Julius

I read you were an English major on a pre-law track, so why choose to do music now?

Julius: In high school I started doing music and writing songs - just messing around a little bit, nothing really too major - but it kind of progressed into something that I realized was my passion and I slowly realized that less of my time was being devoted to my schoolwork and more of my time was being devoted to my music, so I made the decision to focus on what I really cared about.

Do you remember what the first song you wrote was about?

Oh my god [laughs] I have no idea. I started writing raps - I didn't actually write real songs until pretty recently - and my raps were just like a combination of everything that I was going through at the time. When I listen back to them I just can't believe I was this immature; I was a kid, but you gotta start somewhere.

Which artists have influenced you?

I'm kind of influenced by everyone, I don't just listen to one genre or anything. I hope you can tell that in my music, that I don't try and stick to necessarily one type of music. I listen to a lot of rap music and, right now, Kendrick Lamar is top of my playlist; not only because he's just a great lyricist and his flow and everything, but just the message that he spreads out, I just think there should be a deeper meaning behind your songs and I think he does that quite well.

Which words would you use to describe your own music?

Unique. Honest. I don't really try too much, when I write my songs it just happens. Whenever I'm feeling something, it's always kind of been my outlet, my way of venting. I used to be a lot more personal and I would keep things to myself, but I realized, sometimes by sharing them and sharing what I'm going through, I can help other people and, hopefully, other people are able to relate with what I'm going through.

What was your inspiration for "Save Me"?

That is my most honest song because I really just didn't hold back. I was going through a lot of things at the time, I was just in this transition period; I actually, I started out going to a college in Charleston, my freshman year, and my sophomore year I went to Fordham. So, that was the beginning of going to Fordham and I was kind of in this transition period in my life and I was just acting really, really weird - not myself - and I knew it was affecting my girlfriend and I knew she was as upset about what I was going through as I was and it was kind of just a song telling her, 'I'm sorry for everything that I'm doing,' but at the same time telling her I need her and she's my support; she's what's helping me get through it.

Is that sound indicative of what we can expect to hear on your forthcoming EP?

"Save Me" is on the EP but, yes, you can expect to hear a lot more singing than I've ever done before, but not necessarily the same exact sound; I don't think any of my songs really have the same sound. I don't try and go for a sound, I just go for what I'm feeling at the time and, I don't know, I'm excited for people to hear the EP just because it is a combination of so many different sounds that I think it's going to be able to reach so many different people.

Could you sum up you EP, One, in a sentence?

Yeah, honest, it's really honest; it's me. 

I put everything I had into this. I've been working on this, I tell people a year, year and a half, but it's been way longer than that; I've been working on this for so long. I probably wrote over 60 songs for this project and cut it down to 5 so, yeah, you can expect to see me on this.

Do you think you'll be bringing any of those cut tracks back?

The thing is, I have no idea. Right now, there's no imminent plans for an album, so we're just kind of going with it, seeing what happens. I actually really excited, I did a song recently with Riff Raff and we also shot a video together and so that's going to be coming out probably sometime in the upcoming months, after my EP, and I'm really looking forward to that because I know that people are going to like that.

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

I just hope that they can relate to what I'm saying. Music, for me, has always been kind of like a therapy for me, in a way. I didn't have to talk to anyone, I didn't have to do anything, I would just listen to things that other people were going through and I could relate it to myself and I hope people can do that with my music. That would be the ultimate goal, is if I could help people. I'm really no different from anyone else, so I'm going through the same things that everyone else is and I just would love to be able to be a voice for other people.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

My EP, One, is coming out January 22nd, so be on the lookout for that and, like I said, I have a song coming out with Riff Raff and, also, we did a video for "Save Me" with Jessica Richens; it was great, she came in third place on So You Think You Can Dance, I think Season 11, and she was great and we had a great time shooting the video. I'm excited for that to come out, that should be coming out pretty soon.

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Leanne Weiss

What got you interested in music?

Leanne Weiss: I started out, as a little girl, singing and dancing; I was always a ham. Growing up in elementary school and high school, I was in different theater productions and shows at school and I did a lot of community theater but I always wrote songs and I always performed them - I was very, very outgoing - but I also experienced a lot of emotions, a lot of different experiences, growing up that sort of helped me to write songs as I got older. I developed a lot from all types of music; I started out really loving musical theater songs and music and shows and I admired a lot of the great vocalists growing up, so I aspired to study and just pursue my dreams, and so far everything is going really well [laughs].

