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Llewelyn Screen

I Picked You Up On My TV Screen: Call Me Cannon wanna share the mystery on Submission

With the remake of the classic Sex Pistols track from 1977, Call Me Cannon picks us up rather swiftly and takes us instantly into a Submission we won’t ever forget for centuries.

Call Me Cannon is a Los Angeles, California-based indie rock band who have a rigorous affection for their craft and perform like an outfit that deserves the big stages.

Impressing all listeners with something rather rollicking and loaded with powerfully induced dreamy brilliance, Call Me Cannon take us back to the heydays with their version of Submission. This is excellence personified and a reminder that music with substance is always worth listening to.

Submission from Los Angeles, California-based indie rock band Call Me Cannon is a rather intensely struck song which might bring many back to the classic days of music. Their sound is decisive and to the point, as they avoid cliches and just play from the heart.

On a rather special song to dig deeper into, this is a proper track to play loud to those who missed out on the rocking 70s.

Listen up to this timeless song on YouTube.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Hold Up: Gregory O Screen guides us into ‘The Steppers Club Suite 3- Steppers Party Mix’ (feat. LeSauce)

Bringing us volume three of this catchy track that will have your body grooving to the tune, Gregory O Screen drops more exciting music for us to get excited about on ‘The Steppers Club Suite 3- Steppers Party Mix(feat. LeSauce).

Gregory O Screen is an experienced Illinois-based indie artist who makes that crisp old school feeling-to-the-soul hip hop that brings you back to the good days.

The Stepper’s Club Suites is three songs, that were originally composed to be an individual instrumental. The original was composed approximately 7 years ago, and shelved for other reasons at that time. Once time permitted, Greg dusted of the original track, and took it to local Music Producer Joseph Wright Jr. at JoRon 2000 Studios, in Midlothian, Illinois.” ~ Gregory O Screen

This is a six-minute fade up all the way with the volume high type of experience, that is all about that all-night sensual journey to keep you into the groove away from the bad moods. You feel like you have just stepped back into a peaceful place, as there is a mellow energy here which has to surely get your feet tapping.

The Steppers Club Suite 3- Steppers Party Mix(feat. LeSauce) from Illinois-based Gregory O Screen, shows us into a party that is full of a welcome that grips your attention. With a soulful ambiance which has you feeling so good again, you feel like you are inside the club and enjoying the ride all night long. Featuring lots of soulful singing and drinks to keep you refreshed, this is a track to dive into the whole evening.

Hear this new track on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Unveiling the Harmony: An Exclusive Interview with Gospel Duo Folarin and Keziah

The A&R Factory Team recently had an enlightening chat with the much-loved Gospel duo Folarin and Keziah. They tell us more about what it’s like to work as a couple and take us deep into the creative glue of their wonderful music project which has inspired so much during these dark times.
How would you describe your brand of music to a new listener?

After much thought through the years, we simply define our sound as worship music. There is so much opinion about what constitutes gospel or Christian music genre and we’ve struggled to understand the key differences. For example, we observed that many artists that identify as black are automatically grouped into the gospel category even if their sound says otherwise. Similarly, very few artists that identify as white describe their music as gospel. This creates a type of artificial divide that has left us with more questions than answers in terms of defining a genre. We’ve decided to  focus on writing songs that reflect our Christian faith and express them sonically however we see fit. We have been privileged to minister in multicultural spaces and we have learnt that people just want good music and the genre stereotypes can sometimes hinder our ability to connect. We love and listen to several Christian and gospel artists but find that our music blend is genre-defying which gives us the opportunity to connect with listeners regardless of their color, creed and culture.

How did you both start performing together and what is the writing/production process like?

