The colossal lineup features over 65 artists across five stages, including System of a Down, Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon, A Perfect Circle, Alice In Chains, Danny Elfman, Bad Omens, Sleep Token, Knocked Loose, and many more.

The festival begins at 11:00 am on Saturday, April 27th and will end at Midnight. That’s thirteen full hours of live music amazingness at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds!

BE THERE!

Sick New World Official Website —-> CLICK HERE!

Community College

Kirtland Ohio

Michelle Waters

As summer rolled through the campus of Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, Ohio the average festival goer might at first be confused by the music they heard coming from the multi-stage setup at Wonderstruck Festival.

Through a conscious decision, the once more pop and rock-focused fest has begun to morph into a wider variety of performances, including hip-hop and country music. In an effort to reach a wider audience, this is truly set to become the event for people who say they “Love all kinds of music”. After the sheets or rain let up halfway through day 1 of Wonderstruck, music lovers began to peel off their ponchos and trade in those protective layers for sunscreen. Yes, one of the coolest little discoveries I found at Wonderstruck this year was a crew walking around and spraying people with an airbrush gun loaded with sunscreen.

Paris Jackson

No matter your musical interests, you were sure to find something new to enjoy. Local artists were featured-mainly on the smaller Radd Stage, off to the side of festival grounds. Artists like Maybe, Mac Saturn, local favorites Wavrunner and The Vindys, Michael (Jackson)’s daughter, Paris, and true performers like Siena Liggins and Leah Kate all lit up the smallest stage of the three.

Echosmith

Looking for something eclectic? Indie artists, rock artists and hip-hop artists all rotated performances on the middle, White Claw stage. Here’s you could find artists such as Tall Tall Trees, Echosmith, The Struts, and Flo Rida on Saturday of the two-day festival. On day 2, this stage’s performance schedule included The Beaches, Tai Verdes and Nelly.

Walker Hayes

The largest stage, while at first listening seemed to feature mainly country artists, also included crowd favorites Coin, Khalid and Hembree. Folks who stuck around to the end of country star Walker Hayes’ performance on Saturday (night 1) got to see a rare live duo performance of he and Flo Rida performing their famous song, High Heels. How often do you get to attend an event where country and hip hop are so equally represented that this was possible?

Also under question was the possibility of The Struts joining forces with Paris Jackson for a duo of Low Key in Love, but that didn’t pan out. It could have been because the set schedule got a bit jumbled. But you can often only do so much with live performances. I didn’t hear anyone complaining, and really only heard how cool it was to check out such a diverse rotation of music in one place.

Check out a galley of bands Michelle photographed during the weekend.

I’ll definitely be checking out this festival again, next year. The “Wonder Series” also includes several other stops with Wonderbus (Columbus), Wonderroad (Indianapolis) and Wonderworks (Pittsburgh), and all events feature a completely different lineup.

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Blossom Music Center

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

June 11, 2023

Michelle Waters

On Sunday, June 11th, musical icons The Cure played an impressive show to a sold out crowd at Blossom Music Center, in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Known as a “goth” band, it’s actually hard to fully describe The Cure’s musical genre if you look beyond lead singer Robert Smith’s dark makeup vibe. A mix of pop, rock, post-punk, and new wave, the sound The Cure has created is just as
diverse as their fanbase.

The weather may have offered a rough start with torrential downpours and even lightning (causing the lawn area to be cleared for a bit) in-between acts. But this didn’t stop Robert Smith and his band from playing a full show. Smith playfully shared that Blossom was letting them play a little later since they started a little late. The crowd was thrilled with the band’s commitment to
their fans.

At the beginning and end of the expansive 29 song set, Smith walked around like a child at Christmas, stopping at different places on the stage to just take in the crowd. Everyone would cheer and his eyes would just get wider and his smile, bigger, as if he’d never seen anyone appreciate him and his art.

Before The Cure took the stage, The Twilight Sad opened the night with an energetic set. The Twilight Sad toured with The Cure on the last tour I got to attend, so they have almost become an extension of The Cure, to me. Lead singer James Graham’s performance is always so dramatic and captivating, as if he’s summoning energy from the concertgoers while shaking his fists in
the air. I knew I wanted to get there in time for their set because the music is great and danceable, and the energy they help build is palpable. It’s easy to see why they’ve become a go-to opener for The Cure.

Setlist for The Twilight Sad included opener “Kill it in the Morning”, favorites “ There’s a Girl in the Corner” and “I/m Not Here [missing face]”, as well as their last song, “[10 Good Reasons for Modern Drugs]”. I was able to photograph The Cure during “Pictures of You”, which is now a core memory, for me. Having grown up listening to that song, and all of The Cures discography, hearing Pictures of You while making “Pictures of Them” was surreal and powerful. They also opened with “Alone” (a newer song that originally debuted last year) and ended their first set (before their two full encores) with another new song (and one of my new favorites), Endsong. Endsong feels like a classic, emotionally floating song that takes me back to my early days of being a “Curehead”, and I’m here for it.

After opening with “Alone”, Robert Smith (Vocals and Guitar), Jason Cooper (Drums), Reeves Gabriels (Guitar), Roger O’Donnell (Keyboards) and Simon Gallup (Bass) went on to perform the classics “Pictures of You” and “Lovesong”, before “And Nothing is Forever” (another new song). Slowpaced “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep” played right before the famous flute carried over into The Crow soundtrack’s “Burn”-one of The Cure’s heaviesthitting songs. The first set wasn’t close to ending, though. Following “Burn” was Head on the Door’s “Kyoto Song”, “A Night Like This”, AND Push, followed by Seventeen Seconds’ “At Night”, “Play for Today” and another of my personal favorites, “A Forest”. The final three songs in act one were “Shake Dog Shake” from The Top, “From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea” from wish, and the aforementioned “Endsong”.

We all knew there would be an encore. How could a band with such a large discography and massive fan base not have an encore? With the first part of the night sharing a fairly large set of songs that one might not see as The Cure’s biggest hits, we all knew there was more to come. Encore #1 was worth the wait. The first song, another new and touching song, was
dedicated to Robert’s brother, called “I Can Never Say Goodbye”, followed by a song of similar name from the self-titled album, “It Can Never be the Same”. One of my favorite songs from Wild Mood Swings, “Want”, came next, followed by “Plainsong” and “Disintegration” back-to-back. Enough to make this goth kid cry. I could have been happy ending this concert there, but The
Cure still had a second encore to share with us.

Much of the crowd exploded with the second and final encore, which included 9 more songs-many of which it seemed the crowd wad holding out hope to hear: The creepy “Lullaby”, the playful “Six Different Ways”, newwave “The Walk” all built the anticipation to the final six performances of the evening. Friday I’m in Love, Close to Me, Why Can’t I Be You, In Between
Days, Just Like Heaven and a grand finale of Boys Don’t Cry sent the fans into wave after wave of recognition, screaming, dancing and giddy smiles.

The perfect end to a fantastic show, I loved watching seemingly disparate folks bonding, singing their favorite Cure songs together in passing and standing side-by-side, and leaving together under a foggy and rain-soaked landscape. What a perfect night for a Curehead.

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JUNE 23RD, 24TH, 25TH
‍SEATGEEK STADIUM
BRIDGEVIEW, IL

Here we are & music festival season is upon us. When you think of the most popular music festivals to attend to, summer smash is one of those that you’ll hear. One of the best music festivals in the country makes its return to Chicago and has a new location at SeatGeek Stadium. We only know that the lineup for summer smash will be stacked each day and provide an amazing experience either if you’re a summer smash vet or attending for the first time. The artists for this year features Lil Uzi Vert, G Herbo, Ski Mask the Slump God, and many more. Taking place in June, it’s only right to get your group, get your tickets and get ready to have a blast. Artists that will headline the annual festival are Future, Kid Cudi, and Playboi Carti. Something new this year is the new location at SeatGeek stadium and it’s going to be plenty of space for fans to move around, expanded rideshare locations and on-site parking. If you want to see your favorite artists for one day, make sure to purchase your tickets via summer smash’s website. It’ll be a sellout event. With each day being incredible, the whole weekend is something you don’t want to miss.  

Some returning artists include Trippie Redd, Famous Dex, Lil Skies, and others. Some of the female artists that’ll grace the stage include Rico Nasty, Ice Spice, Sexyy Red and many more. With having so many artists on the lineup, the headliners balance well just as much as the undercard. Summer smash has plenty of artists to fill your listening pleasure. Feel free to check out the small stage and witness any up-and-coming artists performing.  Be sure to get your tickets on summer smash’s website and be on the lookout for any news on the social media pages. 

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Interview conducted September 13, 2022

By Dan Locke

Frayle is Gwyn Strang and Sean Bilovecky (formerly of Disengage), together who form an artistic nest of reprieve for when so many unwanted layers have been sloughed off, we are raw and worn. Yet we don’t want a cure. We want to feel the burn and freeze of reality against our skin, against our beings. From this place of embodying our senses, of tearing away the mask that covers our sacred vulnerabilities, we are able to actually begin to understand our experience and nurture it, forming a cocoon from which we can emerge indestructible.   The band is rounded out live by Jason Knotek on bass and Jon Vinson on drums.
 
Skin and Sorrow on Aqualamb Records & Lay Bare Recordings, is that invitation to the liminal cocoon: where we receive knowledge and occasional sparks of creation through our rest into discomfort. 

What is your upbringing?

Gwyn: I was brought up in a small town in a small province in Canada. The town was built on a marsh, so there’s aways lots of fog and melancholy

How did you discover music?

Gwyn: my family is very musical. When I was a kid, my grandparents would empty out their living room, and all my family would bring out their guitars, and violins and play, and everyone would dance. It was amazing!

How did you start to write music?

Gwyn: Sean made me.

So you are from Cleveland.  Why do you think that Cleveland is recognized as the capital and the birth place of Rock and Roll?

Gwyn: There are a lot of very famous musicians from Cleveland.

 What was your first performance at like?

Gwyn: I was very nervous to perform in front of people and Sean promised that our first show would be very early on a Tuesday so that I could get used to it. It ended up being a headlining show on a Friday, so I was extra nervous.

 How did you get your bands name?

Gwyn: We though Frail was a great name. It’s a lullaby word, and it is indicative of my vocal delivery and lyrical content. We broke it apart and put it back together in a different way and it seems somehow stronger than the original spelling…

Describe your music.

Gwyn: Lullabies over chaos

 Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.

Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?

Gwyn: We belong to ASCAP

What makes a good songwriter?

Sean: We’re still trying to figure that out.  Creating music is extremely personal but I always try to keep the audience in mind.  Not so much “will they like this”, but more “is this the best decision I can make to take them on the intended journey”.  You can’t write in hopes that people will like it.  For me it’s more about speaking clearly through song.

 What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?

Gwyn: I think it was either Let the Darkness in or a song called Lullaby that we haven’t released.

