Jaclyn Rose

Catch up with Jaclyn Rose and look for her new EP, Invasion: A New Potion, to be released March 24th.

What got you interested in music?

Jaclyn Rose: I always knew that music was my calling and my passion in life. Since I was young, I knew I wanted to make a difference through music and be a voice of positivity so I really felt like music was part of my mission in life. 

Were there artists whose sound inspired yours?

Well, I've always been inspired by a lot of jazz artists, like Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis; a lot of the pioneers of music that have inspired and influenced a lot of music today.

Do you remember the first album you bought?

I think it was probably an old Sarah Vaughan record on vinyl. Just listening to her tunes and just really hearing that kind of soul, you know, that's kind of what I remember, as far as what the first record I bought was.

What words would you use to describe your sound?

I would say that it stands on its own; it's eclectic; it has unlimited possibilities. It's inspired by a lot of different time periods and different cultures and my music always has kind of positive, uplifting messages to it, so I think that's how my music stands out, and being backed by The Rose Movement as well, which is my campaign; all of that tied together I think would describe my music best.

Could you explain more about The Rose Movement?

Yeah! The Rose Movement is just this movement based on the spirit of giving and it's a campaign where we give daily inspiration on my Facebook page and we've also contributed to a lot of different charitable causes, such as breast cancer awareness and a mentoring one, and it's just a movement that continues to give more positivity and inspiration to the world.

Are the singles you've released so far, "Circle" and "Dance With You", indicative of the style we can expect to hear on the forthcoming EP, Invasion: A New Potion?

Yeah, you know, it's showing a lot of different ranges in music. Like I said, I think my music has just unlimited possibilities and that's how I like to stretch myself as an artist. Being able to produce this record by myself gives me a lot of creative freedom and a lot of opportunities to explore with different genres of music and to really expand my limitations as an artist, as well. 

How would you sum up the EP in one sentence?

Just like the title of the EP, it's just an invasion of sound and music and good, positive vibes.

Is there a track you're most excited for people to hear?

I think each track has such a life and a spirit of its own and I'm looking forward for everyone to hear it just because there's something different about every single track and I think that a lot of people are going to be very excited about that.

What do you want to do with your music?

I just hope that they feel really good about themselves and I hope that it inspires them and motivates them to continue to work on their goals. Each song has such a different meaning, there's a different message to it and I hope, through each message, it continues to touch and inspire people and to bring more light and joy into their day. 

Thank you for checking out my interview and I look forward to creating more and more music for you guys!

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Autumn In June

Catch an interview with Autumn In June and look for more new music to come soon.

What got you interested in music?

Autumn In June: I was actually just making music since I was little but I wasn't too into it, just kind of messing around 'cause my father used to play music, but I've been making music ever since I can remember. I was in high school when I started making music more seriously.

Were there any artists whose sound inspired you?

I grew up listening to Dr. Dre and 2Pac 'cause I live in the hood so that's pretty much what everybody used to bump, but later I discovered Pink Floyd and ELO and I remember I was listening to ELO and this song "Yours Truly, 2095" and I was like 'yo, this is like hella dope' so I started trying to discover more bands and more different types of styles and that's when I was like, I want to experiment with my music and that's what made me go way left and just try to figure out something for myself.

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

It's like the ultimate songs to vibe to, I say. I like to choose sounds that have a lot of emotion in them and I use a lot of analog synthesizers and I just kind of like to find some really cool sounds that trigger emotions - you know how certain sounds are like 'oh damn, I feel that' - and I kind of just use that to make a song and then put it together. So, all of my songs have emotion in them and I feel like my instrumentals always have that certain element to them so it's like it has its own emotion.

What's been most influential to your sound?

I listen to a lot of '80s disco and stuff like that and '90s hip hop too, like G Funk era and all that funky stuff that like Dr. Dre used to produce and, ultimately, I was like, I want my stuff to always  have like a feeling to it.

Is the forthcoming EP going to have the same sort of sound as your current singles?

Yes, I'm definitely staying with that route. I feel really comfortable in that route but I'm trying to take it to a whole new level with production and songwriting 'cause I usually just freestyle my music and I felt like it just gives the song a better feeling, the vocals and all that. but actually going through the whole song, I just want to keep updating my whole production and try to take it to a whole new level, but it is going to be like dance-y kind of synth-y and stuff, but I'm also making more slowed down and super chill and vibe-y type of songs too.

Is there a new track you're most excited for people to hear?

Yeah, there's a song called "Headline", it's one of my favorites that I'm wrapping up right now. I've been working on it for the past two weeks nonstop just because it's just been like a really fun song, so that's pretty much what I'm really, really excited to have.

It's the sound, the lyrics are really dope too, and it has like a really cool vibe. I feel like I really stepped it up with this one. I usually try to not use too many layers of sounds so it's just a whole drowning type of thing that kind of makes the vocals just sink into that. So, definitely I kind of put a lot more depth into the instrumental and just have the vocals really pop out and it was just fun to experiment with. It has a really cool sound to it, it's kind of similar to "Hey Arnold!" but it's a whole different vibe, instead of the happy, it's a more chill, emotional type of song, but it's really cool.

What do you want to say about your music?

Well, my music is pretty much, I like to be able to express myself truthfully and just have everything genuine and pure. For me, as a person I try to live without the fear of judgment, like I try to just completely be myself and just accept myself and if people dig it then they dig it and if they don't then whatever, you know, so that's pretty much what I incorporate in my music. I just go with what I truly like and I just take it there and I don't try to settle with anything else for anyone within my music, so that's pretty much what my whole style is.

Why choose the name 'Autumn In June'?

When I was growing up, since there's pretty much nothing but hip hop in the hood, I kind of got into making hip hop too when I was in high school and then, when I started discovering this new type of music, I just kind of completely took that route and just started focusing my whole time into that type of music. I remember I was producing for DJ Quik's nephew for awhile and I used to be around all these other artists, like the hip hop West Coast OGs and stuff, and I started taking my music to a whole different type of sound and I just remember them saying 'yo man, you're in the wrong place at the wrong time with this type of music'. Every time I used to show them like 'I got this new song, check it out' they kind of just told me you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, like Autumn in June, and I just kind of went with that; I thought it sounded cool.

I'm working on a new video right now so I'm releasing it in early April and it's going to be with the new single, so it's going to be pretty cool; be on the lookout for that.

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John Stratton

Catch up with singer/songwriter John Stratton, listen to new single "All For You" and look for We've Only Just Begun to be released in April. 

What got you interested in music?

John Stratton: Like a lot people, I'm sure, I grew up in a home where music was played and I was encouraged to play music and I think what got me interested in writing music was people's stories and just feeling how music can really connect with people's hearts and help people go through the things they face in life. So, for me, being a songwriter is, in a lot of ways, connected to my love for people and wanting to connect with different people throughout the world. 

Do you remember what inspired your first song?

Yeah, my first song was inspired by me being grounded [laughs]. I got grounded and I was stuck upstairs and had just a guitar to entertain me and I ended up writing my first song in that situation.

Which artists influenced your sound?

I think that my primary influences, one of them would definitely be John Mayer - ever since I was fifteen I've been inspired by him. From artists these days, Ed Sheeran would be a big influence, people like Glen Hansard or Damien Rice, but I'm also influenced by a variety of genres. I like to listen to different genres and just find what makes those genres awesome and try to learn from them. 

What tracks are you listening to now?

I've been listening to The 1975 a lot, I really dig how he sings and how he uses his voice; also been listening to the new Damien Rice; been listening to this guy, James Vincent McMorrow - he's awesome, I love his voice.

How would you describe We've Only Just Begun?

This album is like a bag of jellybeans where you have every kind of flavor, every kind of taste, because it represents the last five years of my growth as an artist and I've been going through a ton of transitions, from going to college, leaving college, moving to a new city; so the record, really what makes it have continuity is that it's about a journey and you can see from song to song I'm purposefully making it feel like the listener's growing with me. But, stylistically, there's alternative rock on there, there's blues, there's influences of acoustic folk, there's Mumford & Sons style stuff on there, there's even like an electronic influence on one of the songs that actually no one's heard off the record yet called "It's You" and it's more of like a 1975 influence. For me, what makes it kind of a record rather than a bunch of random songs is that you can sense the journey - and it's the same writer, I write all my own music - you can sense the journey and the continuity and the growth of the artist.

Is there a favorite track of yours off the forthcoming record?

Yeah, I think my favorite off the record will be the very last one called "To The Desert" and it's a song that just talks about the last step of this album's journey, which is just me coming out to a new valley called the Antelope Valley. I'm living in the desert now and it's just the most raw - I just finished recording it - it's just the most raw song on there, probably the most honest song on there, and it just talks about believing in holding on to what you believe you're supposed to do and are passionate about.

What's the best response you've heard since releasing "All For You"?

Since releasing "All For You" I think the coolest thing I've just heard is that people have told me they're going to use it in their weddings; I mean, it's a love song, so I'm not ashamed of that at all. It's just about having passion for somebody and saying nothing's going to separate me from them and it's been cool to have people contact me and say 'hey, just wanted to let you know we're going to use that song at our wedding' and it blows my mind. 

What can you tell us about the nonprofit you hope to start?

When I was in college I really felt moved to just think more deeply about why is it that I'm even here on this Earth and what is it that we're all wanting, what is it that we're all longing for, and I really felt moved to begin to try and love people better and understand people. The word 'love' gets used a lot and we all talk about it, almost like what does it mean these days, but to me, in college, I felt that starting a movement called You Are Loved would represent valuing people, making the time to show them that they matter, that they have worth, and my passion is to one day begin an official nonprofit called You Are Loved. It could be cross cultural, cross anything; anybody could be involved with it and it would just be all about valuing people and reminding the world that they are loved, that they're worth knowing, they're worth valuing, worth investing in their life. 

Have you been able to put it into practice?

