Aishlinn Kivlighn

Catch up with teen pop singer Aishlinn Kivlighn and watch the newly released acoustic video for her single "Unstoppable".

What got you interested in music and when did you know you wanted to do this professionally?

Aishlinn Kivlighn: I've always loved music, it's always been something that I've done. Ever since I was really little, I've been singing stuff by myself and I started taking lessons and I didn't really think anything of it; I just loved to sing so I wanted to take lessons so I could get better. Then, once I met some people and I started recording, I realized how much I enjoyed that part of music and that's when I knew that that was something I wanted to do as a profession.

Do you remember the first song you wrote that you were happy with?

Most of the writing, just by myself, that has ever really been recorded was when I was 8/9, so all of those songs are.. interesting [laughs]. I'd say that the first song that I ever was really happy with, that I started off with, was a song called "Are You The One". I think it was the first song that I ever recorded and, at the time, that song was very good for me.

Which musicians have you been influenced by?

So many, I listen to so many different types of music. I'm just surrounded by all these different genres. Obviously, I love all the divas; Whitney Houston, Mariah, Tina, all of them, they're amazing. I love Taylor Swift, just for the way that she's able to take something and put it into lyrics - I think that's really cool. I love artists, right now, like Tori Kelly. Just all kinds of genres have influenced me in some way, whether it's the style of my voice or the kind of music that I want to make.

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

I'd say that it's a mix. It goes two ways: I either have a more acoustic kind of pop song - more of a Tori Kelly kind of vibe - or I have a more dance/mainstream pop song. It goes either way.

Could you tell us more about your single "Unstoppable"?

Yes. At the time, we were looking for an original song - something to release - because I had mainly been doing covers and we wanted something that I could really call my own and someone that I have performed with a couple of times before had written a song called "Unstoppable" and we listened to it and I loved it. I loved the idea of it, how it's empowering, and it's not just about empowering yourself, but also helping others; it really works both ways, which I thought was so cool. I loved the vibe of it so we were able to use that song and what I love about that song is, even though I didn't personally write it, I feel so connected to it because it so well relates to my values and the things that I try to do for other people and the things I try to do for myself.

Can you tell us more about the work you do with the Official Stand Up Tour and the All-Star Nation Tour?

The All-Star Nation Tour and the Stand Up Tour is about standing up against bullying, which I think is really cool. I've dealt with bullying myself and so I loved the idea of the tour and, at first, I wasn't really sure how it would play out because it's a tour in schools and I wasn't sure how involved the kids would be, but the kids that we get to visit are just so enthusiastic, so great, and are obviously against bullying. I think that the tour, having musicians and having it be their own little concert, really helped to get their energy up, but it's constantly putting in their mind also that they should stand up against bullying. I've done a couple of shows with them; I did a week with them last December and I'm hoping to do more shows with them. That tour, I just think, is all around very cool.

Do you have plans to release an EP or album?

Not yet, but I do have some new cover videos coming out soon so I'm very excited for those!

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

At the age where I'm at right now, I think the most important factor in my life is - I'm not old enough where I'm dealing with relationships or anything like that - it's really about self-empowerment and empowering other people and building friendships and things like that. That's the main thing that I think girls - and all people my age - struggle with right now. So, I want people who listen to my music to be able to take away some sort of message that can help them empower themselves and build themselves up and just know that they don't need to compare themselves to other people, they just need to love themselves and know that they're unstoppable.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

I'm really excited for my new videos that are coming out and I'm very grateful for the interview!

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Ezinma

Catch up with classical violinist and singer Ezinma and listen to her latest single, "Spacemajik", from her forthcoming EP, I Am Ezinma.

What got you interested in music?

Ezinma: I started when I had just turned four. I lived in Nebraska originally and my school was a Montessori school on a farm and they had Suzuki violin groups, so my friends all had these little violins and I really wanted one and I'm not sure why; I didn't really know much about the violin and my parent's aren't musicians or anything and I don't think they thought it would stick, but I loved it and I just kept playing it and, now, here I am. It started very young for me.

Which musicians would you say that you have been influenced by?

Oh man, there's so many, so many [laughs]. I'm mixed, so my dad's Guyanese and my mom is white so, on my mom's side, I listened to a lot of Americana like Bob Dylan, Woodie Guthrie, Joan Baez, a lot of folk type stuff, and then, on my dad's side, I listened to a lot of reggae, funk, soul and then, on my own, I've always loved electronica - and of course classical music - but I've really been exposed to all music and it's really cool. It's very, very cool and I like it all; I love folk, I love country, I love hip hop - I don't know too many people who can say that they can appreciate all genres.

Who's in your playlist now?

That's a tough question. Right now I've been listening to a lot of hip hop actually, because I've been doing a lot of hip hop violin covers, and I'm trying to really think hard and find new artists that I think are really cool. I also love a lot of symphonic stuff, so people like Jamie xx, I love. Who else have I been listening to? It's tough remembering stuff like that and it's just kind of an eclectic combination. Also, because of streaming, I feel like I have less of a relationship with what I'm listening to because now they put up a playlist for you - and I love the playlist - but I don't know who these people are. I remember when I would buy a CD and be like, this is who I'm listening to [laughs].

How would you describe your sound?

I think the one word I would use to describe how I experience sound is symphonic. I like layers, I like lots of textures, I like a swirling soundscape, and I think that's because I come from orchestras and I come from playing symphonies. When I listen to music - and the music I love the most - it's the music that has these layers of different instrumentation and different sound and, of course, it can still be minimal and very beautiful and still have that complexity, but I think that would be the biggest influence and the one word that I would use to describe how I write my music and what I love in music.

What were your inspirations behind your new single, "Spacemajik"?

Well, I wrote it in Berlin actually. It was at a time when I was listening to a lot of instrumental electronica and I had been in London prior to Berlin and at The National Gallery there they had this really amazing exhibit where they would take famous artwork and ask musicians to create a score based on the artwork. It was incredible and there were all different types of artists; there was violin, there was a pianist and an oboe, and then the last exhibit was my favorite, Jamie xx, and he had done an impressionist work - by Monet or something, I don't remember who the painter was - and it was these spacey sounds coming from all over to mash into the ambiguous nature of the painting and I just was thinking about this for months - I mean, I still go back to it - and it was so incredible; the idea that I could use sound to create the landscape or create the painting, as he did. So, I just felt like messing around and it all stems really just from one note. It's a very simple song and it grows as an instrumental and then I added the lyrics later - first, I like to start with the instrumentation and then the lyrics come later - but I'd just broken up with a boyfriend, a very dear person to me, and I felt the need to paint what that was like, this farewell and ambivalence; I mean, I was very sad of course, but I was also happy in a sense. I thought the instrumentation matched that story.

Could you tell us more about your forthcoming EP, I Am Ezinma?

Each track on the EP is pretty different and I think, for me, what I was doing in that time was I was really experimenting and I was really finding myself because I had just left conservatory and I felt like I had lost my grounding in a sense, because there's normally somebody telling you what to do, what to play, how to play it, and I was on my own. Because of that musical exploration, each track is really different and has very different influences and I love them all. "Disco Bitch" is a very 'Coolio' type vibe, kind of, like a dance/'70s retro throwback; "Kiasma" is based on a violin concerto and is a very UK house vibe, but very minimal lyrics, lots of violin; "Unraveled" is more of a pop tune, "Unraveled" is actually inspired by another classical piece; "I Rise" is a ballad about my life story, again based on another classical piece. They're lots of different influences and they all come across very different, stylistically. Of course, it's all the same in that it's my sound expression, but it's all very different sides. I think that's really cool and the EP is called I Am Ezinma and the point of the EP is, this is who I am. I'm not just a classical violinist, I'm not just an electronic musician, I'm all of these things, so I find it really fitting that each track is so individual.

How would you sum up I Am Ezinma in one sentence?

I Am Ezinma is a declaration of who I am artistically.

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

I've never really thought of that. There are lots of things I want them to be able to take away, but I think, what I am learning now, more than ever, is that music is about being true to who you are 100% and I think, for a lot of artists who grow up in newer genres or who are just making their own stuff from the get-go, that's probably a realization that they may take for granted. For me, coming from a world where, yes, you should sound like yourself, but there are certain phrasing rules and there's all these rules, rules, rules, I think, for me to break away and say, yes, you can come from that tradition, but you can also use that to create something new and something relevant and something that everybody will want to listen to. What I always like to do with all of my music, everything I've ever written, is I always throw in little tidbits from Beethoven or Mozart or Maazel and people don't really know it's there, but what I find fascinating is that people still love this music, even though they may not be going to the concert hall or the opera house. What I want people to take away from my music is, yes, I can be a classical artist, but, yes, I can can also be relevant today, no matter your skin color, no matter your background, your class, whatever; the point is, let's just make music, regardless of genre. I think that's the biggest thing. I'm finding genre to be very riveting and I want to break that barrier. Instrumentalists in a lot of pop music, I feel people don't pay attention to them, it's usually the singers - and, yes, I'm a singer, but I'm also an instrumentalist - and I think that other layer of musicianship needs to be more celebrated.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

Another really big thing, especially in my videos that I've been putting up is, for me, a big part of my story is race and growing up as a mixed race person in Nebraska, as a classical violinist, and a really important thing for me is knowing that when I put up my videos, I hope to challenge stereotypes of what it means to be a black woman in America. The fact that I'm a classical violinist, you know, just last night, this guy was like, 'what do you do?,' and I'm like, 'oh, violinist,' and he's like, 'what? No, you don't look like-' and that's what I want to challenge. I don't look - air quotes - like a violinist, but I want to break down those barriers. I want everybody to know that they can do these types of things - classical violinist, ballet, whatever - that they now feel are for them. Specifically, I think of children of color and that's a big part of my work, is teaching kids in Harlem, playing classical violin on YouTube with trap music, and letting people know that there is more to blackness than just this one stereotype.

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Sky Colette

Catch up with LA-based singer-songwriter Sky Colette and listen to new single, "Hey Big Spender", from her forthcoming project.

What first got you interested in music?

Sky Colette: I've been singing since I was two years old. It's kind of funny, 'cause this was pre-YouTube, and my mom said it scared the mess out of her and my dad because they were like, 'why does she know every song on the radio?,' [laughs] and they realized it was something that I just did; I'm like a walking karaoke machine, or a jukebox, so I retain music so easy. Growing up, listening to Whitney Houston and all of her songs - and of course I was never shy [laughs] - I would always sing. I remember, Sister Act, the first one or the second one, it had a girl who was like, 'what is the first thing that you wake up thinking about? That's what you're supposed to be doing,' and I had that moment when I was five, I knew I was going to be a singer [laughs].

Do you remember the first album you had?

It had to have been Alicia Keys' Songs in A Minor. That album was everything for me and I was in high school, I think, when it came out and I was like, 'wow, that type of sound is amazing,' and the way she spends her time writing all the songs and how passionate she was, that was incredible to me. 

Which musicians would you say you've been influenced by?

Of course, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. My parents always put on the old school radio stations, so I listened to a lot of old school artists but, of course, Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige, too.

Is there an artist you're hooked on now?

As a songwriter, I love, love, love Taylor Swift. I think that she can paint stories in such a way and she's so consistent. I think it's because, when she was younger she was a songwriter and she was working at 15 and she came out of country - which we all know, country music is all about the lyrics - so I think that's how she was able to translate that into her music. But the way she visually makes you see everything, it's just amazing. So her, and I'll always love artists like Bruno Mars. He's awesome, as far as putting that show together, being an entertainer, and I love his sound, too; I love how he was able to take the 1950s/1960s sound - and some of the '80s - and translate it to today.

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

My fans say that I'm a mix between Katy Perry, Lana Del Rey, and Sade and that's what I get a lot of.

What were your inspirations behind your new single, "Hey Big Spender"?

Oh my goodness [laughs] so, pretty much, I feel like if there was ever an era that I should've been born in [laughs] - I love my generation now and the freedoms that we have and I feel like I was born in the right time - but if anybody ever asked me, 'what other era would you go back in time to and explore?,' it would definitely be the 1950s. I feel like "Hey Big Spender" was my going back in time song and it is such a cool, nice, upbeat song. It's very different, as far as our culture too because, nowadays, I've learned that there are some guys that want to be financially supported by women, and this song goes totally against that [laughs]. I feel like it has an old, classic flair with a new swing and I love it. "Hey Big Spender" is such a classic song anyway and I wanted to bring it back and do it with my own flair.

Could you tell us more about your forthcoming project?

Yes, so I will be doing a lot of experimenting with my sound, so I guess expect a pretty full record. I hope to drop an album in the near future and probably I'll have some more visuals for you guys as well, so that way you can see a little bit more of what I'm doing.

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

I feel like music nowadays, there is so much breakup songs and misery and it's just a lot of negativity in music now - this is my personal opinion and there are some good songs that uplift you, but I feel like there's not enough - and, really, I just want people to feel good after they hear my music. Some of my music may have been some really profound stuff, but now I just want people to laugh and have fun and listen to my music and put a smile on their face. That's all I want right now.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

Just that, me, originally coming from the South and coming to LA to live my dreams, I want anybody who's reading this to know that you can do anything that you put your mind to and you should never limit yourself. I never thought that I could get to this place where I've gotten to and I just want to encourage anybody that, if I can do it, you honestly can, and you should never let your environment, the people around you, anything hold you back from your dreams, because you never know unless you pursue them. I mean, this year, I got to perform at a pre-Grammy event and I was like, 'this is so weird! This is the same thing that three years ago I was watching and this year I got to perform,' and it's so cool and anything is possible, you just have to have a plan and have faith and just to do it. Believe in yourself, believe that you can do it. When I first started doing this, I didn't think I could do it, and I'm really honest about that and now I have that confidence and I'm grateful that I pushed past my fear and I was brave enough to do this. I think about all the people who just need a little courage, that's all, so I'm just encouraging people, you can do it.

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Jake Etheridge

Catch up with Nashville-based singer-songwriter, Jake Etheridge, and listen to new single, "You Found Me First", off his forthcoming EP due out in May.

What first got you interested in music?

My family was a huge part of it, they all play music; my grandfather, mom, dad, everyone. Our family reunions are somewhat jam sessions, so I think it was only eventual that I’d play myself.

Do you remember the first song you wrote that you were happy with?

I remember one of the first bands that I started writing music for and I’d write a song every few weeks that we’d all learn and rehearse. We were a bit punk rock and there was a lot of yelling [laughs]. The first one that I was the happiest with though would have to be the first acoustic song I wrote called “Remember”. Naturally, it’s a sad song about a girl.

Which musicians have you been influenced by?

In the beginning it was Dashboard Confessional all the way. I think now I pull heavily from Jason Isbell, John Denver, Ryan Adams, Gregory Alan Isakov.. I love good songs.

What words would you use to describe your sound?

Folk. Earnest. Honest. I try my best to be honest.

The song speaks for itself, but could you tell us more about your inspiration for your new single "You Found Me First”?

I actually wrote this one about my girlfriend. One of the first times she and I hung out together in Nashville was a direct inspiration for the 1st verse “with you right there in that grey and blue dress, smiling at me through your wineglass, it finally feels as if I found myself”. The ‘yellow flower’ was my nod to her blonde hair. I took that verse to my friend Olivia Rudeen and it was over. Rudeen’s a badass and I always have faith that she’s gonna mop the floor with whatever I bring her. I like to think she did in this case.

Is that single indicative of what we can expect to hear on your forthcoming EP and could you tell us more about the EP?

The EP forms a 5 song story of a relationship. The coming and the going. The first song happens to be “You Found Me First” and the EP wraps up with “Getting Over You”. I didn’t really plan on a story based EP, but the songs that I ended up wanting to release the most sort of fell into it.

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

More than anything I want them to be able to hear the words and enjoy the story and what that makes them feel. I think I always drove home from a gig or a night out with friends and jammed to my favorite songs with the windows down and listened to the lyrics. Bottom line, I want that for these songs; for folks to listen while they drive home.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

I’ll add a big thank you to you guys for helping to spread the word and love on this song! This bad boy was written quite a bit ago and I’m so eager for it to finally be seeing the light of day.

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