We both started our music journey on different trajectories. Folarin started leading worship in a local church in Nigeria in 1997 and has been doing so ever since. Keziah also started singing in the choir as a teenager in Nigeria but took some time off in her early twenties to focus on other ministry gifts in the church. After we got married in 2011, we both started singing at Talbot Christian Center, Nottingham, England where Folarin was a worship band leader. About a year later, we moved to Canada and continued singing in church as worship leaders in St Catharines and Hamilton, Ontario. We started writing songs and sharing them with members of our Christian faith community and this received an overwhelming response. It soon became obvious to us that we wanted to be more involved with music outside formal church settings. We started the band, Folarin & Keziah in 2018 and released our first album in 2019. Our song writing process is atypical as it tends to focus on inspiration and tapping into the moment. For example, I (Folarin) was having a conversation with a patient who was recovering from Stroke when the inspiration for Relentless (first album title track) was received. We were listening to a heated conversation about who the greatest basketball player is and we concluded it was basically impossible to pour the accolade of ‘greatest’ on any human being. We got to work and the song greatest (title track of sophomore EP) was born. Relentless was written in less than an hour to write while Greatest took over a year to complete. Once we create a song, we reach out to our team to arrange a recording with a live band off the floor. That typically results in a demo that needs additional productions for the final track. The next step involves background vocals jumping on the track before we finally work our way around the track to add our voices as lead singer.

As a couple, how do you find performing together and has it made your bond even stronger?

We really enjoy performing together and we continue to evolve as a duo as we push each other towards excellence. Performing together gives us the chance to spend more time together and travel together. However, contrary to what most people may believe, working as a couple is also fraught with the challenges you face when working with a family member. Performing together also helps us see each other in a different light and exposes to what we both act like when at work. With that knowledge comes more patience to learn how to complement each other and create great music without sacrificing our uniqueness.

Please provide more details about your label and how everything began?

We started God Colors Media Inc in 2019 as a creative start-up focused on producing, performing and publishing worship worship music that is undignified and genre-defying.  Like many independent artists, we invested a lot in music production and audio-visual gear during the pandemic when all studios were closed. Although we always wanted to have our own label, that period quickened the process. We decided to self-release all our music and control the production, distribution and promotion of our music. Having a label also allows us to retain ownership of our intellectual property since we write most of music ourselves. Our vision for the future is to support newer artists by offering more flexibility, creativity and control. As we grow in the music business, God Colors Media will help us maintain a larger share of any profits we make from music sales. God Colors Media is currently registered with the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN).

Your 2nd album was just released. Please explain to us how the project came together and what is next?

Our sophomore project, Greatest was released on November 1, 2023. The EP contains 6 tracks and is a collection from some of the songs we started writing during the pandemic. Everything to Me, the first single from the EP, was released at the end of 2022. This was followed with four singles Greatest, Long to Worship, Audience of One and King of Glory in 2023. We decided to feature our friend and one of the most dynamic worship leaders we know, Melina Dulluku-Fisico on the project. Melina is a singer songwriter, musician and worship leader in Ontario, Canada and listeners will get to hear her beautiful voice on Audience of One and King of Glory. Like our first album, all songs were written by Folarin & Keziah with Sam Williams (Toronto) receiving co-production credits. We have an album release and worship concert scheduled for November 12, 2023.

Last, what advice would you give a new musician who is just starting out in this game?

To anyone, thinking about creating music especially with a spiritual essence. Know your listeners, create music you love and look for people that you can work with that will offer great advice but not try to change your vision into theirs. Ultimately, time is the greatest revealer. So, learn to be patient while waiting for your music to be heard around the world. That itself is not a guarantee!

Hear their music on Spotify. See their creative journey on IG.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Tracy Inman on A&R Factory: It’s About Time

Talking to us about ghosts, It’s About Time and his whole life in a small town with so much love, Tracy Inman kindly tells us about his exciting life as a Paranormal Investigator and shall inspire many to follow their dreams. This is an interview to remember fondly.

