A&R Factory conducts exclusive interviews with independent bands, musicians, and artists from around the world. We converse with musicians about their upcoming releases, planned tour dates, and other topics that make them unique and stand out from the crowd!
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This week, we sat down with Michael Richard Beirne to explore the depths of his unique approach to music showcased in his two-part LP, The Haunted.
Since 2020, Beirne has transitioned from crafting experimental soundscapes to composing structured, narrative-driven dark folk vignettes, influenced by Nick Cave and seminal albums such as Radiohead’s In Rainbows, which shape his distinct sonic identity. Beyond the melodies, Beirne intertwines his Catholic beliefs, addressing themes of redemption, the nature of evil, and divine love. As he shifts from darker, introspective themes to the exuberant and vibrant energies expected in future projects, Michael Richard Beirne is forging a powerful auditory narrative that resonates with deep personal and spiritual truths.
Thank you for the opportunity of this interview & for your complimentary words.
I’ve been writing songs since 2020 when my brother gave me a new laptop with music-making software, a synthesiser & a microphone. The ability to write shorter, structured, narrative songs arrived after an extensive initial 2.5-year period of pure research, sample-collection, & eclectic loop-shopping, during which I made bizarre, rambling, experimental non-songs to find a way with lyrics & various ways of deploying my voice. At the end of 2022, I had a few songs which suggested the shape of a pair of albums, one set in Ireland and one set in Malta.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds are undoubtedly the single most important influence. I find inspiration in the soundscapes of particular tracks; for example, the cavernous, epic feeling of Song of Joy from the album Murder Ballads, the enormous eeriness of Do You Love Me? Part 2 from Let Love In, as well as the narrative complexity & storytelling in Oh My Lord from No More Shall We Part. These songs suggest a scope and vast ambition to which I aspire.
Beyond that, I am really inspired by the idea of the album itself as a consummate artistic object and statement of belief. In this respect, I aspire to create something as integrated as In Rainbows by Radiohead, Merriweather Post Pavillion by Animal Collective, Skeleton Tree by the Bad Seeds, & Speakerboxxx/ Love-Below by Outkast. These albums are scorchingly eclectic, varied, and unpredictable, and yet achieve a holistic and coherent singular vision. They transcend individual songs & become a unified narrative, harnessing multiple modes of expression.
I am strongly committed to ensuring that my music both directly & indirectly describes God (in that my songs are condemnatory of evil) and Jesus Christ (in that they are expressive of a joyful, redeemed universe which is founded on forgiveness & love). To express this belief, I take cues from traditional Irish folk tunes, as well as from gospel music, & gospel-infused funk & hip-hop.
Part 1 is very much a kind of story of emergence from depressive, anxious, psychotic & sinful patterns of thought into hope & forgiveness. Part 2 is more directly a celebration of joyful adventure in a happier, more redeemed state of mind in a futuristic world.
Part 3 is very much about the idea of the interaction between believers & non-believers, and communication. This Part 3 is therefore, in Christian terms, a kind of “Holy Spirit” album; the songs are designed to be more obviously catchier, groovier, and infectious, with strong rhythm sections & boom-bap.
Songs are usually built from just a single chord progression or electric bass riff. I give that a title which suggests some sort of character & dramatic narrative. I then record improvised singing, rapping & general wailing over the top. I listen back to these improvised takes until I begin to hear in them the shape of the words. I type these up as I listen back to the improvisations. Then I repeat the process through many iterations, adding in sonic details. I listen to the song for weeks or even months to iron out all the lyrics.
I’m most inspired by just a song’s title & the feeling that a loop or sample contains within it a hidden story & personality. It is as if the song already exists in a single note & the import of a single word.
My ambition is simply to make albums that in some way try to measure up to my favourite records and be like the kind of records that my father introduced me to. He introduced me to Songs of Leonard Cohen, Nebraska by Springsteen, and the Pogues’ Rum, Sodomy & The Lash, as well as the Johnny Cash American records. All I hope is that my albums will form a small part of the history of music and that they can exist alongside those timeless albums on platforms such as Spotify & Apple. My other main purpose is to share my gratitude for my life and my belief in Jesus.
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Stream Part 1 and Part 2 of Michael Richard Beirne’s Haunted LP on Spotify.
Connect with the artist on Instagram.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
Step into the world of Jay Lee, where blues gets a fierce modern makeover. In this exclusive interview with A&R Factory, Jay Lee cuts through the noise to reveal the core of his musical innovation. From his early days in a military band to sharing stages with top artists, he unpacks the discipline and raw passion driving his sound. Lee gives us a candid look at how he fuses diverse influences into his tracks, pushing the boundaries of traditional blues into uncharted territories. Get ready for a deep dive into the creative force of Jay Lee’s music.
I’d like to define it as modern blues. Since I love blues and have been greatly influenced by it, I try to infuse a touch of that blues feel into whatever I play.
When I decide to create new music, I try to be as honest with my emotions as possible. I base my melodies and chords on those feelings and thoughts, thinking about how to naturally express my story. This often leads me to reflect a lot on the past and future.
Having spent two years with over 30 musicians, working together 24/7, I’ve learned and felt so much. I’ve gained insights on how to communicate with other musicians, and how to improvise when unexpected situations arise during performances, and I’ve received valuable feedback on my playing from various artists. These experiences have been a foundation for my growth as a musician. Communication is incredibly important for a musician, and I’ve been positively influenced in that area.
I’m heavily influenced by blues and rock, especially by guitarists like Joe Bonamassa, Philip Sayce, Eric Gales, and Gary Moore. Their techniques and tones are impressive, but it’s their unique styles that truly captivate me. I believe that while having good technique and tone is essential for a musician, establishing your own style is equally important.
Looking at the music I’ve created so far, it’s quite far from classical, and I think it will likely remain that way in the future. However, I always believe in trying out different things, and I’d love to create music that blends classical and contemporary styles.
