ROYAL & THE SERPENT: INTERVIEW

August 25, 2021

by kaylee pickens

With over 95 million streams on her hit single, “overwhelmed,” Royal & the Serpent is breaking down the walls in music. 27-year-old, Ryan Santiago is more than just your average singer and songwriter. Songs like, “i can’t get high” and “phuck u,” showcase the raw magnetism that Royal & the Serpent embody. In an interview with Unclear, Santiago discusses their style influences, touring with PVRIS and Yungblud, and visuals for their latest releases.

How do you feel like social media, specifically TikTok, has expanded your audience?

R: “Oh I mean, I think tenfold. I think it’s the best tool that artists can use, especially right now in order to get their music to reach a lot of people. And I was blessed last summer when I had something go viral on [TikTok] and it changed my life.”

What’s the relationship between the lyrics and the video/visual for “i can’t get high?”

R: “The song ‘i can’t get high’ is written about a relationship. The feeling is like loving something so much that nothing that you do, nothing that you take, can get you as high as this person can get you. So the music video is this tragic love story between two people — it obviously doesn’t work out — and she ends up burning his car at the end of it.”

The cover for searching for nirvana is simple, but your pose, wardrobe, and demeanor speaks volumes. What was the inspiration for this EP and its artwork?

R: “I wasn’t initially planning for the pose. But once we got the negatives back, we kind of knew it encompassed everything this project was about. Which is this idea that I can’t figure it out and I’m almost taken to my knees in despair over this life. I don’t know, I think the white palette and keeping it really clean leaves it open for interpretation. We kind of just did it on a whim, it was one of those things where we needed a cover quickly, and I’m so, so happy with how it turned out.”

What was it like touring with Yungblud and the rest of his team? What have you learned or did you have any favorite memories?

R: “I think above anything else, getting to watch him play his shows every night was just super inspiring. I learned a lot from watching how he interacts with his fans. I think even virtually, he did such an incredible job of making them feel like they were right there with him. Not even right there with him, but they’re apart of him and what he’s doing. He has this really incredible knack for connection.”

What was your first night of performing like, now that you’re touring with PVRIS?

R: “It was so incredible. I can’t even tell you. I feel like it’s not even real, I have to pinch myself every day. It’s so nice to be in front of people again, but I almost forgot how long it’s been. I almost forgot it’s been almost two years. It’s such a blessing. Going into the tour, I wasn’t expecting much. I definitely wasn’t expecting full rooms, especially as the opener, but I have been pleasantly surprised every single night. The rooms are always full of people who are excited to see music.”

I saw your live performance with beauty school dropout for “phuck u” and wanted to know what is your style/wardrobe influence attributed to?

R: “My style changes all the time. Lately, I’ve been super inspired by Avril Lavigne, Harley Quinn, and anime characters. That’s my tour vibe. The live videos that are up on YouTube, they were more Courtney Love inspired.”

It’s been almost a year since “overwhelmed” was released, reflecting on this track, what are your thoughts on this song and its success?

R: “I definitely did not expect anything that happened to it to happen. I try not to have expectations in general, because everything is so unknown , especially in this industry. More than anything, I’m so grateful especially because of the stories I get to hear of how it’s affecting people. All these people are being seen and heard and they’re not so alone in these feelings that they’re having. It’s definitely changed my career. It’s so wild because I feel like this song is so much bigger than I am. It’s a fun little thing to surprise people with at shows. It’s the last song we play and everyone’s like ‘oh s***, I know this song.’ It’s definitely a fun game to play with people, if they have TikTok, too. More often than not, they’ve heard the song but haven’t heard of me. It’s wild and I still can’t believe everything that’s happened with it and I can only hope to have another song have that much success.”

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SHELANA AZORA: INTERVIEW

August 24, 2021

by danielle holian

Rising singer-songwriter Shelana Azora is turning heads with her music. Since the release of her debut EP, Epiphany, in 2019, the songstress has been working on her flow of singing and rapping along with her songwriting abilities. Citing musical influences from the likes of Eminem, Lauryn Hill, Aaliyah, and Rihanna, it's safe to say she is one musical artist to keep an eye out for. And with a versatile catalogue of music under her belt, she wants her listeners to be the person they always knew they could be because they owe it to themselves to be free. Unclear Magazine caught up with Shelana Azora to discuss all things music and her latest single “No Time.”

If someone has never listened to your music, how would you describe your sound to them in three words?

Shelana Azora: “Warm, melodic, resonant.”

Who or what were your musical influences growing up — and have they differed over time?

SA: “I have a lot of musical influences that have helped shape my artistry today. Everybody that knew me as a child knew how much I was obsessed with Alicia Keys! I always used to say that Alicia ‘taught me how to sing’ because I remember first listening to If I Ain’t Got You on the radio and then belting it at the top of my lungs. From then on I fell in love with singing and decided I wanted to be a singer that wrote my own songs. Mariah, Whitney, and Beyoncé were also artists that taught me a lot about how to use my voice.”

What inspired your new single “No Time?”

SA: “If I’m being honest, I was having a spell of self-doubt for a little while and I wanted to make a song that would not only motivate me to get up in the morning, but hopefully help someone else. Get It Together by India.Arie was literally playing on repeat and it inspired me to write a song that I could feel uplifted by. The lyrics are literal affirmations for me — ‘this is your moment, all you gotta do is focus.’”

Can you share with us why you wanted to make this song in particular a single? What was that turning point moment for you?

SA: “I think this song stands out from anything else I’ve released because it’s a whole new vibe. I love the pop, dance, and R&B fusion that Taco Social captured so well with the production. It literally sounds like a sprinkle of joy and I’m excited to be able to release it as my second single of the year.”

And how has it been for you personally creating music during the pandemic?

SA: “It was definitely a character building time and it made me realize how much I couldn’t live without music. I feel blessed to have been able to write what I would consider my best music so far.”

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

SA: “I want my listeners to know that they’re not alone and that so many of us battle with the same demons. If I can spread some positivity, love, hope and light, I can feel like my love for this craft was all worthwhile.”

And finally, what’s one fun fact about yourself for our readers?

SA: “I was born in Dominica so there’s a whole different side to my music and culture that I’ve yet to explore! I’m excited to be able to go back home and reconnect with my roots — I know that the music I’ll create then will be on another level.”

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L E A: INTERVIEW

August 19, 2021

by tiffany arunarsirakul

L E A is a Los Angeles-based alternative-pop artist with Jersey pop punk inspiration, who was featured as an MXL Creator in 2021. With EP Jersey Boy releasing, we expect big things from “Pebbles,” a song that people could relate to on multiple levels. Her EP ties her Jersey roots to her LA influences, where L E A says, “Jersey Boy rehashes old feelings, brings out this masculine energy, welcomes me into a more rock-leaning genre, and allows me to embrace my emotions.” We are excited to see L E A’s creative musical journey soar!

What is your inspiration for “Pebbles”?

L E A: “Wildly enough, my inspiration came from a TikTok! I still can't get over the fact that two songs off my EP exist because of some creative exercises on TikTok. Aside from that, the story came from wanting to take a flirtationship real slow to quickly losing patience and knowing what I want.”

Would you say that this single has a stronger message due to us experiencing quarantine?

L: “Hmm, that's a good question! But no, I don't think so. I personally have always been a go-getter. When I want something, I'll fight for it. I can see how people could relate this to being impatient cause we've been isolated for so long though!”

Your EP Jersey Boy releases this month. What is your overall message for the EP?

L: “I feel like this EP is my journey back home. Metaphorically, of course. Though I have moved on from my hometown, I realized how much of me still lies within it. I feel like I brought Jersey to LA.

Jersey Boy rehashes old feelings, brings out this masculine energy, welcomes me into a more rock-leaning genre, and allows me to embrace my emotions.”

L E A, you are called the love child of Katy Perry and P!nk. Did these two artists have any influence on your works?

L: “You know what's funny, I was actually in a writing session with Mike Grubbs AKA Wakey!Wakey! (that's enough spoilers!) and he had told me after listening through my EP, that the whole project sounds somewhere in the middle of P!nk and Katy Perry. Ever since then, I kinda ran with it! As much as I absolutely adore P!nk and everything she's ever created, I feel like my music style almost accidentally lends itself to her sound. I never planned on comparing myself to her, but it just so happened that way! Since then, I've been so inspired by her approach towards the rockier side of pop and her story of growing up as a tomboy.”

How was the transition from New Jersey to Los Angeles? How did it change/inspire your music?

L: “The transition was almost seamless at the time I was first introduced to Los Angeles. I had been living there for a few months at a time for two years and I knew I wanted to move there after college. With the anticipation leading up to the big move, my friends constantly called me an ‘LA Devotee.’ I'd say that really impacted my music when I first got out there. I have a playlist I started in 2016 called ‘California Beach Pop’ which has now grown to almost 1,000 followers on Spotify. I made it because I wanted to make music just like that. I started making pop music leading up to the big move, but the longer I have been out here (I still love it just the same) the more I realized how grounded and influenced I am by the music I grew up with and the music scene in New Jersey. I actually had a long conversation on the phone about this with a good friend I went to high school with. That was kind of the moment I realized I wanted to name the EP ‘Jersey Boy.'“

What got you into music? Have you always wanted to be a part of the music industry?

L: “Music was really all I ever knew growing up. Having been adopted, I'm the only one in my family that has pursued music to such an extent. My mom recognized my talent at such a young age and she really encouraged me to take lessons, join choirs, and audition for musicals. I always say this, but music is quite literally the only thing I know like the back of my hand. I'm good at a lot of things, especially creative things, but I'm only great at music.”

In 2021, you were featured as an MXL Creator, as well as being placed on two Pandora Editorial Playlists in 2020. How does it feel to accomplish these recognitions?

L: “You know, every time I see someone else mention it, I take a moment to reflect on how grateful I am for accomplishments like that. I think we're always trying to get to the next goal, landmark, or chapter, that we sometimes take for granted what we've already earned. I've had such an empowering experience with both opportunities and I'm honored to have gotten where I am today with the support of MXL Mics and Pandora!”

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

L: “Learn. Learn. Learn. Knowledge is so powerful. Learn new ways to take your music to the next level and keep challenging yourself and your creativity!”

What can we look forward to in the near future?

L: “May have dropped a big hint here in this interview for the first time ever! But aside from that, I'm continuing to work on new music, traveling, performing live, and so much more! Thank you for having me.”

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EBEN: INTERVIEW

August 18, 2021

by emma schoors

When EBEN set out to create Dandelions, he envisioned something grander and more artistically satisfying than he had ever released before. A boatload of ambition and one tight-knit creative team later, the five-track EP and accompanying 20-minute short film were born. Dandelions leads listeners through the inner and outer-workings of a breakup, with frustration, grief, and eventual optimism as guiding themes. In a time of uncertainty, EBEN’s music is a sonic, stable reminder that pain can be one hell of an igniter for hope.

You're a singer, songwriter, and producer. Did you grow up in a musical family?

EBEN: “My dad, he played drums his whole life. My grandpa was a musician. He actually had one of the first live television shows in Baltimore that ever aired, which is really cool. Music’s been in my life forever.”

Do you have a first memory of music?

E: “I do. I remember my dad, he had this little recorder in his car and he would always record me and my little brother singing. So that really is the first memory that I can think of where he was like, ‘Oh, you guys are great singers. You have it in your blood.’ You know what I mean? So that'd be my first recollection of being aware of it.”

For fans who are a little less familiar with your background, you were on American Idol in 2012 at age 15. What inspired you to leap onto a national stage at such a young age?

E: “I mean, it was so fun. It was awesome. I just wanted to go see how far I would get. It was just for fun. I had no expectations. Me and my parents were like, ‘Let’s just go see what happens. If it happens, awesome. If it doesn't, it just wasn't meant to be.’ You know? I went and auditioned and ended up making it to the Top 24, which was an incredible experience. That was the first time I'd ever been out to LA or anything like that. I was just a musical theater kid from Cincinnati, so I had never really been introduced to the music industry until that point. When I went out to LA, I literally decided in my head, I was like, ‘I'm going to live here one day. I will be based here.’”

Was that when you decided music was going to be your career as well?

E: “I kind of had already decided that. I did musical theater professionally in Cincinnati for years, and I wanted to go into Broadway and live in New York and go down that whole path, but then did American Idol and I was like, ‘Wow, that's way more interesting.’ At least in my head, you know what I mean? That's just what I'm drawn to more. Now, what, ten years later? Ten years. That’s crazy. We’ve been living in LA for about six, seven years, and it's been an amazing, amazing ride.”

What's the most exciting show you've ever played?

E: “Radio City Music Hall was one of the greatest nights of my life. I was opening up for a band called Why Don’t We, and there were two nights, sold out show. It was one of the most amazing moments ever. The whole crowd knew every single one of my songs. There was this moment where I was performing this song ‘Freefall,’ and everyone in the whole place, like 6,900 people, put their phone lights up. It was such a magical moment for me. I will always remember that for the rest of my life.”

Are live music and performing driving factors in making your music?

E: “There's no other high that can compare to being on stage and being so connected with the audience, to where you just feel like you're in a room and it's just thousands of your best friends and you're just turning up and going crazy. And you're not nervous. It’s such a huge, natural euphoria. It’s unexplainable, really. There's no drug that could ever compare to that feeling, not even close. In regards to music for the live show, I go into sessions, I'm always thinking of the live show. I'm like, ‘Okay, we're making this record. How could I perform it live? How can we make it insane live?’ You know? So that goes into my deciding what music to drop as well. Is it going to be fun live and are the fans gonna be having the time of their life hearing this song on stage?”

What's the most exciting show you've ever been to?

E: “Travis Scott's Astroworld in Chicago was the most insane night of my life. It was wild. Also Coachella. Coachella was insane, but that's a whole other beast of a situation. Specific show wise, I'd say Travis Scott's Astroworld. It was crazy.”

“Jenny” is the lead single off of your most recent EP Dandelions. It’s inspired by Forrest Gump, but can you take us through what the songwriting process was like for this track?

E: “Writing it was so much fun. It's such a quirky record. In the session, I forget who brought it up. I'm pretty sure it was Danny Klein, who’s a part of Some Randoms, which is a producer duo, incredibly talented. We were just talking about, no one really talks about how shitty Jenny was. She was a true piece of work, you know what I mean? Obviously until the end, blah, blah, blah, it's a movie. But she treated Forrest like absolute trash, you know? So we were like, ‘Let’s write a song kind of influenced by that side of the movie and by that part.’ No one really talks about it. So that that's where that kind of stemmed from.”

What inspired you to mix music and film?

E: “We were in the depths of quarantine. I had a whole tour set up, obviously I had to cancel. Everyone lost a lot of momentum, especially myself. So I was like, ‘Okay, this isn't going to last forever, so let's prepare.’ I want to do something super unexpected, especially from an artist like myself that's at where I'm at in my career. I'm not yet A-list and selling out arenas and everything, but what would an A-list artist do to kind of have everyone turn their heads? So I called Evan. I was like, ‘Yo. I want all the music videos for the whole EP. I want it to all go together and I want it to be this whole story.’ I had the story with the music, but I just wanted it to visually be represented in a way. So Evan came over, and we kind of sussed out the basic storyline of everything, we found a bunch of pictures for the aesthetic that we wanted to do. Evan was like, ‘Let's do this cyber punk type of futuristic vibe.’ And I was like, ‘That’s so badass.’ Like yes, let's do that. And then it really just stemmed from there. Brandon Phillips, who was my drummer and musical director, he colored the video and was also the cinematographer. He’s incredibly freaking talented. So we had him on Zoom, because he lives in Memphis and Evan’s over here. We're trying to get this together, and then slowly but surely brought in more people to the team, like Tim Ogletree who produced the movie, and it all came together. It was an exciting adventure to make this, especially just having to deal with all of the COVID restrictions, we just had to figure it out and we figured it out and it's badass and I'm so incredibly proud of it.”

How did it feel to watch the film for the first time in its completed form?

E: “We all were just in shock that what we had envisioned is actually on the screen. Because a lot of the things that we were talking about, that should cost lot of money. Special effects and this, that, or the other. We talked to some special effects house and they're like, ‘We need $250,000.’ Like, go fuck yourself. Absolutely not. You know what I mean? So we figured it out, and we did it. People don't believe us when we tell them the budget of what we did this for. They think it's a million dollar budget, so that's what we're going to go with. That's just another thing. We did this and we executed it in every way, shape and form that we wanted to. I'm just so thankful that Atlantic was so supportive, like unbelievably supportive with the whole project and everything. A lot of the team, they didn't really know what they were going to get. So they really put their trust in us and we delivered. We delivered tenfold, honestly.”

What does success mean to you?

E: “We finished the film, so I'm good. Just the fact of us accomplishing what we truly set out to accomplish. We actually did it. I finally have my EBEN team. Tight knit, we have our people, it's my team, and I’ve never had that before. A lot of it was me and my friends just trying to do whatever to make it happen, you know? I have my Atlantic team and my best friends who are always going to be there, they're my family. Like they're my ride or die. They're my boys. Success to me, I don't know. That's only something that I can answer in my head. Success is different for everybody. Success to me could be, ‘Oh, I want to be a billionaire. Then I'll feel successful.’ But it’s like success for somebody else could be like, ‘Boom, I can pay rent every month. I'm successful.’ I don't know. It doesn't really matter. I'm just happy. That's all that I really care about. I'm just happy that this film is everything that we wanted it to be. And I'm just super excited for people to see it and see my artistic vision.”

What do you hope listeners take away from the EP and the short film?

E: “I hope that what they can take from this is that this whole project is about a real, proper breakup. Not just boyfriend and girlfriend. Love of your life type shit. You know what I mean? I hope that they can see that time heals, and that in time there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that you can get through it. You just have to walk through that pain to get to the other side, to be able to open up your heart for somebody else. So I just hope they think the music’s dope.”

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ABIGAIL BARLOW: INTERVIEW

August 17, 2021

by danielle holian

Abigail Barlow is the mastermind co-creator of the Bridgerton Musical that has gone viral online, especially on the likes of TikTok. Alongside this she has an astonishing musical discography of her own to-date. From being a social media sensation as she shares sneak peaks of her music, to documenting the progress of the aforementioned musical with her musical partner Emily Bear with big dreams of turning it into a full-scale production, she's been turning heads with her effortless talents. We caught up with Abigail to discuss all things music below.

You have an edgy, poppy sound to your music. What or who inspires your musical abilities?

Abigail: “I take inspiration from everywhere. I love a good top 40 track as much as the next girl, but I also love deep diving into my Spotify recommended and finding artists and sounds I’ve never heard before. It’s so inspiring to hear my peers breaking boundaries in pop music and it constantly inspires me to do the same.”

How have social media platforms played a part in regards to your music? Especially in the last year during the global pandemic of COVID-19 when musicians couldn't play live shows?

A: “I’ve been posting my original music on TikTok since I was 16 and it was called Musical.ly. I figured out early on that social media could be the perfect vehicle to find an audience on my own as I went on the pursuit of making music professionally. The better I got, the larger the audience of people who wanted to hear what I had to say. Social media is SO personal and it’s very special to have that intimate connection with my listeners. I love hearing how my music helps them get through hard times, because writing it did the same for me.”

You are the co-creator of the Bridgerton Musical, and went viral sharing snippets of the progress on TikTok — what inspired this project? And how did you create the partnership with Emily Bear?

A: “Emily and I had met writing another musical a year and a half prior, so our collaboration was nothing new. However, during the pandemic, we were both equally as frustrated in our solo careers and were looking for a change of pace. Feeling pretty hopeless after hearing multiple ‘no’s’ from the industry, I turned to Netflix to get me through my depressive episode. When I stumbled upon Bridgerton and subsequently binged the whole show in 12 hours, I was BUZZING with inspiration. I ran to my piano and wrote the first song from the perspective of the main character, mainly as a songwriting challenge to get out of my head. When it blew up on TikTok, I knew if Emily was on board we could create a big project to at least keep us busy through quarantine. Little did I know… what started as a passion project to break the pattern of ‘no’s’ we had been hearing would change our entire lives. FINALLY, we had a resounding YES!”

And what draws you into Broadway musicals in general?

A: “Musical theatre is inherently genre-less. If the music moves the story along, whatever the story may be, it is musical theatre. That freedom of genre is so unlike any other form of music media. Pop music is very structured and formulaic, and can get monotonous to write sometimes. When I get to write for characters in a story, I get to exercise my acting skills and put myself in someone else’s shoes. I get to decide the moments where words aren’t enough to describe a character’s emotions. They have to sing! I think that’s my favorite part.”

What drives you forward as a songwriter, compared to a performance artist?

A: “As a songwriter, I love finding new ways to say the things that have been said in music a million times before. I love exploring my perspective of the human experience to find universal truth and relatability. Everyone lives life differently… but at the same time, you’d be surprised how shared the human experience can be, especially when it comes to love and heartbreak. As a performance artist, I pride myself on my optimism in trying new things. I’m a big believer in reassessing when something isn’t working for you and changing things up constantly. Taking risks and being fearless has been SO important in my growth as a performer.”

Can fans expect an EP/album from you this year?

A: “Yes! Emily and I have announced we’re releasing our ‘Unofficial Bridgerton Musical’ concept album on September 10th 2021!”

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

A: “I want people to feel like they’re on a journey when they listen to my music. I want them to laugh, cry, smile, frown, as long as they feel an emotional connection to it. If my music can help someone cope with whatever they’re going through, I’ve done my job as an artist.”

Who are you listening to at the moment?

A: “I’m currently in a very serious Paramore phase. Revisiting their whole discography has got me so excited to explore that pop/rock perfection in my own music.”

And finally, what’s one fun fact about yourself for our readers?

A: “I can sing with my mouth closed! It’s my freakiest party trick. ;)”

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