Thank you for joining us today Tracy. Let’s start off here. What was it like growing up in East Alton, Illinois and what do you love most about your hometown? Why have you chosen to stay all these years?
The area I have been in most of my life is in the metro St. Louis area. It’s a small town vibe, but not far from the big city.  I have lots of fond memories of growing up with a tight knit family and friends and community. I have stayed in this area to be closer to my family and friends.
It’s About Time is your new 10-track release and we really enjoyed listening to your creation. What was the main inspiration behind it and who have you made it for? 
The title says it all.  I’ve been writing for many years.  This is a collaboration of songs that I wrote when I was younger and what I am writing now. Facebook was not around when I first started writing so the ON FACEBOOK song was written about 2 years ago.  But the song Daddy’s Girl and Guess What were written about 20 years ago when my children were younger.  I wrote the song Dad when my father was in the hospital. The only song i did not write on this album is Old School.  That song was released by John Conlee back in the 1980s and I always thought it was a very underrated song.  I challenge everyone to listen to that song and listen to the lyrics.  Great song!
You stated that Daddy’s Girl has been played as the father/daughter dance at many wedding receptions. Does this make you happy and proud?
Yes. I have 2 daughters and a son. It was played for my oldest daughters father/daughter dance and I was extremely proud to be dancing with her to it.  I will do the same with my other daughter when she gets married.  I was sent a video a few months ago of another father dancing with his daughter to it at their reception and I couldn’t believe I had made an impact on their wedding.  It truly is a great feeling.
How did you first get into music and what/who has helped you in your journey? What have been the fun moments and what challenges have you overcome?
I’ve always loved singing. ever sinced I can remember, I was singing. My brother Chris is the same way.  He is a talented singer as well. But I took a different route than most. I fell off course from my music after high school.  I started a family, went to work, etc.  I always kept writing, but didn’t really do anything with it. Over the past couple of years I realized I needed to get this stuff out there.  With encouragement from my wife and kids, I decided to reach out to a record company to start the path forward.  I contacted a company in Nashville, Tn, AOK Records and we put the songs together.  Adam Knight is a great person to work with.  I recommend his services to anyone.  The funnest moment for me was recording.  Standing behind that microphone belting out these tunes came out naturally for me and I really enjoyed the experience.
Do you love making country music? What does it mean to be an artist in this genre?
Yes.  I love writing. If my songs dont make it with me singing them, I’m content with that. Hopefully someone out there might want to record them as well.  As far as being an artist in country music now-a-days, I’m in the minority.  An older artist trying to get his music heard. I started this process with making music so my great-great grandchildren could hear after I’m long gone. A legacy so-to-speak.  But, Adam realized the need to start sending these songs out there to get real airtime on radio and plays on streaming, so we went that route as well.  This process has already surpassed all my expectations. Knowing that people are listenting to my songs is the greatest feeling in the world. I am genuinely honest about that. And I am here for any fans.  TracyInmanMusic.com.  Please reach out with any questions for me.
We’re fascinated that you’re a Paranormal Investigator. Have you ever been blown away by something/someone you’ve found?
I co-own a FREE social media platform called Paralinked.com. It’s a Facebook for the paranormal community. I am also a co-founder of T.H.A.T. Paranormal group.  And I run a podcast on Weds evenings called Paranormal Plus with Grizzy Chris and Tracy Inman.  With T.H.A.T., we did a hunt in Ashmore Estates near Charleston Illinois and we set up a tricycle on an upper floor by itself on level concrete.  We watched it for over 20 minutes, nothing. As we walked out, we caught it rolling backwards on film. It can be found on Paralinked.com in the evidence section. Pretty cool  What does the job entail and is it an exciting experience each day? We do this once a month.  I have friends in the field that do it everyday basically.  But with everything going on in my life, I can’t fit it in as much as I should. Paralinked.com takes up a lot of time to run.  Are ghosts real? Everyone has differing opinions about this. I have seen a few things that are unexplainable. The tricycle for instance. I started off as a skeptic, but after seeing a few things, I believe there is something out there. I compare a ghost hunt to a guided fishing expedition, there might be plenty of fish at the location or none at all.  We have so many questions. Feel free to reach out with any other questions concerning this.
Lastly, do you have any funny/amusing gig stories you can share with us? Perhaps a fan interaction or something that makes you laugh, showing us that the music industry can always spring surprises and fond memories?
I have played in various bands over the past few years and some talented musicians. Not too many stories. Just seeing the smiles and enjoyment of the crowd seeing along is a great feeling for me. I look forward to what the future holds. I am very sincere when I say “thank you to everyone for supporting me”. No matter what happens with my songs, just knowing it brought entertainment to others is better than any amount of money I could get.  Thanks Tracy Inman

