we expect to hear this same sound on the next album?

Yeah, I may even pull in the '80's influences a little bit more on the next one, I think. Actually, no, I'm pretty much 95% sure. I've already started working on some songs for the new record and had a single released this fall as well called "Young Blood" and so that song sort of bridges the gap between the last record and what the next record's going to be.

Any current artists you can't stop listening to?

That Walk The Moon Talking Is Hard album has pretty much been on repeat since it came out.

What do you want people to take away from your music?     

I try to approach everything I write about from a stand point of understanding that the world is full of complex issues and situations but, at the same time, I try to instill a sense of hope and optimism in all my lyrics and I hope that comes across, I hope people hear that.

Anything you want to say to your fans?

As cliché as it may sound, I wouldn't be able to do what I do without the support of people who listen to my music and so I'm just super thankful to be able to do music as my job every single day. It's absolutely my dream and I'm living it so I'm just blessed to have people who come alongside me and help me to do that. 

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The Crazy Carls - Alex Baugh

Catch up with The Crazy Carls' Alex Baugh and check out new single "To The Stars".

What got you interested in music?

Alex Baugh: I guess, when I was a little kid, my parents always played music, really awesome music. My family lived all over the world so they'd play Peruvian music to classical music to Led Zeppelin and we'd always dance around the house. Then I got into playing classical piano when I was a little kid and then I was dying to play guitar and so I got the guitar and then I started writing songs and singing when I was in high school and went to college and kept it going from there.

Any bands or artists who have influenced your sound?

Yeah, I mean, really I like everything. I guess, you know, being a guitar player, growing up I always loved bands with funky guitar and I loved the Chili Peppers when I was a kid - one of my favorite bands - so I liked that style of guitar work. Then, later on, I got into a Prince style, Michael Jackson style which is influencing my style now, for sure.

How would you describe your style?

It's pop rock. Everyone compares it, I guess, to Maroon 5, kind of. It's pop rock, high energy, creative, fun, dance music.

"To The Stars" is the first single off the forthcoming EP; is that the kind of sound we can expect on the next EP?

Yeah, it is, we might have another song on there but, yeah, we actually just got a date, we're going to be releasing it at the end of January and "To The Stars" is the big single off that one; we just released the music video for it and we're getting a good response from it.

I would say it's a part of it. I don't know, I mean, I'm a songwriter so I like to go into each song with an open slate and see where it takes me but they're all in that realm of pop rock. We're making sure to keep that organic element in there, as far as the guitar work and live bass, things like that, so yeah, you could say it'd be similar to that.

What's the best response you've had to your music?

I got a really good response: I played a show in Orlando and someone said it was the best show they'd ever seen done live, so that was a pretty nice comment, I would say. But, yeah, a lot of people comment that it's pretty unique and that's what I like so I try to make it my own, but still make it something a lot of people can enjoy at the same time.

How has your sound evolved since the first single was released?

Yeah, it's definitely evolved. When we first started the band had more of a beach-y feel to it. I was just surfing all the time and hanging out with a lot of that kind of crowd and I really got into that kind of beach-y, a little reggae-ish, you know, and then I just kind of, the more I've been writing songs, I've been learning my strengths and learning what I enjoy best and what my voice fits with best so it's gotten a little more pop-y, a little more dance-y and I think I've really found my sound with these latest songs.

What types of tracks have you got playing now?

I jam on everything. That's hard, I don't know; I guess, I like the new Bruno Mars record, that really funky Bruno Mars record. I listen to so much stuff. I like Chvrches' new song. I've been jamming on these bands that are coming to Orlando - we're doing this big festival there - so I've been jamming to Young the Giant and I'm excited, we're going to be playing with them. So, all over the damn place.

We've been on tour with Aaron Carter and we've been playing some Sam Smith which the fans really enjoy. We have played the Chili Peppers live, we've played some Michael Jackson, even some rap tracks sometimes for fun so, yeah, always keeping it interesting.

What do you hope people take away from your music?

I guess, I hope that they can take the positivity. It can help them and hope it can give them a good time; brighten their day, I guess. Just have some fun and, also, I want people to relate to the lyrics that I'm writing, because I try to write some real lyrics. I guess, just trying to make some original music right here and I hope people can realize and relate and take away from that.

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Animal Years - Mike McFadden

Catch an interview with Animal Year's Mike McFadden to see how he describes their sound, check out the debut album Sun Will Rise.

How did the band get together?

Mike McFadden: Well, I was living in Baltimore and actually had recorded this record there and wrote all the music for it and I was performing under the name Mike McFadden, my own name, and I knew Anthony, the bass player, was living up here and he called and said "why don't you come give New York a try" and I went up there and re-released the album and gave the band a different name. It had always been 'Mike McFadden' but we decided just to re-brand it, with all the guys helping me; it's still the same thing, I wrote everything and recorded everything, but I had a new group of guys, a new location, and we decided to call it something different. Mike McFadden doesn't really have the same ring to it as Animal Years.

The songs we hear on the album, are those recorded by just you, or by the other guys, as well?