Initially, I was just a “Blues Kid,” completely immersed in B.B. King. But after playing with various people and genres, including performing in a military band where I had to play all kinds of music, I developed the ability to play cleanly. Now, I can choose the tones and techniques that I want to use.
I aspire to become a great guitarist, but I know I need the support of excellent musicians to achieve that. In today’s music scene, while achieving solo success is important, collaborating with other musicians is equally vital. It’s challenging, but I want to be both an outstanding solo artist and a great collaborator.
The sense of achievement I felt after successfully preparing for and performing in a military band over three months was immense. While it’s not always the case, I think the longer the preparation period, the greater the sense of accomplishment. Another memorable moment was when keyboardist Cory Henry held a masterclass at Berklee, and I played with my band for him. Even though the preparation time wasn’t long, when the audience cheered, I felt that’s when a musician is truly happiest.
Before starting music, take some time to sincerely reflect on what music means to you. Even if it’s not about music, understanding what you want to do and why is crucial. Being honest with yourself and deciding what you want to pursue is important—then, enjoy it while working hard. Music is meant to be enjoyed.
I believe musicians shouldn’t discriminate between genres. While you might have preferences, you should be able to play any genre—whether it’s worship, rock, or jazz. The more you play a variety of music, the more you develop a sense of identity within each genre. I want to explore diverse music, and I’m still striving to be able to play any random genre someone requests.
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Stream Jay Lee’s standout single, PERIOD, created in collaboration with ONE PACT on YouTube.
Follow Jay Lee on Instagram.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
In this interview, ARCTISKY opens up about how his passion for mental health awareness is deeply woven into his sound. He speaks candidly about his personal experiences, shedding light on the importance of positive self-talk and its impact on mental and physical well-being. His commitment to mental health isn’t just a topic he touches on—it’s the foundation of his music. Through his lyrics and soundscapes, ARCTISKY offers listeners a space for reflection and healing, blending his emotional depth with eclectic influences, creating something deeply personal and powerfully poignant.
Yes, definitely! I’ve had to channel experiences from some extremely strange and dark places. Funnily enough, when I wrote this song, I was still in a state of not being able to understand this side of the emotion spectrum fully. Whenever I was dealing with anything, I’d usually work through these things with the help of music ‘cos I felt like self-reflection was what I needed over anything.
We always get bombarded with so many different opinions of how you should treat yourself and others, we usually tend to lose sight of what’s the healthiest thing for our mind, body and soul. This song quite literally came out of two different times I was admitted to the hospital for health complications I faced during lockdowns, where the last visit was close to being a fatal call. These things give you quite a bit of perspective on how you may want to spend your time on earth.
“Self-talk matters.” Yeah, I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to mind how we speak to ourselves. A lot of us are not mindful of what our internal dialogues are saying to us. If left unchecked, your mind is susceptible to all sorts of hijacking, and it’s quite literally like training a muscle. We must make it a priority to be our own best friend first, otherwise, the mind will absorb fear and doubt from the haters and naysayers around us, and use it as jet fuel for self-sabotage. It really doesn’t help when people around you are enforcing these, even if it’s just mindlessly repeating some things they’ve heard. It’s crucial for us to safeguard what we allow into our minds so that we don’t let others affect our thinking.
We must be able to judge what’s best for our own health and mental well-being. If our minds are getting too overwhelmed, they will manifest into physical illnesses. The mind and body work hand in hand – it’s all connected. You can’t have a healthy mind without a healthy body, and vice versa – it’s ignorant to think otherwise. Once you get your mind and body right, the soul naturally follows. It’s all a flow. We should do our best to eliminate all internal suffering and convert or channel that energy into the positives we can bring to the people around us. Positive self-talk is key.
I would say it’s what gives these projects their foundational pillars. I grew up in the Maldives, where the concept of mental health has just only started taking off at a rapid speed. I feel like it’s mainly due to the highly conservative side of the population that would shut anything up before it could even be discussed. I always saw a lot of people suffer due to this – where the prison system never treats the mental illnesses of the prisoners, and are run through what’s more identical to a brainwashing program on the weak – which in turn breeds a lot of mentally unstable victims of injustices to be released back into society without the proper care or systems in place to actually heal them. It’s extremely dehumanising, and inhumane in my view. The whole prison system is a wreck, and doesn’t even abide by ‘The Nelson Mandela Rules’. Demonised for basic human shortcomings, and anything that’s not in line with what they say, and all of a sudden you’re… It’s so f**kin’ sad, it’s ridiculous. Like quite literally using fear to bully an entire damn nation, and mental health is scrutinised as a weakness because the people in power are afraid that people may find their way to the knowledge that will help them arm themselves against these political manipulations and further efforts to prime social conditioning.
I honestly do not know where on Earth I’d be if it weren’t for music. Songs have spoken meaning to me, and some of the lyrics I’ve heard over the years have been a therapist to me more times than I can count. I’d always feel a whole lot of relief in my subconscious after spending a bit of time with some of my favourite songs.
You’ve got to stay true to what you know is best for yourself, and then the people you love. Remember, you cannot love anyone else if you don’t love yourself first. The more we seek validation outside of ourselves, the further it gets away from us. The only form of validation we need in this world is our own. Once we can validate our self-worth to ourselves, there really isn’t a lot we need to do except guard our energy from those who may come to steal or drain it. You are going to be a reflection of the 5 people closest to you, so selecting your people wisely is crucial in my view. It’s better to spend time building yourself for a better future and life than trying to impress people you’re not even sure you like in the first place.
Most people hide behind masks, and it’s really not that difficult to move forward knowing that almost everyone’s got their own sh*t – so leading with love, respect, compassion and empathy not only makes it easier for yourself, but collectively allows us all to show each other a sense of love and care on a communal level. Always be kind to yourself first. The world is already full of so much suffering, and you shouldn’t be adding more pain and suffering to yourself with your self-talk. Stand up for what’s right, but don’t exhaust yourself in the process of fighting for something you have no control over.
I feel like a bit of that old-school alt-rock/grunge may have influenced this track quite a bit actually. Okay, so here’s a blend of some influences that are in the ballpark – a bit of Daughtry, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Staind, Chris Cornel, Linkin Park, Creed, H.I.M., Lifehouse, Seether, Velvet Revolver. Also slower tracks by Metallica, John Mayer, Bob Dylan, a bit of Johnny Cash and probably a lot of the official soundtrack from the ‘August Rush’ movie – I love all the tracks in that motion picture. The blend’s just full of so many different flavours – I do have trouble pointing out exactly what it is. I feel like it’s just one big blob of everything I grew up listening to if I’m being honest. I’ve lost track!
I just end up blending the sounds to a stage where I get my selected palette of sounds to communicate with one another in the tone of whatever emotion/mood I’m trying to get out of the music. I feel like a lot of the work that I do feels like painting with colours, and looking at sounds through the visual lens really helps me conceptualise what I’m working with.
Other than that, I feel like there is just no way something can’t feel authentic and soulful if it’s a projection of real and authentic experiences. I definitely do my best work when I’m channelling exactly what I was feeling in the moment of the experiences that I write about. It needs to be authentic and real. You need to be able to visualise exactly how you are feeling.
An artist’s own feelings and emotions are their strongest tools for originality, and I live by that. The type of work that I do is really not something I can rush, and I do have to let ideas simmer and even let them marinate for a while before I can treat them more. It’s funny cause I treat my music like they’re my children – it goes through all the stages ’til it grows up and is ready to move out.
I believe it came from wanting to emulate a half-baked numb mood with the music. I ended up wanting to retrograde the chords in that section and still wanted to maintain that washy sound as much as possible. When I ended up reversing some of the guitar layer, and flipped it – it gave the whole section this laid-back and cruisy motion where I got to just throw some light and sexy licks on top. The washy ‘verb tying the guitars together is what really makes this section almost sound a bit wet and slippery, and slightly purple. The message reflects a bit of a questionable dialogue with oneself before going down a very interesting rabbit hole (rabbit holes that open up the doorways of perception-type things).
I played everything on this track and produced all of it, like most of the songs on this album (unless I want to have that unique flavour for BVs, unique instrument features, or if it’s a collaborative track). In addition to that though, I always pass my work on to my trusted mixing and mastering engineer, Alex Emrich, who’s based in Canada. I completely trust him to take my tracks to the finish line, and working with him has always been a pleasure.
I believe I’m getting ready to take these songs out for live performances soon. Currently, I’m exploring how flexible I can be with the music that’s already written. I’m open to being flexible and reimagining my sound to suit whichever venue I may perform at, and cater that sound to the energy of the venue.
There’s been so much I’ve had to rewire about live performances from the ground up, and I know for a fact I won’t take these songs out to live venues until I’ve tightened up all loose ends on the performance side of things. Obviously, it’s in tiers when it comes to the scale of productions. How you treat one thing is how you treat everything, so yes, I’m definitely not just gonna do it for the sake of doing it! I’m still on the lookout for the musicians who will occupy the spots in my lineup – who will help me fully bring these ideas to life. I’m extremely pumped to see what lies ahead on this journey, and I’m just keeping my eyes on the target, no matter how wavy it may get. So yeah, hopefully a lot of good comes out of all this output!
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Stream My Relief on Spotify now.
Connect with ARCTISKY to stay up to date with his latest releases on Instagram.
For more info, head to the artist’s official website.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
Emilia Christine Russo has instantly established herself as an artist who isn’t afraid to express her deepest emotions through her music. In this exclusive interview, she opens up about the personal experiences that have shaped her debut single, “Ghostly,” a track born from the raw pain of losing her older sister. Emilia’s openness in her art invites listeners to connect with her on a profound level, offering a rare glimpse into the healing process that music can foster. As we explore her creative process and the inspiration behind her work, it becomes clear that her authenticity is at the core of her craft. Her debut single will make you shed a tear; this interview will make you fall in love with her soul.
Thank you so much for having me! “Ghostly” came to me after a therapy session, as most of my songs did, actually. For years, I have written on my notes app words that I think would make great song titles. “Ghostly” was one word that I thought was cool, and originally, I thought the song would be a break-up song. Like, the idea of someone being left numb and ghost-like after a break-up. I don’t really write love songs, though. Well, at least not until recently.
Anyway, the topic for “Ghostly” came when I was finally opening up to my therapist about the trauma of the death of my older sister. I was literally the last person to find out about her death. We had a good session, and later that night, I wrote “Ghostly” all in one go. I changed the idea of what “Ghostly” would be like to something that was very healing for me personally. Someone should write a break-up song about how the split left a person wandering around all ghost-like. *laughs*
I don’t know, it kind of came out like a stream of consciousness. I’ve heard my lyrics be described like that before–a stream of consciousness. Just thoughts onto paper. Pair that with a piano, and I got a song out of it.
No, definitely not. This was such a personal song. At the time, I had a music therapist who was more like a songwriting teacher, as she reviewed with me the basics of how to write songs–you know, verse, pre-chours, chorus, yadda yadda–and encouraged me to put into words my feelings about my traumas.
My problem is that I tend to put my feelings into boxes–like, “I don’t have the time to deal with that, to feel those feelings, because I have this deadline or whatever, so I’m going to trap them in this little box and put it on a shelf to deal with later.” Pushing through things is how I was raised. But then that mythical “later” never comes, and the feelings manifest in somatic symptoms. That’s why I was going to her, along with my psychologist. I could state the facts of things that happened to me, but I wasn’t facing my feelings about them.
But back to the song. I wrote “Ghostly” and showed it to my music therapist at our next session. She was like, “I wouldn’t change a thing.” I was really proud of it, so I wanted to show it to people first.
I think it would be accurate to say that “Ghostly” exhibits my signature songwriting style. I don’t like my lyrics to be too predictable in the sense that it has a lot of rhyming. In fact, rhyming kind of grinds my gears and was something I had to slowly be more okay with doing for my songs.
I also like to keep my lyrics kind of vague–general enough for people to not know exactly who or what I’m singing about, which people can then take and personalize for themselves, but specific enough for me to get healing out of it.
More songs about real things that happened to me. Well, except for one song that’s a cover. I heard it when I was a kid and loved it. It’s kind of an old song, and I want more people to know it exists. But yeah, more songs that came from therapy sessions, so they’ll have a kind of emo vibe to them. *laughs*
For songwriting, I guess it was the first time I showed my lyrics to my music therapist/songwriting teacher. It wasn’t “Ghostly”, it was another song that I don’t think will ever see the light of day, because I’d like to think I’m better at songwriting now. But she really liked it. I had written lyrics before, all the way back to middle school, but they were more like poems. They had the structure of a song, but I don’t think they would’ve worked paired to music.
I was a poet first before I turned to songwriting, and I have been writing poems since elementary school. So, if we’re talking about when I noticed I had writing skills, those go back to when I was a child. Side note, one song off my EP is taken mostly from a poem/”lyrics” I wrote many years ago. I could actually pair those lyrics to an instrumental. I hope that makes my younger self happy.
For this song, I drew most of my inspiration from Evanescence but circa 1998 to 2017. I also draw from Paramore and The Holy Trinity of Emo Music–Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, and My Chemical Romance. You’ll hear that more in my future releases.
I just want to see how far I can take this. It’s like one big experiment. Would I like to play a live show someday? Yeah. Would I like my song to get some airplay? Also yes. But really, I’m exploring this one area of writing that I haven’t really delved into and seeing what I can get out of this experience.
One thing I’d really like, though, is to find other female or non-binary musicians in the Seattle area and form a band. I’m an extroverted person and want to make more friends, so I don’t want to go solo with this. *laughs* I have so many songs I could share.
Stream Ghostly on Spotify and connect with Emilia Christine Russo on Instagram.
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Interview by Amelia Vandergast
In this interview, we sit down with finger-style guitarist Samaël to discuss his upcoming LP, Cascadia, set for release on September 5th. Samaël shares the mind-bending concept behind the album, which tells the tale of a lost ancient civilization and its lingering entity which lurks through the modern ages.
We also explore his unique creative process, the challenges of being a solo instrumentalist, and how he’s evolved as a musician since his debut album, Shadow. Samaël reflects on the balance between technical skill and emotional storytelling, offering insights into the future of his music career.
The concept of the LP Cascadia is the storyline of an ancient civilization that we lost a long time ago. I’m not saying that’s a true story. I’m just saying that’s a story that inspired me a lot to write this album; the only remnants left of that civilization is an Entity that roams the earth to this day, trapping modern souls in his grip.
This is the storyline that you’ll be able to see in the music video trilogy; part one came out in July. Part two, The Mask, will come out on August 30. So, basically, this new album is a contemporary solo acoustic album which blends minimalism and metal into a fingerpick style.
Sure, so basically, I took a drastically different approach to the last album. I composed on software without the guitar in my hand because I felt at that time that my compositions were getting predictable and that I was starting to be stuck in a mould if you will and I didn’t feel like I had my sound yet.
So, I composed something that was purely off of my ears and I was not limited by what I could do or not do technically on the guitar and so that was a creatively rewarding process. However, the problem is that you have to learn the pieces and the more you get ambitious during the composition phase the harder it is to learn and perform them because they become so weird technically for the physical movements of how to play them if that makes sense
No, not at all, I played in a band for 10 years in Montreal before embarking fully on my finger-full project. There are positives and negatives of being in a band and being a solo musician but what I specifically love about being a solo artist is the independence, autonomy, and full control I have over the creative process. However, solo projects can often feel like a mountain of work that I have to scale alone, but apart from that, I like it, I like his approach.
I think for me the biggest challenge is what I just hinted at. It’s trying to manage the musical project as a label would as best you can. I compose the music, learn the pieces and practice them to perform live – it can be a lot! I also promote the shows, run marketing campaigns, manage my social media pages, and reach out to publications, so it’s difficult to make sure I don’t forget anything and I am giving myself the best chance possible.
Thank you. The pressure was at its highest when I started playing live solo shows. I have played in bands for years, but anyone who has played solo knows that playing in a band and playing by yourself is a whole different experience on stage and you feel you really feel naked. If you’re playing in a band and you make a small mistake on guitar often it does not show, it’s not obvious to the crowd because there are other instruments in the mix, but when I’m by myself, every little detail is heard and missed notes can’t be forgiven. That kind of pressure forces you to really up your game, but I have been doing this for several years at this point so I would say that I am reaching a point of confidence.
I have a lot to name, but the first artist that pops to mind is Erik; I will be getting the chance to play a concert this summer with him and Antoine Fool as a trio. His music made a huge impact on me years ago; he taught me that sometimes there’s a visual dimension to the music.
As a composer, it’s easy to get carried away with technical aspects, and I speak from personal experience. When I was younger, I often found myself focusing too much on the visual or technical side of things, rather than the core reason we create music—the sound, the emotion, and the story it conveys. I remember hearing a piece for the first time and realising that the musician wasn’t trying to show off his technical prowess, even though he was incredibly skilled. Instead, he was focused on communicating a story with deep emotion through his guitar. That had a profound impact on me. It taught me that sometimes the simplest actions, like playing just two notes, can be more powerful than any technical display. The key is not letting your ego interfere with your creative process.
Well, Cask took a lot longer to finish than I had anticipated so that definitely took a lot of time but since 2018 a lot has happened since then, when I finished my master’s in musicology in Montreal, I moved back to where I come from in New Brunswick and started working at a music school there; that was my first real experience in the job market after being a full-time student. I also took a lot of time to try to own certain skills that I felt were lacking like, for example, music recording, video editing, and other skills which are really important for a self-employed musician.
Well, I have several things in mind, I will see how things unfold but just to give you a little glimpse, there won’t be another solo finger-style album in the future. But as I mentioned earlier, I got carried away in the composition process, and when it came to time to learn those pieces it was clear that we needed to retreat to actually learn them because there’s so much going on in the music just for one person. Apart from that, I’d like to start another album with some other artists.
Stream the official video for Samaël’s latest single on YouTube.
Follow Samaël on Facebook, Instagram & TikTok.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
Manuel Sanchez’s interview with A&R Factory explores into his profound connection with music. His narrative begins with the discovery of this deep-seated passion and traces through his scholarship at Berklee College of Music which marked a pivotal point in his artistic life. His artistic arc showcases an unyielding adherence to personal authenticity, a theme consistent throughout his career and particularly evident during the Berklee audition where he presented an original piece.
The interview touches upon the challenges and cultural shifts Sanchez faced, from moving to Boston to establishing himself in the competitive Los Angeles music scene. His role at Igloo Music, alongside his transition into producing his own music, highlights his evolution and the various facets of his musical and professional identity.
My passion for music began when I was just 9 years old and started taking guitar lessons. From the very first moment, I felt a deep connection with music. Despite my limited knowledge of music theory at the time, I always found a way to express myself through it, creating original pieces from the moment I started playing. This drive to express myself inspired me to continue studying, striving to improve and communicate my emotions even more effectively through music.
When I received the scholarship, I felt vindicated—it reaffirmed my belief in trusting myself and in what music truly meant to me. Many people don’t know this, but I wasn’t accepted into one of the universities I applied to in Colombia. Their requirements were very strict; to be accepted, I had to perform a prepared piece that demonstrated technical ability in a specific genre—Jazz—which I wasn’t very familiar with at the time. As a result, I felt like I wasn’t good enough.
However, for my Berklee audition, I decided to stay true to myself. I played an original piece with a full band because I wanted to show the jury what music truly meant to me: a way to express myself. When I received the scholarship, I knew that trusting my vision and passion had been the right choice. Years later, I had the opportunity to meet one of the jury members from that audition, and she told me it was one of the best auditions she had ever seen. No one else had the idea, nor the boldness, to bring a full band into an audition to play an original piece.
Arriving in Boston was a big shock. Not only because I had to learn a whole new language but because It was the first time I was living by myself. The culture was different, the food, the weather. In Colombia, we don’t have winter so being -26°C (-14.8°F) is a challenge for me. But Berklee was an amazing place to start over. I had many friends that were international students as well and we all supported one another. It was very interesting to me how so many people from so many different countries could just get together and become friends. It really showed me that humans have the ability to get along no matter how different we think we are.
LA can be a really tough city at first. I felt more lonely and stressed moving to LA than I did moving to Boston from another country. When I arrived in LA, I was on my own, without a car or a stable job. I took on numerous internships while working, and eventually, I found a place where I could grow.
Definitely, learning from more experienced people has been invaluable. Even though they were often busy with many responsibilities, they were always willing to help and teach. And then there’s the importance of making mistakes and improving from them. Don’t be afraid to fail—every failure is an opportunity to learn and grow.
One of the most challenging projects I worked on was Who Killed Him? for Amazon. This project was particularly demanding because it centered heavily on the actors’ incredible performances and artistic vision. We had to ensure that we preserved and enhanced the original intent, staying true to the creative direction while bringing out the best in every detail.
Being able to switch between different roles is something I’m very grateful for. Every time I spend a long time recording, for example, it’s nice to be able to transition to a different aspect of my profession and continue being creative. Each role is like a different hat or character I need to play, and with experience, you can switch between them more organically.
I’m thrilled to finally release my music project. These songs have been in the making for years—some for over five years—so they’re deeply connected to my journey. They represent how I’ve perceived and experienced my path and evolution throughout this time.
I advise staying true to who you are and what you genuinely want. Don’t be afraid to take risks and demonstrate your desire to grow and learn. Nowadays, society is like a loud playground where it’s easy to get lost. So take the time to focus on your inner voice and truly listen to what your heart wants. Be grateful for what you’ve achieved, as that gratitude will give you the strength and courage to keep moving forward.
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Discover more about Manuel Sanchez via his official website.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
In an exclusive interview, Dylan Forshner discussed his latest single, “Under Control,” a poignant fusion of raw emotion and sonic exploration. Forshner, a Toronto-based artist known for his genre-defying approach, shares the intimate journey behind the creation of this track, his first and an intrinsically personal venture. The single unravels as a narrative of battling mental health challenges and as an emblem of hopeful resilience.
Through his narrative, Dylan engages with themes of emotional vulnerability and the cathartic power of music, which resonates strongly with his listeners. As he reflects on his influences and the therapeutic aspects of his songwriting, the interview uncovers the layers of an artist who is not afraid to expose his heart through his melodies.
This conversation is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the intersections of personal struggle and artistic expression, offering insights into Dylan’s creative process and his optimistic outlook amidst life’s tumultuous rhythms.
Under Control is a story of me experiencing struggles with ups and downs in my mental health but holding out optimism that I have it “under control” this time. This was my first writing effort back in May 2023 and has been a favorite of a lot of people who have heard my originals or seen me perform, including my mom.
This being the first song I wrote I didn’t have much intention to have it sound like anything in particular, I was just happy anything came out of me creatively. But looking back now I can see where my influences shine through. The vocal style especially in the chorus with the “ouu’s” is derived from my love of Australian surf bands such as Skeggs and Hockey Dad. With the guitar, and percussive elements I was inspired by Canadian bands Born Ruffians and Peach Pit.
Under Control does a great job of portraying the emotions I was feeling at the time of writing. The lyrical content is heavy and open about difficult emotions I was going through but the tone of the song gives an uplifting and optimistic feel that things will get better.
The majority of my music is inspired by personal experience and emotion and I treat it as a form of therapy. To me putting it into words and sharing it openly helps me process the emotions I’m feeling.
I hope listeners can relate to the emotional openness of Under Control and can feel a bit more comfortable speaking openly about their struggles with mental health or whatever else they might be going through.
I tend to be most inspired late at night before bed. I find my mind is the most clear at that time and I can more easily translate my emotions into lyrics, chord progressions or melody.
The Toronto Indie scene for me has been where I learned to be a musician. Starting out seeing a variety of rock acts in the scene I then started going to open mics frequently to hone my own skills before eventually starting to write my own originals. I take a lot of inspiration from the diverse and immensely talented artists in the scene. The pocket of the scene that I’ve been lucky enough to be connected to has always been extremely supportive of one another and encouraging to newer musicians such as myself.
I have another single coming titled “It’ll Be A Great Day” which will be out roughly around mid-September. There are also three other songs that are near completion that I hope to release by the end of this year or early next to complete a five-song EP titled “Hopeless Optimism”.
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Stream Under Control on all major platforms via this link.
Follow Dylan Forshner on Instagram and Facebook.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
In this candid interview, we sit down with Jayne Sugg to explore the profound changes that have shaped her artistic journey, from her early days rooted in religious music to her current introspective sound. We chart the pivotal moments that influenced her songwriting, her experiences growing up with the music of the 60s and 70s, and the challenges she faced during her creative rebirth. Jayne also shares the inspiration behind her upcoming album, Belief is Hard, providing insight into how doubt, belief, and transformation continue to drive her music forward.
Thank you for having me! I appreciate this question because making such a decision really did affect my writing and music for the better.
Perhaps people raised in very devout families (of any religion or belief) who are reading here can grasp this: when you have inherited such a deep faith from the roots of your family, it will touch every aspect of how you live, how you think, and how you understand the world. I grew up in church. That has its pros and cons. A major pro is how beautiful and mystical many of my experiences in church were.
I still identify as a person of faith and staying connected to God is a key source of joy in my life. One of the biggest musical pros of course, was how incredibly vivacious and open and musical our community was. People would dance and sing and jump and shout. The songs we sang were original and written by the musicians on stage. The choir was huge, and the instruments were innumerable. I was singing along with my whole heart by the time I could stand on my own. That infectious love of music and atmosphere got into me, and I became part of the music team in middle school.
The opportunity to work with solid adult musicians, learn to song-write, lead a band, understand live performance, and do it every week as a teenager is something I still consider to be invaluable for my art today. I picked up multiple instruments during that period and got to play live often. Of course, once I got to college and went through a time of critical thinking and identity-shaping living on my own, life got very real and then came the cons.
Though faith and spirituality are still very important to me today, I had to significantly shift all of what I believed in order for any of it to survive. One of the biggest tenets I chose to let go of was the idea that all my music had to be “to God” and “for Christians”. Those limits stunted me greatly, they made me fearful and over time, blocked me fully. I didn’t know how to write music for myself, since I had only made music for the church. In 2020, I had been living in NYC for 3 years with my husband. Our neighborhood was on lockdown because of the pandemic and I decided to try and write music again. I found a book on my shelf called “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron and started her 12 week program to unblock the artist within.
I realized that the most beautiful art, to me, was honest and true to the artist making it. So I stopped writing songs for certain people who believe certain things. I began to write songs about things that were on my mind: lost friendships, restlessness, doubts, chronic pessimism. Real things that are authentic to the human experience. 4 years later I have one EP out and my first album is on the way, which is something to show for that self-work and my spiritual journey. I’m really proud of the transition I’ve made for myself.
Absolutely! Actually, bandmates and friends tease me because I rarely listen to anything that’s come out in the last 20 years. Sometimes I feel like my music taste was born in the 60’s and 70’s and latched itself onto me as a kid in the nineties, hanging in my dad’s office while his 300-CD-changer stereo blared The Doobie Brothers, Pat Metheny, Sly and the Family Stone, Everything but the Girl, Steely Dan, Miles Davis.
When we were recording both my EP and most recently this album, my producer and the band wanted to hear some songs that inspired what I was writing. Over and over again, I played the Spinners, I played Fleetwood Mac, Michael Mcdonald’s “Losin’ End”. Anything timeless, classic, with that brilliant tape-machine grit from an old studio and those seemingly pixelated sounds– I love it, and I want it to come through in my music.
In reference to the backstory that I’ve already shared a little in this interview, I’m really grateful to that book because a huge part of the work is to first notice the lies that you’ve been telling yourself about your creative limits, expectations, and the kind of life I think I should be leading as an adult, as a Christian, as a woman, etc. Then, you learn to allow yourself to be expressive freely, in any way you want. Finally, you take a risk to bet on yourself to share that art with the world. In completing the book and the program, I was able to admit that I wanted to make music on a professional level, that I could pull it off, and that I had the guts to take the leap and go for it. Identity redefinition: complete! Haha.
Because faith is such a pillar in my life due to my upbringing and experiences, it’s the subject I am most comfortable writing about. When I had to decide for myself what beliefs I would keep, and which I would let go of (many religious sects refer to this as “deconstruction”), it was scary. It felt like the ground beneath me was falling through. It felt like God, who used to feel so close, was now unfathomably far. It really skewed my ability to keep old routines and habits that I’d spent my life learning. What better fodder for songwriting than all that? Ha! I write as an outlet.
Making songs about my own deconstruction was incredibly freeing and therapeutic. Yeah, like you said, the album is called Belief is Hard, named after the title track. That song especially encapsulates the main theme of almost every song on the album. Hoping for anything in today’s world is costly, messy, and far from easy. Counting on something, staying positive, praying and assuming anything could come of it– all of that can be impossibly difficult.
Where I come from, doubt is bad and belief is good. Where I am now, both can exist in the same place and are on the same spectrum. Many of the songs on this album just ask questions, and don’t really give any answers. “Speak to the Sky” is a song whose chorus asks where prayers go and what effect they even have. I don’t have that answer and I didn’t try to write one in the song. A lot of my songs and lyrics, listeners will notice, are just musings on faith and life. I’m hoping it can help people realize that being curious about life and its meaning is actually an okay way to live. It’s also an interesting way to experience and engage with remaining beliefs.
There are so many phrases and “colloquialisms” that come from church and ancient proverbs and holy scriptures. They make for very beautiful metaphors and I actually really enjoyed weaving them into my songs on this album. One of my favorites on the album is called “Cosmic Vision” (just released as a single this past week!) The overarching idea is what a curse it can be to see everything in black and white: heaven or hell, good or bad, right or wrong.
When you’re developing into an adult and everything you’re taught is so extreme, it can be exhausting and confusing to make decisions and find your way in the world. I call this phenomenon having “Cosmic Vision”. I sing about how I was born wearing glasses that only saw life one way. I also poke fun at Christian phrases like “spiritual attack” and “backsliding” and “eternal life”.
Another song on the album called “Electric Fences” is about losing a friendship, but I use the epic metaphor of shipwrecks and black water and darkness, all thanks to my upbringing with Biblical storytelling. Writing this album has been a really fun stretch for my imagination and it also pushed me to use what I know in a totally different, counter-intuitive way.
I always have a big vision for my work: every note and production aspect is already in my head and ready to record if only I can explain it, write it, and lay out the chords, exactly as I have in mind, to all my bandmates and producers. That alone is emotionally demanding and it all came to a head for each song.
But one particularly tough one all the way around would be “Running from Me.” I called it my “red-headed stepchild” song for weeks in the early production phases because it felt so disconnected from my other songs on the album. Even in energy alone– it just took a lot of energy to write, to demo, to record, mix, produce! I even changed some of its lyrics again the day of recording at the studio! It was also stressful to record: lots of moving pieces, musicians, opinions, and limited time to get some sessions laid out. It was laborious to the very end, and even though I love the way it turned out, its final form really surprised me. I originally recorded the demo as a funky-soulful tune, and it evolved into an Abba-esque pop anthem (which I desperately wish Stranger Things would pick up in their next season, haha). As much of a groove as it is, it was also hard to write lyrically. I knew I wanted to capture the feeling of not really knowing yourself, your tastes, hobbies, likes, dislikes, when you’ve been conditioned to constantly redirect everything to religion…but I had no idea how to say that in a nuanced way. This one took many tries and has dozens of trashed lines, until I got it just right. My favorite on being “Ego based on every expectation given. Is my ghost that holy? Cause I never feel her when I’m alone, lights out, a quiet room. I keep on running from me.”
Oh my god, asking my community to believe in my art and back it with money was incredibly difficult– my Kickstarter campaign truly had me at my most vulnerable and also my most grateful. It showed me that art worth making and showing, poignant music projects, and big dreams, “take a village” as they say. Artists can’t do huge projects alone and shouldn’t try to. It also showed me that hundreds of people believed in my work and wanted to hear the music I was making.
Once I was fully funded, so much emotion washed over me– I was standing at a Citibike dock in the East Village, getting ready to ride to work, and I just started crying when I got the email that I met my goal. It felt like all the people who believed in me just lifted me up onto their shoulders so I could climb to another level. Professionally, it has added a lot of responsibility and organization to my repertoire of musicianship too: getting my rewards to everyone who bought one, be it an original cover song, handwritten lyrics, a personalized thank you note. It’s also kept me on top of deadlines to get this album recorded, sending updates and videos about the progress, releasing footage and songs to supporters and backers. It’s been a journey and the campaign has really helped to keep everything moving.
Both spaces are so incredibly beautiful and peaceful. As someone who’s been living in NYC now for 6 and a half years, quiet streets and starry skies are so precious to me. Each studio gave me a lot of peace each morning and night and during the breaks between tracks. At Sonic Ranch, the Good Shepherd Collective was there as well, recording huge batches of songs for the year, so musicians were everywhere, all the time: eating in the kitchen, walking by the pecan farm, chatting by the casitas. Even if they weren’t playing on my song, they’d pop in during my recording times and bob their heads to the playback, or offer some tips / praise to keep us going. That was amazing.
At Dreamland, it was all me, all day, with my bandmates. We spent two days there and recorded nonstop, only taking breaks to eat and sleep. The creative energy and life force was palpable! We’d play it back, Juan Solorzano on guitar would want to go in and try something else for the song. Jordan Rose on drums would add tamborine after bongo after chime. John Arndt on piano would find an organ he wanted to try and add. David Gungor on bass would play new riffs until they hit perfectly. While the time at Sonic Ranch was more of my jumpstart since that’s where we recorded the first three songs that shaped the album, the time we had together at Dreamland really felt visionary, like a total craftmanship-zone to complete the album (post crowdfunding).
I want this album to find people who love a timeless sound, candid lyrics, and my voice. I am as much of a vocalist as I am a songwriter. I also want to shed light on the particular human experience of deconstruction, of identity shift, of tearing down to build again, better and stronger– the beauty and terror and pain of self-actualization and healing. I want it to be a catalyst for my future projects because this is my first project of being completely honest and vulnerable about an aspect of life to which no one is a stranger. I always want to be found making music as an ode to the beautiful retro influences that raised me, but also for that music to place emphasis on different human experiences we all move through, as I move through them. That’s the best way for art to serve the artist, and its audience. And I am all about that.
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Stream Jayne Sugg on Spotify; follow the artist on Instagram and TikTok for more updates on her forthcoming LP, Belief is Hard.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
KAotik, a dynamic figure in the hip-hop arena, recently shared insights into his creative process and the cultural influences that shape his music. In an exclusive interview, he explores the significance of his Nigerian heritage, his spiritual beliefs, and how his varied life experiences across different cities and continents feed into his lyrical themes. Through it all, KAotik maintains a commitment to originality, ensuring his music remains true to his vision while resonating with a diverse audience. His independent label, Vintage Note, stands as a testament to his dedication to forge a unique path in the industry.
Well, when I was younger I’m guessing at around the age of 8 years old in the mid to late 80s, I listened to a lot of R&B. I was infatuated by artists my parents played such as Bobby Brown, Michael Jackson, and Lionel Richie. Also, I admired other artists I picked up on from the radio on my own such as Anita Baker, Whitney Houston and Al B. Sure. I didn’t gain any interest in Hip Hop till I was around the age of 14 in the early 90’s. I can recall my first time experimenting with Hip Hop. A friend and a couple of my brothers recorded a Hip Hop song we made up on a stereo system with a tape recorder. I remember as I grew older my mom bought me a boombox and me buying my first tape. A Hip Hop artist out of Texas named Mr. Mike.
I would say there is a bit of influence from my Nigerian roots to how I create music. Some of it may come from how I create some of my beats, which sound a little like Nigerian music. Also, I may have a track talking about my culture in Nigeria or have a track saying a word or two in the Igbo language of Nigeria. Growing up as a catholic, my parents played a significant part in my upbringing for the love of my Lord and savior Jesus Christ. God is very influential in my creativity and how I put together my music. The Lord’s influence in my music is very evident especially now that I’m older.
My concepts and ideas on what I write about haven’t changed much since my transitions internationally and nationally. When I lived in D.C. I was very young so my memories over there were very vague. When I was in boarding school in Nigeria I pretty much wrote about life and what was happening around me. Now that I’m in Laurel, MD I also do a bit of the same thing. But now I’m more experienced along with more clever wordplay and more sharpened skills.
When I first started to pursue Hip Hop more seriously, I was living in my old stomping grounds of Silver Spring, MD years back. When my partner in rhyme and I formed a group, we entered a lot of open mics and Hip-hop contests. This developed my confidence as an artist and helped me gain stage presence. As I went through my phase of joining a larger group, I began to grow with my writing process, learned how to work with other artists and my ability to perform was enhanced. Finally, as a solo artist, I took all those skills I learned being in groups and utilized them to my advantage. I also developed in other fields such as knowing how to navigate through the music business more fluently.
I do my best to be relevant in Hip Hop with the music I put out now. But that is not my main objective when doing music. I prefer to just be my own original self and put out material that’s not going to be trendy or what everybody is doing. At the end of the day when I evaluate it all, I gotta ask myself the question, is the material I’m putting out being true to myself or not?
Honestly, KRS One, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Black Thought, Last Emperor, Inspectah Deck and Keith Murray all had a profound impact on my motivation and determination to build my own legacy. But if I had the difficult decision to choose one artist, I would go with Black Thought. The reason being is he is the only artist I really was emulating while I was finding my way as an artist. Also, he has one of the nicest pen games in Hip Hop, he kept his integrity and never changed throughout the years for relevancy.
Yeah, It’s a label I started years ago when I became a solo artist. So far, I’m the only artist on the roster but that could change in the near future. At the moment my label is being distributed by CD Baby. Eventually, my goal is to be able to receive distribution from a larger independent distributor such as The Orchard or Empire.
I’ve been doing this music thing for several years now and through it all I haven’t budged from keeping my distinct perspective in Hip Hop. There are a lot of different influences in this genre of music that you can easily pick up. But I kept my integrity, and continued to stay true to me and put out material that I’m known for. Regardless of what an abundance of people say, such as my perspective on Hip Hip can’t be done or can continue to flourish. I’m proving them wrong because I’ve been active as an artist these past number of years and that’s how the title They Said It Couldn’t Be Done came about.
Well Lord willing, I hope to be putting out several new projects in the following year. Look out for them! Also, I will be doing my best to be booking more shows because I’ve been on a drought for that. Plus I’m gonna continue to build and develop my label. I also have some business ventures I’m looking into. Other than that whatever the Lord blesses me with creatively or inspires me to do, no question I will pursue. Peace.
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Stream They Said It Can’t Be Done on Bandcamp now.
Follow KAotik on Facebook and Twitter.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
In an exclusive interview with Samantha Rae, a name quickly becoming synonymous with contemporary country supremacy, we discuss her debut LP, The High Road, which has positioned her as an infectiously unreckonable force in the industry.
Samantha discusses her approach to maintaining emotional authenticity within her polished sound; we also gain insight into her collaborative dynamics with co-writer and manager Jay DellIsola, the creative challenges they navigate, and her vision for her burgeoning career.
Thank y’all so much for your kind words and interest in The High Road! Gaslighter sits right in my vocal wheelhouse which helped us produce the way we originally envisioned it. We really wanted the chorus hook to pop so we set it up with a little rhythmic anticipation in the prechorus “I’d do anything for you”. This is a good example of how Jay and I construct our rhythmic textures. In the studio, we went through each lead vocal take again and again to find the one we loved the most. We really love this song and I am so happy with how it turned out!
Many others have probably said it better than me but I truly think if you write your own songs or create something lyrically that you’ve been through, or deeply relate to, then the truthfulness comes out on its own.
Just keep writing and creating what you love! No formula or secret button, although having a co-write partner like Jay has been critical to staying creative and energized to make your ideas and music come alive! Our songs are usually a product of our combined influences that span classic rock, mainstream radio pop, rhythm & blues and classic country. There’s usually a deeper personal meaning behind a lyric but we love that people relate to the lyrics based on their own life experiences.
Honestly, for me, it was when all the songs finally dropped and they were born into the world for people to enjoy! We also really love developing as artists and songwriters. There’s always something we’ve learned that we can apply to our new material.
Jay and I have been friends and worked together for a long time, we played in bands together up in Boston where he played drums and I was the lead singer. Before this journey together, Jay always had a vision and would get things done with his passionate drive. He has always supported my talent and when we decided to spin up “Samantha Rae” as a solo artist, we knew we could create something special together. When we combine our song parts and creative ideas we end up with something that works well for us.
We definitely are always working to create for the fans and I’m sure they’ll see some behind-the-scenes and the making of The High Road album in the future 😉
We’re already writing a brand new batch of songs and we also have about a dozen on the shelf we really love that haven’t been released yet.
I would say mostly a continuation but as an artist, there’s always room for growth and a little movement. My pop-rock country roots are grounded and we’ve created a ‘sound‘ that we’re proud of. So if the fans love it as much as we do then we feel like we definitely have a winning recipe!
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Stream Samantha Rae’s Highroad LP on Spotify now and keep track of her latest releases via Instagramand TikTok.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast