Tag: ep

LISTEN: Alisa Amador, “Burnt and Broken”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Alisa Amador
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Song: “Burnt and Broken”
Album: Narratives EP
Release Date: September 17, 2021

In Their Words: “This song is about rape culture and toxic masculinity: ‘What a world we live in with its endless charms / Blinded lies keep winning over open arms / Sticks and stones and systems built to cause you harm.’ However, this song can be used as a lens with which to examine myriad systems of oppression. Violence stems from fear, and fear grows from a lack of understanding. ‘The bruise of words unspoken’ illustrates the pain caused by an absence of conversation around these violences. Systematic violence is designed to trick you and distract you (‘a ruse, a plume of smoke’) from the reality: ‘the truth is burnt and broken.’

“The arrangement of this song is intentionally spare, like the exposed framework of a house after a fire. It is a fitting metaphor for this song: a hard look at the violence of misogyny, as Kaiti Jones, Hayley Sabella, and I stand among the wreckage, singing with broken hearts, and hot anger pulsing through us. We had to record our vocals apart from one another, but every time I hear this song, I feel stronger and broken open at the same time. Their voices are so poignant on this song.” — Alisa Amador

Photo credit: Jacquelyn Marie

WATCH: Sara Trunzo, “Nashville Time”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Sara Trunzo
Hometown: Unity, Maine
Song: “Nashville Time”
Album: Cabin Fever Dream EP
Release Date: September 24, 2021

In Their Words: “One reason I was excited to have this song show up for me was that it encapsulates my most recent chapter of orbiting the axes of Nashville and coastal Maine. At first edit, I worried the song mixed too many different images and place-based metaphors, but that’s actually a good reflection of my voice and life. I’m a northerner who loves the south, a flip-flopper between music and community organizing, a New England veggie farmer with visions of sequin dresses and high-end Nashville recording studios dancing through her head. I’m not a purist. I often wish I was, because it’d be handy to be able to say, ‘I’m a teacher and I live in Bangor,’ but being a seasonal, migratory, hybrid creature seems to be more in the cards for me.

“Because I had lived in Maine for most of my adult life, coastal life and the water have shown up in many songs. I have REALLY missed the ocean during the seasons I lived in Nashville. ‘Nashville Time’ surprised me with the amount of nautical references that stuck, as I didn’t have much firsthand experience with sailing at the time of writing. But since coming back to Maine after the start of COVID, I have fallen in love with sailing to the extent that I’m now living aboard a 30ft sloop on Penobscot Bay.” — Sara Trunzo

Photo credit: Chip Dillon / Blue Horse Photography

LISTEN: Jay Nash, “Shine”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Jay Nash
Hometown: Vermont, USA
Song: “Shine”
Album: Night Songs EP
Release Date: August 20, 2021
Label: Bluff Island Music / Copperline Music

In Their Words: “The first two songs (‘Mack’s Lullaby’ and ‘Shine’) from this little project came into the world just moments after my first child, my daughter Mackenzie, arrived. After the cacophony of activity of doctors, midwives and nurses had resolved and my wife Rebecca had settled into a restorative, post-natal slumber, my newborn daughter and I sat quietly together in the dark. I held her, then the size of a tightly-swaddled football, in my arms and she lay there with eyes wide open yet serenely quiet, staring up at me. I told her then, ‘You and I are going to have some fun together.’ I swear, she seemed to truly hear me and understand me in that moment. She was so calm in that moment and her facial expression suggested profound wisdom.

“After some time, I’m not sure how much exactly, Mackenzie drifted off to sleep. I was still wide awake so I picked up the nylon string guitar that I had brought along to the hospital. In those first few blissful silent moments of being a father, the melodies, chords and themes of ‘Mack’s Lullaby’ and ‘Shine’ came to be. I recorded both raw song ideas into my iPhone before finally drifting off and joining my wife and new daughter in a deep slumber. It took me nearly ten years to return to those ideas, partly because, as all parents know, what followed those calm and quiet moments of parenthood was an all-out sprint…a crash course into the massive sea change of lifestyle that comes with becoming a parent.” – Jay Nash

Photo Credit: Laura Crosta

WATCH: Erik Shicotte, “Flint”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Erik Shicotte
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Song: “Flint”
Album: Miss’ry Pacific EP
Release Date: July 16, 2021
Label: Black Country Rock

In Their Words: “Sprawled along the medicine of a two-lane highway, ‘Flint’ came as the soundtrack to my own cinematic heartbreak and the wandering repercussions of ineffective escapism. Drawn over a steady stalwart 4/4 roll, the desperate defiance of a yearning heart plays out over a defining romance cut short, and the humming tires that follow. This is a song about hurtin’ and runnin’ out from under the inescapable and sometimes inexplicable wanting that often comes from the naiveté and hopefulness of a spark. The instrumentation is deafeningly present, and I even let myself chug out a simple pseudo-lead on the Telecaster. If ever there were to be a movie made about me being all sad and pissed off, this is the song that would accompany the southwestern sunrise and cigarette breath as I drive into the golden ether.” — Erik Shicotte

Photo credit: Destiny Frack

WATCH: Hollow Coves, “Blessings”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Hollow Coves
Hometown: Gold Coast, Australia
Song: “Blessings”
Album: Blessings EP
Release Date: June 11, 2021
Label: Nettwerk Records

In Their Words: “‘Blessings’ is a song of gratitude. It’s about recognizing the little blessings that life has to offer. If we don’t take a moment to acknowledge them, we can often miss them. Practicing gratitude is known to be good for mental health, yet anxiety and depression seem to be more and more prevalent in our generation. I think we are just too distracted to stop and take time to practice gratitude. We hope this song helps people realize that there are blessings all around if you just look up and take the time to think about how much we have to be grateful for.” — Ryan Henderson and Matt Carins, Hollow Coves

Photo credit: @Leniflashes

WATCH: Josephine Johnson, “Where I Belong”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Josephine Johnson
Hometown: Savannah, Georgia
Song: “Where I Belong”
Album: Double High Five EP
Release Date: April 16, 2021

In Their Words: “‘Where I Belong’ is inspired by characters from those Patrick O’Brian British Navy novels set during the Napoleonic wars. Love and high seas adventure, to be sure. Andrew Sovine and I recorded the song in hopes of paying homage to the ethos and spaciousness of Daniel Lanois. Andrew plays electric leads, slide guitar, and Omnichord over my acoustic guitar. Mike Kapitan adds subtle keys and did the final mix and master. Alison Davis, a crew of local Savannahians, and I filmed the video in 18 hours all in one day on Tybee Island and Thunderbolt, Georgia.” — Josephine Johnson

Photo credit: Bailey Davidson

LISTEN: Bridget Rian, “Trailer Park Cemetery”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Bridget Rian
Hometown: Long Island, New York; currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Trailer Park Cemetery”
Album: Talking to Ghosts (EP)
Release Date: July 9, 2021

In Their Words: “While driving through rural Florida on a road trip, I saw the trailer park cemetery that inspired this song. Something about how death was so close to the living was fascinating to me. At the time I was also reading a book that mentioned kids meeting in a cemetery to party and it reminded me of my reckless teenage years. ‘Trailer Park Cemetery’ is much more a commentary on life than it is death. It’s about how I want to be close to the living and don’t want to miss out on opportunities, even in death. I think I have this fear of being forgotten, of not making a difference with my life, and this song was a way to kind of express that.” — Bridget Rian

Photo credit: Libby Danforth

WATCH: Sonja Midtune, “Los Angeles”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Sonja Midtune
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Los Angeles”
Album: Dreams Melt Away (EP)
Release Date: April 2, 2021

In Their Words: “‘Los Angeles’ is a song with multiple meanings. What starts as a love song quickly turns into an analogy about the relationship; pretty on the surface, but messy underneath, just like Los Angeles. It asks the question, ‘Are WE Los Angeles?’ and ends with me accepting L.A. as my home, but wow, I am lost here. The music video was shot by my boyfriend at all of my favorite unique L.A. spots that I’ve discovered through the years. He loves the song. 🙂 We had a blast!” — Sonja Midtune

Photo credit: Michelle Lanning

WATCH: Johnny Chops, “Trouble with the Truth”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Johnny Chops
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Trouble with the Truth”
Release Date: April 2, 2021 (Single)
Album: Yours, Mine and the Truth EP
Label: Johnny Chops Music

In Their Words: “One September morning in 2019, I got up early, before the dogs or my wife were awake, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down in my writing room. This song fell out of the sky into my lap and was basically written in about an hour. It’s a departure from most of my material and some of the ‘songwriting rules’ I usually stick with. It isn’t a sing-along or an anthem, but more of a lament. I think of it as a sad little poem. Aside from my vocals and acoustic guitar, the rest of the track is producer and multi-instrumentalist David Abeyta. He put a lovely finish and a beautiful solo on this song.

“While I was writing the video treatment, I wanted to lean in to that lonely feeling by filming in some dark and bleak locations. I came across these dramatic spaces by researching abandoned buildings on YouTube and was lucky enough to contact the property owners through the Mineral Wells Chamber of Commerce and get their permission to film. The video wouldn’t have the same visual depth or resonance without their assistance and patience. I also have to give some extra credit to the camera expertise of my DP, Brian Monnone (Big Flavor Films) for helping to capture the atmosphere of the song, as well as braving some structurally questionable locations. Creating this story has been an exciting exploration into videography, film and screenwriting. I have been telling tales through song for almost 20 years, so it’s an exciting next chapter that I hope to pursue more in the future.” — Johnny Chops

Photo credit: Brandon Aguilar

WATCH: Cole Quest and The City Pickers, “The Bitcoin Gambler”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Cole Quest and The City Pickers
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Song: “The Bitcoin Gambler”
Album Title: Self [En]Titled EP
Release Date: April 16, 2021
Label: Omnivore

In Their Words: “As a software engineer by day, a folk musician by night, and someone who lost a chunk of money in the Bitcoin crash of 2018, I felt I had a unique connection to this modern day dilemma. I wanted to write a song that would show the parallels of this moment to the gambling sagas folks have been telling for hundreds of years. First came the melody line written on guitar, and the rest of the song wrote itself in a matter of minutes. As the band laid down the tracks, I fell in love with the ending of the recording. You can hear how each musician found their own wonderfully unique voicing to this melody. As I was writing the song, I found myself reflecting on things that are important. Surely, gambling a few dollars was nothing to worry about, especially in contrast to the problems created by an ill-equipped fool in the White House.” — Cole Quest

Photo credit: James Salzano