Do you remember the first song you wrote?

The first song that I actually wrote as a full song was called "Time To Shine" and it was a pop song. I did record it, but I never released it. I guess I recorded it when I was a teenager and it really spoke about having a dream and me wanting it to be my time to shine. I had been watching the Winter Olympics at the time and I was thinking about how everyone was trying to chase this gold medal and how everybody comes together at this one huge event and I was really inspired by that; thinking about myself and thinking about the athletes - I love figure skating so I was thinking about Michelle Kwan [laughs] - and my inspiration usually stems from a bunch of different things all together, so I was thinking about chasing the gold, chasing your dreams. I write a lot about that kind of theme. But, yeah, the first one was called "Time To Shine" and I still have the recording somewhere.

Which artists have you been influenced by?

I have been influenced a lot by Celine Dion, she was the first singer that I really thought I could be like and emulate. I mean, she is phenomenal, just as a woman and as a performer and vocalist. I really just grew up admiring her, but I also followed Barbra Streisand as a kid [laughs]. I was a little different than some kids that I went to school with, they liked different pop artists and I was following some unique kind of singers that I thought were great.

Is there anyone that you're hooked on right now?

I really love Carrie Underwood's new song and I really look up to her still; I grew up listening to her, too, her first album up until her current album. Yeah, she's awesome.

How would you describe your own sound?

My own sound is definitely a mix of the genres that I think I can sing well, which is pop, rock and, obviously most importantly, country. I like to include my own sort of sound, which I believe is more of a rock sound. It's a little bit different than what I've heard on the radio, I think I sort of stand out, so I'm hoping that that comes across to my listeners. You know, in Jersey we've got a lot of rock and roll and I think that I include a little Jersey in my country music, that's my thing.

You've performed at so many different venues with artists like Dierks Bentley, Gloriana, Kristian Bush, Michael Ray, Josh Dorr; do you have a favorite song to perform when you're out there?

I really, really love to perform "Runaround" - which is on my first EP - in addition to "Momentum". I have a lot of favorites [laughs], but those two in particular are just really fun to perform. "Runaround" I really get into 'cause it's really rocking and I get the audience involved by doing a lot of clapping and I'm just all over the place when I'm on stage. I like that one because it's high energy.

What was the inspiration behind that song?

That was one of the first country songs I wrote when I was a teenager and then, years later, I tweaked it and brought it to the studio 'cause I remembered I had all these country songs that I had written [laughs]. I rewrote the words, changed the melody a tiny bit, I think I added a bridge, and it became something totally different yet the same. The inspiration was just, I guess, being in high school, you have crushes and people that you like and people, men especially - boys I should say, in high school [laughs] - they lead you on or they make you think one thing, so I think I was just going with that frustration of 'you're giving me the runaround, you're not telling me whether you like me or not'. I think a lot of people can relate to that, even as adults, particularly with people who you don't know where you stand with them so you don't know what's going on. I was tapping into that frustration that I had [laughs].

Your last album Momentum was just released in November, how would you describe it to a new listener?

Well, in this album I feel that I really kind of owned my own original sound. My first EP was sort of a mix of what I was trying to do: I had one sort of traditional song, "Runaround" was a rock song, but on Momentum, I think you'll find that all of the songs really have a similar sound; it's more consistent and I'm proud of my vocals on there. I'm just proud of the overall production value. Lyrically, I really worked hard to make it what it was so, yeah, it's just an overall more consistent sound.

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

My goal in music is really to inspire people. I've had a lot of people come up to me after my live shows and say, 'you know, the song "Where I Stand", I can totally relate to that,' or with "Momentum", like, 'I'm pursuing something; I really, really appreciated that song'. Different people tell me different things about each one of my songs - a lot of men like "Straightshooter" 'cause it's got that more rock edge to it and a lot of people really like "Throwback", too - so I'm hoping that the themes that I address in each song sort of help people to maybe get past something that they're experiencing or just inspire them in general. That's my goal.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

The album's available on iTunes and Amazon and the video should be premiered soon for "Momentum", followed by "Throwback". We've got some things goings on and some upcoming tour dates that you can access through leanneweiss.com.

