BIG TIME RUSH: INTERVIEW

August 18, 2022

by alyssa plotts

Big Time Rush became an overnight sensation in 2009 from the launch of the Nickelodeon television series Big Time Rush. The show was a huge success and catapulted the group into real-life stardom, as they went on to release three studio albums and performed across the globe, including five tours from 2011 to 2014. In June 2020, the band held a surprise virtual reunion to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their smash hit “Worldwide,” resulting in mass hysteria amongst their fans and in the media. In March 2021, all four seasons of Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush were added to Netflix and the band went viral once again, increasing fan demand for an official reunion. Soon after, the band announced they would come together for two special live shows in New York and Chicago, which sold out in a matter of minutes, blowing expectations out of the water and proving the power of the band’s devoted fandom. Now, with the launch of their nationwide Forever Tour and the release of all new music, including hit singles “Honey,” “Fall” and “Not Giving You Up,” fans can expect to see a lot more of the power group for years to come, including their new single “Dale Pa ‘Ya” with Maffioon being released Friday, August 19th.

What is it like being back touring, after almost a decade?

James Maslow: “This tour's only been, been about a month, feels like a decade short, but, it's going very well.”

Logan Henderson: “We're having a great time. It is like, there's no time here. They all kind of run together. Each show almost kind of tops the last show before they just get better and better.”

Kendall Schmidt: “It feels like being in Narnia.”

What is the energy like every single night from these crowds?

Carlos PenaVega: “I think for us, you know, it's been such a blessing to come out and all of our shows are now selling out all around the country and it's just so cool to see everybody come back together for, you know, a really epic concert. And I really feel like we put on one heck of a show. And the people who saw us 10 years ago come back and they're just like, we’re better than we were before. And that's the best compliment that we could ask for.”

And for people that maybe haven't seen you before, or if they've seen you and it's been a while, what can fans expect if they're coming out?

Kendall: “Well, you said the energy in there was insane. I mean, you can expect it to be high energy, for sure. We don't put on a boring show just because we like to have a good time. So you'll expect some banter, us chatting with each other, chatting with the crowd, big old light show, [it] looks like a spaceship.”

Logan: “So one of the biggest things also is the music. Although they've heard these songs for years, a lot of them are, if not, most of them are reproduced. And so they're hearing a different side to our music and we're playing a lot of new songs. So people are getting new music and of course all the old classics.”

How did you guys begin to put the set list together? You just have so much material at this point.

Carlos: “Thank you for noticing that, it's a very long show.

We definitely got together and, you know, we didn't wanna cheat the fans out. So for us, like hitting that two-hour mark was a big deal. And, you know, I really feel like people get their money’s worth, I mean, it's a lot. And if you love the show, you'll love the concert.”

Kendall: “Rehearsal is a different thing from the show. So you could try this pacing that you have in your mind thinking it's gonna work, but until you get out there, you don't know. And we got really lucky. I mean, with all the hard work we put into it, that the show ended up being exactly as we had planned, you know, even better.”

New music keeps coming out. What is the approach now that you have your solo projects during the hiatus? How did it change your approach to this new music?

Kendall: “I could speak for myself of my own solo project. I think when I started that I was operating in a different way.

When we first got started, we were selling CDs. So our biggest album sold 750,000 CDs. So for us, a release was a big deal and everything that went around. And I think now after our own careers and things evolving, changing, I think we realized like if we have a song, we like it, put it out. Like, rather than trying to do some giant thing, we're just kind of saying, you know what? We like these songs, they're fresh, put 'em out. And then we'll see what people love. And then we'll put together an album.”

Logan: “And our musical tastes have changed and they've grown and evolved over the years. And I think that's what makes it special is that we've always been a band that kind have a very diverse catalog.

I think now we just play off each other's strengths and wanna continue to do that. So, like Kendall said, more music, more tours.”

Would you ever go back to TV and do a project like that?

James: “Well, we do individual projects still at this point. But collectively, we've had a few conversations, you know, there's nothing set in stone. Our focus is very much on this tour and our music release, but I think it's something that we're recently a little bit more open-minded to, and you never know, gonna see what I come up with. You never know.”

Kendall: “Look, we are definitely like TV guys. We all grew up doing that. So I think that that's something that we really think about doing a lot. And also it's gotta be good. That's the main criteria. It's gotta be good. So that's what we're focused on.”

Is there a plan for the future that you can share?

Carlos: “We're just taking it day by day. Our main thing and James said it earlier, it's like fans first. Like we literally are like, what can we do for them? You know? They're the reason why we get to do what we love.”

Logan: “We know for a fact there's more music on the way, a lot more music, and then also a tour. So we have those and that's what we're focused on right now.”

What are some of your favorite interactions that you've had from this tour so far with all the fans?

Kendall: “Well, there's a lot more Big Time Rush tattoos. They've gotten older. So we like seeing those.”

Is there anything that you want fans to know?

James: “We feel very blessed and we're having a great time. And this truly is because of the fans, you know, it's because of them that this was started up again. We were able to financially do this again. We're gonna be thinking of them every step of the way because this is very much a fan-driven band.”

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INSIDE 'ALL 4 NOTHING' WITH LAUV

August 17, 2022

by emma schoors

Lauv has grown into himself, and his brand new album All 4 Nothing is 50% healing, 50% party. We had a chance to attend an exclusive °1824 press conference with the popstar recently to speak about his mental health journey, meditation, new music and more.

“Hell yeah,” Ari smiled moments after sharing a new track from the record. “The strings arrived!” he said, reading off one publication’s comment. Not before the two-minute mark the conference morphed into a full-fledged Lauv concert, complete with dancing, virtual cheering, and an overflow of brand new material from All 4 Nothing. Ari’s energy was utterly infectious, and his overwhelming joy permeated the screen as he transitioned into questions pertaining to mental health, vulnerability, and the way they intersect in his music.

“It was a huge confidence-building journey for me,” Ari said of the writing process for his new album. “When I was starting the album, I remember feeling very anxious all the time. I didn’t trust myself. I didn’t think I deserved happiness inherently. I was always chasing something, and the album was this process of, ‘Let me find confidence inside of me. Let me find the peace and the gratitude, and that calmness, more of a spiritual side of myself before my life became kind of complicated.’ It was a lot of meditation, inner-child work, a lot of existential questioning. Seeking, but then ultimately kind of getting to a place of, ‘I just need to be good on the inside with myself no matter what happens on the outside, in the world. I just need to feel okay as a person.” Much of All 4 Nothing leans inward, reflecting on themes of love, loss, and self-awareness.

A song like “Summer Nights” naturally lends itself to the name. It’s got a sun-kissed beat, clean-cut Lauv vocals, and a simple, lightly melancholic melody. Nothing’s overdone on this record, and everything’s at least a little intentional instrumentally, but Ari knew this time around he needed to leave space for his creative mind to breathe. Even if that meant opening up sides of himself he hadn’t quite spent time with before. “I don’t want to say it’s a darker side, but maybe a side that’s a little bit less polished and pretty lyrically,” he says of songs like “Bad Trip” and “Molly in Mexico.” “I love those songs a lot. I try to just literally recount whatever was going on in my life, and not be like ‘Oh, well I shouldn’t put this in the song.’” The songs remain easily digestible and danceable as ever, but Lauv’s framework has shifted for good. Ari knows who he is, and his music is moving right alongside him. “Speaking for myself, you feel ashamed of the parts of yourself that are darker sometimes, and especially having such a spotlight, only want to show the lighter sides. But I got really exhausted with that, because we all have a dark side.”

Within 20 minutes, Ari had a stream of music journalists eagerly sharing which anti-depressants they were on. Where most musicians might answer each question with a buttoned-up, pre-written answer, Ari was simply spending time with everyone, bringing his adorable dogs into frame, and laughing through it all. “I want to guide meditations and stuff, or even just come and hang out,” Ari shared, and went on to workshop ways to share meditative spaces with his fans through social media. “I actually feel like it could be really amazing (…) I love connecting with people.” One person he’s connecting with more recently is himself, and inner-child work played a complicated and important role in Ari’s life leading up to the writing and recording of All 4 Nothing. A memory he goes back to time and time again is good times with his childhood friend. “The amount of summer days skating all day, eating popsicles, jumping on the trampoline, hanging with their dogs and playing video games. I return to those memories daily.”

What would Ari say to his college self, just settling into his path in life and unaware of what lies ahead? “I want to say I would say, ‘Hold on to who you are,’ and just stick with that, but I feel like part of life, and part of, for me, early 20’s, is kind of losing yourself and letting yourself get lost in whatever life is, and then kind of coming back,” he said. “So I would just say, ‘You’re doing great, sweetie.’” That seems to be one of the lighter messages All 4 Nothing offers.

No matter how content Ari is in the present, he is still an ambitious, platinum selling artist, and the future is looking especially bright. “I’m wondering what’s gonna come next. I think the next album, I know it’s too early to say, but it’s definitely gonna be the best one yet. I’m excited.” He pauses for a moment, sees dozens of excited yet confused faces on screen, and continues, “I’m already talking about the next album!”

'OPEN' / GRACE KAY: REVIEW

August 16, 2022

by mariah estran

Los Angeles singer/songwriter Grace Kay has released another uplifting single. The illuminating tune titled “Open” serves as an empowering ode to accepting life’s opportunities while never forgetting your own power.

Kay was inspired by encouraging a close friend to try new things. She sings over glimmery synths, reminding us to keep our chins up and to follow the light, even when it seems daunting. A consoling array of pop sounds encapsulates that feeling of a much-needed chat with your bestie. The hug and push that’s essential at times. It’s felt through the three minutes of dance-in-your-room vibrations, complete with a grand guitar solo.

Collaborating with producer Austin Foley (Jynjo), the singer shares the experience that started during Twitch livestreams. “We finished the first draft in April of 2021. My producer, Austin Foley, would livestream making beats on Twitch. I’d be writing vocal patches and sending them to him midstream,” the singer says. “I wanted the song to feel as open and free as it could as well, so the song begins with this beautiful pad constructed from my vocals, consisting of open 4ths and 5ths. Austin created them from my vocal stems!”

Even with the track's inspiring nature, there was a time when Kay had lost faith in the song’s creation. But with help from Tre Ulseth on guitar, the track came together.

The singer gifts a reminder: there’s always more the universe can offer.

DIXIES LIST: INTERVIEW

August 3, 2022

by mariah estran

It was a compiled list of band names that would become the great savior for a Swedish indie-group.

Time was counting down, and they needed a peek at the list. A catalog that was the brainchild of their good friend, Dixi. Scrambling to reach the author, lead vocalist Valle inquired, “Dixi, I really need to take a look at your list.” Suddenly, that was it – Dixies List became the title for the trio.

Now, they joke about the confusion the moniker can bring, but they are furthest from the term “Dixieland.” Instead, Valle and Fanny Betnér, plus Alvin Olin, have intertwined their musical tastes. Bringing Swedish punk, pop, and even metal to the table. The product is an organic sound that stems from simply wanting to experiment with music they enjoy.

“I don’t think we thought very much about developing our own sound, it kind of just happened,” Valle explains. “We started the band just because we realized we listened to the same things.”

They met in high school, and when their final year arrived, they agreed to put focus on the band. The unprecedented times of the pandemic kept them on a schedule of consistent rehearsing. Valle describes that time, “I quite enjoyed it in some ways because I feel like that’s when we really grew together as a band. We started to gather creativity and inspiration together.”

As the world began to shut down, the band found refuge through energetic party anthems. Documenting the young adult experience riddled with memorable nights out, even when restricted to apartment buildings. Their single “2:45” is that latest example. “There was a time when we had a friend group that had loads of parties all the time,” Valle shares. “We were drinking a lot and sitting in our apartments – wishing we could be out clubbing or in a bar. The song is basically about getting tired of doing that, and wanting more, something else, something fresh.”

That frantic-filled high is felt through the tracks elevated drum kicks that could fill a dance floor. A crescendo into unignorable angst completed with a cry for the night to end and a metaphor for working through life’s fickle phases.

Valle explaining those conflicting positions, “I am the only one feeling that way – so I’m wanting to go to bed, no one wants to quit the party.”

The visual, directed by Fanny’s girlfriend, Tora Andersson, carries that chaos to the screen. It’s drinks in hand, dancing in the living room, causing a mess until the early morning hours type vibes. “I think you can see the 2000s inspiration,” Fanny says. Adding that the party scenes you would see in movies and indie-music videos was what the track felt like. “She’s also quite inspired by classic Swedish indie-rock, also Swedish alternative culture,” Fanny says on Tora’s video direction. Specifically noting the band Broder Daniel. Their essence brought in through grainy film, documenting a raw, coming-of-age story of Dixies List.

The band was unpacking a new stage of adulthood while observing and reacting to the shifts happening around them. When things became isolating, they were coping with that time, searching for ways to connect when the typical resources were scarce. “As a songwriter, I realized it’s been harder to write songs during the pandemic because you really idolize looking at other people, being outside, being at bars,” Valle says. From one angle, they had elevated their craft by cultivating their sound due to granted time to rehearse. On the other, they had to dig to get those emotions out. “What started the entire concept for the record was during the lockdown,” Valle shares. Laughing, they mention a television series that sparked an idea. “I watched a lot of How I Met Your Mother, and there’s a quote from the series that’s: ‘Nothing good happens after 3 A.M.’”

However, it wasn’t just parties they were pulling from. There was pent-up anxiety from observing the changes in society. A song that originally started as a few guitar chords became a reaction to the unresolved issue of climate change. “The End” is full of poignant proclamations soaked in mid-2000s emo cadence. Fanny simply states, “Just having the feeling of this is the end.”

The three have found a way to express the rollercoaster ways of life, finding that balance of highs and lows. “I basically want listening to us to be like going to a party or coming to our shows should be like, going to a huge house party,” Valle concludes. “But also, it’s important to have the more mellow and slow songs.”

Because at some point, the party ends. But there's a good chance Dixies List is already creating a new tune for the next one.

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LANDON CONRATH: INTERVIEW

July 29, 2022

by alex grainger

Landon Conrath just dropped his latest single “Science Fiction.” The alt-pop single is the epitome of who he is as an artist – “it’s pure, unfiltered, Landon.” “Science Fiction” is incredibly transparent and a song he holds close to his heart as it shares his experience struggling with depression. It’s a song that came together out of desperation to both understand his own feelings and convey them to others. “Science Fiction” drops ahead of his upcoming album Nothing Matters Anyway set to release September 9th. Read more about “Science Fiction” and Landon Conrath below!

Can you tell us what “Science Fiction” is about?

Landon: “‘Science Fiction is about the worst Fall season of my life. I had never really experienced a low like that in my life. I always thought I was invincible, this was the first time I admitted to myself that I struggled with depression. I think the song can largely be summed up in the line ‘my chemistry owns me.’ I just felt completely captive to my brain. I’ve always carried myself in a really confident way, I like to think I know everything and I keep a pretty good public appearance. This song was about the fear of letting the world in on my ugly secret.”

What was the creative process behind “Science Fiction?”

Landon: “This song came FAST. This is the first song I’m releasing that I produced on my own. I had some help from friends with some guitars, but most of the song happened extremely quickly in a two hour window one morning. I made the skeleton of the song and quickly mumbled the melodies over it. Later that same day I brought it to my friend, and long time collaborator, Alex Kimball. We were both super stoked on the song and wrote lyrics immediately.”

In what ways does being a former drummer carry into this single? How if at all did it impact the creative process for “Science Fiction?”

Landon: “Drums are so important to me. The drums were the first thing to be laid down in the session for this song. I mostly use programmed drums, which I think surprises a lot of people, but I just love the energy of electronic drums mixed with acoustic samples. There is always a place for recording live drums, but there is something special about the speed that you can just fly at when you are dragging and dropping samples instead of setting up 12-16 microphones to record a full drum set. I truly believe in creative energy, and I think you can miss opportunities when you are stuck checking the gain on each drum and making sure everything is set to perfectly record one of the most complicated instruments.”

Is there a message you are sending to listeners of “Science Fiction?”

Landon: “The lyrics of this song are so pessimistic, there is never really that twist at the end that gives a message of hope to the listener. This is something I internally struggle with all the time. I want to be a place of encouragement and hope for people but I also want to write about my truest self. The world can be a really broken place and it’s hard for me to write songs that loop back to a positive message when that’s not what I am feeling in my own head. I don’t want to send the message that you should ‘skydive out of a cessna’ in order to make your friends notice you. I guess I want people to know that when they see artists, or really anyone, online and think they have this seemingly perfect presence… just know that we all struggle with a lot of the same things.”

You mention the lyrics “my chemistry owns me” have stuck with you. Why is this line so meaningful?

Landon: “I kept feeling like a captive to my own brain. It wasn’t even necessarily tied to events happening in my life. An outside perspective looking into my life would think that everything was peachy, I mean a lot of great things were happening! That’s why that line seemed to sum it all up perfectly. It felt like there was literally nothing I could do to make myself feel better, like even if my life was going well the chemicals in my head just wouldn’t let me feel happy.”

How therapeutic was this song in the healing and confrontation process? Did it come as a reflection or was the song created within the moment of raw emotion and vulnerability?

Landon: “This was one of the first songs I wrote that really just felt like a thought dump straight from my head. There wasn’t a gimmick, there wasn’t a lyric that was gonna ‘do well on TikTok’ or anything like that. I just desperately wanted to understand my own feelings and communicate them to others. I hold this song near and dear to my heart.”

Revealing these transparent emotions and thoughts about the rawest part of ourselves can be extremely nerve racking and difficult. How have you been able to find the courage to express these thoughts with the world?

Landon: “I never had too much of a problem with sharing my emotions. Honestly I can definitely tend to be an oversharer! One of my biggest desires is to be understood as a person, I hate when I feel misunderstood by people. So I think the more that I let people into how I’m feeling, the more they might understand why I do the things I do, etc. Honestly the bigger struggle for me is finding a reason to even share my thoughts with the world in the first place. There are millions of artists in this world and why should my opinion matter more than someone else’s? I’ve kinda just chalked my reason up to pure enjoyment of music, and I might as well just do it cause I love it.”

How have you developed your own unique sound, after so many years creating a group sound as a drummer? How is this sound shown in “Science Fiction?”

Landon: “I’ve developed my own sound out of necessity mostly. I can’t play guitar super well, but I found a way to write simple/unique parts and I use a lot of distortion to cover up my impurities [laughs]! Also most of my music has been made in basements instead of studios so I always used programmed drums when I didn’t have the means to record real drums. Combining all these elements lead to a bold/loud sound that relied a lot on punchy guitars/drums and catchy vocal hooks.”

What are you most proud of upon the release of “Science Fiction?”

Landon: “I think ‘Science Fiction’ is the purest representation of what I want people to think of sonically when they think of me. I love the chaotic guitars, and FX tracks. There’s even an explosion sample or two in there to add to the noise. It was really great being able to just put down whatever I wanted into the session instead of trying to communicate my ideas through a producer before they hit the computer. This song feels like ‘pure, unfiltered, Landon,’ [laughs].”

How did you choose to release “Science Fiction” as a single ahead of your album Nothing Matters Anyway?

Landon: “Immediately when I finished the song, I just knew I wanted it in the hands of the listeners ASAP. The choice to have it as a single mostly came from just wanting everyone to hear it sooner!!”

You’re dropping your new album Nothing Matters Anyway on September 9th. What can you tell us about the album?

Landon: “The album happened over such a chaotic time of my life. I signed with Nettwerk and graduated college when a lot of the writing was happening. It also happened over an incredibly long period of time. The songs stem from almost three years of writing and piecing together. Even as I write this response, there are still songs that aren’t completely done. Sometimes when a piece of work takes this long, it doesn’t feel cohesive anymore. But I think this record really just showcases my own internal grappling with how much I let situations in my life have control over how I think. When bad things happen to you, you basically have two options. You can either try and fix things, and deal with the problems you are facing. Or you can turn into apathy and just kinda say, ‘Well, nothing matters anyways!’ I’m trying to find the balance between the two.”

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