Mew Zikwryder – Page 85

October 10, 2019May 14, 2020 Mew Zikwryder

Exclusive interview with New York indie duo Me Not You

Indie duo Me Not You brings old school female rock into new school alternative ethereal rock with their track, ‘Sun Will Rise’. The track is lifted off of their upcoming album, Already Gone which will be released in early November. The two also released the single, ‘I Should Know Better’ from the same album.

The ethereal garage-pop outfit is comprised of Nikki and Eric, displaying their New York humour in even their choice of alias. Taking inspiration from artists such as Radiohead, Aphex Twin, and Pixies, you can see these influences shining through with style in Me Not Yous musical repertoire. We decided to learn more about the inspirations behind both their name and their below single.

What was the inspiration behind your name?

Nikki: Back when we were starting the band, I met with a record label that was interested in signing us, and the executive told me that the thought the project should be focused on me rather than a duo… that it should be me in the photos and videos alone and have Eric behind the scenes. I told Eric the story, that they wanted the band to be about “me, not you”. We laughed and thought it would be a real fuck you to name the band that. It stuck!

Looking back, what were some of your earliest entries into music appreciation? And music production?

Eric: It was hearing “Kid A” for the first time that made me realize I wanted to produce music. I’ve always loved music, but hearing the sounds on that record, and the otherworldly-ness of them, was a true inspiration. I needed to figure out how to do THAT and that’s been my life’s journey since then.

How did you two come to perform together?

Nikki: A mutual friend connected us when Eric was starting a band a few years back. I was a piano player primarily at that point and had just started writing songs and singing more, so working with Eric really opened things up for me, both as a songwriter and a performer. The creative connection we had was pretty much instantaneous. By now, we’re basically one brain with two bodies when it comes to making music. We don’t even really discuss ideas for songs anymore, it just comes out telepathically. Sounds crazy, but it’s true!

If you could paint a picture of your unique sound, what would it look like?

Eric: Well, considering I’m a horrible painter/drawer/artist, it would probably look like the doodles of a toddler. But what I’d IMAGINE it would look like is a bunch of rough edges blurred with splotches of color. You wouldn’t really be able to make out what was going on exactly, and it would make you feel uneasy at first, but you wouldn’t be able to look away and eventually, a feeling of calm would emerge.

What gets your creative juices flowing?

Eric: Walking. Whenever I’m feeling stopped up emotionally, I leave the studio and start walking. Sometimes I listen to music (often My Bloody Valentine Loveless or something like Yeezus), but more often will just walk aimlessly. What sometimes happens is I get pretty far away, and then get some ideas and want to be right back in the studio, but I have a long walk back and hope that the ideas stay fresh so I can lay them down right when I get back.

What is the inspiration behind your single, ‘Sun will rise’?

Nikki: “The few singles we put out before Sun Will Rise (I Don’t Blame You, Not Fine, and Moving On) each followed me down to my lowest point, dealing with the loss of someone close to me. With Sun Will Rise I was able to journey out of the darkness and find hope again. It’s sort of about the idea that whatever transpires during the night, the sun will indeed rise again.”

What would you like to achieve with your music? What does success look like to you?

Eric: Honestly, we already have it. To be able to make music the way we want to make it, release it how we want to release it and not have to have jobs outside of music… that’s the dream. Anything else that happens is gravy at this point.

Any news you want your fans to know about?

Nikki: Our debut album Already Gone comes out on November 8, and we are so excited for people to hear it. We’ve put out a lot of music so far as a band… 2 EPs and a bunch of standalone singles, but there’s something about an LP that we both really love. So we can’t wait to share it with everyone.

Famous last words?

Eric: I’m already thinking about the next LP…

Follow Me Not You:

Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify

October 2, 2019

October 2, 2019May 25, 2020 Mew Zikwryder

ag. releases debut EP and video for smooth single ‘All Falls Down’

Ambient production duo ag. Have released their debut EP Servia via Ont’ Sofa Records on 28 September and along with this release the Leeds-based electronic project also released a music video for their latest single ‘All Falls Down’.

Consisting of Ross Quin and Andrew Goddard, the ag. Duo have each seen success as solo DJ’s, touring and performing across the globe. With this new collaborative project, they pooled together their knowledge of songwriting, production and live music to bring forth a sound that is accessible to fans of all ages as they aim to bring eclectic shows to each stage seeing as they provide DJ sets as well as full band performances.

The latest release, ‘All Falls Down’, has a sound that can be likened to industry giants like Disclosure, Odesza and Bob Moses. ag.’s luxuriously smooth production will leave a long lasting emotional mark on any dancefloor. Soulful vocals and lush tones, ‘All Falls Down’ is a fantastic follow up to their first single ‘Warped Minds’ and a gripping entrance for any listener who just discovered the duo.

Regarding the video ag. say, “Our music video transpires the strain of wanting to make something work but your other half keeps running away from acknowledging the problems. We just wanted to put across the emotion, which our lyrics portray. We worked with a great Director called Tom Pallant, an old friend from the north who headed to London to pursue film. He did a great job and we’re already planning our next videos with him.“

Follow ag. Here:

Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Spotify

September 10, 2019

September 10, 2019November 25, 2020 Mew Zikwryder

Don Broco shares new music video ‘Action’

Don Broco have revealed the video for their brand new single ‘Action’, ahead of their first-ever headlining tour of North America. ‘Action’ is the perfect representation of everything that Don Broco are about – powerful tunes and inextinguishable good vibes. It’s crammed full of big riffs and even bigger hooks, laced with their signature British swagger spilling out of every note. Not only that, but there are guest vocal spots from their friends Tilian Pearson (Dance Gavin Dance), Caleb Shomo (Beartooth), Tyler Carter (Issues) and Taka Moriuchi (ONE OK ROCK), all of whom contribute weight to the already formidable mass of the track. The stop-motion video features Don Broco’s lead singer Rob Damiani, and the co-vocalists on the track, depicted as action men heroes. A fantastically surreal narrative unfolds, with the characters becoming the center of a frenzied reign of toy-based-terror featuring blood, explosions, and the ever-entertaining reappearance of the cowboy. “We’re all gonna die at some point so get the fuck up and do something with your day/week/life,” says Rob. “That’s what ‘Action’ is about and it’s been rad linking up with a load of our mates on it. There’s not nearly enough collabs going on right now in rock music so we’re bringing back the vibes with help from the absolute dudes Taka, Caleb, Tyler and Tilian.” ‘Action’ comes as the band finish a run of Asian shows in South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines, and ahead of their first-ever North American headline tour which features 24 dates and includes sold-out shows in legendary venues such as New York’s Gramercy Theatre, LA’s Troubador and The Fillmore in Philadelphia. Earlier in the year, the band headed out on an extensive European run, including a number of UK arena shows which saw them sell out two dates in Manchester and play to a packed-out Wembley Arena. This summer, Don Broco returned to the UK for a number of festival appearances and played at Community Festival, Kendal Calling, Y Not Festival and Truck Festival, garnering nothing but praise for their relentless high-octane performances. ‘Action’ is the second single from Don Broco in 2019 and follows their earlier smash ‘Half Man Half God’ – both of which are brand new tracks, following their critically acclaimed Top 5 album Technology last year.

Follow Don Broco on:

Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | SoundCloud

September 2, 2019

September 2, 2019November 25, 2020 Mew Zikwryder

New Zealand singer-songwriter Thomas Oliver talks artistic inspirations in exclusive interview

Award-winning singer-songwriter, Thomas Oliver has just announced his new album, ‘The Brightest Light’, due to be released in March 2020. Ahead of this, he has released the first single, ‘Bulgarian Mountains’ from the upcoming album.

Whilst currently based in Berlin, Oliver has toured and performed throughout New Zealand, Australia, Europe, the UK, Asia and the USA, and has also shared the stage with such legends as Joe Cocker, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Eric Clapton and Xavier Rudd, and a recent tour of the Netherlands with Dutch favourites, My Baby.

Looking back, what were some of your earliest entries into music appreciation? And music production?
I remember standing in the lounge room as a child, maybe 5 years old, listening to ‘This Old House’ by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and being completely enamoured by the sound, the vocal harmonies, and the sentiment of the song. I really felt for the family in the song, and I loved that a song could make me feel empathy for people I knew nothing about. As for production, I became a producer and mixer by accident. It wasn’t until people started wanting to pay me to mix/produce their music that I realised that it was a thing I was now! But it’s a huge part of my love for making music now.

If you could paint a picture of your unique sound, what would it look like?
I love it when people ask good questions. It would be dynamic; lots of contrast between light and dark. And lots of different colours used. There would definitely be a human pictured, to represent the human aspect of my music. Probably a man and a woman, actually. With defined edges. But the background would be ambiguous, to represent the swirling nature of the human mind.

What’s on your current playlist?

I’ve been loving the new Bon Iver album. And I’ve been digging Son Little, Gary Clark Jnr and J. Cole.

Take us through your songwriting process.

The first half is intuitive and, shall we say, spiritual. That sounds a bit rich, but I mean guided by the subconscious. And the second half is critical and meticulous. The subconscious leads the way, and then the conscious swoops in to tidy up the mess. Haha.

What gets your creative juices flowing?

My studio is in Berlin, very close to the Spree, so most mornings when I arrive, I go first to the river and sit on the edge and drink a coffee and look into the body of water. There’s something about it that helps to clear my mind of the kinds of thing that tend to obstruct the creative process.

What do you personally consider to be the incisive moments in your artistic career?

Buying a lap slide guitar and diving into that turned out to be something that I would be widely recognised for, which I never foresaw. It’s good to have a point of difference in this super-saturated music game!

As an artist, it becomes apparent that there is a huge difference between the art and the business. Is there anything about the music scene that you would personally change?

I wouldn’t be a true artist if I didn’t have things I’d like to change about the business! Haha. It’s so fast-moving these days. An album comes out and is old news so quickly. Musicians are being forced to put out more music, but expect less and less in return due to the saturation of the market. There has to be a breaking point of that. But as for how to change that; I don’t know if it’s possible as it’s just a reflection of the age we live in. But I look forward to a time when a song has more value again, whatever that value may be.

Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.

It’s usually a little smile from me and then a little nod which means, “okay, it’s time to get off now.”

What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?

I’ve had lots of people message me and tell me that they’ve walked down the aisle or shared a first dance to a song of mine, and also people thanking me for the fact that my music really helped them through a hard time. Those things always mean a lot. But someone once said to me, “your music embodies the very essence of existence.” And I think that was my favourite.

Do you have any guilty pleasures? Things you like that you know you probably shouldn’t.

As a New Zealander, I’m acutely aware of the general standard of treats in Europe; like chocolate, ice cream and cake etc. I eat a .5L tub of Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream in one sitting, about every two days. I’m not proud of it, but it does bring me immense joy.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you in the near future?

I just announced my next album, ‘The Brightest Light’, due for release on March 6, 2020. I wrote and produced this album in Berlin, and it feels like my best songwriting yet, and my best production. It combines my love of Soul, Pop, RnB and electronic music with a lot of dynamic variation. I can’t wait to release it. But there’ll be a couple of singles from it between now and then!

Famous last words?

“I’ve got far too much creative energy in me to be dying right now.”

Follow Thomas Oliver

Facebook – SoundCloud – Youtube