Sean- How did it feel to be name “artist you need to know” by Revolver Magazine?

Sean:  That was definitely an honor.  We have a lot of respect for Revolver and to be mentioned by them was pretty rad.

Why was your debute album called “1692”  One of the things which happen in 1692 was 13th February » Massacre of Glencoe: About 78 Clan Donald called Macdonalds at Glen Coe, Scotland are killed early in the morning for not promptly pledging allegiance to the new king, William III of England or William of Orange.;
The cause for this madness were wild accusations of a witch being in the midst of the community. The reason for this belief of witches was sparked when these two young girls related to the priest Samuel Parris, started to act bizarre in 1692. ( The Salem Witch Trials)

 Gwyn: 1692 is in reference to the Salem Witch Trials. We wanted to create a sanctuary for anyone who’s ever felt persecuted or pushed out in any way.

What is the process of writing your music?

Gwyn: Sean and I work separately. He will create a riff, and we’ll put together a loose arrangement, then I will sing a melody over it. We’ll solidify the arrangement, I’ll write lyrics, and then we’ll mix, and Sean will master.  Since we record, mix, and master everything ourselves, we spend months on each part of the process.  

Tell me about the making of “Treacle & Revenge”?

Gwyn: I think this is probably my favorite song on the album! I wanted to make sure that the melody gave lots of space to the guitars so you could hear what they were doing  

Sean:  I was playing around with my guitar pedals and come up with an “octave up” tone that I really liked and wanted to highlight with the opening riff being all by itself.  It’s a way of saying “here we are” through guitar tone.

 Tell me about the album “Skin and Sorrow” Which comes out Sept. 23rd?

Gwyn: This album is one of mourning. I know a lot of people had many losses during the pandemic, and this album is reflective of that.

Sean:  We are constantly pushing ourselves and trying to blur the boundaries of any genres that people associate with Frayle.  We like to spend lots of time in our studio playing with sounds, arrangements, etc.  For Skin & Sorrow we also used some different amps on certain songs to give them a unique sound.

What is your favorite track on your album?

Gwyn: Mine is Treacle and Revenge. It’s just such an amazing riff! 

 Sean:  I would have to say “Bright Eyes”  The chorus riff was actually written by King Midnight that I found on Instagram.  I reached out and asked him if he was interested in working with us.  So the chorus riff is his and we wrote everything else.  I love the end result.

What are you’re feeling about streaming music?

Gwyn: It serves its purpose. It makes it easy to get your music out there.

  Sean:  I am definitely split on this one.  I agree with Gwyn that it serves it’s purpose and helps to attract new listeners.  The problem for me is that It gives listeners ownership for fractions of pennies. Subscribers have the ability to start, stop, and listen whenever they want. To me that’s ownership, and the artists are not compensated fairly.  What makes it even worse is that services like Spotify are spending millions to sponsor sports teams.  Ugh.

The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.

 Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?

Sean:  LOL.  I definitely did.  Gwyn:  We deal only in flat notes.  Haha.

Digital vs. vinyl?

#seanbilovecky hashtag on Instagram • Photos and videos

Gwyn: We mostly play digital. It’s just so much easier.  Sean:  We are going to get so much shit for saying that.  haha.

What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?

Sean:  I have Creedance Clearwater Revival songs pop into my head from time to time.  It makes me wonder what life was like for young people dealing with the Vietnam War and the end of “flower power”.  I’m also really into their guitar tones.

If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?

Gwyn: I think it changed live music, at least for a while. Since there was no live music for a couple of years, everyone wanted to get back out to play as soon as possible. I think that saturated the market for awhile. I hope things will settle back to normal soon ish.

Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?

Gwyn: I think some people made it work for them. You had to be creative to get your music out there without touring.

Sean:  I’m not sure if it has been a plus for us, but it did force us to focus on what we can control and not stress about what we cannot.  We couldn’t tour, but we did make videos and spend lots of time in our studio.  I would say we continued to grow as a band during Covid.

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?

Gwyn: We both continued writing and recording during quarantine. We did some live streams and released a couple of singles.

How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?

Gwyn: We both stayed in. No socializing and made sure to keep covid tests on hand.

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

We’re both creative people, so we just built on our existing hobbies. Lots of designing, sewing, painting, writing.

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MEKA NISM

Interview conducted on Nov. 8, 2021

By Dan Locke

Meka Nism lead you with her MUSIC, PERFORMANCES & COACHING on an exciting and expanding Soul Journey to bring insight, inspiration and wholeness to your life through genuine Higher Self connection and the authentic expression of your inner Rockstar self.

What is your upbringing?

 Musical Theater, Dance, Lots of Art, Tarot cards since around 13 years old, Tea parties, and many, many boxes of Costumes and Vintage hats. I have a creative family.

How did you discover music?

Bought a record player at a yard sale and inherited my parent’s albums in Middle School.  Janis Joplin was everything to me. Also loved The Fifth Dimension. Funny that they recorded an amazing version of Age of Aquarius from Hair. It’s like they were in the awareness of Cosmic Awakening. Started strumming my mom’s classical guitar and maybe strummed a bit too hard.

How did you start to write music?

Wrote songs since childhood, but got more serious at the end of High School. Started an open mic called Beatnik Night and was determined to live a creative life. 

You started as a guitar player for the Orlando punk band “Dirty Barby”. How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?

Well, my first guitar was my Mom’s classical guitar, which yes, we still have, then I got a Fender Strat and promptly covered it with fake blood and real blood from trying to smash it on stage like The Clash. It was pretty warped and an artist took it from me a couple of years ago to make some strange art project out of it.

What is your guitar of choice now?   Year, make and model?

Well, I am honestly looking for a couple of new guitars, so I’ll have to let you know what I discover.

How was it to play at CBGBs?

Legendary. So very Punk Rock. Those bathrooms, though. Historical.

Describe your music.

This is a challenging question. Raw, passionate and eclectic, maybe. I draw from so many artists, time periods, dreams and cultures. At my core, I am a performance artist looking for spiritual authenticity. That’s why Epic, Alternative Metal has my heart and has been my main sound. With Goth Industrial, Thrash, and even Death metal accents. There is also the love of Japanese Pop/Rock like my “Origami Girls” project, alternative punk caberet, folk rock like my “Mad to Love” album, and experimental theater like the Creature Cabaret & CFL Witches Ball that I perform with. I think music should be a transformative experience, so I thrive in diverse collaborations and LOUD expression from the depths of our collective soul.

What was your first performance like?

I remember playing my first solo acoustic set downtown in a real club and reinterpreting amazing female artists like Tori Amos, Jewel and Janis Joplin, along with a few expressive originals. That’s the set that got me hired by Dirty Barby and some theater jobs as a teenager.

Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.

Do you belong to any songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?

Yes, BMI 🙂

What makes a good songwriter?

Honesty with poetry for lyrics. Wild passion with control for melody. The expansion of consciousness with the ability to edit.

What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?

I think it was “Circus Clown is Crying” I really don’t think I have a recording of it. might have to do a throw back to Meka Nism & her Rusty Tears and get Zel to bust out his baritone sax again.

What is the process of writing your music?

There’s no method to my madness. Give me something to make noise with and some great friends. Something will happen. I really should release all the music I recorded with Yukari Ikeda, Hide Ultrabide and others in Japan. There was lots of capturing true moments of raw expression.

You played SXSW.  How do you think SXSW will do next year with live music opening up again?

It’s always wonderful, even as we get more creative to keep people healthy. They already have so many outdoor stages. They can make it work.

How was singing the National Anthem at Earthday Birthday 25?

What a true honor and privilege. It was the greatest joy to bring the Rock spirit to our American story with the Highest Respect. Will definitely always mean a lot to me.

You have opened up for bands like Offspring, Limp Bizkit, Body Count, Otep, Hellyeah, Inflames, Jonathan Davis and Death Angel.  Has any of the bands given you any words of wisdom about the music business?

I do remember talking deeply with the singer of Trapt about vocal technique. At first, he was honestly a bit confused by my operatic approach to rock music, but then he told me to keep just being me, that there was beauty in my uniqueness of sound and presence and to keep going. Also, with Avatar, they said it took 10 years to get noticed as a new, emerging band, lol. So, looking at this list of bands and all the successful artists that I know personally, the secret is to never stop creating. If you are an artist, be an artist for life. Whether you make it big or not, you will have lived your greatest life.

Why did you pick Germany to record the EP “The War Inside”?

Producer/Engineer Lasse Lammert is top notch. His ability to get layered guitar tones is unmatched.  He’s on the leading edge of amp profiles:

It was also very special to go to a place covered in Medieval castles to record an album about facing the darkness we all fight internally. “The War Inside” had a textured tapestry of sound due to the adventure of its’ creation.

Tell me about the making of the video “Trailblazer”?

Jim Dougherty is an amazing director to start off with. This was so fun to make with many talented people behind the scenes. This video featured many cameos of brilliant local artists and personalities like Supa Dave of WJRR, Sumner Mormeneo, Daytime Dracula, etc. Most especially Lady Cimorene of Phantasmagoria. She was our spark of fire as her gothic ballerina self with dancing flames and she also helped us all transcend this time period and take on a more Victorian appearance with costumes from Phantasmagoria. The message of the Trailblazer music video was that all the tales of drama and tragedy, as well as all the hopes and dreams of the people living 100+ years ago are all gone now. So “This is the One Day you have to live, Chance you have to Give” since you are Alive and Breathing NOW, you might as well live your life to the fullest and not focus on the drama, but see what good you can create all around you.

Tell me about your new single “The Day Fell”?

Totally got the opportunity to record it at the amazing Apex Arts Studios in North Hollywood, CA. Shana Ballard and her studio family are brilliant and talented. I played this song for her and she had me record it as raw as possible. Fragile, the way it was written.  Shana connected to the story and intuition of the song that I wrote on my friends’ (Sue & Hans) piano in the middle of the year, July 2020 right around my birthday. Everything was different. It seemed that the world (Worldly and personally had fallen apart.) I was temporarily homeless during quarantine, all shows canceled, work lost, disconnected, unsure what was going to happen next. So, I started playing and this is what came out. All of it, including the optimism of the new age of Aquarius, the Fifth Dimension. The world is changing, we are Ascending into a higher frequency of existence. The chaos will lead to Awakening and Peace. May we let go of the old programming, the limited ways of thinking, the hate, the fear, the self deprecation. So we can become the greatest version of ourselves. I’m definitely looking forward to a brilliant future for us all.

How was it to work with Michelle on the violin?

Michelle Jones of Violectric is an amazing talent and beautiful person. We actually had a zoom session in different cities to capture the essence together. I sang her my strange ideas of the tension of the strings and she soared with it on violin and viola. Most excitingly, she added sweeps of falling throughout the song, they give me chills and really bring the feeling of the song to life. I love her and what she brought to this song. I can’t wait to create more with her.

What are you’re feeling about streaming music?