Hear this new music on Spotify.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Interview: Propter Hawk tell us all about Toronto life and the anticipation building for their epic 12-track album

Ripping a hugely likeable sound into our lives with a friendly kick to the soul and a smile to follow, Propter Hawk reminds us of that old-school sound that drives our hearts into doughnuts outside the local drive-through at 2 am. They tell us their debut self-titled debut record while sipping on sherry flips and might change your mood for the better. Real music with purpose still exists you see? You just have to look for it and dig a little deeper to find the treasure. Look no further.

Llewelyn: Hello Propter Hawk. Please take a seat on our cosy virtual couch (excuse the snoring cat there) and may we provide you with any snacks or beverages? Alrighty, let’s get into it. Firstly, how did you get this incredible name and who is the cleanest member of the band, who’s the most organised, the most serious, the friendliest and who is the messiest?

Andrew: I came up with the name a while ago and this question has been haunting me ever since. It’s a play on “Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc” which is one of Socrates’ informal fallacies. I often find myself trying to explain this to people in loud, packed clubs and it is the most difficult part of my entire life.

Malorie: I’m definitely the most organised, Alec’s the most serious and Jimmy is the friendliest person on earth. Andy and Brian can fight over who is the messiest. They’re both…you know.

Llewelyn: Secondly, we’re super thrilled about your upcoming debut release on the 18th of August 2023. You were kind enough to send us a pre-listen..and wow..we love it. Sherry Flip especially is special. How did the whole album come together and how would you describe the vision and your sound on this one?

Andrew: In many ways, the album came together because of Covid and lockdowns. Mal and I had a lot of song ideas going into the pandemic and we wanted to write songs that really expressed some of the feelings that, I think, a lot of people have been having for a long time. Since we couldn’t play shows, we really used it as an opportunity to work them out with the boys and by the time restrictions were lifted, we had a whole album of songs ready to go before we ever had the chance to play live.

Jimmy: We were toying with the idea of recording the album ourselves but when we got the opportunity to record at Pineship Sound in Toronto with Carlin and Mike of Zeus, that settled it for us. We grew up watching those guys in Zeus and it was a thrill to get the chance to work with them. They’ve contributed to so many records that we love.

Alec: There are a lot of overlapping influences between all of us, so musically we are all headed towards the same goal, but the album certainly showcases everyone’s individual approach and it became kind of our own unique take on rock and roll. For me, a lot of it came down to us recording live off the floor and making sure we kept things loose and organic. I think you can hear that rawness in the tracks.

Llewelyn: Please tell us all about your upcoming album release show at The Cameron House (408 Queen St W, Toronto, ON) on 18th August. Who’s on the lineup and what should fans expect, where can they buy tickets, why did you choose this particular venue, times etc?

Brian: This is a really special show for us. We’ve been sitting on this album for a while now and are really ready to get it out there. We’re playing with The Young Scones, a supergroup made up of some of our favourite Toronto musicians that we’ve been playing with right from the start. Moondoggy is the other act on the bill and another one we’ve played with before; they’re always great. We’ve played at The Cameron House a few times before and it’s always a really exciting spot to play. The room comes with a lot of energy.

Llewelyn: Toronto, Ontario is your hometown and is a place we want to visit. What parts do you love and where do you personally go and watch live music? Is the scene thriving and where do upcoming original solo musicians and bands head to perform?

Brian: I think the live music scene, especially for rock and roll, has changed a lot in recent years all over the world…but Toronto is still holding on like it always has. We grew up going to places like Lee’s Palace, The Horseshoe Tavern, El Mocambo and The Dakota Tavern, and all of them are still going strong and are still home to the best upcoming rock bands in Toronto. I don’t think a lot of these legendary clubs survived the pandemic in other cities. In fact, we have seen more clubs popping up here and there recently. Anyone looking to start playing in Toronto has a lot of options to choose from.

Llewelyn: Ah yes. How did the band form? We have a feeling this is an interesting story…actually…you have told us but we don’t want to spoil it. Please tell our readers about how your band actually got together and now makes beautiful music together.

Malorie: Well…I married a guitar player (Andrew) and he was in a band called New Commuters with Jimmy. I have been singing for years and wanted to start my own music project and Andy was an obvious choice. Since Jimmy is Andy’s most trusted musical collaborator, he was also an obvious choice. Our original idea was going to be the three of us and Andy was working on…a bass-playing robot. Not a joke. He actually got close, but the logistics were a nightmare. So we sent out a desperate classified ad looking for a bass player. Our only reasonable response was from Alec, who played guitar and had no interest in playing bass at all. For some reason, we invited him to come play with us anyway and after a few minutes, it was clear that we could exploit him for his outrageous talent. Shortly after, Alec brought in his seasoned musical collaborator, Brian, to play bass and sing harmony and he fit in right away. And here we are.

Llewelyn: What’s it like when you close your eyes and see that live crowd? Does it excite you and do any parts of the process scare you at all? It must be such a rush feeling the anticipation and seeing sweaty faces staring closely, singing your songs and rocking out to get work-life stresses out of their system.

Alec: It’s definitely a rush to get up there in front of people and give it your all. For me, once you play that first chord through a loud amp we’re off to the races and any nerves turn into excitement. Seeing people get into it and pass that energy back to us might just be the best part.

Llewelyn: Last one. Once again, thank you for your time today. What do you usually eat/drink before a show or is there a pre-gig ritual or do you just have a lil chat and get on with it? Also, is there one song of yours in particular that you all love wholeheartedly and can never get sick of playing?

Jimmy: We kind of do our own thing for the most part and we’re pretty low-key. Right before going on stage, Malorie, Brian and I find a quiet place somewhere and warm up our vocals. The Yawn-Sigh Technique, The Tongue Trill Exercise…lip buzz warm-ups…all of them.

We released Theatre Of The Whole World a while ago and it seems to have caught on really well in Toronto. It’s always a rush to see a crowd of people that you’ve never seen before singing along to every word.

Do some warm-ups for the soul via the album link on Spotify.

See where they fly next on IG.

Interviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Interview: Kyle Richardson keeps it golden on the heart-wide open chat about his cosy new release Anything

Vancouver-based pop artist and renowned writer Kyle Richardson recently dropped his brand new single Anything and we wanted to know more about it. We sat down with Kyle and learned more about the Canadian music landscape, his career, the creative process, diversity and representation in music, gaming, and his ideal pre-gig routine.

Hi Kyle, thanks so much for blessing us with your valuable time. How is Vancouver today and how do you normally start your day? A cuppa coffee or a long walk? Or straight to the studio for some vocal warm-ups?

Thanks for chatting with me! Today is a very nice, warm summer day here in Vancouver. Usually I sleep pretty late (I’m a night owl), start the day with some form of caffeine, watch some entertainment business related stuff on YouTube, listen to some music, and either chill before heading into my job, or work on some music (either learn a cover song, practice singing something of mine, work on new song ideas).

Anything. This is your hot new single and we love the vibe. Who have you made the track for and what does it all mean to you? Also the video was tremendous. Who was the team behind it all?

Thank you for the kind words! I’m so happy with how Anything turned out.