That's just by me. I actually recorded the record for the band before I even moved to New York. I wrote everything and I did all the vocals and a lot of the guitars and banjo and some piano and then I brought in some guys that I knew from Baltimore and they did the drums and some keyboard and stuff like that.

How would you describe your overall sound?

Our sound, you know, we describe it as kind of like Americana folk rock, folk pop; we're definitely getting a lot - with this new record - it's going to be a lot pop-ier. But, definitely kind of like singer-songwriter; it still has the like a singer-songwriter feel, but with some loud guitars in there.

Now that you're working with others, is the sound on the next record going to have the same sound to it?

I mean, I wrote everything on this album, as well, that's coming out and I will be working with the guys - they'll be recording on the record with me which will be a first - but I think the sound is still there. It's definitely going to sound different, but it's still going to have that Animal Years sound to it, for sure. I didn't really step too far away from what we were doing because I liked what we were doing already, so much, so I just wanted to keep it there.

What do you draw inspiration from while writing new songs? Any artists you take inspiration from?

Yeah, a ton. I think more it depends on, there are artists who have influenced my sound, over all, but as far as what I write, I don't go back and think 'oh, who's my favorite artists of all time', I kind of just, like, whatever I was listening to that day - I heard a song in a commercial I liked or I was listening to something on the radio - either subconsciously or consciously, that's what I draw influence from. Or, I would go in and be like I really like the way this band sounds and they're kind of doing a cool thing, maybe I could write a song kind of in that style.

What words would you use to describe Sun Will Rise?

It was just a fun, upbeat record, I think, for the most part. I mean, it was definitely kind of like a motivational record; I was trying to write things that were upbeat and that just were inspiring. I just think I listen to enough depressing stuff - I like listening to a lot of depressing music - I didn't want to bum people out too much with our music; I wanted to make sure the shows were going to be really fun and I didn't want there to be too many songs we were going to play that were going to not be upbeat. I definitely think it was just an upbeat, fun, hopefully, motivating record.

Have you got a favorite song to perform live?

I've always loved to play "Rapture". I mean, we've been playing these songs for a long time and you kind of get bored with them so we like to switch them up and "Rapture", we've stripped it down on our next concert, which is this Friday. We're going to be doing it with just a guitar and a banjo and we do three part, sometime four part, harmonies on it and that's just fun to do, fun to hear, fun to harmonize with people, so I definitely enjoy doing that song live.

What type of tracks have you been listening to lately?

Oh man, I haven't been listening to much. I listen to a lot of talk radio - I play so much music that, I don't know, I like an ear break, I like listening to talking - that's kind of a weird thing to say. I've been listening to The Barr Brothers; their new record is really good. There's a guy named Vance Joy who I've been listening to, but that new Barr Brothers album is awesome.

What do you want listeners to take away from your music?

I mean, especially on this next record, I really just hope they have fun with it. Our shows are all about having fun and people really love to come and watch live; they always say that we're just as good, if not better, than on the record, so I hope that people can take away a positive message. I've been really trying to be positive, stay positive, and on this next record there's a lot of upbeat, kind of just fun, upbeat, inspirational lyrics that I hope people can relate to.

We're going into the studio in early December and we are going to record an EP and we're planning on having a new single out very soon, sometime this Winter. We definitely want to get new stuff out; we've been playing some of these songs for awhile so I think it's time that people hear them, other than at the live shows. We're doing New Years at Rockwood Music Hall; we did that last year so I think that's becoming a tradition.

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Kiko King & creativemaze

How did you two meet?

Kiko King: We met at Maze's house.

creativemaze: It was one of those constant surprises; coincidence; or destiny, however you call it. Then we made a song and then another one and we've been doing that four or five years now.

Your melodies are often haunting and ominous; where do you get your inspiration from when writing these songs?

creativemaze: I dunno. It just feels right that way. For me, everything is inspiration, all kinds of inputs and their reflections on your mind plus what is indescribable with 3-D words. All inputs find their echo within you. So, it's imminent; it's about letting go and just doing stuff.

Kiko King: I just get out of the way.

Are there any bands or artists whose work has inspired your sound?

creativemaze: Every band and artist I've ever heard. Some showed me how to do it and some I don't understand.

Is there a track from another artist you find yourself listening to on repeat?

Kiko King: Family of the Year's "Hero".

creativemaze: Hjaltalin's "I Feel You".

How would you describe your sound to someone who had never heard it?

Kiko King: Airbender music. The total sound is like a dance with all of nature's elements.

creativemaze: It is airbender music.. Listen to different songs from it and if you can describe it with two genres I'll owe you a beer.

What do you want people to be able to take away from your music?

Kiko King: Anything that brings inner peace.

creativemaze: To be able to look at at least two sides of a conflict.

Could you let us know about forthcoming releases or live dates?

creativemaze: The EP, Intellect Illuminated, is out on December 1st and we will be releasing a brand new video for our second track off the EP, "Wolves", very soon. We will be touring Europe over December with new dates to be announced early next year.

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