features - PAGE 33

Helena Hallberg – “From The Outside” (Video Premiere)

Helena Hallberg
Adam Grundy

Today I’m so excited to share with everyone the latest single and video from Nashville-based artist, Helena Hallberg, called “From The Outside.” The song comes from the newly announced LP, EPITHET, that will be out next spring, and showcases this talented artist’s growth as a songwriter. While Hallberg takes inspiration from Joni Mitchell and ABBA, she displays a folk prowess to her music that exudes confidence and has a contemporary feel to it much like Maggie Rogers is doing. Hallberg shared:

The song came to me as a sort of anthem to my own journey; Moving to the US and taking a chance on building something better, while also acknowledging that journeys often don’t have happy ends– and that’s ok. Because while your life may not play out exactly the way you had envisioned, you can always be proud of taking that step out, you’ll be a better person for it.

The video captures the heart of the song, and marks Hallberg as a key artist to watch as this year unfolds.

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Salamander – “The Label” (Song Premiere)

Salamander
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to introduce everyone to experimental indie band, Salamander, and their latest single called “The Label.” Their debut LP, [Container], will be released later on this month and this third single from the set showcases an artist willing to take calculated risks on a distorted shoegaze track that expands upon the possibilities of the band. Band member Leo Frampton shared:

I woke up one morning with the melody to the label in my head, and immediately made a guitar demo on my computer. PJ’s ableton beat on this really gives me chills. I have a verse about loneliness and alienation, PJ later sings about surviving the apocalypse, and in an emotional ending, we bring it all together. ‘the label’ is what people see from the outside, it is what they choose to look at or away from.

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

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Population II – “Pourquoi qu’on dort pas” (Song Premiere)

Population II
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to bring everyone the latest single from three-piece rock band, Population II, called “Pourquoi qu’on dort pas.” On this electric new track, the band delivers a heavy, psychedelic rock-infused sound with feverish funk rhythms, a hint of jazz philosophy, a burst of early punk energy, and a love of minor scales that harkens back to the roots of heavy metal. I was able to catch up with the band for a brief interview below.

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Miss Velvet – “Zumirez” (Video Premiere)

Miss Velvet
Adam Grundy

Today I’m thrilled to share with everyone the latest single and video from Miss Velvet called “Zumirez.” Channeling the legends of classic rock with powerhouse vocals, impeccable leather style, and an elusive sense of danger that takes you by surprise, Miss Velvet has taken the rock n roll world by storm. I was also able to catch up with this talented artist for an interview below.

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Honeytalks – “There’s Hope in the Hopeless” (Track-by-Track)

Honeytalks
Adam Grundy

Today I’m so excited to share with everyone an exclusive track-by-track feature by Welsh pop-punk band,Honeytalks, regarding their new EP titled There’s Hope in the Hopeless. Despite less than two years in existence, Welsh wunderkinds Honeytalks have already landed acclaim from BBC Introducing, as well as Kerrang Radio (finishing 2nd in the Marshall Records competition) and Bowling for Soup front-man Jaret Reddick. Upcoming sophomore EP, There’s Hope in Hopeless marries the best of the Drive-Thru Records era with a punchy and contemporary pop-punk grit. The record embodies struggle, positivity and triumph for those who feel marginalized and misunderstood. Mental health is at the thematic core of the new collection, but the overarching message is one of strength and hope, inspired by Honeytalks’ uplifting brand of melodic punk. This track-by-track was put together by Adam Scott, the lead vocalist and guitarist of Honeytalks, and the EP is available on all streaming services starting today.

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Interview: Shane Told of Silverstein

Silverstein
Adam Grundy

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom interview with the lead vocalist of Silverstein, Shane Told, to discuss the band’s tour preparations for their anniversary tour of their sixth record, This Is How The Wind Shifts. In this interview, I asked Shane about what went into the writing process for they current album (Misery Made Me), the band’s thinking behind doing the REDUX album re-recordings, and some advice he has for young bands navigating the changing music business. Silverstein will be embarking on their This Is How The Wind Shifts tour starting November 23rd in Toronto, and tickets can be purchased here.

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Super City – “Hang Up” (Video Premiere)

Super City
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to share with everyone the latest single and video from rock band, Super City, called “Hang Up.” On this electric-charged new track, that is sure to make you think as much as it makes you want to dance, Super City channel their love for guitar-based dance grooves paired with slick hooks. The band shared:

The song is sung from the perspective of someone who doesn’t feel strong enough to leave a relationship that they shouldn’t have entered in the first place. The main character explains how they were promised love, but instead only receives criticism and gets berated on the phone. The little voice in their head tells them to hang up, but they’re too weak. At the climax of the song, the main character makes a last ditch effort to impress their sharp-tongued partner with an insane guitar riff. This is to no avail and the song ends with the highest notes that we could sing.

If you’re enjoying the early listen to the single, please consider pre-ordering their new LP In The Midnight Room.

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Rustbelt – “You Got Nowhere To Go But You’re Going There Tonight” (Video Premiere)

Rustbelt
Adam Grundy

Today is a great day to share the new video from Rustbelt called “You Got Nowhere to Go But You’re Going There Tonight.” Previously going by the moniker of Juiceboxxx, the newly named Rustbelt (the solo project of John Chiaverina) has also announced his next EP, You Got Nowhere to Go But You’re Going There Tonight, out everywhere music is sold on January 19th via Dangerbird Records. He shared, “With Rustbelt, I’m trying to give myself room to move outside of my narrative a tiny bit. These songs are like alternate timelines for myself.” With a sound that’s fully entrenched in American-styled pop music, Rustbelt is an artist to watch as this year unfolds. I was also able to catch up with this talented artist for a brief interview below.

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Adam Lytle – “Seeds of Joy” (Song Premiere)

Seeds of Joy
Adam Grundy

Today I’m so excited to share with everyone the latest single from singer-songwriter, Adam Lytle, called “Seeds of Joy.” On this third single from his upcoming LP, This is the Fire, out everywhere music is sold on October 20th, Lytle channels the best parts of darker pop with a voice as powerful as Leonard Cohen and Brian Fallon. When discussing the origins of the latest song, Lytle shared:

In the fall of 2021, my friend Eva (Nighttime) had asked me to record some piano on her song “Keeper is The Heart.” While working out my part for that song, I stumbled on the melody that would become the centerpiece of “Seeds of Joy. I worked on the song for a year after. Filling notebooks with free-written lyrics. Extracting a line here and a word there; combining seemingly disconnected fragments into a mosaic that felt reflective of life’s complexity. The recording features an “ocean of strings” arranged by Trey Pollard that offers a gorgeous perspective on the lyrics while Ryan Jewell’s drums give the song wings. Jonathan Schenke brought it all together in the mix; making additional arrangement decisions that emphasize the surrealistic journey.

If you’re enjoying the early listen to the track, please consider pre-ordering This is the Fire here.

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Gert Taberner – “Tourist” (Video Premiere)

Gert Taberner
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to introduce everyone to Gert Taberner, an ultra-talented singer-songwriter who is releasing his new single and video for “Tourist.” Gert showcases relatable vulnerability and has the ability to connect people to his music in both an authentic and comforting fashion. On this latest single, Taberner shared, “I wrote ‘Tourist’ about my journey providing end-of-life care for my mother when she passed away after a long bout with a terminal illness. The process of providing care to the person who raised you really messes with your head. It feels like any decision you make comes with a life-or-death asterisk, something that I definitely wasn’t prepared to deal with. You’re constantly getting things wrong, and even when you’re getting them right, it doesn’t feel much better, and frankly, any form of joy in that time felt like a bittersweet act of defiance with regard to the clearly pre-defined outcome that a diagnosis like hers entailed. Getting this one right while writing felt like an exercise in holding space for both sides, the morbid and the joyful, and where they intersect.” If you’re enjoying the early listen, more music will be coming soon from Gert Taberner when he releases his new EP If We Kept On Trying later on this year.

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Decant – “Passing” (Song Premiere)

Decant
Adam Grundy

Today is a great day to share the latest single from dark pop band, Decant, called “Passing.” The single is a captivating and emotionally-charged track that delves into the intricate interplay between love’s turmoil and the struggles arising from substance use. With its hauntingly beautiful intro, dark electronic beat, and elevating chorus, the song encapsulates heavy emotions within its melodies and lyrics. Lead vocalist Freddie Bytheway shared, “The name speaks to the passing of life, but also the feeling of passing for what you are not. It is about how existence is contradiction. I remember as a kid often hearing the expression, a blessing in disguise, I was fascinated by the relationship between what we experience and how we interpret it. For me this song is about addiction and how love can be as addictive as any drug.” The band also collectively dedicated the single to, “the life and legacy of Corey Budke, and all of those we have lost too soon.” If you’re enjoying the early listen to this incredibly moving new track, you can pre-save it here.

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Interview: Powfu

Powfu
Adam Grundy

This past week I was able to connect with Canadian rapper/artist, Powfu, to discuss his newly announced LP Gathered By The Lantern. I also asked him about his breakthrough single, “Deathbed (Coffee for your head)” that featured Beabadoobee, his upcoming touring plans and what keeps him motivated as an artist. Powfu will be embarking on a European tour soon.

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