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Interview: Maria Lane tells us more about that special feeling and leads us into her new single Nashville

Posted on 6 April 2023

After sitting down with the soulfully real Brooklyn creative Maria Lane recently, our hearts were calmed by such a genuine human. Telling us more about how she got into music, her inspirations and we found out more about her new single which drops on the 7th of April, Nashville.

Thank you for sitting down with us Maria Lane. Where in the world are you today and what inspires you in life?

Maria: Happy to be here, thank you for having me. I am in Brooklyn, NY. What inspires me is experiencing different things in life, achieving my goals, and overcoming challenges.

How did you get started in the music game and what do you love about the creation process?

Maria: I’ve been singing and writing songs since I was little. I always knew it was where I felt the most like myself and I felt writing was a really good way to process my thoughts and feelings.

I love the feeling when you first finish writing a song, and then you get to take it to the studio and add the production process on top of it. My songs are so personal to me so getting to add the production to match the story and lyrics is really special to me.

Please tell us more about your new single Nashville and the lyrics behind this personal song?

Maria: I started writing “nashville” last year. My oldest sister knew in 2023 she would officially be moving out of NYC and writing this song felt like closure for me to accept that she is really leaving. My sister was my first roommate when I moved to NYC, I had my first legal drink with her when I turned 21 and hated it, she recently got engaged last year and a wedding is now on the horizon. These lyrics remind me of reminiscing on our time together in NYC. My favorite lyrics in the song are “and suddenly it’s silent, left with your bags and an empty apartment” because it’s like shit.. she’s really gone now.

Who did you grow up listening to and what was the last performance you saw live?

Maria: I grew up listening to The Beatles, Billy Joel, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles, Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, James Taylor, Regina Spektor, Paramore, lots of Broadway Cast Recordings, and a lot of Alt Rock bands. I discovered I enjoyed a variety of genres, which I think have influenced me today. The last concert I went to was Lizzy McAlpine who has become one of my favorite artists.

Who has helped you in your career the most so far?

Maria: Anyone who has ever believed in me and continued to encourage me. My producer Julian has really helped me grow as an artist and discover my sound, so I’m really grateful I get to create with him.

When you close your eyes for a few moments and visualize your ideal place in the world, where is it and who do you see with you?

Maria: In terms of outside my current reality, the ideal place in the world for me would be to be performing on Broadway, with my friends and family supporting me in the audience. It’s a dream I’ve had since I was 7 years old and I get lost daydreaming about it pretty often.

Last, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever heard?

Maria: Know what YOU have to offer is special and there is a place for you. It’s easy to compare yourself to others because people are similar in so many ways but there is no one like you. Whether or not you sound or look like somebody else, you are your own authentic self. Also manifest and be delusional, I’ve heard that works wonders haha.

–

Listen up on Spotify.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Hard To Tell: Bronx rapper QRome shoves the lazy losers out the way on Dum Broke Lame

Posted on 15 February 2023

Showing all the lame guys out there what is going to happen next, QRome spits the truth for so many who just can’t conceptualize how to treat a brave woman right on Dum Broke Lame.

QRome aka AVACADO Queen aka QSharonne Cornwell is a Bronx, NYC-based indie hip hop artist, singer and student who is currently studying Mental Health in Clinical Psychology.

”Yu Really GOT These Dum Broke LAME A** NIG** OUT HERE MAN THIS is for MY LADIES RIGHT HERE LOL.” ~ QRome

Pulsating with so much raw energy which shall excite those who like it underground, QRome shakes off the needless negativity once and for all with a courageously potent performance to remember forever. This is hardcore rap for a reason. When you are tired of being messed around, this is the result of pent-up frustration.

Dum Broke Lame from the Bronx, NYC-based indie hip hop artist/singer QRome is a huge statement for anyone who needs to brush away something which shall not last. Rapped with honest abandon and loaded with so many edgy lines which shall get the blood flowing, this is a fantastic single to play on loud. This is for the ladies you see.

Listen up on SoundCloud. See more on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

KOURDELL Interview: Freshly inspiring New York state of mind mentality

Posted on 7 December 2022

We sat down with the ultra talented KOURDELL to slice it up music-wise. He lets up deep within the NYC underground and shows us why he stuck up for himself at school and followed his soul despite many challenges.

Hello there KOURDELL. Gosh, we’re huge fans of your name and music equally. Thank you for your time today. First, have you always dreamt of being a musician, or how did it all start?

Hey there, thank you so much for your support and your time as well! I’ve always dreamt about being a worldwide performer. It’s not something I ever planned to be. I just always have been an artist inside. I remember wanting to sing and dance in preschool, at a time when I was told that boys don’t sing and dance. I still followed my soul and knew there was no other option for me.

Please tell us more about your exciting debut single, Just Show It.

My new single “Just Show It” is my debut! It’s my first original production that I shared with the world. Produced by my friend Raymond Scavo III, who just got nominated for his first Grammy! It describes exactly where I’m at in life. As I progress on my journey of becoming who I am supposed to be, I want the people who say they love and support me to, Just Show It! If not, that’s ok! I can do bad all by myself.

If you could share the stage with any 3 artists of your choosing, who would you choose?

That’s tough to narrow down! But I will have to choose:

Drake – because he has written the soundtrack of my entire life every step of the way.

Rihanna – she is the major blueprint and inspiration in my artistry.

Summer Walker – her soulfulness is something I connect to deeply, I will be able to sing the soul music I love the most, and we’re both Aries.

New York. Have you always lived there and what inspires you most about this enormous city?

I have lived here my whole life. What inspires me the most about NYC is that anything is possible. You can be whatever and whoever you want to be at anytime. But the real and authentic will always come out on top over here. NYC is as real as it gets! Brings out your inner beast.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

“Do not let anyone steal your peace and joy.”

A recurring piece of advice that has been given to me throughout my life and the most important to me. Don’t give weak people power over you!

Where would you recommend fans watch quality underground live music in your local area?

This is New York City, so there are so many options and always a new place to explore. But I would say Village Underground, The Cutting Room, and The Bitter End, are some to name a few.

Last, do you have anything cookin’ music/tour-wise in 2023 that you can share with us?

2023, the sky is the limit for my music! I am going to release my first EP in the spring. I’m looking forward to many live performances that I will keep you guys updated to look out for!

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Listen up on Spotify. Find out more on IG.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Rosina Bullen Interview: Finding kind beauty in tragic sadness with Lie Down My Love

Posted on 2 December 2022

Filling our hearts with so much hope despite the tears which have previously made her sad, acclaimed jazz musician Rosina Bullen sits down with A&R Factory and guides us into her 3rd single off her upcoming EP Painting A Picture, with the gorgeous Lie Down My Love.

We truly appreciate you sitting down with us today, Rosina.

Rosina: Thank you so much for having me!

Firstly, please let us know what fans can expect at your show on the 7th of December at The Pheasantry in Chelsea?

Rosina: I am very excited for this show as I will be returning from NYC after 4 months away and I can’t wait to perform back in my home country! The evening will feature the music from my debut EP “Painting a Picture” along with some brand new material that I have written which has never been performed live before, so it is sure to be a special night! I will be joined by my incredibly talented friend and ‘partner in crime’ on this project the wonderful David Swan who’s orchestral arrangements really have brought my music to life – we haven’t actually seen each other in person for over 3 years now due to covid and location so I am very excited for us to perform the music we have created together for the first time! I will also be playing with the wonderful James Maddren, Tom Herbert and special guest Dom Ingham who are all featured on the EP and my amazing friend James Maltby on guitar! This is sure to be a special night that I won’t forget and the official launch of my EP, “Painting a Picture”.

How can the music industry be better for its performers and fans?

Rosina: One of the things I find difficult in the music industry at the moment is that it seems to be so focused on genres and fitting each artist into a box. I often hear that I am “not folk enough or not jazz enough” but I think that having your own unique sound and not fitting into a single box is a good thing but the way the industry is set up at the moment doesn’t always make room for artists who span multiple genres.

I like the fact that I don’t always know what direction my next song or project might take, but the storytelling is always central to my music. So what I guess I’m trying to say is that I hope the music industry will support those artists that don’t want to be defined by just one thing, as creativity doesn’t fit into a single box.

What was it like growing up in Suffolk, England, and how did you get started in music?

Suffolk is a beautiful place and east Anglia is known for its creativity. I have an incredibly supportive family that I am very close with – sadly not geographically anymore, but we speak all the time and I’m so lucky to have them!

I know this probably sounds very predictable, but there really was nothing other than music for me since before I can remember. Ever since I was a little girl, I struggled with my emotions and found the general day to day to be very overwhelming and it took me a long time to realise that not everybody was as sensitive as I was. Therefore, I used to shut myself up in the music blocks at school, which was the only place that I could be alone for a bit and I could then put what I was feeling into something more tangible and this was songwriting. I guess it was almost like my personal therapy as I used to bottle everything up so much and songwriting became my emotional release, where I could put what I was feeling into the lyrics and the music. There is just nothing else that makes me feel the way that music makes me feel – it can hurt like hell or it can heal things you didn’t know needed healing. It is my one true love in this life.

Wow, that got pretty deep there, but I guess that’s as honest as I can be.

The seasons certainly turn around rather quickly in life. What does Painting A Picture mean to you personally and what was the creative process like with David Swan?

It’s quite hard to explain in words what this EP “Painting a Picture” means to me as I find the songwriting process to be so personal. When I write a song, I have to be in a particular frame of mind and emotional state where all my feelings, fears, pain and joy just spill out of me to create a world of music from the place I am in at that moment. I often describe it to friends and family as a little piece of my soul that I have put onto a page. Therefore, I see this record as a piece of me and my life which I am sharing. This can be pretty terrifying but also just the most amazing feeling when I hear that someone has connected with a song or relates to the music I’ve written.

The creative process with David was pretty interesting as we were in lockdown, going over ideas together on zoom calls. David was in Scotland and I was in London, having returned from NYC on one of the last flights back to the UK. I have known David for about 8 years now and he is one of my best friends and favourite musicians. We have performed together many times, and he just knows exactly how to bring my music to life. I am forever grateful to him and we are already working together again on the next record!!

Do you feel like the NYC music scene is alive and back to normal or not yet?

It has been so exciting moving back to NYC after being away for two years and I am just totally in love with this city. I am now living in Brooklyn which I really didn’t know at all as I used to live Uptown in Manhattan before, so I have been exploring lots of new places and am just overwhelmed by all the amazing music that is going on here. I definitely feel that the music scene is alive here and one of the things I love so much about this city is that everyone is always up to play – it doesn’t have to be for a specific gig or concert they just want to play for the joy of it and I find this so infectious and inspiring. I don’t think anywhere will ever be back to normal as many iconic venues sadly closed, including my favourite venue ‘The 55 Bar’ but there is definitely lots of exciting creativity happening which is really special to be around!

Is there a specific venue in the world where you would love to play live?

Ooof this is way too hard as there are just too many!! The biggest thing for me would to be able to travel around the globe playing my music. I have a big travel bug and I love seeing new places and meeting new people, though I am often a little shy at first! One thing I would also love to do is to perform this whole project live with all the strings and woodwind as it was a 20 person project in total, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for that too!

Finally, what advice do you have for young musicians starting out in the industry?

Try not to judge yourself against other people, as we are all individual and we all have something to say. Music and art is not a competition – it’s a gift that we can give to others around us and make something beautiful from the pain or chaos that we feel or see.

–

Hear this stunning single on Spotify. See more news on her IG page.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Succumb to the cinematic nostalgia in Molly Murphy’s folk-pop single, I Miss When We Drove Shitty Cars

Posted on 30 November 2022

Taken from her phenomenal EP, Were You Digging for Some Deeper Meaning? Molly Murphy’s nostalgia-soaked folk serenade, I Miss When We Drove Shitty Cars, will drive you right back to the days when it was okay if everything wasn’t Instagram-worthy.

With all the grace and beguile of Joni Mitchell, this sepia-tinged stripped-back single allows Murphy’s celestial vocal timbre to float atop the quiescently cinematic melodies that lull you into a state of calm before the orchestral chamber strings chorally caress the non-lexical harmonies that will make you Dream Baby Dream.

The NYC indie-folk singer-songwriter is a soulful force to be reckoned with. Watch this space. Or better yet, succumb to the choral mesmerism.

I Miss When We Drove Shitty Cars is now available to stream on Spotify and purchase on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Maria Lane is back with a new release: “Crying In A CVS”

Posted on 26 November 2022

Maria Lane is an artist who developed a very personal and one-of-a-kind twist on her sound and lyrics. From the energy of indie-pop to the intimacy of acoustic music, Maria Lane is all about keeping an open mind and avoiding getting stuck in the usual categories and genre definitions.

“Crying In A CVS” is the title of Maria Lane’s recent studio work, and it serves as an excellent introduction to the sound and feel of the artist. On one hand, the song features a huge, vibrant tone with so many details and interesting sounds. On the other, this is a very instinctive, relatable piece of music that the audience is certainly going to connect with on a much more personal level, highlighting Maria Lane’s songwriting skills. This is highly recommended to fans of artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Francis Moon and Daughter, among others.

Find out more about Maria Lane, and listen to her recent release, “Crying In A CVS”, which is currently available on Spotify.

International Trap-Pop Queen Chantae Vetrice Reigned Supreme in her A&R Factory Interview

Posted on 23 November 2022

With melodies as infectious as her autonomy-embracing attitude, we caught up with the Trap-Pop queen, Chantae Vetrice following the release of her piercing and polished hit, Wave Check, which affirms that she’s so far ahead of the curve it is scarcely in her rear-view mirror.

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Chantae Vetrice, we’re stoked you took time out from your hectic international TrapPop lifestyle to dissect your distinctive sound. Can you tell us about your latest single, Wave Check?

Wave Check is all about riding your own wave! Doing what you do in the way that only you can do it! And sometimes we have other people that may try to ride that wave because it’s just too damn good! It’s all about feeling confident in yourself.

Coming up with a unique sound in an oversaturated industry is a massive achievement. How would you define your sound, and how did you form such an authentic signature sound?

This has been years and years of self-discovery within the music and just experimenting with different approaches that have come naturally to me over time. I would describe my sound as a bit gritty, with a lot of sex appeal and attitude. I’ve loved rock music all my life so, I try to incorporate that into my music as well. Whether it be by using a guitar in the beat production or with how I deliver my lyrics.

As the adage goes, image is everything, and you’ve got your striking look down to a T. Have you always been so aesthetically confident?

Looking back on my life, I have! I’ve always been confident enough to wear what I want even if it’s not trending, and when it comes to my hair, I’ve always pushed the envelope! Honestly, I get bored very easily, so I love being versatile…I hate looking like everyone else.

You have worked with some impressive names since making your debut; which figure has had the biggest impact on your career?

Thank you. I haven’t worked with this person, but they have been a total inspiration for me…Madonna. I’ve always admired how she can easily transform and evolve herself so genuinely. To me, she is the epitome of a pop icon.

Based on your streaming stats, plenty of people are resonating with your music. What do you hope people get from your music?

Life live, and have fun! This journey is short, and we are here to make an impact! Do what you love and be yourself…don’t be afraid to stand out.

Do you write your songs with a particular audience in mind?

I make music, especially for women…I’m a girl’s girl! So, to all my ladies out in the world…stay strong, be bold, and let them know you’re here to stay!

What is it like living between NYC and Montreal as an artist?

I feel like I have the best of both worlds right now because I can live in another country and get inspired by the locals. Montreal has such a dope creative scene, and I’m slowly navigating my way through it. It’s exciting. As a New Yorker, I love a good adventure and can live pretty much anywhere lol.

What are your next moves going to be in the industry?

Outside of consistently dropping heat, performing, and growing my fanbase…I am getting focused on my debut EP for 2023. It’s something that I think the people are ready for, and I’m up for the challenge of creating a story people can resonate with.
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Listen to Chantae Vetrice’s latest single, Wave Check, on Spotify.

Follow her on Instagram and check out her website.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

New Rock City shows us the vividly dreamt pictures from their mind on ‘Radio 85’

Posted on 16 June 2022

Delighting fans of this classic genre that have recently experienced a rebirth from the depths of the underground, New Rock City revitalize our ravenous-for-timeless-music-souls with a signature fiery performance on their latest single, ‘Radio 85‘.

New Rock City is a NYC-based alternative rock band who are always developing and love to keep us all wondering what they will come up with next.

”Think Pretenders meet Joan Jett in the mid-80s/Billy Idol meets Patti Smith at CBGB’s.” ~ New Rock City

Flaming with a heat-filled missile that will stir up your mood and get you reaching for that leather jacket to soak onto your body, New Rock City spark up the streets with an incredible inventiveness that is beyond exciting in a mostly original-lacking current world.

‘Radio 85‘ from the electrifying NYC-based alternative rock band New Rock City is an absorbing track that has a raw intricate brilliance you can’t help but jump around with. They tantalize our lips with a majestic display that has an aura of rebel vitality wrapped in its pulsating existence, from an outfit who loves to do things their way.

With rasping riffs that seem to cause your heart to glow inside – and featuring ear-piercing vocals that are hard to forget – this is a new release with that punch-packed dynamite you needed to ignite that imagination again.

Hear this new single on Spotify and see more news on their IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Already Late shows us the little kid’s dreams on extraordinary visuals for, ‘Loser’

Posted on 1 June 2022

Reminding us that we can be rather remarkable if we take the leap and lead the way to what is actually right in life, Already Late brings the world a music video to be completely encouraged by on, ‘Loser‘.

Already Late is a Philadelphia and NYC-based genre-crossing and bilingual indie-alternative 3-piece band that makes a soundscape that is rather compelling and ever-evolving.

”On top of a variety of guitars, catchy hooks (in both English and Japanese), funky bass lines and drum beats as energized as a riot at a punk rock show, they have managed to find spots in their set for electronics, as well as some ukulele.” ~ Already Late

Sliding through the school halls and opening that bag to what is possible if you ignore the pointless noise, Already Late are quite scintillating with a song that urges us to feel that natural magic inside our souls so that we can guide others to a happier world too.

‘Loser‘ from Philadelphia and NYC-based indie-alternative band Already Late is a track all about being reminded that your luck can certainly flip around if you meet that special person who can guide you into a new place of intrigue. Sung with a sensational style and with a video that will have you beaming with joy, this is the kinda different single that we have all been waiting for.

That star inside us is there to shine if we can only find the key to unearth all of its brilliance.

See this dance-packed music video on YouTube and find out more on the IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

The Liberace of punk, Cinemartyr, are back in proggy Avant-Garde form in ‘No Legacy’

Posted on 30 May 2022

Baroque folk meets prog rock in the latest single, No Legacy, from the NYC-residing Avant-Garde outfit, Cinemartyr who have lasciviously been stealing the crown of the boldest aural architects since their original formation in 2008.

The doomy, heavy guitars follow the ultimate head-banging formula as the riffs keep on getting brought back slower for the aphrodisiacal angsty effect. While Irish folk nuances, from founding member, Shane Harrington’s geographical ghetto past, sporadically eke in through the pull of classical strings and the tonal shifts in Amber Moon’s vocal eccentricity. The era-hopping vocal lines are enough to put Kate Bush and Dua Lipa in the same league.

Keep them on your radar for the release of their forthcoming album, OPT OUT, which will be available to to stream and purchase from June 17th.

The official music video premiered on March 3rd; you can stream it for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast