Inspired & The Sleep

Catch up with San Diego-based Inspired & The Sleep's Max Greenhalgh, listen to their latest single "Sweet Company", and look for more to come from the indie dream pop duo soon.

What brought you two together?

Max Greenhalgh: For some reason Bryce and I got sat next to each other every class on our odd days sophomore year in high school. So we basically had to become best friends. At the time, Bryce was super into Black Metal while I was playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Where does your name, Inspired & the Sleep, come from?

Polarity. So, 'Inspired' represents excitement and energy as well as anxiety and nervousness, while 'The Sleep' represents calmness and tranquility as well as depression and exhaustion. Two opposite ends with both positive and negative aspects.

Which musicians have you been influenced by?

Max - Patrick Watson, Jeff Buckley, Chris Wood (bassist of Medeski Martin & Wood)

Bryce - Cut Copy, The Shins, Foals

If you were to make a playlist for your fans, which three songs - from other artists - would you have to include?

James Blake - "A Case Of You" (Joni Mitchell cover)

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "I'll Come Back 4 U"

Rhye - "The Fall"

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

Psychedelic Dream Pop with back bone in Groove-Centered Indie Rock.

What were your inspirations behind your latest single, "Sweet Company"?

Mostly the feeling of belonging. I'd say use our song quote for this one:

'"Sweet Company" is our jubilant ode to the feeling of belonging in relation to one's memory. To me, the song represents the action of appreciating the good times you've spent in any sort of relationship regardless of when they occurred or how it might've ended. The verses depict a particular individual I was dating at the time, however the chorus speaks in generality of anyone from your past you've been close to. I see so many people cutting ties to past relationships and I feel like if that energy was spent being grateful for what they used to have, the world would be a better place.'

Do you have plans to release a new EP or album?

We have enough material to, although I think we'll only be putting out singles for the time being.

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

Any sort of emotional response to the material! Whatever it may be.

Is there anything you want to add?

We've got a ton of new music on the horizon; keep your eyes peeled.

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The Only Ocean

Catch up with lead singer and guitarist Wesley Hill of indie four piece The Only Ocean and listen to the band's latest single, "Cul-De-Sac", off their forthcoming EP, TOO.

What brought you all together?

Wesley Hill: We’ve all been friends since middle school and playing music was something that we loved doing and still continues today.

Where does your name, The Only Ocean, come from?

It’s from an Arctic Monkeys song called, "Potion Approaching". We picked it when we were 17 and it just always stuck.

Which musicians have you been influenced by?

Growing up I was all about Green Day but now it’s Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Juana Molina and Thomas Newman.

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

Psychedelic post-punk with a love for bass lines and melody.

What were your inspirations behind your latest single, "Cul-De-Sac"?

When I wrote it, I just felt like beating the shit out of my guitar. I wanted to make something fast and that started off strong and never really let up.

Could you tell us more about your upcoming EP, TOO?

It’s definitely the next step for us as a band. We wanted to make something louder and more aggressive than anything we had done before.

Is there a track off that EP you're most excited for your fans to hear?

"So Shy So High". It scares the shit out of me for some reason but I love it.

In one sentence, how would you sum up TOO?

Pop music wrapped up in delay and feedback.

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

Any emotion they want. As long as they can connect with it that's all I can ask for.

Is there anything you want to add?

Thank you to Jonathan DeBaun, Graham Ian Ginsburg, and Rick Maybery. And thank you for the feature!

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Emad Alaeddin

Photo Credit: Chloe Atnip

Catch up with singer-songwriter Emad Alaeddin and listen to his latest single, "Lucky Day", off his upcoming album, Love, Loss, & The In Between, set to be released this Fall.

What first got you interested in music?

Music has saved me from being a complete social outcast. Since as early as I could remember, I was a terrible stutterer and was constantly laughed at in school when I’d stutter my way through the easiest of words, such as my name. My parents had me see a few speech therapists but all seemed hopeless until we found one that advised that I stretch out my word speak as though I were singing. To my utter shock and surprise I said, or rather sang, my first sentence without a single stutter. The more I sang, the more confident I became and the less I stuttered when speaking normally. Whenever I would realize that the next word would give me difficulties I would say the word even if just the first syllable melodically and muscle through it.

I still stutter from time to time - I just had a bad one at a meeting last Tuesday - but these episodes are few and far between and I credit music for almost curing my ailment entirely.

Since music has figuratively saved my life, I feel inclined to commit my life to music.

Which musicians have you been influenced by?

Western icons like The Beatles and Michael Jackson and Arabic icons Fairuz were the ones that I listened to most growing up. However, it wasn’t until I listened to the stylings and harmonies of Layne Staley from Alice In Chains that I wanted to pursue music. Never had I heard so much depth, angst, and melancholy out of a human being and that rang so true to me with my struggles as a stutterer growing up. I’d always felt out of sync with the world because of my stuttering and the melodies and harmonies that Staley evoked helped me feel a connection with the world.