It’s awesome. People can share music across the world and transcend all previous language and location boundaries. Yes, there are some links to work out for getting creator’s paid probably, but it’s being addressed.

The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.

Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?

Cool question. Keep music in schools and we will not have to forget.

How has your music changed since the single “Bring the Sun Back”?

That was the first song that I wrote after returning to the states from my time living in Japan, so some of the song is in Japanese. I felt so lost between cultures, so out of place wherever I turned. But music was my constant, and creating art with the different people that I get to meet in this life is my greatest joy. So much has changed, “zembu”, like everything. I’m grateful for the journey. Everything lost makes space for new treasures and experiences. I was looking for some Light in my life and I definitely found it. I found it within, and in everyone. I found it in my flaws, in my courage and the blessings all around me. I hope that I can bring more light to the world through music. Let’s see what happens next.

Digital vs. vinyl?

Both. All. Give me music in this moment and forever.

What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?

Kate Bush has the song called “Rocket’s Tail” that features The Trio Bulgarka in this vocal soundscape and the shred of the rock guitar style of David Gilmour. Kate soars with her insane vibrato and quirky storytelling. This song brings together different genres and cultures to make something not only incredibly beautiful but rare, surprising, and moving. I love the twist in a good book or movie, but to achieve that in a 4 minute song is truly an accomplishment.

If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?

Not at all, people love live music. Challenging times right now for sure, but it will work itself out. It’s definitely going to be different. More outdoor stages, more virtual, more creativity. Yes, heavy impact and a painful process being out of work for so many, but like any crisis, I do feel that it is leading to a Neo Renaissance. Fresh perfectives, coming through trauma and tragedy. Oh, the Art will be Amazing!!!

Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?

Well, it’s been a chance to change. To meditate and reinvent. Many of us are still struggling to work, play shows, tour, survive, etc. Luckily, organizations like Musicares are helping where they can, but looking forward to artists being able to create a livelihood for themselves and their families again. 

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?

Writing music, experimenting with a podcast called Ascended Heart Navigators, studying energy work like Theta Healing with Michelle Orwick and starting a Philosophy Phd program in Mystical Research online. 

How has your training in Shaman/Spiritual, life coaching helped you during the lockdown?

Meditation and gratitude are life savers for sure. It’s  a privilege to help support others with their spiritual healing and do tarot card readings as TeaandTarotEmporium.com

Honestly, I healed a severe back injury that has had me suffering for 3 1/2 plus years through meditation and energy work with Michelle Orwick during this hiatus. Mind over matter is real. We have so much more power than we usually let ourselves understand. I recommend mediation to everyone.

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

I did paint, do yoga, bake a lot of gluten free cookies and get back to studying Japanese a bit.

How was it to tour Japan?

Magnificent. Everything I experienced was intensely beautiful. So much discipline and attention to detail in every aspect of life. I play over 150+ shows as J-pop/American Rock duo Origami Girls with Yukari Ikeda, solo acoustic death metal as Ms. Meka Nism, and experimental opera with Japanese Butoh dancing and Japanese/German/American avant garde theater collaborations. This means that I saw hundreds, if not thousands of other performers. Some of whom were dedicating and sacrificing all other parts of life to live their art. There is so much ritual and intention woven into daily activities. Once your see this depth of the art of life, you will always see things differently. Looking forward to going back whenever possible and building a bridge between music communities.

Is pay-to-play still a thing?  Now pay to play also means things like the playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.

Yes, for sure. Most bands I know are working hard to afford to keep the band alive. So build your value in new ways, do what you can to develop your brand in the ways that are freely available.

The show Star Trek introduced people to the holodeck: an immersive, realistic 3D holographic projection of a complete environment that you could interact with.

Today holograms are already being used in a variety of ways, such as medical systems, education, art, security and defense

Performers like Tupac, Michael Jackson, Roy Orbison, Frank Zappa, Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse, Buddy Holly, Ronnie James Dio, Marylin Monroe, and Whitney Houston have done it already. The band ABBA just announced that they will be doing a comeback together after nearly 40 years as holograms on their next tour.  With ABBA it was with the help of George Lucas.

If the cost was down to the point you could do it also, would you be willing to do Holographic concerts in our living room?

That sounds awesome!

In the past, if a musician stops doing music they find a new career.  For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a  licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice-over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?

Any Art, Performance and Mystical Research.

What is your happy place?

Here. In my heart. I’m happy wherever I am, especially watching Cross_Prime stream on Twitch.  Cross_Prime is the name of his channel. He is amazing.

Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million.  In the past year, a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million) , Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year.  Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young sold 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180 song catalog to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited. Once you get to the age of about 70.  Publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artists based on sales, airplay and streams.  A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985.  And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.

The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax-friendly concerning estate planning.

Someone who was totally against selling his rights was David Crosby.  He did not want to sell his publishing rights.  And it was not an easy thing for him to do.  But by making a deal with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group, it took a big weight off of his shoulders.  He could pay off his house and cover other bills.  And now he doesn’t have to work for a living.  It should be noted that David is battling tendinitis in his hands which hurts his ability to play guitar.

Do you think you would be willing to sell your back catalog if someone like Universal is willing to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?

Wow, that’s Thought-provoking. Definitely a case by case decision to make for each artist.

There are many platforms out there that allow artists to get their music heard. Artist Republik, DistroKid, Tunecore & plenty others offer distribution services. These services enable independent artists to put their music on some of the most popular streaming services globally, from Spotify to Apple Music & everything in between. If you’ve been in any part of the music industry in recent years, you probably know someone that has distributed a song.

(I use the new distribution company Vydia now)

Spotify reports that in 2021 there are about 8 million artists on the platform. Of those 8 million artists, about 57,000 are raking in a whopping 90% of the total revenue from streams. That means that .71% of the artists on Spotify are making good money. In 2020, there was a total of around $5 billion paid out to artists on the Spotify platform alone.

Therefore it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.

What do you think that could mean to the independent artists?

Well, that’s one of the ways that I witness the Recording Academy serving the community; to advocate with Music Creator’s Rights and stay informed about the issues effecting us most. They are helping stay aware of these changes in our industry. It is an honor to be involved in their District Advocacy campaigns as one way to support. 

Over half a billion active users around the world share their favorite music on TikTok either with something like dance challenges and lip-sync videos or creating a funny skit or candid camera moment.

TikTok has become a great platform for music promotion, sharing songs, and finding new listeners.  In which it has become a place for music artists to earn revenue when people use their music.  Which in many cases the daily promotion on TikTok has led to huge boosts on other platforms like Spotify, Facebook and YouTube.

TikTok does this with the algorithmically generates a feed of content for each user, which you see as the displaying of #. The more a user engages with content, the smarter TikTok gets at guessing what kind of videos the viewer wants to watch.

Because a song can go viral because of this.

Sony Music and Warner Music Group-, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group.  Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more? Probably. It seems like It has become a strong platform to connect with people. Other friends have definitely used Meka Nism songs in their posts, So it seems like the logical next step.

Breaking news: TikTok is launching TikTok Radio, a full-time SiriusXM music channel going live this summer. The station will be available in vehicles and as a streaming channel on the SiriusXM App, desktop, and all connected devices.

Some of the on TikTok include Cassyette, YukoEXE, Ashinikko, Palaye Royale, Josh Dun (Twenty One Pilots), Yungblud, Morrissey, Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Gene Simmons,  and Mick Jagger.

The station will be part of a new TikTok collaboration with SiriusXM and its subsidiary, Pandora, to jointly promote emerging talent.  Do you think this platform could become a force in the future of streaming music?

Sounds likely. May they pay royalties to artist fairly.

How did you become a GrammyU Mentor?

By being a member of the Recording Academy and currently serving on the board as a Governor on the board of the Florida Chapter, I was aware of the opportunity to volunteer for this awesome program.

Anything you would like to say in closing.

Gratitude to all the support. I love that I get to make music, and love that I can share it with you. Take the opportunities life gives you to create wonderful things and live your Highest possible timeline.  Mad Love to All, Meka Nism *^*^*^*

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Interview conducted April 05, 2021/ updated 03/22/2022

By Dan Locke

Emily Palen, founder and front of Oakland’s galactic hard rock power trio ~ KnightressM1 ~ fell in love with the violin early and found her start at age 4 under the tutelage of her mother, a professional cellist and violin/cello teacher. Emily studied classical violin and piano seriously through college, and then moved to California to forge an independent path and split from the classical structure of music. Melding the heart-opening harmonic and rhythmic complexities of her classical training along with her incessant drive and love of hard rock, she finds a raw, authentic and original approach towards rock music.

What is your upbringing?

I was born and raised in Midland, Michigan.  My parents are John and Lois Palen.  My mother is a cellist, also a violin and cello teacher.  My father is a retired environmental journalist and a lifelong poet.  I have three siblings and started playing violin when I was 4.  My mother was my first teacher. 

How did you discover music? 

I grew up in a musical household.  My mother always had students over for lessons, so I heard music everyday.  She taught Suzuki and traditional methods so I heard all of that early repertoire when I was just a baby.  My older sister is a professional violinist and was also practicing all the time so I heard that violin literature and just fell in love with that sound.  I begged and begged my mom to play but I was too young.  There was a tiny violin in their armoire and I would always fetch it out of there.  Finally when I was 4 she said, “Ok.  Let’s go.” She taught me for many years after which I studied with Michael Avsharian most prominently and Paul Kantor at the University of Michigan School of Music.  I also studied piano from the age of 5. 

How did you start to write music?

I began to play my own style in high school but really broke from the classical track when I was 19.  I began improvising, eventually playing with different rock bands in the bay area.  I also was doing a lot of improv violin performing and sound healing, getting into the energy work aspect of music.  Music and the connection to our consciousness is so interesting and powerful to me.  I started KnightressM1 in 2011, after I quit all my side projects.  This is when I really dove into being a frontperson and singing.  I took the reins and haven’t looked back.

How did you get your first violin, and do you still have it? 

It was that violin in that armoire.  We had a lot of little violins in the house, for my mother’s students and also from Ann, my sister.  I don’t know if it was an 1/8^th or a ¼ size.  However I did learn how to hold the violin first with a makeshift violin from a cereal box with a ruler taped on top.  It’s a less fragile way to start learning in the beginning.  You can’t break the cereal box.  I believe my mom still has that violin yes.  We also have violins that have been handed down generations within our family so it might have been one of those.  The violins I have now are both actually violins that my sister played so I feel really lucky to be able to play those. 

What is your violin of choice now? Year, make and model?

I have a beautiful violin I play for classical.  Make and model isn’t so much important with violins, I won’t get into that.  It’s really about the tone, the body, all those incredibly subtle aspects of the instrument.  I also play a different violin for the band.  I use a violin for that, which is still an acoustic instrument.  I really can’t stand electric violins.  We’ll see if I can find one that works and has the same rich tone that my acoustic violin has but to date, I haven’t played one that matches.  So, I use that violin, it won’t be an absolute crushing tragedy if something happens to it in a chaotic venue setting.  I use a Biggs bridge-embedded pickup and play an Engl Special Edition amp as well as through a Kemper Powerhead. 

Do you have any collectible violin?

Both of my violins are very special to me and are great instruments.  I think that in this way violins and their craftmanship and value are a bit different than guitars.  It’s just a different type of instrument and a different way of talking about them I suppose. 

How did you get your stage name?

KnightressM1 was a name that came to me after a long time of trying to think of something original. I wanted something that referred to light, as in our consciousness, my galactic connection that also had a fierce edge to it.  Something that embodied a sort of polarity of our ephemeral human nature and also the eternal depth and reach of our spirit.  I believe that the consciousness of KnightressM1 actually came through to me from a more expanded consciousness, perhaps in the collective.  She is a galactic superhero avatar that has come to Earth to restore justice, truth and peace.  There are many Knightress’ in the universe so M1 is her code.  M for Emily, and 1 for unity.  There are also some other mysterious connections to M1 ~ there is a Messier object named M1.  It’s also cropped up in other names so it’s interesting to me where these ideas come from.  I know when to follow them but they don’t necessarily originate from my human mind. 

Describe your music.

Music is life to me.  KnightressM1 is the embodiment of that.  Very intense, raw emotions, confrontational to corruption, lies and manipulation in our current culture.  I’m very stubborn in the sense of being completely true.  I won’t compromise that in any way.  There’s also a constant thread of that classical beauty and foundation woven through so the timing, the harmonies, the stylings are different than if a guitar player were writing the songs.  I love that we get to push the boundaries absolutely.  The sound has also evolved since I was writing for Dreams and Devastation, the debut album we put out September 2020.  It’s gotten much more aggressive and intense, and also more vulnerable.  I love the journey of being an original songwriter because you can always evolve along with yourself and with the world at hand.  There’s so much at stake right now in our world as well so I’m really trying to dive into that and have the music match up to that intensity.  

Are you KnightressM1 or is she you? 

Both.  If you had a superhero self, who would that be?  Why are we not that superhero in life everyday?  Her superpower too is empathy.  It’s not to fly or to breathe underwater.  The superpowers we need right now is to be able to break the slumber that a lot of people are in.  To come alive and to fight for each other and the planet.  We have to wake up and remember who we are as humans.  So it’s ironic.  In this journey with KnightressM1, with the music and the band, I’ve become more her, but also more human.  In that synergy, bringing down our ancient star wisdom perhaps, maybe we become better at being in this world and the more we care about it.  Humans are beautiful.  Empathy, it’s not something everyone has but if everyone did we would have a very different world. 

What was your first performance at like? 

I probably played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with my mom on the piano in a dress she made for me.  I don’t remember.  I was so young.  I will say though, performing in recitals from a young age, performing feels like a natural state.  Not something to be afraid of. 

Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ? 

I do belong.  I always forget which one, but I’m squared away and yes, it’s incredibly important to take care of our rights as songwriters. 

What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it? 

This is a hard one to remember.  I was writing songs both on violin and piano and honestly, I don’t remember the first one.  I would really have to dig through my memory bank for that. 

What is the process of writing your music?

It depends on how I’m feeling and what my setting is.  If I’m with my amp and can be loud I write violin rifs first, settle into something and then either write lyrics on the spot or pull from a book of lyrics I’ve already written.  I’ll get sets of lyrics that I need to write a lot of times especially if I’m working out, in the gym or just going through something intense in my mind.  I write those down and usually later, when I’m with my instrument and have the body and structure of a new song one of those sets of lyrics will fit perfectly.  Another way I write is with piano and synth based music.  That’s a totally different expression and one where I dive into either a vulnerable love-based space, or a song that’s from outer space or just straight up house tracks. I love the richness of sound you can get with synths and the different vocal style that inspires.  There’s just so much to work with and I like to leave all of those avenues open to explore.  The electronica music I’ll produce fully though in the box, all the sounds, no band. I’ll set some violin in there but it’s very heavy synth based with more sung vocals.  The band setting is pretty aggressive now, and I love writing with my drummer and bassist and just pushing it as far as we can go. 

15 years ago you were one of the Top 15 Finalists for the My Grammy Moment Competition. In which you played Foo Fighters:The Pretender. Then a few years later you were sharing the stage with them at The Red Rock. Tell me about that day at Red Rock? 

That was an incredible experience.  I’m very grateful to Dave Grohl for opening up that opportunity to me and also for inviting me to record my albums at his studio.  He is a person who has created opportunity for himself, he’s worked his ass off harder than most anyone and is fiercely talented.  I take a lot of inspiration from him and to be able to play with them in that setting was amazing.  I continue to learn a lot from those moments. 

Tell me about your debut album “Dreams and Devastation”?

Dreams and Devastation is a 12 song concept album I recorded at Studio 606 which is the Foo Fighter home studio.  John “Lou” Lousteau engineered and co-produced the album.  Rob Ahlers played drums and Uriah Duffy played bass.  The album conceptually is focused around issues of awakening, spiritual growth and perseverance and also this sense of foreboding I had that humanity is up against a very crucial battle.  We were on the cusp of a great change when I was writing this album and so a lot of the themes are around having the strength to face our own pain, our own traumas and delusions so we can come together and get through this collective shift that is happening.  There was this constant knowing that one would be wise to get their emotional shit together, that there was no time to waste.  Now, with the world in the state it’s in it’s pretty astounding to actually release the album during this war on consciousness which I see playing out now. 

Experientially, making this album was my favorite thing in the whole wide world.  Lou was incredible to work with.  The studio is absolutely amazing. I felt at home and also just being in the studio from morning til night, no bullshit, nothing except music, that is the best.  I thrive in that space.  Rob and Uriah were incredible on this album. They both are limitless musicians and brought irreplaceable magic to the songs.  We really worked each song through, broke them down and open to bring out the magic in each one and Lou was indispensable in that process. I’m a hardcore perfectionist so he was good to help calm me down.  He taught me how to really trust the music and let it breathe.  I also trust his ear implicitly and up until that point I’d never let anyone into those songs in that way.  I was careful to keep my sound true to what I wanted it to be, needing to put violin at the front of a rock band in a way that doesn’t suck.  It was a journey. But getting to work with someone who has not only the best energy in the studio but who’s worked with the best musicians in the industry, I implicitly trust him.  We released this record in September of 2020 and it’s been great to have it live and breathe in the world. 

How did you pick the people for the recording of the album?

Rob Ahlers was the drummer for KnightressM1 since its inception.  He’s a natural fit for that music and brings this electric, razor-sharp rhythmic intensity and also pushes the energy of each song to it’s ultimate level and then beyond.  He doesn’t hold back. Uriah Duffy is a phenomenal bassist, well known with a pretty hefty resume and when he agreed to do the record I was thrilled.  The three of us rehearsed and prepped the songs, and then headed down.  We tracked bass and drums to tape and they nailed it.  12 songs in I believe three days.  They’re unbelievable.  Then we broke into the violin layers and everything else.  Lou invited Mick Murphy to play guitar on a few tracks and watching him lay down the perfect feel to these songs, in an instant, was great.  He ripped a solo in the end of “Polarity Integrate” that fulfilled all of my Ozzy Osborne love ballad fantasies.  Lou also did a ton of background vocals with me and percussion.   I couldn’t have asked for a better crew. 

Tell me about the making of your first single “Butterfly”, from your album?

“Butterfly” was actually the third single and the end of a trilogy of stories we did in video.  “Polarity Integrate” came out first, with a color-symbolized video dealing with the theme of getting free from bondage and reclaiming our wings ~ bringing color into a black and white world.  “Lock & Key” was the second single, that video was a game of checkers with Death.  Ultimately fun to make.  “Butterfly” was the third and most emotionally intense of the videos to make.  We had filmed all three of these videos, mind you, in one day.  Shena van Spronsen was my main partner in all of this.  She’s an incredibly talented videographer and editor.  So I planned the storylines, prepped the props, got the team assembled and with a fantastic crew of people we pulled off that shoot.  The footage for Butterfly that we shot that day was the Queen footage and once we got to editing we needed to flush the story line out a bit more.  My friend Nick, also an amazing videographer went out into nature with me and we got all that landscape footage.  By this time I was less concerned with the dramatics and wanted to catch a more emotionally vulnerable feel so we went with a natural vibe.  We went up into the easy bay hills, over to a beach in Marin and then did a whole series of running shots.  He is a pretty quick runner to so those days were no joke.  He chased me for hours, sprinting through the hills with his gimble.  I was impressed.  The most powerful and sad aspect of “Butterfly” though was the loss of my brother John during the time we were getting this footage.  So we’re on deadline.  I’m exhausted both physically and emotionally from producing the album, finishing the videos, putting out the two singles and then we just didn’t have the footage.  We had to keep going.  Running. Literally, Shena called me and said, “You just have to run, a lot”.  In the middle of this I hear the news that my estranged brother died and it was really intense.  The song in the album “Minutes” is written about him and because of the complex nature of our relationship, things I won’t go into, he never heard any of it and I never got to tell him I loved him or goodbye.  So the footage on the beach, is very real.  That was shot the day or two after I heard he had passed.  I just decided to put that reality into the video because essentially, the album is about my life as well, beyond the macro storyline, it’s about the pain, the loss, all of it.  So I dedicated the “Butterfly” video to John. 

What is your favorite track on your album?

I think “Lock & Key” is my remaining favorite.  I of course loved each track and they were all my favorite when we were working on that particular song.  After it’s release though and letting things settle I think that “Lock & Key” is my favorite.  “Gates of Dawn” and “Minutes” are also up there.  On the more star-side, that other aspect of the music “Zero Point” and “Stars From My Sky” express that side of KnightressM1 really well.   

What are you’re feeling about streaming music? 

I think the CEO’s of the big players in that game make a lot of money and musicians don’t make any.  They’re turning it into a valueless playing field so musicians just have to keep doing what they’ve always done. Stay incredibly true to who you are and excel.  I think it’s an incredibly fucked up industry though.  We live in a heavily corrupted world, where in every industry, the lowest common denominator wins and the players at the top take everything and run.  They give nothing back to the people who make them money and I doubt if they could write a hook to save their fucking life.  I’m tired of artists starving and having to justify their existence, their dreams and aspirations.  We need to flip the script. 

The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.

Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?

Not if you’re a musician.  If you’re not a musician or if you cut and paste maybe a sharp sign will mean nothing to you. 

Digital vs. vinyl? 

Vinyl. 

What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?

That’s a great question.  I’ve been listening to a lot of great current bands so that’s what’s in my mind the most actually.  I was practicing “Malfire” by Refused today.  I love them as a band, musically and politically.  Tool was a heavy influence back in the day.  Opiate.  Always rings true. 

What did you mean “Let the water wash over your What the light can’t mend”?

With this line I was speaking to pain that doesn’t ever heal, injustices so great they can never be righted.  Losses that will never be restored.  Grief.

Our world is so full of that pain and we refuse to look at it.  The water to me meant a depth of surrender, a larger consciousness, a sort of washing through of what can never be recovered.  Back when I wrote Dreams and Devastation I was more hopeful perhaps that we could go into the lighter aspects of ourselves and save ourselves.  Now, I’ve seen such depravity of the human soul that I don’t know if those people even want to become kind people.  Perhaps not and the rest of us just have to do our best to make the world a livable place anyways.  Also, interestingly enough the theme of water has been huge lately with the release of Seaspiracy.  It’s like the beings and the living entity of water itself is coming up to be heard, asking for us to stop killing it.  That documentary is incredibly powerful and important and I highly recommend that you watch it.  Personally the line is about, losing a love that will never be.  There’s no way to fix that other than surrender and let go.   You don’t stop the love, you don’t hate the person, you let the love be and you let go. 

If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?

God this is a really awful subject.  It’s been crushing for the music industry, and I genuinely fear for the future of music.  I fear for our independence as humans, especially in the United States and I fear for the vitality of the music industry.  Also you can’t fit the energy of a metal show through a screen.  Architects did an amazing livestream from Albert Hall.  That was incredible.  I understand the financial necessity of livestreaming but it will never ever compare to the life-changing experience of live music.  I am hoping that musicians on the whole maintain a sense of autonomy moving forward.  I feel it is crucial.  Crucial more than I could ever express in words.  We would be wise to ask a lot of questions right now. 

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?

I wrote another album.  I worked out every morning.  I released Dreams and Devastation, made videos, made plans to move out of the states.   I did everything I could to stay vital, in creativity and to not go mad with the massive gaslighting campaign happening. It’s honestly been a huge filtering experience to me.  It’s time to make some choices and those have become clear.  I also worked really closely with Shauna McLarnon of Shameless Promotion PR
to build the audience worldwide for KnightressM1 and she’s been such an important piece for us moving forward.

How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?

I have a great trainer that I got just in the nick of time.  I work with Reuben Shamlou who runs GoTrain Fitness out of the UK.  I signed up with him to get in shape for what I thought would be a summer European tour.  He specializes in working with touring musicians and getting them prepped and ready to stay healthy on the road.  Then everything came screeching to a halt.  He’s kept me in good stead with at home workouts, lots of accountability around nutrition and keeping my self-care in balance. 
I also started boxing which I love.  I spend a lot of time with my two cats who are my best friends, and I look for the truth and the hope in the world.  I look to reorient my mental state around people who are able to question the status quo.  I definitely don’t just go along with whatever the authorities tell me.  I don’t know everything but I do know that the authorities in government and corporate health and media do not give a fuck about us so I dig for more resources to figure out what’s really going on.  I keep an open mind, think for myself. 

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

Boxing, which was surprising to me.  I love it.  I’m learning French which is hard for me but important.  It’s funny because I don’t do a lot of things other than music.  I’m really busy and don’t have the luxury of a lot of time to waste. 

Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only. 
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?

Facebook is increasingly a fascist organization, and it feels like a very “dead” zone.  Not a lot of human spirit in there.  That’s a huge slam to musicians, that new rule and they know that musicians need to livestream to replace lost income.  I hate what Facebook does not only with their fascist and dishonest “fact-checking” censorship but this, this is a hostile move towards artists.  Zuckerberg is one of those humans who has no empathy.  I would love it if we didn’t need Facebook.  I would log off permanently.  I’m so sick of the tech giants.  Hopefully enough people will be able to move to other platforms that are open source that we can move off of these tyrant platforms altogether.  Fuck Facebook.  That’s how I feel.  I hate that company; I viscerally hate what they have done to humanity. 

How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?

 
I have seen a lot of musicians connect with new friends worldwide just through being friendly online.  It’s actually really great!  Through all of the darkness of this year, there is a tremendous light coming through.  People genuinely want to connect so I feel that this year has actually levelled the playing field in that we are all human.  No one is above anyone else so people who come from that perspective have been connecting in whatever way they can just because we need it as humans to survive and to thrive.  I think it’s an instinct that a lot of folks have to preserve the music and support each other.  It’s a beautiful thing to see.  So logistically people can do it any number of ways through any number of online outlets, but it really comes down to person to person connection, being real, being respectful and supportive. 

Is pay to play still a thing?

Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
I’ve recently heard about paying to play for tours and I find it odd.  I don’t know how much of a thing it is really.  I want to go on tour with bands who I’m friends with!  There’s definitely pay to play playlists all over the place online.  Everyone is in PR now, it’s pretty funny.  And you just buy your following.  It’s boring.  Make something that matters!!  It’s just sad what the concept of money does to us.  Chase the dream, not the dollars. 

What about Holographic concerts in our living room?

Nope. 

Governments around the world are hearing the call of thousands of music creators and included protections for the music community in the omnibus bill. In addition to extended and improved unemployment benefits and small business loans for freelance creators, the package includes several bills which the Recording Academy, its members, and the larger music community advocated for. From the Save Our Stages Act, provided a lifeline to performance venues and promoters, to the CASE Act, which creates an avenue for smaller creators to defend their copyrighted works, Congress has ensured that both music creators and those who act behind the scenes to bring music to life are given the support they need during this difficult time.” Do you think this will save music venues?

I really don’t know.  I would love to see the stats on who got relief and how deep that relief went into the community of actual working musicians.   They need all the help they can get but I don’t know if this will save them.  So many have already closed and it really hits the small venues first which then hits the up and coming bands.  It’s like the food chain in the ocean, you start taking out one of the links and it all goes down.  Also, in these local venues, it’s usually a couple of people that own the venue and they are doing whatever they can to save their business.  It’s definitely a very real struggle and I don’t know what our government really expected to happen.  We already don’t really revere the arts in this country culturally.  People do but our institutions don’t.  Now with this Covid debacle, I don’t think the majority of the people in government for one care about the arts.  They don’t even care about getting Flint clean water let alone the musical culture of America.  Two, they do not understand what it is like having to live dollar to dollar, having nothing.  Which, is what happened to a lot of musicians.  You can’t forbid people from working and then give them pennies and expect them to survive.  It’s pathetic how this country has fumbled in taking care of it’s own.  Also, opera companies across the country have just closed.  No health care.  No pay.  Nothing.  But if people don’t have music to move their soul, they will be more obedient so it really works out for them in the end. 

In the past if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?

I have no viable alternative to music.  Nothing that matches that.  However if I was unable to for some catastrophic reason I would team up with some people doing real, core activism.  I’m really moved by what Gojira has done with their Amazonia project helping the Indigenous heal their homeland in the Amazon.  Also the work of Sea Sheperd is pretty crucial.   Anything where I can make a real difference. 

What is your happy place? 

Stage.  Studio. 

Alot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative then the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs? Another factor is mortality.

 
If I were as famous to have Universal want to buy my back catalog, I would hope I would have a better opportunity than selling everything to them.  No.  I wouldn’t sell the rights to my songs to them. 

Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on Monday (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks. 
Therefore it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still back at the beginning of the year Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?

It’s another corporate slam to artists.  Spotify has a horrible track record with disrespecting where they get their content from.   I know it’s been really devastating to a lot of artists who had their music deleted.  It’s a mess.  They are not in the business of music.  They are in the business of profit at the expense of others and music just happens to be their method of exploitation. 
 

Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?

I really hope not. 

Back in 2018 Symuelle Alen created a comic art of you. What was your super power. And did it ever become a comicbook? 

I still want to make this comic book and hopefully I’ll have the time to bring that into being.  My superpower would be to restore the lost empathy in others. 

Anything you would like to say in closing.

Thanks for having me and stay tuned for some new singles from KnightressM1 coming out soon!

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It was a typical dark, drab, and freezing winter night in Chicago on February 18th, yet on this particular evening, there were thousands of eager music fans packed into Allstate Arena, awaiting the beginning of what was to be the first live metal music arena tour since Covid-19. The anticipation was so palatable you could almost taste it. You could certainly feel it, that is a fact, and it was fucking glorious.

Headlining the evening was Swedish Grammy award winning pop-metal band, Ghost, while Danish rock band, Volbeat claimed the second slot and L.A.’s finest, Twin Temple opened it all up, respectively. It was definitely a visually striking performance and one that was extremely welcomed and appreciated among those in attendance, which became extremely obvious throughout the entire evening. The darkened chants, the giddy-like screams, and not so melodic singing voices filled the almost sold-out arena was deafening, yet amazing at the same time. After all, it had been such a long time since such a magnificent gathering of music lovers has occurred so, the vibe was incredible to say the least.

Kicking off the night, from Los Angeles, California, was husband and wife duo (Alexandria and Zachery James), Twin Temple. As self-proclaimed satanists and creators of a style of music they have entitled, “satanic doo-wop,” these two put on one “hell” of an interesting and impressive performance. Their sound-style could be described as though Rocky Horror Picture Show and Betty Boop had a baby, simply because their stage production was completely over the top, yet Alexandria’s voice is beyond adorable. They sounded great and the crowd agreed, heaving an overwhelmingly positive reaction during and upon conclusion of their set. A definite must see/hear experience, without a doubt.

Taking the stage after Twin Temple was Copenhagen’s own, bass-driven rock band, Volbeat, who wasted zero time dominating their set, beginning with their single, “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown.” It was then when the arena erupted with extreme verbal accolades and Olympic-worthy head banging. Again, it was glorious.

Supporting their eighth album, Servant of the Mind, which was released on December 3rd of 2021, Volbeat has an excellent originality to them however, the influence of AC/DC and Metallica is awesomely obvious. This is one band that simply cannot be missed if ever in a city near you…or even one that you must travel far and wide to get to, trust that and you will not be disappointed, guaranteed.

Last but certainly not least, the beloved headliner, Ghost takes the stage…after a lengthy and completely dramatic and over-the-top prelude, of course. Fronted and founded by the ingenious Tobias Forge in 2008, along with his interchangeable band of masked ghouls, Ghost is a guaranteed spectacle that simply must be experienced with the eyes and the ear holes. Sounding similar to that of the Scorpions in music and in vocals, their “metal” style is not the type to blow out your eardrums, yet is powerful enough to rattle your soul.

Beginning their set with, “Kaisarion,” and including several fan favorites, they certainly did not disappoint, per usual. Again, this band is a must-see/hear live.

The band is releasing their newest album, Impera, on March 11, 2022, and the media previews have given rave reviews. It also appears as though Forge has dipped his black-clad finger into the NASCAR arena, having recently sponsored the No. 4 Ghost Chevrolet, driven by Bayley Currey, debuts in the Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway on March 12, 2022. In that, it seems as though there are no boundaries for Forge and his band of ghouls known simply as, Ghost.

