Candace In Wonderland On the Making Of “Tom & Jerry (hail mary!)”
What was the creative process like for this particular "Tom & Jerry (hail mary!)?"
The creative process was a rollercoaster haha. My fiance/collaborator Keyler Matthews was messing around with a lyrical idea that was super silly and nonsensical. “Bloody Mary with the zing-zang, Mary Jane with the zigzag” and we were all in the mood to write something upbeat, and it kind of unfolded from there. Tony Chetta produced the song, and he built out the whole instrumental while we were messing with concepts. I remember telling him to “make it weird” and his eyes lit up like a kid in a candy shop!
Could you discuss the lyrical themes or messages conveyed in "Tom & Jerry (hail mary!)?"
The lyrical themes started out with the play on words relating “Bloody Mary” to “Mary Jane” to “Hail Mary!” and we kind of found the common ground to be the concepts of duality, chaos, and escapism. I’m often struck by the realization that the world can be a very scary place, and the day that we wrote this was one of those days. The news was bleak, we were all struggling in different ways but I got the sense that none of us were in the right headspace to talk about it, so we made a hard pivot and wrote an upbeat (possibly slightly sarcastic) song to cope with it all. It was extremely cathartic.
What did you enjoy most about making this track?
I had a ton of fun recording vocals for this track. We pretty much used all the demo vocals from the day we wrote it. Singing the “YEOW” idea was really funny and recording the gang vocals, featuring all of the songwriters (Chuckie Aiello, Michael Aiello, Keyler Matthews, and Tony Chetta) was definitely a magical moment.
Could you share some of your musical influences and how they have shaped your sound?
My earliest main influence would probably be Paramore, who really shaped my idea of confidence and expression through writing and singing. These days I am heavily influenced by artists like Remi Wolf, Billie Eillish, UPSAHL, Benee
Can you share a memorable experience from a collaboration that enriched your music?
It’s hard to pick just one! I truly love my collaborators and I feel so lucky to have them in my corner. My “write-or-die” Keyler Matthews (...whom I’m marrying next month!) inspires me every day. Ever since we started working together I have felt seen and understood as an artist and that is a very powerful thing. I can’t wait to see what crazy idea we cook up together next :)
AJAYE Releases “Growing Up - Live”
Growing Up, the first live video of award winning artist AJAYE’s upcoming acoustic EP Silverline will be released during her second European tour.
The first video of this series, Growing Up, is a sonic, lyrical and visual introduction to AJAYE’s world. The first of seven songs offers a reminder to be kind to oneself through every season of growth because we never stop learning about what it means to be ourselves.
“At some point, we all break free from the stories we believed and begin to write our own,” says AJAYE.
Growing Up was written by Ajaye and Joni Delaurier, produced by Joe Ernewein, engineered and mixed by Steve Dawson at The Hen House Studio (Nashville TN), and the video was filmed and edited by Jason and Chelsea Garriott of Music Neighbors.
Earning a name performing in the Nashville club scene, including regular performances at the legendary Bluebird Cafe, AJAYE is an award-winning artist who has built a solid reputation as an outstanding vocalist and songwriter both in Canada, the United States and Europe. She was awarded the 2019 British Columbia Country Female Artist of the Year, has performed on Today in Nashville and CTV Morning Live, is an endorsed artist with AMI Guitars and Lanikai Ukuleles, and performs regularly across North America and Europe.
RobinAugust On the Making Of “Boy Obsessed”
How does "Boy Obsessed" reflect your musical journey and growth as an artist?
Rediscovering Boy Obsessed after years of refining my style reminded me that I’ve always had a love for music with attitude. My interest in riot grrrl started at a very young age and continues to make itself present in the music I write now. Something that I have always admired about this style of writing is that it creates a theatrical environment to perform as a caricature of myself.
Can you share any memorable experiences or stories from performing "Boy Obsessed" live?
I performed Boy Obsessed for the first time this last Saturday at The Blue Room with my co-writer and childhood best friend, Mercy Capellino. It was so surreal getting to perform the song we wrote at 8 years old on a stage with people singing along. We had always imagined ourselves being backed by a band in a real venue. A few hours prior to performing together, Boy Obsessed was also played on the radio station, WNXP Nashville 91.1. The whole day was very emotional for us.
What did you enjoy most about making "Boy Obsessed?"
