Bringin' it Backwards

​​We had the pleasure of interviewing Bren Joy on the phone! ​​ ​​Please share while we are #togetherathome ​🏠​ ​​ ​​The revelry of 2019's Twenties introduced Bren Joy as a raw and indispensable singer, songwriter, lyricist, and pianist leading the new wave of R&B. On the eight-track EP, which has amassed over 5.7 million streams on Spotify, the 23-year-old fused elements of jazz, hip-hop, pop, and gospel with experimental soul music while delving into the complexities of early adulthood. From the allure of intimacy and connectivity to processing racial injustices and asserting his will to succeed, Bren offers an emotional, relatable, and groovy sojourn into his journey of self-discovery and maturation. ​​ ​​But harnessing the grit needed to sing uninhibited lyrics didn't always come swiftly for the Nashville native. It wasn't until he started covering songs like The 1975's "If I Believe You," on which they questioned their faith, in high school that he began to find his voice. "Figuring sexuality out, my religion, my friends, what I want to do in life, those are all things that I didn't talk about," says Bren. "But covering a song like this wasn't jarring. It was a coping mechanism; my way of getting it out." It was around this time that Bren asked himself what he wanted to do with his life. "I knew I'd find myself being creative," he says, adding that when he started singing, he knew he'd found his calling. "It felt like I'd been struck by lightning," he remembers. ​​ ​​While attending Belmont University studying music, Bren started dissecting the sound of gospel and R&B, the intricacies of which inspired him to begin creating his songs. "I'm big on musicality," he says. "I love crazy piano parts and unique chord structures and progressions." These have all made their way into his sound. Not only influenced by artists like Freddie Jackson, John Legend, and Kirk Franklin, who he listened to growing up, Bren also developed a love for alternative music while in college. ​​ ​​Experimenting with the genre "allowed me to incorporate R&B differently and reimagine it," says Bren. "That's what Twenties is all about. It's youthful, euphoric, and reimagines the mainstream. I want to be that guy whose music doesn't cater to one specific group." It's a goal he's already conquering. In October, Bren opened for rapper Megan Thee Stallion, and he rang in the new year performing ahead of Keith Urban at the "Jack Daniel's Music City Midnight" show. ​​ ​​Each song on Twenties should be experienced live. The EP's title track, inspired by Bren's need to find ways to "fall in love with being black and being an oddball," is a jazzy bop that follows the clap-worthy aspirational single "Henny in the Hamptons," which landed in Vulture's 2019 Best New Music list and was deemed "the song you play so often on repeat, you begin to embody Joy's silky, sweet, positive energy." Even the affecting "When Martin Died," a snippet from an interview Bren did with his grandmother about the day Martin Luther King Jr. was killed would inevitably flourish center stage. ​​ ​​Designing the artwork for Twenties was a collaborative effort with Bren's network of friends and like-minded creatives including artist Chase Denton, and producer Caleb Lee. The artwork features headshots of Bren and others arranged to resemble a page in a high school yearbook, led Bren to tap into his DIY spirit after he found inspiration in vintage yearbook pages he discovered on the side of the road in Nashville. "Then I saw a Brady Bunch ad, and I was like, 'Okay, it's a sign. Let's run with it. I photographed the models, styled them, and edited the cover after teaching myself how to use Photoshop for about eight hours. Once I put my mind on something, I'm not going to stop until I have it, and that's gotten me very far." ​​ ​​While Twenties was all about Bren discovering and challenging himself with new scenes, people, and love interests, the new songs he's writing are about baski --- 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 Doug Locke over Zoom video! ​​ ​​Please share while we are #togetherathome ​🏠​ ​​ ​​Doug Locke is an actor and musician from Houston, Texas with more than 10 years in the industry. As a musician his influences include Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz, Rihanna and Madonna. His work has been featured in The Huffington Post, AFROPUNK, Out Magazine, Idolator, GLAAD, Logo's NewNowNext, Upworthy.com, PopMatters.com, Blurred Culture and many others. His Spotify counts over 860,000 streams and Soundcloud sports over 30k streams. ​​His single "#ThisCouldBeUs" hit no.32 on the iTunes Hot 100 chart. The music video for this song has over 1.2 million views and his video for "In or Out" was nominated for "Best Indie Music Video" in the 2018 Queerty awards. Locke returned to Houston to film his music video for "KING" which has a strong anti-bullying message and themes of self-empowerment and love. ​​ ​​In addition to playing shows all over Los Angeles (The Hotel Cafe, The Roxy, Boardner's and others), Locke recently headlined Portland Pride Festival. He has made televised appearances on kCal/CBS 'Morning Show' in Los Angeles and 'Great Day Houston' in Texas. Locke has just released "Black Travolta," the first in a series of 3 mini EP's to be released in 2020. ​​ ​​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 --- 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 Laurie Berkner over Zoom video! ​​ ​​Please share while we are #togetherathome ​🏠​ ​​ ​​Get your kids up and dancing for "A Laurie Berkner Family Concert - Dinosaur Beach Party" that will take place virtually on Sunday, Aug. 9th at 5 pm ET. https://live.laurieberkner.com/ ​​ ​​A leader and innovator in children's music and entertainment, recognized as "the queen of kids' music" by People magazine and "the Adele of the preschool crowd" by The New York Times, Laurie Berkner is a singer, songwriter, lyricist, author, and founder of Two Tomatoes Records, LLC. With an average of more than 12 million monthly streams, thirteen award-winning albums, and millions of CDs and DVDs sold, Laurie's songs have become beloved classics for children worldwide. She maintains a busy touring schedule, both solo and with The Laurie Berkner Band, and has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the White House, among many prestigious venues. ​​ ​​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 --- 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 Tiny Stills over Zoom video! ​​ ​​Please share while we are #togetherathome ​🏠​ ​​ ​​After a family emergency left an opening on a national tour with Anthony Raneri (Bayside) and John- Allison Weiss in 2015, frontwoman Kailynn West stepped in at the last minute to complete the tour as her power-pop project Tiny Stills and has been running ever since. The project formed originally as a direct response to West's experience being held up at gunpoint in 2011 as a means to cope with the inevitable social fallout that occurs so often after traumatic experiences. The band's second album "Laughing into the Void" (Independently released 6/1/18) is full of tattoo-worthy lyrics (ala The Weakerthans) brutal honesty, crunchy guitars and catchy melodies that pay homage to early 90s/00s pop-punk. They have since released a new split record (2019) and singles (2020) recorded/engineered by Paul Miner(Death By Stereo) on Wiretap Records and have opened for Motion City Soundtrack, Anthony Raneri (Bayside), Reggie and the Full Effect (solo), and Andy Jackson (Hot Rod Circuit). ​​ ​​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 --- 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 Patrick Droney over Zoom video! ​​ ​​Please share while we are #togetherathome ​🏠​ ​​ Singer, songwriter and celebrated guitarist Patrick Droney shares new track "Passerby" on Warner Records. Released alongside an official video, the reflective song continues Patrick's momentous 2020 thus far, which has seen the release of "The Wire" and a recent collaboration with Kygo on "Say You Will," off Kygo's acclaimed new album, Golden Hour. Patrick explains, "There is so much sentiment attached to places - places we grew up, places we outgrew, places we miss. It's always a particular feeling for me when I return somewhere I know so well but can feel the gap of time in which life has moved on. The details of both my own perspective and my surroundings have shifted. The heart holds love and its absence in a similar way - what do we still recognize in each other after all this time and change? It's a constant balance of looking back on what was, reckoning with what is and the uncertainty of what will be." Patrick had a breakout moment with the independent release of his debut EP in 2018, earning more than 25M Spotify streams and spawning "High Hope," which has accumulated 10M streams to date, as well as "Stand and Deliver," which he performed on Late Night with Seth Meyers and landed in the Top 10 on Spotify's US Viral Top 50 chart, with Premier Guitar praising his "bluesy, catchy hooks." A natural virtuoso, he first picked up a guitar around age 5, starting an obsession that that led him to receive the "Next Generation Award" from the Robert Johnson Foundation at age 12, later attending the prestigious Clive Davis Institute at NYU and earning a spot as one of Fender's go-to artist ambassadors, and of course, his new deal with Warner Records. ​​ ​​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 --- 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 Turbo over Zoom video! ​​ ​​Please share while we are #togetherathome ​🏠​ ​​ ​​A truly original and fearless artist, Turbo combines the gritty authenticity of outlaw country with hip-hop's hard-hitting beats and rhymes. On his debut for 10K Projects/ Homemade Projects/ Internet Money Records, the Calgary-bred singer/songwriter shows the sheer force of his emotionally raw lyrics, along with his razor-sharp instinct for crafting unforgettable hooks. ​​ ​​Made with producers like Nick Mira (A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Trippie Redd, Juice WRLD), Turbo's debut brings his boldly personal songwriting to a guitar-driven sound that's endlessly catchy. On the soulful lead single "Heart Stop," for instance, he speaks his unapologetic truth about living fast with no regrets, set to a backdrop of gorgeous acoustic-guitar work supplied by 10K/ Internet Money labelmate Alec Wigdahl. Meanwhile, "Racing After Me" unfolds as a moody but high-powered epic, with Turbo building a potent tension between the track's bright textures and visceral riffs. "That song's about my phone buzzing all the time from people trying to reach me," Turbo explains. "They're chasing after me but they'll never catch up, 'cause I'm hard to reach." ​​ ​​Born Nicholas LaMonaca, Turbo grew up on country thanks mainly to his father (a famed guitarist in the international bluegrass scene), but felt drawn toward rap music and obscure electronic genres like hardstyle (a fusion of techno and hardcore). At the age of 12 he started making his own music, a move heavily inspired by Avicii's progressive-house classic "LE7ELS." "Once I heard that song I couldn't get enough of it," Turbo recalls. "I was so obsessed, I ended up downloading FL Studio to try to recreate the melody on my own." Although he instantly discovered a natural talent for production, Turbo put music aside for several years, then started producing again after graduating high school. "On my 18th birthday I bought a laptop and keyboard and set of speakers, and figured I'd have rappers come in and do their thing," he says. "But after a while I just started winging it, making beats and rapping over them myself." ​​ ​​As he pushed deeper into his artistry, Turbo began mining inspiration from left-of-center country singers like Colter Wall, a Canadian musician he stumbled across while stocking the shelves at his full-time liquor-store job. "Colter Wall has one of the raspiest, rawest, rudest voices I'd ever heard in my life, and it just completely took me over," he notes. From there, Turbo tapped into his own country roots and created a full-length project titled Sixth Gear, a 2019 release featuring his breakthrough single "Light Speed." Soon after YouTube curator Astari shared the song's video on his channel, "Light Speed" caught the attention of 10K, quickly paving the way for Turbo's signing to the label, along with Homemade Projects and Internet Money Records. ​​ ​​In the making of his 10K/ Homemade Projects/ Internet Money debut, Turbo embraced even more confidence in his songwriting, and followed his intuition more fully than ever. "The more music I make and the better I know myself, the more I've realized that the best songs come from me sitting in a room alone and just taking my time—that's how I come up with something honest and timeless," he says. "I don't really follow a particular process. Instead of worrying about any kind of rules, I just do what I want, and go with whatever feels right to me." ​​ ​​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 --- 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 Mike Mains over the phone! ​​ ​​Please share while we are #togetherathome ​​ ​​ ​​Mike Mains and The Branches is a pop-rock band based in Michigan. Since their conception in 2012, the group has built a reputation for their fantastical instrumentation and unforgettable live performances. Mains began writing songs early in his career between shifts at a casino, which is an apt illustration of Mains perspective on life: it's a comedy, a tragedy, and a fairytale. ​​ ​​It's that perspective that laces itself throughout the band's catalogue, where the songs make you dance while lyrics make you cry. And while the juxtaposition of glitter and gloom should feel confusing, it renders itself joyfully therapeutic. And that's their goal—particularly in their live shows—to strap you into a rollercoaster you never want to get off of. ​​Their boisterousness began when founding members Mike and Shannon fell in love, got married, and in doing so, minted the focal experience of the band's music and lyrics; not just love, but the swirling highs and the bruising lows of choosing to live life together. After releasing an EP and two full-length albums, they chose to partner with Tooth & Nail Records on their latest release. The record, When We Were In Love, is their most honest yet. Although their agenda remains the same—to combat numbness with joy, pain, and wings to fly—this latest pursuit is more of an honest reflection in the struggle to love. The result is an infectious and colorful album full of tragedy, comedy, and the freedom to forget fairytales. ​​ ​​We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com ​​ ​​www.BringinitBackwards.com ​​ ​​#podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork --- 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 Elwins over Zoom audio! ​​ ​​Please share while we are #togetherathome ​​ ​​ ​​"Listening to an Elwins record feels like coming home at the end of a long day. The Newmarket four-piece has made a decade-plus long career out of carefully crafting clever and cozy tunes. An Elwins song is just as comfortable in your headphones as you walk as it is being blasted from the sound system at one of their vibrant live shows. ​​ ​​Taking a break from their prolific touring schedule, which most recently has found them playing alongside acts such as Passion Pit, Metric and Born Ruffians, The Elwins took to a handful of studios to record their latest collection of songs. With their fourth LP, the simply titled IV, Matthew Sweeney, Travis Stokl, Francesco Figliomeni, and Feurd have done it again. Self-produced by the band, with a diverse and detailed sound reflecting influences from 70s AM-radio pop to the mid-2000s alternative that the band was borne out of, the record is a prime showcase for the collective magic of these four talented songwriters. ​​ ​​Characterized as more direct and personal than their previous releases, IV is an infectiously melodic exploration of emotion. "It's about the desire to find someone, to have it all feel right, and have it last," explains Figliomeni. "Something Is Happening Here," sings Sweeney exuberantly on the opening track, and he's right: what's happening is a great new record, one that is sure to draw in new fans and old pals." ​​​​ ​​We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com ​​ ​​www.BringinitBackwards.com ​​ ​​#podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom --- 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 Ramsey Elkholy of Monotronic over Zoom video! ​​ ​​Please share while we are #togetherathome ​🏠​ ​​ ​​What if an intrepid backpacker with an adventure-seeking gypsy spirit bounced back from nearly a decade of globe-trotting - which including forays into the jungles of Sumatra and a year bouncing around India - decided to return home to the concrete jungle of NY with the aim of creating new music? ​​ ​​Well, the music you would hear would sound something like Monotronic…It is music that defies genre and is nearly impossible to categorize, yet somehow there is a common thread that can be traced back to its brainchild. ​​ ​​Led by anthropologist and musician/producer Ramsey Elkholy, the New York-based collective pillage dancefloor-ready grooves with impressive instrumentation, verging on virtuosity, while staying rooted in eloquent songcraft. Since emerging in 2016, Monotronic has maintained its status as a ponderous and provocative enigma. Boasting an impressive pedigree, the rotating cast of musicians have either shared the stage or recorded with the likes of Joe Jackson, Robert Randolph, The Spin Doctors, and Dweezil Zappa, to name a few. In addition to performing at iconic venues around New York City, the band has also graced the bills of festivals such as Disc Jam and Meeting of the Minds. Following the release of their self-titled debut album in 2019, the crew garnered looks from Hype Magazine, Rock Cellar Magazine, Grateful Web, and other music-minded publications. ​​ ​​Ultimately, the music remains as intriguing as the life of its creator. ​​ ​​"I traveled pretty consistently for most of my 20's, lived in other countries, and have always tried to stay open to new experiences," he says. "Later as an anthropologist, my research interests led me to the jungles of Indonesia, where I lived for two years, mostly taking notes and observing the people I was living among, basically trying to be a fly on the wall. That is something that will always stay with me, that curiosity of the world and other people." ​​ ​​These experiences filter through the songs of Monotronic. Completing a Ph.D. at the University of Manchester, he later turned his thesis into the book, Being and Becoming. ​​ ​​Settling back in New York, he made the crucial decision not to pursue academia, but instead to focus on music, which led to the release of the band's self-titled debut album in 2019. ​​ ​​After the cycle behind the first album, Ramsey decided to shift gears, focusing less on playing gigs and more on recording and songwriting, which led to a series of upcoming songs and videos to be released starting this summer with "Kids of Summer." On the track, a hypnotic beat gives way to swirling ambient pulse as thought-provoking lyrics percolate to the forefront. A danceable groove hinges on glaring riffs and a chantable refrain. ​​ ​​"In terms of inspiration, I was listening to a lot Berlin electronic dance music and some Burning Man sets on YouTube," he states. "It's got an upbeat vibe that feels right for summer, but also speaks to the times, in terms of all the youth energy we are seeing out in the streets, which I think is leading to real change." ​​ ​​With three more singles slated to be released in the following months the skittering production of "Just Another Day" flutters alongside unpredictable lyrics scrawled in the aftermath of an Ayahuasca retreat in Peru. "When the morning came around, I pulled out my phone and started frantically texting the lyrics in my little notes section," he recalls. "I had those lyrics in my phone for two years and had completely forgotten about them... until one day the music came to me and I was able to connect the two." ​​ ​​The pensive and poetic "Buy Yourself A Dream" turns inwards. "It's a song that reflects more on the journey than the destination," he says. "We often miss out on the best parts of life when we put too much focus on material goals. That's the basic gist of the --- 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 Sean Raab of Fat Trout Trailer Park! ​​ ​​Please share while we are #togetherathome ​🏠​ ​​ ​​FAT TROUT TRAILER PARK takes influences as diverse as Tame Impala and Death Grips and twists them into an anarchic brawl, sparing few establishment institutions in its incisive critique of modern society. ​​ ​​Economic and environmental violence are both a looming presence on debut single "Fatberg", the initially restrained, then untamed "Gold" and the Television-indebted "Dirty Hands". "Backseat" spirals into the hedonism that follows an episode of depression, a phenomenon recalled on the EP's final track "Wendigo", which swerves through a Jekyll & Hyde narrative that explores bipolarity and the cocktail of disbelief, guilt, regret and relief that follows a bout of mania. ​​The anti-establishment sound of the summer! ​​ ​​Sean Raab is a self-produced artist who plays every instrument on his record. Lyrically, his songwriting is informed by the nefarious nature of late Capitalism and its damaging impact on people and the environment. Sonically, he is inspired by artists as diverse as Tame Impala and Death Grips. Alongside Fat Trout Trailer Park he pursues experimental electronic and hip-hop projects under various guises, both of these additional projects inform and inspire his work as FTTP. ​​ ​​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 --- 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/