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Llewelyn Screen

You trapped me in: Bay Area’s Juno Khrøme felt so stuck in those dangerous games on Paralyze

Feeling those sweetly intoxicating lips which are delectable and terrifyingly alluring each time, Juno Khrøme knows that he was played and lied to and can’t seem to disentangle himself from the spiderweb which has him cocooned inside like a mummy on Paralyze.

Juno Khrøme is a Bay Area, USA-based shades-sliding indie genre-floating artist and music producer who is inspired by jazzy beats, neo-soul brilliance and those funky disco tunes to lose all bad moods with.

Featuring nonfunctioning hearts, love lost and much regret, Juno Khrøme’s Paralyze is a masterful maze into the romantic intentions of those who don’t mean to cause carnage…but ultimately do anyway. Is this what dating is in 2023? Confusing and filled with hazardous potholes. Or a message to be cautious about who we let into our beds at night?

Paralyze from Bay Area, USA-based indie music producer and musician Juno Khrøme is a story that will soar minds into a thrilling but ultimately haunting zone which won’t let go.

Feeling like a misplaced zombie and reminiscing us through a single which is excellent in nature and warns us about those temptations which will take innocent souls into the dark.

Cautioning us about the dangers of a hazardous love, it will be hard not to relate to this song.

Listen up loud on Spotify and forget everything else.

See more vibes on the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

I Hear Voices: Torn Rhythms remembers the youthful hunger on Lines

Feeling like everything has faded away due to the cold world, Torn Rhythms takes us on a journey through the innocence of youth and shows us what life should be like on the visuals for Lines.

Torn Rhythms is a Virginia, USA-based indie 5-piece rock band that loves to inspire crowds with their classic sound that shall add a warm blood flow to all veins.

Ripping away all negativity and guiding us into a better place, Torn Rhythms has brought kindness back to music. This is quality stuff from an experienced outfit who shows us the truth.

Lines from Virginia, USA-based rockers Torn Rhythms is a trip down memory lane. It takes us back to a more suitable place. Flying hand-made planes, playing on the beach and reading after dark. This is pure. This is a single to show all kids, who have been exposed to the harshness of the world. To remind them that this is what it should be about, as freedom and learning to play, is the best way to being happy long-term.

See this inspiring new video on YouTube.

See more on their Facebook music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

iisaac opens up about his life in the most honest way possible on interview about keep my head afloat

Known best for his debut track Tired of You and kindly telling us all about his new vulnerable 10-track record called keep my head afloat, San Diego alternative artist iisaac bravely shows us the scars of depression and was kind enough to open up the curtains on this revealing interview. This is must-read stuff.

Llewelyn: Thanks so much for joining us today isaac. Please tell us where you’re based at the moment and what was it like growing up in your hometown.

iisaac: hello! Thank you so much for having me, I am based in San Diego. Growing up in San Diego was amazing, I loved every moment of it, especially starting my craft as a musician.

Llewelyn: Have you always been connected with music and who do you personally work with?

iisaac: I have always been connected with music, especially when I express my vulnerability and emotions on each song I do, also when I was younger. I sing a lot so I feel like music has always been around me, growing up. I haven’t worked with any artists yet but my dream is to possibly work with Clairo, JOJI, BENEE, all such talented artists.

Llewelyn: Please tell us more about your emotion-filled new 10-track record, keep my head afloat. This is raw and revealing. We admire your courageousness. It feels like you have put your heart & soul into this effort.

iisaac: This album was so hard emotionally and mentally because I basically told a story all about my life, growing up as a kid who felt lost, and depressed, it was hard. The main goal for this album was that I was completely honest about the things that I went through and perhaps someone who listens to this record relates to it in a way. The whole album talks about heartbreaks, depression, moving on from people who no longer are in your life, and just finding yourself to be who you are. Each song on keep my head afloat all tells a story about me, and I couldn’t be more happier on how this album turned out to be, which is a life diary of me.

Llewelyn: Which songs in particular are you most proud of and which ones were the most difficult to make as they perhaps made you revisit those tough times?

iisaac: The most proud songs on keep my head afloat were blurry side, hostage, keep my head afloat and deep end, because they all talk about different topics about my life which is not getting push down again, losing a connection with someone, being hostage from toxic people, and getting to the deep end with your thoughts, overall i do feel proud for the rest of the songs. I feel like the songs that were difficult to make on keep my head afloat were blurry side and hostage just because blurry side told a story about losing someone you had a connection with and before you saw all clear, because you and that person were together etc but now its all over so you’ll forever not see clearly, you start to see this person on the blurry side, a side that doesn’t exist. Hostage was another one that was hard because it’s being trapped with someone who constantly abuses you with their power, meaning they control you with their harsh words and actions, which was very difficult to write and record that song and blurry side.

