Bringin' it Backwards

We had the pleasure of interviewing Max Leone over Zoom video! After inciting widespread critical buzz and fan anticipation, up-and-coming songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist Max Leone reveals his debut EP, Malleable, today alongside a new video for track from the project "Escape". The Clyde Munroe directed video is a dark and stylistic representation of the emotions that Max expresses throughout the lyrics of the new track. Released via Darkroom Records, the EP is out now at all digital retailers, watch the video for "Escape" above or listen to the full project HERE. Boasting a bevy of fan favorite tunes, the nine-track EP taps into every facet of Max's enigmatic alternative approach to pop. On "in case (there's a change of heart)," dusty acoustic guitar creaks underneath his untouched vocal delivery as he confesses, "I'm just online pretending I'm fine, in case there's a change of heart." Piano upholds the cinematic "Escape" as he observes, "I sit and watch the fire burn and, suddenly, the lines are blurred," while his falsetto pierces head-turning lines such as, "My head is on a swivel." He paved the way for the EP with the latest single "untitled" last week. Prior to release, tracks from the EP have gathered a total of X streams to date. Among other highlights, V Magazine touted "the craziest thing I've ever done" in "V's New Music Round-Up" and went on to claim, "This lo-fi cinematic song almost feels anti-pop, going against the grain of fleetingly cheerful melodies for a darker energy." Further praise followed from ThisSongIsSick, The Interns, and more. ABOUT MAX LEONE: Born and raised in Portland, Max Leone took up guitar at the age of seven, and later began experimenting with violin, drums, and piano. He soon started composing his own material and playing in jazz bands, in addition to teaching himself music production and posting his remixes to SoundCloud. Although his tremendous passion for music eventually led him to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music as a guitar principal, Leone left the school after one year and relocated to Los Angeles to pursue music full-time. Soon after signing with Darkroom Records, he made his label debut with "First Grade" — a January 2020 release that quickly garnered praise from outlets like Hillydilly. With singles such as "Malleable" and "The Beach" winning further acclaim, Leone will deliver his debut EP in 2021. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Gavin Rossdale of Bush over Zoom video! "Nothing is better than doing what you love," says Gavin Rossdale, and the Bush frontman knows from experience. For near three decades, the musician has been a perennial presence in the annals of rock music — an intellectual and emotional, albeit occasionally misunderstood creative, forever with a hard-charging rock n' roll heart. Now, with The Kingdom, Rossdale and his band enter a new phase of life, and the singer comes armed not only with a ferocious new album, but also a sense that he's on his life's correct course. Music has always been a release for Rossdale, and now as he reflects on a career that's seen Bush sell close to 20 million records in the U.S. and Canada alone — as well as compiling an amazing string of 23 consecutive Top 40 hit singles on the Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts, six of which shot to No. 1 — he says that passion remains the same. That's exactly what Rossdale is doing on The Kingdom. The album features some of the most potent songwriting of Rossdale's career, highlighted by the pummeling "Flowers on a Grave," as well as the noise hurricane "We Are Quicksand" which finds him showcasing a vulnerability like rarely before. In many ways, with Bush's new album, Rossdale is creating the type of music – and the world – he hopes to see. As he explains, The Kingdom is a utopic ideal – a reaction to a world full of "judgement and self-righteousness and mob mentality and where everyone knows better than everyone else." "The Kingdom was this place that I imagined where likeminded people could go and be free and artists and musicians and painters and people could think for themselves and don't hold any judgement over anyone else," Rossdale offers. Rossdale has been around the music business long enough to know it's about steady growth and sustained creativity. Many years back, not long after the band came roaring out the gate with towering back-to-back smash albums, 1994's epic six-times platinum debut, Sixteen Stone and 1996's triple-platinum Razorblade Suitcase, "I took away all the expectation and pressure from my career," Rossdale explains. To him, ever since, it's never been about "fitting a sound or fitting a moment. I just don't feel any of that. Maybe in the past," he concedes. "But I feel like we've always had to work for what we have. We don't take anything for granted. We've never had any kind of particular free ride. That's a healthy thing." With The Kingdom on the horizon, yet another chapter in a multi-decade career is set to unfold. And Rossdale is feeling undeniably gratified. "I have an incredible life and I have scaled huge walls of music and done so many amazing things," he notes proudly. The best part for Rossdale? "I'm still right in the middle of it." The Kingdom is available now! We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Prinze George over Zoom video! EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE OF "OFF MY ASS" ON BRINGING IT BACKWARDS PODCAST Alt-pop group Prinze George premiered their new track, "Off My Ass" on American Songwriter's Bringing It Backwards podcast! "Off My Ass" is the interpersonal journey of vocalist Naomi Almiquist, navigating her life amidst sudden loss, moving to Los Angeles, and the unfulfilled lows of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by the words of a friend and an art installation about the San Andreas Fault, "find balance during unstable periods, turn fears into meditations, and remember the earth shouldn't move you; you should move with it" - Naomi was fueled with inspiration to pen her personal struggles in song. Inspired by their hometown roots of Prince George's County, Maryland, Prinze George is an American Alternative Pop band formed by life-long partners Kenny Grimm (Producer) and Naomi Almquist (Vocalist) in 2013. Soon after, the two recruited then-student Isabelle De Leon (Drummer) while at college. Influenced by a wide array of genres - from folk to electronica to R&B - Prinze George's music takes the listener on an emotional, introspective journey. With strong harmonics rooted in live instrumentation, danceable grooves in the outer layer of their discography, and themes of love, friendship, loss and perseverance - Prinze George is emerging and transcending across radars, giving a fresh perspective to the pop genre lyrically and sonically. Following the release of their self-titled EP Prinze George, the band went on tour with Albert Hammond Jr as direct support in 2015. Bolstering their growing reputation, they dropped their debut album, Illiterate Synth Pop, in 2016 and joined Lewis Del Mar on his North American Tour. After impressing fans at festivals like Austin City Limits, Eaux Claires, and Firefly with their nostalgic, synth-soaked sound, innovative and distinctive lyrics, and mesmerizing, gripping performances, the band released their last EP, Airborne in 2018. Around the same time, Naomi and Kenny were given the opportunity to write songs for actor/director Til Schweiger's film "Head Full of Honey" in Europe. They continued to expand their loyal following and break genre barriers thanks to a string of collaborations in 2019 with some of the industry's top artists like Carnage, Diplo, G-Eazy & Wiz Khalifa ("Slot Machine," "Letting People Go" & "Wait For Me"). Their latest EP effort, Happy Garden, dropped March 26th of this year, featuring singles "Garden in the Sky," "Taller," and "Centuries." We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing The Mother Hips over Zoom video! Legendary Northern California-based rock 'n' roll outfit, The Mother Hips, are celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2021. In recognition of this career milestone, the band's record label Blue Rose is reissuing each of their ten studios albums on vinyl. The series will work its way chronologically through The Mother Hips' discography with one LP released each month, while all proceeds from sales will benefit The Blue Rose Foundation, which provides grants for preschool scholarships to financially disadvantaged children. In only a matter of weeks since being announced, the initial pressings on the first three titles: 1992's 'Back To The Grotto,' 1995's 'Part Timer Goes Full' and 1996's 'Shoot Out,' have already sold out. In addition to the reissue series, The Mother Hips have commenced work on their 11th studio album with the support of Blue Rose. In a typical year, founding members Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono, who share vocal, guitar and songwriting responsibilities, would perform close to 100 dates on the road. Although best friends, upon returning from tour, they'd typically go their separate ways tending to their personal lives and communicating mostly through emails. With touring, however, not an option in 2020, Bluhm and Loiacono's friendship was re-energized as the pair began talking more frequently and supporting each other through the many anxieties caused by the pandemic. With their relationship stronger than ever, Blue Rose's Poletto once again instigated forward momentum when he suggested The Mother Hips start writing and recording a new record. Making great records has been The Mother Hips singular focus ever since the band formed in 1991. While still just students at Chico State, the group began playing college parties, which quickly gave way to club shows, regional touring, and national buzz, and before they'd even graduated from school, the band was signed to Rick Rubin's American Recordings. While mainstream success alluded them, The Mother Hips would in fact create something more enduring over the ensuing three decades; a loyal and open-minded fanbase willing to embrace the band at every creative turn. With the reissue of their entire catalog serving as a cornerstone event for one of the finest rock 'n' roll bands of their generation, while pacifying fans who can't see the band live in pandemic times, The Mother Hips are digging in their heels and readying themselves for perhaps even another three decades. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Seth Walker over Zoom video! Seth Walker recently released his first book, 'Your Van Is On Fire: The Miscellaneous Meanderings of a Musician.' Already a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter and visual artist, Walker now adds published author to his resume. Part memoir, part meditation and part art gallery, 'Your Van Is On Fire' is a riotous and charming melange of an artist's meandering life spent in perpetual motion searching for the muse. It's ironic that the quarantine surrounding the 2020 pandemic, which has grounded so many artists' careers, was the impetus for Walker's latest artistic endeavor, which involved conceptualizing a narrative for the many short essays, poems and paintings he'd accumulated over a near 30-year career. 'Your Van Is On Fire' sheds light on the ins, outs and what-have-yous of life inside the mind of a working artist and the van of a touring musician. Edited by poet and essayist Leslie LaChance, with a foreword by singer/songwriter Oliver Wood, the collection recounts Walker's early years growing up in a musical family on a Quaker commune in rural North Carolina, to his discovery of the blues guitar of T-Bone Walker, and his coming of age as an artist. The book centers on his life making music in the southern love triangle of Austin, Nashville and New Orleans, and includes some hilarious, contemplative, and wild tales from the driver's seat of the van and other random locales. Walker launched a Kickstarter for, 'Your Van Is On Fire', which along with hard and soft cover editions of the book, offers various bundles including a new solo acoustic recording that features some of Walker's best known material and select cover songs. So jump up in, and go for a ride. Bring matches and a fire extinguisher. You will need both. About Seth Walker: Native North Carolinian Seth Walker is a musician and visual artist who has spent the past two decades performing at some of the most renowned music venues and festivals around the world. He's released ten albums of songs inspired by his travels and rooted in the musical cultures of the places he has lived, including stints in Austin, New Orleans, and Nashville. 'Your Van Is On Fire: The Miscellaneous Meanderings of a Musician' is his first book. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

Together with American Songwriter and Sean Ulbs of The Eiffels, we had the pleasure of interviewing Brett Kissel over Zoom video! One of Country music's fastest rising stars, Brett Kissel, recently released his new album, What Is Life?. Released on OneRPM, What Is Life?, is a 14-track collection of original material with ten musical compositions produced by the 18-time Canadian Country Music (CCMA) award-winning musician Brett Kissel, Bart McKay, and Jesse Frasure, and four short monologues reflecting on the title What Is Life? from Kissel and his children. While fans were still buzzing about last year's Now Or Never album, Brett started looking towards his next release, but couldn't get three words out of his head – What Is Life? The search for something "more" weighed heavily on the country star's mind, and with the new album, Brett Kissel invites fans to take a deep-dive with him into songs about love, celebration, and gratitude. Brett Kissel is on Warner Music Canada and has had tremendous success in his home country. His charismatic personality, energetic stage presence, and music style have propelled him to the top of the Canadian Country music charts, with two Gold-certified albums, a Platinum and eight Gold singles, and 15 top-10 radio hits to his credit. 2019-2020 was a storybook year for Brett, winning the JUNO Award (equivalent to the American Grammy) for Country Album of the Year and earning the Canadian Country Music Association's Fans' Choice Award, following a record-breaking 112-date tour that reached every single province and territory. In 2019, he completed two legs of his headlining tour, marked as one of Canada's most extensive tours, selling out venues and reaching nationwide status. The Canadian Press crowned him "The New King of Canadian Country." The accolades continued in 2020, when Brett was the big winner of the CCMA Awards, earning four trophies, including Fans' Choice, Male of the Year, and Album of the Year. As one of the top acts on the Canadian Country music scene, Brett Kissel is on the brink of becoming a household name across the United States. Having toured with artists such as Garth Brooks and Brad Paisley, the young entertainer is no stranger to the stage. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Tim Kasher of Cursive from The Casbah in San Diego CA ** This interview was recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic ** Get Fixed ripples with the visceral intensity and keen, unexpected melodicism for which Cursive has long been celebrated, as illustrated in searing first single "Barricades;" the alternately pummeling and anthemic "Black Hole Town;" and the more atmospheric, moody "Marigolds." While the album was largely born out of the same sessions as Vitriola with founding drummer Clint Schnase, "Stranded Satellite" and "Black Hole Town" were recorded this year and feature touring drummer Pat Oakes. "We're quite proud of the work we've done on both Vitriola and Get Fixed," explains singer/guitarist Tim Kasher in a letter describing the genesis of the new album. "In certain ways, they may forever be considered companion pieces, but Get Fixed feels as though it's been emancipated from the Vitriola session: the extra care and attention it received has helped it develop an identity very much its own. These songs of anger, frustration, helplessness and loss feel more poignant to us now than even a year ago — we're thrilled to finally introduce them to our world." The follow-up to the band's acclaimed Vitriola—which earned high praise from NPR Music, Noisey, Stereogum, Pitchfork, SPIN, Paste, NYLON, FLOOD, The Talkhouse, and Under the Radar, among many others—Get Fixed is now available via 15 Passenger. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Ashley Kutcher over Zoom video! Continuing to emerge as an artist-to-watch this year, 22-year-old singer-songwriter Ashley Kutcher shares a new single entitled "If I Could" with an accompanying visual. The song and video are out now via Darkroom / Interscope Records. This release stands out as the official follow-up to her breakout song "Love You From A Distance." After eclipsing 13 million streams on Spotify, it shows no signs of stopping or slowing down. She recently provided another perspective on the track with an intimate performance on the Official Acoustic Video. The song paves the way for more music to come from Ashley Kutcher very soon. Be on the lookout! About Ashley Kutcher — Baltimore, MD singer, songwriter, and artist Ashley Kutcher distinguishes herself as the kind of raw talent equally at home on the stage of a neighborhood watering hole or live on social media. Post-high school, she pursued a nursing degree at Towson University. While at Towson, a local bar came across a video of her singing online and invited her to perform on their stage. This opportunity opened the floodgates as Ashley quit her waitressing job shortly after and logged regular marathon sets, often playing four hours per night. During her senior year, she uploaded a demo of her original composition "Lust" to TikTok. The video instantly gained traction and garnered thousands of views in just 48 hours. To sustain this momentum, she released a follow-up demo called "Hands To Myself" to streaming platforms and the song quickly surpassed 1 million streams on Spotify. While her nascent fan base continued to grow, Ashley came across a tweet from blackbear that read "hit me up if you don't like me." As her creative neurons began to fire, she used the tweet as inspiration and responded with her own song similarly named "HMU if U Don't Like Me," which went on to quickly rack up another million streams. At this point, she realized the power of transforming a post into a song and did the same thing with "Love You From a Distance," setting TikTok on fire with just a D.I.Y. performance clip from her bathroom. Produced by Eric Taft, the song quickly eclipsed 13 million Spotify streams and counting as she signed to Darkroom/Interscope Records. Amassing 20 million streams independently and 20 million TikTok views, Ashley's heartfelt honesty captivates on a series of singles for Darkroom/Interscope and her 2021 debut EP. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Evan Stanley over Zoom video! Evan Stanley (son of KISS' Paul Stanley) has released an irresistible new cover of "Memories" by Maroon 5 with a cinematic video featuring acclaimed actor Bryan Cranston. Inspired by a Texas road trip, Stanley says, "A lot of that drive is open desert with nothing around, and at one point I saw my fuel gauge getting lower with no gas station in sight. It got me pretty nervous about getting stranded, but also gave me an amazing idea. I had recently recorded my own version of Maroon 5's 'Memories', but didn't want to make just another cover video. Bryan Cranston's created some of the most iconic characters in history, so I'm beyond lucky that he was willing to come on board and help bring my crazy idea to life." Born in Los Angeles, Evan Stanley has always lived life straddling the lines between multiple worlds: from growing up splitting his time between school and touring the world with his father's band KISS to working as a delivery boy for his local deli. After school and a stint in New York playing in power-pop outfit THE DIVES, Stanley returned to LA to forge his own sound, a mix of 60s psychedelic, 70s singer-songwriter, and 80s new wave filtered through a 90s baby that grew up on pop-punk. Stay tuned for more news coming soon in 2021! We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing rIVerse over Zoom video! rIVerse is an independent pop and R&B music group making international waves for their high concept pop aesthetic and inclusive messaging. The group's lineup includes a diverse collective of multi-racial, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and body-positive members. Recently rIVerse released their newest music video for "BaeBeeBoo" off their critically acclaimed album, "Poison IV". The group is comprised of band members Dizz, Monroe, Khadija and Zak. "Our mission is to represent the underrepresented" says group leader Dizz, "We want to empower our fans to know that everybody is uniquely powerful. Whether you're gay, straight, white, black, young, old, man, woman, petite or plus size you can do, have and be whatever you want." rIVerse is also performing a full length live, virtual concert on May 29th, 2021, which they are currently crowdfunding. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/