'VIRTUAL AEROBICS' / WALLOWS: REVIEW

October 2, 2020

by emma schoors

“Virtual Aerobics” is a nostalgic, summery single and accompanying music video by Wallows that perfectly conveys the thrill of being in love.

With the fast schedule Wallows has been releasing music on you’d expect at least a slight decrease in quality of music, but they seem to just keep getting better and better. Each single has its own distinct mood, unique storyline, and instrumental focus. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Wallows has an EP being released on Oct. 23. The completed EP, entitled Remote, is sure to be just as unpredictable and creative as their singles have been thus far.

“Work hard no matter what happens next” is a line that everyone could use during the craziness and anxiety within the world today. The rest of the lyricism is lush with gorgeous imagery of San Fransisco and the excitement of seeing things in a new way, especially while in love. The lyric video holds the same undertones, with colorful visuals and a dance that fans are sure to pick up on.

This finished package is true to the band’s signature musical and visual style, which never get redundant. There’s something purely addicting about Wallows’ sound, and each single spotlights different aspects of it. “Virtual Aerobics” in particular has a catchy piano hook that kicks off the song and balances beautifully with some of the punchier instrumentals throughout.

Wallows never seems to miss, and “Virtual Aerobics” is another great example of that. Each single is unique in its subject matter while still being woven into a complete and coherent discography. This cohesion might be what reels listeners in, but the laidback and optimistic attitude of the band as a whole is what keeps them tuned in.

Official lyric video for Wallows' new single 'Virtual Aerobics', which is the second single off of the forthcoming EP, 'Remote', due October 23rd. Pre-order ...

WOLF CULTURE: INTERVIEW

October 1, 2020

by emily harris

Born out of Bournemouth in the UK, Wolf Culture has amassed a large following across the globe. High off the release of their latest EP Dying in the Living Room, the four-piece are always found writing and creating for their next project. I had the pleasure to talk with the vocalist of the band, Max Dervan, to discuss the EP in depth!

Congrats on the release of your EP Dying in the Living Room! Can you tell us about the release process of the EP?

Max: “Thank you, we definitely enjoyed releasing it into the wild for all to critique. It wasn’t without its nerves but we are so lucky to have had many kind words said about DITLR and that’s the best feeling. It had been too long since Devil’s Plans and we were itching to express ourselves both on stage and in the studio. Unfortunately, due to COVID, we haven’t been able to perform nearly as much as we’d like, but that has allowed us to focus on what’s next and that’s just as exciting.”

What was the thought process behind each song being in lowercase?

Max: “I wish I could give a better answer than ‘it just felt right,’ but it really did. It was a last minute thing and I think this way it creates the impression that each song is a piece of the album as a puzzle. I like that idea.”

The EP starts off with “floods.” What inspired you to start the EP off in this way?

Max: “I’m a sucker for intro tracks and intermissions etc. All my favorite albums have them included. I believe ‘floods’ was written when I was just messing around in our makeshift home studio and I fell in love with the sound of the Wurlitzer piano which seemed to swirl around my head when I had both earphones in. I just pictured how overwhelming that would sound incorporated into our live set and wrote the lyrics around it. I would then go on to include that same motif and a lyrical reference to it in our single ‘nervous’ which thankfully happened really naturally and thus creating a theme for the EP. We did try replacing the ‘driven wurlie’ piano with a Rhodes once we discovered one at Neil Kennedy’s studio (the Ranch) but inevitably stuck with the same sound as we had demoed with which I think is cool. You really are hearing almost exactly the same song I fell in love with writing late one night. The lyrics were written that same evening as I recorded the demo itself so it was definitely the most naturally written track on the EP. Hopefully it will make an appearance one day soon when we play again.”

Following this is “rain dance.” This song varies greatly with “floods.” Can you tell us about the recording process of this song?

Max: “All of the songs were written and demoed at home then we took them to Neil Kennedy at The Ranch to record and completed them in about five days I think. I remember writing most of ‘rain dance’ in 2017 and knew it was special. At least to me. We like to think this EP was a mild departure from the sound we conveyed on our debut, but this song had to be the first ‘proper’ track to kick it off because it included our favorite aspects of more mainstream punk and therefore felt like a solid bridge between Devil’s Plans and DITLR.
Alex Adam (of ROAM fame) helped me revive this track during one of our writing sessions a couple summers ago. At that point it was like six minutes long and had some huge dynamic changes like some sort of rock opera and we decided that this wasn’t going to be Wolf Culture’s Bohemian Rhapsody; as he put it. We chopped it up and kept the best bits and I’m super pleased with how it’s turned out. I like the fact ‘floods’ is almost like dipping the listener into the EP and then ‘rain dance’ attacks you from out of nowhere after the scene is set. Like a charge from out of the fog.”

Following is “spite,” the first single released from the EP. Why did you choose to release this track first?

Max: “We had this concept for a video and got super hyped and involved in trying to bring it to life with our good friend Nathan Roach who really helped bring it all together in a short space of time. We felt ‘spite’ would help our listeners acclimatize to our slightly new direction and what we wanted to achieve with DITLR so we put the two together, and there you have it.”

Can you tell us more about the collaboration with Kellin Quinn on “ultimatum?”

Max: “We reached out to Kellin and he really dug ‘ultimatum’ which really hyped us up and the rest is history. It was an overseas collaboration, so we are still yet to meet officially in the flesh, but it was a great experience and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome. ‘ultimatum’ is a deeply personal song to me and to already have heard that so many people connect to it on a similar level is really the best reaction I could’ve dreamt. I also think it could be WC’s heaviest song so far which is cool. IDK, maybe ‘Continents.’”

The last track on the EP, “the lunatic and his moon” is a totally different vibe than the rest of the EP. What inspired you to end the EP on such a somber note?

Max: “‘lunatic’ felt like the perfect comedown for the EP and I have always enjoyed the picture the lyrics paint. I wanted to write the kind of song that you would truly want to sing the moon was crashing down onto us.”

Listen to Dying in the Living Room on Spotify. Wolf Culture · Single · 2020 · 6 songs.

How would you describe the sound of this EP in relation to your past releases?

Max: “More mature. We’re not old men by any means, especially me, but yeah, we’re older than we were when we did The Devil’s Plans for Idle Hands and I think that pleasantly shows. I think when writing the first EP we didn’t restrict ourselves creatively, however we were really aware of what other bands were playing at the time. I think we subconsciously made some creative decisions in order to fit more comfortably alongside other people’s sets when we hit the road. We’re still in love with TD4IH, but DITLR is a step into our creative future and I really think the restraints have been lifted for any songs we create in the future.”

Can we expect more music videos for these songs soon?

Max: “Potentially. We’re working on new music at the moment and we’re always writing, but it would be nice to have some more visual content out there for the people who are interested.”

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BETCHA: INTERVIEW

September 30, 2020

by danielle holian

Nashville-based alt-rock group Betcha have released their brand new single “Déjà Vu,” and are about to release their upcoming sophomore EP, Feels Like We’ve Been Here Before. Having toured alongside and received co-signs from the likes of Matt Maeson, Illiterate Light, Kaleo, Judah & The Lion, Kings Of Leon, and Briston Maroney, the band are on the rise to something great in the music industry. The quartet are Charlie Greene (vocals, guitar), Ben Booth (lead guitar), Taylor Dubray (bass, keys), and Chase Wofford (drums).

Unclear Magazine caught up with Betcha about the band’s musical background, new music, and more below.

For our readers, please tell us a bit about your background in music.

Betcha: “We’ve all been super into music, especially bands, since we can remember. Basically all started diving into instruments around middle school. Luckily we all decided to keep pursuing it in college and met at Belmont University. From there we just really started diving into songwriting and learning how to work as a band.”

What inspired the band’s name, Betcha?

B: “BEn, TAylor, CHAse, CHArlie. We used to be under the name Wilder which is Charlie’s middle name, but ended up wanting it to be something that represented the group and so BETCHA was born.”

Who or what are your musical influences?

B: “Really love Phoenix, The 1975, and Tame Impala at the moment. We’re just really into bands in general.”

What inspired your latest single “Déjà Vu?”

B: “I think I was in a place where I felt like my days were becoming a bit repetitive and almost predictable. I wanted to apply that to a relationship or connection that plays on repeat. ‘It feels like we’ve been here before’ was the first lyric that came to me which kinda inspired the whole song and ended up being the perfect name to sum up the EP.”

And what influenced your upcoming sophomore EP, Feels Like We’ve Been Here Before?

B: “So many influences brought this EP together. Most of the songs we started tracking two days before COVID hit, so we ended up doing a lot of the record from our basement and sending stems to our producer to work with. I feel like it gave a super mystique energy to lots of the record that wouldn’t of been there before. But it’s basically a culmination of songs we wrote over the last year. I feel like it’s our first true statement of who Betcha is. It’s definitely got a lot of diversity through the songs, but we strive to be band that can chase whatever sounds come our way.”

Can you describe what your songwriting process is like? And how do you divide the creative process between you?

B: “We are a very collaborative group. We like to approach songs from every angle, so they can start with a drum groove, melody, or something written on an acoustic guitar. We all have different strengths that play into the process. Once we have a solid foundation and vibe for a song, Charlie will usually start lyrics and the concept for the song while Doobie, Ben, and Chase keep building up parts in the track. We have also been collaborating with other talented writers and producers that help us push songs to the finish line.”

How has your sound, taste, and energy progressed since the band began?

B: “We have come a very long way since our founding! We actually used to be called Wilder, and were inspired more by standard rock bands and we even had some folk influence. In the past few years we have been growing into a sound that represents a lot of the bands that we all loved growing up like The Killers or U2 mixed with more modern artists like The 1975, or even Frank Ocean, that we draw from creatively to try and have a more modern sonic identity.”

What would you say was your biggest challenge breaking into the music industry?

B: “Obviously one of the hardest parts is getting noticed, whether that is by labels or managers. But another big challenge we have been facing is just writing and releasing music until a certain song really starts to catch fire. With most artists, just one or a few songs are what really launch careers into the next level, and even though we have a great team around us we are continuously working and writing to try to create music that people really enjoy.”

Listen to Deja Vu on Spotify. Betcha · Single · 2020 · 4 songs.

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

B: “One big aspect of our music is the honesty of the songs. All of our songs are very reflective of things that we have been through or experienced together or at some point. So much of the music that we listen to is music that is very transparent and feels like you connect with the lyrics and vibe very easily, and that feeling is what we hope to create when we are making music.”

And finally, what does 2020 hold in store, thus far, for Betcha?

B: “We have an EP coming out in October called Feels Like We’ve Been Here Before. This is a collection of songs we have been working on for the past year and are super excited to release into the world. We also have been working on a music video for our next single that we are really excited about. This collection of music is a sound that feels very reflective of where we are headed both sonically and aesthetically as a band.”

Download/Stream "Closer To The Sun" by Betcha: https://Betcha.lnk.to/CloserToTheSunAY Follow https://www.instagram.com/betchaband/ https://www.facebook.com/b...

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SOMEWHAT COY: INTERVIEW

September 28, 2020

by mariah estran

On September 22nd, the alternative-pop duo Somewhat Coy released their debut single “Honest.” An exhilarating three-minute tune that explores a unique fusion of raw, alternative energy, with a modern-day pop kick. It is an introduction that leaves you wanting more while wondering what these two will release next.

After vocalist Connor McCoy and drummer Matt Browning met at a Boston college, they moved to LA to combine their similar interests and bring their musical vision to life. Now, they are sharing their creation with the world, proud of the final result, and excited to see how others will respond.

In honor of their debut, we spoke with the duo about “Honest,” their peculiar sound, timely ideas for upcoming visuals, and how their debut EP is shaping up for its release in 2021.

To start, I want to learn about both of your backgrounds. What inspired each of you to start making music together?

Connor: “My first experience with music was when I was nine years old. I attended a middle school that was also an intensive co-ed choir school program for the local cathedral in Salt Lake City. Over the years, I learned music theory and how to sing and harmonize in a choir setting. After learning the piano shortly after, I developed a passion for bands and music production, and ultimately started to want to learn how to create and write songs myself. I decided to attend music school in Boston, and that’s where I met Matt.”

Matt: “I started playing drums in middle school because I had this crush on a girl in band class. Someone told me it was the easiest instrument so I went for it at the time. I grew up at first listening to a lot of hip-hop and radio pop music, but after I took on drums I pivoted to metal and progressive music to see how far I could push my chops. I also spent a lot of time in high school competing in Winter Guard International and playing in a local band around town for extra cash. The bassist in my band told me I should audition for Berklee (which I had not heard of at that time) and that’s how I met Connor.

During our freshman year at college in Boston, we were placed in the same small dorm together. We wound up meeting each other in the basement of the dorm, playing random favorite songs of ours. Once we realized we were passionate about the same artists and type of music, we formed a band with three of our other friends. Over the next two years, band members dropped out and before we knew it, it was down to just the two of us. Shortly after, we both moved to LA.”

You just released your first single “Honest.” What was the creative process like while making this track?

Matt: “I remember coming into our makeshift studio after teaching music lessons for the day and Connor had this beat idea going but didn’t want to show me because it ‘wasn’t done.’ After a little bit of prodding, I got him to show me and we started putting more ideas into it and getting this chorus together. We really liked it but couldn’t figure out how we wanted the verse to sound. We spent weeks messing with it in our free time and eventually gave up on it. About a year or so later I was alone and found the project file and decided to spend three weeks totally polishing it out. I then sent [it to] Connor and we decided to finish the track totally.”

Are you two working on a visual element to go along with the single? If so, what can you tell us about it?

Both: “We will be putting out a music video and a lyric video for ‘Honest’ inspired by the technology that changes the world around us. We love the idea of using VR and animated scenery as a medium for visual information and would love to incorporate that into the videos. The plan is to make at least one of the next three music videos be in VR. We have been studying that platform and practicing making it into a reality, but if we can’t get it to look or feel how we want for ‘Honest,’ we will save it for a future video. Otherwise, we are huge fans of classic music videos featuring the band and want to be doing performance music videos with our instruments whenever possible.”

The song mixes these fantastic alternative rock elements with magnetic pop forces. It’s a perfect intro to what’s to come next, but why did both of you decide to choose this specific track as the debut?

Both: “We feel there was no other option. It sort of symbolizes, for us, the first time that both of our ideas came together in a way that felt authentic to us, so, yeah, there’s definitely a bit of nostalgia. We’re super excited about all the music that’s coming in the future, but we’re so proud of ‘Honest.’”

Discussing your sound, who have been some of your musical inspirations as you’ve been developing your songs?

Both: “That’s a pretty interesting question, because we truly find ourselves pulling from the strangest of places. For example, there might be a section that is totally inspired by Apex Twin for three seconds and then it dives into a guitar riff that draws from Coldplay or Radiohead. Sometimes a guitar feels like an Incubus line drenched in the angst of The Strokes or some vocal harmony that rides the line between SoundGarden and Panic! at the Disco. What’s funny is while I (Matt) pull from Linkin Park’s intensity, I know Connor pulls from Coldplay’s intensity and they somehow just blend together. We’ve spent so long walking that line and refining it. Lyrically, it’s all sort of up in the air. We write what feels good at the time.”

Listen to Honest on Spotify. Somewhat Coy · Single · 2020 · 1 songs.

You two are working on your debut EP, what has it been like putting together on your first major body of work?

Both: “I think that at some point, maybe earlier this year, we came to this sudden realization that we had already made so much music. It felt like we were so focused on creating, that before we knew it, we were scrolling through all of our tracks and realized what a bed of music we were sitting on. I think in that way, we’ve been subconsciously putting together this EP for a while now. It feels good to be able to wrap up all of the hard work that we’ve done in a professional package, and we can’t wait to finally look at it when it’s released.”

Can we expect more singles over the next couple of months? Will they continue to show off this alternative pop sound?

Both: “Absolutely, yes! We are so excited to put out all the music that we’ve made, and we plan to follow up ‘Honest’ with more music as fast as humanly possible. ‘Honest’ was the first track we really thought showed off what we wanted to make, but we feel that the songs that come after ‘Honest’ will expand on those ideas even more. As we have been making newer songs, we find ourselves heading further down the ‘alt-pop’ road, pushing the limits of guitar, drum programming and analogue synthesis. We would also like to get into an actual studio sometime in the future and record our full drum set that we use in live shows, because up until now, everything we’ve done has been made in our bedroom.”

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POWFU, RXSEBOY, SARCASTIC SOUNDS: INTERVIEW

September 26, 2020

by abby samuelson

photo courtesy of powfu, sarcastic sounds, and rxseboy

One mundane, boring night turned into music-making that led to feed the thriving lo-fi music scene. Powfu, Sarcastic Sounds, and Rxseboy all joined together with Italian producer Sista Prod to create “Eyes Blue Like The Atlantic Part 2.” Their collaboration helped us remember to appreciate the little victories, recognize and connect with those who can relate with you, and continue working with the people who helped you get to where you are today. Our interview with the talents digs deeper into the obstacles of songwriting and the lessons learned while growing in the music industry.

What inspired your most recent collaboration?

Rxseboy: “I was bored one night, so I called up Sarcastic and he sent me an early version of the Eyes Blue Pt. 2 beat. We then worked on it for another six hours and realized we had a great start to an awesome song.”

Powfu: “Just listening to what Sarcastic and Rxseboy had on it made me hyped to record.”

Sarcastic Sounds: “The label wanted to make a lofi version of the song and they sent it to my publisher, and asked me to take a stab at it. I made the beat pretty quickly, and thought it was sick but wasn't sure what was happening with it. Then Rxseboy called me that night at like 3am saying he was bored, so we stayed up until 10am just messing around and working on the song.”

How were you able to determine which artist would be best for this piece?

Rxseboy: “Sarcastic had been hit up to help make the beat for a lofi version of Eyes Blue. He then sent it to Powfu and I since both of us had made tons of lofi songs in the past.”

Powfu: “I didn’t really decide at all. I thought we all killed it.”

Sarcastic Sounds: “Me, Rxseboy, and Powfu are all friends and collaborate together, so it was a no brainer, and then when we heard Alec was going to be on it, we thought it was perfect.”

Powfu, your song Death Bed received over 570 million streams on Spotify as of July 2020. Wow! How does it feel to be heard by so many people?

Powfu: “It’s one of the biggest blessings I’ve ever had. Super thankful for all the support and hope to keep making music that connects with people.”

RXSEBOY, as a growing hip hop rapper, what has been something you’ve had to show yourself self-discipline in order to reach your goals?

Rxseboy: “When I first started college I told myself I was going to be cool and go to parties. Because of this, I almost completely stopped working on music. I then found myself getting bored of going out every weekend, so I decided to stop doing that altogether to focus in on making music again. Although I lost a lot of 'friends' from not socializing, I met a ton of awesome artists online from posting music on SoundCloud.”

Sarcastic Sounds, what’s your favorite part about collaborating with other talents?

Sarcastic Sounds: “The best part about collaborating with other talents is just vibing and making a personal connection together. I've also had the opportunity to work with some people that I've been a fan of since I was a kid, and that's been very gratifying too.”

What were some hardships or obstacles that came with the collab that you needed to work through?

Rxseboy: “I think the biggest obstacle we had to overcome was finding times to work on the song where everyone was awake.”

Powfu: “It was pretty easy to write to it for me probably because the beat was so epic.”

Sarcastic Sounds: “There were a lot of little tweaks that we had to make to the production before it came out, and deciding on the perfect version was tricky.”

Explain what each of you do when you hit writer’s block and how you overcome it.

RXSEBOY: “When I get writer's block I normally just go for a walk. To be honest, the walk doesn't help at all, but hey, at least I'm getting some exercise.”

Powfu: “I’ll either take a break or work on a different song then come back to it later.”

Sarcastic Sounds: “I really just try to come up with and finish ideas even if they're bad, because otherwise it's easy to get stuck in a cycle of not making music because you feel blocked.”

What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned in the music industry?

Rxseboy: “As fun as it is to move up the ladder and work with bigger artists, you should always continue working with the people who helped you get to where you are today.”

Powfu: “Definitely a lot of things. Maybe how many kids there are that relate to the same things as me.”

Listen to Eyes Blue Like The Atlantic, Pt. 2 (feat. Powfu, Alec Benjamin & Rxseboy) on Spotify. Sista Prod · Single · 2020 · 2 songs.

Sarcastic Sounds: “To appreciate the little victories, because it's a slow process, and there's always going to be a bigger goal you're striving for. It's really easy to lose motivation if you only focus on the next goal.”

If you could collab with anyone else, who would it be and why?

Rxseboy: “Definitely Ashe. Her song 'Moral of the Story' is one of my all-time favorites.”

Powfu: “Yellowcard or Kanye West because I grew up listening to Yellowcard and Kanye is just a legend.”

Sarcastic Sounds: “I'd love to collaborate with Dave.”

Where will each of you go from here? Do you see another collab in the future together?

Rxseboy: “Definitely more projects and collabs in the future.”

Powfu: “Yes, I expect we will collaborate a hundred more times, and I’m not sure what to expect. I’m just living life and seeing what comes my way. Hopefully touring.”

Sarcastic Sounds: “Definitely.”