I put it in practice, I made stickers in college and things you could put on your laptop and even car bumper stickers but, for me, it's more of, I guess, a lifestyle of what I want to live where just, when I encounter people, no matter where or how, that that would be the first thing they would know, from how we treat each other, is that they're valuable, they're loved. It is something that anybody who knows me closely knows is something I'm passionate about and there are people that are part of the You Are Loved movement, but it's not an official nonprofit yet and I'm waiting for the right moment to really launch it. I'm hoping that music artists and people in the industry would get on board with it so it could be something - kind of like To Write Love On Her Arms - something where people could incorporate this value, this truth if they believe it, into what they do and it would almost just be something they could add on to what they're already passionate about, which would be cool.

What do you want to say about your music?

My music is for people, for anybody that wants to listen. I want the songs I release to be songs that people can listen to that would just help them in life, be there for them through different moments. There's happy songs, there's sad songs, there's songs about hard stuff, songs about just loving people, and my hope is that I wouldn't be the artist everyone goes 'oh my gosh, what did he do this time' and all the shock value or the artist where everyone's like 'man, he's just so sexy,' I'd be the artist that people say 'this guy gets me, I feel like I can relate to him and when I just need something I know that I can throw his stuff on and it helps me'. That's my greatest hope, is that it's real, it's authentic, and that people can sense there's love in the music too.

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Dan & The Wildfire - Dan Htoo-Levine

Catch up with Dan Htoo-Levine, lead vocalist and guitarist for Dan & The Wildfire and look for the new album, Bull Moose, being released March 31.

How did the band get together?

Dan HL: So, Thom and I actually lived together when we were nineteen and I'd been playing in this other band for awhile and we were doing some things and that ended and Matt, the keyboard player, was at that point playing piano in the band so when that band broke up I went to the two of them, Thom and Matt, and I said, 'hey, let's start a band', and we did. We did the solo record which was just entitled "Nothing, Anything, Everything" and it was under my name, Dan HL, and we didn't end up getting Kyle and Sam until a little bit later and what happened was Thom was in college and he was doing his senior recital - we all went to Berklee, that's where we all kind of got to know each other - and a guitar player that he was playing with couldn't make rehearsal so he asked me if I could do it and I said sure - I almost didn't go 'cause I was kind of feeling lazy that day and I was almost like 'nah, fuck it. I'm gonna stay at home' - and Sam and Kyle were the drum and the bass players so that kind of all fell together really nicely so we reached out to them and kind of the rest is history.  

Are there any artists whose work has affected your sound?

Yeah, I mean it's always changing, you know, we all listen to so many different things; The Allman Brothers, The Band is always a big one, Ryan Adams is big, but right now I'm really into kind of soul, neo-soul like Ray Charles and Sam Cooke, but I also like Amos Lee and Allen Stone, that kind of stuff.

Do you remember the first album you bought?

I remember the first album I owned, it's embarrassing but the first Hanson album, Middle of Nowhere I think was the name of the record, that was the first album I owned. That was pretty awesome, I remember grooving to that pretty hard.

What words would you use to describe the band's sound?

Developed, for one. We've come a long way from where we were and we continue to keep growing. It's a tough one to answer because it's like, we describe ourselves as folk rock, but it's way more than that at this point, you know, it's got blues, it's got souls, it's got more of the heavier - not heavier I should say - but more of that rock and roll kind of sound. I think I just put it to another interview at one point as 'melting pot rock,' so I think I'm going to stick with that.

How does Bull Moose compare to your previous albums?

I mean, it's really different. We sat down and, with Smoke Signals, the record that is out now, we said we're going to do it all live and we're not going to do many over dubs. With this album, we still kind of took that concept of a live album and so we did record it live but we weren't afraid to kind of produce it a little bit and work out guitars and background parts and think about it a little bit more. It's definitely more of a developed, enhanced sound, I would say. It's kind of like Wildfire 2.0, which is pretty cool.

Is there a track you're most excited for people to hear or one you think will be most popular?

Everybody who has heard the album so far had a different favorite. People were pretty excited about "Buzzard". I think "Soul Shaken" is going to be the track that people are going to be pumped up about because it's a way different side of us than people have seen before; it's an electric guitar driven tune and it's got big horns and lots of stuff and it's a good one. I think people are going to be pumped up to hear that.

In one sentence, how would you describe the album?

The album pulls from all different genres and is diverse, but we're really proud of the fact that all of the songs work together and it really is our first record that we feel makes complete sense as an album from top to bottom.

Any recent releases you can't stop listening to?

Actually, the Beck album, Morning Phase, I bought that on vinyl and I love it and also the Hozier album is really, really good.

What do you want to say about your music?

They're not songs written for songwriting's sake, if that makes sense. The songs that we sing are thoughtful and well-crafted, but they're not inaccessible and they're not pretentious; they're honest and I think that's what people really like about the music that we're making, is that it's got the complexities that people are kind of looking for in music but it's also easy to latch on to and fun.

On Thursday, March 19th, the band will hit NYC and play Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2.

On Friday, March 27th the band will be playing their hometown album release show at T.T. The Bear's Place in Cambridge, MA.

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