Interview: World’s First Cinema

Adam Grundy Aug 7, 2023

Recently I was able to schedule an interview with Los Angeles-based duo, John Sinclair and Fil Thorpe, who go by the name of World’s First Cinema. In this interview, I asked them about the style of their music, how they do most of their songwriting, and their plans for touring. World’s First Cinema fit well in the realm of the theatrics of Panic! at the Disco, paired with the hooks of Motion City Soundtrack, but they really have a style that needs to be heard to get the full experience.

Adam Grundy Aug 3, 2023

Today is a great day to introduce everyone to Oh He Dead, a DC-based indie soul band who are preparing to release their sophomore LP Pretty on September 15th. Their latest single, “Lightning Drunk” captures the feeling of falling head-first in love without thinking about any of the negative consequences. It has a sound that infuses the neo-soul of Earth, Wind & Fire, paired with the picturesque dreamy vibes of Fleetwood Mac, all with a modern twist of Amy Winehouse-stylized vibes. Band member Andy Valenti shared:

I can’t remember who said it first, but someone uttered the phrase “Lightning Drunk,” and it just fit so well. I loved the idea of falling in love with lightning. Getting addicted to something so intense, bright, exciting, and dangerous. It felt like a great iteration of the “electric love” lyric that is perhaps a bit cliche. CJ really spearheaded the verse vocals on this one, but I remember working on them with her in my basement apartment, just visualizing all of the different ways that getting struck by lightning feels like a dangerously exciting romance.

If you’re ready to fall head over heels in love with your next favorite band, Oh He Dead is here for you.

Adam Grundy Aug 3, 2023

Today I’m thrilled to share with everyone the latest single and music video from Aussie pop star, Ben Hazlewood, called “Chemical Roulette.” On this atmospheric track, Hazlewood proves he’s one of the key artists to watch as this year unfolds. Ben shared,

I could argue it was all a highly scientific experiment to create new neurological pathways; to bend and mould my mind into a new way of thinking. Or, call it what it was; a bender of epic degree, one in which I was crushed, then rebuilt, shattered and swept up. I hit the basement floor of pain and the highest heights of happiness. Whatever way I justify this time in my life…Chemical roulette is a game just as dangerous as it’s Russian counterpart but far more fun, and with this celebratory song of survival as memento of the best parts.

I was also able to catch up with this talented artist for an interview below.

Adam Grundy Aug 1, 2023

The ninth studio album by The Maine is a self-titled effor that was produced by Colby Wedgeworth (the same producer who oversaw four other The Maine albums), and it’s easy to see why the band considers him a “sixth band member.” Having produced landmark records like Lovely Little Lonely and XOXO: From Love and Anxiety In Real Time, this self-titled album seems like the logical sequel to Lovely Little Lonely, so it’s only fitting for Wedgeworth to be at the helm. The new album also bears extra significance with the “8.1.23” street date, and showcases the band’s continued growth as songwriters. The first taste of The Maine came with the lead single, “Blame,” that even got the attention and adoration of The Jonas Brothers on Instagram. The pacing on the new record is electric and frenetic, while still allowing a few songs to brood in the darkness to fit the overall mood and aesthetic of the black & white album artwork. Having released two other singles leading up to today’s release date, “How To Exit A Room” and “Dose No. 2,” The Maine have a bulletproof record on their hands that is filled with a plethora of single-worthy songs that only prove the point of the band being on the top of their game, and quite possibly the world.

Adam Grundy Jul 31, 2023

Today is a great day to introduce everyone to indie folk/pop artist, Ava Earl. On the second single from her new LP, Too Much (due out everywhere music is sold on September 15th), “Ears Bleed” tackles her personal topic of coming to terms with being deaf in her right ear. Earl shared, ““After going deaf in my right ear, I was left with emotions that took months to unravel, sort, and explain. Six months in, I thought I had come to a semblance of peace when this song tumbled out of me, surprising me with a pain that was still so palpable.” Ava Earl has found early success in her career by opening up for Maggie Rogers while she was still in high school, and has released four albums before she turned 18. With a sound that fits well within the realm of Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Phoebe Bridgers, Ava Earl might just be the next most important indie artist to arrive on the music scene. If you’re enjoying the early listen to “Ears Bleed,” you can pre-save it here.

Adam Grundy Jul 28, 2023

Today I’m excited to share with everyone the latest single and music video from rock band, OSEES, called “Stunner.” John Dwyer shared, “Matt Yoka came up with the idea of filming us playing the song in our rehearsal space with as many people as we could fit, and as many formats as he could stomach. Hi-vis on all the kids. Constricted & claustrophobic just as contemporary routines can be. Noise, obstacle and pointless spectacle. There is no escape!” If you’re enjoying this latest slab of rock, their forthcoming LP, Intercepted Message, will be released everywhere music is sold on August 18th via In The Red Records.

Adam Grundy Jul 27, 2023

Emo-infused alternative rock band, I Am The Pilot, are back with their first taste of new music in 16 years. On their latest single, called “Did You Feel It Too?”, the band channels their love of slick hooks paired with great-sounding guitars for a complete wall-of-sound approach to their music. The band is comprised of Todd Ross and Chad Gannon, and if you’re needing a reminder of their music style, it fits somewhere within the same vein as Bayside and Matchbook Romance. Lead vocalist Chad Gannon shared:

’Did You Feel It Too?’ is the first single and part of our upcoming, as-of-yet untitled release, set to drop later this year on Manic Kat Records. It’s also the first single we have released officially since 2007, and we could not be more excited to share it with everyone. Our hope is that when you listen to this track, you feel the emotions, energy, and passion that went into making it. Ironically, ‘Did You Feel It Too?’ is about the changes that have happened to the scene over the last 20 years. This song is our battle cry announcement that we are back! We hope you enjoy listening to this track as much as we enjoyed creating it together.

If you’re enjoying the early listen to the latest single, it will be available on all streaming services tomorrow.

Adam Grundy Jul 21, 2023

Much like seeing an old friend that you thought you’d never run into again, reunions bring back a flood of memories that make you realize just how important these people are in your life. When Yellowcard announced that they would be playing a show at Chicago’s Riot Fest in 2022, the band realized that there was still a lot of positive energy that happens when they get together. When I last chatted with lead vocalist, Ryan Key, he mentioned that there was a feeling within the Yellowcard camp that their last two albums, Lift a Sail and their self-titled, were made “more for them” in the band and that this latest EP, Childhood Eyes, would have the potential of getting longtime fans of the band excited in the direction they’re taking. Key mentioned in a different interview, “We knew we were writing an EP which meant we only got five songs, so we had to really make them special. And I think there was an immediate sense of bringing it back to Paper Walls—the idea that we need to make something that we’re proud of, but also something that gets Yellowcard fans excited about what we’re doing. So at that point, we picked up the guitars and started demoing and, honestly, I think these five songs could have just been on that record in 2007. And I love that.” By getting that familiar, yet glorious feeling of reinvigorating their passion for playing music together again, Yellowcard have made a dramatic collection of songs that not only lives up to the legacy they built, but hints at the possibility of more music in the future.

Adam Grundy Jul 21, 2023

Recently, I was able to schedule a Zoom interview with the band, Letter Kills, to discuss what made them want to start making music again. I asked the band about the memories they had from recording their well-balanced debut The Bridge, why they felt that the record didn’t get as much traction as they had hoped, as well as what went into the writing/recording process of their triumphant new single, “Right Where We Belong.” Letter Kills will also be playing a headlining show at The Observatory in LA with Dead American and Bullets & Octane on July 28th.

Adam Grundy Jul 21, 2023

Today I’m excited to re-introduce everyone to indie-pop songwriter, Ashlynn Malia, who is back with a great new single and video for the song, “Feels So Good.” The track comes from Malia’s recently released EP, Navigating Galaxies, that is available now where everywhere music is sold. When speaking on the latest single, Malia shared:

I’m in a phase of my music that I’m calling my ‘ethereal pop era.’ This is one of the first songs to come out of it, and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s new for me to put out a song about being happy, I feel like there tends to be this idea that happy music can get a bit cheesy. Instead of being scared of that happening I leaned into the fun of it, while trying to incorporate a cosmic quality as well.

I was also able to catch up with this talented artist for a brief interview below.

Adam Grundy Jul 20, 2023

The meteoric rise of Greta Van Fleet has not been over-exaggerated. Most bands would give their right arms for the attention that they garnered since they stormed onto the music scene in April of 2017, having introduced themselves with the Black Smoke Rising EP. The Led Zeppelin comparisons, the snarky takes on the band’s style choices, all coincided with the band’s ability to take it all in stride, and their perseverance led to them delivering their most cohesive and best album to date with Starcatcher. While I felt that The Battle At Garden’s Gate was a bit of a mixed bag of quality tunes and bloated song structures, the 2023 version of this band has my undivided attention. The latest LP was produced by veteran hitmaker and Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell), and he does a tremendous job of accentuating the best parts of this artist. Through Cobb’s attention to detail, he gets the best performance out of each musician on these ten songs brimming with purpose and reigniting the fire in this ultra-talented young band. Guitarist Jake Kiszka shared, “We didn’t really have to force or be intense about writing, because everything that happened was very instinctual. If anything, the record is our perspective, and sums up where we are as a group and individually as musicians.” Through this process of sticking to their musical instincts and getting back to the basics of early days of the band, Greta Van Fleet are creating their own lane and driving themselves down the highway of rock & roll immortality.

Adam Grundy Jul 19, 2023

Today I’m so excited to bring everyone the latest single and video from Alt Rock artist, America Jayne, called “Life of the Party.” The track comes from her forthcoming EP, Shove It, out everywhere music is sold on August 11th. With a sound that fits well within the realm of Snail Mail, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers, America Jayne could be the next breakthrough artist to take the alternative music scene by storm. I was also able to catch up with this talented artist for a brief interview below.

Adam Grundy Jul 18, 2023

Coming off of the rocket-fueled success of 2020’s bulletproof album, Use Me, PVRIS (the solo project of Lynn Gunn) returns with her latest effort, Evergreen. On her fourth studio album, Gunn again collaborated with co-producer JT Daly, as well as introduced some new blood, with Carrie Karpinen. Gunn described Evergreen as “a reclamation of control in our post-pandemic culture, posing a complex discussion on fame, technology, spectacle, and female autonomy,” and her laser-focused approach to her songwriting pays off in eleven songs dripping in purpose. The set has already spawned five singles, with the lead one being the dual-attack of “Animal / Anywhere But Here,” that was released last October. With the majority of the tracks clocking in under the three-minute mark, PVRIS delivers an accessible, albeit condensed version of her songwriting prowess. Having teased these songs that became Evergreen for so long, it must feel refreshing for this artist to finally unleash the full picture onto the world now.

Adam Grundy Jul 18, 2023

Today I’m excited to bring everyone a great new single and video from D.C. punk rock band, American Television, called “Snakes.” On this emotionally charged punk song, the band highlight their knack for slick hooks, improved songwriting, and crisp musicianship. The band shared, “We hope for the best from any person we vote into office, as they frontload their promises to the people. But if history has told us anything, they’ll backpedal. Yet, somehow, there’s always money for the war machine. The snakes are all around.” With a sound that fits somewhere within the political punk rock of Anti-Flag, paired with the memorable songwriting of Green Day, American Television could be your next favorite band. If you’re enjoying “Snakes,” please consider pre-ordering their new LP, Scars, that releases on September 22nd via A-F Records here.

Adam Grundy Jul 17, 2023

The second full-length studio album by The Japanese House, called In The End It Always Does, is a rich display of emotion from Amber Bain who continues to explore the depth of her music. The set was produced by Bain, The 1975’s George Daniel, and Chloe Kraemer, with each of the talented artists leaving behind their musical blueprint on it. Having not released any music since the 2020 EP, Chewing Cotton Wool, The Japanese House could have gone in a number of directions with the proper follow-up to 2019’s Good At Falling. The latest studio effort relies less on atmospheric elements and sounds, and instead highlights Bain’s musical development with a more indie rock feel to the song structures and sonically it breathes new life into the allure of what makes this artist so special.

Interview: World’s First Cinema

Oh He Dead – “Lightning Drunk” (Song Premiere)

Ben Hazlewood – “Chemical Roulette” (Video Premiere)

Review: The Maine – The Maine

Ava Earl – “Ears Bleed” (Song Premiere)

OSEES – “Stunner” (Video Premiere)

I Am The Pilot – “Did You Feel It Too?” (Song Premiere)

Review: Yellowcard – Childhood Eyes

Interview: Letter Kills

Ashlynn Malia – “Feels So Good” (Song Premiere)

Review: Greta Van Fleet – Starcatcher

America Jayne – “Life of the Party” (Video Premiere)

Review: PVRIS – Evergreen

American Television – “Snakes” (Video Premiere)

Review: The Japanese House – In The End It Always Does