My favorite part about making Boy Obsessed was turning something I was insecure about into something that empowered me. As a kid, I was constantly told that I was too dramatic or “too much” for people. Instead of pretending I wasn’t, I created a character that allowed me to be as girly and dramatic as possible while simultaneously feeling indestructible.
What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
I’ve never questioned what I’ve wanted to do with my life. My earliest memories are performing a mixtape of songs sung by women (a cd made for drag queens) in front of my stuffed animals. It became clear to me that this dream was possible after seeing Joan Jett live and learning about her teenage band “The Runaways”. A week following the show I formed a Runaways tribute band called “Queens of Noise” which helped introduce me into the Nashville music scene. We recently stopped playing together after seven years of being active.
Are there any specific artists or musicians you dream of collaborating with?
If I could choose anyone to collaborate with right nowit’d be Haley Williams. The trajectory of her career perfectly aligns with the visions I have for my own . If not collaborating, I’d love to pick her brain over a coffee.
Marshall Fassino On the Making Of “Promised Land”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "Promised Land" and the story it tells?
I like to say it’s a not-so-loving ode to the struggles of trying to live in our current world and reconciling the choices that got us to where we are now. It seems like these days if you aren’t a tech billionaire or an Instagram influencer the cards are really stacked against you and a lot of the time we feel like crap because of it. “Promised Land” is sort of my way of dealing with that notion. Life certainly knows how to kick you when you’re down, and it seems like the only explanation we’re ever offered is that “nothing’s promised.” So we just have to learn to cope in our own ways. Some of us are better at it than others but at the end of the day, the best policy seems to be simply making peace with all the scars we accumulate along our journey and plugging along head first into the void. It may not be a hopeful song, but I don’t want it to feel hopeless either.
Can you talk about the recording and production process for "Promised Land?"
The recording process was quite simple but tells a lot about my album that’s about to come out. I actually recorded, produced, performed, and mixed these songs entirely in my home studio. On this particular song (along with a couple of others from the record) I did have help with writing from my former roommates Keyler Matthews and Candace Brown (who performs as Candace in Wonderland). They also contributed harmonies to the final track as well.
When I first started these songs I was considering them nothing more than demos. Some of the material is almost 4 years old at this point. But after sitting on them for so long I came to the realization that I had put a lot more work into these than what normally encompasses the scope of a demo. With most every project I’ve been a part of in the past, the mentality was if we didn’t go into a full studio and record them the “proper” way with an engineer and/or producer then they shouldn’t see the light of day. This time around I decided that didn’t matter. Putting these songs out has been my way of affirming that I am capable of doing this on my own, which has been both scary and rewarding all in the same breath.
What do you like the best about this track?
The lyrics really shine on this song. I’m a big lyrics guy in general and I feel these are some of the best on the record. With so much of today’s music, the lyrical content seems almost like an afterthought. I grew up idolizing artists who really used their words to add a deep level of emotion to their storytelling. I’m a firm believer in the transformative power of music and quality lyrics play such a huge role in that. I read somewhere once that most of today’s top charting songs read at a 3rd-grade level. I’m not Leonard Cohen, but I’d like to think I’m hitting at least a 6th-grade reading level with mine.
Also, I dig the guitar solo I played on this one. Kind of reminds me of Neil Young.
What inspired you to pursue a career in music
Probably that feeling I got the first time I ever took the stage in a band and had a whole room of people feeling the same joy and elation I was feeling. Once you get that first taste it’s a hard one to shake. But then you keep going. You develop and hone your craft. You get better at being a performer. You write music you hope will resonate with people. You strive to put good art out into the world. That’s the stuff that fans the flames and keeps the fire alive. But for me it always comes back to being on stage, everything clicking with the people you’re playing with, and the audience reciprocating all that energy and enthusiasm. There’s no other feeling quite like it. I don’t know if I’ve got it in me to be a road warrior like great rock bands once were, but I certainly can understand the appeal.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they impacted your own sound?
