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taking ​sound

WHAT IS TAKING SOUND?

Taking Sound is a music blog where you can find new artists under ​our spotlight, live show & music reviews, artist interviews and our ​own personal concert experiences! Taking Sound will be a place for ​those who love music to come together and explore with us!

ABOUT US:

Victoria and Leandra Alexander are sisters with a passion for music ​and attending live shows. They listen to mutiple genres and love ​sharing their music interests with as many people as they can. After ​attending multiple tours and meeting fans with the same interests as ​them, we decided to create a one-stop shop for all things music.

Contributers:

Photographer : Anjelica James

CONCERT ​REVIEWS

Ben Barnes - Bowery Ballroom

vaultboy - mercury lounge

By: Leandra Alexander

Since his first ever US tour in July 2022 with New Hope Club, vaultboy has opened for Nightly ​then moved into doing his own headlining US tour.

Doors at Mercury Lounge opened at 6PM, excitement running through the line as vaultboy came ​down the line meeting fans. Having met him during NHC’s tour, I was greeted with a hug and got ​to chat for a bit after taking a photo: he is genuinely one of the sweetest guys I know!

His opener, David Alexander, took the stage at 6:30PM. David had no hesitation bringing the ​energy on stage and keeping the audience engaged with some conversation and a few jokes. ​Throughout his set, our beloved New Yorker told us he’s moving to Los Angeles…. BOOO! ​Besides that, much of his setlist consisted of unreleased songs (all bangers in my opinion), with ​a few already released: “Sore Loser”, Dancing Alone” and “Her”. After smashing it with his band ​and “first ever guitar solo,” David’s set ended.

vaultboy came on at 7:30PM and the crowd was ecstatic. He had a large LED light set up on the ​back wall of the stage with a large ‘V’. It changed colors until he joined his band on stage for the ​show. He opened up with “why you gotta be like that” and the crowd had no hesitation ​screaming the words back! As the show progressed, we were put through the emotional wringer ​with a lot of ups and downs. The setlist ranged of both upbeat songs that make you want to ​dance to slow, sad music that makes you want to crawl up in a ball and sob – he kept the crowd ​on their toes but it was definitely an enjoyable experience!

Highly recommend attending a vaultboy show if you get the chance, he will never disappoint. Be ​sure to check out David Alexander and vaultboy on Spotify/Apple music.

Feb 21 2023

THE BACKFIRES - BABYS ALL RIGHT

Feb 22 2023

By: Victoria Alexander

If there was one band in town worth waiting to see late night on a Wednesday, it was The Backfires. The Backfires headlining show was at Baby’s ​All Right located in Brooklyn and doors opened at 9:30PM. Once inside, you saw loads of people grabbing drinks and the others running to grab ​the closest spot to the front row for an up-close glimpse of the band; always a telling sign of fan dedication. The opener, SecondHand Sound ​hailing from Nashville, Tennessee really took me by surprise with their slow burning heady hooks, garage rock type sound. SecondHand Sound ​brought a little of Nashville with them by encouraging the crowd to start a mosh pit. The lead singer jumped in with the crowd including Matt of ​The Backfires! Overall great performance.

The room was packed with everyone arm to arm. Baby’s All Right felt frenzy when the band walked out at 11PM. The Backfires start off with a ​brand new song: the song starts with a slow gradual build to galvanizing guitar riffs, heavy instrumentals on the bass and drums. It was a great ​start to the night. The band played a few songs off their EP, Consider The Backfires, like “Preoccupied”, “Song 55”, and “Blindsided.” Their brand ​new songs (that everyone around me in the crowd seemed to love and could sing back every lyric) was their newly released songs “Joyride” and ​“Reflections on my TV.” By the end, the entire room was screaming for more: “One more song! One more song!”

The band brings you back to the late 2010’s when everyone was listening to Catfish and the Bottlemen and the Arctic Monkeys just released ​their album AM. The difference is what The Backfires bring to the table. With members from both sides of the Atlantic (US and UK), they bring ​their experiences and that touch of New York City Underground Alternative Rock and British rock together to make this raw and passionate ​sound through every chord. Frontman/guitarist Alex Gomez and lead guitarist Harry Ruprecht they brought so much energy on the stage. Matt ​Walter shreds it on bass with his cool exterior on bass and Max Wanduragala shines through on every song on the drums. The Backfires ​brought the joyride to Baby’s All Right and didn’t skip a beat.

will linley -rockwood music hall

Feb 23 2023

By: Leandra Alexander

For his first ever international performance, Will Linley took the stage at ​Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 in the Lower East Side. With a sold out show in a ​packed venue, the crowd filled with excitement when Linley took the stage!

He taught us a South African greeting to remind him a little bit of home before ​he began. With a 45 minute set, he tells the crowd he doesn’t have enough ​songs out so in turn, he performed some new unreleased songs. In between ​each song, he gave the crowd a story time: each song, he gave the crowd a ​story time: most of them pertaining to the producers who helped him start his ​career in a more serious manner. As he spoke about them and his career, it’s ​clear that doing an intimate show in NYC means so much to him and he’s ​forever grateful for the opportunities he received.

Will Linley’s set, despite being an acoustic show, was 110% full of energy.

He had no hesitation interacting with his crowd whether it be by incorporating ​a fan’s name into a new unreleased song or by telling us how he thought New ​Jersey was a borough! Will has a bubbly personality and it shows so clearly ​even in his performance with his silly dance moves. If there is one artist to ​check out, I strongly recommend Will Linley! Congratulations to Will for his ever ​international show, glad I got to be a part of it!

Sabrina Carpenter - TERMINAL 5

mAY 10 2023

By: Leandra Alexander

Upgrading from Webster Hall on the second North American leg of the emails i can’t send tour & celebrating her birthday week with two sold out nights at Terminal 5 is none other than Sabrina Carpenter!

On this leg of tour, her opener is Blu DeTiger; a woman who knows how to rock the guitar and put on an amazing performance.

After the opener starts the pre-show playlist that ends with a Taylor Swift fan favorite, “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)”, a continuing trend from the first leg. Once this song plays, the crowd knows Sabrina will be on soon.

Carpenter starts the show off with her title track, “emails i can’t send.” With the release of emails i can’t send fwd:, the crowd was excited to hear these newly released songs that weren’t performed last tour. The crowd knew every lyric and ad lib. Carpenter does a small segment in the show called “Unsabscribe” where she chooses a fan to tell a story about one of their relationships which results in a choice of three songs; for night one, Sabrina performed “Tongue-Tied” by Grouplove.

Sabrina has a way of connecting with her fans throughout the show that makes everyone feel important. She takes time between songs to interact with the crowd, switches between stage sides, and uses her spiral staircase for some songs to get a better view of her audience.

She performed a few songs off her album, Singular Act I, such as “Paris” and “Sue Me”, single “Honeymoon Fades”, and hit songs from emails i can’t send “Nonsense” and “because i liked a boy”.

Time and time again, Sabrina proves she is a rising star with her visuals, stage performance and consistent energy throughout the stage. When you pay for a Sabrina Carpenter show, you’re paying for a night of memories that you’ll never forget.

PHONEBOY -Bowery Ballroom

mAY 11 2023

BY: Victoria Alexander

A band from across the river, Phoneboy, completely sold out Bowery Ballroom on their final night of the Moving Out Tour. The show started at 8pm and the opener was brother and sister duo, Silver Cup. They had unique alt pop sound with a track that seem to get the crowd moving was “Annabel Lee”. After their set, the crowd immediately pushed up to get a close spot for Phoneboy’s set.

Phoneboy is New Jersey’s upcoming Indie Pop Band. Last night’s crowd was full of support ranging from all of their parents, co-workers, fraternity brothers and insanely supportive fans. The crowd was fired up with energy the entire night with mosh pits, crowd surfing and dancing. Phoneboy played songs off their new album like “Runaway” and “Moving Out” and hit songs like “Ferrari” and “1987”.

This crowd screamed every lyric, the band seemed to enjoy every moment of this headlining show at Bowery Ballroom. The band mentioned this was their biggest show yet. The crowd asked for an encore, which Phoneboy had no problem providing. They came back to perform a fan favorite, “Acid Girl”. Everyone left sweaty after having the time of their lives at the final show of tour. I can tell the fans can’t wait for another Phoneboy gig.

David ALEXANDER-gibson showroom

jUNE 1 2023

BY: Leandra Alexander

On June 1st, David Alexander took the stage at the Gibson Showroom in Los Angeles for night two of EVERYTHING’S A LITTLE BLURRY. Immediately, he began performing “Old Jewelry” (unreleased) and made sure to bring the energy.

The singer/songwriter explained to the audience that these songs would take us on a little journey of his love life. Almost his entire set consisted of unreleased songs, but kept the crowd entertained and engaged the entire time. The released songs, “Her” and “Dancing Alone”, caused the crowd’s volume to increase so loud that my Apple Watch sent me a notification to be careful of the noise! During the set, we also got a special guest performance from Lindsey Lomis during “Wish It Was You” (unreleased).

One of the most exciting parts about this show, despite the awesome light show that took them days to perfect, was that it was release night. David Alexander’s final song of the night was “ Worst Case” which has dropped during his set. After teasing it on TikTok for a while, the crowd already knew the chorus , but it felt even more special to hear him perform it live for the very first time as a released single. The energy he had while performing it with a live band along with the crowd reaction was unmatched.

David Alexander is one artist to seriously keep an eye on. You can check him out on TikTok @davidalexandersongs) as well as Apple Music and Spotify!

evening elephants- pianos

jUNE 23rd 2023

BY: Leandra and Victoria Alexander

Los Angeles-based indie duo – Sam Boggs (lead vocals) and Brandon Leslie (drums/producer) – Evening Elephants may just be the chillest band you’ll ever meet and they can definitely show you a good time. Friday night, the two took the stage for their first NYC headlining performance at Piano’s Breaking Sound. Alongside them were Jayme Lewis (guitar) and Chris Leslie (bass). The electric duo immediately brought massive amounts of energy to the crowd. The show didn’t feel just like a normal concert, but it felt like a house party. Everyone in the room was there to have fun, and Evening Elephants made sure we did.

It was an 11-song set, the majority of which were all unreleased. The song styles ranged within a mix of funk, pop, and a little bit of alt-rock. Released or unreleased, the crowd was loving the energy ranging from Sam’s reverbed microphone, Brandon’s sick drumming, Jamye’s guitar skills, and Chris’ killer bass performance. The four of them together brought each song to life and had the crowd cheering like no tomorrow. The set started with their single, “Life is Swell” which brings a positive upbeat energy to the environment with its catchy chorus. This song allows the crowd to relate to the lyrics whether they’re feeling down or going through rough times that you just have to carry on. Some song titles that caught our eyes were “Chewing Your Cheeks” and “Dominatrix” – at the end of “Dominatrix”, Sam tried to play a game to ask the crowd what we thought the meaning was, but they were running short on time! The band played their new song, “Snow on the Bluff” which uses a beautiful, sonic light instrumentation and brings in pop elements. During the performance, not only was Brandon playing the drums, but also doing backup vocals now again.

The last song of the night was about failed relationships called “Smiles Gone.” Brandon, Sam, Jayme, and Chris brought so much vitality to the venue that the crowd was chanting for an encore! Sam responded, “We weren’t prepared for one!” As much as the band showed their fun, energetic side in their performance, you can see how sharp they are musicians.

Evening Elephants are the next band you’ll want to see the next chance you get, you’re not going to want to miss this up-and-coming band!

If you’d like to learn more about them, check out our interview with Brandon & Sam!

You can find Evening Elephants by clicking here or on Spotify/Apple Music!

HOKO

AUGUST 23rd 2023

BY: Leandra and Victoria Alexander

New York City- based alt/pop duo - Nathaniel Hoko (vocals) and Jesse Kotansky (guitar) spent the last few weeks on tour with WEATHERS and almost monday. We got the opportunity to see them in action on August 23rd at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom!

The duo had a live band playing with them and came in guns blazing from the very beginning of their set. They filled the room with excitement and had such amazing energy. Lead vocalist, Nathaniel Hoko was extremely interactive with the crowd, more than some artists we’ve seen before. He was constantly sitting on the stage singing to specific people in the crowd – he even took a fan’s phone and recorded a video on stage from his point of view for the fan. Eventually, he jumped into the crowd with us a few times. Whether you were in the front row or very back of the venue, the opportunity to see him was open to all. HOKO made it so there was not a bad view in the house whether you were a fan before or left wanting more from them.

Their set consisted of 9 songs with a crowd favorite, “Hellogoodbye” and “Candy Eyes” where Jesse Kotansky began to play the violin, wowing the audience. When their set came to an end, the crowd cheered and even asked for more while they were packing up their equipment. HOKO was one of the best openers we have seen on a tour and the decision to bring them was definitely a smart one. They brought the energy to New York City and we can’t wait to see what they have in store the next time we see them

Find more about Hoko here: website | instagram

bad nervES

October 3rd, 2023

By: Victoria Alexander

One of New York City’s most popular venues, Webster Hall, they had the pleasure of ​hosting Royal Blood’s headlining tour with Bad Nerves on October 3rd. I’ve been ​anticipating this tour, not only to hear “Back to the Water Below” by Royal Blood, but ​to finally see their supporting band, Bad Nerves.

Bad Nerves left a mark on Webster Hall that Tuesday night and reminded NYC ​that punk rock is coming back in a new wave. Bad Nerves is a five-piece power-pop ​punk band from London consisting of Bobby Nerves (lead vocals), William Phillipson ​(guitarist), George Berry (guitarist), Samuel Thompson (drummer) and Jonathan ​Poulton (bassist). You can tell by their fashion aesthetics and attitude that their ​inspiration comes from the 70s punk era. Bad Nerves hasn’t been complacent in the ​current rock scene, bringing a nice change to their genre. They say they’re the bastard ​child of a Ramones/The Strokes one-night stand.

The songs they performed were all raw, punchy, and fun. Their 30 minute set ​caught the crowd’s attention with fast-paced songs such as “Baby Drummer” and ​“Radio Punk”. The crowd was jumping and screaming back the words after only just ​hearing their brand-new single, “USA”. They kept the crowd engaged and empowered. ​During the set, there was a costume change (courtesy of Royal Blood) with animal ​masks and colorful boas.

After the show, I had the chance to meet Bad Nerves at their merch table where I saw ​a crowd disperse to grab some t-shirts – a great sign of a crowd discovering a new ​favorite band! If there’s one band to put on your playlist and catch live, it’s Bad Nerves. ​New York City, you may have just witnessed with your very own eyes, one of the next ​greats of Rock ‘N Roll.

Find more about Bad Nerves here: Website | Instagram

Listen to Bad Nerves latest single: “USA”

Aidan Bissett

October 26th, 2023

By: Leandra and Victoria Alexander

On October 26th, Aidan Bissett headlined New York City’s up-and-coming venue, Racket. Aidan Bissett headed ​on tour to promote his new EP “Supernova” which was released on October 6th.

The opening act, Anna Shoemaker, was very exciting to see as she’s known around the New York music scene. ​She sang songs off her EP “Anna” with a good mix of beautiful, slow indie songs with heavy guitar riffs and a ​great stage presence. If you’re looking for a new female artist to listen to, we definitely recommend Anna ​Shoemaker!

At 9pm, Aidan Bissett hit the stage, starting with hits from his EP “I’m Alright If You’re Okay.” With just a ​drummer, a bassist and him playing guitar here and there, there was such a captivating presence on stage with ​his movement and interaction with the crowd. He connects on a personal level by speaking to them and making ​them feel welcome no matter how many songs they know. During “A Song For Her,” he had the crowd scream ​with him instead of only him like in the studio version.

By the end of the night, he sang songs off the new EP such as “People Pleaser” and had the room jumping and ​even some fans at the front screaming every single word. The lyrics are emotional, with lights changing between ​purple and green to emulate the mood of the room. He took the time to explain to the crowd that “Supernova” ​was written in the beginning of 2023 and how the final track, “How It’s Gonna End” talks about the anxiety of the ​future and the unknown. He explains how this album helped him cope and learn to put himself out there again. ​One thing for sure is this show proved Aidan Bissett has a bright future ahead of him and we can’t wait to see ​him in New York again soon!

Check below to listen to the “Supernova” EP!

Listen Here

QUARTERS OF CHANGE

December 9th, 2023

Written By: Victoria and Leandra Alexander

Photos by: America Cortes

On December 9th, New York City welcomed home Quarters of Change for their headline show at Webster Hall. ​The band consists of Ben Roter (lead vocals), Ben Acker (guitarist/bassist), Jasper Harris (guitarist/bassist), and ​Attila Anrather (drums). QOC just returned from a successful opening slot for the Jonas Brothers as well as their ​Asbury Park headlining show. Their opening acts consisted of fellow NYC-based bands, The Backfires and Laundry ​Day.

We’ve covered their first opener, The Backfires, in the past and we knew that they’d catch the attention of some new ​fans in the crowd. Their next opener, Laundry Day, had a large amount of fans in the crowd – some who came to the ​show just for them. If you're looking for New York City-based bands to check out, these two are definitely on our list!

At 9:15pm, Quarters of Change hit the stage and were clearly ready to put on a show. The band had an energetic ​stage presence and the crowd had no hesitation to start screaming and chanting for the guys. The setlist was about ​14 songs and they played hits from their 2022 album, Into the Rift, and new songs off their upcoming album officially ​set to release next year, such as “Heaven Bound, “Do or Die”, “Hollywood Baby”, and “What I Wanted”. The ​transitioning of the setlist was perfect, and the dynamic between the guitarists was amazing to see, as most of the ​songs are guitar rift-heavy, they play across the stage with such ease. The crowd was filled with people of all ages ​across the room, seeing groups of guys dancing and singing with their friends was something I hadn’t seen at a ​concert in a long time. They ended the night with their two most beloved songs “Kiwi” and “T Love”. The allure of this ​band is understandable once you see them live.

One thing for sure is this show proved Quarters of Change isn’t slowing down anytime soon and we can’t wait to see ​another one of their shows!

Check here to listen to the “Heaven Bound”!

Knox bABY’S aLL rIGHT

Feburary 8th, 2024

Written By: Leandra Alexander

Baby’s All Right, Knox Morris had his first sold out headlining show on Tuesday February 6th. It was a late start with doors opening at 9:30PM. As soon as I ​walked in, I was offered a free t-shirt with the I <3 NYC design but instead it said, “ I <3 KNOX” — how cute!

The first opener was Spencer Jordan at 10pm, who was amazing and had so much energy performing on stage. At 10:30pm, Maryjo Young took the stage ​and absolutely killed it! She had no hesitation engaging with the crowd, singing right in their faces and helping the crowd have an amazing night. She ​performed her newest song, “Drunk Tattoo” and a cover that boosted the crowd engagement — “Into You” by Paramore. Her performance was so high-​energy and her vocals were absolutely insane when combined with her band.

Christian & Townsend, Knox’s band, showed up when Knox came on stage. Energy in the room was still high despite how late it was, which Knox apologized ​before but still said thank you to everyone spending their Tuesday night with him! He started with hits off his new EP, like “Love Letter” and his viral TikTok ​hit, “Sneakers”. Fans in the crowd were shouting to play songs like, “Girl on the Internet” to which Knox responded: “Do you really think I’d leave that out? I’m ​playing all the songs I have!”

Towards the end of the set, he took time to perform acoustically for a new unreleased song — that should be coming out sometime this month — “Invisible”. ​He said it was a love song, not like his sad boy songs he tends to write. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it! Shortly after, he was so excited to play one song ​because of its name and what it meant to him — NYC!

Before performing, he called out all the boyfriends in the room rolling their eyes and the middle section who weren’t jumping around the way he wanted, ​but as soon as he came in the crowd to sing NYC, the energy skyrocketed back there! It was so much fun to see, having artists come in the crowd in small ​shows like this are the reason I love coming to smaller venues — however, I think Knox definitely could have had a bigger venue!

Can’t wait to see him in New York again!

Click here to listen to Mary Jo and Knox

DYLAN BOWERY BALLROOM

April 17th, 2024

Photography and Contribution by : Anjelica James

DYLAN headlined Bowery Ballroom with Callum Orson and Mercer Henderson

artist interviews

1824 Press Conference :

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A hell of a good time with Haiden Henderson : interview

April 19,2024

Leandra had a “hell of a good time” interviewing Haiden Henderson! With a big thanks to 1824°, Leandra had the opportunity to speak with Haiden about how he got into music, ​his thoughts on live music, and touring. We got some insight on how Haiden is fitting into his style, navigating social media as an artist, and finding his true self.

Read below to see how it went!

Taking Sound Music: Could you talk a little bit how you got started with music? I read somewhere you were getting a degree in space engineering.

Haiden: Yeah, Aerospace Engineering

Taking Sound Music: That’s so cool

Haiden: I just came back from the University of Michigan, where I was doing a panel and performance, and it was a big talking point with me where I made this big jump from the straight ​and narrow to music. For me it was as simple as where I just went to where my fulfillment was coming from. I did aerospace engineering because I was an attention whore and I needed to ​be cool and I'm a first gen college student. I wanted my first college degree to be prestigious so I wanted to go to this great school, I wanted to prove myself to everyone around me for no ​reason, It’s just been this built in thing of mine.

Haiden talked a bit about how he interned at Space X, doing everything he thought he would be doing but just didn’t care about it as much. Randomly, he decided to pick up a ​guitar and that’s when he felt fulfilled.

Haiden: I felt I was doing something with my life and that fulfillment felt so instant, so pure. It was the first choice that I made for myself in my life that was just picking up the guitar. There ​was nobody there to watch me. I was living in the back of my truck, because I couldn’t afford rent. There was no audience, just for me and I was happier doing that than anything else.

He reflected a bit on his time with the University of Michigan students just a few weeks ago, and told them “If you want to be great at something in your life, you have to commit ​yourself fully to it.” He further explained how he gave himself an ultimatum — choose what you love or what other people would love.

Haiden: Luckily, people are coming full circle and people like the music and are coming to the shows so I got the best of both worlds”.

Taking Sound Music: After what you were doing for so long, do you think it’s given a different perspective on writing your music?

Haiden: Yeah for sure. I don’t really buy it when I’m making up something. I’m not the kind of song writer that just spews songs left and writes all the time. I’ve been writing songs halfway ​through the pandemic. A lot of my peers have been writing since they were little kids, singing since before they could talk and they are all so unbelievably talented. I’ve always been ​somebody who thinks a lot, much more analytical and STEM type brain for things. I love pattern analysis, sudoku, puzzles, problem solving, and in the beginning I approached songwriting ​like that. I then challenged myself to stop writing like that, to stop thinking like that with “Choke On My Heart” EP”. Just to write from pure emotion, and now with the new stuff, I just want to ​do it all at once and challenge myself to have my very emotionally vulnerable songs and have the songs that I think could fill up much larger rooms I’m playing right now. I think it has been ​a competitive edge for me and changed the way I do stuff.

Over the course of the last year, Haiden Henderson released his “The Choke on My Heart” EP and went on his first tour. Since the start of 2024, he’s released new music under ​Haiden Henderson rather than his previous artist name of Haiden. I thought it was an interesting switch up adding a last name so I asked — Why did you decide to add ​your last name?

Haiden: I went viral so early, for like the 15th song I ever wrote. I knew I was gonna have to figure it out, and I knew Haiden was more for tik tok at the time, feels a little bit more young ​and you could get to know me that way and I was so heavy with it. Henderson was always the goal, when I would talk to people Haiden Henderson was such an artist sounding name. I ​made it in my head that Haiden was someone figuring it out, and Haiden Henderson was someone who had figured it out. I added my last name as a subtle way to say I think I figured it ​out. I have the next entire batch of music , I know what I do well, and I know what I'm happy writing and performing and playing the rest of my life.

He made a Camp Rock joke after this — “this is real, this is me, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be now” and I honestly find that so fitting for him. We then talked a bit about intimate ​shows and our love for live music along with how live performances can affect an artist.

Haiden: My whole philosophy is live music used to be the best quality music you would hear. Like back in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, people were just getting car speakers and at home listening ​systems, and when you hear live music, it genuinely was the highest quality music you could hear because they had the massive speakers and the artist right there. Now it’s kind of the ​lowest quality sound you could hear from your car, airpods, maybe even your phone speakers could sound better. The only reason to go to a live show is not for the sound quality but for ​the interaction with the artist, then suddenly the only reason to be there is to feel like you’re there with the artist. Me and Emei love playing live more than anything and our shows are ​experiences. We make it as inclusive and fun as possible. We are in the crowd, doing bits, making jokes, I am very tight with my band. As a full band, it’s this really exhilarating experience for ​people and it makes live shows more interesting then getting up from the show and leaving.

Then we got a bit into talking about how I personally always hear the live version of songs in my head when listening to studio versions and how it completely alters the way I ​listen to music. Haiden said “There’s a certain energy you capture live that you don’t capture in the recording” which can be unfortunate in some aspects, but I believe it always ​makes an artist just that much better.

Haiden: I have always marketed my music with acoustic performances and they have always gone viral that way. Even getting the vocal performance to get that same magic has been very ​difficult. I think only recently I learned how to capture that energy so with the new music I’m more expressive and excited just like in the vocal booth I'm just having a lot more fun.

Haiden has been evolving as an artist ranging from acoustically to his newer sound that you hear in “hell of a good time”. He went from writing in his room alone, to having a ​band, collaborators and producers to help develop his new sound into how he wants. Having a guitarist has given him the ability to challenge himself a bit more and create ​something more.

Taking Sound Music: Is there an artist that inspires you or your music?

Haiden Henderson: My influences are changing on a song by song basis only because I’m only good at a very small number of things with music. It has to be guitar based, for me, that ​automatically locks you into a certain box. Even if I come in saying “I love toxic by Brittany Spears” and I want to write my version of Toxic by Britney Spears, because it’s going to be on a ​guitar, it’s going to have distortion in my vocal range. Everything I write about is going to have my own personal experience. It’s hard for me to make up other details. It’s very much gonna ​sound like me, even “hell of a good time”. I came from a rock concert the night before, I love pop music, I’m a pop girlie through and through (twins). I love Britney Spears, The Jonas ​Brothers… I love the throwback boyband world. I thought… how do I combine all that with all that rock energy, and that’s how “hell of a good time” was born. For the “Choke on My Heart” ​EP, I pulled a lot of influences from Death Cab for Cutie, Arctic Monkeys, Cage The Elephant. I love artists like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, (that is sacrilegious Haiden!) Justin Bieber, ​Shawn Mendes. I really love a group of artists that can bring a group of people together because it’s so catchy. I’m obsessed with the psychology of that, it’s so cool to me.

Taking Sound Music: I was looking at your instagram the other day, and noticed you have gone back to blonde! As an artist do you feel fashion plays a role in your music?

Haiden Henderson: I think I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable and better at understanding how I want to dress. I was born blonde, about this blonde, and when I became a recluse and a ​guitar player and I stopped going in the sun so my hair got darker. I stayed inside, my hair is very sensitive to sunlight, so my hair was roughly this color. I played water polo in school and I ​was outside all the time. I started dyeing it back to this color to make it look like I went outside again, but now the combination of looking pale with this… I look like a member of the Cullen ​family. I think the outfits are starting to reflect the hair and the music. Before, when my hair was like this, I don't think I dressed the right way, I dressed like your average joe, which is weird ​when you have platinum blonde hair. You would think you know what you’re doing with clothes if you decide to do this to your hair for $200 a month, but now it’s all wrapped up together. ​My live performance dictates what I wear, and what I wear dictates my content, music, influences, it’s more cohesive now.

He said that this was a good question he hasn’t been asked before — we try our best! I strongly relate to my clothing not matching my hair at certain points, especially when I ​went platinum blonde (not a good look on me). I go to so many shows where the fans let their favorite artists and their music dictate how they dress, so I thought it’d be nice to ​hear it from an artist!

Taking Sound Music: Navigating social media, has it been easy navigating as an artist?

Haiden: I am a control freak, and I love having control over what I do with my music. I chose music because I wanted control over my life, I wanted the immediacy to write a song and put it ​out into the world. I have a love and hate relationship with social media. I love it because it’s given me everything that I have but I hate it because I'm a slave to it at the same time. I feel ​guilty if I don’t post, and I feel I'm not serving my career enough if I'm not consistent with it. I also feel I'm not connecting with these people that have given me so much love and attention if ​I’m not consistent with it. I do think it’s made it easier in some ways, I think it’s given artists a lot more to do in other ways. It turned them into markets and influencers, and on top of being ​artists and songwriters. I love wearing multiple hats because it keeps me busy, and I love puzzles, and figuring stuff out. Overall, it’s totally positive but stresses me out.

Taking Sound Music: I think social media hasn’t connected artists and fans as much as they’d like it to. So many people are so focused on just posting now.

Haiden: I need to not hold myself to the standards of “if it’s not gonna go viral, why am I posting it?” because it’s not very healthy, and it doesn’t make you a human on the internet. I feel ​like now when you look at my social media you will learn more about me, but in the past you look at my stuff, I was just trying to nail it, trying to go viral. I didn’t have much of a personality ​for that reason, but I have become much more comfortable with being myself on the internet. Before, if it was something I went viral for, it was just gonna be for that thing, I was thinking ​it’s all they want from me, but that’s not what being an artist is all about, I’m much more comfortable with it now.

I genuinely had so much fun doing this interview with Haiden. He immediately made me feel comfortable by first calling out my bangs & how he also has them. Small things like ​that make stuff like this easier for someone like me and make me genuinely love what we do!

1824 Press Conference :

EM BEIHOLD

Photo: Ashely Osborn

1824 Press Conference :

holly humberstone

Holly Humberstone is a rising star from the UK. Humberstone released her debut album, “Paint My Bedroom Black” back in October. She ​is no stranger to touring, opening up for artists such as Girl in Red and Olivia Rodrigo. Humberstone’s album was highly anticipated ​before its release. During an 1824 press conference, we got to hear the details of the making of this complex album.

This interview focused on the writing that went into this album and life on tour. She talked about how this album had a lot to do with her ​identity and how when she was on the road, she didn’t feel familiar with herself anymore. Other than her songs, she didn’t know where ​she fit in because she was touring in new places away from home, family, and friends. Holly mentioned her struggle with her social media ​presence because it doesn’t come naturally, but she wants to be able to share things on her terms and learn what to share.

Her album gives us a small pathway into her mind, learning how she felt about this new type of lifestyle and her adjustment to it all. ​Being an independent artist means every show and tour done is without a huge budget, so every show has to be worth it. A packed ​schedule while away from home is an intense experience, but writing helped her get through it. Humberstone said she didn’t realize that ​being away from friends and family would affect her. Her first two EPs were heavily based on her location – her hometown and moving to ​London. She felt that this album was moving from hotel room to hotel room, and nothing was familiar but she was trying to make sense ​of everything.

Holly Humberstone truly connected emotionally with every question that was asked of her, and it was such an amazing opportunity to ​learn more about her. You can check out Holly Humberstone’s album, “Paint My Bedroom Black” now!

Link here

WILL LINLEY ON PAPER

a interview collaboration with full stop

A conversation with Claire rosinkranz : 1824 press ​conference

Claire Rosinkranz’s debut album, “Just Because” was released on October 6th, 2023. Just before the release, we were given to the opportunity to ​ask her questions and learn more about her during an 1824 press conference.

The album is a collection of songs she wrote at 18 years old about transitioning from teenage years into adulthood – an album full of real and ​raw emotion. When asked what she hopes the listeners feel while hearing this album, she said she hopes for a little bit of everything. “Just ​Because” is like the perfect coming-of-age movie soundtrack.

The writing process for this album was more about living in the moment and the thick of it all. In each song on the album, there are little things to ​pick up for timeline context as to her own experiences — almost like a diary entry. Rosinkranz mentioned that she writes songs about other ​people’s perspectives like her friends. “Polarized” was a song regarding a falling out with a friend and the process of it. “Banksy” is a song about ​loneliness. While speaking to us at the press conference, she was extremely vulnerable when talking about “Sad in Hawaii” – TRIGGER WARNING– ​which talks about her sexual assault and not knowing how to process what had happened. She said she felt like she was drowning, but the song ​feels light and bouncy. The songwriting process was difficult for her, but she said “Sometimes to write a song, you drop your boundaries, create ​from the most honest place possible.”

Taking Sound Music: Where did you draw inspiration for the song, “Wes Anderson”?

Claire Rosinkranz: For this one, I actually don’t know. I have no idea what I wrote this about honestly. But how it came about is, I was singing to ​myself, just some random melodies, and I said something about Wes Anderson. I just like the way it flowed and melodies. So I kept writing in my ​head and I was going to a session that day. I kinda make up a new meaning of that song every time I share it. It sounds honestly like – figure your ​life out and get food with yourself. Move on from whoever you’re dwelling on and be there for yourself.

Ironically, the song we asked her about is the song she dislikes most on the album, but it’s popular among her listeners – her personal favorite is ​“Swinging on Stars”. If she was able to summarize the album as a whole, it’d be from that song and the lyrics would be “I wanna be tired when I ​get to my grave.”

During the press conference, Claire announced she would be going on tour – DATES ARE OUT NOW!

We love this album, and we hope that you all get a chance to grab a ticket! Find more about “Just Because” in the link below.

website | instagram

A conversation with TOWA BIRD : 1824 press conference​

On August 23rd, we attended the 1824 press conference for Towa Bird! She talked about her debut album, going on ​tour and how living around the world has shaped her songwriting.

Towa Bird is a musician who has lived in places some have only dreamed of. She’s learned from the world around ​her and used it as inspiration for her music. Towa Bird has lived in places such as Hong Kong, Thailand, London and ​now the United States. Being exposed to so many different cultures and people at such a young age has allowed her ​to learn who she wanted to be and who she is now. Growing up, she listened to records that her father had around, ​inspiring her love for music and guitar playing (like guitarists ranging from Jimi Hendrix, Led Zepplin, and the ​Beatles).

American Hero is her upcoming debut album. She discussed the complex themes and the unreleased songs from the ​album. She explained that it was written in the transition period of her. Towa was learning to assimilate to American ​culture as an immigrant. The album is inspired by her American girlfriend and relationship themes. The album title ​started as a joke initially – she’s not American or a superhero because of her physical appearance, but the irony of it ​left to be more immersive for her.

Here are some questions we had the opportunity to ask!

Taking Sound: Which song off the album are you most excited for your listeners to hear?

Towa Bird: I really love “This Isn’t Me”, the one I just put out, which is why it came out. I love playing it live, like being able ​to do the arrangement live for it and put it on the stage was the reason I wanted to put it out so bad. I'm also really excited ​for people to hear a song called “The Party” which is the closing track of the album.

Taking Sound: What was the inspiration behind your hit song, “Wild Heart”?

Towa Bird: The way I used to navigate romantic relationships. I used to not respect my partners the way I do now, about ​emotional growth and learning how to respect myself and other people.

The rest of the album consists of many songs to dance to, guitar solos, high-tempo songs, and some vulnerability. ​She hopes when everyone hears American Hero, there will be a song for everyone on there and that they’ll have fun ​listening to it all while also reflecting on their own lives.

Towa Bird has taken her guitar and songs on tour with Alexander 23 and Renee Rapp. She is so excited to perform ​on tour, especially in New York City for their Halloween show! She loves to perform unreleased music. If you want to ​catch Towa Bird drop her guitar and run around the stage, then pick it up for a killer guitar solo, get tickets to see her ​on tour!

If you’d like to learn more about Towa Bird or get tickets for tour, check out the links below!

Click here to listen to TOWA BIRD

Find more about TOWA BIRD here

Website | Tour

1824 PRESS CONFERENCE: cian ducrot

On August 29th, we had the opportunity to attend the 1824 Press Conference with Cian Ducrot. Cian Ducrot is a rising pop artist hailing from Ireland and went viral on tik-tok from flashmob videos to his songs streaming over 300 million times. This fall, he is headlining his own USA tour for his debut album, “Victory.” Cian Ducrot spoke about his upcoming tour, the album, the struggles of being an artist and the inspirations behind his music during the conference.

Cian Ducrot spoke about inspirations behind his music and artists that inspire him such as Ed Sheeran (who he opened for in the UK), Shawn Mendes, and Eminem as well as life experiences. The storytelling of his music is very important to Cian.

When it comes to his personal struggles, comparison is a big one. Just last year, he said he realized it’s not a bad thing. He wanted to write songs for anyone to sing because he’s been someone who busks, and it’s a storytelling process. He has been songwriting since he was very young and wrote his proper first song at the age of 14 years old. He talked about the struggles of working alone after dropping out of college. He moved to London from Ireland, he said he was extremely sad and not in a good place until he bumped into people he knew in London and they said he’d be okay. His mom had also told him, “you’re going to figure things out.”

Cian Ducrot became a rising star through TikTok, which was something he had to learn to navigate. He can see that TikTok and social media goes in waves. He doesn’t think about how it will be a trend, he realized people wanted a stripped back version of “all for you.” He then stripped back songs with the piano in the way it was written. This helped make it easier to connect with fans on social media. The album Victory released on July 21st and the meaning behind Victory was achieving things: victory for all those around him such as friends and supporters, his personal victory to have a debut album in the first place. The opportunity came for him to produce with someone he admired, and he got to travel and learn to work on his songs with someone else. In early June, he listened to the album with fans and got to see their reaction to it all..

When asked about the upcoming tour, Cian said he was excited to return to the US for his headlining shows. Cian felt it was crazy to go to cities in a country he had never been before, especially in a country way across the ocean playing bigger shows than the last tour. What can we expect from Cian Ducrot this fall at his headlining shows? You can expect to hear the album and have a quite emotional but fun experience where anything can happen.

We are excited to hear more from Cian Ducrot and if you want to find out more about his upcoming tour and listen to his album links are listed down below!

Click Here to listen to “Victory”

find more about cian ducROt here

Website | Instagram

1824 PRESS CONFERENCE: RENEE' RAPP

Renee Rapp’s new album, Snow Angel, has just been released! We were given the opportunity through an 1824 press conference to get the inside scoop on her album. Renee gave insight as to those who help her behind the scenes, her music inspiration growing up, the songwriting process.

Snow Angel is a perfect blend of different genre sounds that encapsulate who Renee Rapp is and how her music has shaped her. She listened to R&B and pop growing up, as well as being a part of musical theater, which all led to her musical fusion within this album. She mentioned that she was very proud of this album and hopes that people truly like it. As an artist, she is the product of the music she grew up with and the people who surround her, especially the women in her life. One of those women she surrounds herself with is her best friend who helps her behind the scenes creating this project.

Rapp’s music resonates with so many people because her lyrics tell people about her heartbreak and trauma, such as in her single “Snow Angel.” The 13 track album that releases August 18th, 2023 , follows the success of her 2022 EP, Everything to Everyone. If you’re ready to hear Renee Rapp wear her heart on her sleeve, then you will be more than ready to hear this album.

Click here to listen to “Snow Angel”

Find more about Renee Rapp here

Website | Instagram

A conversation with Leon Thomas : 1824 press ​conference

He is a triple threat, singer/songwriter/producer, who is ready to show the world his debut album, “Electric Dusk.” During a press conference held by 1824 on August 11th, Leon dove into his new album. Leon was gracious and vulnerable with the challenges of making a solo album and allowed the attendees to have a sneak peek.

“Electric Dusk” consists of 11 tracks and is the way Leon envisioned it. Handling the production and engineering himself, it sounds almost like a 60s track with psychedelic rock mixed with R&B and hip-hop elements — all prominent in tracks such as “Blue Hundreds” and “My Will.” His first two singles released were “Breaking Point” and “Crash & Burn.”

While helping other artists write and produce, Leon explained that he faced challenges and learned lessons for himself in his career. He discussed that personal writing tends to be uncomfortable for him, but he has the ability to push others to show their vulnerability within their music. Using the experience of seeing other artists work their way to the top, he learned to collaborate with those working with him.

Throughout this experience, we were given the opportunity to ask Leon a question. Our question focused more on his feelings towards hearing the completely finished album for the first time, in which he said:

“Well, it was amazing. I also mixed this album myself, so I’ve listened to these songs I think more than any human being could possibly listen to these songs. I’ve heard every nook and cranny of it. I had a really amazing vision on how I wanted this thing to sound. I’m glad I believed in myself enough to do it. I heard Dr. Dre mixed a lot of his stuff, you know, I wanna be like Dr. Dre, so I did it. And here we are.”

If you’re a lover of R&B or Hip-Hop and ready for an artist to come in and take the genre by storm, then Leon Thomas’ debut album is the one for you. The album releases August 18th, 2023. Click here to listen to “Electric Dusk”!

Find out more about Leon Thomas here:

Instagram |

Website

meet the artist: GINKGO BALBOA

August 13 2023

click here

to watch our interview with Mike Bednarsky from GINkGO BaLBOA

LIFE IS SWELL WHEN YOU’RE WITH EVENING ELEPHANTS

jUNE 23rd 2023

By: Leandra and Victoria Alexander

With the opportunity to review Evening Elephants’ first headlining New York City show, we were able to sit down with them for a quick interview to learn more about them.

Before you scroll to read the interview, here’s some background information on the Los Angeles-based duo.

Evening Elephants consists of Sam Boggs (lead vocalist) and Brandon Leslie (drummer/producer), they released their first EP "Evening Demos" in December 2022. The duo has released three singles and one of them being their latest "Snow on the bluff" which you can check out by clicking here.

Where did you guys get your name?

Sam: Have you ever seen Naruto? So, it's like 400 episodes deep or whatever, Madara's attacking and this guy named Night Guy is fighting him. The final move that he uses is called “The Evening Elephant” before he almost dies and shit, but then he gets saved by Naruto. We were looking for a name because we initially were just doing this all for fun, right, then we thought of a name and no one liked the name… so we were like “We have to come up with a better one.” I was high, watching Naruto and I was like, "Oh you know, that sounds pretty cool, let's use that" and that was that.

How’d you guys meet?

Brandon: We met through mutual friends. When we first met, we were kicking it off, talking about trauma into the midnight hour, you know? It was really good. It felt like a very transparent, amazing friendship from the beginning and we would always say I knew he made music, he knew I made music. We were told to make music with each other by friends and stuff. We'd always see each other at parties and be like, “Let's do it. We're gonna eventually do it. I know when it happens, it'll be great.” We're just in divine timing or whatever, and we finally said we're gonna get together and we solidified something. We wrote our first song, "Burning Trees & Breathing," which is on our Spotify, and then we were like, Oh, this is awesome. And we just kept going. It was a slow walk up. We got together like, twice a week and wrote a song every time.

Sam: It was all for fun at first.

Brandon: Yeah, it was all for fun at first. Yeah because it's not normally music we would even make. It’s not even what we necessarily listen to, so it's just like... I don't know. We just had fun with it and it created this amazing project.

What made you guys feel like you could take this seriously?

Sam: It was our manager, Seth. He just hit us up on Instagram and was like "These are sweet. What’s your name?" and so we said “We don't have a name, we're just having a lot of fun with it.” So Seth was like "Uh, do you guys need a manager?" and we were like "Sure, but we don't have a name." Then we thought of Evening Elephants and it just progressively got more serious.

Brandon: It always felt like I was pushing a boulder uphill with every other project. This is the first band that just felt so easy and that's how I know it was something I could invest a whole part of myself into because it was showing that type of reception and energy.

Sam: Yeah. It was a gradual fun thing. Then people were like “It's really good! You guys should keep doing it!” so I was like I mean I guess we will and we were like “Yeah, why not” because there's no reason not to.

What kind of music influences your style?

Brandon: I grew up on punk music and hardcore metal. I still listen to those styles a lot. Then like Tower of Power and Earth, Wind, and Fire. It was very much a mixture of funk, Motown, like anti-establishment anarchy kind of music. I think that like formulates into what we are because we are just the anti. It's not anti-evident, but we like looking and poking holes at what people are so fucking connected to in the world and just being like life isn't that serious. There's a lot of lyrics that are political and lyrics that just touch on things more deeply, but we do it in a way that's kinda funny.

Sam: I grew up on Michael Buble, Clay Aiken, Josh Groban, and some weird shit like that.

As soon as I could listen to my own music, it was just straight rap music, you know, forever. So that's what I think I bring to the table. His background is he produces everything, creates the vibe and then I bring whatever weird fucking side I can vocally to it. It’s a culmination of a lot of things.

With “Life is Swell”, why do you think it attracts people?

Sam: It's probably the most definitive song that can explain the style that we're going for.. where it's a little heavy, like grungy in a way, but very light on the lyrics on the vocal side of it. And the chorus is ethereal and if you really listen to the lyrics, I'm just talking bullshit the whole time, there's no real thing and that's our viewpoint of life. You’re just walking down the street and something bad could happen and I'm like "Oh, fuck me. well, I just gotta keep going right?"

I think it's just attractive in how sonically good it sounds and how silly it's perceived.

Brandon: I think it's about the duality of life. It's sad boy music but it makes me want to smile. I don't know. I love that feeling of being torn between feeling hurt, but also just manic. It's very manic. It feels like that's how my life feels. *Laughs*

So you guys have your new song, “Snow on the Bluff”, can you explain what that’s about?

Sam: That song is kind of looking back on these terrible relationships, definitely not good, you know? But you still think of them fondly. The chorus is mainly an imaginary woman that we’re talking to that has a problem. I don't know if you’ve heard the lyrics, I won’t disclose them. I’m perceiving this woman with a problem, but there’s no fork in the road, I'm still riding with you till the end. The verses are talking about different relationships we’ve had and how I just miss them even though they’re fucking terrible.

Brandon: That song was really interesting because we have a producer out here that we work with, he did that and worked on the song with us. We missed our train on the way coming back from New Jersey and then we wrote that song in 40 minutes. Literally 40 minutes, like really fast, and made our train back to New York. It was just really interesting how fast that one came together.

There's a very calming energy to it.

Sam: It's calming sonically but I'm talking about some baaaad things. *Laughs*

You guys dropped “mixt8pe” on Audiomack. Did you guys want to do more hip-hop in the future?

Sam: He writes rap beats a lot and puts them out to rappers. Did you just have that or we-

Brandon: We made that.

Sam: We made that one?

Brandon: Yeah.

Sam: I don't consider myself a rapper. *Laughs*

Brandon: There's a way you can do it where it just… fits. That one was like if we are to do hip-hop, it would be very niche. I wouldn't want it to be trap.

Sam: It'd be something like Nas.

Brandon: Some traditional drums kind of mix. There are parts in that that are a little trap but it's just done in a way that it doesn't feel try hard. So we would like to discuss doing a hip-hop drop eventually, but it has to be when we’ve reached a bigger place. Like a mixtape drop on Soundcloud where it's not even promoted, we just drop it.

Sam: We’d definitely do it again but we don't seek it out. That one just kinda came to us.

Would you want to release it on Spotify?

Brandon: I feel like we’d probably do something lowkey like Soundcloud or a private download link

Sam: If we had more confidence in that area then maybe.

So just testing out the waters?

Sam: Yeah, just seeing how it's perceived.

Brandon: Every song and writing process is totally different. We don’t say “Hey, we’re gonna write a rap song today,” Just whatever is channeled literally that day. Like right now, we’ve been on a sad boy kick, you know? And writing all the sad boy songs.

Sam: Punky, sad boy, kind of cliche.

Was there a difference in production between writing the “Evening Demos” and the new music you guys are writing now?

Sam: All of the songs on that and plenty of the songs that you’ll hear released in the future were all written in his kitchen. Just a piano, his computer speakers and that was it. We have about 25 songs like that, so the process is the same. I’d show up to the house, grab a beer, we’re talking about some things that are going on, and then like:

“You good?” “I'm good” “You need to vent more?” “No” “Great, let's get into it.”

And then three hours later, we have a song. And that was the process like every time. Other than when we’d have cigarette breaks on the roof.

Brandon: Even when we bring in another producer to co-produce, it's still the same thing.

Does it usually only take like three to four hours to produce a song or can it take any longer?

Brandon: Yeah, but I read “The Secret” or one of those motivational books and it was like “get people to do what you’re bad at” and just focus on what you’re good at. So I’m the songwriting producer, not an engineer so I have people that I’ll send our mixed stuff to for them to do the grunt work but I don’t like to do that. I’ll get to a certain area then I’ll pass it off. Or with this guy from New Jersey, we’ve been co-producing together on some stuff.

What is your favorite memory of New York?

Brandon: The jugs at the bridge are always a vibe, the coffee.

Sam: The first time we were here, yeah we would just walk out to Greenpoint or something that juts out into the water. We would just have coffees, I’d write some poetry, we’d read it together, and talk about the future and stuff so that was cute as hell. We also went up to the Catskills, so technically not New York City, and we wrote some really fun music up there and stayed in an Airbnb in the woods and had a writing camp. That was a fond memory of mine. It’s just been a lot of fun, but those are two good ones.

Is there anything you guys are looking forward to in the future? Any projects?

Sam: We’re gonna keep continuously releasing singles, trying to gain traction. The show in Colorado will be cool, we’re playing our first festival and we have a 9 PM slot so that's kind of fun. I guess that’ll be cool because it's the first time we don't have any friends in that area. In new york we have friends, in LA a bunch of friends who’ve been coming and filling out the venues so that’ll be the first show where it's like okay, there might be no one there, a few people there, might be a bunch of random people there who are like “who the fuck are these guys” but it’s a nervous fun. It’ll be cool.

MUSIC RECS

click here to check our the rest of our spotify playlists

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

January 23rd, 2024

music video premiere: “ apollo” - slow fiction

Brooklyn Based Rock Band , Slow Fiction, consists of Julia Vassallo (vocals), Joseph Skimmons (guitar), Paul Knepple (guitar), Ryan Duffin (bass), and Akiva ​Henig (drums). In 2023 they released their debut self titled ep and worked with one of the post popular producers in indie music right now, Jonathan ​Schneke. “The band additionally made appearances at SXSW and New Colossus Festival + supported acts such as Sunflower Bean, Warmduscher, English ​Teacher, Pure Adult, Post Animal, and Lowertown”.

image credit: courtesy of Miles Wilson

Starting off 2024, Slow Fiction has just signed to So Young Records and is releasing their first single of the year “Apollo”. We are excited to share the ​premiere of “Apollo” music video here on Taking Sound Music!

Slow Fiction had this to say about “Apollo” in their press release : "The recognition of being in love with what someone could be, but not what they are in ​reality. Apollo is the god of sunlight and poetry. Perhaps realizing that a person is not a god, without them you can still exist, create, and have a voice. ​Darkness is the absence of light, but it still has a word and meaning."

You can find more about Slow Fiction by clicking here!

February 14th, 2024

EXCLUSIVE SINGLE PREMIERE: “ I Want You ,Babe” - Fair VISIONS

Ryan Work is a musician from Tennessee who is currently based out of Queens, New York. Ryan Work goes under the name Fair Visions, who as released ​two EP’s. The upcoming LP, “ Quiet an End” comes out this spring, May 7th, 2024.

“On Quite an End, Ryan Work (Fair Visions) brings a live arrangement in place of sequencers for their debut LP of poignant, shimmering off-the-wall ​indie rock. The album finds Fair Visions working alongside a larger cast of friends and collaborators with producer Abe Seiferth (Nation of Language, ​LCD Soundsystem, Car Seat Headrest). Featuring Tim Lappin (Casual Male) on bass, Chris Egan and Jesse Lewis on drums, Beck Zegans (Goo!), Syd ​Matisse and Leah Lavigne (Ok Cowgirl) filling out background vocals, with contributions from local legends Miles Hewitt and John Roland Miller. Quite ​an End was recorded in the Summer of 2021 at Transmitter Park Studios and was mastered by Joe Lambert.” - Press

Photo by Rita Iovine

listen here

THE SINGLE RELEASES ON STREAMING SERVICES February 14TH, 2024.

You can find out more about Fair Visions by clicking here

February 16, 2024

MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERE: “ Mr.Arrogant” - The Inside Out

The Inside Out is an indie/alt rock band based out of Connecticut. They have performed at iconic venues such as ​Rockwood Music Hall and Bowery Electric in New York City. We selected The Inside Out as one of the bands for our ​2023 Artist Spotlight which you can check on our instagram. They have created a vibrant and enriching rock sound ​and you can hear it in the single they released the fall of last year “ Mr. Arrogant”. We are excited to share the music ​video for the song which we are so excited to share is out now! The band gave us an exclusive as to what the video is ​about and behind the scenes on our tik tok and instagram check it out after watching the music video!!

click here to find out more about the inside out

APRIL 2nd, 2024

behind the scenes with INTERNET TEARS

Photo Credit: Daniel Louis

link here to watch behind the scenes the video

Entertainment is where you will find anything we share related to ​music when it comes to movies, events, news, etc. Hope you enjoy!

MAY 3rD, 2024

“The Idea Of You” Movie Review

On April 30th, our blog had the opportunity to see an advance screening of The Idea of You, based on the revered ​romance novel. Anne Hathaway, plays the lead, Solène, a forty-year-old single mother who happens to unexpectedly fall in ​love with the lead singer of one the biggest boy bands in the world, August Moon. Hayes Campbell, a twenty-four year old ​played by Nicholas Galitzine, presents the singing, acting, and dancing role of a lifetime. Michael Showalter (co- ​producer/writer) penned the script with Jennifer Westfeldt, and explains the film perfectly. “It’s a great romantic story. It’s ​sexy, it’s funny and a little steamy. It’s about two people who wouldn’t likely be together but who really like each other. ​And, hopefully, you’ll want to go on this journey with them as they navigate their way into having a relationship against all ​kinds of obstacles: against public opinion and against their own ideas about who are the kinds of people they think they ​should or shouldn’t be with.”

Minor spoilers ahead, but if you have ever been a crazed fangirl, watching this film will bring back a flood of childlike ​dreams and possibilities. At the beginning, Solène reluctantly takes her daughter and friends along to Coachella, toting VIP ​passes to meet her daughter's once-favorite pop band. Attendees of festivals, concerts, or artist signings will know seeing ​your favorite artists or even meeting them can be a fever dream. This movie pairs well alongside great music favorite films ​such as Almost Famous and Music and Lyrics. The two soon-to-be lovers meet in the most meet-cute manner. Solène ​stumbles into an artist's trailer to use his bathroom (ps. - she didn’t know it was his), and Hayes immediately grows fond of ​this woman. We were hooked from the start.

As a lover of music and a worshiper of rom-coms, The Idea Of You beat even my highest of expectations. This film ​managed to not only capture that rom-com feeling, but eloquently discussed so many important topics, from ageism, ​sexism, online expectations, how we treat others, family dynamics , and the importance of building honest relationships. I ​think this movie will resonate with many people over different generations of audiences. Anne Hathaway has always been ​the queen of romance, but Solène marks one of her best acting roles to date. Solène shows that age does not matter, even ​through the beauty of music she enjoys with her daughter listening to St. Vincent and other indie rock artists sampled ​throughout. Nicholas Galiztine is one of the biggest rising stars in Hollywood, and has many hit movies behind him over ​the past two years; he manages to show multiple sides not glimpsed before. All those prior roles seem to have prepared ​him for this one. If you were expecting a cheesy rom-com role from him in this, adjust your expectations accordingly. ​Nicholas shows off multiple talents, even injecting extreme vulnerability into Hayes. I can see bigger awards prospects in ​his future if he keeps up this same trajectory.

As a music blog, we of course have to talk about music. When you watch the performances in the movie, they honestly feel ​like genuine authentic live shows. If you were missing bands like One Direction, Pretty Much, and Why Don’t We, August ​Moon surely recalls an era when modern day boy bands were making waves in the late 2010’s. Just try not to fall in love with ​August Moon. The fictional band consists of five boys: Hayes, Oliver, Simon, Rory, and Adrian. In 2020, Robin Lee, the author ​of The Idea Of You, confirmed that August Moon was loosely inspired by One Direction, and Hayes specifically on Harry ​Styles. Robin Lee said “Hayes is supposed to be Prince Harry meets Harry Styles.”

The soundtrack itself features ten original songs, and a few songs are sampled directly in the film. Savan Kotecha is the lead ​songwriter and producer behind The Idea of You soundtrack. Kotchea has experience working with artists such as One ​Direction, so it was no surprise he molds August Moon into a convincing boy band. Savan Kotecha also wanted the listeners ​to feel they were truly listening to a real artist, not a manufactured one; more in the realm of A Star Is Born than Zenon: Girl ​of the 21st Century. Savan Kotecha wrote all the songs stated below off the soundtrack:

Original songs featured on the soundtrack:

1. “Taste” performed by August Moon
   
2. “Dance Before We Walk” performed by August Moon
   
3. “The Idea Of You” performed by Nicholas Galitzine and Anne-Marie
   
4. “Closer” performed by August Moon
   
5. “I Got You” performed by August Moon
   
6. “Guard Down” performed by August Moon
   
7. “Go Rogue” performed by Nicholas Galitzine
   
8. “The Idea Of You” – Acoustic Version performed by Nicholas Galitzine, August Moon
   
9. “Dance Before We Walk” – Acoustic Version performed by Nicholas Galitzine, August Moon
   
10. “Taste” – R3HAB Remix performed by August Moon, R3HAB
    

Songs on the soundtrack from artists featured in the film

1. “Light On” – Maggie Rogers
   
2. “If We Ever Broke Up” – Mae Stephens
   
3. “Paper Bag” – Fiona Apple
   
4. “Pay Your Way In Pain” – St. Vincent
   
5. “Les Fleurs” – Minnie Riperton
   
6. “Dance Hall Days” – Wang Chung
   
7. “Light On” – Maggie Roger
   

I think the greatest thing about The Idea of You was the inherent symbolism. From the beginning to end, we see the watch ​passed like a torch between the couple throughout their time together. This seemed symbolic of finding your person at the ​right time. Ultimately, this was probably one of the best movies and romantic films we have seen all year. We highly ​recommend everyone check it out on Amazon.

Thank you to Amazon MGM for allowing us to screen this movie in advance. Do not miss The Idea of You, now streaming on ​Prime Video.

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