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November 24, 2023 Interview with TTeo on his disco-soul homage, Loveexpress 77

Interview with TTeo on his disco-soul homage, Loveexpress 77

TTeo is the pseudonym of Matteo Capreoli – singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer with a rich musical heritage. In 1970, his father, Fernando Antonio Capreoli, left Salento for Germany, before forming the disco-funk-rock outfit Lovexpress. They toured Norway, Sweden, and Denmark from 1974 to 1979. Now, in 2023, Matteo pays soulful homage to his father’s funk outfit, with the help of some old tapes – the bygone band’s only known recordings. Signed to Sonar Kollektiv in 2020, TTeo’s compositions are high energy and full of heart. Read our interview and listen to Loveexpress 77 below:

Walk through your creative process for us.

Something in my mind overcomes me. It’s difficult to explain. And it’s always different, never the same.

What has been the most defining moment of your musical career?

10 years ago I was the musical director for a festival in Hamburg called Soul im Park. Where I coordinated one band for a lot of artists and their songs for the whole day. It was a big success and extremely beautiful. After that night I realized that I love collaborating with other artists a lot. From then on I started to concentrate more and more on productions/composition for and with other artists.

What equipment or software did you enjoy writing with the most?

I use Logic. And mostly I love to have just a good upright piano.

What’s your performance setup looking like? Are there any differences between your live and studio kits?

Extremely different. My studio is full of instruments. Drums, percussions, pianos, synthesizers, guitars, mics and so on. My live setup is stripped down to a Maschine from drums and samples, a little Roland J6 synth, one mic, and a MIDI twister for effects. All runs through Ableton.

Give us a brief dive into the inspiration for the EP’s samples and themes.

My samples for the album LOVEXPRESS77 are recordings of my dad’s band Loveexpress from the 70s. They played dance music in clubs and recorded some of their live sets on tape. That’s where the samples and the inspiration for the album come from.

What is your favorite sample from your dad’s old Lovexpress tapes?

Two of them, are from the song ‘Follow Me’, and ‘Lovecircus’. Especially in ‘Lovecircus’, the sample was a song that came out through some jams during their concerts, my dad said. And the vocals are sung by the bass player Leo in that case, in an invented language. Culturally they were super mixed as a band. 

How did you find the collaborators who appear on the LP?

Owen Ross is a good friend and an incredible musician. We just met for a hang out in the Studio and then it happened that we worked together on ‘Samba’

Same with Kristine Bogan. I met her through Concord Publishing. It was our 2nd time in the studio together and we put her love and lyrics into the ‘Follow Me’ chorus.

What’s your favorite way to pass the time when you aren’t playing, or listening to funky bops?

I love nature a lot. Living at the beach in Salento I spend a lot of time outside, doing sports, climbing, cooking, and gardening. But to be honest, most of the time I do music.

What’s next for TTeo? Any notable events or plans for collaborations coming up?

I did some beautiful remixes for some artists and stayed in the Lovexpress-Soundworld, so there might be something coming next. On the 1st of December, I am playing a show in Berlin at Stranger Funk before I leave for Costa Rica, for a live set in the jungle.

Watch the fresh new video for ‘Follow Me’:

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October 13, 2023 Interview with Irish indie rockers The Burma

Interview with Irish indie rockers The Burma

The Burma have returned with a stunning full length album titled Crazy Dreams & Cruel Realities, released on the 6th of October 2023 via their own label The Burma Music Group. Having received support from The Rolling Stone India, CLASH Magazine, NOTION Magazine, Hot Press, Atwood Magazine, and Medium.com/Pop Off, the trio has also earned spins on RTÉ 2FM with Dan Hegarty as well as RTÉ Radio 1. Their single ‘Holiday’ has already premiered and received support from EARMILK, and the boys have earned support slots for artists such as The Academic and The Strypes, while simultaneously gaining extensive airplay across Ireland, the UK, and the USA. Read our interview with their drummer Cian Doherty below.

Walk us through your creative process?

The songs always starts with either Peter (guitar) or Tony (vocals). One of them will come up with the initial idea and send some sort of a demo to the rest of us and it goes from there. Sometimes the demos can be full arrangements of a song, and other times they can be just a voice note with chords and a melody or one single instrument part, it varies. We do the majority of our work on our own at home, recording and writing parts etc. and then we send in a recording of it into our group chat and let the others sit with it for a while. We make adjustments from there. We wouldn’t really be the type of band to jam for hours in practice. There’s usually a plan for each rehearsal and we go in and get it done with parts that have been worked on and written at home.

Who are your biggest artistic influences?

The Smiths, Tame Impala, The Strokes and The Weekend.

What instruments do you play?

Tony O Donovan is the singer, Peter Piggott is the guitar player and Cian Doherty is our drummer.

What would you like to work with if you weren’t a musician?

I (Cian) would be working in the business side of the music industry as either an artist manager or tour manager.

Whats one piece of gear you can’t live without? What equipment are you using?

The Roland SPD-SX. We use some tracks for our live shows for extra synths and processed vocals etc. so we have the whole show built around the use of the SPD-SX. I am in control of the tracks from the drums so there’s a lot that goes on surrounding that and making sure it runs smoothly. Peter records each track himself and looks after the audio for each one and makes sure it’s show ready. We’re always updating and trying to improve them.

Tell us something unrelated to music. What are your hobbies?

We’re pretty boring. Music pretty much dominates our life.

If you could meet one performer/artist who would it be?

Eminem.

What does the future hold for you as an artist?

A life making a living from our music, hopefully.

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October 9, 2023 Interview with soulful singer-songwriter Davis Caruso

Interview with soulful singer-songwriter Davis Caruso

Michigan-based R&B singer Davis Caruso released his new single and accompanying music video ‘Reggae In An Icestorm’ on the 22nd of September via MICHIGROWN. The experimental American singer-songwriter has built up an extensive catalog of self-written music, and has performed primarily as a busker on the streets of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Michigan where he showcases his sublime talent for crafting intricate and personal songs unbound by genre. The track has already premiered and received support from notable webzine EARMILK. Watch the music video and read our interview with him below.

Walk us through your creative process?

I think it’s changing all the time. I make creativity a priority and apply it to everything I do.

Who are your biggest artistic influences?

Probably my closest friends and collaborators. They inspire more of my artistic expression than anyone else.

What instruments do you play?

Guitar, bass guitar, piano and ukelele

What would you like to work with if you weren’t a musician?

Maybe wood!

Whats one piece of gear you can’t live without? What equipment are you using?

I could live without all of it. I’ll use whatever I’ve got, even if it’s my voice, clapping my hands and stomping my feet. I have collected a hand full of instruments that were built by my friend Gary Zimnicki. Other than that, I have a few toys that help me execute my creative choices! The computer is essential these days…

Tell us something unrelated to music. What are your hobbies?

I love to dance and find myself in a park with a coffee or tea and a book. I also love to support other people’s art when the opportunity arises.

If you could meet one performer/artist who would it be?

Thats a tough one… too tough.

What does the future hold for you as an artist?

Surprises 🙂

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June 5, 2023 Interview with ‘Shades Of Blue’ singer-songwriter Lilith Merlot

Interview with ‘Shades Of Blue’ singer-songwriter Lilith Merlot

Image credit: Rona Lane Photography

Lilith Merlot makes music to connect with herself and others, plumping the depths of her creative being and coming out the other side with something soulful to share with her listeners. Recently, she shared a new work, a 5-track EP titled Shades Of Blue, a composition that stretches across the gap, the rift, that has formed between two lovers. The project represents a process, a cathartic unpacking that helps Lilith process personal challenges, a process that she hopes will also help listeners find solace in her music.

RCRD LBL introduces Lilith Merlot:

Stream / Download: Lilith Merlot – Shades Of Blue EP

Growing up, who was your biggest musical role model and why?

Alicia Keys, because I thought she was such a great singer, and I loved that she also played the piano. My favorite albums are her first two albums. The songs on there are such a great mix of groovy, uplifting tracks and ballads about heartbreak and other difficulties. I spent so many hours singing and playing her songs and trying to copy her ad libs! It definitely shaped me in a way. 

Your new EP touches on themes of heartbreak. How do you think music has helped you to process life’s difficulties?

Music has always helped me to feel comforted and not alone, and also it helped me to dream and drift off. When I feel a little sad and I listen to music that comes from the same emotion, I feel understood and connected. It is such a relief. And music can also be so uplifting and energizing, when I need a little badass energy I will play ‘Truth Hurts’ by Lizzo, and I feel like I can do anything. Great way to start the day!

What are some of your earliest memories of music?

My earliest musical memories are of my mom (who was a classical violinist) playing with the orchestra. I was 4/5 years old and I would listen to their rehearsal in an empty concert hall. I just remember how big everything was: the stage, the hall, the massive sound that came from all those instruments. It felt so exciting!

Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?

When I get inspired I usually feel a bit restless, as though I have to get something off my chest. So when I recognize that feeling I will sit behind my grand piano at home and start playing around with some chord progressions, and I improvise vocally until I find a melody that sticks with me. First, it’s all gibberish, and then slowly the right words come. When I start writing, I often have no idea yet what I want to write about, but those first few words that come intuitively will set the tone for the song and what it’s about. The first verse and chorus are always quite easy to write, but I find the second verse and chorus the hardest part – that sometimes takes months! When I am writing all I need is my phone to record my ideas, and my green leather notebook to write it all down.

Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, which do you prefer?

Both are so good! I loved creating all the songs in the studio with my producer Serge Dusault. Playing around with a song and trying different things until it all finally comes together is magic. But so is performing in front of a live audience. I initially write all these songs to help me navigate through feelings and just life basically, but I don’t want it to end there. I want these songs to help and maybe comfort others as well! Hopefully, these songs will let people know they are not alone in whatever it is they are going through, and there is no better way to connect with an audience than performing live for them. To me, studio work and performing live have one thing in common: if you are doing it right, you lose the sense of space and time for a moment, and that’s when the magic happens.

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

It was not so much a response to my music, but a response to my voice at a time when I really needed it. I was studying Jazz vocals at the Rotterdam Conservatory when I was 19 years old, and I felt very insecure at the time. About my voice and my capabilities. Because of all the studying and the pressure, I had lost my joy in singing and it even changed my tone. Then one day, we had a masterclass by American singer Renée Neufville (who worked with the RH Factor, Roy Hargrove) and all the vocal students had to perform a song in front of her: In A Sentimental Mood. I sang, and for the first time in a long time, I enjoyed it. Afterwards, her feedback was that I sounded just like a Merlot, she thought my voice was so warm, deep and round. That gave me back my confidence, and years later I decided to use Merlot as my stage name.

If you could put together a radio show, what kind of music would you play?

Anything that moves me! It would be a lot of different genres, like Classical music, some soul and Neo-soul, Pop and Jazz and definitely some RnB.

Name five artists and their albums who would appear on your radio show

Nina Simone – ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’

Yebba – ‘Dawn’

Amy Winehouse – ‘Frank’ 

Jeff Buckley – ‘Grace’ 

Lizz Wright – ‘Salt’

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

If I could just spend my days creating music in the studio and making albums and playing it live on tour to connect with people that would make me very happy. As long as I love what I create, and there are people out there who resonate with it and get something out of listening to it, that is a huge success to me. Also, I would love to play through Europe, and it would be wild to play in the States and Asia for example. Of course, I want to reach as many people as possible!

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