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Torrey Mercer

What got you interested in music?

Torrey Mercer: I have been singing - actually training singing - for about thirteen years now, since I was 9, but I started, actually, in musical theater. I did a lot of theater growing up but my voice is always my strength and that was what my passion was and once I got to be more of a teenager, I became obsessed with the music industry and just really wanted to be a part of it. So, when I was 17, I released my first single and I've been kind of releasing singles since, but now I'm about to release my very first full EP, so that's really exciting.

Are there any artists who have influenced you?

Oh, yes, lots of them. I think probably the two that I would point to the most are Lady Gaga and Demi Lovato, because I'm a pop singer and I'm kind of a vocal power singer and, the reason I say those two is because I really like that they both are really dynamic, strong performers, but at the same time, they give back and they do a lot to contribute to things outside of themselves; they use their platform for something positive and I really admire that.

I saw you do work with The Pledge Tour, could you tell us more about that project?

Yes, definitely! So, back in 2011, I did an anti-bullying music tour where I got to tour on the East coast and the West coast; it was basically more of a concert tour, we would sing and we would make a brief statement about bullying and it kind of got me interested in the subject. I was bullied when I was younger and I have a younger brother who was bullied, as well, so it's just near and dear to me and it was a topic that meant a lot to me. So I reached out to a couple of charities, did some work with them, and my work for those charities actually had caused a family to reach out to me, asking me to come speak at their son's middle school about the subject and I did and it went over really well and, after that, I got referrals to other schools and it just became sort of a thing that we developed. At first it was just under my name, Torrey Mercer as the artist, but then, eventually, we made it its own company, so it's sort of its own side project now; I have my music ventures and then all of that stuff, so it's been really cool.

How can readers support The Pledge Tour and help to spread the word?

We do assemblies for schools all over so, really, if you - listeners or readers - know somebody who's being bullied or know a school that really would benefit from something like that, you can always spread our name and get the word out. Also, we do little fundraiser things online and we have ways that we connect - we have funders and backers and things like that, and there's ways to become that, as well. Every once in a while we fundraise for our project just to keep things going and to allow us to have a curriculum for the students and to have extra funding in case there is a school that can't afford our services that needs us.

How would you describe your sound?

I would say that I'm a pop artist, but I'm influenced by bluesy sounds, a little bit of rock sounds, and even a little bit of jazziness, like in my voice. When I was younger, I was in bands of a bunch of different genres; I was in a rock band, a jazz band, and then I did theater on top of all of this, so I was influenced by a ton of genres, so I think my brand of pop has some songs that are more bluesy, some songs that are more of that edgy pop thing, and some that have a little rock on it. So, it just depends on the song and I just have this hybrid sound that kind of just meshes together into one [laughs].

What was the inspiration behind "Miles"?

Well, I was in a long distance relationship for a while - the song's about a long distance relationship - and it was a really good relationship while I was in it and so I remember, at the time, I was really into this and so I went and looked for songs about long distance relationships and I'm like, 'oh, I want to find something,' you know? All of the songs out there, from what I saw, were these really sad and depressing songs about how much it sucks and it was just really disheartening and discouraging in that way and so I wanted to write a song about a long distance relationship that's hopeful, where it's like you're looking forward to that moment where you can finally be together long term and you're working towards that future together and working to have that life together and your love for each other is what brings you two together. I wanted to have a song out there that's for those couples that are trying to make that happen and have it be a positive thing.

And "Miles" is a smooth mix of genres, like you said, a hybrid sound, so is that indicative of what we can expect to hear on your forthcoming EP?

Yes, I would say so, and then there's influences from a couple of other sounds. So that one has more of that bluesy influence I would say, even jazzy in some ways, and I think each song speaks for itself but, yes, there is definitely that hybrid of sounds and you'll hear that sort of a sound in a couple of the other ones and then we also have an acoustic one - like it's all acoustic - and then we have two tracks that are these pounding pop tracks. So, it's very much a hybrid sound, but there's more where that's coming from, for sure.

Could you sum up your debut EP, Exhale, in one sentence?

Ooh in one sentence, hmm. I'm trying to think, I want to make this really good. I would say, Exhale is about recovering from your past and finding a strength in yourself you didn't know you had that's both gentle and empowering from everything you've been through; it's like that moment when you know you're going to be okay.

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

Yeah, I mean, that really goes along with that theme but, especially with this record, it's a very personal EP for me: it includes subjects and experiences and stories of mine from probably the past three years or so that have been accumulated. Because this is my debut EP I have some songs that were released previously as a single that got kind of tweaked for it, things like that, but it's really meant to be sort of a reflection of the past. I would hope that people can get some emotional relation or connection to some of the songs and, also, it's supposed to be like closure on your past in a way and letting you step into your future and into the moment, and I hope that people can find that in their own life.

Is there anything that you'd like to add?

I have the video for "Miles", that's going to be coming out; we're going to be doing that around Valentine's Day as sort of a couples thing, so be on the lookout for that. And pre-orders for the EP actually start this Friday, so that will be up for pre-order on iTunes and, I believe, a couple of other stores, as well.

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Nic Hanson

What got you interested in music?

Nic Hanson: What I really liked about it in the beginning was, I used to be a shy kid when I was very little and, when I was 11 or 12 or something, I really started discovering music and listening to music that wasn't just what my parents liked and I was really drawn to the nature of it being such a communal experience and such a thing that brought people together. That always sort of inspired me; I've always liked music that really involves a lot of people coming together to form one art.

Could you describe your sound?

I would say my sound is something like communal soul - it's soul music, but in a contemporary pop context. There's a lot of gospel influences and basically, just, it's a communal energy. 

Which artists have influenced you?

My big one is Stevie Wonder - he's my number one, always. I also love Prince, D'Angelo. Of course, I'm from Philadelphia and I love those old sound of Philly guys; the Gamble and Huff people, the O'Jays, people like that. A lot of gospel music too, Kirk Franklin, Hezekiah Walker. I always loved Usher growing up; he was my favorite 'cause he was always on the radio and stuff. You know, a wide range.

Are you hooked on any songs right now?

Yeah, I'm actually really into Bryson Tiller right now. I wouldn't really call him similar to my sound, but I've been loving his new album.

What inspired your single, "Aisha"?

Oh, it's interesting. I've been doing this thing where I write a lot of songs about multiple sources and one of the things I've been trying recently is combining inspiration from people and inspiration from things in my life. So, like, I have one song that's about a girl and sleep, and sort of how certain things are personified in people and certain facets of my life. So, this song was inspired, first of all, by a girl whose name is not Aisha - but she's from back home and I'm not particularly close with her, I have to be honest - and also [laughs] coffee. It was sort of between these two things; I got a similar energy from this girl that I get from that first sip of coffee in the morning, super invigorating and really exciting, and I really liked that and so I sort of wrote that song with those two things in mind.

You touched on this briefly already; everything on your EP is self-written, so where do you get your ideas from?

Yeah, it's pretty much, I'm inspired by people, first and foremost: I love connections with people - human interactions and relationships are always my number one. But, also, I really love situations and I love weather, I think it's really interesting. I really like how light hits certain things, I really like going out on walks and stuff, I really like scenes and certain things that are really close to me so, I don't know, a lot of stuff, I guess.

Could you describe your forthcoming debut EP, let readers know what they can expect to hear?

You should expect to hear a lot of vocals, a lot of people on it. Even though it's all self-written, I like to get a lot of my friends involved; I have so many talented people close to me and I'm really thankful for that, so I like to get them all involved. There's going to be a lot of soul and a lot of vibe; I want it to be something that you can throw on at really any kind of party and people will be dancing - people will be moved to move.

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

Honestly, I just want listeners to feel better after hearing one of my songs than they did beforehand. I think so many things in my life right now, so many things in our generation - something about social media and the internet, especially - they tend to bring me down and I never leave Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, something in a better mood than when I got on it, typically. I feel like, I want my music to do the opposite of that, I want people to hear it and generally just have a good time. I'm not one of those people who tends to revel in writing really sad music - I have sad songs, but they don't sound that sad. I want people to groove and have a good time.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

I would like to shout out my engineer and producer, Ben Thomas, who also runs this place called After5 Studios down in Philly; show him a little love.

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