All and all, it was a great night, an even better experience, and this writer believes that every single one of the thousands in attendance left with warmth in their heart and dark-entwined souls, regardless of the single-digit temperatures outside. 🤘

Ghost Set List:

1. Kaisarion
2. Rats
3. From the Pinnacle to the Pit
4. Mary on a Cross
5. Devil Church
6. Cirice
7. Hunter’s Moon
8. Faith
9. Helvetesfoenster
10. Year Zero
11. Ritual
12. Mummy Dust
13. Enter Sandman (Metallica Cover)
14. Dance Macabre
15. Square Hammer

* The song “Ritual” was chosen by Kerrang! as one of “The 50 Most Evil Songs Ever.”

Interview conducted August 22, 2021

By Dan Locke

The Familiar is VAZUM’s second single from their forthcoming album, V+. Released Friday, May 21st the Familiar is a tongue-in-cheek expose on a culture of regurgitation that dominates the music industry in today’s algorithmic landscape which rewards conformity over originality. With its Dancy drum beat, post-punk style guitars and gothy vocals, The Familiar is sure to arouse your penchant for fishnets, hair spray, black lipstick and eyeliner. With the single comes a music video shot and edited by vocalist / bassist Emily Sturm. It features the duo sporting the looks of goth / post-punk icons Siouxsie Sioux, Robert Smith and Andrew Eldritch. The Familiar is available for pay-what-you-want download from vazum.bandcamp.com and is on all streaming services. 

What is your upbringing?  

Musically, I was mostly raised on Beatles and some 80’s music like Talking Heads. My dad listened to a lot of Leonard Cohen and Bob Marley. Emily’s parents are musicians and she grew up listening to a variety of things from Mahavishnu Orchestra to Motown. She spent her teen years in LA and was introduced to the deathrock scene there.  

How did you discover music?  

I got into music from MTV and started really paying attention when I was in 5^th grade during the grunge scene. I was heavily influenced by Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots. Those types of bands. Emily listened to KROQ in LA and became a fan of artists like Gary Numan and Echo and the Bunnymen. Her first concert was Adam Ant with INXS opening.  

How did you start to write music?  

I’ve always had ideas in my head beginning early on but didn’t start realizing them until I was in my 20’s and wanted to say something. So, I just started recording on my 8 tracks. I’d usually start with drums then layer other instruments and vocals on top. Emily has been writing songs since she was very young. It just came naturally to her.  

You are a duo from Detroit. How did your band form?  

 Out of frustration as a drummer, I put together an album of solo material in which I played all the instruments and sang. That was in 2017. Then I recruited some of my friends and we began playing shows. In 2019 Emily joined and in 2020 we became a duo with the pandemic.   

How did you get your bands name?  

 There’s an unreleased Sega Genesis game called Vasum. I thought it looked and sounded cool. It was important that the band name be easily searchable and unique, so I changed it to vazum since no one else was using it.  

Describe your music.  

 Deathgaze, which combines the raw energy of deathrock with the depth of shoegaze. We fall into the alternative, dark alternative, goth, post-punk world.  

What was your first performance like?  

 The first Vazum show was at a cool venue in Windsor, ON called the Phog Lounge. We played songs from the first album. The three people I had played with me for that show only played that one show.  

Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.  

Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the international singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?  

 Yes, we’re on ASCAP.  

What makes a good songwriter?  

 Someone who can transfer their ideas from their minds and make them into something tangible. Without getting muddled in details and keeping the integrity of the original idea intact.  

What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?  

 I vaguely remember the first original song I wrote and recorded on my 8-track cassette recorder, which I no longer have. I was probably 14 or 15 years old. The first official VAZUM song was called Fall Guy which I released in 2017.  

What is the process of writing your music?  

 I usually begin with piano or acoustic guitar and get a vocal melody going. Then once I start recording and adding instruments it starts to morph and can end up sounding completely different than what I started with. When me and Emily write together, we will jam on a riff or something then start improvising vocal melodies over that. We feed off each other and often can tell what the other is thinking.  

Tell me about the making of your video “Haunted House”?  

We shot the video in Emily’s bedroom. She’s a huge Dario Argento fan and she painted her bedroom to resemble the Witch’s living area from the movie Suspiria. Emily had all the shots planned out. We used her Galaxy phone and she edited it using an app on her phone. She was also inspired by movies The Grudge and The Ring.  

Tell me about your new album V+?

 We are releasing the album on June 25^th. It’s ten songs and it is more post-punk than our other albums. I and Emily shared the writing duties 50/50. We recorded it in my home studio in late 2019 and into early 2020. I spent a lot of time mixing the album. I was experimenting with the new gear I purchased. We are trying to stay away from too much of a digital sound. So, we have incorporated analog recording equipment into our studio.  

Tell me about your upcoming single “The Familiar,” and are there any connections with dogs?  

 We released The Familiar on May 21^st. We actually used Emily’s dogs in the music video. But that wasn’t the intention with the title. The Familiar is aimed at destroying that which is comfortable and safe. I think there’s too much idol worship in our culture. For as long as the stars of the 20^th century dominate the music industry, there won’t be much room for new talent to emerge and evolve.  

Why did you pick Emily Sturm to direct it?  

 Emily does all of our videos. She has a strong visual aesthetic. She has studied films and filmmaking.  

What is your favorite track on your album?   

 My favorite track is The Familiar. I am proud of the lyrics, which me and Emily wrote together. I think it’s an upbeat and catchy song. It’s got a nice chorus and bridge. Overall, I’m happy with how it turned out.  Emily’s favorite track is Loved to Death. It’s a personal song to her, and it took on a life of its own while we were recording. We are both very proud of it.  

What are you’re feeling about streaming music?  

 Streaming music is great. It gets your music out there, and if you’re an independent artist you can potentially earn money from it. Some platforms are better than others. Bandcamp is very artist-friendly whereas Spotify is not.  

The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.  

Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?  

I don’t think many people are using sheet music these days, so yes, I think it is being forgotten.    

Digital vs. vinyl?  

 I listen to music mostly on Youtube and mixcloud. I have a CD player in my van so I still listen to CD’s. I have no allegiance to vinyl. Though I would like to have some VAZUM records printed for one of our future releases.  

What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?  

 There’s a song from the first VAZUM album called Mistress. It’s about standing your ground and not being a slave to someone else’s emotions. Sometimes I’ll find myself questioning people’s motives. Not everyone’s honest and it can take a while to figure that out.  

How has your videos changed over the years?  

 Our videos have always been DIY, with the exception of one which I hired someone to do. I began making the music videos because I’ve always thought the visual aspect is important. Once Emily joined the band, she took over the videos and photos. Consequently, they’ve improved drastically since her involvement.  

If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?  

It seems like larger festivals and concerts will keep going. They’ve got the machine of the live nation behind them, and artists who can bring in serious revenue. For the smaller venues and artists, it’s a different story. Without funding from a large company, I think it will be difficult for any independent venue/artist to continue operating. Some will survive and some won’t. That said, I don’t think the previous model for indie bands and venues was very viable, to begin with. In most cases, the band is making a small margin from the door. Their biggest chance of making a profit is from merch sales. But those things all depend on attendance. And that can be determined by promotion.  

Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?  

For me personally, it’s given me a chance to focus solely on VAZUM and concentrate on recording and building our online following. Before the pandemic, I was playing drums in various projects which really was a distraction and not in my best interest. I can’t speak for other artists. I know a lot of other people who haven’t done anything.  

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?  

 Emily and I have stayed very busy writing songs, recording, practicing, making videos, and taking photos. In our free time, we enjoy cycling.  

How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?  

 We take walks regularly, we cycle, Emily does Pilates. We don’t hardly drink anymore which is a nice change to being hungover all the time. Emily is a great cook so we have been eating very well.   

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?  

 Cycling is a new hobby for me. I find it freeing. It’s nice being in nature and seeing the countryside from that point of view.  

Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.  In October that is going to change at least on Facebook.  Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.  

The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.  

How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?  

People are still using Facebook just as much as before.    

How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?   

 Constant content. We work hard to have new content ready to post on our socials, whether it’s photos, songs, videos. We enjoy making the content, too. It’s fun for us.  

Is pay-to-play still a thing?  Now pay to play also means things like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.  

 There are plenty of scams out there. I’ve fallen for them before. In some cases, it may be worth paying for that playlist, opening slot, or whatever. But in most cases probably not. All depends on the scenario.  

What about Holographic concerts in our living room?  

 That’s the way of the future.  

Governments around the world are hearing the call of thousands of music creators and included protections for the music community in the omnibus bill. In addition to extended and improved unemployment benefits and small business loans for freelance creators, the package includes several bills which the Recording Academy, its members, and the larger music community advocated for. From the Save Our Stages Act, which provided a lifeline to performance venues and promoters, to the CASE Act, which creates an avenue for smaller creators to defend their copyrighted works, Congress has ensured that both music creators and those who act behind the scenes to bring music to life are given the support they need during this difficult time.” Do you think this will save music venues?  

I think it has saved some venues. But I also know some venues have already closed.    

Did you know that the Grammys MusicCares can help artist? The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief has helped thousands of music industry artists and professionals during these difficult days. This is the most recipients helped, for any single event, in MusiCares’ history. The need remains great, and these unique times remain critical for music people. It has taken a community uplifting one another to get through this pandemic, and MusiCares has pulled together a list of additional organizations and resources to further support you. https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/relief-resources.  Have you applied for it yet?  

No, this is the first I’m hearing of it.  

In the past if a musician stops doing music, they find a new career.  For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?  

 Music is the only thing I really want to do and am passionate about.  

What is your happy place?  

 Getting lost in the creative process of writing, recording, and performing.  

Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million.  In the past year, a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million), Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year.  Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million.   Neil Young song 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180-song catalog to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited. Once you get to the age of about 70.  Publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artists based on sales, airplay, and streams.  A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985.  And in the late ’80s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.  

The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax-friendly concerning estate planning.  

Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?   

I wouldn’t want to. I despise the large record companies.  

Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day.  This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.  

The figure, announced by Spotify’s Co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.  

Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.  

But still, back at the beginning of the year, Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists.  What do you think what that could mean to the independent artist?  

 I don’t know any independent artists who rely solely on Spotify. It seems the large record companies make the most money from Spotify. That’s more their game.  

Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group.  Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?  

 We’re using TikTok. We’ve been posting videos on there. It will be interesting to see what comes of it.  

IN 2019, you played the Deutschtown Music Fest in Pittsburg PA.  How was it?  

 Deutschtown is a good time, it’s a big party with hundreds of bands at small venues in Deutschtown. We didn’t have a great slot or venue but we made the best of it.  

Why did you play Friday night?  

That’s the night we were offered to play.  

