KYLIE SPENCE: INTERVIEW

September 13, 2024

by joann snavely

Rising star Kylie Spence has been making waves lately. Following the release of her latest single “Tobacco Roots,” the Nashville-based musician is ramping up for her latest record's release. Leading up to her newest release, Unclear got the chance to catch up and chat with her about everything from doom scrolling, fan interactions, situationships, and the journey that has led into her making music. Read about Spence and her Tobacco Roots here.

You’ve been writing music since you were 12. How has your creative process evolved over the years?

Kylie: “My creative process has changed in many ways, and yet at the same time, certain parts have stayed the same. I still write most of my songs on the floor and have random bursts of inspiration at the most inconvenient times, like when I’m driving, in the shower, or about to fall asleep. When I was 12 and hadn’t had my first kiss, I was writing about love, even though I didn’t know the kind of love I was writing about. After having a few more life experiences under my belt, I have enjoyed writing more specific lyrics. It’s very fun for me to add details into my songs that no one will consciously understand except the person that a song was inspired by. Whereas before, I didn’t have any specific moments or memories I could tap into.”

In writing your record, how do you feel it will resonate with listeners? How does it resonate with you?

Kylie: “I really had no filter when writing this record [laughs], everything is pretty much straight from my head and heart, and I hope listeners can feel that. It captures specific moments and feelings, yet it feels so universally honest, and I think people will be able to relate to that. It resonates with me in so many ways. I think overall, I’ve never been more myself, and that feels really good.

Can you tell us more about your single “Tobacco Roots?”

Kylie: “‘Tobacco Roots’ reflects on a situationship that was in and out of my life over the span of years that was left on a sour note. It ended in a way that left me more confused than I already was, and I never saw any of it coming. This song was a stream of consciousness late one night, and even though I feel differently now, it honors a part of me back then and how I was feeling while navigating my emotions.”

How do you feel moving from Montana to Nashville has influenced your music and creative processes?

Kylie: “Well, Everything And Nothing was pretty much complete when I moved to Nashville last year. I’ve yet to share anything that I have made while living here with anyone other than acoustic snippets of songs on socials. There is obviously a lot of country influence here in Nashville, and it’s different than Montana. I have a newfound appreciation for more classic country, and I want to take pieces of what I love about that and incorporate it into my next project. I do miss the landscape and beauty of Montana, but I know I can always go back. Every place has its own energy, and I have loved tapping into that with each place I go.”

What artists have influenced your sound and storytelling as you’ve developed as an artist?

Kylie: “I have loved Coldplay since I was a kid. I appreciate how they are able to evolve sonically yet there is still a piece that remains the same. That’s something I want with my art. Obviously I grew up listening to Taylor Swift. I love her. Quadeca is an artist I started listening to in high school, I love how authentic his music is, at least to me. Same with The National. I also love the poet Walt Whitman. I’m related to him on my dads side which is very special to me. I also really admire Izumi Miyazaki, she’s a Japanese photographer and her work scratches my brain.”

If you could describe your upcoming record in three words, what words would you use?

Kylie: “1. Everything 2. And 3. Nothing [laughs], but I really feel like it encapsulates everything I am and have been for the last couple of years. But serious answer: honest, unapologetic, me.”

What has been the biggest challenge in the transition between making an EP and a full-length record?

Kylie: “I wouldn’t really call it a challenge, but having twelve songs as opposed to only four to six, and thinking ‘how do I put all of this out?’ From marketing, PR, artwork, videos, logistics, etc, it was a lot for me to wrap my brain around. When figuring all of this out independently, I just modeled what I saw other people do the best I could and did a lot of it DIY. At times, I had no idea what I was really doing [laughs], but I know I’ll look back on these times. The music is all that matters to me, so I just needed to get it out into the world.”

You’ve played alongside some pretty notable names. Have there been any notable experiences or moments while playing live that have shaped you as an artist?

Kylie: “In Tel Aviv a few years ago while opening for Dennis Lloyd, I was on the catwalk which was crazy enough when a girl on the barricade stuck her hand out to me and I went over and grabbed her hand while singing and she started screaming out of excitement and that still sticks with me. Honestly, just getting to meet people after shows and talk to them, I find so much joy in hearing their stories. It’s something I won’t ever take for granted.”

Now for some fun questions! What’s the unusual place you’ve found inspiration for a song?

Kylie: “I find myself doom scrolling at times, and one time I was watching this video about how a man found expensive diamonds in the sidewalks of NYC, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever, so I wrote a song about that… not sure if it’ll ever see the light of day, but I have had many epiphany moments after long doom scrolls [laughs]. That’s how ‘Shoebox’ from my new record was born too.”

If you could only bring three records to a desert island, what would they be?

Kylie: “Impossible question. But Parachutes by Coldplay, Swimming by Mac Miller, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You by Big Thief.”

Finally, are there any upcoming shows or events that fans should be aware of?

Kylie: “I have my album release show on October 3rd in Nashville at the OG Basement, the first venue I ever got to play in Nashville, and I could not be more excited.”

FIND KYLIE ONLINE

TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

DRUMMING BIRD: INTERVIEW

September 12, 2024

by joann snavely

Nashville-based musician Austin Sawyer, who performs under the name Drumming Bird, has been rising across the indie rock scene over the past few years with his hard-hitting lyricism that highlights love, loss, and the underbelly of the American dream. Sawyer has begun making a name for himself since his debut album Great Smoky Love released back in 2019, having played shows across the country and garnered thousands of fans and millions of streams to pair. Unclear got the chance to sit down and chat with him about everything from new music, live music, and even ice cream flavors. Read more to find out the past, present, and future of Drumming Bird.

Where does the name Drumming Bird come from?

Drumming Bird: “I wish I had a better story of how the name came to be. It was a cool name — kind of playing off a hummingbird but like a more ruckus sound. I feel like it fits my music, definitely leans into more of the indie rock-sounding world, but I still put emphasis on the more delicate parts of making music like a hummingbird with my lyricism.”

What originally drew you into pursuing music as a career, and how has that journey been since you started it?

Drumming Bird: “It had always felt like something I wanted to do, my family was decently musical. My dad always had really good taste in music that inspired me growing up and I had other family members that played music. Also I grew up with two brothers around my same age, so playing music was always a fun way to bond with them and that’s how I started my foundation in music, and then it has slowly become my life’s passion.”

Since becoming a musician, what’s been the most gratifying moment you’ve had so far?

Drumming Bird: “There have been a lot of really great moments. The coolest part, and the thing that always is so encouraging, is when I’m at a show and someone shares what one of my songs has meant to them or sends me an Instagram DM talking about what a song has meant to them. That’s something you really aren't considering when writing a song. You’re writing it to express your emotions and to tell a story but you can never fully comprehend what it will mean to someone else, so that’s always a very gratifying part to see what it does end up telling people.”

You’ve been playing a handful of shows over the past summer, and you’re getting ready to go on tour with BAERD this fall — are there any pre-show rituals that you do?

Drumming Bird: “Nothing too exciting, there’s this five-minute vocal warmup YouTube video I always hit before every show. It has 100 million views so I’m not the only one doing that, but it's nice to have one consistent thing to do to get in the zone.”

Speaking of touring, has there been any particular show or venue that has been special to you as you’ve continued this journey of making music?

Drumming Bird: “I’m still at the point in my career where I’m playing smaller clubs, and a lot of them have a ton of character. There’s a venue called the Blue Door in Oklahoma City. It's a really special spot, and it's been run by the same guy for over 30 years. I played a show at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA which is a cool historic venue where a bunch of Athens bands got their start. I played Exit/In in Nashville which is awesome, another super storied venue that a lot of my heroes have played. I just played there a couple weeks ago — it was my third time. The Evening Muse in Charlotte is a great venue; it’s very homey and everyone’s super kind there. I love that venue a lot.”

You’ve been teasing some new music lately on social media. Are there any new techniques that you equipped while recording or producing those new releases?

Drumming Bird: “It was a pretty different process this time around. I worked with a new producer for the first time, his name’s Mike Viola, and he has a really cool track record working with a cool repertoire of artists from Dawes, Andrew Bird, Madison Cunningham, and Panic! At The Disco; he’s also a great singer-songwriter himself. It was cool working with him and having another creative force besides my own as part of steering the ship for this new project. We tracked the project to tape and converted it to digital which was exciting because it leaves a little less room for error than just doing all of it digitally and it gives it more of a cohesive sound. This new project is definitely a continuation of my sound, but a new spin on it for sure.”

With the new music that you’re working on, are there any records or musicians who’ve inspired the music?

Drumming Bird: “Last year was a big Lana [Del Rey] year for me. My fiancée’s been a Lana stan forever and she finally converted me a couple of years ago with Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, and I was listening to Blue Banisters a bunch. I don’t know if that necessarily translates to the vibe of the new record, but artistically that’s where my head was at.”

If you could describe your music sonically in one word, what would it be?

Drumming Bird: “One word is tough. I don’t know if I have one word in particular, but I think ‘dusk.’ The emotion I try to capture in my music is how you feel on a summer night at dusk.”

Now for some fun questions — if your music was an ice cream flavor, what flavor would it be?

Drumming Bird: “There’s this ice cream store in Chattanooga where I grew up called Clumpies and they had a flavor called ‘Firecracker,’ and it was cotton candy that they put Pop Rocks in. So I’d be Firecracker-flavored.”

Continuing with that theme, if your music was a color palette what colors do you think would be dominant and why?

Drumming Bird: “A darker navy blue going off the dusk theme, I feel like a forest green, and maybe a desert sand kind of color.”

Finally, are there any new projects or events that fans should be aware of?

Drumming Bird: “Definitely the tour with BAERD coming up, so that's the end of September going into October, and my new single ‘Roadkill Poetry’ will be released on September 12th!”

FIND DRUMMING BIRD ONLINE

WEBSITE TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

AX AND THE HATCHETMEN: INTERVIEW

September 11, 2024

by abby crabill

Chicago-based group, Ax and the Hatchetmen, recently dropped their new single, “Love Songs.” They hope to share the message of positivity with a care-free enjoyment of life. Along with the release of their new single, the group also announced their Way Too Late Tour across the United States. The group is focused on creating and friendship, while enjoying the overall experience.

Can you tell me a bit about the creation of Ax and the Hatchetmen?

Hunter Olshefke: “Yeah! Back in his sophomore year of high school, Sal, one of our guitarists, posted videos of himself playing acoustic on Instagram. Axel Ellis (singer and other guitarists) stumbled upon one of them and DM’d Sal, asking if he wanted to jam sometime. Within the next two weeks, they recorded a cover of ‘Cyclone’ by Sticky Fingers.

Sal and I were already playing together for fun, and they decided to bring me in for bass. From there, we just brought different people we knew to rehearsals and jammed. Everyone (Phil, Quinn, and Nick) who plays in the band now was also in our high school’s jazz band. So it was pretty easy to connect over that.”

How would you describe your aesthetic/sound to new listeners?

Hunter Olshefke: “I would describe it as an ode to 60s and 70s music with a big alternative/indie twist. We all are super inspired by multiple genres like jazz, rock, and blues that I think we cover quite a few bases, genre-wise.”

What does your writing process typically look like?

Hunter Olshefke: “Recently, we have been working with a producer and other songwriters outside of the band. Typically, Axel and Sal go to work with a couple of people to write a song (structure, lyrics, melody) and then they bring it back to the band to beef it up a bit.

We started it out with Axel mostly writing a song on acoustic guitar and then bringing it to the band, in the same manner.”

Can you tell me a bit about your single “Love Songs?”

Hunter Olshefke: “That was one of our favorite tunes to work on with our producer Jake Sinclair. We recorded at his studio in LA and were stoked that it was the third new song we’ve released this year.”

So far, what has been one of the most difficult parts about being musicians?

Hunter Olshefke: “In my opinion, one of the most difficult parts about being a musician has been staying healthy on tour. Quite often when one person gets sick it just leads to everyone else going down with them.”

What are you most excited about when you go back on tour?

Hunter Olshefke: “We are always stoked to be able to have a few nights to go camping and hiking. It’s always awesome when there is time to go explore.”

What do you enjoy doing on a free day?

Hunter Olshefke: “We love to hike and try the best restaurants we can find.”

Who are some of your dream collaborations?

Hunter Olshefke: “We all love Hippo Campus. It would be an honor to collaborate with them in some way shape or form!”

As a group, how do you overcome challenges that you encounter?

Hunter Olshefke: “Any challenges we encounter we just try to push through and make sure that we are keeping our heads on straight. In my opinion, we are lucky to have such a good fun-loving group of guys. We’re always able to laugh with each other even if things can get a bit stressful.”

Ideally, what does success look like to you?

Hunter Olshefke: “I think success to me and maybe all of us is just being able to have a good time doing what we do. No one in the band wants this to become mundane or unenjoyable (obviously). I think as long as we get to do what we want to do (play and record music, hike, camp) then we are in good shape.”

What can listeners expect to see from you in the future?

Hunter Olshefke: “More fun music and an upcoming tour starting in November!”

FIND AX AND THE HATCHETMEN ONLINE

WEBSITE TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

BOY JR.: INTERVIEW

September 10, 2024

by kaleigh gieraltowski

Ingenious songwriter and influencer Boy Jr. has recently released their newest single “Still Be Friends,” a triumphant tune that takes on the whirlwind of a breakup. The indie-pop artist has more in store this year as their DIY album I Love Getting Dumped is on its way to being released. This project is filled with sarcastic and edgy anthems to heal the souls of any listeners going through their own relationships struggles. You won’t want to miss their upcoming live shows with Jhariah this September, along with more music on the way! We got to talk to Boy Jr. about the inner workings of the album, which you can read about now!

Congratulations on your new single “Still Be Friends!” Is the way you describe the breakup spiel coming from personal experience?

Boy Jr.: “Thank you so much! It definitely comes FROM it. It’s a combination of things that have been directly said but then a lot of more sarcastic extrapolations from that. Sentiments that are more implied, or hyperbolic version of sentiments expressed during a breakup.”

“Still Be Single” hits its mark by diving into the casualties of a breakup that too many people can relate to. How do you hope this message is portrayed to listeners?

Boy Jr.: “I hope it’s portrayed cathartically and with an edge of having to laugh at the BS we’ve gone through.”

Your new DIY album I Love Getting Dumped is releasing soon. Tell us about the narrative of this work as a whole.

Boy Jr.: “All the songs on I Love Getting Dumped were written/recorded after different breakups over the last few years. Some started at one point and finished months or years later. So it really spans musical influences and a variety of ideas and feelings surrounding breakups. My hope is that by putting ALL these stories into one body of work and releasing it I’ll be relinquishing a lot of those old feelings and letting live in the past too.”

What has it been like writing your album in a “do it yourself” format?

Boy Jr.: “Well, it’s the only way I’ve really known how to make my music. I often feel like I’m collaborating with myself doing it this way. A lot of times I’ll start one song either as a producer or as a writer. Sometimes a little of both. But then I’ll come back to the song later on and really hone in on just the song or just the production and go back and forth like that until the song feels like it’s satisfying both sides of me.”

Your art is heavily influenced by honesty and unapologetic advice. Have you found this
to be beneficial to yourself and fans?

Boy Jr.: “Oh, that’s interesting! It’s funny, I have found that it’s not until I am asked questions like this that I even realize how my writing is coming across. Like, yeah, I guess I do just kinda tell it like I’m feeling it. I would say it’s beneficial to the part of me that needs to vent about what I’m feeling and create from a place of frustration or sadness or what. My hope is that it’s beneficial to others to hear something they perhaps relate to and/or can just enjoy the music.”

What would you say to anyone going through a breakup right now?

Boy Jr.: “Listen to my album. [laughs] No, but seriously, my advice is try to take a step back and gather whatever you can learn from the experience.”

Which track off of I Love Getting Dumped are you most excited for the world to hear?

Boy Jr.: “Well, all of them. [laughs] But I’m gonna go with ‘Lost And’ because it’s the longest song I’ve put out, and ‘I’m Not Pretty’ because it’s the saddest song I’ve put out.”

Thus far in your career, what milestones have you accomplished that make you the most
proud?

Boy Jr.: “Releasing this album will certainly be one. I think every time I put out new music it feels like a milestone. The tours we did opening for JER and VIAL and then VIAL again were also meaningful milestones. Anytime I get to be out in the real world and interact with the music community is so special.”

What else can we expect from you coming soon? Any collaborations or live shows?

Boy Jr.: “I’ll be opening for Jhariah on a few dates in September!! And after this album comes out, I’ve already got some bonus tracks for it. Then I think it’s time for a collab era.”

FIND BOY JR. ONLINE

TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

'WHAT'S WRONG WITH NEW YORK?' / THE DARE: REVIEW

September 8, 2024

by izzy petraglia

The attention on Harrison Patrick Smith, famously known as The Dare, has only skyrocketed since the release of his 2022 single, “Girls.” Smith produced the hit song “Guess” by Charli xcx and joined her at her Boiler Room in Ibiza, garnering attention on him from every which way. However, as a gifted and knowledgeable musician, Harrison goes beyond his connection to the pop star. His highly-anticipated debut album, What’s Wrong With New York?, has just been released — and it is far from disappointing.

After listening to The Sex EP and singles “You’re Invited” and “Perfume,” I had high expectations for this album. It’s clear that Smith’s musical background from being in an indie-rock band called Turtlenecked, to substitute teaching, and DJing set him up for success. In a world where many artists strive to make listeners analyze deeper meanings within their songs and album releases, The Dare puts everything right in your face — almost obnoxiously. The album, with its crude and straightforward lyrics, is pure fun — something music has desperately needed for a while now. Harrison’s encyclopedia-like knowledge is demonstrated strongly in this album, especially in its production of bass lines and synth hooks that won’t fail to draw you in.

I never doubted his vocal abilities, but honestly, I hadn’t focused too hard on the way he sounded as much as I did on his production skills or lyrics. The part of the album that took me by surprise was the change in his lyric delivery — specifically in “Elevation” and “All Night.” After hearing the lead singles and The Sex EP, I became familiar with the semi-blunt, monotone tone of voice he’s delivered in his previous tracks. Hearing Smith’s range as a vocalist made the listening experience for this album extremely enjoyable and refreshing in a way that exceeded my expectations — and to accomplish this in a debut album is not an easy task.

I’ve been reading Meet Me In The Bathroom lately, and I’m obsessed with the amount of influence you hear from several bands featured in that book. What’s Wrong With New York? feels reminiscent of these bands that piloted the 2000s rock revival and it has everything you love about hedonistic electroclash in the 2010s. I couldn’t help but pick up on some elements of funk as well. We’ve all seen the comparisons to LCD Soundsystem, but contrary to popular belief, The Dare is not trying to be James Murphy. His influences go beyond the band — citing New York artists such as The Rapture and Lou Reed among others as his favorite musicians. Listening to this album re-ignited the love I have for not only all these artists, but some of my favorite DJs like The Chemical Brothers and Justice. I also loved the fact that his viral hit “Girls” was made while he listened to Some Girls by The Rolling Stones — another one of my favorite bands.

“I Destroyed Disco” and “All Night” definitely stuck out as personal favorites on the album for me. In “I Destroyed Disco,” there’s almost an extra layer of cockiness laced within it, especially when Harrison name-drops himself with “What’s a blogger to a rocker? What’s a rocker to The Dare?” The combination between this and the outro to this track is what truly sold it to me. I can definitely see listeners who were fans of “Guess” enjoying this song specifically as well.

As I said before, I went into listening to What’s Wrong With New York? with high expectations, but after several listens, nothing could have prepared me for what an insane debut album this is. I can tell from this point forward, it’s only up for The Dare — and I can’t wait to see what’s to come for him.