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

It’s modern pop rock with an Arabic twist to it.

What were your inspirations behind your single, "Lucky Day”?

I wrote it back in 2000 in Jordan after an all night affair helping out a friend with a flat tire. What should have been an easy fix turned into a movie-like turn of events including police, creepy cab drivers, and even UFOs. I must say when writing the lyrics out, it's funny that the final line says "when we're no longer young, you'll look back and say". I don't know, it made me so happy knowing that I'm indeed still good friends with all my loony friends involved in that Lucky Day. I got home at around 3:30 AM and didn’t go to bed until 6 when the entire song was complete.

Could you tell us more about your album, Love, Loss, & The In Between?

Both my love life, my work life, and where I lived suffered a major loss at the exact same time in 2014. I’d left the Middle East and with it I left my job and the band that I’d loved so much as well as someone that I’d cared for deeply. I came to the States with a clean slate and a serious case of post traumatic stress. It took me an entire year to feel a need to do music again. But with time I’d learned to deal with my new reality and I feel stronger than ever and more capable of taking the world on by myself. The in-between is the state that I’m in now where I’m neither in love nor do I feel a loss. And it’s a liberating feeling to not need anyone to feel complete, to feel a part of this world and society.

Could you sum up that album in one sentence?

This album is a timeline of what I have been through over the past two years and where I am now and it’s only fitting that it’s been entirely self-written and self-produced during the time in my life where I feel the most independent; or what I like to call “In-Between"

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

That they can do anything and be whoever they want to be without needing anyone. The world is a dangerous place but if you equip yourself with the proper strength and knowledge you can take on any challenge and achieve true happiness and freedom from within.

Is there anything you want to add?

On August 1, I’m going to be launching my Patreon page which will give the opportunity to my fans who want to support me to have access to exclusive content for a small monthly fee. This content that I’ll be releasing monthly will include alternate versions to songs that were featured on my 5 previous albums. Acoustic versions, acapella versions, electronic versions, and even songs that have been re-recorded and re-imagined with new vigor. My ability to record, produce, and mix my own material will allow me the ability to release these songs consistently without relying on others’ schedules. It will only require my time which, if my Patreon gets enough monthly donors, will allow me to concentrate and dedicate myself to my music fully.

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CAPTIONS.

Catch up with Southern California-based indie rock four-piece CAPTIONS. and listen to latest single, "Bearfights", off their upcoming debut full length album, ITERATIONS.

What brought you all together?

John: Adam and I started writing songs together around 2009, but the band went through a few different variations before becoming what it is now. We met Marcus when he played a few shows with us in another band that ended up breaking up. And Josh answered our Craigslist ad in 2011 after our drummer had moved up North. We officially became CAPTIONS. at the beginning of 2012.

Which musicians have you been influenced by, individually or as a band?

Collectively, the band is influenced by bands like Radiohead, Modest Mouse, Tame Impala, Porter, Elliott Smith, The Beatles, Flying Lotus, J Dilla, and Death Cab for Cutie. There are countless others, past and present, that we’re avid listeners of, too.

If you were to make a playlist to share with your fans, which three songs - from other artists - would you have to include?

Josh: "Host Of A Ghost" by Porter, "1983" by Flying Lotus, and "Age Of Consent" by New Order.

Marcus: Elliott Smith - "Clementine", The Beach Boys - "Don’t Worry Baby", David Bowie - "Heroes"

John: “When You Sleep” by My Bloody Valentine, “Sugarless” by Autolux, and “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” by Radiohead.

Which words would you use to describe your sound?

Playfully moody, dreamy, slightly hazy, introspective, and slightly weird.

What was your inspiration behind your single, "Bearfights"?

"Bearfights" was written in a similar fashion as the rest of our songs. We start with a rough idea and play it through as a band until it snowballs into the version you hear today. I think the most inspiration we drew on this song was from the drink 'bearfight', which is an Irish car bomb followed by a Jagerbomb. I’m sure it’s inspired a certain level of debauchery in all of us at some point in time.

Could you tell us more about your album, ITERATIONS, and what we can expect to hear?

Marcus: I think you can definitely hear our influences in our music so expect to hear something eerily familiar but present-day fresh.

How would you sum up that album in one sentence?

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

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

Josh: A connection. To relate the songs to life experiences, whether they be past or present experiences. I’d like for our music to be a part of the soundtrack to somebody’s life.

Marcus: Hopefully our listeners feel inspired to play music after hearing ours. The fact that we can make music and share it with people from all parts of the world from our bedrooms is borderline fairytale. Let’s keep it going people!

Is there anything you want to add?

Guac, please.

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