Interview: Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath

Adam Grundy Feb 14, 2022

A couple of days ago, I was able to connect with vocalist Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath right as he and his bandmates were preparing to go on tour next month. In this conversation, I asked Spencer about what he’s noticed from the fan reactions to Voyeurist, how he manages to stay busy with his other band Slo/tide, the well-received livestreams conducted during lockdown, as well as in-depth details on the writing and recording of Underoath’s ninth studio album. Voyeurist was released last month and can also be purchased here.

Jason Tate Feb 12, 2022

This week’s newsletter is jam-packed with two weeks worth of delicious content. I have first impressions of the new A Wilhelm Scream and Frank Turner albums, as well as random other thoughts about the music I listened to this week. Then there’s some entertainment commentary and a playlist of ten songs I liked this week.

This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Adam Grundy Feb 11, 2022

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with one of my favorite post-hardcore vocalists, Cove Reber. The ex-Saosin singer looked back on what he was most proud of from the early days of his career, and we spent the majority of time discussing his new band, Dead American. Dead American’s brand new, full-length record called New Nostalgia is out today wherever you stream your music, or you can pre-order a physical copy (Vinyl/CD) here.

Adam Grundy Feb 3, 2022

Today I’m thrilled to share the exclusive premiere of Alexx Bean and his new single for “Castles.” The track was inspired by pop-punk legends like Green Day and Blink-182, with the modern flair of other up and coming pop artists like WILLOW and Miley Cyrus. The single was produced, mixed and mastered by Alexx, with a co-writing credit from Jesse Fink. If you’re looking for a pop-punk artist that pays direct homage to past legends paired with more modern elements, look no further.

Adam Grundy Feb 3, 2022

Recently I was able to get a hold of LA-based artist, JJ Braves, for an interview regarding the music he’s been creating, including the great new single for “Jawbreaker (Future Vision).” In this conversation, I asked Josh about his core musical influences, his recent production work with other artists, his insight on the LA music scene, among many other topics. The new single hits the streets on February 18th, and I’d recommend it for fans of 80’s synth rock in the same realm as Tears For Fears with the modern flair of Jamiroquai.

Jason Tate Jan 29, 2022

This week’s newsletter has early first impressions of the new Dashboard Confessional, thoughts on other music I enjoyed this week, and commentary on other entertainment I consumed over the past week. Plus, a playlist of ten songs I loved this week. This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Adam Grundy Jan 27, 2022

The latest single from the roots rock band Vakili Band, for “Father’s Son,” recaptures that spirit of the 70’s guitar rock era, and repackages it into a crowd-pleasing effort. The song comes from their new album, Walking Sideways, that hits the streets on February 25th, and you can pre-save it here. I was able to get a hold of lead vocalist, Lily Vakili, to provide some in-depth context on the new single. She mentions a strong Rage Against the Machine influence among many other insights. If you’re enjoying the new track, you can learn more about the band here.

Jason Tate Jan 22, 2022

Buckle-in, we have a lot to talk about this week.

This week I have opinions about the When We Were Young festival and how odd it is to see the music of my life become the talk of the internet. I also share some thoughts on the break-up of Every Time I Die. Then I explore new music I checked out this week (Anxious, PUP, Hatchie, Iann Dior) as well as some nostalgic dives (The Academy Is, Unsung Zeros) and a punk one (Pennywise, Millencolin). And finally, there’s some commentary on entertainment and a playlist of ten songs I enjoyed this week.

This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Adam Grundy Jan 19, 2022

Today I’m beyond thrilled to share the latest music video for a UK-based punk band called Weatherstate for their song “Headstone.” The song comes from their upcoming Rude Records set called Never Better, out everywhere on February 11th. The band shared this about the new single:

Probably the second softest song on the record, and not being as morbid as the name might suggest, ‘Headstone’ is about trying to make something out of ourselves in the time we have here. It’s okay to go through periods of life unhappy and that’s what makes the good bits all the better. ‘Catch me I don’t want to come down’ specifically relates to friends being around when you need a safety net, and how important it is to have the support network that can get you through those monotonous times. We’re only around here for so long, and that’s the way it is, we shouldn’t beat ourselves up too much, and it’s completely okay to sometimes just roll with the punches.

I also had a chance to catch up with lead vocalist, Harry Hoskins, before the release of Never Better. If you’re enjoying the singles that have hit the streets thus far, consider pre-ordering the record here.

Adam Grundy Jan 18, 2022

About a week ago, I was able to connect with former Yellowcard vocalist and established indie solo songwriter William Ryan Key via Zoom, and I asked him about the new EP Everything Except Desire, the legacy of Yellowcard, as well as what it means to him that so many fans still care about what he has to say in his music career. William Ryan Key has always been one of my favorite vocalists and songwriters in this scene, so I thoroughly enjoyed hearing his perspective on not only the new music, but the lessons he has learned over time. Everything Except Desire is available for pre-order from Equal Vision here.

Jason Tate Jan 15, 2022

Another Saturday night online writing about pop-punk.

In this week’s newsletter, I detail how I am showing my nine most listened to albums for the week in an iOS widget, and then go into a deep dive on music I listened to this week (Drive-Thru Records era pop-punk, Northstar, Lunar Vacation, Kevin Devine) as well as some of the entertainment I consumed. As always, there’s a playlist of ten songs I enjoyed, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Adam Grundy Jan 14, 2022

Today I’m excited to share the latest single for indie folk songwriter Ben Auld for the song, “O Athena!” The track comes from his upcoming debut LP Lemongrass, that hits the streets on February 15th. Auld shared this about the song:

This is possibly the oldest song on the album and it stuck around because I could imagine an audience singing along to it. Sufjan’s Illinois is one of my favorite albums ever and I wanted to create something that had a similar feeling of exultation. I can’t remember where the chorus lyrics came from, I guess I felt they fit this theme of praising or elevating people. Making a new friend or founding a new relationship can make people so elated and joyous. This song tries to express that period of time before things settle back to normality. The recording process for each song is slightly different and with this I wanted it to feel like it had depth without it being drenched in reverbs. So I recorded the bass, drums and rhythm guitars to cassette and then used an 8 track to layer the keys and picked guitars. Then I bounced that all to another 4 track and recorded the vocals. Each time a layer was bounced it got pushed down in the mix and so you have this sort of stratification effect.

Your next indie singer-songwriter obsession has arrived.

Jason Tate Jan 8, 2022

I started writing this newsletter early this morning but then had to run some errands, so here I am, finishing it up much later in the day than I expected. It’s a bit of a long one. I cover music listened to last week (The Weeknd, A Wilhelm Scream, Foo Fighters), as well as entertainment I consumed (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Andrew McMahon’s memoir), and there’s some commentary on getting our end of the year feature up earlier this week as well.

This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Adam Grundy Jan 7, 2022

Today I’m thrilled to share the exclusive premiere of the new single by San Diego, California’s pop-punk band Summer Years, called “Small World.” The latest single comes from their brand new EP, You Can’t Live There Forever, which was released today via Enci Records. Band member Noah Rabe shared this quote about the first ballad they have written in their discography:

Small World is the first ballad from Summer Years. Nick wrote the lyrics about his home town and the desire to keep the things you love sacred and the same, but knowing that things always change is the best way to value what you have. If it doesn’t last forever, when ‘it’ is happening, that’s the time to enjoy it. As for the video we got to enjoy a couple hot August summer days near Joshua Tree filming. We loved the cast and crew we worked with. Everyone was motivated to put together something special, and I think we did just that.

If you’re enjoying the single as much as I am, you can purchase the recently released EP here.

Adam Grundy Jan 5, 2022

A couple of weeks ago, I was able to connect with Chloe Chaidez and Parker Silzer IV of the band Kitten before they released their latest album called Personal Hotspots. In this interview, I asked the band about what this recording process unique, their core musical influences, as well as a fun question about other artists they admire in today’s music scene. Personal Hotspots is available now wherever you stream your music.

Interview: Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath

Liner Notes (February 12th, 2022)

Interview: Cove Reber of Dead American

Alexx Bean – “Castles” (Video Premiere)

Interview: JJ Braves

Liner Notes (January 29th, 2022)

Vakili Band – “Father’s Son” (Song Premiere)

Liner Notes (January 22nd, 2022)

Weatherstate – “Headstone” (Video Premiere)

Interview: William Ryan Key

Liner Notes (January 15th, 2022)

Ben Auld – “O Athena!” (Music Premiere)

Liner Notes (January 8th, 2022)

Summer Years – “Small World” (Video Premiere)

Interview: Kitten