My taste in music is pretty wide-ranging. There isn’t much I don’t like or that I can’t pull inspiration from. About the only stuff I’m not big on is (most) mainstream Pop and Bro-Country, which is tough because I live in Nashville. I went through my punk and emo phase in high school. I was enamored with the golden age of Indie Rock in the mid-2000s. I like Rap and EDM stuff too. All that lives inside me. But as I’ve gotten older I tend to gravitate towards the stuff I guess you’d consider “classic” nowadays. I think the names most people would throw out when deciphering my influences are Tom Petty, Wilco, and the Replacements. My dad is a massive Tom Petty guy so that one seeped in pretty early on. Then as a young man finding his way through the world in and just out of college, Wilco really struck a chord with me. I’m a massive fan of Jeff Tweedy’s writing and that emotional weight he’s so good at throwing around. Later on, like any self-respecting music snob does, I dug deep into finding all the cool stuff I missed as a young person and quickly fell in love with the work of Paul Westerberg and the Replacements. To me…they are the perfect kind of band. Messy but profound in so many ways. And not afraid to take the piss out of any situation that wasn’t up to snuff for them. Like repeating a line in a song about taking pills over and over again on national television even after they had been explicitly told not to. There are so many other influences I could list but I think those ones are a pretty good distillation of what I’m trying to accomplish with my sound. There’s a pretty famous quote about only needing “three chords and the truth” to write a good song and I think that’s an excellent rule to live by when it comes to music. I’d like to think Tom, Wilco, and the Replacements would all echo that same sentiment.
Majeska Releases “John Hughes Movie”
What does it feel like to be in love? As Majeska tells us in her new track debuting, it feels exactly like a John Hughes Movie.
Produced by *repeat repeat's Jared Corder (The Black Keys, Michigander, Nordista Freeze), "John Hughes Movie" is a step-out Electronic Dance moment for Majeska. Corder and Majeska have been nonstop since meeting in November 2021 to record breakout track "Greenville." The pair have released both a full length album and EP alongside consistent singles.
“I promise to always be so honest with you until it scares me. Because that’s when the real stuff happens,” said the 23-year-old artist to her audience on a recent radio broadcast (Lightning 100/WRLT 100.1). Inspired by everything from early Stevie Nicks and Prince to fiery EDM powerhouses like Odesza and RÜFÜS DU SOL, Majeska isn’t concerned with sticking to any formula or tradition, but tapping into something much bigger than us. Perhaps that's why the artist's newest sound in "John Hughes Movie" isn't just larger-than-life—it's massive.
With entrancing John-Hughes-esque visuals alongside the release, "John Hughes Movie" is an escape from 2023 back to a time when boom boxes on shoulders and picking up the girl in your car after school were enough to make for the greatest love story ever.
Garland Kelley On the Making Of “Mortal”
What was the creative process like for this particular "Mortal?"
The creative process for this song was fun and evolved in the studio. My writing process generally starts on guitar and that was the case with this song. Once I found a groove that captured my state of mind, I created a rhythm track around the idea and began contemplating melodic and lyrical ideas. Once I narrowed in on the concept of the song, I had a much clearer roadmap in terms of atmosphere, arrangement, and lyrical development.
Could you discuss the lyrical themes or messages conveyed in "Mortal?"
The message of this song is an observation of mortality. While melancholic, I feel the lyrics are less a judgement of death and more an acceptance of its inevitability. Regardless of one’s beliefs, we all must face our mortality at some point and I feel that many of the feelings surrounding death are universal. “A one way path to the setting sun” is the focal point of the lyrical concept and I hope captures some aspect of the bittersweet beauty of life and death.
How do you feel "Mortal" represents your artistic identity?
I feel that this song is an excellent representation of my artistic identity in its message/concept, musical performance, songwriting, and production. I am particularly proud of this song and I hope it captures some truth surrounding a heavier existential subject while remaining approachable and listenable.
Where do you find inspiration for your songs or musical ideas?
I try to be receptive to inspiration and musical ideas at any point. I have found that inspiration generally arrives unannounced at any time. There are certainly days where I “strike gold” when I sit down to write and setting aside designated writing time is paramount. That said, I have been struck by tremendous and instantaneous inspiration in seemingly uninspiring environments while I have had no inspiration when sitting down to write for hours. In summary, I believe the craft and the muse are equally important. I feel that the hours spent coming up with nothing is often the necessary work to break through the creative walls that lead to the random moments of inspiration.
Are there any specific venues or festivals that you dream of performing at?
Most definitely. Obviously, festivals such as Bonaroo and Lollapalooza would be incredible. Venues such as Red Rocks and the Hollywood Bowl would be amazing as well. For deeply personal reasons, playing at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA is at the top of my venue list.