Llewelyn: Does making music make you feel happier and away from the deep end?

iisaac: Music is therapy to me, being able to write your heart out with real topics that relate to you and being able to record, and just feel some way when you release your emotions with music, makes me so happy to be an artist, I definitely get out of those hard situations with music for sure.

Llewelyn: You seem to mix alternative and RnB rather well. Do you love to fuse different genres and make music that is different to what most people are making?

iisaac: Yes, because I feel like as an artist you need to be as unique as possible because there’s so many artists who make the same music and they lack the ability to be different. some artists copy other artists, same type of vibe for the song etc. So it’s important to be different as an artist, so that’s what I do, especially with my alternative R&B sounds.

Llewelyn: What plans do you have for the future? Making more music and touring, or it is one day at a time right now? We certainly live in a rather odd world.

iisaac: My plan is to keep creating music and hopefully put out a new record by the end of 2023, also hopefully touring more, doing music videos, so much stuff that i can’t wait to do with my music.

Llewelyn: Also, who is on your team? Who backs you when the chips are down?

iisaac: I don’t really have a team right now, but I do have my mom who supports me and my music career which I’m forever grateful for, and she mostly helps me get back up when it gets difficult for me to handle.

Llewelyn: If you could play live in any country, where would it be and why?

iisaac: I would love to play in the UK because their vibe seems so fun, and I would love to learn the uk accent.

Llewelyn: Lastly, who do you make music for and how do you hope to inspire the lost youth who are looking for genuine role models right now?

iisaac: I make music for myself, it heals me, having so many things that i went through was so hard to get out of, but music made me have purpose in life. Creating different beats, writing songs that come from my soul, and being able to just have fun, so i feel like music is for me. Some person told me that when it’s hard to find the light, you don’t keep your head down, you stand tall and keep going until you find the light to guide you on where you want to go.

Listen up to this fine new music on Spotify.

See more news on IG.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Interview: Robert John Hanson is the ultimate singer-songwriter to learn from on The Bitter Suite

https://open.spotify.com/album/47rCtxG7ZUbm6FBQBXS3fI

We sat down with the hugely experienced Liverpool-born musician Robert John Hanson recently. He tells us about life in the USA, his personal release The Bitter Suite, classical music inspirations, Uncle Wally and The Beatles, reading, mystery authors, unexpected death and much more. Sit back with a cuppa coffee and enjoy learning from an experienced artist who guides us through the life of a solo musician in a forget-me-quick world.

Llewelyn: Hello Robert. We appreciate your time and for joining us. First, what do you have for breakfast usually and where are you currently based?

Robert: Coffee and a cigarette for breakfast. My current home base is Providence, RI.

Llewelyn: How did you first get into music and do you recall your first time on stage and what it felt like?

Robert: My father exposed me to classical music and my mother played the piano. You see, we had a piano in the front room. I took piano lessons at age 9, but in order to save money, I had to go with my best friend’s older sister who was a natural and made me look foolish. I also sang in the choir at the Westminster County Primary Elementary School. But it wasn’t until I moved
to the US that I picked up the guitar. I borrowed a guitar from a young lady. The very first time I put my fingers on a guitar I played a D chord by accident. The first time I played live felt magnificent. I played at the Lincoln School for Girls. I was 15
years old and I thought I was a rock star.

Llewelyn: The Bitter Suite. This is a hugely personal release. Please let us in and tell us what the story is behind your new album.

Robert: In 2019 I was about to record a heavier progressive rock album. But then, one of my best friends, the artist Michael Caviasca, died unexpectedly. At his memorial service, I met his therapist, who turned out to be a mystery author, J. L Doucette. I asked her if she’d ever written lyrics and she said she hadn’t. But a few weeks later she gave me lyrics for a song about connection and loss, which was based on her experience of the therapy relationship, but was universal in what it says about friendship. I’d been working on some music in memory of Michael and her words fit perfectly, and became Hush And A Prayer..And that
changed the direction of the album I was about to make. Hush And A Prayer was the first song we wrote for The Bitter Suite Album.
Just a few months later the pandemic hit and I found myself stuck in an apartment with my guitar. Over the next year, I wrote new music and co-wrote about half of the songs on the album with J.L.Doucette.

Llewelyn: Do you recall much about Liverpool and the feeling around the city?