It’s truly been a labor of love, and time. I wrote the song many years ago before I ever even moved to Vancouver. I had shown collaborators the demo I made at the time, and no one really took the bait in terms of turning it into a full production. Years later, I circled back to the demo and again showed it to collaborators as I still loved the song. This time, producer Jeff Dawson loved the demo and we quickly finished the single version you hear today!

I wrote the song about the belief that small moments of kindness can really make all the difference in your relationships, whether it’s a romantic relationship, or a friendship. It’s also about making sure you take the time to let your loved ones know how much they mean to you.

The video was directed by AJ Astle of Roadhouse Productions in Toronto. It was a really fun day of shooting. We had a very limited window of time to get those beautiful beams of light through the windows you see during the chorus of the song, but I really wanted that bright, ethereal kind of look to bring out the vibe that the choruses are delivering.

Louder Than Words is your debut album that is due to be dropped into our awaiting ears this fall. What can fans expect and what was the process like to create something you’re proud of? It must be quite the journey. What have you learnt along the way?

It was a really fun process to create the album. We really went song by song. I basically had a period of time in which I wanted to commit to writing and recording one song at a time. I really wanted to focus on vocals and melody, and create some beautiful and heartfelt songs to comprise the album. Doing the album one song at a time – and truly taking time with each one to make sure they were perfect – really meant no songs were wasted. We really only wrote and recorded exactly what’s being presented on the album, and towards the end of the process we looked back at some older demos I had worked on throughout the years (for example, Anything, Can You Hear Me, and Keep The Faith were all older songs I had always wanted to do something special with), and filled out the project with the best songs that I had never given proper time to finish and get fully produced.

We see that you love your gaming. What kind of games do you like and which is the best platform, PC, Playstation or XBox?

Honestly I am pretty diverse in terms of which platform I choose to game on, except PC. I’m not really into PC gaming as I’m more of a Mac user. My favorite gaming platform is Nintendo Switch, as I’m a huge Mario junkie. I love basically all the major Nintendo franchises like of course Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Splatoon, Yoshi, and the party games like Mario Kart, Mario Party, and fun stuff like that to play with friends. I do really enjoy Playstation 5 and the Xbox platforms as well for games like the recent (and upcoming) Spider-Man games as I love Marvel comics, also games like Uncharted and Tomb Raider. The Lego games are fun takes on some of my favorite franchises, and the recent Star Wars Jedi games are also incredible and have such good storylines!

What are your top 5 favourite movies ever and why? In any order. You can even sneak in a few more if you like, we don’t mind. 

I love movies. I go to the theatre almost every week and sometimes more than once in a week. So a favorites list is tough! I will say my fave movie trilogy of all time is Back To The Future. I love pretty much the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe and all the older Spider-Man movies (even the infamous Spider-Man 3). I love The Conjuring franchise, even if all the spin-off movies aren’t necessarily as good as the first two original movies. The two Sister Act movies starring Whoopi Goldberg are movies I’ve turned to my entire life as fun, musical, escapist movies and I probably watch them both once a year when I need a good cheer-up.

Carly Rae Jepsen, DYLN, and Garrett Neiles. You’ve written songs for these outstanding artists. What makes a great hit song and what does it feel like when one of the songs you write makes it onto TV or into the mainstream so successfully? It must make all the hard work worth it surely? How do you stay humble throughout this discovery?

Well in terms of Carly Rae Jepsen and DYLN,I wrote songs with them that were intended to be released by me! These two songs haven’t ever seen the light of day as fully-finished tracks but never say never. I was writing with a lot of artists to get a better grip on who I am myself as an artist, and collaboration is such a good chance to really see what works and what doesn’t work. I did write a song with Jeff Dawson and Garrett Neiles for Garrett’s project, and I am not sure if he’s recorded the tune yet, but it was a lovely ballad as he wanted to write a more emotional song.

It’s really cool when I see a song I’ve been a part of get picked up for a placement on a TV show, it really does give a sense of being on the right track, and it makes me want to create more songs that are even better and can have an even broader scope to reach more people! Creating a hit song is not something that can always be planned. I find I just want to create something honest and fun that I would want to listen to myself, and see how that can resonate with others.

