Justin Morelli by E

What got you interested in music?

Justin Morelli: When I was growing up, my dad was a huge Elvis Presley fan and my mom was a big Stevie Wonder fan, so they would play it around the house when I was a little kid and it gave me the bug, I think. Then, when I started to grow up, I started to listen to them on my own and then started to take it into other music, too.

Which artists or bands have you been influenced by?

There's a bunch, obviously, but I think what's inspired me the most as an artist is probably R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Ginuwine; that whole crew.

What's in your playlist now?

There's a lot of stuff. Honestly, I mostly listen to mainstream stuff, so it's The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Drake, Chris Brown; I'm listening to Chris Brown's new album right now 'cause it just came out, I've been going through that. But, it's also mixed in with a lot of old '90s RnB or stuff earlier than that even, and I like to keep them both mixed in so I can keep up with the new but also always refresh myself and listen to the old stuff, too. 

Do you have a favorite holiday song?

I actually like Bieber's song "Mistletoe" a lot, when he came out with that a few years ago, but my favorite one is probably the Mariah one. I know that's cliché, but the most recent one is probably the Bieber one but the Mariah is probably my favorite.

How would you describe your sound?

I would say it's like a fusion of RnB and pop. It's similar to those artists who kind of mix the flavor of RnB with the drive of pop music and I think it makes it a really good marriage between the two sounds.

What was the inspiration behind your single, "Ain't Easy"?

The producer that I was working with at the time made a couple tracks for me and that was the first one he played and, when we heard the track in the studio, it kind of had that feel good vibe to it. I was with a couple writers that I was working with at the time and we felt it was a very playful record and a very feel good record and "Ain't Easy" just came from that and, honestly, it happened really quickly; it was one of the songs that we probably wrote the fastest.

Is that single indicative of what we can expect to hear on your forthcoming album?

Yes, but there's also a good variety on the album, too. There's obviously the feel good songs and then there's the more reflective kind of record - like "Can't Say Nothing" - but then there's some more RnB leaning stuff too, like "Thing You Do" and "Trippin'" and "Closer" are a couple of songs that are pretty RnB on my record. So, I think there's a nice mix of everything.

Could you describe that album, I'm Ready?

I would say it's an album that is going to touch many different listeners who like both RnB and pop music. I think there's something for everybody on there and I think that's the cool thing about it, is I kind of meshed it; there's some songs that are more pop like "Ain't Easy" and "I'm Ready", but then I did some songs that are really RnB too, and I did some ones that are kind of a mixture. So, I just think, no matter what you like, you're going to like something on this album.

What do you hope listeners can take away from your music?

I think, in making music, it's storytelling that comes from my life and situations and experiences that I've been in and I know everyone goes through similar things with relationships and love and different stuff like that, so I hope my music can just relate to what someone is feeling at that particular time or at some point in their life, and I just want to make that connection with my fans and the audience. This is stuff that we all go through and I'm fortunate enough that I have a platform to spin that message out and I just hope everyone feels the same way as a I do.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

Well, if you haven't heard anything that's out already, you can find all the songs that I already have done - there's three or four singles that I have out already, including "Ain't Easy" - on Spotify and iTunes and any other streaming service that you have. You can find it under 'Justin Morelli' and I hope that you look forward to more things to come soon.

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The Lipstick Junkies by E

What brought the band together?

Brian and Greg had been playing music together for a couple years when they asked Jr to join them. That was 7 years ago now and, through a whole bunch of different band and lineup changes, we've stuck together.

Where does your name, The Lipstick Junkies, come from?

We had reached a point where we needed a new name, so we spent a lot of time trying to find something we didn't hate. Eventually, we heard this name in a Red Hot Chili Peppers song and decided to stick with it. A wise man once told us it didn't matter what our band name was, "as long as it isn't The Small Dick Men", the point being that it's the music that defines a name, not the other way around.

Which artists or bands are you influenced by?

Obviously, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are important to all of us, but from there we try to listen to as much music as possible. The fundamentals of music don't really change from genre to genre, so we really try to study anything we enjoy, whether it's Chic, The Dave Matthews Band, Disclosure, Rancid, Luther Vandross or anything else.

Who are you listening to now?

Outside of our throwback playlists we've been checking out some of the new albums that came out in the last year or so. Some Tame Impala, Mother Mother, Alabama Shakes, Erykah Badu; we have some knowledgeable friends who try to keep us in the loop.

What was the inspiration for the video and single, "Boogie Everywhere"?

The song really came from the bass line in the chorus, we just focused on taking it where it wanted to go. It's funky, catchy, borderline obnoxious even, so we balanced it out with simple, driving verses and a more complex bridge. We made the video fun and lighthearted because, for us, that is what the song is really about.

How does your forthcoming EP compare to your earlier release?

At the end of the day it's really a continuation of our previous work. We are always improving every aspect of ourselves and our music, so we're evolving, but we're still coming from the same place.

What words would you use to describe your sound?

Our main focus is to let the music go where it wants to. We try to make the best songs we can, so we never really sat down and decided we wanted to sound a specific way. We always say funk/rock because it's the short answer, but we're really eclectic and it shows. There's some pop, R&B, soul and punk in there too. We've heard indie-funk before, which might connote our sound more eloquently.

What do you hope listeners are able to take away from your music?

We want our music to make people feel good. Sometimes that means we want you to dance, sometimes that means we want you to think or chill out. Listening to music makes us feel good, and it means enough to us that we just want to be able to give that feeling back to people.

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Apollo LTD by E

For readers who aren't familiar, could you explain a bit more about the essence of this project?

Apollo LTD is a project that was born out of a desire to tread in new water. At its core it's pop music, but we wanted to do something new with it.

Why choose the name 'Apollo LTD'?

Apollo LTD came from NASA initially, of course. My uncle was an astronaut in the '90s so, growing up, I went to shuttle launches every few years… Space was always something pretty close to our family. I think that that led to a certain fascination that still exists to this day. The Apollo program was born out of a sense of ambition to go to the moon. We aren’t going to the moon, obviously, we just write songs and play them for people, but the name always represented something deeper to us.

Are there any artists or bands who've influenced your sound?

As far as influences go… I am not really sure who has influenced us with this project. Sure, we have heard comparisons but, honestly, there hasn’t been any direct influences with this project that we have been aware of. We get influenced by random songs, things, artists all the time and we might write a song from it. But often times they are seemingly random songs or artists that just spark some creativity in us. For instance…. about once a month I always end up listening to the Fugees album, The Score, in the car…. I love it. I couldn’t tell a song in our set that sounds like the Fugees though!  

Do you have a favorite artist or single of the moment?

Favorite artist or single at the moment…. “Genghis Khan” by Miike Snow is my new jam. Ratatat is also interesting to me…. It's more mood music, but I dig it though; it reminds me of LCD Soundsystem and Tame Impala a bit. We love a lot of stuff but I am always stoked to hear dudes (or girls) playing some guitars on a record. 

How would you define your sound?

Alt soul pop/rock music…. from the ether. 

What inspired your single "What Are You Waiting For"?

“What Are You Waiting For” is a pop song about typical existential crisis. Haha. It is a song that captured a period in our lives where we were struggling with what we were doing and where we were going. It's a song about the opposing forces of the universe in our lives…The juxtaposition of emotions and extremes - light and darkness, belief and doubt etc.

Could you sum up your EP in one sentence?

Music for the human condition I suppose. Or for people who hate Donald Trump.

What do you hope listeners are able to take from your music?

Good feelings. :)

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Stroamata by E

What brought the band together?

Alex Markowitz: We all met in college and we all have a drive to make music and perform. We are all people who have an insatiable appetite to make music, and we found each other.

Which artists or bands have influenced you, individually or as a band?

This is always an impossible question. We listen to and love all types of music and we love going to live shows and seeing a band really tear a house down. At the same time, we love electronic music and watching a DJ make the crowd move! It's impossible to list off just one band and one show and, truthfully, we think it is best to soak it all in. 

Any tracks you've got on repeat now?

Run The Jewels.

What words would you use to define your sound?

'Future Rock' is what we like to say. Not because it sounds like it is from the future but, instead, it is not based on nostalgia. We want our music to be influenced by the world we want to see in the future and not reach out to times passed.

Could you tell us a bit more about your forthcoming album?

We are trying to marry good songwriting and experimental production. Somewhere along the way these two things became exclusive when, at one time, they were joined at the hip. Now, we want to mix it up again in a new way, and a way that is uniquely Stroamata.

Is there a track from the album you're most excited to share with listeners?

Impossible question, yet again. They are all our babies and it's so hard to single out just one.

What do you hope listeners can take away from your music?

We hope they make a true emotional connection to the music. We hope it makes them feel things, remember things, and get lost in their own thoughts.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

Making music is a way of life and making music is fun. It also enriches and teaches us, making us more complete people. We hope you enjoy what we do as much as we enjoy doing it.

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