SARA PHILLIPS: INTERVIEW

April 17, 2017

BY YISING KAO

Meet Sara Phillips, a Canadian pop/soul artist who released her self-titled debut EP in December 2013. Through her YouTube covers and original music, she has gained a large audience and released her second EP, Sea Change, in June 2016. Phillips writes her own lyrics that come from her heart, and her most popular songs include Boy Who Let Me Down and House on Fire, all of which are featured on Spotify with thousands of listeners. Recently, she finished her College Tour, where she performed at numerous colleges throughout the United States. Sara Phillips’ music can be found on multiple platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and her YouTube channel.

What inspired you to start writing music and how would you describe your music style?

SARA: "I've always loved writing since I can remember- poetry, stories, anything. I've also always been so completely obsessed and infatuated with music, I guess it was sort of just a natural progression into songwriting. I always have a hard time describing my music. I often call it pop-soul. I'm influenced by nearly every genre of music so I think my style definitely incorporates different aspects/characteristics of all of those genres."

What's your song writing process like?

SARA: "I often write lyrics or poetry first. I'm constantly writing things down and putting ideas in my phone. I will also get an idea for a melody and sing it into my voice notes- just so I have everything saved. Sometimes those ideas don't turn into anything for a while- years even! I also write mostly at the piano. I'll take an idea or concept I have lyrically and try to work it out on top of some piano chords I think might suit it. That's how I write most of my songs."

What's one of your favorite songs you've written and why?

SARA: "One of my favorite songs I've written is Boy Who Let Me Down. I think the process of writing it for me was just so therapeutic- I just started writing it one day, bawled my eyes out and wrote the whole song start to finish in a few hours. The lyrics just mean a lot to me and it's a song where I truly feel like I was able to express exactly how I felt, I said everything I needed to. I think people really relate to that one because it came from such a real, honest place, and I think listeners hear that."

What do you hope listeners take from your music?

SARA: "I'm so lucky. I get the most beautiful messages all the time from people who just say that they've felt the exact same way, or that my song helped them realize how they were feeling, or helped them get through a tough time. I live for those messages. Knowing that I made someone feel a little better, a little more understood, a little less alone... ANYTHING! That means the world to me. That's all I've ever wanted my music to do, because I know how much the music I listen to means to me. I hope to just continue doing that; making people feel."

If you could collaborate with any current artist, who would it be?

SARA: "This is so hard! I'd love to write and sing with Ed Sheeran. I'd also love to write with Sia, Imogen Heap and Taylor Swift- they're all such incredible songwriters."

How was your experience with performing at colleges during your College Tour?

SARA: "I absolutely love performing at colleges. The students are always so sweet and welcoming... I love meeting them all afterwards. I will definitely book another college tour soon!"

What would you like to say to everyone who supports you?

SARA: "Thank you! Truly. It's not an easy thing being so vulnerable in front of (mostly) strangers, but my fans make me feel so loved and just make everything feel worth it. Also- I cant wait to put out new music for you all... soon!"

What projects can your listeners look forward to?

SARA: "I just released a video for my song House on Fire, that I'm so excited about! Currently I'm working on songs for a new, original project that I hope to release soon! I am working with two incredible producers- Mike Daley & Mitchell Owens, who are just so talented and make everything sound amazing... I can't wait to share it with everyone!"

FUN FACTS:

Favorite joke or pickup line:

'Is your name Daniel? Cause DAMN!' 🙈 😂

Top song on your playlist right now:

Liability- Lorde

Person you'd be starstruck to meet or have already met:

I met Taylor Swift once when we were both at the MTV Awards. I got way too excited and before I could say anything, I grabbed her arm like a maniac (so NOT okay!!!) and just said 'I LOVE YOU.' She was so sweet. I'd like a do-over though. Sorry, Tay.

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'I TRY' / BRITTNEY GRABILL: SINGLE REVIEW

April 2, 2017

BY GRACE SERRAMBANA

Since her first song, I Like You, released at the young age of 16, Brittney Grabill has been raising goosebumps as a singer-songwriter ever since. Along with her previous albums such as, Dreams Are All You Know and Candy, she has received many grants to further her growing career and performed for Edmonton, Canada's Annual Suicide Awareness March in the years 2011 and 2012. Having a certain Little Mix vibe, Brittney’s new single, I Try, which hit iTunes on March 24th, really brings it home with the developed meaning escaping from the lyrics. As everyone has challenged vulnerability, many don’t know how to put this feeling into words. Listening to I Try, one can really experience the emotion placed into such a well-put string of 26 letters. Brittney’s unique voice really compliments the song’s modern feel - as well as the intriguing guitar riff carried throughout the song - which will definitely draw the listener in from the start. The modern beat will definitely have you tapping your feet to each 1, 2, 3, 4.

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PRESIDENT SAM: INTERVIEW

March 3, 2017

INTRO BY MADDEN LEVIN

PHOTO BY BILLY FROM THROUGH IT ALL PHOTOGRAPHY

Have you ever heard of President Sam? Well if you haven't, you're missing out! We caught up with this amazing band to chat about their debut EP, Sounds Like Summer, and future happenings! Be sure to check them out on all social medias and stay up to date with all they do!

How would you describe your music?

We draw from a wide variety of influences, so it's always been difficult for us to desribe our sound with an existing popular genre. Emma came up with "emo dance rock," and we think that's fairly suitable. Maybe we are unknowingly pioneering a new genre!

Who are some of your musical influences?

Emma and Mason write a majority of the lyrics and song structure; nowadays they are into bands like The 1975, The Front Bottoms, Brand New, Modern Baseball, and the ever-quintessential Paramore.

What is your favorite song off of your debut EP Sounds Like Summer?

Most of us are fond of "Government," due to its unique sound. It's not quite like our other songs, or what one might find on the radio. Emma enjoys "Cigarette Song" because Mason sings on that track, allowing her a more objective perspective as she performs vocals on a majority of our music.

How did it feel the first time you heard the EP when it was all finished?

To hear the finalization of a project that has been years in the making is truly exhilirating. We finally gave birth to this creation that we have been slowly sculpting and perfecting, and the result was even greater than imagined, thanks to the creative abilities of our producer, Pedro Aida. It's something that we will always be proud of, regardless of whether we eventually go our separate ways, or become famous in ten years with President Sam.

What are some goals that you hope to achieve as a band?

We hope to continue writing music, of course. Improving our sound and musical abilities, and crafting the band's sound is a neverending venture. It's impossible to create any kind of art that is perfect in the eyes of its creators, so we have plenty of work ahead of us!

Is there anything else we can expect from you in the near future?

We will definitely release a music video in the near future, and more music will hopefully be released this summer.

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'SMILE AND SAY HELLO' / COLE REDDING: SINGLE + MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW

February 4, 2017

BY GRACE SERRAMBANA

The isolated feeling of being lonely is unfortunately common within most individuals. One exceptional example happens to be a song written by a singer/songwriter from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, Cole Redding, titled “Smile and Say Hello.” Unlike the optimistic appellation, the song and music video gives a rare sombre quality needed to contrast most music playlists nowadays.

The use of gentle instruments work together to blend in a “deep,” despairing vibe, and along with the black and white pallet carried throughout the music video, Cole Redding managed to dig into a message that expresses real life experiences - causing the audience to question true or false. Both the song and music video dabbles into constantly boarding ourselves up and pretending as if everything is okay shown by lyrics such as “my smile’s the mask I wear to make them think that I don’t care.”

Carrying the song’s message is the video, where Cole Redding is beautifully and physically portraying “covering up” his emotions to deceiving others into believing he is content. He did a perfect job forming the song and music video into a relatable story worth experiencing.

Although the video uses stereotypical “lonely” places such as a train station or a bus stop, these stereotypes still allow the viewer to, more likely, empathize with that portrayed feeling of loneliness.

Even if “Smile and Say Hello” leaves a sad aftertaste of personal experiences, the meaningful message’s complexity will spark a new appreciation for life’s inevitable moments.

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UNDERDOG CHAMPS: INTERVIEW

January 30, 2017

BY FRANCES CRUZ

Heading into the new year, Virginia based pop punk band, Underdog Champs, has plenty to be excited about. Since the group’s inception in 2014, they’ve continually defined some of the finer points of pop punk - refreshing, catchy sing-alongs. Comprised of Mark Bradley (vocals), Nick Jones (guitar/vocals), Justin Mason (bass) and Josh Bailey (drums), the band has embarked on a journey to the world of music, releasing an EP called ‘Picked Last’ and a new single ‘Hear Me Out’ along the way. On top of that, their second EP titled, ‘Skeletons in Daylight’ will be released on February 24. We caught up with the group to chat about their musical influences, their new EP and more!

How did you start off as a band? How were you formed?

UC: Mark initially just wanted to record some song ideas he had, enlisted Nick, who enlisted Josh and Justin, and we went from there. We were not originally going to play a ton of shows, but after our first show in January 2015 we were so happy with how things were going that we decided to take things more seriously.

How did you come up with the name ‘Underdog Champs’?

UC: We went through some pretty bad names until settling on our current name. We were about to play the first show under the name “Rebuilt”, then “Rebuilt Hearts”, then decided that was terrible. Hours before the show Mark sent about 10 or so names that he had been thinking of and we chose the least terrible!

Who are your musical influences?

UC: We each pull from a bunch of different artists, but collectively we draw from bands like Taking Back Sunday, Underoath, Blink, Armor For Sleep, and Pierce the Veil. Recently we’ve all been going in pretty different directions; Nick likes a lot of heavier stuff like Every Time I Die; Justin with pop/punk like All Time Low and also Idiot Pilot; Josh has been jamming Oceana and Snarky Puppy; Mark is listening to the new I See Stars and Copeland.

How was it like to play shows on the east coast?

UC: We love our hometown scene and have been fortunate enough to grow up in Northern VA which is awesome. Mark went to school in Harrisonburg VA which became a second home to us - we played our first show there. Now most of us live in Richmond VA and call that awesome music scene home. There are so many awesome bands on the East Coast, and a lot of bands look out for each other - going to shows, letting each other crash at their houses, feeding each other, etc. It’s been awesome!

Out of everything we do as a band, playing shows is definitely the most fun. We look forward to venturing out like the pioneers slowly but surely towards the West, spreading our music as we go!

How are your feelings different as you approach the release of Skeletons in Daylight than they were before you released Picked Last?

UC: Picked last was our first release as a band; we just put out the best three songs we had at the time, even though they were very different from each other, and hoped for the best. We were nervous about showing people what this band would sound like, even though the name Underdog Champs gives a little bit of a hint to our sound. We were excited to put the songs out and hear what people thought!

This EP has been a long time in the making, so I think the feeling this time is more relief that we are FINALLY releasing more music. We have similar emotions as before - apprehensive, excited, proud - but people know what to expect from us now. There is less stress over being accepted and more excitement about breaking people's’ preconceptions.

How are the two EP's different?

UC: We took a few different songwriting approaches to Skeletons than we did on Picked Last. We sent songs back and forth over email, writing a few songs entirely that way before getting into a room to practice them. That was a big change. The genres we pull from vary more within each song. Picked Last had 3 very different songs, but each one was in a specific vein. On Skeletons, the songs themselves contain a lot of different influences within themselves.

We recorded Picked Last in 3 or so days, all together. Skeletons we took more time, recorded when we could, and were really able to hear the ideas come together as we recorded. This let us change the songs as we worked on them, which was great and tedious at the same time.

Do you find it hard to be a successful pop-punk band in today’s generation where punk music is not as appreciated/popular by many as it was back then?

UC: It seems like pop punk is coming back around, but in different niches. Some bands go the route of getting heavier in their sound, some have been going the slower sad-boy route, and some venture into a more radio-friendly sound. We may not be played on the radio ever, but there is a bright future ahead for pop punk bands who are willing to go outside of the box of what has been done before!

What about your music, do you think, separates you from other bands with sounds/style similar to yours?

UC: The thing that we think separates us - and we talk about this a lot - is that we don’t care about expectations or being pop punk. We all are our worst critics and just want to put out music that we’d want to listen to. We by no means want to put out a super aggressive record or a country record, but at the same time we all draw from so many influences and are always trying to practice and improve as musicians that it is hard to stick to one genre. If one of us has an idea that lends itself to a riffy, proggy song then we’ll roll with it and figure out later if it fits on the EP. If we have a killer acoustic song or ballad, we will work on it until it’s great and decide later if we should release it.

What has been the most memorable part of your career thus far?

UC: One of the most memorable moments we have had so far was getting to play Conditions’ 5-year anniversary show for their album Fluorescent Youth, which was and still is a huge influence on us as people, songwriters, musicians. The show was packed and the reception was amazing. People still come up to us around Richmond and tell us about that show!

If you could tour with any band, broken up or still together/dead or alive, who would you pick and why?

UC: I think we would be stoked to open the Pop Disaster Tour from 2004 - Blink, Green Day, Jimmy Eat World… It’s hard to get better than that!

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