Lastly, how do you feel the music industry can be better with diversity and representation in the industry? Also, does Ai music scare you and do you feel it threatens the long-term future of musicians?

The music industry, and any industry whether creative or otherwise, can only be improved with more diversity and inclusiveness for all people. Everyone has a different background, a different story, and a different perspective. I think everyone wants to feel represented in the media they consume, and I think the more diverse that art and media gets, the more potential audience it can reach. I am not sure how I feel about AI music, I think the human touch and perspective, and talent is important to create something emotional that will have a better chance of really connecting with an audience.

Check out this fine new single on YouTube.

See more of this journey on IG.

Interviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Way Too Late: Kenesukoh floats away forever on i’ll be gone

Putting his previous struggles behind him and getting away from something he feels no love for anymore, Kenesukoh has dropped a quick-fire song to turn our ears up and this one is called i’ll be gone.

Kenesukoh is a Los Angeles, California-based indie shoegaze artist who loves to make soul-carrying singles to take others out of their mental struggle.

Packed with potential and piercing with a speaker-sizzle vibration, Kenesukoh is the type of modern-day musician who keeps things real throughout and certainly isn’t afraid to experiment.

i’ll be gone from the LA shoegaze single-songwriter Kenesukoh is a reminder that sometimes things end before we want them to. This is a single with minimal lyrics and is simply a daydream in real life, that seems to go so fast and take us into a surreal mindset which is hard to overcome sometimes.

Listen up further on Spotify.

See more on the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Lyrically supreme Washington DC underground emcee Kvng Chemist guides us through his obvious true love for music

Kvng Chemist is an insightful and experienced figure in the music game. The Washington DC emcee sat down with us the other day to speak more about his vision behind the new single, his career to date and what’s next.

Llewelyn: Thank you for joining us today Kvng Chemist. Let’s start off here. Where in the world are you as we speak and how did you get your artist name? It feels like it’s a good story of how you got it originally.

Kvng Chemist: Right now I’m in Washington D.C born and raised. My artist name origin stems from my early childhood when my father was a DJ and my interest in science as I first started out as The Venomous Chemist as in the early 90s there was a chemist radioactive lab set to where you could concoct a lot of ingredients to make weird things and I really enjoyed and it help me to appreciate art and mind of a chemist so I embody that and as I got older me and some of my friends I grew up with we really got into learning ancient cultures and history which lead to me evolving and changing my name to Kvng Chemist as doing research we are descendants of our ancestors who are ancient beings.

Llewelyn: Please tell us more about your true love of music. How has this progressed and does it encapsulate your life story?

Kvng Chemist: My love for music stems from my father DJing since I can remember at the age of 4yrs old seeing him mix and blend oldies with late 80s to early 90s hip-hop and R&B. He seen how much I loved music at the age 2yrs old and made sure when ever he had gigs at weddings, beach parties, anniversaries etc. me and my brother was present. My love for the art progressed as friends around my neighborhood would come over and we would have freestyle sessions and battle rap. I did a lot recordings I sang and rap on my home alone talkboy my parents bought me one Christmas. But I really starting taking my writing serious when I was 14 yrs old and recorded my first song at 15yrs old. I believe when I turned 19yrs of age and my daughter came into the picture my writing and thought process changed and evolved for the better. It’s crazy because her being helped me tap into expressing my journey and lessons in life in a enigmatic manner and I embody that.

Llewelyn: When do you realise that you wanted to be an artist and what have been the victories and challenges along the way? Have you found that self-belief has carried you over the line when some have doubted you?

