'FUCK YO FRIENDS' / KILLBOY: REVIEW

March 19, 2021

by emma schoors

LA-based KILLBOY’s latest single “FUCK YO FRIENDS” is a bright, eccentric, and upfront tune for anyone looking for a unique addition to their 2021 playlist.

Laid upon a simple beat, the melodic and confident vocals provide a beautiful, textured quality. While the song is not overly complex, there lies its beauty: it’s easy to listen to, and therefore is fit for a wide audience. It’s easy to get lost in the song, or play it on loop, as it has an addictive quality.

Something that’s sorely lacking in this world right now is honesty, and the single’s lyrics are as personal and honest as it gets. KILLBOY expresses her disdain for friends who aren’t supportive, and asserts that they aren’t true friends if their prerogative is to bring others down. This theme, while approached bluntly, is vital to explore: the value of true friendship, and the need to let go of friendships that don’t allow you to grow and be genuinely happy.

KILLBOY is surely going to be on more and more people’s radars musically, and “FUCK YO FRIENDS” is a great starting point in her neon, unapologetic, authentic discography.

ANNA CLENDENING: INTERVIEW

March 12, 2021

by lys ziada

Anna Clendening is not only an amazing artist, but an avid advocate for mental health. The singer’s journey through mental struggles shaped who she is and what she does today. As a role model for young people struggling with these same issues, it’s Anna’s mission to help someone persevere through their troubling times just as she did. Talking to Anna about her work and how much it means to her was very delightful and inspiring. In this interview, you can read Anna talking about this in her own words.

What inspires your music?

Anna: “What inspires me the most with my music is life. Music for me is a way to open up and express what I am going through, but also connect with people who are going through the same thing.”

How does it feel to open up about mental health?

A: “It feels like second nature honestly. It was hard for me to articulate or even understand what I was going through when I was growing up. As I got older, I was able to open up about my mental health struggles and be completely transparent. I was once a lost kid who felt alone, and being able to help other people feel less alone is a feeling I don’t think I could ever top.”

How important is advocacy to you?

A: “Advocacy is one of the main reasons why I do what I do. Music is a universal language and to be able to make music AND make a difference with mental health issues is amazing.”

At what point in your life did you decide to become a singer/songwriter?

A: “2017. I had written a few things here and there before, but when I finally decided to dive in and make a career of it was when I wrote my song ‘Boys Like You.’ That song changed my career and my life.”

You just released your new song “Love Song,” a collab with John K. Can you tell us a bit about the song?

A: “The song is quite funny, because if I’m being honest, I’ve never been in love. And I haven’t written a full quote-unquote love song per say to or for anyone. During the session for ‘Love Song,’ me and the other writers wrote from the perspective of a situation I would like to be in. It’s a story of that first moment you know you love someone, but you’re too scared to say it. It’s pretty obvious but neither one of you wants to say I love you first. So in the song, I ‘write a love song’ that’s ‘not one’ to break the ice [laughs].”

What was it like working with John on the song?

A: “John is one of the absolute nicest human beings I have ever worked with. I was a fan of his way before we put this song together, and am still fangirling at the fact he is on this song with me. He took one of my favorite songs I’ve written and brought it to a whole new level. One of my favorite collabs so far.”

What are some things you like to do outside of music?

A: “I love to be active in any way possible. I love working out, snowboarding, hiking, or anything that brings me outside.”

What’s the best thing about your fanbase?

A: “It centers around mental health and being transparent. All I do is write about things that have 100% happened in my life. To be able to relate to someone through such an intimate thing brings people very close.”

How would you describe the feeling you get when performing on stage?

A: “Home. Performing gives me a sense of home. It gives me a sense of purpose. I feel most alive and at peace when I’m sharing my raw and whole self in front of people.”

How have you been dealing with not being able to perform and meet fans during the COVID-19 pandemic?

A: “I hate that I haven’t been able to tour seeing as I just started to tour for the first time last year. But I look at this as a way to write even more music and continue to speak about mental health.”

What do you want your listeners to take away from your EP Evolve?

A: “I want people to take away from Evolve, what they need. I wanted to create a piece of work that had many different moving parts. Each song is a different stage in the journey of a relationship. The body of work is to show how we can evolve and grow through each relationship.”

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SK8: INTERVIEW

March 12, 2021

by danielle holian

Taylor Gang singer SK8 is reintroducing himself to the music scene with the release of his brand new single “Famous” featuring Tyla Yahweh. This marks his transition into punk/rock while remaining true to his underlying hip-hop influence.

Unclear Magazine caught up with SK8 about his new single “Famous,” upcoming projects, and much more below.

You're reintroducing your musical self as SK8 transitioning into punk/rock while remaining true to your underlying hip-hop influence, what inspired this?

SK8: “I wanted to create a sound that was both unique and authentic, so I used the guitar as a lead and created the punk pop trap sound that you hear on my upcoming project. The live drums combined with the trap ones and the live guitars combined with rock/rap melodies drive the songs and give it that nostalgic teenage feeling that we all have. A lot of the inspiration came from playing old 90s grunge rock in the studio and remaking our own new school form of that.”

Tell us about your new single “Famous,” featuring Tyla Yahweh?

SK8: “The song ‘Famous’ is special to me because I've known Tyla before he was with Post Malone and before I was with Wiz. But now, we’re both at a certain level in music where people start to act different and switch up on you over the fame. I mostly focus on females in this song in particular and how they react towards one of the most powerful drugs, ‘clout.’”

How has your musical evolved since you began?

SK8: “I’m always evolving every day so therefore my music evolves as I do. But I'd say with this new project I really feel like it’s a body of work that is very unique and authentic to me.”

And how has the pandemic helped your creative juices?

SK8: “I mean the pandemic has really hurt me in the sense of I just got out of a three year relationship right when COVID hit so it’s been hard for a bachelor out here in these streets with nowhere to socialize. But, I will say it’s kept me very motivated and focused on the music which has really been highlighted in this new album.”

What do you want the listeners to take away from your music?

SK8: “With this project I wanted people to be able to relate to real life situations/problems that we all deal with on a daily basis just in our own ways. I touch a lot on the battle between relationships and chasing your dream, knowing that death is certain and your last breath is unknown, and I wanted to inspire the listeners to cherish the moment and follow your dreams.”

Finally, what sort of projects can we expect to see from you in the future?

SK8: “As far as future projects go, I haven’t really thought that far ahead yet. I’ve been really focused on this one at the moment and getting creative with everything that’s involved with this project.”

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'WEAPON' / AGAINST THE CURRENT: REVIEW

March 10, 2021

by emma schoors

Pop-rock trio Against The Current’s “Weapon” is a fiery, climatic tune with killer vocals and equally intense instrumentals.

“Weapon” has the grit and edge necessary to attract rock fans, while maintaining the melodic hooks needed for pop listeners to stay engaged. This stylistic choice means the single has the widest-ranging possible audience, and is sure to appeal to many different kinds of people.

Lead singer Chrissy Costanza shines through with passionate and determined vocals, while guitarist Dan Gow contributes classic, energizing pop-punk riffs. What drives this tune in part, however, are the powerful drums, laid down by drummer Will Ferri. When all of these components are added together, the song becomes an absolute powerhouse.

“Weapon” is a forceful and highly impactful single from Against The Current, and anyone looking for a new band and song to love should definitely check it out.

TARA KELLY: INTERVIEW

March 9, 2021

by mariah estran

Tara Kelly, the cosmic country/pop songstresses, took the rollercoaster emotions of a past relationship shattered by infidelity and created “The River." While described as a “stomp and holler break-up anthem," the lyrics depict a stormy night drive as Kelly’s powerful vocals reveal her journey with her new reality.

Earlier this month, the singer released the music video for the track. Collaborating with director Justin Keanu, they drew from southern imagery and found a way to make a storm in a rainless L.A.

The single might reveal one heavy story from her book, but she's still got more lessons to share.

We spoke with the singer to learn more about the creation of “The River,” her genre-bending style, truthful songwriting, and what we can expect from her next.

You’ve recently released your break-up anthem, “The River." What was the process like creating this song?

Tara: “I made this song with co-writers who are now two of my favorite collaborators in the world (Stefan PVDS and Alex Wilke.) We’d all never written together before, but I had a really rough break-up story about a guy I dated who was already married and the title ‘The River’ as a general concept. As soon as Stefan started playing this eerie E-minor riff, we knew we had something really special, and the song basically fell out of us. It only took about an hour to finish it. It was one of those rare, magical studio moments that you wish could happen every day, but then they wouldn’t be as precious.”

The visual for this track brings out the feelings of an up-and-down relationship. Tell us more about the inspiration for this music video.

T: “The song is filled with river and nature metaphors, but I didn’t want to take that too literally in the video. I came to the director, Justin Keanu, with the concept of sensual, southern imagery that you might find in an episode of True Detective or Vampire Diaries. I wanted to paint a world with the song, the camera, and the editing where the viewer could feel how quickly love rises and falls, and all of the memories that are so hard to get out of your mind when it ends.

Fun fact: the car shots in the rain were an idea from the director to mirror the thunder sounds at the end of the recording, but we were shooting in LA where it notoriously never rains. Our friend and YouTuber, Louis Cole, helped us by standing on an apple box and holding a garden hose over the car. It legitimately felt like a torrential downpour on the windows!”

You have this sound that incorporates country/folk roots with a pop flare. How have you developed your sound over the years?

T: “I LOVE genre-bending, and I appreciate when my fans and friends recognize the nuances because it’s exactly the sound I’ve always wanted to create. I’m deeply inspired by and find myself listening to a lot of traditional folk, country, and blues – where the guitar can take your soul to another place. But as a ‘90s kid, the tenants of pop are in my DNA, and I’ve written a lot of it over the years. I’m a firm believer that all good music – music that really resonates – is pop music at its core. It just feels right when I bring those worlds together. I want my music to feel truly accessible, like you know it already, while at the same time transporting you to a place you’ve never been.”

Who are some of your musical inspirations?

T: “I’m a major Fleetwood Mac fan – I feel like Stevie Nicks in general inspires every move I make. I take a lot of inspiration from Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves, James Bay, and Fleet Foxes – artists that have paved the way for accessible, resonant folk music to transcend it’s traditional fan base. I think the modern country music lover takes many forms and I’m so honored to be creating in this corner of the genre.”

Your singles such as “Ghost Town" and “The River” share raw emotions regarding relationships and life experiences. How has songwriting helped you express your stories to your listeners?

T: “Songwriting is the only path to true expression I’ve ever really known. I’ve become much more open online than I was as a teenager, but even that vulnerability has a bit of a silver lining to it – like ‘I’ll share my struggles with y’all once I’ve figured it all out and put a bow on it.’ I’m trying to get better about sharing more of myself as a work-in-progress, even to my closest friends, but songs are just plain raw. They are that feeling, or that emotion, or that intensity you were feeling at a given moment. Even when there’s a lesson in there, it feels like you’re re-learning it every time you play the record. That’s why I love music this much. It’s your life, encapsulated in time. I feel that when I listen to artists I love and I hope the fans feel it when they listen to my work.”

As for what is next, after these two tracks, will there be an EP or album in the works? If so, what can you tell us about it?

T: “New music is coming! The plan right now is to build on the musical world we created with ‘The River’ and take it even further. That may or may not mean a Joshua Tree themed EP… Stay tuned.”

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