MITCH BRADFORD: INTERVIEW

May 10, 2018

INTRO BY MELISSA TUCKER

INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY

Growing up in Brownsville, TX gave Mitch Bradford the opportunity to immerse himself into multiple genres of music. After moving to California, Mitch began embarking on his journey towards writing and performing his own music. His latest track “Love Is Kind” has given his fans the California country vibes they have been longing to hear. In his own unique genre, Mitch has been able to capture the beauty of love through his whimsical melody and heartfelt lyrics. Find out more below about the singer’s upcoming album, tour dates, and how he plans on evolving as an artist.

When was the moment that you realized you wanted to be a musician?

MITCH: "I think it’s been more of a growing trend than an exact moment. I played “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by Poison at a sixth grade talent show. I think I knew then I liked guitars and songs. It took me longer to realize I wanted to write my own songs and sing them too."

Do you think the way you grew up influenced your decision?

MITCH: "I think the way I grew up influenced my tastes. I grew up in a border town so the idea of having many different influences – Americana, country, rock, folk, Latin rhythms – is normal to me. I think that’s reflected on the album. There are a lot of different styles on the record. Something for everyone."

How would you describe your music in your own words?

MITCH: "Americana. California country. Lyrics."

You recently released your latest song, “Love Is Kind” – can you tell us a little about the song and the process creating it?

MITCH: "The song structure came to me one night. I think it was on a Saturday. I knew it could be something. I wrote out the lyrics by hand in my apartment. And recorded a demo that night on my phone. The demo sounds similar to what we captured in the studio.

I think where the studio version elevated the track was the 'groove.' We found an amazing, warm sound for the song in the studio. And the song has a great beat. We recorded it on the first day. And what you hear is pretty much the track we recorded live."

Where do you find most inspiration when creating music?

MITCH: "I take a lot of inspiration from literature. And you also get a lot of good ideas when you run. Haha! I think some of my best musical ideas have come from a long run.

I try to get outside of my comfort zone. Listen to things that are normally outside my scope. Somebody recommended Vincente Fernandez to me and I’ve been checking him out. Pavarotti too. I think it’s good to get far outside your comfort zone."

What do you hope people take from your music?

MITCH: "The joy of falling in love."

How do you hope to continue to evolve as an artist?

MITCH: "I hope to write better songs. Grow as an artist both musically and lyrically. Stretch my voice and become a stronger, more confident singer. And give back to others through music."

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

MITCH: "Yes! We’re hard at work. I’m in the process of writing more songs for another album and we’re prepping a tour. More to come!"

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BREAK OUT DAY: INTERVIEW

May 9, 2018

INTRO BY MELISSA TUCKER

INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY

The latest pop punk band to watch out for is Break Out Day. Their latest EP, “Echoes of the Past”, dropped this year and each song remains true to the core sound of their genre. Starting out as high school freshman wanting to make music, Andrew and Jason of Break Out Day are now full-time musicians and have finally made their dream into a reality. From writing music to going on tour, Break Out Day has been hustling to become America’s hottest pop punk band. Unclear Magazine got the chance to interview the band and get exclusive details on how the band started, their music process, and where they see themselves in 2018.

When did you guys first bring the band together and how did the whole concept of making a band come about?

BREAK OUT DAY: "Andrew and Jason decided they wanted to be in a band as freshman in high school, but it took a couple of years before they started demoing songs they had written. The band got more serious over time and they had a demo EP finished before our freshman year of college. Perry joined in the Spring of 2013 and a lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist was also added before hitting the studio to record the debut EP 'The Nights That Made It.' After its release that September, the lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist had left the band and a search for a new frontman had begun. Perry eventually recommended Brandon, who he had met while attending Syracuse University. Brandon officially joined in November 2016 after having moved to New York all the way from Wisconsin. It wasn’t the most simple process of putting a band together, but it all worked out."

For those who don’t know you yet, what would you tell them about your music as a bit of an introduction?

BREAK OUT DAY: "We’d say that our music is a blend of all of the bands that influence us, but there’s definitely a unique voice behind each song. All four of us are capable songwriters and you can definitely hear how certain influences are more prominent in songs, but yet everything still fits within the Break Out Day sound."

You recently released your new EP titled “Echoes of the Past” – can you tell us a little about the process creating it?

BREAK OUT DAY: "After Brandon joined, we played a lot of shows all over the Tri-State Area in order to gel as a band, develop our chemistry, and to continue support of our first EP. After months of playing shows, we felt we were ready to start working on the next EP. The writing for this EP was the first time the four of us were able to collaborate musically and lyrically and it definitely brought new elements to the music. We knew going into the writing process that we were looking to write three new songs and do an acoustic version of an older song. The first song we wrote was 'The Party’s Over'. Andrew and Jason wrote the intro to that song back in 2014 and slowly developed it with Perry over time. That song took shape instrumentally pretty fast as we all worked on it and Jason wrote the lyrics. We recorded this song to be the single for the EP in April 2017 and released it that summer. 'Deleted Imagery' was a song Brandon had written and it was about 90% complete when he showed it to the band. The four of us were able to work out ideas for parts and finish the song pretty quickly. 'One More Night' was the last song we wrote and we started working on it after Andrew wrote the main bass line and while Perry created a rhythm around it. Writing this song was difficult at times and went through a lot of lyric/melody ideas. We always saw the potential in this song and felt like it would be a huge step forward for us to have it on the EP and eventually we were able to work everything out."

Did you come across any bumps in the road when creating it or did everything go rather smoothly?

BREAK OUT DAY: "We definitely encountered some bumps in the road during the writing process. The four of us collaborating to create the new music was a learning process for everyone involved. When all of us are so passionately involved and care about the music it can create some tension. All bands deal with it. We believe that the push and pull of ideas can lead to bringing out the best in each song, so it’s a matter of growing as a band. That’s what makes the creation of 'Echoes of the Past' special to us."

Where do you find most inspiration when creating music?

BREAK OUT DAY: "Aside from all the bands that have influenced us over time, a lot of inspiration comes from our own personal experiences. Drawing from those experiences and turning them into a story with an overarching theme is where most of our song ideas come from."

Is there anything else we can expect from you soon – maybe shows or music videos?

BREAK OUT DAY: "We have a bunch of shows coming up to support the new EP, including our Official Release Show at Arlene’s Grocery in Manhattan, NY on May 23rd.

Upcoming Shows:

Thu. 05/10/18 - Amityville Music Hall (Amityville, LI)

Wed. 05/23/18 - Arlene’s Grocery (Manhattan, NY) - EP Release Show

We are also planning on creating another music video, or even two, down the line."

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MOONHEART: INTERVIEW

May 8, 2018

INTRO BY JOE HERNANDEZ

INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY

Singer/guitarist Kim Mayo and producer/keyboardist Michael Sachs together are Moonheart, a Brooklyn based electro-indie/R&B duo. First forming in 2015 and releasing their debut EP, Blow, a year later, the pair’s sound has been compared to the likes of Moses Sumney and Björk. In anticipation of the release of their debut album, Feel it Out, Moonheart has released a single and music video for their latest track “Bridestep.”

How long have you two been making music together? How did the decision come about that you wanted to work together?

MOONHEART: "We’ve been working together as Moonheart for about 2.5 years, but it’s been closer to 5 years now since we started making music together in some form. I’d recently moved to New York around then from Boston, where we met at music school, and was feeling a little confused musically-trying to figure out what I wanted to be making versus what I thought I ‘should’ be making, trying to sift through what I’d learned and figure out what to keep and what to set aside, and trying not to go crazy at my collection of weird day jobs. Before this, I was mostly singing standards and music by other people, and I felt at home for a long time being an interpreter of those songs, but there was always a quiet yearning to hear what my own music might sound like. I wanted to be writing all the time and flexing that muscle, and Michael was in a similar space, so we started a song-a-day club between the two of us where we committed to write something every day for a bit, no matter how skeletal, and send it to each other at the end of the night. Even though we have pretty different musical backgrounds, we realized how much shared language we had through the sharing of those songs, and there was a lot of camaraderie built through through that process. Working together was less of a decision and more of a natural coming-together."

How would you describe your music style in three words?

MOONHEART: "Swayable sadboi tenderpop."

In April you released your new single ‘Bridestep’ – can you tell us a little about the song and the inspiration behind it?

MOONHEART: "The song is a years-delayed love letter of closure to someone who I ended a relationship with without saying what I needed to say at the time. I didn’t have the words or the capacity to say them then, and it was eating at me until it became clear that a balm for the sadness of the loss was seeing this person who was a very important part of my becoming doing so well. I think it’s interesting to reimagine how we relate to people in our lives who we’ve had fluid relationships with- people who were once romantic partners and are now friends, people who were once best friends and are now just people you see around, people who are blood family that you’ve had to distance yourself from for whatever reason. How to deal with the loss of one facet of the relationship, how to relate once one level of closeness is stripped away, how to mourn the loss of someone who is still alive and technically accessible to you, how to draw the boundaries if you shouldn’t be around each other anymore for your own good(s), even if the end of your era together wasn’t the “fault” of one or the other of you, but a simple growing apart. This is what I was working through and thinking a lot about while writing this."

You also be released a music video with the song. How did you make sure that the video conveyed the emotions in the song well?

MOONHEART: "The credit for that goes to our friend Charlie Schmidlin, who directed the video and came up with much of the concept. We’ve worked on stuff in the past with Charlie and he’s always been such a supportive and enthusiastic friend and collaborator. We just wanted to make something beautiful, and I think we did."

Where do you find most inspiration when creating music?

MOONHEART: "Mostly outside on walks- cliche, I know. I’m so lucky to live right by Prospect Park here, and it’s really beautiful and full of everything that cuts right through- big old trees, cute animals, people having a good time. I write a lot by the water there when it’s warm enough to sit, or in my head walking or running there when it isn’t. I got a membership to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden for my birthday this year, and it’s the best gift I’ve ever received, I think. I try to go as much as possible and soak it all in. Being surrounded by plants makes me feel connected to the earth, which makes me feel connected to my ancestors and spiritually grounded, and that’s where the good stuff comes from. I also find it in books and poems. If I’m not reading I’m usually not writing. Friends’ music and shows are constantly inspiring, too. We’re fortunate to be in community with so many ridiculously talented people, and watching friends do their thing and thrive and be great is one of the sweetest things and it pushes me to keep at it."

‘Bridestep’ is the first song released from your debut full-length album – do you personally feel that the song is a good introduction as to what we can expect from the rest of the album?

MOONHEART: "I do. The songs are small moments, intimate confessions made larger by Michael’s orchestration and production, and ‘Bridestep’ was one of the first that we made of this collection of songs, so I think in a way it informed what came next. The rest of the album lives very much in or near this sonic space, and the lyrical content- working through the grief of a lost loved one, finding glimmers of light in a sad space, reverence for the people in my life, living and dead- runs throughout the album."

Aside from the album, is there anything else we can expect from you in the near future?

MOONHEART: "We’re working on some more visuals for the album right now, and we’re also working on making our live show as good as we can, so there’ll be plenty of shows coming up."

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FALL FLAVORED: INTERVIEW

May 6, 2018

INTRO BY JOE HERNANDEZ

INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY

Reforming in 2017 with a new frontwoman and line-up, the French punk rock band Fall Flavored is back with new music. The group is now a full four piece band led by the powerfully voiced Yasmine, and as of February 2018 have released their debut album 180. Fall Flavored sits somewhere between that of Sum 41 and MUSE. The group blurs the lines separating punk and post rock, and incorporate aspects of both genres in their unique sound. With the debut album out, Fall Flavored has plenty of ideas and goals to push the band even further.

How long have you guys been a band and how did you come together?

Benji: "Fall Flavored started with just two friends (me and a friend) playing in a band near Lille, north of France. The band stopped but we still wanted to play some punk rock and we started a new band. In october 2014, we released our first EP and found the name of the band. The EP was a bit melancholic, perfect for rainy days. At that moment of the year, the outside smelled fallen leaves. So we thought “Fall Flavored”! It sounds good and poetic. After that, we recruited an official drummer (Phil) and a bassist (Pierre) a few times after. 2 years after the creation, the singer chose to leave the band and we have recruited Yasmine, our new front-women."

In your own words, how would you describe your music?

Benji: "It’s a catchy edgy rocky punk boum boum sound."

Who are some of your musical influences?

Phil: "Our influences are very wide, I’m a big fan of MUSE atmosphere, more particularly the way Dominic Howard plays (drums): very dynamic and direct style. But some references like Green Day, sum 41 or David Bowie make my day too!!!"

Pierre: "Yes, like Phil said, it’s very wide. All of us listen to lots of different styles of music. Benji is our punk rock guy, big listener of bands like Sum 41 and Anti Flag. And I prefer Alternative Rock like Paramore, Post Rock/Math Rock like And So I Watch From Afar and Metalcore/Easycore like Bring Me The Horizon."

Benji: "I also like japan rock bands like One Ok Rock, Uplift Spice, Ellegarden. The Japanese rock scene is very impressive."

Yasmine: "I’m more on Metal with bands like Avenged Sevenfold, August Burns Red, A Day To Remember, While She Sleeps. But in fact, I listen to a lot of things too, as long as I like it. I don’t want any restriction about my influences."

You recently released your debut album, “180”. Can you tell us a little about the album and the process creating it?

Yasmine: "We have a common cloud platform. Benji, Pierre and I post our ideas of songs (most of the time, it’s just some chords and melodies). We discuss of it, change the structure, chords or some riffs. When it’s done, I start writing the voice parts and the text. After that, we start playing the song together in rehearsals. And finally, when all of this is done, we do a DIY record of it with our recording gear to be sure of how it sounds. And we improve the song again and again until we finally record it on an album (or not!)."

Pierre: "We try not to put musicals frontiers to our compositions. We wanted to explore multiple registers of music at the same time, but without denying our punk rock legacy. Our sound is definitely a melodic punk rock sound with influences such as Anti Flag or Sum 41, but there's also some 'MUSE-ish' or 'KOBAIN-ish', even post-rock sounds that are very recognizable. We’ve mix every of this and put all of our energy and inspirations in the last album."

Yasmine: "For the lyrics… I write everything. I’m inspired by common life scenes. There is so much to say about people. I don’t need any cause to defend or so. I want to communicate with people who might recognize themselves in my lyrics, and why not, gather them into the Flavored community so they may find support or anything. I want to discuss with them about them."

What song off the album are you most proud of?

Benji: "Character in a role play. At the beginning I was the only one who wanted it on the album. But Pierre convinced everyone with the WTF intro (laughs)."

How do you hope to continue to evolve as a band?

Benji: "I hope we will always do something new. I don’t want to record hundred times the same songs."

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

Benji: "Touring! Touring! Touring! Touring a lot! And probably new songs at the end of the year 2018. We still have a lot of idea to record so stay tuned."

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THE READY SET: INTERVIEW

May 4, 2018

BY KAT H. WENTZELL

Let’s go back to 2010. Ke$ha is waking up with a bottle of Jack, Ludacris’ chick is bad, and Rihanna just wants someone to make her feel like the only girl in the world. You tap into your iPhone to launch fowl at green pigs in Angry Birds during the commercials of Jersey Shore. Little kids all over the world are going mental for Disney’s latest animated flick, Tangled. Life is pretty good, and there is another talented individual that can be credited for this year’s iconic status: The Ready Set.

Jordan Witzigreuter, also known as The Ready Set, is a singer, songwriter, and producer from Indiana. In March of 2010, Witzigreuter dropped his debut single, “Love Like Woe,” a catchy pop anthem that instantly became a classic. The song peaked at #1 on Billboard’s “Heatseekers” song list and #27 on Billboard’s “Hot 100.” Witzigreuter’s face and quintessentially “emo” fringe could be found in almost every form of pop culture media at the time, from advertisements on MTV to posters in J-14.

Since “Love Like Woe,” Witzigreuter has released a few more smash hits (“Young Forever,” “Life in Pink”) and was even featured on a few Pop Goes Punk records. He also started a side band and dyed his hair funky colors once or twice. There is no telling what The Ready Set will do next, but we’ve got some intuition... or maybe we’re just superstitious.

You recently signed to Hopeless Records. What was it like producing your most recent full-length record, I Will Be Nothing Without Your Love, with them?

Witzigreuter: "I was with Hopeless for about a year and it was great! I had already been working on IWBNWYL for a while before I signed, so the process [with the company] was pretty much just wrapping up the production and writing, and then handing the songs over. It was very much entirely in my hands on the creative end, which I loved. I think that opened me up to a lot more potential of what I could make TRS."

IWBNWYL comes off very raw and honest. What was the writing process like for this album? What were the driving influences of the record?

Witzigreuter: "[IWBNWYL] definitely is; that album was written during a somewhat odd transitional point in my life where I wasn’t exactly sure what I was really doing. It’s the culmination of a lot of wasted time and poor decision making, but ultimately an important step. The driving influences were fairly personal and real to me, more so than on previous records. [I was influenced by] a lot of happy tropical sounds too, which I thought were cool to offset the slightly sadder lyrical themes [of the album]."

Your debut single, “Love Like Woe,” came out eight years ago. How has The Ready Set changed and/or evolved since then?

Witzigreuter: "I think I’ve just gotten better overall at writing, producing, singing… all of it. I made that song when I really didn’t know what I was doing; I was sort of just making songs, seeing which ones people liked, and going from there. Since then, it’s all definitely become a much more calculated process, but I often find myself trying to get back into that headspace where [the process] is entirely pure and new."

What TRS song(s), whether it/they be from a past album or from the most recent one, would you recommend to someone that has never heard your music before? Why that/those song(s)?

Witzigreuter: "I think I’d recommend one of the newer ones--probably 'Life in Pink' or 'No Halos.' I think they both sum up the different ends of the project to me, lyrically, melodically, and sound-wise."

What are a few of your favorite memories as The Ready Set?

Witzigreuter: "[There are] too many to count… I think the earliest tours stand out a lot to me: cramming seven people into a hotel room, playing to tiny crowds, but feeling that something was growing, and that the potential was there. I think I’m always chasing the feeling of growing momentum, and things feeling new and on the brink. That’s the most valuable thing to really make sure you take in."

You mentioned on your Instagram that you have written and produced music for other artists (Lindsey Stirling, for example). What was that like? Do you see yourself doing more work like that in the future?

Witzigreuter: "The song with Lindsey was great! Making a Christmas song in the summer is always odd and cool. I’ve actually been doing a lot of production for other artists; it’s a good chunk of what I spend my non-TRS time doing. It’s definitely become more and more of a focus for me, while also definitely inspiring me to do more of my own stuff."

What is Nekokat? Why did you create it, and where do you see it going? Will there be any new music/live shows coming from Nekokat soon?

Witzigreuter: "Nekokat is the other band I’m in with Jess Bowen (from The Summer Set) and Cameron Walker, whom I write with for tons of other projects, including TRS. We’ve been slowly putting out singles and EPs over the past couple years, but I think we’ve got some really really cool stuff coming out soon. We’d love to get on the road with that project and see what happens; we’re all super passionate about the music."

Will The Ready Set be releasing a record anytime soon? What can fans expect from TRS in the future? Are there any important upcoming dates/events that fans should know about?

Witzigreuter: "I’m not sure about a full length TRS album right now; I’m in the process of finishing up the second EP that coincides with the most recent one I put out, 'V1.' 'V2' is maybe halfway done, so once I finish that, we’ll see where my brain takes me. Most likely a full album will result!"

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