Kvng Chemist: I realized at 15yrs of age I wanted to be an artist. I was an introvert growing up and there was a lot of emotions and things I started to experience that I felt more comfortable expressing through writing. My challenges along the way we’re definitely hard. It was a constant struggle trying to master my cadence to the beat and I really stood out because most not all but majority of my peers liked punch lines and battle rap and that just wasn’t me even though I enjoyed it also. My victories along the way were my constant freestyle sessions whether I was in a cypher or around my friends, or I was with my cousin and he would play new beats he made and we would ride out for 2 to 3 hrs and he would have me freestyle on all his beats the whole ride. Those moments and memorabilia were pivotal in my growth up to this day. Most definitely self-belief has carried me over the line of doubters whether it was family, friends, business partners, love interests. It was all fuel to the fire. But at the end of day I love what I do and it’s me.

Llewelyn: Your new single is called Star. What’s the vision behind the project and who did you make the song for? Also, who was involved in the creation besides yourself?

Kvng Chemist: The vision behind my new single Star was self-love affirmation and recognizing who I am and when I wrote it I spoke from my personal perspective and experiences with the thought of others in mind. Because I do believe everyone has a gift and everyone is special or you wouldn’t be here. So we are all Stars but, it’s on us as individuals to seek out that gift and see how can we use it for the betterment of mankind. I definitely wanna show love to everyone I collaborated with on this single Anna-Sophia Henry who is one of the co-writers, Darrell Banks the producer and Face the engineer who mixed and mastered the final cut.

Llewelyn: How do you write tracks? Do you go outside to find the lyrics or do they come naturally when you want?

Kvng Chemist: When I write I never box myself into only one particular way of how my creativity comes to me. So to be truly honest and 100 when I say this my process is never forced and comes naturally when I’m inspired to share my experiences, thoughts, and lyricism

Llewelyn: What kind of music are you into and who are some of your favorite artists?

Kvng Chemist: I’m into most genres because they all tell a story and as I study them and listen closely they all expressed in different emotional tones how I would put it. But I will say I do listen to more classical, opera, & jazz music. Those combinations definitely inspires some of my creative styles. As favorite artists now a days I really don’t have a favorite because I like so many of them that came before me. So just to name a few off the top of my head MosDef, Rakim, Big L, Nas, AZ, Busta Rhymes, Black Thought, OutKast, Goodie Mob, UGK, De La Soul, Slum Village, Tribe Called Quest, of course Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tha Eastsidaz, & Shade Sheist it’s so many I enjoy studying & listening to the art overall from all genres just to reiterate

Llewelyn: Last, who inspires you most in the world and do you have any words for young musicians starting out in the game?

Kvng Chemist: I would say the fact that I exist to learn & experience God’s creations, inspires me the most. Because every breath, every step, every heartbeat, every blink from eyes is a tempo. Music is an essential part of life!

For the young musicians starting out. Be inspired, be different. Always be true and authentic with yourself and you’ll be successful. It’s all about PFM Positive Foward Movement

Listen up on Spotify.

See more on his IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Up all night: Gemfaire wants to feel less alone in a back alley kinda world on Chat GPT

Formally known as Ami Inu, Gemfaire breaks away from her influencer past and shows us her true love for music with a memorable outing on her dazzling debut single, Chat GPT.

Gemfaire aka Ami is a hugely loveable US-based hyper pop/cyber core solo artist who has fearlessly reinvented herself and performs with such honesty and truthful insights inside our digital world.

This is what I like to imagine it would sound like if Isaac Asimov [prolific science fiction writer] got yassified and made pop music,” GemFaire explains.

Telling us the truth and opening the door to her world so we can see what she’s really like, Gemfaire is absolutely mind-bending-ly brilliant on Chat GPT. Floating away from her mental health issues and showing such bravery, we feel glitching and vintage computer sounds, which urges us to embrace technology while keeping our intrinsic essence.

Chat GPT from Gemfaire is a scary look into the future….and the now. With a pulsating beat to tear holes through the speakers, this is a reminder that we are so alone right now.

Sung with frankness and telling us a real story, this is a complex web for us to unravel for the sake of humanity.

Hear this visionary single on Spotify.

Feel her vibes manifest on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen