FRIENDS AT THE FALLS: INTERVIEW

July 14, 2020

by emily harris

Friends At The Falls are somewhat newcomers to the music-scene, but are solidifying their spot in your playlist. The duo released their newest single, “Be The Change,” on July 10th, a testament to the changing political times. Following the release of their single “Just A Little More” with over seventy-five thousand streams on Spotify, “Be The Change” is set to bring about the newest era of Friends At The Falls. The band talked with us about their planned release and their past releases.

Your newest single “Be The Change” was released on July 10th. Can you tell us about your decision to donate the first month’s streaming royalties to the Black Visions Collective?

Friends At The Falls: “We made the decision as a group to donate a month's worth of streaming royalties to the Black Visions Collective as a way of giving back and helping the Black community in this country-wide progressive movement. We recognize that donating is only one step in the right direction, and we are constantly working to continue educating ourselves and others.”

What was the writing and recording process like, especially as we’re in such an unprecedented time?

FATF: “We've actually had this song written for over two years, and we were just waiting for the right time to release it. At the time it was written Jake was really inspired by M83 and intrigued that you can use your voice as an instrument. Jake made the ‘yell’ sample in the intro and wrote the chord sequence on a synth. I think at the time we were both looking to write an upbeat anthemic song, with a chorus that a crowd of fans would be able to scream back at us.”

You’re coining the release of your new single as the start of the new era. What else can we expect for the future of Friends At The Falls?

FATF: “Our main goal entering this new era is to write cohesive songs that can fill huge rooms. We want to write and play songs that sound like they can be performed in an arena or headlining music festivals.”

Where did the artwork for the single come from? It’s got a bit of an 80s vibe to it!

FATF: “Thank you! We're constantly inspired by 80's style sounds and visuals. As far as visuals go, both the artwork and the upcoming music video have a lot of desert vibes, and mirrors, focusing on the theme of one's self desire to ‘be the change they've never been.’”

Listen to Be The Change on Spotify. Friends At The Falls · Single · 2020 · 1 songs.

Following the release of “Just A Little More,” you recorded an acoustic version. How is the structure of this version of the song different from the original?

FATF: “The structure of the layout is quite similar, but we wanted to showcase vocal harmonies and a stripped-down production style as opposed to the heavily produced original version of the song.”

Within the past month, you’ve shared your daily routine in quarantine on Instagram Live. How has doing this and connecting with your fans allowed you to stay creative?

FATF: “We hoped that showing our fans a bit of an inside look at our daily lives would allow them to connect with us on a more personal level. We're always looking for new and creative ways to connect with our fans!”

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TELLTALE: INTERVIEW

July 13, 2020

by emily harris

The Virginian band Telltale is a true testament to the power of the alternative music scene meeting honest lyricism. The quartet, though at the beginning of their career, know the sound they want to create and are constantly pushing their limits to do so. Their newest single, “Won’t Be Me,” dives into dealing with one’s mental health and the awareness of one’s own influence on other’s lives. Members John Carter, Bryce Marshall, and Travis Slack sat down with us to discuss the single and its outlook on the music scene.

Congratulations on the release of your newest single “Won’t Be Me!” Can you tell me about the backstory of this song and what drove you to write about mental health?

John: “I have been dealing with a lot of struggles within my own personal mental health since I was probably about fourteen. I know Travis can probably attest to that personal struggle also. It’s just sort of something that we’ve seen again and again recurring in the music scene in particular — it’s young individuals who struggle with their self-worth and the image of themselves. And so, I think it’s something that we strive for and write about in all of our music. This is definitely the most poignant track and the one most specifically geared in that direction. I never want to talk about it in a general sense, where it’s like a fad or generic mantras, but I prefer to write from personal anecdotes and personal experiences and hope that people might share those experiences and that the connection can help them in some way.”

As mental health awareness hits home for you as a band, did you feel some sort of responsibility to curate a sound that resonated with fans, and yourself alike?

Bryce: “Something I feel like we always try to do with our music is try to convey the mood of the lyrics. Musically, that’s what every band goes for, but with a lot of other groups it’s like, ‘alright cool, we’re this kind of band; this is what we’re gonna do.’ But we have pop and R&B kinda influences with the grooves and the verse in this track and then in the chorus it’s a more modern rock sound. You know, we don’t want to feel like we’re pigeonholed. You guys clearly want to hear heavy distorted guitars and punk stuff like that all the time. We really wanna make this song as good as possible. At the end of the day, John wrote a great set of lyrics so let’s make a song that’s just as good to match it. So, that way it all kind of builds itself together into something great.”

Did the writing and recording of this song differ from that of your previous releases, including your record Timeless Youth?

John: “Yeah, it definitely did. This is one of two tracks from our first big recording session that started with an acoustic guitar demo. All of the other eight songs were from full band demos that were all sort of curated together. But this one and then ‘Rose’ were actually more sort of singer-songwriter songs to begin with where this was more of a lyrical focus and then some basic chord work in the background to flesh it out and generally structure the song. So yeah, this one is a little different than a lot of the other tracks we’ve done.”

How did the single artwork for “Won’t Be Me” come about?

John: “We commissioned this wonderful artist, Stephanie, who went forward and did the video work for it — she did this really great little animated short to kinda coincide with the theme of the song. The video just resonated so much, that we decided that it made sense to incorporate the characters from that into the artwork itself. So, I think the fact that we used the cloud and the sun is kind of explained by the other visual for it. But basically, it comes from a place of a personal relationship that I experienced where I very much felt like that cloud aspect — I was just genuinely clouding someone else’s sun throughout that interpersonal relationship. In the video, you can just kinda see at the end the sun starts to dim out, and I very much felt that at that time in my life. I almost felt like I was dimming this other individual out. I think that can be perceived in kind of a negative way. When you are in a darker place, you are going to bring the people that you love down. But at the same time, it’s just as important to acknowledge the fact that you are always going to have an effect on those around you. Sometimes you have to focus internally and realize that you need to better yourself in certain ways before you’re able to be with other people.”

What urged you to release “Won’t Be Me” as the end of this Telltale era, especially since sonically it’s very different from your past releases?

Bryce: “This is honestly, in a way, the end of what we’ve had from that last big recording session. We’re in the process of really getting rolling on what is to come. Will there be stuff like ‘Won’t Be Me’ on our next efforts? Most likely. But maybe not. You know? We’re really getting rolling on the whole new batch, the next big session of material here. We did a little something out in LA in February and got about half of a record done. We’ve got some stuff under our belt — a good chunk of material ready — to move forward into the next stage. Who knows what’s really coming out? We’re excited for it. We’re excited to push what we want as a band, what we want to talk about, and how we’re gonna sound. We’ll see what happens.”

Going off of that, your sound is proudly a mix of the newest scene of pop punk and early 2000’s punk. Can you tell me about what influenced your sound?

Travis: “I would say that the diversity of music taste in this band really made it challenging to find our sound at first, but I think if you listen to songs like ‘Rose’ and ‘Won’t Be Me,’ you can tell we’ve kind of hit our stride in that sense. We all came from bands before this — John’s band was pretty heavy, our band was kinda heavy, and then Tim was in an emo-pop band. But, we all grew up in the local metalcore scene. We all grew up going to hardcore shows. I think you can really hear it specifically in Bryce’s parts and in the grit that John puts in. That heavier music has really influenced us, but we love pop music as well, John and I. It’s very diverse, and I think Bryce brings a better edge to it.”

Your song lyrics are unequivocally honest as you write about relatable topics that effect not only you, but your fan base as well. How has having honest lyricism affected the following you have?

Listen to Won't Be Me on Spotify. Telltale · Single · 2020 · 1 songs.

John: “Our fanbase is very, very close-knit, it is almost like a family style fanbase. We do have a core group of two hundred individuals who are going to buy every single shirt and are going to feel comfortable direct messaging us on the internet to talk about things. I think that’s a pretty cool aspect to have because it is still very early in our careers. So, having those people that have been able to come very close to us through our music will help expand things from here on out. But, I hope to kind of continue in that vain. I am sure as we continue to grow it is going to get harder and harder to maintain relationships at that level and be able to consistently recognize individuals touring halfway across the country. But, I think we’ve always been a band that has kind of strived to make the effort to talk to people at shows and to give them the time and attention that they deserve. If somebody wants to talk to you, who are you to say whether or not you have the time for that. Travis’s sister works at Disney, and they have this really cool rule about hugs, (and I’m not a big hugger, but occasionally people want to) where you’re not allowed to stop hugging until the other person is able to stop hugging. I think that’s a really good representation of our mindset.”

Following the release of this single, can we expect a longer body of work soon?

Travis: “I definitely think we’ll be aiming for something longer, maybe something of a little more sustenance than an EP. But who knows? We wrote these ten songs that you’ve heard thus far as a whole record and then decided we would put out the EP separately from these different tracks. So, everything that we’ve recorded this far sounds like ‘this is a Telltale song,’ so we’re very excited. Now, it’s more about pushing the limit and being better than ourselves.”

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TAYLER BUONO: INTERVIEW

July 11, 2020

by pankhuri bhutani

Hailing from Orlando, Tayler Buono is one of the most successful up and coming artists in the industry. She just released her latest track “Screen” along with a phenomenal music video. Due to the global pandemic that we are facing currently, Tayler decided to shoot the video all by herself on her iPhone.

The track, which is inspired by the heinous effect of social media towards our mental health, possesses some really catchy lyrics and addicting beats. Besides her own music, Tayler has been showcasing her immense talents by uploading many covers of other successful artists which have been further gaining a lot of popularity. She currently has garnered around 13 Million views on her YouTube channel and around 65,000 monthly listeners on her Spotify Channel.

To talk about her music journey, Tayler was kind enough to take out some of her time for a really fun interview with Unclear!

Hi Tayler! Thank you for joining us on Unclear. For the people who have yet to be introduced to your music, kindly tell us something about yourself!

Tayler: “Hello! Thanks for having me! I’m Tayler Buono. I’m an artist and songwriter from Orlando, FL, based out of Los Angeles, CA.”

Was there anything you planned out to do before setting out in the music industry?

T: “I used to want to be an actress, vet, or a therapist before I fell in love with writing music. After I wrote my first song when I was 14 years old, I became obsessed and knew that it was what I wanted to do.”

You just released your new track “Screen.” Congratulations on that! What was the inspiration behind it?

T: “Thank you!! I wrote ‘Screen’ about the way social media can affect our mental health. Social media can either connect us or isolate us. I was inspired to write it after laying in bed for hours one day scrolling on Instagram feeling really insecure and lonely. I felt ashamed that I felt that way and didn’t want to talk about it, but then I realized that so many other people probably feel the same way and I should write a song about it.”

What was the creative process like and did you face any challenges during the making of the song?

T: “I brought the idea into a couple sessions before and some people turned it down and thought it would be weird to write about social media. Then I was in a session with Olivia Waithe and Louis Schoorl and they were completely down and excited to write it with me! I had just gone through a breakup and confessed to them that I had a finsta (fake insta) that I would use to check up on my ex sometimes… Of course, we put that in the first line of the song. It was a really fun song to write and it happened really natural and fast!”

You filmed the music video for the track completely by yourself with your iPhone. How was the experience filming it?

T: “I pulled many all-nighters shooting the video for ‘Screen.’ It was a lot of trial and error trying to figure out what would work. I ordered a tripod on Amazon that I put my phone on and would shoot all night. I shot in my bedroom, in my living room, and on a green screen that I also ordered online. I had so much fun making this video!”

If you could choose one word to describe your music, what would it be?

T: “Honest.”

Who do you look up to in terms of music?

T: “Coldplay, Kasey Musgraves, Rihanna, Post Malone, LANY, Adele… to name a few.”

What can the fans expect from your upcoming projects?

T: “If you’re going through a breakup then I will have the song for you… or 12 songs for you. :) My music tells a story of healing. It’s honest. Writing these songs was how I healed after a four year relationship ended. My hope is that it will help other people too… help heal, grieve, fully feel, and learn to love themselves.”

Is there any message that you would like to convey to your fans?

T: “Vulnerability. Hope. Boldness. Empowerment. Authenticity. Healing. Self-Love.”

"Screen" is out now on all streaming platforms!! https://linktr.ee/taylerbuono I pulled many all-nighters shooting this video on my iPhone during quarantine ...

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'LONG RUN' / DEACON (ft. NINA NESBITT): SINGLE REVIEW

July 10, 2020

by mariah estran

Up-and-coming electronic artist Deacon has made a jaw-dropping debut with the release of “Long Run” (feat. Nina Nesbitt).

Listen to Long Run (feat. Nina Nesbitt) on Spotify. Deacon · Single · 2020 · 1 songs.

Following the creative footsteps of his parents Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, the 16-year-old has been shaping his vision since he was in 7th grade. Now, he is ready to dive into the industry with a single that demonstrates his knack for creating an addictive dance tune.

The track perfectly fits within a summer playlist, a lively couple of minutes that makes you want to turn up the volume and bounce in the warm sun rays. Soft guitar chords crescendo into an energizing beat that elevates Nesbitt’s charming vocals, as it provides a softness that showcases just how dynamic the song is.

Deacon and Nesbitt’s collaboration attest to the fact that the young artist understands what elements complement each other within production. The two managed to create a song you will most likely hear everywhere over the next weeks and months.

If Deacon’s debut single is of this caliber, imagine what exciting releases are coming from him next.

HEDARA: INTERVIEW

July 10, 2020

by pankhuri bhutani

With around 3,000 active monthly listeners on her Spotify channel, this alt-pop artist recently dropped her latest new track, “Sad Girl Syndrome.” Having some phenomenal tracks like “You,” “Numb,” “Frozen,” “Suddenly Strangers,” and “Skin Deep,” Hedara made her debut as a music artist through her track, “Slow.”

Having been in the industry for just 14 months, Hedara has already released many successful songs and is gaining fans from all around the world every day. To talk about her music journey, Hedara took out some of her time for a really fun interview with Unclear!

Hi Hedara. Thank you for joining us at Unclear! For the people who are yet to be introduced to your music, kindly tell us something about yourself!

Hedara: “I’m Hedara, an alt-pop singer-songwriter with a mass of curly hair who writes candid songs about the highs, the lows, and everything in-between.”

Was there anything you planned out to do before setting out in the music industry?

H: “I had planned to be an actor when I was younger because I loved becoming someone else and placing truthful emotions into different characters and scenarios. Failing that I always wanted to do something within criminology. When I started out in the music industry, I had plans and goals that I wanted to achieve, and one of the main one was hearing my music played on national radio, and amazingly that’s happened.”

You recently released your new track “Sad Girl Syndrome.” Congratulations on that! What was the inspiration behind the track?

H: “Thank you! I was actually the inspiration behind ‘Sad Girl Syndrome.’ This came about as a sort of love letter to myself — I was having a moment of anxiety and uncertainty and I realized that I didn’t have to put as much pressure on myself. We all make mistakes, we can all doubt ourselves and our achievements — but as long as we learn and grow, we’re smashing it, and that’s a strong reason to always love yourself and embrace your flaws.”

What was the creative process like and did you face any challenges during the making of the song?

H: “The creative process was really chill. I wrote it with a guy called Oscar Bell, it was actually our first time meeting each other, but it felt like he was someone I’d know forever, so it all poured out. Writing for me is very therapeutic, and the song just came to us really. I really wanted to get the production right on this track so that took a little time to figure out.”

Out of all the tracks you have created, which one is your favorite at the moment?

H: “Ah! That’s a super hard question. I love all of the work I’ve put out for all different reasons. I think, though, it’s either Sad Girl Syndrome, or a track that’s coming out later this year called ‘Til Times Up’ because they are both songs that put a spin on a negative scenario, and we all need some positivity right now, and to see the glass half full and not half empty.”

If you could choose one word to describe your music, what would it be?

H: “Genuine — because I’m a very honest and open writer, and I don’t hold back, and that’s what people connect with and appreciate. I also try and be the best version of myself, because everyone else is taken.”

Who are your musical influences?

Listen to Sad Girl Syndrome on Spotify. Hedara · Single · 2020 · 1 songs.

H: “That’s tricky as well! I’d say current artists would be — Jessie Ware, she really inspires my writing and production. I love the sound she creates, and vocally I find her very special. Halsey is just a bad ass woman, breaking down barriers, again writing from such an honest place, and she’s not afraid to stand out or start a conversation with her music. I also love Dermot Kennedy because he’s very gifted, almost poetic writer, and, especially for my more acoustic material, I find his production and melodic ideas really inspiring. I think they all create and tell really interesting stories through their music.”

If you could have the chance to collaborate with any one artist/band of your liking, who might they be and why?

H: “I’d actually love to collaborate with The 1975. They are constantly evolving but always stay true to their roots. I’d love to just sit, write and absorb as much of Matt Healy’s greatness as I could.”

Lastly, is there any message that you would like to convey to your fans?

H: “I would like the message of hope to come across to my fans. I’m not afraid to be brutally honest and share the backstory of my music, and I always try to have some sort of light at the end of the tunnel within my lyrics. The industry I’m in and the world we live in can sometimes be brutal and knock you down, but we should always hold on to hope.”

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