Robert: I remember Liverpool very well. My first crush was in Liverpool, my teacher, Miss Richmond. I actually wrote a song about her teaching which will be featured in a later album. I remember things like Pancake Tuesday and my Uncle Wally telling me he just met a bunch of guys in a band called The Beatles.

Llewelyn: Is there anywhere in the world you’d like to play live in?

Robert: I’d love to play live at the Cavern.

Llewelyn: What other hobbies do you have besides music?

Robert: I’m an avid reader. I enjoy cooking and worked as a chef to pay the bills. I always like cooking to music and I had a knack for it.

Llewelyn: Last, how do you describe our sound to strangers who haven’t heard your music yet?

Robert: I can’t really describe my sound. I have the luxury of playing what I feel at the moment. I like the music of Erik Satie and his composition Gymnopedie inspired me to write the music for Ukraine Spring on The Bitter Suite Album. I grew up listening to the Beatles and David Bowie and I believe my songs carry those influences. I’m currently working on two different albums, each with a different feel. My next single, “I Can Remember” co-written with Cyndy Brown, was inspired by V. E. Schwab’s time-travel novel, “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue”. It’s set to release on all streaming platforms on August 11.

Listen up on Spotify.

Follow his career on IG.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

North Blood shows us the lonely emotions in honest detail with official video for Postman’s Whistle

Taken from their upcoming debut album called Rolling Doves, North Blood are at their genuine best with the stunning visuals of a mental health trauma so many have felt over the last few years via Postman’s Whistle.

North Blood is a 4-piece indie band from the calming lands of beautiful Lancashire who have recently dropped their first single Supermarket Flowers.

On our first practice, we realised we had something that excited us all and wanted to pursue further.” ~ Mick Bates and DRL

Hiding away the tears and watching the post stack up as the dirty plates start to crack under the strain, North Blood have made a relatable single which guides us through the terrible times that we all wish we could forget. Honestly, this is a great song and the video backs it up. Please call a friend who you have seen for a while as life is so fragile.

Postman’s Whistle from the Lancashire-based indie band North Blood is the truth. The bone-shaking truth. With a vocally serene aura and bringing us a catchy rhythm, this is a quality effort from experienced artists who get it. They’ve been around and know what the vibe is. Scintillating is one word to use. Hauntingly beautiful could be another way to describe this effort.

See this fine video on YouTube and take a break from the real world.

Check out their IG page for more news and views.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Shaven Primates tell us all about their chirp-filled rocking 4-track release Birds Aren’t Real

Reaching into the trees and slicing off a piece of the bark to get the night started, Shaven Primates kindly had a chat with us all about their brand new 4-track release called Birds Aren’t Real. Informing us all about the vision, the local music scene and what’s next, we are educated about what being in a band really means.

Llewelyn: Greetings Shaven Primates. Thank you for joining us as we appreciate your time. 1st question. Please tell us about how the band started, who’s all involved (band, booking agent, special fans etc).

Shaven Primates: Mark started the band with creating the template for our previous album, “Child Of Dirt” which was all centered around his life story in traumatic events, including childhood abuse and losing his memory at 17. He used those song templates to round up the rest of us, starting with Neil who is our sophisticated keyboardist, found via joinmyband.co.uk who then connected up with Tom Clark, the guitarist, and then found Jarod Ganoe on gumtree (“bored drummer wants to make some noise”), and then finally Nick Letellier joined in 2018 after hearing our work and having worked with Tom before.
We aren’t currently working with a booking agent but this is immediately on the agenda and we connect with promoters directly in the UK so far. Playing across Europe will follow suit, we hope!
Special fans have all been our locals so far as our first outings were as local performers here in Oxford in order to test the waters and see who might listen to us – our sound is very individual and pretty hard to pin down, but that’s art rock for you. Bowie, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Mars Volta; they’re all self described as such due to sticking to their own sound.

Llewelyn: Who are the cleanest and messiest band members?

Shaven Primates: Cleanest, in terms of rehearsal time, would have to be either Nick or Neil, with their well-organised nature (and decidedly vocally so). Mark is by far the messiest, with his head in the clouds most of the time, we’d say. Him and cables, it’s quite a sight.

Llewelyn: Birds Aren’t Real. Let’s get into it. It drops on the 28th of July. What was the vision behind the project and where did you record it/are you happy with the outcome?

Shaven Primates: After spending 5 years writing the epic life story album that was “Child Of Dirt”, we needed to write something from scratch that was an introspective on the world, this time on “alt thought”, a spin on the mesh of madness spread across the world in war, propaganda, lies, slander, hate, denial, and conspiracy. We wrote 3 songs around this along with 2 more on a perspective on the suicide of someone close, and the experiences of growing up in school with a mind that isn’t compatible.