Danny Wimmer Presents just announced their 2021 Festival Calendar: Which includes the following live shows:
DWP Partners With Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival In Mansfield, OH
Louder Than Life Set For September 23-26 With Newly Added Thursday Night Celebration In Louisville, KY
Welcome To Rockville Expands To 4 Days And Shifts From Spring To November 11-14 In Daytona Beach, FL
Aftershock Set For October 7-10 In Sacramento, CA, Almost Sold Out
Would you be willing to play these shows and what precautions would you like to have in place?  

 We absolutely are willing to play at any of those festivals. It seems proof of vaccination / social distancing/mask enforcement is a good way to keep everyone safe.  

Anything you would like to say in closing.  

 Thank you for your time. We greatly appreciate it. Our album V+ was released June 25th.  

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Interview conducted on March 18, 2021

By Dan Locke        

A microcosm of a bygone era in cinema, Realma’s jazzy single ‘Wandering’ perfectly encapsulates the style and drama of the film noir genre. Nonetheless, the song is a tribute to both old and new, incorporating modern whimsy and charm whilst maintaining classicism at its core. To reach this point, the music followed an unusual creative journey.

Alongside the animation, another highlight is the live performance video with a notable jazz ensemble and string quartet shot at the Belgrade club ‘Dim’, known for its unique industrial appearance and a sense of underground culture in the city. Further additions will include a Pina Bausch inspired dance theatre video, as well as a comic booklet.

Realma is thrilled to be delving further into the music world with a single that explores a whole new angle of her interests and insights – ‘Wandering’ introduces yet another distinct realm in her musical universe. Keep an eye out for her next two singles later this year, which will further emphasize the unique divisions of her musical persona.

What is your upbringing?

Ariadna: I am half-Serbian/half-Chinese. I was born in an industrial mining town called Bor in the southeast of Serbia, but soon after moved to Lanzhou, a city located on the banks of the Yellow River in Gansu Province in Northwest China. Coincidentally, both environments are characterized by extensive pollution, a topic that has always been inescapable for me. Before I started primary school, I moved to Beijing, where my childhood was filled with puppet shows, operas, films, and theatre performances. Recognizing that I was artistically inclined, my parents signed me up for various art workshops for children in Chinese painting, dance, calligraphy, poetry recitation, and similar activities. After the SARS epidemic, I moved back to Bor and continued to explore my artistic tendencies under a different, Western tradition, whereby I started theatre and modern dance classes, classical drawing, and oil painting, as well as classical music, studying violin, guitar, and piano, as well as music theory, counterpoint, musical form, harmony, composition, etc. In an ironic twist of fate, as it happened once already, after my Film and Drama BA degree at the University of Kent in the UK, I abruptly returned to Bor once again due to another pandemic, this time SARS-COV-2.

How did you discover music?

Thinking about it, music has always been just something hugely intuitive in my life. If you ask my family, they’d say I’ve been very reactive to any rhythm or melody since my earliest childhood, and so, they’ve signed me up to start studying classical music at the age of 7, moving on to train in Western counterpoint, harmony, musical form, composition and orchestration, which I’ve really enjoyed. At the same time, my parents always played popular music at home too, ranging from pop, country, rock, jazz, etc. On top of this, as previously mentioned, I grew up in two distinct cultural environments – China and Serbia, where I listened to many folkloric/ethnic forms of music. So, honestly, I’d say it’s always just been an integral part of who I am.

How did you start to write music?

From as early as I can remember, I just always made up melodies, whether it was whistling tunes or tapping rhythms that seemed to just come out of thin air – music would just always come to me intuitively, like an imaginary friend singing into my ears. In fact, I always found composing easier than learning any piece of music, as I would often just drift into improvisation, rather than interpret was is exactly already written. Thus, I sometimes struggled in the classes where I had to memorize music. However, during uni, I actually wanted to go into acting instead, but with the pandemic, as I had a traumatic police mishandling upon arrival and an exaggerated self-isolation period of 28 days, the music seemed to be the only thing helping me escape my dark, scarily lonesome circumstances, and once again as an imaginary friend sang into my ears – this is when the idea of Realma formed and started taking shape.

Describe your music.

Though it’s very hard to tell from just one song being released, with more upcoming songs, it will be evident that my music is very eclectic, polystylistic, and hence, niche. For example, the next film-noir inspired song ‘Wandering’ that I will announce soon, which will be accompanied by 3D animation, is completely different from my experimental dream pop/indie folk/ambient debut single ‘A Hint of Pink’, not to mention the following 2000’s pop Ashgrey Butterfly and slightly trippy Down the Railway Spine, which is to be published by the end of this year. It’s like each song is situated in its own story world, which resulted in the idea of Realma (wordplay on ‘realms’) – a sorceress that takes a glimpse into different worlds through songs as these kinds of all-seeing crystals. This is the more abstract explanation, but to be more realistic, with my diverse background, I think meandering into multigenre music has been very logical and natural for me. In addition to this, most recently, during my film and drama degree, I researched a lot into film and stage music, so this certainly gave my songs and compositions a cinematic and incidental edge. With all that said, while there is even a lot of dualities to find in my music, with it being both atavistic and postmodern, gloomy and empowering, filmic and life-like, I think I managed to unify the divergent themes and the influence of different musical genres under this omnipresent witchy quality of Realma.

What was your first performance like?

I actually have yet to have a live performance under the alias of Realma, especially due to the pandemic, unless we count a recent online music festival in Serbia called Femix Fest by Project Femix, a platform that supports female artists in the country, where alongside the animated music video, I also submitted a video of my performance (https://femix.info/) But to be honest, I wasn’t even thinking much of live performances due to Covid-19, focusing instead on creating multimedia audiovisual content for the project, which involves animation, recorded dance videos (teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_4a7VanMnA), comic booklets and we hope to even produce mini video games. At the same time, however, I feel more and more that I miss the stage and would love to introduce Realma to live audiences and truly connect people to my music. And while we will be recording a few live performance videos – one of them at the National Theatre in Bucharest with animated projections when the time allows, it still won’t be the same as being in the moment with an audience present. So I do hope to perform soon. Now as my ordinary self, my first performance was at my music school of a violin piece when I was little, filled with stage fright prior, but turned to joy afterward. This rollercoaster feeling I’ve had ever since whenever I performed, whether in a dance, music or theatre context – something quite fulfilling and something I miss very much at the moment.

Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?

I am a part of SESAC through IMRO – they were my closest option in order to register with Songtrust. It’s super weird since Ireland isn’t necessarily that close to Serbia, where I am currently based, but it’s what was offered to me.  

What makes a good songwriter?

Good question, I never really gave this a thought. But I would say writing from the heart in such an honest way that the audience can really feel what it’s like to experience whatever the song is about, whether sadness, joy, humor, etc. Personally, I really enjoy when the music interacts with the lyrics, sometimes confirming and painting even more vividly what is being told, but at other times even debating the words in an ironic way. I also enjoy layers, so that even very simplistic things in the song have this complexity about them and vice versa. I also find it the most interesting when songwriters don’t really completely answer the question or a statement they pose, but leave the topic on this constant search for meaning, as if the song itself is left self-aware on an inhale that never finds resolution – so you can’t get it out of your head, slightly like a pebble in your shoe, bothering you a bit.

What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?

I actually started writing popular songs already at the age of 14, though I have never recorded this earliest material. But when I recently revisited some of the songs, many did have a great potential in them to be restructured, reconceptualized, or reframed. I find it that I can’t completely let go of any of these creations and it’s great to see that, despite abandoning some of them, many were still evolving and growing within me.

What is the process of writing your music?

I think my debut metasong ‘A Hint of Pink’ actually says it all and is hence a great introduction to both my music and even my entire process of creating it. The lyrics talk about cadences and melodies seducing me, giving me passion, and becoming my obsession, which is really the entire way I compose. I start by improvising on an instrument or singing and start searching for quality within the melody/rhythm/cadence/notes/etc. that speaks to me – going back to that imaginary friend analogy, haha. And often I would find an element that directs me towards a visual narrative as well, most likely as sensations bordering synesthesia – the color pink in the title is actually the visual sensation I got from the chord progression from which A Hint of Pink was born. After that, I enter into this obsession to define the world of the song – for A Hint of Pink it was clearly a rustic environment of moon-charmed wolves. From there, however, I tend to let this world grow over time – I tend to not finish the song straight away, but let it breathe and really take me on a journey with it. It’s only later that I start consciously setting lyrics, melodic development, and more technical things like that. Though the process is not too slow either as for Realma, in one year I composed 20 songs already. However, I’m now trying to give the production time, searching for the right timbre and instruments to really solidify each song’s story world and visual narrative. And so, in a way, I like to think that I’m just bringing to life what is already there. It’s like music is an entity to which I’m giving form and a beating heart – in fact, I wrote an extensive essay at my uni about this concept of artworks as ‘bio-teche’ – life crafted through creation.

Tell me about ‘A Hint of Pink’?

In addition to the above, interestingly, ‘A Hint of Pink’ started as a music theme for a short film titled ‘Complete.’, which I was a part of at my uni. The narrative was quite dark, even on a slightly horror-ish side. To highlight this gloomy vibe, I added to the main melody some of my own musical heritage from the Serbian/Chinese folklore, which made it sound even more haunting and rustic. When I revisited this material during COVID-19 lockdown, the song was extended and reframed to evoke moon-charmed wolves, since someone suggested there was a very howl-like quality to the main vocals. I find the lyrics to be the most interesting part though, as they ended up being very meta and self-referential. Since music gave me a voice again after trauma, so the words explore the process of songwriting itself, the power of which I have rediscovered in isolation – something that came out completely instinctively, giving it also this victorious note. However, I decided against lyrics in the chorus, since I believe the melody expresses what I felt after surviving the police mishandling, whereby I was put in an unsafe situation by those I trusted and held at knifepoint that I barely escaped – a feeling of surviving trauma which is beyond any words and only this melody could dare speak of. Without getting too sentimental, I am glad I could enjoy a long journey with this song since this resulted in multiple layers that can be unpacked by the audience.

Did your visions of “A Hint of Pink” chance from the beginning of the recording to the finished product?

With everything that was said, certainly not. Especially since this was the first time I ever produced a song and worked with other people on my music. Just recording on a piece of mediocre equipment in my room and working in the DAW with some free midi instruments was absolutely new to me, let alone the concept of mastering music – which I find to be both fascinating, but also so incredibly sophisticated. In fact, in the master of A Hint of Pink, some string elements got lost in the end, since just like me, my friends – Milutin Vuckovic and Aulinx, though more advanced, we’re still learning production and mastering at a more professional scale. If I ever re-release the song, I’d certainly re-record the vocals on better equipment and with better virtual or perhaps even real instruments and balance everything much better. However, at the same time, the imperfections give it something special in my opinion – I don’t really like clean sounds. Furthermore, I and the team really learned a lot on ‘A Hint of Pink’ and over this time acquired better equipment, so it was much easier to produce the next song ‘Wandering’ which after 2 weeks already got to the mastering phase. In this light, it would be great to see a bit of growth each time with every upcoming song.

Tell me about the creation of the animated music video. Did you have any input in creating the concept the artwork or storyboard?

Oh yes, absolutely. Perhaps unsurprisingly as I studied drama and film, I consider music to be like a seed of visual narratives too. So already while composing ‘A Hint of Pink’ I had this image in my head of a nymph in the lake and a wolf. A friend of mine, Lia Stefanescu, who studied film with me, helped me write a more fully-fledged story, while another friend, Katarina Kurko, helped draw the storyboard. However, in a small town like Bor, I didn’t really know any animators, until, by chance, I found out there is one who lives here and even won many awards – Mihajlo Dragas. He loved the song, however modified the story to match the music – something I really appreciate knowing the final product. This is because elements of the story wouldn’t actually work in the animation itself and were more suitable for a comic. However, not giving up on our version fully, we decided to work on a comic, right now under the working title of ‘Blossoming edge’ developed from this material. It draws from ‘A Hint of Pink’ and offers an alternative version of the story – just like in mythology there can be multiple variations for the same myth. Perhaps very suiting, since the song and the animated music video have that mythological quality themselves. It’s also interesting to mention that other than the animator and I, most people involved in Realma are based in different countries, so most things were done online for this.

What is your favorite track on your album?

I have only released one single as of now, so there isn’t a full album out there yet. However, I am really looking forward to the next song – Wandering, which takes a look at the film-noir style jazz through a slightly contemporary lens to explore the topic of obsessive love. For inspiration, I’ve looked at multiple film scores, mostly pieces by Bernard Hermann, as well as the game soundtrack of L.A. Noir, which helped me approach the instrumentation and orchestration better. However, there are these more modern and personal touches, so the product is quite unique, I’d say. This song should be released in the second half of April. Another interesting song is the fourth one – Down the Railway Spine, written in the irregular time signature of 7/8 characteristic of the music of Balkan. The irregularity of the beat gives this unique sense of being chased, as inspired by my panic attacks dealing with PTSD. So lots of exciting stuff coming up.

What are your feelings about streaming music?

Personally, I used to stream music quite a bit, mostly because of how convenient and accessible it is to have the music I like always there waiting for me in the library on my phone. Nonetheless, once I started Realma, I found some sides of streaming quite limiting, which made me turn to radio, especially community and student radios – something very underappreciated by my generation. Honestly, at the beginning of Realma, I thought I wanted my music to be exclusively there for streaming. However, once ‘A Hint of Pink’ started getting streams, other than the numbers, it didn’t make me feel connected to those who listened and even made the whole thing a bit empty. Instead, it was the song being played on a small community radio in Melbourne, totally across the world from Serbia, which made me really feel like my song release was an actual experience with a bit of a heart. From then I started tuning into almost all shows where the song was included among incredible artists from all over the world, many of whom turned into these programs themselves, precisely at this hour when the shows aired. Unlike a playlist, the idea of which is very abstract to me, there was this somewhat live and community component going on. Also, there is this game of chasing numbers with streaming, which I really disagree with. So much so that a formulaic thing starts happening when artists just emulate what is getting the most numbers on streaming platforms at the cost of creativity. This is often to please the algorithms too, and it really made me feel distanced as a newcomer with quite some niche ideas. I also saw this interesting thread on Reddit recently, where the state of the music industry was compared to the selling of shovels during the California gold rush in the mid-1800s. Back when there was this craze to dig gold, the whole industry was thriving because economies were set up to exploit this desire to get rich quickly. Except in music, it’s maybe not even so much the desire to get rich quickly, but more than anything, get as many streams as quickly as possible. And I don’t know… I found this very defeating.

What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?

Can I have three please? Haha. I don’t know why, but I always have Bolero by Maurice Ravel in my head with its obsessive repetitions of the famous theme and the snare drum rhythm, which builds in a gradual crescendo only to crash and exhaust itself. It just made me feel something so special and ethereal when I first heard it in a concert in my childhood, it stayed in my mind ever since. Then there is St. Vincent’s Paris is Burning. Perhaps not her most popular song, but I found it so fascinating – from its contemporary lens that gazes on the revolutionary era in Paris from the Romantic epoch, to the death march that transforms into a haunting waltz. Finally, Starman by David Bowie. We did a physical theatre performance at Kent, which explored the Russian cosmonaut, Vladimir Komarov’s tragic crash into Earth, and played it as a kind of end credit. It’s the favorite performance I’ve done and the song really gave it a special note to end on.

With the Pfizer, Moderna and other vaccines being released. How long before the whole world will be vaccinated against the virus. You have to remember there only has to be a 70% for Herd immunity (Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.)

First, I am not a doctor and by no means an adequate person to talk about this, but having some friends who study medicine, I would say that getting to herd immunity is much more complex and dynamic than that. At the moment Serbia is at 30 percent of the population being vaccinated, well ahead of the EU, yet despite this, our cases have actually risen because of the 70 percent who haven’t been vaccinated. Next to that, there is also the efficacy of the vaccines against the new strains that have appeared, let alone things like the AstraZeneca vaccine being called into question at the moment by the EU. There is also a political dimension to things, whereby the pandemic won’t really end until the poorer countries get herd immunity. Various circumstances play a role, though I really hope Coronavirus finally ends and the herd immunity is achieved as soon as possible.

If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?

I’m actually really torn about what to answer. On one hand, Covid has really harmed the live music industry with many cancellations. However, I don’t think it has truly killed live music because from my personal experience, I actually really miss the live events and all the immediacy and presence that come with that. In fact, most people I know feel the same and once the pandemic ends, I can surely see many people rushing to get tickets. However, I personally don’t know how comfortable I’d feel to stand all of a sudden amidst a large audience, so I’d go for smaller gigs first, haha. In that sense, corona definitely brought a change to how we feel about being in large crowds. However, I do see this thirst/hunger from people eager to listen to live music, eager to be in the same space and share the experience – so the spark is definitely still there.

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine? Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

Very simple, mostly creating and it was also a great time to revise plans and slow down for a while. Prior to returning to Serbia, I was constantly traveling between Canterbury and London in order to join all sorts of drama and dance workshops with a huge fear of missing out. It was all about working hard all the time, never stopping, almost to the point of toxic productivity and continual burnout – I even passed out once and felt miserable most days. With quarantine, I finally had a bit of a time to slow down and really reassess my life goals, who I want to be, and what I want my art to be. And so Realma really came from this aspect of self-discovery, renewed purpose, and artistic ethos. So not so much new hobbies, but I got to return to music and start inventing all sorts of storyworlds through it from a very self-assured and honest place.

How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show? What about Holographic concerts in our living room?

Well, this is hard to answer as I am just building an audience and actually haven’t played live in front of fans – so it’s very much reversed, haha. Though there are sides I mentioned I don’t like, social media and live streaming have certainly helped many musicians keep their presence, at least online. Still, I don’t think anything can replace playing live and I certainly don’t like the idea of holographic concerts – I am definitely blaming that on watching too many Black Mirror episodes, haha.  

Governments around the world are hearing the call of thousands of music creators and included protections for the music community in the omnibus bill. In addition to extended and improved unemployment benefits and small business loans for freelance creators, the package includes several bills which the Recording Academy, its members, and the larger music community advocated for. From the Save Our Stages Act, which provided a lifeline to performance venues and promoters, to the CASE Act, which creates an avenue for smaller creators to defend their copyrighted works, Congress has ensured that both music creators and those who act behind the scenes to bring music to life are given the support they need during this difficult time.” Do you think this will save music venues?

Well, it hopefully does. Though I can’t give more comments as the situation is very different in Serbia comparing to the US. Here, a few protests by musicians have just been started as there is almost no support at all neither to them nor the venues and promoters. It’s a sad thing to navigate really.

Did you know that the Grammys MusicCares can help artist. The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief has helped thousands of music industry artists and professionals during these difficult days. This is the most recipients helped, for any single event, in MusiCares’ history. The need remains great, and these unique times remain critical for music people. It has taken a community uplifting one another to get through this pandemic, and MusiCares has pulled together a list of additional organizations and resources to further support you. https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/relief-resources. Have you applied for it yet?

I didn’t know about this until this question. However, looking at it, it probably doesn’t apply that much to musicians outside of the US. I will certainly look more into it, so thanks so much for providing this information – really appreciate it.

In the past if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?

Interesting question. Though with Realma being an audiovisual project – there is still a lot outside of music. A similar thing applies to me – I’d definitely then go into acting, physical theatre, or filmmaking that I studied, if not that then classical painting. And if no art at all, I’d probably be an astronaut – I don’t know why I’ve always been fascinated by the universe and the space travel.

What is your happy place?

I’ll answer this very simply. Making art for sure.

Alot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative then the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs? Another factor is mortality.

Hmmm. I really wonder. Again, Realma so far is more of an audiovisual project, so I don’t really see myself selling any rights until everything is exhausted in both contexts. Though I do have to say most songs are quite a film/cinematic, so I do see them being featured for different commercial purposes. However, with multiple characters created through our comics and animated videos, I see it more going in the direction of becoming a franchise – going more of a Disney route. I guess there are loads to think about here, I am at the moment just setting up a start-up production studio, so we shall see.

Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on Monday (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.
Therefore it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still back at the beginning of the year Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?

Honestly, initially as an independent artist, I put all my bets on Spotify. Nonetheless, I realized it’s still somebody else’s platform. I used a lot of Instagram and Facebook ads in order to drive the streams, but most of it would not be returned investment. As someone just starting up, it can be very discouraging, let alone when Spotify deleted that many songs, which unsurprisingly sparked outrage. I feel like the platform is so oversaturated too that it’s become almost impossible to get noticed organically. Instead, what I’m focusing on is building a presence through other means – for example, I got featured in quite a few national magazines as Realma was quite unique in aiming for an international audience while producing audiovisual content from Serbia, where this is rare. Next to that, we are building our website right now and with the production studio, I’m really treating it all as a business and learning how to empower myself and the project, rather than competing on somebody else’s platform. And with more products being produced rather than just the music, I do think we have a higher chance of success.

Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?

TikTok has definitely made a huge splash in the music industry, however, I am really not used to the platform yet. For me, it’s just so fast-paced and all over the place – just too rapid, much more than even the now obsolete Vine. So until I find content that would maybe fit in with the platform, I’m not going to actively chase and force all my productivity for something that I don’t fully enjoy yet. Though one thing I might perhaps try in the future is to record some beatboxing that I’ve been doing for a few years now and that might be both fun to do and be interesting for TikTok’s target demographic. Though we’ll see where I go with that idea.

Anything you would like to say in closing

Just that it was an absolute pleasure. All questions were so interesting, as well as quite informative and insightful, making me ponder about certain things I haven’t been thinking about. Thanks so much for this opportunity, definitely my favorite interview so far. Hope you have a wonderful day when you are reading this and hope you are safe and well. 

That is all – pretty long indeed.

Best wishes

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