Artist:Brewflies Hometown: New York City Song: “Mercy Now” (Mary Gauthier Cover) Album:Rain Down Mercy Release Date: August 8, 2023
In Their Words: “Early on in the process of choosing songs for our album Rain Down Mercy, we were struck by the humanity of Mary Gauthier’s ‘Mercy Now.’ This was at the height of COVID isolation, the madness of January 6, the desperation and outpouring of grief, outrage, and appeals for justice spearheaded by the Black Lives Matter movement. All the attendant divisiveness surrounding the wider issues were bearing down: Climate change, authoritarian populism, mass killings, and global conflict.
“Gauthier’s song was written nearly 20 years ago, but its ever-widening appeal for understanding and mercy for stubbornly self-defeating human behavior — while at the same time delivering admonishment and warning — spoke to the heart of what we thought we wanted to achieve in the crafting of the album. (It’s there in the album’s title.) We wanted a fairly simple and direct acoustic approach in our arrangement, using Lisa Gutkin’s fiddle, Dan Hickey’s sensitive percussion, Prof. Louie’s lightly expressive piano and accordion, and Kirsti Gholson’s background vocal arrangement as highlights.” – Larry Brittain
Artist:Cole Gallagher Hometown: Los Angeles, California Song: “The Ocarins of the Tennessee” Album:The Confluence EP Release Date: August 4, 2023 Label: Raggy & Balls
In Their Words: “I got the inspiration for this song from an interview I heard my buddy Jimbo Hart do. He talked about fishing on Wilson Lake with his father and hearing the sound of wind blowing off the river and through caves on the side of the bluffs. Then, when I made it down to Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Sheffield, and Florence, Alabama, it became clear to me it was something I wanted to write about. The song has a lot of different meanings, but I think all I was really trying to make clear was how much I loved the time spent there immersing myself in their community and culture.” – Cole Gallagher
Artist:Mikhail Laxton Hometown: Mossman, Queensland, Australia; now based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Latest album:Mikhail Laxton Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Mik (Mick)
Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?
I had a lot of great artists that I loved when I was growing up. But when I was 18, I was introduced to an artist that pretty much changed everything.
I had just joined a music school that was made up of mostly international students. One day, I was relaxing on campus when I heard this amazing song. The style of the song is what gripped me at first, then came these beautiful lyrics. I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from, so I started searching the campus, and as I got closer a friend of mine was just sitting there strumming her guitar and singing.
At first I was just so impressed with her skill and talent. She then told me she couldn’t take all the credit as the song was a cover. She gave me the name of the artist – Amos Lee. I spent the rest of that day and night watching YouTube videos of this guy, and I was just absolutely blown away by his music, his singing and songwriting. It wasn’t long before I was covering his songs and trying to emulate his voice. Not only did that ignite the fire of songwriting in me, it also sparked more interest in the idea of possibly pursuing music more seriously.
Since then, there have been only a few other artists that have impacted me the way he has (Chris Stapleton, and right there with Amos Lee is Glen Hansard). But Amos Lee’s self-titled album is what truly got things started.
What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?
Mostly it’s film and photography.
I’m a very visual person. When I hear music, I automatically start seeing visuals in my head like scenes from a movie, and my mind also works the opposite way. When I see something like a film or a photograph, my mind starts playing sounds in my head.
A little interesting side note: A few years ago, shortly after I got married, my wife had an interesting observation. She said, “I find it strange that you’re a musician, but you don’t actually listen to a lot of music at all.” At that particular point, we had been driving for a couple of hours without any music. I’d never taken notice of that before, but when I thought about it, I realized that it’s because most of the time there’s music playing in my head, whether it’s a well-known song or something my brain is working on. And usually if that’s not happening, I’m most likely writing songs and lyrics in my head.
What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?
The very first moment was when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I’d started to show a real interest in playing guitar, and I kinda had a knack for it already.
One night, I went spear fishing with two of my uncles. We came back late that night with a great catch. One of my uncles was cleaning the boat, and I was fileting the catch with the other. After a while, the latter uncle looked at me and said, “Mik, you see that guitar over there?” pointing his fileting knife to an acoustic guitar leaning against the wall. “Can you eat it?” I was very confused and said, “No.” He went back to cutting the fish and said, “What about this fish, can you eat it?” Realizing what he was inferring, I said, “Yep!” He then finished by saying, “Always remember, you can’t feed your wife and kids with guitar strings, but you can always feed them with fish!”
Basically, he was trying to squash any ideas I may have had about becoming a musician. I remember staring at that guitar at that moment, and it just made me want to go for it. I never liked being told what to do when I was that age. I’ve always had a bit of a rebellious streak in me, and this incident, thankfully, was no exception, even if it was coming from someone I admired. From that moment on, I knew music was something that I wanted to take seriously.
What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?
I do have a “pre-game” ritual.
– If I’m hungry, I’ll eat no less than two hours before the show. I usually just perform on an empty stomach. This is literally just so I don’t belch into the microphone, ha ha!
– I like to get in my vocal warmups within an hour of performing. I usually do this either on the way to the venue or right before soundcheck at the venue.
– I then like to stretch and warm up my body. This includes cracking my back with some random and probably incorrect yoga poses. I love the way it makes me feel, and it’s good to manage any nerves I might have.
How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?
Wow, this is a really good question!
A long time ago, early in my songwriting career, I was always extremely hesitant when writing songs that had some heavier content behind it — around then I had allowed my entire existence to be dictated by my faith and community of like-minded people. When I did start taking my writing seriously, I had tried to write without a filter, and I was heavily criticized by so-called friends and fellow musicians who felt that what I was writing wasn’t “nice” enough or was “too dark.”
And so I began to create a habit of censoring my writing accordingly by hiding meanings behind metaphors, and, yes, sometimes characters. Before too long, I found myself having constant bouts of never-ending writer’s block, and perhaps I developed a bit of an imposter syndrome. I felt like the music that I was creating wasn’t really art because I wasn’t allowing myself to freely create and say it how it is.
It took me a while, but thankfully I broke away from those influences. Art and music mean so much to me, and all I’ve ever wanted to do with my art is be honest, no matter how beautiful or ugly it can get. Our stories are worth telling in all their glory.
So, to finally answer your question, I do not hide behind characters. If the song is based on my own experience, you’ll know. But I also don’t mind telling the stories of others from a first-person point of view. I just use the song as a way to walk a mile in their shoes, I let those stories affect me emotionally, and I do my best to put that to paper as accurately as I can.
It was a Tuesday night in 2021. I was sitting in The Lipstick Lounge, Nashville’s local lesbian bar, attending RNBW, a weekly LGBTQ+ showcase. I sat near the stage at a large table amongst strangers and friends, one of whom was Laura Valk. Naturally, after introducing herself as an indie-folk singer-songwriter, I knew I had to find her music and see if she was compatible with Queerfest, my local LGBTQ+ music showcase and festival. I was stunned. Not only to find a phenomenal, local queer musician, but upon the realization that I had already liked one of her videos on TikTok! If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the queer music industry is small – and TikTok’s algorithms had me figured out.
Skout is a duo composed of Laura Valk and Connor Gladney. They played the first festival I hosted, a virtual event livestreamed in collaboration with Club Passim, and they were one of the first artists to play a live Queerfest show, back when I was hosting performances in a friend’s backyard before working with established venues.
It’s been an honor and a pleasure to watch them join the local Nashville community, take off on tours, and release new songs. Their music is laced with intricate guitar lines, hard-hitting lyrics, and warm, catchy melodies. I’m proud to present our Out Now interview with Laura Valk of Skout.
Laura Valk: Living a life with regret. It’s so insane that we’re all here to begin with, and I just want to make sure I’m taking full advantage of my time here. I know I’ll stumble along the way, but I want to live a life where I took some chances and big leaps of faith instead of always playing it safe. In the words of everyone’s favorite grassroots folk hero, Eminem, “You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime.”
What would a “perfect day” look like for you?
LV: The year is 2012. At 8 a.m. I wake up to a text from Ben Howard asking us to open for him on his Every Kingdom Tour. Literally anything else could happen that day and it would still be perfect. Maybe some blueberry pancakes somewhere in there, too.
What’s your current state of mind?
I’ve been going through a rough patch the last few months both personally and professionally. So I’m trying to be really intentional this summer about how I spend my time and energy. Re-focusing on the things and people that fill me up and letting go of everything else.
Why do you create music? – What’s more satisfying to you, the process or the outcome?
Process 100%. There’s truly no higher high for me than the moments when a song is starting to take shape. It’s like an out of body experience. Connor and I constantly get lost in the process and it’s just this addicting feeling. Don’t get me wrong, we love sharing new music. It’s magic when you play a new song out and someone shares a personal experience that relates. But I think the formal release of a song into the world can feel like slapping all these benchmarks and metrics onto something that really is beyond measure.
Do you create music primarily for yourself or for others?
It’s all about ME. I’m kidding. Except it is, really, about me. Whoops.
I guess what I mean is that I hardly ever write with other people’s opinions in mind. A mentor once gave some great advice, that the best way to write widely relatable songs is to get as personal and specific to you as humanly possible. So I always try to write with that in mind.
For anyone reading this who might not be out of the closet, were there any specific people, musicians, or resources that helped you find yourself as a queer individual?
This is going to be specifically unspecific but, for me, it was all about individual friends when I was first coming out. When you share this new part of your identity with a trusted friend and instead of turning their back on you, they reinforce their love and support for you, that changes everything. That process, repeated enough times, was truly the thing that made me start feel safe while exploring my identity.
What are your release and touring plans for the next year?
We have two new singles coming out later this year! We’re psyched, we think we’re writing our best music yet and can’t wait for you to hear it.
“But if I come up short like I fear/ Will you still be proud you brought me here?” is a lyric from your latest single, “I Am Here.” How have you found the challenges of pursuing a music career and how do you cope with the slow process of growth? With that, how do you define success?
Ugh, it’s hard, man! It sounds cliché, but really celebrating the little wins is everything. The thing is, I’ll never stop making music. Ever. I’m in it for the long haul, and I think that mentality helps when I’m frustrated by slow growth. Some seasons feel like rapid-fire while during others, the motivation is harder to find. But I think knowing that the opportunity to create will always be there helps relieve some of that pressure. I’m just trying to be kinder to myself in this area.
For me the definition of success has always been a moving target. When I was in high school, success in music meant selling out Madison Square Garden. Tour busses, the Grammys, our faces tattooed on your chest, etc. Today it looks a little different. I think if I can make a full-time living off of music, in all of its forms, that, to me, would be success. And the tattoos of course. Someone tattoo our faces on yourself already so I can feel successful!!
Drawing from another lyric from the single, “But a song I wrote, it changed one life/ And the friends I hold, I hold them tight,” do you feel that changing one life is enough to make all of your time, efforts, and pursuits worth it?
Does changing a single life make all the hours, the investment, the rejections, the crashing on couches, the blood, sweat, and tears worth it? No. Probably not. But it’s still worth reminding myself of every once in a while. It’s one of those little wins I talked about above.
I think this verse captures the essence of “I Am Here,” and really touches on the success question above. It’s admitting that no, life doesn’t necessarily look like I thought it would. But there are some absolutely beautiful, redeeming things about my new reality that I need to celebrate harder. And it’s the sum of all the hundreds and thousands of little things that does, in fact, make it all worth it.
Artist:Hannah Connolly Hometown: Eau Claire, Wisconsin; now Los Angeles, California Song: “Reno” Album:Shadowboxing Release Date: June 23, 2023 (Single)
In Their Words: “‘Reno’ was written with my friend and longtime collaborator, Jordan Ruiz, and is the first song to be released on my second album.
“It’s about the ebb and flow in a relationship and the magnetic pull you feel toward each other through it all. My partner (and now fiancé) Eric is also a musician and tours often. For me this song and the corresponding video were inspired by that long distance, and what it was like early in our relationship when I’d take trips to see him out on the road. There’s something romantic about the time spent en route to see someone you love and it was fun to try to capture that feeling.
“The video was directed by my friend Ryan Neal Cordwell. We had a fun couple of days making it out in the desert outside of Phoenix, Arizona. Ryan also does photography and video for cars and a very generous friend of his let us borrow their vintage BMW to use in the video. It was so fun and I’m really grateful, because I’ve always dreamt of doing a music video with a classic car. We were also lucky to find a small airport in the area where we could film outside of the city. Watching the planes take off at sunset was a highlight of the day and really captured the mood of the song.” – Hannah Connolly
Artist:Davy Knowles Hometown: Isle of Man Song: “Speak Softly, Tread Lightly” Album:If I Should Wander Release Date: August 25, 2023
In Their Words: “I feel the only way to talk about this song is frankly and honestly, as every one of its words is a truth for me.
“I have struggled with depression for a long time, although it’s only in recent history that I’ve accepted that and called it what it is. It was my wife, Amber, who persuaded me to find help and for that (and a million other things), I am so thankful to her. I’m honestly not sure I would be here without her.
“With depression, sometimes it’s hard to look past your own nose so to speak, and to see how the condition may be affecting those closest to you. If and when you do notice, you can then start to feel guilty for feeling the way you do. Thus creating a vicious circle within yourself.
“This song was/is my way of trying to comfort Amber during my struggle, to thank her and to reassure her that she’s perfect the way she is, that this is an internal fight. That I’m the problem, and while I’m learning to navigate it I may need a little extra comforting. It’s also to apologize to her for how this internal fight may materialize on the outside.
“Sounds depressing right? Guess it kind of is. It’s a sad song, written from a loving point of view. Kind of like – ‘Bear with me. You’re perfect, but I’m not right now.'” – Davy Knowles
Artist:Rachael Sage Hometown: Hudson Valley, New York Album:The Other Side Release Date: July 21, 2023 Label: MPress Records
In Their Words: “The Other Side is my 15th album and yet, in some ways, it felt like I was starting all over again with this particular collection of songs and recordings. After we were all emerging from lockdown, I noticed there was such an intense awareness that nothing would ever be quite the same, but nor should it be. As a songwriter, how do you chronicle a time of so much loss, but also so much gratitude – just to still be able to live, anticipating all that you will see, do, and experience once you’re able to move freely, beyond a time of immediate crisis?
“My goal in creating this record was to channel a kind of zealousness and to transcend limitations, which we had all largely become accustomed during the pandemic – and, in so doing, to reignite hope. How does music and creative expression in general help us get back to the business of living, with renewed joy, courage, appreciation and even idealism? The dozen originals on the album all circle the theme of transcendence in some way, as do the handful of covers I selected. Yearning, forgiveness, breathing itself – only human beings can thoroughly understand the miracle it is to do all of these with reverence and uplift, after enduring trauma. I hope when people listen they hear not only my voice, but the echoes of refrains so many of us clung to over the last several years: Hopes and imaginings that kept us going, and family and friends, who we were reminded the hard way are the most precious legacy anyone can create in this lifetime.” – Rachael Sage
Artist:Mike Thomas Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee (originally from Knoxville, Tennessee) Album:Diamonds Release Date: July 21, 2023 Label: Electric 3 Records
In Their Words: “After essentially giving up on music around 2006, I released my debut LP, Three Reasons, in the middle of the COVID pandemic in 2020. Talk about poor timing! We couldn’t tour or even play shows locally, and, despite having hardly any budget for promotion, the album did quite well. Folks bought the records, and in time, the album gained more than half a million streams. I was blown away that this collection of old songs that I’d been carrying around for more than a decade seemed to resonate with listeners. This was the catalyst that prompted me to begin writing songs again. It was the spark I needed to begin believing that even though I wasn’t part of the Nashville hit-making machine, I was still a songwriter in my own right with something worthwhile to say.
“So while Diamonds is my second record, in many ways it feels like my first. With Diamonds, I set out to write an album. I carved out time, usually in the early morning hours, and I wrote with intentionality and purpose. I began to explore themes that are often uncomfortable and deeply personal, yet simultaneously universal. Tres Sasser, my producer, and I pursued those themes in the studio with our instrumentation and arrangements. In the end, I think we have an album that reveals my varied musical and lyrical influences while still maintaining a sense of continuity throughout. I wrote this album for the listeners who ultimately convinced me to begin writing songs again, and I am hopeful that this record helps send a few more listeners my way.” – Mike Thomas
Artist:Maia Sharp Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “She’ll Let Herself Out” Album:Reckless Thoughts Release Date: August 18, 2023 Label: Crooked Crown
In Their Words: “I was walking around mulling over the line ‘she’ll let herself out’ for a long time before I brought it into a co-write with Dean Fields (also a co-writer on ‘Kind’ with Mindy Smith). I knew he could help me make sure we got the most out of the two angles: the conversational and the revelational. The perspective needed to be casual and powerful with the same words. Then the challenge for me was to make the production stay true to that mission by having a swagger and a drive at the same time. It took me down a few pre-production rabbit holes for sure. One was too urgent, one was too laid back and then I found that middle ground and brought those preliminary tracks to my all-star band of Joshua Grange, Ross McReynolds and Will Honaker, who solidified the hell out of it.” – Maia Sharp
In Their Words: “We started writing ‘Wild As A Flower’ almost two years ago, not knowing how the story that the song reflected would progress. After we lost one of our beloved animals in January, we were finally able to finish the song. It’s been refreshing to allow ourselves to explore new territories in our songwriting together, especially the spiritual elements that come up often in our conversations — we get pretty deep into the existential a lot of times and it’s opened up our writing a lot.” – Amanda Fields & Megan McCormick
Photo Credit: Lindsey Patkos Video Credit: Rebecca Branson Jones
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