We recorded it at our own built recording studio, TAD Studios – that was a huge project as it was a matter of repurposing a rehearsal space that operates with multiple rooms. All of them are interconnected, and we get so much out of what was created as our musical hub.

Llewelyn: What is the pre-gig routine before jamming live?

Shaven Primates: Largely waving arms around madly, trying to sort out our in-ear monitors, but otherwise we spend a lot of it helping people set up. We’ve been running live streams with ours lately, so it’s been an extra big part of the work to rig that up too.

Llewelyn: What does it mean to be in a band? What are the perks and what are some things that make it harder?

Shaven Primates: First off, having a group of people who also we can also proclaim as friends who look out for each other and make our musical accomplishments, working out what does and doesn’t work creatively or technically, and generally enjoying the day-to-day living of it all. It can be particularly hard when working with people we care about and finding we have differences, of course, but we do what we can to figure that all out. Really, that’s part of the work, I guess.

Llewelyn: Please rep your hometown. Where are you currently and where are the best places to watch good music in your local area?

Shaven Primates: Oxford! Love the place – Mark grew up there, and saw the 90s live scene evolve into what it was, with Supergrass, Radiohead, and Rise all blossoming into the airwaves. On the other hand, it’s been sad to watch it devolve, but a few places still hold it, such as the Jericho Tavern where Radiohead first played, or The Bullingdon which Supergrass still frequent, and particularly the Port Mahon still stands as a decent venue to catch newcomers. There’s also Tap Social Brewery which is promising to be a decent new venue, and The Jam Factory has also taken on new owners promising to put on live gigs soon. It’s all still there!

Llewelyn: Last, which bands would you like to perform with and do you have any funny gig stories/fan interactions you can share with us?

Shaven Primates: We’d love to connect with someone like Mars Volta, Radiohead, even Gary Numan who might take us on given our synth work. You never know!

The first gig we ever did was to a Filipino gig festival inside the Jericho Tavern, where it was mostly families sat around the side eating food and wondering what on earth was going on with what was on stage with us performing. All gigs are worthwhile though! Still enjoyed it.

Turn this up on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Skillfully original Dublin-based Swedish creative Skull The Pierre opens up the BEBEYX3 on insightfully enjoyable interview

Showing more creativity in his left pinky finger than most of us will ever feel in our whole lives, Skull The Pierre took time out from getting some rays and baking scrumptious banana bread to lead us into his new much-anticipated release BEBEYX3. Fresh from cooking up a treat with the wine-filled cherry tree nibbling LABUM, the massively inventive Irish-based Stockholm-born artist tells us all with one of the best interviews we’ve done all year. Get those glasses on and let’s roll.

Llewelyn: Skull The Pierre, how in the world are you? Firstly, welcome to A&R Factory and our virtual couch. Would you like a beverage and what can we get you? Firstly, how did you get your artist name? It’s a fantastic musician’s name.

Skull The Pierre: Hello Llewelyn! I’m feeling fantastic thank you and I’m honored to be here for this virtual chat! I’m good for a beverage for now thank you, friend. Ah my artist name, it all started with me balding back in secondary school. My friend started calling me Skalle Pierre (Pierre being my real name) which is a pun on the fictional character Skalle Pär from Astrid Lindgrens ‘Ronja, the Robbers Daugher’. Skalle is Swedish for skull, but it’s also a balding reference, hence why my friend thought it was hilarious. To be honest, so did I and so I made it into my artists name. A couple of years later I decided to give a more international flare and made it Skull The Pierre!

Llewelyn: Alrighty. Where do you live on planet Earth? I’m currently in SW London and it’s supposed to be summer but it’s raining. Why do you stay where you do…what makes it special for you to reside in?

Skull The Pierre: Llewelyn my fellow earthling, I’m not too far away from you, I’ve been residing in Dublin since 2020! I moved here from Stockholm to study music at BIMM Dublin which I am still doing, and I’m absolutely loving it. Not only do I love my college and course but I’m totally in love with the beautiful people of Ireland, and the intimacy of Dublin. The Irish, are -in my experience- so well versed in the fine art of welcoming and embracing the new and different, and they greet strangers with ease and compassion. There’s also excitement and enthusiasm in the Dublin music scene that can’t really be described, only felt. The hard-working and incredibly talented youths of the city only leave space for love and understanding, and the city is small enough that if you want to be a part of it then all you have to do is come along. But hahaha yes it’s like only raining here at the minute as well!

Llewelyn: Ok, let’s chat about music. BEBEYX3, hip-hop and LGBTQ. How do all 3 mix and what was the inspiration behind the new release? LABUM is doing quite well it appears so we’re biting our lips here in anticipation. Also, there’s a music video? Even more excitement! Please…the floor is yours.

Skull The Pierre: Thank you for the great question! How does BEBEYX3, hip-hop and LGBTQ mix… hmm…effortlessly, I’d hope and say! That’s not intended as a braggadocious statement by the way, I love the fact that I’m a gay rapper but I and my life is so much more than that! Ultimately, all my creations are a part of my lifelong task of documenting my life, a life I believe to be well lived, and so I write about it, which embodies all aspects of me. That includes my love and desire for men, but not more or less than any other part of me. I am everything! Besides, things are way cooler when they’re more like easter-eggs anyway.

I can’t remember an exact song or artist that inspired me to make ‘BEBEYX3‘ to be honest, a lot of times the process of making the beat is what inspires the theme, lyrics and the feel of my songs. I can confidently say though that the weather’s hint of summer and career milestones achieved at the time inspired the song. And yes there’s a music video to go with it and it’s gorgeous, if I may say so myself! It was shot by my very talented friend Joe Kelly and together we made something I’m very proud of, it’s definitely my prettiest music video to date!

Ah thank you LABUM and the world I created around it is without a doubt my craziest project to date and my friends and fans have been incredibly kind to it and me.

Llewelyn: Sounds From The Secret Orchard Sessions. These sound like a dream! What’s the energy field here and were you illuminated by being involved?

Skull The Pierre: That was my first ever real interview and to be honest with you, I was giddy beyond belief, and it shows. It was completely a dream come true, and getting to be there with such talented acts, crews, event coordinators, managers etc was such an incredible experience. I might even have something exciting with the SFSOS family in September!

Llewelyn: Music production. Some think it’s easy and some think it’s hard. What’s it really like and what tips would you give youngsters who are keen but aren’t sure about it all?

Skull The Pierre: What a lovely question! I think it can be both but if you don’t find it to be that much fun, then it will definitely be more hard than easy. If I was in a position to give advice, then I would say start with the very basics of what it is you want your DAW to do for you. If you make beats learn how to sample, if you write indie-pop songs on guitar learn how to record guitar and vocals. All the fancy plugins and mixing tips and effects will follow as you grow, learn, and explore. Getting the basics right is all you need, and I think that’s true for most things. Also, give it time, don’t be a perfectionist and love yourself.

Llewelyn: How was the launch party at Crow Bar in Dublin? It looks like we missed out on a big party! Were you happy with the response and the overall vibe from the night?

Skull The Pierre: I think I only understood in retrospect how much it actually meant to me that so many friends and friendly faces were there, and that they were there for me, for something I created. It is still hard to grasp to be honest. It was beautiful, a night I’ll always remember and cherish, and most importantly, it was so much fun. To all the people that came, to everyone that bought merch, posters, books, to everyone that helped on the night, to the bartenders, just to everyone there, thank you, ya’ll are crazy and I love you.

Llewelyn: Lastly…and once again thank you for blessing us with your time today.. who inspires you most in the world and who do you look up to? Who is your team and what advice would you give yourself 5 years ago if you could zip back in a time machine quickly?

Skull The Pierre: Oh thank you for all the wonderful questions! You know, I wholeheartedly believe that I am the luckiest man alive, and that’s almost solely because of my outstanding friends and family that have inspired me every day of my life with their wit and humor, love and compassion, wisdom and foolishness, sensitivity and anger and everything in between. The one that inspires me most in the world though is most likely my grandma Lena. She is an author and writes mostly children’s-books, and her childlike, optimistic, and playful interpretation of the world is probably the greatest gift of all. She also gave me my armor in solitude, my love of writing. Wax (rapper), is my musical idol though, and the one that made me want to make music when I was 14.

My team consists of myself, my manager and friend Josse, my DJ and friend Alvaro, my cameraman and friend Joe, and all my other friends I have the privilege of sharing this life with. Five years ago I’d tell myself to come out of the closet already hahaha!

Check the video out on YouTube.

Feel more of the genuine vibes wash the pain away on IG.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Interview: BONNE drops dynamically charged new album to wake up sleepy minds, execute

Now performing as a power-packed duo with Jon Locker to differentiate the live band sound and telling us more about her new message-heavy album, the early music career and central Iowa life, the award-winning Midwest, USA-based pop/rock musician/composer BONNE (Bonne Finken) opens up our minds with an interview to behold with execute.

Llewelyn: Firstly, do you recall the precise moment when you just knew music was what you wanted to do for a living and what did it feel like in your veins?

Bonne: For me, it was around eight years old. I’ve always been drawn to and loved all aspects of music, but had only been exposed to either pop music on the radio or to gospel music in church. When I was around 8 yrs old, my father played me a song called “Angel From Montgomery” by John Prine, and it was like someone decoded a secret language for me. It was the first time I felt sad when listening to a song. It wasn’t upbeat or fun to listen to, like the music on the radio. I was hooked by that feeling. To be able to tell your stories and truths and feel connected to someone I’ve never met through music. I literally began (attempting) to write songs right after that.

Jon: The first time I played in front of people and they responded…that was enough for me.

Llewelyn: Secondly, please tell us about your new music name and who is now involved in BONNE. Also, how has the process been from the solo artist world to band world – pros and cons?

Bonne: I’d still technically consider myself a solo artist. This is more a ‘Duo Project’ vs. band – and was started as an effort to link an album to what our sound is, live. It’s myself and Jon Locker, as far as who is involved in BONNE, from the writing standpoint. We brought in two producers to help with drums and production, Seth Luloff and Micah Natera (and Kevin Bowe for ‘Woman’). So a very lean production team, really, in the world of rock music. Jon and I have worked together for years, this is more a project where he could step out from behind the scenes/the backing band into the forefront and be more involved from the infancy stage of the songwriting. I still do and plan to continue to make music as Bonne Finken – BONNE was a way to differentiate the SOUND more than anything – I knew this was a departure, sonically, since the songs were produced around Jon’s lead bass as the lead instrument. I’m still determining the pros and cons – but all are probably pretty consistent with any musical venture in this current industry climate. We are just excited with how the album turned out and happy we get opportunities to share it.

Llewelyn: Please may you guide us into the vision, the sound and the process behind the project.

Bonne: For me, the vision and sound goal somewhat built as a juxtaposition to my last two albums. My solo albums I never let myself be limited by what instruments were available to me, live. If I heard choirs or strings or layered drums, that’s what went on the record – even if I knew it would be difficult (or impossible) to pull together for an LIVE indie show.
This album, it was “what can be recreated as a live rock band” and I/we tried to stay living inside of that when it came to writing and production. Specifically, Jon has a new instrument (a custom built BilT bass guitar) and the songs were largely built around ‘what can Jon cover, live, sonically’ and just add drums and maybe just ONE snyth line or two. Even adding harmonies to my lead vocal was a ‘should we or shouldn’t we’ since it’s semi-breaking the rules of ‘what can we recreate live’ since I do my own back-ups….and can’t do that live.
Jon: I kept saying “exploring the limitations” as we were making the songs.

Bonne & Jon: Also, a ROCK album – was the vision and sound.

Llewelyn: Also, are there any specific tracks we should be extra thrilled about?

Bonne: “Problems” is my favorite. It’s in the Top 5 of songs I’ve ever written – from this and all albums – and I feel the unique sounds from Jon’s lead bass feels special on it and I completely adore Micah (Natera)’s production – I think it’s honestly dark and beautiful and I’m very proud of how it ended up.
Jon: “Contender”…duh. It just feels right all around.

Llewelyn: You’re an award-winning and much-respected musician. Does that come with extra pressure and what does it feel like to have your music on major tv shows such as MTV’s The Real World & E!’s Keeping Up With the Kardashians?

Bonne: It feels good retrospectively. It can sometimes be a hindrance. The accolades can sometimes give the illusion that you don’t still need help, or opportunities, or money, ha. But I’m proud of my work, not only the music or songs I’ve written – but the work put into getting it heard – which is sometimes harder than the creation itself. Of course, I am learning this is just the life of an indie artist – and I’m making peace with that! But it’s why it’s so important to be making music for myself, that I love to create/perform, since that is really all that is solid ground in my world. My never wavering from that is, perhaps, the only reason I’m able to keep going. I know any award or accolade given was based on my own work and decisions. Not someone telling me what I should write about or do.

Llewelyn: What’s it like being an artist from the Midwest and where exactly did you grow up and learn your craft?

Bonne: I grew up in central Iowa. The difficult part of growing up as a writer of electronic pop/rock music is there aren’t alot of people to collaborate with. But on the plus side, largely thanks to the large folk/americana scene here — there’s still the embrace of my music because I’m not just a creator/artist/singer – I’m a songwriter, too. I’ve been lucky to play just about every venue you can think of in the state – despite having a sound that most wouldn’t assume places me from the Midwest. So I was able to put in my “10,000 hours”. That’s how I’ve learned my craft. By doing it. It also means when you find a cohort, like I’ve found in Jon Locker, you’re grateful that someone likes and wants to play songs that you like to play.

Jon: I was born in Mason City, IA and grew up in Nevada, IA where there were several other players slightly older than me that let me hang early. I started at age 12. First bar gig at 13. I learned from gigging.

Llewelyn: Also, who has inspired you to reach your dreams no matter the challenges of the music industry?

Bonne: Self-motivated people inspire me. People who have a passion and move towards the passion, even if it’s difficult, or the road less traveled. I’m also inspired by knowing my kids are watching and learning from me, to be one of those people. That if you love something – you should keep doing it. For me, I don’t have a choice, really. I hear things in my head. I have to get them out in order to sleep or function. Once they’re out in demo form & start to take shape – I choose which ones to focus on & finish….then….I put them out for people to listen to. And then the cycle begins again. I love it and I have to do it. Hopefully someday that will equate itself to more money – but really – just so that I can spend more time/money on it…..to hire that choir/string section I put in my recordings but can’t afford to bring onto a stage.

Jon: Lots of people. It feels like the music “industry” is barely a thing anymore. It’s broken right now. The challenge for an artist or band is that you used to be able to make a living playing and selling music…good friggin luck with that right now!

Llewelyn: You’ve just been told you have the keys to and an unlimited budget to put on/run a music festival. Who would you add to the lineup, where would it be and what would the message of the event be?

Bonne: I’d add my favorite group from each genre I could think of – from Eminem to Jon Batiste to Alanis Morrisette to Billie Eilish to Brandi Carlile – and just celebrate individuality by artists who created their own sound without worrying about what ‘the current trend’ was. A genre-less festival celebrating pioneers of sound.

Jon: First question…is rain insurance part of the deal? If yes then I still don’t know!!

Llewelyn: Lastly, what does the future hold for you long-term and what advice would you give to young musicians trying to find their way to the top?

Bonne: All I know for sure is I’m going to continue to create new music. The only advice I feel I’m qualified to give: be sure you do what you love to do. Fame, Fortune, Failure, whatever….that music is there forever with your name on it. Try not to take advice from someone who will tell you what to do with your art/voice/stories to make THEM money. It’s all a crapshoot – so – do you, boo.

Hear this massively incredible album on Spotify.

See more news and gig show info on IG.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

The Sky Is Grey Right Now: Isiah & The New People take us deep within the carnage and recovery on Hold On

Telling us a harrowing story which almost ended everything, Isiah & The New People shows us inside Hold On and what happened on that fateful day. This is one of the most emotional interviews we’ve ever done and is one not to miss.

Llewelyn: Hi Isiah & The New People. Thank you for having a chat with us. Firstly, how did you all join together and where can we find you in the world today?

Isiah: Hi Llewelyn, thanks for taking the time to chat as well. Isiah & The New People are just a bunch of musicians from the Wisconsin Great Lakes Region that decided to get together for a jam. We are all from the same city of Appleton, Wisconsin USA.

Llewelyn: Hold On is your new single and this is a deep one. Please let our readers know the story and how is the recovery going?

Isiah: Yeah so Hold On is a new song that came to be after I was involved in a significant car accident. My wife, former bandmate and I were hit by a drunk driver going about 80-90mph. My friend, who I was playing drums with before this recording, was killed. My wife suffered a traumatic brain injury and I broke a bunch of bones and my stomach was dislodged into my chest. The song Hold On in a lot of ways is about managing pain as well as surrendering to the universe and allowing life to unfold as it needs to. Sometimes it’s hard to understand why things happen in life but there is always something to learn in every experience we have.

As far as recovery goes, my wife is on the trajectory to make a full recovery and I am completely healed. Thanks for asking.

Llewelyn: What genre would you describe your music as being inside if you were asked the question by a fan?

Isiah: I’d have to say Western Psychedelic Folk. I grew up listening to a lot of Pink Floyd, Neil Young and Nanci Griffith so it makes sense.

Llewelyn: Life has changed for you. What do you wish to achieve now and do you feel more grateful for each moment in your life more than before?

Isiah: Yeah, I definitely feel more grateful. It’s easier to let things go. I see no point in holding a grudge to the grave. None of us know when we are going to die so it’s best to let things go and find ways to enjoy one another while we can. As far as what I would like to achieve I’d say I have a few things. Outside of just establishing an inner peace and calm state of being, I have a couple projects I’m working on. I want to tour. See the world. Meet different people. Make all sorts of music. I love creating. I like acting and writing and would love to make some comedy sketches. All sorts of stuff but ultimately I wish to achieve a lifestyle that affords me to do these things.

Llewelyn: What does it feel like to make music and does it make your soul happy?

Isiah: Making music is beautiful. Through life we have these traumatic experiences that get stored in our bodies and music has this incredible way of allowing ourselves to release these energies. Music makes my soul happy for sure. It also makes me sad and angry and everything in between. It allows me to feel everything I need to feel.

Llewelyn: If you could travel to any country in the world, where would it be and why?

Isiah: I’d really like to spend some time in Australia. I think I would get along with the people down there. I’m curious if they are that crazy or if it’s just the internet. I need to see with my own eyes.

Llewelyn: Last, are there any bands you would love to perform with on the same lineup? Please share with us the ideal festival or event and what the expectations would be?

Isiah: The ideal festival would be somewhere overlooking Lake Superior with wonderful views and fantastic food. Line up would include Dakhabrakha, Paul Simon, Los Super Seven, Tinariwen, Paolo Nutini, Brulé, and Elvis if he is still alive.

See the single come to life on YouTube.

See more on the IG page and follow the journey.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Brooklyn’s Foreign Saints tells us all about his debut single to pursuit inside, Here With Me

Repping Brooklyn to the max and opening us his heart to guide us inside the emotions within the debut Here With Me, Thomas from Foreign Saints kindly took time out and answered our questions all about the exciting 1st release, the local music scene, and his songwriting process.

Llewelyn: Hello there Thomas from Foreign Saints. Thank you for joining us here on our A&R Factory interview platform. Firstly, we love the name. Please explain to our readers how did it come about on your pursuit and what was the inspiration behind it.

Thomas: Thanks for having me, Lu. The project name is a nod to when I hiked the Camino de Santiago, where the pull of completing a journey named after an arbitrary foreign saint showed me the beauty in the pursuit of something in and of itself. It’s how I hope to approach making music — to make art in a similar pursuit of something outside myself.

Llewelyn: Brooklyn is the city you represent. What does it mean to live there and what is the vibe currently like? Are there lots of new music venues and where would you recommend we check out?

Thomas: I moved to Brooklyn two years ago from my hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia, and have loved it ever since. Obviously, it’s got one of the best music scenes in the world, but beyond that, there’s just so many people here doing cool things in every niche imaginable that it makes any creative endeavor all that more possible. Conversely, it’s easy to feel small when surrounded by the sheer talent of the musicians here, but what an incredible privilege to be a tiny part of it all.

Llewelyn: Please tell us all about your 1st single Here With Me and the upcoming EP?

Thomas: Here With Me is the first song I wrote off the upcoming EP. I wrote it in an afternoon based on a small idea I had at 3am the night before, which (unfortunately for my sleep schedule) is pretty typical of how I start songs. Part of me prefers to keep the meanings of songs a little bit undefined, that way they can exist independent of me and mean different and completely valid things to different people. But what was going through my head when I was writing it was the feeling you get when you first start seeing someone where you’re simultaneously relieved and anxious to have found them. Where you can feel part of yourself becoming wrapped up in someone outside of you, but the irony of them being the relief from that feeling.

Llewelyn: Who is your rock in life and someone who has really pushed you to reach your goals & dreams?

Thomas: I’m immensely grateful to my parents for their l encouragement of my creative pursuits. We spent a good portion of my childhood moving around several countries, and I think them expanding our horizons helped me appreciate more of the world than I ever could have. My dad was my first-ever producer, pushing me to write and track songs in his home studio set up from a young age, and introducing me to many of my strongest musical influences.

Llewelyn: Who do you make music for and what is the process like? Do you sit down and make it quite quickly or do you prefer to stew on the creation and let it flow naturally?

Thomas: I’ve always found the process of songwriting difficult to summon on command. Most of my songs start as 3am voice notes of little ideas, that I then quickly try to flesh out while in the right headspace for that song. It’s really difficult for me to let something sit for weeks on end and revisit it later. I’ve found my better songs tend to come out of alternating bursts of frantic writing and overwhelming frustration. It sort of balances out in a weird way.

Llewelyn: What are some perks about being a local musician and the challenges too?

Thomas: I’m just starting to release music, so I haven’t ventured much into the local music scene as a performer. Once I have more of my songs out I’d love to start doing some of the small venues in New York, but one thing at a time!

Listen up to his music come to life via Spotify.

Follow more on his website.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen