Interviews
Interview: One Room + New Song
One Room is unlike any other group around today. Sunset has been supporting them since day one, and all the way up to now their releases have been nothing short of impressive. Their music is a unique blend of that dramatic Weeknd flare and the grounded, honest lyricism of someone like Kid Cudi. The group consists of Samuel (who released a solo track in March) and recent Indie-Pop signee Chris P. I had the pleasure of interviewing the duo earlier this year, and now you can read the full interview and listen to their brand new song “Tip Toe” in anticipation of their debut EP which will be released this June.
Arjun: How did One Room begin? Whose idea was it?
Chris: One Room came from a deep place inside both of us. It was kind of a mutual idea for us to do music together. Before you know it we had all these tracks we called ours.
Samuel: Yeah. We needed a new creative outlet that combined our individual strengths and talents into one big one. Watching all the awesome music happening around us and wanting to make something different… At first it was more experimentation than anything.
Arjun: What exactly is Heavy Roc‘s role in your music (production, distribution, etc.)?
Chris: The Roc is where it all goes down. Everyday pretty much we would go down to the studio and work. I was one of the engineers. Sam was always brewin’ something up as far as production, so by the time it was done I just had to cross the t’s and dot the i’s on it, ya know.
Samuel: The studio is our center, it’s really the way that we met and began to make music together and our friendship and the creative things began overlapping. We also knew that the HRM blog would be the first place we premiered our music. Everyone at Heavy Roc is really supportive, and we definitely owe them a huge thanks.
Arjun: I don’t think I get this whole set up yet. Who exactly does the production for One Room? And Samuel sings and Chris raps?
(Hit the jump to read the full interview, including who they’re both listening to right now and how Chris ended up being Lydia‘s Valentine this year.)
Reptar Interview with Sunset in the Rearview
Reptar came across my radar last year when I got an email from a trusted source with their EP, Oblangle Fizz, Yall, which ended up being dubbed one of the best EPs of 2011 by Sunset, and hit single “Stuck In My Id” was named Best Song of 2011 by yours truly. Ever since then, I pretty much drool at the thought of Reptar. I probably dream of them nightly, particularly the gingers in the band. I’m actually dating all four of them. It’s an interesting relationship, and it might only exist in my head, but the fact is…it exists somewhere, and that’s what matters. So I sat down with one of my boyfriends, William, and asked him some really weird questions about Reptar. We talked about everything from their new album, video games, which Rugrats character he relates to the most, who he’s listening to right now, his choice of superpower, and what he thinks about having two gingers in his band.
Some of the audio quality is pretty poor and it’s pretty choppy in certain places, so I apologize for that…I’m still working on how to optimize these audio interviews that are done over the phone. For now, enjoy this Reptar interview. Oh and forgive me for lying when I said I had one question left. I wanted to keep talking to him! #Reptar4Life
[Interview] The Dean’s List – Friends with Ambition
The Dean’s List is comprised of three really good friends from Boston and New Jersey. Sonny Shotz is the group’s rapper and songwriter. Mik and Mendoza handle the beats. It is simple, but it works. The group was formed only 3 years ago and has quickly gained a loyal following on the Internet, thanks to the consistently displayed on their first two mixtapes Undeclared and The Drive In. Just a few weeks ago, the group’s commercial debut Generation X was released on iTunes, and I got to talk to the guys about their new album, their main influences, and the movie Drive.
Arjun: First of all, I got to ask you about “Dear Professor.” That is one of the most played songs on my iPod. What was the inspiration behind that?
The Dean’s List (Mendoza): Yeah, well, “Dear Professor” took awhile. I know Mik found the sample on YouTube, and we kind of really worked with it, and it took awhile. That was probably one of the first records we came across and then probably the last one we finished. It took awhile; it was a really great learning experience moving forward for when we were working on Generation X.
Arjun: Okay, now. About Generation X. Can you tell me a little about the recording process of the album?
The Dean’s List (Sonny Shotz): Well, yeah, basically the recording process will just be Mik and Mendoza working on a beat and then it slowly comes together–either Mik starts it off or Mendoza starts it off. Then, I just give them my input–what I think about the direction it’s going–and then I write the lyrics. It all just comes together like that.
Arjun: What were some influences behind the new album?
The Dean’s List (Sonny Shotz): We listen to just about everything–every genre really. Personally, I listen to a lot of Bob Dylan. He’s my favorite artist. I know Mendoza listens to a lot of John Mayer. Mik just listens to everything on the radio. He’s all about the pop hits. He’s a big Justin Bieber fan.
Continue reading “[Interview] The Dean’s List – Friends with Ambition” »
[Interview] Fun. – An Emerging Band With Boundless Talent
I got the chance to talk with Andrew Dost of Fun., a young band that is quickly becoming one of the more popular young bands on the scene today. The hit single (“We Are Young”) from their upcoming album, Some Nights, was featured on a Chevy ad during the Superbowl and their fame escalated even further. Some people know the band from one of the band members’ previous band, The Format, and others are seeing this as a breath of fresh air in a world of indie rock that can often be seen as muddled and unoriginal. Andrew talked to me about the band’s origins, where he sees them in the future, his favorite cities to perform in, his inspirations and favorite artists, Some Nights, their tour, and more.
I tried something different this time, since I often find myself skimming over interviews because I don’t have time to read the whole thing. So this time around, it’s an audio file. What do you think – is this a better way to go about things?
And in case you missed it, check out Sunset in the Rearview’s streaming and review of their album, Some Nights.
Interview: G-Eazy
At the end of 2011, I hosted a poll on the Sunset Facebook Page asking who you guys thought would be the “next big thing.” There were several artists in the running, but the frontrunner, by far, was…you guessed it…G-Eazy. The white rapper from New Orleans and Oakland who makes a name for himself by doing something outright DIFFERENT. There are days when I get so down about the current state of hip hop and who the young stars are, because frankly it’s easy for them to all blend together. White guys who own Macs. They take a popular modern-day indie-pop song, flip it, and rap over it. But the raps are all too often…well, somewhat empty. And at some point, they all start to sound the same. It’s a case of oversaturation. At times you don’t realize it, and you get down and enjoy the music; but when you take a step back, it’s easy to realize that the kiddy pool has one too many swimmers trying to stay afloat.
Enter: G-Eazy. By appearance, he totally fits the bill for this overcrowded genre of hip-hop today. But he stands against conformity and has created something completely unique. He has chosen to build his music off of gems from the olden days: the 50′s and 60′s. His voice is unlike any others out there; a bit raspy, a bit nasal, and a bit addictive. It’s no wonder he was chosen to be the “next big thing” — his fans stand behind him, and it’s for a damn good reason.
The “prize” for him winning this poll was a featured interview on Sunset in the Rearview. We wanted to take a really personal approach to this question and answer session. Skimming the surface wasn’t going to suffice; we got down into the nitty gritty. So here you have an introduction to G-Eazy and a tour of his personal life. Hop on board; the train is about to leave the station.
Sunset: Who are you? Why should anybody care about who you are or be familiar with the name G-Eazy?
My name is Gerald Gillum, I’m 22 years old, from the bay area and yeah, I’m fucking great at rapppiiiiiiing!
Sunset: What’s your goal in your career?
Ultimately – if I can make a living in the music business, and never have to work a normal job, I’ll be happy as fuck. Obviously I want to be the next big thing, and see my music reach people all around the world, but nothing beats making a living doing what you love.
“Runaround Sue” (ft. Greg Banks) – G-Eazy
Download G-Eazy Runaround Sue (Feat. Greg Banks)
Sunset: So let’s be honest. You’re white. You’re young. You’re educated. How did this all start? Are you part of the young white rapper trend?
No! At least I hope not haha. To be frank, the whole ‘frat rap’ thing really isn’t a scene I associate myself with at all. No disrespect, but I’ve been rapping and making beats ever since the 9th grade… It’s something I’ve been passionate about a long time.
Sunset: If you weren’t a rapper, what would you be doing right now?
I’m really not too sure… Quite honestly it’s a little scary to think about. I never really did well in school, so I don’t think I’d do well working at a normal 9-5. I hate taking orders, and I get bored really easily.
Sunset: What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?
Tough to say, I’ve landed myself in some pretty awkward situations. This one time I got a nose bleed on stage during one of my shows, that sucked.
Endless Summer – G-Eazy
Download G-Eazy Endless Summer (ft. Erika Flowers)
Sunset: Who is your dream girl?
Rihanna… I’m deeply in love with her (body) and would do some crazy things to her if / when I ever get the chance to meet her.
Sunset: When you’re rolling in the dough, what’s the first big purchase you’ll make?
I’ll probably just go on a big vacation to Paris, or Italy. I know that’s not the typical rapper answer, but to be honest, I hate cars and I’m not into jewelry.
Sunset: Boxers or briefs?
Boxers
“Kings” – G-Eazy
Download G-Eazy Kings
Sunset: What are the top 5 favorite cities you’ve performed in?
Oakland. New Orleans. LA. New York City… and Salt Lake City! No, really, they went ham out there. S/o to SLC they really showed me a lot of love when we stopped through on the last tour.
Sunset: What are your favorite pairs of shoes?
To wear: all black vans.
To collect: Black / cement Jordan 3s.
Sunset: Dogs or cats?
Snoop Doggy Dogs all the way.
Sunset: Have you ever had your heart broken?
Something like that.
Sunset: Any pre-show rituals?
I like to have a couple drinks… usually whisky. And if we have the whole original crew around, we do our secret chant, haha.
Rappin A$$ Rappers (ft. G-Eazy & Meta) – Mod Sun
Download Mod Sun Rappin A$$ Rappers ft. G-Eazy & Meta (Prod. by Adam Ivy)
Sunset: Where do you see yourself in 1 year?
Rolling in the dough! Or at least somewhere with a roof over my head, food in my belly, and weed in my pipe, paid for entirely by music.
Sunset: What would you do for a klondike bar?
Drive two pretty blonde dikes in a car. Or ride bikes to the bar. I don’t know, something to that effect.
Connect with G-Eazy:
Interview: Dylan Owen
Dylan Owen has been taking names on the streets of New York since middle school. After releasing his first album Senioritis last year, he aims to take 2011 by storm with his Keep Your Friends Close EP. I had the pleasure of being able to interview him a few weeks ago.
Arjun: When did you decide you wanted to be a rapper?
Dylan: I honestly didn’t know that I wanted to do this for a living until probably my junior year of high school, even though I had been writing and performing for a while at that point. I always had a mix of dreams and goals which incorporated writing — but that wasn’t fully materialize until, I suppose, one day, it hit me.
Arjun: The way I see it, you could have taken your rap anywhere. What made you choose to make your lyrics more personal and introspective? Who can you list as your inspirations?
Dylan: This was really the only route that interested me (and still is). I don’t see the point in making music that’s not genuine or inspired; that shit would be no fun at all. Inspirations, definitely Sage, Eyedea, Witness, guys like that who opened my eyes to rhyming about real things. And Uncle Kracker.
Arjun: Glad Uncle Kracker made the list. Which artists are you listening to right now?
Dylan: Let me check my recently added to iTunes… I’ve got Kin Ship (very talented local band from Ithaca NY whose drummer is a dope hip-hop producer named Kid Vision), Solo’s new mixtape Dear Future (met him at a recent Gramercy Theater show, gotta support), and some Willie Nelson. I’m eclectic. I’ll bump The Wonder Years one day and Jenny Lewis the next. And I love the new J. Cole, especially the second half of the album.
Arjun: Definitely agree about the second half of Cole World. Do have any big collaborations on the horizon?
Dylan: Well, my boy Kinetics is going to be featured on Keep Your Friends Close. Y’all ready for this? I may possibly have tracks in the works with Reef of Fortune Family, PJ Simas, Ashworth, Chance Fisher, Skizzy Mars…some peeps.
Arjun: Damn. All of those artists are awesome. You recently tweeted that you made a beat. I’m really curious to hear it. Want to give Sunset readers a sample of your production skills?
Dylan: I would be so down, but the shit’s straight up whack. People read my twitter? Do not follow @DylanOwenMusic.
Arjun: Where do you record your tracks? Also, where do you find time to record tracks around your busy (college) schedule?
Dylan: Funny question, because I don’t really have a definite answer at the moment. Back in Goshen, I record at my producer Nico Marchese’s in-house studio. Sometimes, I record with my own equipment. Sometimes, I go to DJ Mikey Good’s apartment near the West Village. We make time!
Arjun: I’m just starting the application process. Should I apply to Cornell?
Dylan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Arjun: Tracklist? Release date? Tour? Want to drop a single right here?
There are 9 tracks on the upcoming free EP. I also think I’m going to put a few of the songs on iTunes in advance so people can grab copies if they’d like to check it out before the drop. As for shows, I just got done with a whole string of ‘em, played in NH, CT, and Washington, D.C. for the first time and got to share some stages with Yelawolf, Logic, Skizzy Mars, and tons of other awesome talent. So keep your friends close and check http://dylanowenmusic.com/ for updates. Let’s just say I’ll be hitting you with a Christmas present this year. Peace, Sunset!
WAIT! Before you go, check out the promo video for Keep Your Friends Close and try not to be hyped about the project. The video offers a glimpse into Dylan’s life in New York City and features a snippet of a song called “Bookmarks” from the EP. Swag on swag on swag.
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Interview with Timeflies
A couple of months ago, we had an interview with the duo consisting of the rapper/singer Cal and multi-genre producer Rob, better known as Timeflies. That was then. Fast forward to this past weekend, and I’m sitting in their hotel room, recording an interview on an iPad (classy, right?) before their concert in Dayton, Ohio (which was fucking awesome by the way).
So check out the latest interview that will leave you with a few laughs and a better understanding of Timeflies as we discuss topics such as the college tour, Timeflies Tuesday, The Scotch Tape, and more!
- Jordan | @JDimerrr
Interview: Oliver Tank
Oliver Tank. Twenty-one years old, Australian, mop-headed. Musician. The adjectives can keep coming, but all of them lead Oliver Tank to be unassuming of so much talent. I’ve compared him to Bon Iver and James Blake. He doesn’t seem to get the comparison, but I think that’s just him being humble. The second I heard his music, I had to talk to him. Who is he? Where did he come from? Where does his music come from? Why am I just now hearing of him? Why oh why is he so talented? Well, wishes came true and I got a chance to toss a few questions at Mr. Tank. We discussed everything from his musical interests, inspirations, and sexual fantasies. Well..okay…maybe that’s extreme. Read on; find out for yourself.
Lydia: Well hello, Oliver. Thanks for talking to me. To start out with, I’d like to ask a question that I received from a fan of yours…who just so happens to also be a fan of this music blog. What did you listen to as a kid?
Oliver: My mum and dad used to have a huge collection of music on tapes, I remember listening to stuff like Simon and Garfunkel and Michael Jackson when I was really young. In primary school I listened to Blink 182, Eminem and Limp Bizkit. As a matter a fact ‘Chocolate star fish and the hotdog flavoured water’ was the first album I ever bought.
Lydia: Nice! I’m a huge fan of Simon and Garfunkel. So can you tell me where the inspiration for your music comes from?
Oliver: I try really hard to create something unique and original, I feel like at the moment the most original music being made is electronic music. So that is where my inspiration comes from. Artists like Nosaj Thing, Boards of Canada, Jon Hopkins and the list goes on.
Lydia: And where do you typically write and record your music?
Oliver: Mostly in my bedroom, sometimes at uni [*Lydia insert: that's college for those of us who only speak Americano] but the majority of time I just do it at home.
Lydia: Simple as that, huh? Incredible. Can you explain the song “Last Night I Heard Everyting In Slow Motion?” What does it mean to you? When did you write it? Is there a story behind it?
Oliver: A lot of people ask me questions about this song. It was actually a uni assignment, originally it didn’t have strings in it and I felt it was a bit lacking so I asked a friend of mine to add strings and she did a fantastic job. Thank god I put them in cause it really makes the song.
The song itself is about being unsure about something to the extent that it plagues and consumes you.
As far as the name goes, I was at a friends house drinking and getting blazed and I remember listening to “One” by Ratatat, I could swear I was hearing it in slow motion. So I wrote down in my phone “Last Night I Heard Everything in Slow Motion” knowing that I would read it the next day having no idea what I was talking about. I felt like it suited the song so thats what I called it.
Lydia: Wow. Well it’s artistic and unique. Thanks for sharing the story. Badass.
Is there anybody out there who you dream of working with?
Oliver: I’d love to work with some hip hop artists from the US. Weezy, Snoop, Dre. I really like the production aspect of hip hop and I feel like my music combined with theirs could be something really cool and original. Of course I’d love to work with electronic artists like James Blake as well.
Lydia: Okay and who do you straight up dream of?
Oliver: Straight up, I dream of fish and waterfalls.
Lydia: I have compared you on Sunset in the Rearview to Bon Iver and James Blake. How do you respond to this?
Oliver: I don’t really think I sound like either of them that much. I guess I had it coming using auto-tune and I was listening to a lot of James Blake when I was making “Last Night…” I think they are both phenomenal artists so it’s a huge compliment, but I’m just doing my own thing. The EP which will be out soon has a pretty original sound I think.
Lydia: I really look forward to hearing it. I trust you can pave your own path. Let’s take a little turn here. Katy Perry or Lady Gaga?
Oliver: Katy Perry, but mostly because I don’t like Lady Gaga.
Lydia: Me neither. I don’t think. But I’m scared she might come after me for saying that. Slap me in the face with some raw meat or something. Who am I kidding…I am nobody to her. Here’s another: Tupac or Biggie?
Oliver: Probably Biggie. Other than that I much prefer West Coast.
Lydia: All the way from Australia, and partial to West Coast. Awesome. Biggie for life.
I highly recommend listening to Oliver’s music. It’s an incredible experience. I expect a large future for this young musician.
Oliver Tank || Facebook | SoundCloud
Interview: Timeflies
Every so often I, as most of you guys probably do, go through music phases. For the past month or so, which is a really long time for me, I have been stuck in a Timeflies phase. This extremely talented East Coast duo have raw musical talent, and I can go on and on about what sets them apart from everyone else. Their unique, refreshing sound is incomparable. The way they are able to cross genres and still produce an amazing sound is just pure genius. The more YouTube videos I watched on their channel, the more I was blown away.
From remaking The Little Mermaid’s “Under the Sea” to sampling Trey Songz’s hit “Say Ah,” Timeflies keeps fans on the lookout every Tuesday with their YouTube segment called Timeflies Tuesday. You can tell that they are enjoying their musical journey. I wanted to know more about these guys, so I decided that I had to interview them. Not only does it let you guys get to know Timeflies on a more personal level, hopefully after reading this you will join their rapidly growing fan base and give them your much deserved support. So without further ado, I present you with my interview with Timeflies, enjoy!
“We’ll start with an acoustic track that evolves into dubstep, or a club banger that goes soft”
Timeflies, a duo consisting of 22 year old singer/rapper, Cal, from Larchmont, New York, and 22 year old producer/DJ, Rob Resnick (AKA Rez), from Montclair, New Jersey (a town only 30 minutes from me!), say they “both grew up spending a lot of time in the city.” My first question was directed to their musical preference. They work with music genres such as hip-hop, rock, electro, pop, and dubstep. I asked them which genre they prefer to work with. They replied by saying, “Its kinda whatever sounds good and the mood we’re in at the time. We’ll start with an acoustic track that evolves into dubstep, or a club banger that goes soft haha.” They continued on, talking about how they record these different styles. “We do record acoustic instruments, but do a lot of work with synths so most of our stuff has elements of different styles, especially when adding Cal’s mix of rapping and singing.” Since Rez can play so many different instruments and Cal can rap and sing on almost any beat, it must make it easier, but still hard, to transition from one genre to the next.
Next, I wanted to ask Rez about his life with music. He has been playing instruments almost all of his life, I wanted to know if he always wanted to be a producer. Rez answered by saying, “My mom kept me in piano lessons from 2nd grade through highschool (till I decided guitar was cooler with the ladies… and now I play drums) and I always really liked composing more than practicing. We had music on in the house a lot and since my little league batting average was roughly zero, seemed like a good thing to get into.” He went on to say, “Also, especially recording and producing, music is pretty closely tied to technology and also math which I was a lot more into before college.” It seems like Rez was destined to have a job somewhere in the music industry!
I then had a question for Cal. It doesn’t matter if he is recording in the studio or rapping in front of large amounts of people, he always seems to be having a good time. I had to ask which side of music he prefers, the performing or the recording. Cal said, “I’m gonna have to go with performing, and its not close. Based on pure enjoyment, there’s no better feeling than standing in front of a crowd and having them sing the words you wrote.” I can only imagine how great that must feel! Cal then went on to describe what it is like recording in a studio, “I do love the studio. Its a completely different experience though, recording means sitting in a room throwing ideas back and forth, and then taking it to the point where you listen to it and its the same in the speakers as it was in your head. Thats a really proud feeling too.”
Rez and Cal both attended Tufts University. They also both were in a band called The Ride, a funk/ hip hop band that had Cal singing and Rez drumming. I asked them what made them team up from The Ride and become Timeflies.”The drummer and the singer, in a funk / hip hop type band especially, need to have a lot of chemistry because there’s a lot of opportunities to get the beat and lyrics to work together. After winning battle of the bands at Tufts, getting to open for Luda and Asher Roth, the band wanted to all do different things, the two of us more interested in electronic and lyric-centric music. We already partied together a lot and Rez had a sweet Pro Tools set up in his room, so we started making tracks before parties and stuff and bumping them a few hours later.” Much respect for winning Battle of the Bands and opening for Luda and Asher, that must have been crazy. And bumping your own tunes at parties must have been a cool experience, you got to start somewhere! On the subject off Tuffs, where they both studied music, I asked if they could see themselves having any other job. They responded saying, “Not a chance. Music is a big world, so there’s a lot of things we could see ourselves doing within the musical world, but we’re both fascinated by the creation and use of music in general.” I am glad Rez and Cal have dedicated themselves to the music industry!
Hit the jump to continue reading, get a free MP3, and see a video!
Interview: Logic
About a week ago, a friend of mine sent me a YouTube link with a message saying, “Next big thing!” Those three words are thrown around in the music world so often these days, but I decided to give the song a listen. I had a bunch of stuff open on my computer at the time and was only half listening, but that all changed when a young rapper named Logic dropped his first verse. I immediately stopped everything I was doing and focused solely on the music. The song was “Mind of Logic” and featured a very beautiful singer named Camille Michelle Gray, who sang the chorus which repeated a line from Kid Cudi’s song “Mr. Rager.” Logic’s flow was crazy and Camille’s voice was pure. I could tell right away there was something different about Logic that I had not heard in a while. I spent the rest of my night listening to the songs on his YouTube channel to pinpoint what made him sound unlike anything I had heard before.
As I listened to each song word for word, it became obvious what set Logic apart from the rest. Logic can deliver amazing lyrics, have a controlled flow, and have fun with music all at the same time. I could tell right away that he is not rapping for money, he is just rapping to make himself happy, and it shows. It is attitudes like these that remind me why I started listening to rap in the first place. After I gave his music a good listen and downloaded his mixtape, Young, Broke & Infamous, I felt like I had to interview him and let you guys in on the “next big thing.” Read on as Logic spills everything from his family to the movie Kill Bill!
Interview: Fortune Family
“For me, it’s my lifestyle,” Hobson of Fortune Family says of their music
“I don’t try to be anything I’m not and I think that’s pretty evident in my music.” Sherif and Hobson, collectively known as Fortune Family, are an up-and-coming rap group out of suburban Philadelphia. It becomes pretty apparent very early in the discussion that these kids are not just some wannabe rappers rhyming to be cool. “When people first see Hobson and me, nobody would label us as rappers,” Sherif (Reef) tells me. “But that just makes it more emphatic when they listen. Being Egyptian influences nearly every aspect of my life and I take a lot of pride in that. I want to be a positive image, I want to show people that even though I’m Arab I can be an integral part of mainstream hip-hop music and contemporary college lifestyle, while staying true to my roots. The Arab community isn’t too used to aspiring rappers, but my family embraces it.”
That uniqueness can be a blessing in disguise. “I think you can look at it two ways,” Hobson points out. “Like a stigma, because most rappers aren’t like us, or a blessing, because most rappers aren’t like us. I agree with the latter simply because its good to be different – it adds to our originality.”
Musically, Fortune Family sample an extremely eclectic array of artists, which leads to a true uniqueness in sound. This is partly because they listen to such a diverse range of music, which is an asset for any artist in my opinion. “A lot of soul,” Hobson says. “Curtis Mayfield, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, just to name a few. I’ve sampled all three of those before I think. A lot of hip hop too, such as Jay-Z, Kanye and the whole G.O.O.D music crew.”
There seems to be an ever-increasing amount of college hip hop groups out there right now, and it’s become somewhat of it’s own genre. “Juggling this all with a double major at NYU is not easy, but it’s a part of who I am and definitely makes life more interesting.”
Fortune Family is positioning themselves to set themselves apart with their new EP,Paradox, which is dropping February 1st. They’ve gotten features from some of our favorite rappers here at Sunset in the Rearview, which says a lot that about the respect Fortune Family receives from their peers. While they can’t release all of their collaborations yet, they can say that this Sunday at 5 PM EST, their single “Hasta La Vista” will be dropping on Good Music All Day and right here on Sunset. Rapper Oncuelaid down a great verse for them, and having already gotten a sneak peek at the track, I can tell you it’s dope.
“Hasta La Vista” samples Sufjan Stevens, and the production is really great. Sufjan may seem like an odd artist to sample on a hip hop track, but they often find sampling inspiration in interesting places. “It’s a strange process to find samples. They really come from anywhere. I heard ‘Fly Me Away’ by Annie Little on a Kindle commercial and decided to mess with it. I get a lot of samples from old records too – those are usually the more traditional soulful hip-hop samples. My friends will usually get at me with songs they want to hear me chop, and Reef (Sherif) recommends a lot of samples too.”
“Recording is quite introspective and leads to happiness because of an inner stimulus, but performing leads to happiness in seeing the fans react”
“Some of our influences definitely include the hip hop greats that changed the game: Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, Kanye, etc,” Reef chimed in, “but I’m also down with acoustic and mellow music like Sufjan Stevens and reggae music like Soldiers of Jah Army. Both me and Hop (Owen) have a pretty diverse taste in music and we try to incorporate that into our work. We’ve samples the likes of Tom Petty, Britney Spears, Annie Little, Phoenix, just to name a few. I’d say our sound is hip-hop spliced with different genres.”
When asked whether they prefer recording or performing, they pause and think. “I’d say they are hard to compare. Recording is quite introspective and leads to happiness because of an inner stimulus, but performing leads to happiness in seeing the fans react.” Having recently finished the recording process for Paradox, Fortune Family will be touring a lot in the near future. On February 20th they will be performing with Mac Miller and Moosh & Twist of OCD at The Takeover, and are planning shows at Dartmouth, Hamilton, and Penn State, among other schools, for the near future. They will be going on tour this summer, and will be on as many college campuses as possible next fall spreading their music. Expect big things out of Fortune Family; this is a name you will be hearing a lot over the next few months.
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Fortune Family || Facebook || Twitter
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Written by D Prep
[Interview] James Vincent McMorrow
When I first heard the name James Vincent McMorrow, it wasn’t because I had received an email about him from his PR company. Though that email was sitting waiting to be opened in my inbox, the name became familiar when I noticed thatnearly every blogger I follow on Twitter was talking about him. I noticed the pattern and had to ask myself, who is this man? Is his music really THAT good? I went back to my email and immediately downloaded the album. The second it started playing, I nearly fell into a trance. Sure enough, James Vincent McMorrow’s music is THAT good.
In just a few days, I listened to McMorrow’s album at least four times. I knew I had to speak with this man. I had already answered my first question about the quality of his music. But one still lingered: who was he and where was he coming from? Just last week I did have the opportunity to chat with the man himself. Here are a few things that I learned about budding artist James Vincent McMorrow. Get excited, we even talked about face tats!
“Five years ago, I don’t even think I’d ever sung in front of anyone publicly!”
After talking to him, it comes as no surprise that many were unaware of James Vincent McMorrow before the recent press release. When I asked him what his life was like five years ago in comparison to where he stands today, he said “Five years ago, I was probably still dreaming of having an album out in the world to be honest! I was only starting to write my first songs at the time, hadn’t played any shows, I don’t even think I’d ever sung in front of anyone publicly.” It seemed to take time before McMorrow came out of his shell, but now he’s moving full speed ahead.
In little time, McMorrow has already garnered comparisons to artists such as Antony Hegarty, Steve Winwood, and Bon Iver. Perhaps the reason that he garners comparisons to Bon Iver, other than their similar falsetto voices and comparisons being what he calls “part and parcel of what I do [so that people] can get their heads around what [I’m] doing,” is that it took McMorrow locking himself in a room for hours on end teaching himself how to sing and play Donny Hathaway songs before he began to believe in himself.
“I used to set myself targets: play piano for an hour, then sing for half an hour, play drums for an hour, and on like that.”
Just like Bon Iver’s self-seclusion in the woods when creating his breakthrough album,For Emma, Forever Ago, McMorrow admits to a personal lockdown and an arduous schedule. “When you’re making music you have to constantly be motivating yourself to keep going, which is really tough, especially when you have a really short attention span like I do. I used to set myself targets: play piano for an hour, then sing for half an hour, play drums for an hour, and on like that. It was pretty workmanlike, but it’s what it took to really learn. It was the same when I made the album; put yourself in a room, remove all distractions.”
For somebody who is now receiving attention from all over the world, it struck me as remarkable that McMorrow always considered himself shy when it came to music. “I was real shy about it, much more of a bedroom musician. That’s where I learnt to play and write. I always knew if I was going to make music the thing that I did with my life, then I’d have to learn as much as I could on my own. I’m the type of person that if I’d gone out and not had my stuff together, I’d just have given up.”
I’m pretty confident in saying that not only are bloggers and listeners around the world thankful he didn’t give up, but McMorrow himself is thankful, too. The album that will be released in the US on January 25th is the same album that he released in his home country of Ireland a mere thirty days after it had been mastered. Though he claims he “didn’t give it a lot of time before [putting] it out,” the album was an immediate attention-drawer. “It was only after the album had been out a couple of months that a lot of publications and blogs started to pick up on it. I was essentially starting from scratch. I hadn’t played a huge amount of shows or had much profile going into it, so initially I think I was almost a surprise/curiosity to most people! As the year went on, though, it was amazing to see how everything kept growing, people kept buying the record and coming to shows. The way it was built was really perfect, gave me a chance to grow with it.”
“…you can hear whatever you want to hear in it, in a way that’s personal to you.”
The forthcoming album, Early in the Morning, features eleven songs, each of which has a hauntingly soothing vibe to it. Whether or not you listen for them, you will likely find yourself drawn in by the lyrics. Just where did McMorrow pull these stories from? “I like to keep things like [my lyrics] as un-interpreted as I can. My favourite lyrics are the ones where I hear them and I can read countless different things into them every day. Take “Ballad of a Thin Man” by Bob Dylan. I was sure for years I knew what that song was about, then someone told me what they thought it was about one day. I listened to it again, and everything he was saying suddenly meant something different. I love that about music; you can hear whatever you want to hear in it, in a way that’s personal to you, and I think musicians should keep any intent behind a song to themselves so people can get what they want out of it.”
So McMorrow wasn’t quick to let me in on his soul and personal stories. I suppose I’ll have to keep digging and interpreting his lyrics as I wish. I wasn’t about to completely let him off the hook though. I had one question that I forced him to answer straightforwardly. After just finding out that Gucci Mane had gotten a face tat of an ice cream cone with lightning bolts coming out of it, I had to know: what would James Vincent McMorrow get tattooed on his face if he were as crazy as Gucci Mane?
“If I were crazy enough to get a tattoo on my face, I’d probably try and see if I could get an eagle with its wings spread across the span of my face. I reckon that would be pretty intimidating, people would not mess with crazy eagle face tattoo guy, they would cross the street!” Well, it doesn’t seem like McMorrow is going to commit to a face tats anytime soon, but I think he’s got something else going for him: even without the eagle wings tattoo, I’m pretty sure after hearing his album, there aren’t going to be many people out there messing with the incredibly talented, mighty promising James Vincent McMorrow. He’s already been nominated for Ireland’s Choice Awards and winning the hearts of bloggers and critics alike. Let’s hope James can spread his wings sans-eagle face tat and see his career take flight internationally.
